We have been so busy. Busy is better than bored. We've been here 11 days. We ended up spending 3 nights in the hotel. Wednesday we had a good friend, Soko come and help us clean our apartment. We washed walls, baseboards, cupboards, closets and floors. I cleaned all the dishes in the kitchen. We worked hard all day Wednesday and Thursday we spent a good part of the day finishing up. Actually I think it probably took me through the week to really finish. The mission president bought us a new bed. We still haven't talked to the landlord to see if he will reimburse us. We had to buy new sheets because we bought a king size bed where as we had a queen size before. The old mattress is still sitting on the porch. On Friday, as we were putting things together, we found 1 big fat full of blood bedbug. That didn't make us too happy. So we did a little more spraying and more scrubbing furniture and baseboards. We haven't found anymore since than. BUT, I either have new bites on my leg or a rash. I'm really not sure. So today, I pulled all the bedding and boiled the blankets and sheets, scrubbed and vacuumed the mattress seams, and resprayed. We still haven't used the couches for fear their might be bugs in them. We've sprayed, scrubbed and vacuumed them a couple of times. We are determined to win this war! One of our teachers in our class is also fighting the same battle. Daniel said his boys and wife moved out until he is victorious. Unfortunately he decided he needed to burn the couches and his bed! I'm not ready to get that drastic. I did read that you don't need to burn your things, unless of course you are ready for something new! Enough of the bedbugs!
Last week, Pres. Markus asked us if we would shephard 7 "stranded" missionaries from Kiribati. They are starting the pathways program and just need someone to help them along the way. We are not familiar with the program but are definitely willing to help. The two sister missionaries have been on their mission about 33 months. A sister missionary usually serves for 18 months. They both started their missions in Barbados. When Covid hit, they were sent to the Dominic Republic. When they closed their border, they were sent to Croatia. Finally they were sent to Fiji waiting for the borders to Kiribati to open. When Kiribati allowed one large group of returning missionaries home, one of them tested positive to Covid and neither were allowed to return. Both of them see it as a blessing because now they will be able to get a free ticket (so to speak) to BYUH. They must complete 3 courses with pathways, receive at least a B in all three classes and then they are automatically accepted into BYUH. BYUH will take care of them and help them find employment on campus. The 5 Elders are in similar situations. They have all come from different missions. Two from different places in Africa, two that had calls to places in the US but never got there. They have served their whole mission in Fiji. I can't remember where the other Elder served. One of the missionaries hasn't been home in 45 months! Twenty-four months is a normal mission. They also see this opportunity as a blessing. None of them want to go home. They are wanting to go to Hawaii and get their educations.
Kim started teaching our first ITEP course last week. We now have had 3 classes. There are 7 teachers enrolled in the class and all are excited to be there and come to class ready to learn. It's great to see their enthusiasm. They are all from the college (the High School) and three of them are new hires. The Primary school has one new hire but she has already taken the pedagogy class that Kim is teaching. Both schools are in need of hiring 2 more teachers, and yes we are in the 3rd week of a new school year!!
Sunday as I sat in Sacrament Meeting in Korovou, it began to rain. The windows were all open and the fresh breeze flowed through the chapel. The words of a song came into my mind..."I see leaves of green. Red Roses too. I watch them bloom for me and for you. And I think to myself, What a wonderful world!" I looked out the windows. It was breath taking. I could see the ocean in the far distance. The rain was streaming down. Everything was green and lush. We are blessed with a wonderful world. And the Fijians have the most beautiful!
We learned in Come Follow Me this past week not to run faster than we have strength. We learned that we all have to share the load. One person cannot be expected to do it all. Moses father-in-law was a wise man as he advised Moses. "Moreover, thou shalt provide out of all the people able men....and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens....and they shall bear the burden with thee....If thou shalt do this thing...then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace." Exodus 18: 21-23. I think that is beautiful. Pres. Markus is so appreciative of Elder and Sister Denney who have helped bear his burdens the past 6 months. Now we have come to help a little as well. This weekend, two more senior couples will enter Fiji to help carry the load. We can't be expected to do the work alone. We all need to help and share the burdens. And if we do so, we can all have peace. What a great principle. The Lord truly looks after his people.
Here's a few pictures of our week.
