Bula (aka Hello) From SUNSHINEY Fiji!!!!

Highlights of the trip....

**SUNSHINE
**Warm weather
**Felling hot
**Getting a tan....
OKAY I actually have experienced other things but I thought I should start out the blog with how happy I am to be in HOT weather even if just for 10 days!!

**Getting to catch some of the Olympics! (dad I even saw a wrestling match...China/Georia--looked like about 145/154 weight class...was Rick on that match? I thought I saw him or the other guy you work with)
**Seeing Michael Phelps win Gold Medal after Gold Medal--to the irritation to my "tall poppy" Kiwi friends who can't just be excited for the guy that is standing out!
**Getting some fun text from home...(I can text now in the villages I am in...so send me some text love!)
**Eating yummy breads and fruits
**Playing with dirty little messy kids
**Walking through the markets
**Laughing at silly I was to think that going with two Kiwi guys to a foreign country was going to be easy...FUN yes, but Kiwi's as a whole are a bit less emotional and guys in general just don't like to talk...AGHH!! Hell for this American verbal processor :)
**Driving in the back of a truck for 4 hours (closest way I can describe it is a truck the migrant workers in CA drive in)Definitely would not have passed CHP standards. And the seat belt law---well that is just a non existent things for people and kids alike!
**Staying with Great Families
**Seeing the true Fijian Lifestyle
**Watching them love and welcome anyone in their homes and hearts
**Hearing them Sing
**Playing with my favorite friend, Serva...who I like to refer to as Cheeky Monkey--which he now responds too.
**Having a milion nicknames: Tina being the funniest...they couldn't quite get Dana so when I introduced myself they said, "Tina...like Tina Turner?" Luke and Sam have loved that! And now that is all they call me.
**Taking drugs disguised as "tradition" in Fijian culture--KAVA...a root that when pounded and mixed with water looks like brown dirty water and taste worse than that. But it is the much loved custom of Fiji and part of any ceremony that they do. I have drank Welcome Kava, Meeting Kava, Farewell Kava, Good bye Kava, Thank You Kava...and the list goes on. Pretty much it is any excuse to celebrate a person and drink Kava for HOURS!! I drank it with a smile and used my Wooing powers to get them to give me small cups. It is traditionally done by men but since I am a visitor I as well took part, but flashed a couple smiles and ended up drinking way less than Luke and Sam..I LOVE being a girl!!!



Well, it has been one of the most interesting trips I have ever taken. Fiji is an incredible culture full of smiles, relationships, perseverance, joy, relaxation, family, and tradition. I have learned so much from my Fijian friends as they have modeled relaxing and letting life unfold. I have learned much about myself and about people on this trip...but mostly I have learned new sides of God. I have been reading the book The Shack. If you haven't read this book you NEED TO GO NOW AND GET IT! I didn't believe the hype surrounding it but man was I wrong. It is not just a book that is good to read. It challenges your thoughts on spiritual things, God and yourself. I HIGHLY recommend it no matter where you are at on your spiritual journey.

With that said, as I have read this book and experienced this beautiful culture I feel like I have had a life changing experience. The life is hard here for many of these people, and the days are long and conveniences are non existent. Yet, here it is where I am seeing new sides of myself and of God. I have watched myself experience love in all sorts of ways, but I have also seen myself reject love out of fear. I play it off with much spiritual language at times but after you cut through all the crap it is just fear and insecurity. But I see the kind heart of God who patiently allowed me to come to this place and encounter in ways that have been not at all what I have expected. He is patient and loving and trustworthy...and ALL ABOUT relationship. I can look like I am all about relationship but as I have watched myself and allowed this book and these people to be a mirror for me I realize how much I missed out on. There was a moment when everyone was taking a nap...Fijians LOVE their rests. I picked up the book and had an encounter with God that was like none other. I actually had to put the book down and walk away because it was too intense for me. Plus I was crying so hard and was just about to go into Ugly Cry...thinking that Luke and Sam were asleep...but NOPE! They just looked at me wondering what the heck book I was reading. I finally had to walk into town to regroup a bit. It didn't really work because I continued the conversation I was having with God and kept crying as I "tried to pull it together."

I finally came back and was battling to think of anything else and my sweet little friend Serva, who is the cheekiest little 3 year old came and found me to play. We ran all around the village, him just chattering away to me in Fijian. He took me to the shop so he could buy two pieces of candy. He looked at me with this beautiful, dirty faced, teeth falling out smile and handed one of his precious candies to me. My heart melted at the loving moment. We then, as little boys do, took off running to play in the dirt.

I guess at the end of the day God knows exactly what we need to actually have an accurate view of Himself...not because He needs us to, but because He longs for us to know just how Loved we are by Him. Who knew that after growing up in church, a GREAT family, going to Bible School, working in numerous churches and serving people for over 10 years that a small rustic village would be the place I would finally allow God to teach me some stuff about how stubborn I am but how much more stubborn He is for me to know I am loved...