Good morning!

Your girls come home today!!! Please check the flight status of Air Pacific flight #810, arriving at 1:20pm from Nadi, Fiji.

They will arrive at Tom Bradley and go through customs. Please, please be on time because it is such a sad sight to see one kid standing around watching everyone else being greeted by family.

Thank you!!!!
Susi

The Internet has been down and so the blog updates haven't posted. Kim texted this to me ...The girls have gotten to enjoy the other side of the postcard! After a tearful goodbye to all of our new friends at our outreach sites and a traditional Fijian Lovo Feast we headed off for an island get away... It was an amazing adventure... We snorkeled , swam and enjoyed are last days together in paradise. There was a little storm but we still sat on the top deck of the boat on our way back! We are so sad to leave but so thankful! We are excited to see you all... Prepare yourself for some stories!!!

More Ministry Days

A note from some of the ladies .....

Heavyn- BULAAAAAAA or Shall I say Mo-day ahah (goodnight). Today I had a really great day all together! We celebrated birthdays at the Golden Age! As well as hanging out with the kids at the kids club later on in the day! I was so blessed when we went down to the park and around 10 or more kids ran up to me and remembered me by name after just one time of meeting them. Their love and affection really blessed my trip! God is Great! I really thank God for these amazing girls here as well as their Testimonies! I ask That God will continue to bless these girls and boys and their families! LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!! True love hugs!<3

Lauren - Today has been absolutely amazing!!! I went to the primary school and made some books for the school (lots of drawing and coloring) and then I played with the fifth graders for a few hours! I love them so much! I think I work well them because I'm used to being around 10 year olds so thanks Caroline! This trip has been so much fun and it's been awesome to see God working in my life! We have developed such awesome relationships here it's hard to say goodbye! To my family I love you guys so much and I can't wait to see you soon! And to Caroline "goodnight my love" <3

Alix - Today was so much fun, until I realized that today was my last full day with the special needs kids.  I gave out the bracelets to two of the boys I got pretty close with, and when I was giving them to the boys everyone saw me and wanted one. I gave almost all of them away which was fun, but I am sad about leaving Saturday.  I have developed some great and close relationships with some of the kids. I love you all and am excited to see you all (maybe all of my family) at the airport when I get home:) <3

Dominique- I had such a great time today and I am so sad to say that my experience in Fiji is almost over! Today, I went to the Golden Age in the morning and then went to the Special Needs school in the afternoon! I was so happy to be with all the kids and to be with the old people. They really all need so much love and I was so glad that I was able to give it to them! :) Love you mom and dad<3

Rebecca- Hey this is Heavyn again! Rebecca really wasn't feeling too well today! God is working through her and she is getting her rest! I praise God for her passion to connect with everyone! Rebecca aka Deborah/Brenda (ahahah)  is such a great girl to know! I Love her, and in closing we will be praying for her health mentally and spiritually!

Makenzie- The past days have been fantastic!! Yesterday I went to the construction site and helped dig a hole....and yes I did actually learn to shovel all by myself. After we went down to a river and cliff jumped with some local Fijians. It was absolutely beautiful! God's creation is so serene and pure here; it is unreal. Today I went to the special needs school for the second time. I worked in class three and I got to play with the kids all day. One of my favorite moments was when I was helping them read and then Pataia came and gave me a necklace that he made. When he put it on my neck he said, "Beautiful, just like you". It made me so happy. It is so hard to leave and say goodbye to all the kids. So far this experience has been amazing and I continuously have been thanking God for giving me the opportunity to come here. HI FAMILY! LOVE YOU ALL!




Chander: Hi guys! I hope you're reading this... I have been so blessed to be on this trip; it has absolutely changed my life. The people i have gotten to know are more than amazing and have been so nice. I have the wonderful opportunity to talk to some of the boys at the special needs school who have completely changed me. I have worked through the challenge of communicating with a deaf boy named Mosese and gotten to know a 14 year old boy named Vauli who started school for the first time two years ago. Not going to lie, I came on this trip hoping to be blessed, and while i have, I have realized the true purpose of me being here is to simply have Christ worked through me to bless the people I come in contact with each day.  I'm seeing things from a new perspective and learning to appreciate the smaller things. Seeing the boys' faces light up when I give them a piece of gum or a bracelet or even when i sit next to them or sign "i love you" has encouraged me to look at things in a different way. I am so sad to think that I will be leaving in a few days.


Mia- Hello! I was at the special needs school today. I love making a connection with the kids there. They are all so inspiring and so eager to learn. I worked with class 5 all day, which is age 12. Most of the kids in this class are challenged by dyslexia or in Asinate's case, a 13 year old girl, not being introduced to school till a couple of years ago. It is such a blessing to make friendships with all the kids at this school. Right now we are making bracelets to bring to them tomorrow. It is going to be so hard to say goodbye to them. These kids deserve so much attention and and they really need nurturing people around them. Please pray for them! HI FAMILY LOVE YOU!!!

Kid's Club with the local kids.

Special Needs School!  They are the best guest teachers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Birthday Day at the Old Folks home !!!

Bula Tuesday!

Today the girls were at their different ministry sites and then ended the day with a little dip in the water, naps and a shopping trip. Here are some pictures from the day and a few notes from the girls that are still awake:)

Chandler mixing cement at the construction site.

A little game of speed scrabble.

Chandler taking a dip!

Snuggle nap time.

I under cooked a cake for the old folks home tomorrow which turned out to be quite a treat! Yummy!!

 Dom:
Hi Mom and Tati! I have been sick for the past 2 days so I haven't really been able to go to the mission sites with full power, but hopefully I'll be better tomorrow for the special needs kids :) Don't worry it's just a cold and I already feel a little better! I can't wait to come home and see you because  I miss you both a lot<3 I will see you soon! Love you :*

Alix:
Hi Carson, Mom, and Dad! I have been having so much fun, and got to go back to the Special Needs school. I got to work with Petaia today, along with his older brother named Vaulie.  Vaulie is fourteen and loves me to sing. I was hanging out with the children in the room Petaia, and Vaulie told me to go into the next room. Once I got there he told me to sing for him because he liked how I sang:) and we sang for a while. It was a great day! Love you and hope to see you all at the airport when I get home! <3

Monday Ministries

It was a beautiful day here today, I'm going to hand it over to the girls to tell you what they did!:)

Mia- Today I went to Golden Age, which is the elderly home here in Lautoka. It was touching and a little heartbreaking to see how families have deserted their parents or grandparents and just drop them off at the home and never come back. We just entertained all the residents with songs and stories and nail painting. They really loved that because they don't usually get a lot of attention. After their lunch we prayed with all the ladies and just talked to them and asked them about their lives despite the ever-present language barrier. It was a really eye-opening experience and I really hope that the residents felt the love, hope, and joy that we wanted to bring them. HI MOM!!! love you :) :)

Alix - Today I went to Golden Age, the elderly home, which was right next to the prison. The elderly home was interesting, and as Mia said a little heartbreaking because the elderly that are staying at Golden Age have been left there by their families.  Their children usually do not visit often.  During the day we painted finger and toe nails, sang songs, served lunch, and spoke with the ladies. It was interesting how having us their put a smile on the ladies and men faces.  They usually do not get much attention, and we got to give them the attention that they usually do not get. It was a memorable experience.  HEY CARSON, MOM, and DAD! LOVE YOU ALL<3 SEE YOU SOON(:!

Lauren - I did the same as Mia and Alix. It was definitely heart breaking but an amazing experience and made me realize how blessed I am to have my health and such an amazing family. I love and miss you all so much!!!!

Dom - Being here in Fiji has really opened my eyes to the things going on in the world and how absolutely blessed, like Lauren said, I am to have an amazing family and a good healthy life. I am excited to come home but I love being in Fiji<3 Love you all and see you soon! :)

More to come later! Love you guys!

Day of Rest

Here are some pics from our restful and fun Sunday.  We went to two Church services(One in English and one in Fijian) , ate some yummy ice cream and went to a movie.  The girls are playing lots of card games and resting to get ready for another ministry day tomorrow.

 

Chandler and Mackenzie dance at English Church Service in the morning.

Heavyn and Jacob singing at English Church!

On our way to go see Batman!  Our Fijian host surprised us all with movie tickets on our day off!

On our way to Fijian Church Service in the afternoon.

Ocean Sunset after Church (Pictures don't do it justice)

Rebecca and one of our Fijian hosts Areilei and Rebecca after church.

Miss Andrea, Heavyn and Areilei at Fijian Church

It is Sunday Morning here in Fiji and everyone is getting ready for Church! The sunrise this morning is gorgeous ... can you believe your daughters have been up everyday to see the sunrise:) They look a little sleepier this morning but we are looking forward to Fijian and English church.  They have asked us to lead the English service. Chandler and Mackenzie are dancing and Heavyn will be singing!!
We had a great day of relaxation yesterday yesterday.  We went to the rugby match to cheer on our team.  The school boys lost but they played great and then we were off to the pool.  We swam, ate french fries and watched the opening ceremonies of the Olympics.  After dinner we headed to the Sugar Cane Festival to watch the crowning of Ms. Sugar Cane. It was quite interesting!  The kids got to participate in the carnival activities and then we headed to bed. The girls send their love home, please feel free to comment on any of the posts and I will give them the message!

Yadra from Fiji!!!!!
We have a break from our ministry sites today and are headed to a Rugby match and the Pool. The team from one of the schools we have been working at has made it to the championship so we are going to cheer them on and bring them lunch.But first, here is a note from Heavyn and Rebecca.

Hello from Debora.....or Rebecca.  An interesting cultural note is that it is extremely impolite to wear your shoes inside the house.  Forgive me father, I am going bare foot in Fiji.  More about Fijians: it is in there culture to serve to their greatest ability.  They are also extremely polite.  Not Chinese polite, not Japanese polite, but Fijian polite.  However, they will also accept help when they need it and rely on you.  I have not been able to experience this very much, but I hope that I will be able to come to a deeper understanding of their cultural. Good-bye, I have to go now.  Perhaps I will write more in the future.
Hey guys, Heavyn here!! Wahooooooo!! This morning we woke up to amazing weather outside, it looked extremely gorgeous! I am so excited for what God has prepared for us this day! As I am writing this I hear music in the background by Fred Hammond " This is the day that the lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it!" Thank you Jesus for this amazing experience! I have made some great friends! ***Shout out*** Mom, dad, aunty nicole(AHAHA) , mark, chris, micah, and of course TRUE LOVE WORSHIP CENTER!!!! LOVE YOU GUYS SEE YOU SOON <3

We are off ! Send you more pictures later!

Bula Friends and Family,

Day Four has been great! We are currently in our night meeting reflecting on our day and Heavyn is about to give her testimony to the group.  The girls have been so positive, flexible and have bonded so well with all of the Fijians and the rest of our team .  Here are some pics from the day and a few notes from some of the girls....

 Chandler at the pool with one of the the students from the special needs school.

 Lauren with one of the deaf students learning sign language

 

Alix  with one of the special needs students Petaia.

Chief Darren.

Our whole team at the Sea Wall in Lautoka watching the sunset.

Chandler and some of the special needs students!

Dom and Sala

 Cotton Candy at the sugar cane festival.  We lucked out this week because their annual Sugar Cane festival is this week! We will be attending the Sugar Cane Pageant tommorow!


Dom- These past few days here have been absolutely amazing! The natives at the house are SO welcoming including AMAZING food, laundry, and daily room cleanings. So far I have been to the preschool twice and to the special needs school once. The kids are so loving and to see the smile on their face makes my day so much better. Just one hug makes them the happiest kids around. I have gotten closer to God in these past few days, and Fiji is a perfect paradise. I love you Mom and Tati and I can't wait to come home and see you<3 love you :*

Alix - The past few days have been so fun and perfect! The house that we are staying at is beautiful and the people who make our meals also clean our rooms everyday and do our laundry. I feel like the people here are serving us when we are supposed to be serving them. Over the past few days I have visited the special needs school twice and the preschool once. I have developed a great relationship with a boy named Petaia at the special needs school. He is sweet and is very loving. The Fijians are so friendly, loving and are making our stay here perfect. Fiji is paradise. I love you Nadeane, Troy, and Carson and miss you, also I want to let you know Carson the Petaia reminds me of you(:. See you next Saturday! Love You<3

 Kid's Club!!

 

 Women's Club Feast- We had a traditional Fijian Feast served to us by the Women'sClub!

Dance Time!!!

Bula Bula! Good Morning Fiji! Praise the Lord for another day here!   More Pics to come !

Greetings from the ladies of Fiji! We had another amazing day today! We woke up bright and early for devotions and witnessed the most beautiful sunset ever, had some yummy breakfast and went out to our sites.
Our teams have bonded really well in just 3 short days.After our work, we went to see the women of the Simblaya(?) Women's club who blessed us with a Fijian feast and taught us about their dancing. We all gathered under the tent and had a giant dance train party. The space was over flowing with joy!
Here are some notes from a few of the girls ....

Lauren - Hi everyone! I am having an amazing time! and I loved you're letter Caroline! I worked at the primary school today and it was so much fun! Love and miss you!!

Mia- I went to the primary school the past two days! It was so amazing to help the kids read and sing songs and practice the alphabet. They are so fascinated with people from the USA. Loving it here so much!!!

Mackenzie - Hello everybody!!! Its Makenzie and I am absolutely loving it. I have gone to the special ed school and the preschool for the past two days. The kids are so full of joy and so loving on all of us. One of my favorite things is when we are walking down the streets and they say BULA! Ps. Hi Laney Miss you!!

Chandler- Bula! I'm having the most amazing time here. Everyone is so welcoming and full of joy. I've been working with the kids at the preschool the past few days, and it has been such a great opportunity. I also had the chance to visit the hospital and talk with a single mothers club. I doubt you are reading this but thank you mom and dad for sending me on this great trip. I'm a little itchy from the bug bites, but so far I couldn't be happier. Sanga dalanga: no worries!

Heavyn says hi and has some great stories to share tomorrow!
Alix had to head to bed but will share a great story about a boy named William!
Dom had a much needed shower after a long day of being a human jungle gym with the preschoolers.
Rebecca was so sleepy from a long day at the Primary School but she loved working with the Kids helping them with their alphabet and played soccer with the kids.
Andrea and Darren have some great stories from the prison and special needs school.

Vinoka!
(thank you)
We love you!!

The students had an amazing first day, it started out with rain but ended up providing a cool morning at our sites. They all made instant connections at their sites and all really stepped up in different ways. Most of the girls taught a lesson in a classroom and all of them helped lead games at the kids club. We had a really great share time at night with our two teams and the Fijian SI leader and Chandler shared her testimony with the teams. It is 5am right now and the girls are slowly waking up and send you all lots of love as we head into our second work day!

Bula from Fiji

Bula Family and Friends!!!

Our first day is coming to a close, the girls are ready for bed and it is only 8:30pm!  We have had such an amazing day!  We arrived this morning and were greeted by our new Fijian friend, Oscar, and our SI Leader, Megan.  We also met the other half of our team.  We are serving alongside another high school group, Tulare Community Church (TCC)  from Central Valley California.  Our SI Leaders brought all of us to our beautiful guesthouse in Lautoka where we settled in and were served a very yummy breakfast by our Fijian Students International Staff.  They are so friendly and the kids have felt right at home.   After breakfast, we headed to the market place to buy our Sulu's.  The girls each bought the local skirt so we could wear them on our tour of a Viseisei Village .  We learned a lot about the history of the village and how the native Fijian Tribe functions.  After the tour, we headed back for some free time.  This gave us some time to bond with our new friends from Tulare!

This evening, we met all of the SI leaders for each of the ministry sites, and the girls are looking forward to serving tomorrow. Dom, Lauren and Chandler are headed to the Pre-School.  Darren, Rebekah and Heavyn are headed  to Golden Ages Elderly Home and the Prison Ministry.  Mackenzie and Alix are going to the Special Needs School and Mia will be at the primary school with 5 students from TCC.

Our first view of the beach from the Viseisei Village.

 The Girls in their traditional Sulu's.

The girls send their love!

Moce!

We made it!!! The girls all slept well on the plane and we were greeted by three singing Fijians ! We are loving Fiji already! We are checked into our beautiful house and headed to the village.

Off on our Fiji adventure !!! Our flight is on time and we are all excited to fly on our first double decker plane! 

Countdown

Downey test #1