Fiji Adventures : June 2023

My Scripture Picture

I probably should say something profound about studying the scriptures, but I really took this picture because I wasn't happy with the ones that I could find in stock photo files. This one will be put to good use!

Our first event in June was the Fiji Country Office wellness session, which I have titled "Lifestyle Matters"

I decided that we needed to do less lecture (me talking) and more participation, so I asked Margi Levaci to come and help us learn some good food prep tricks to increase the convenience factor of healthy eating, especially fruits and vegetables. Margi has a catering business, and she is often asked to provide "healthy" meals for events and conferences here in Suva. She has learned a few tricks and was very gracious about coming to share with our group. She also provided some great food platters for our early lunch. As always, "if you feed them, they will come", and we had a great response.

Maya, Me, and some of
the goodies Margi
brought for lunch

Margi (far left), her assistant Tanna, Meli,
and George

Birthdays this month were our two granddaughters, Haley and Emily. Both declined to have me include a picture, but both reported having quiet and enjoyable birthday celebrations. (I know this is a very late post, but Happy Birthday to both of you!)

The family I met swimming at the USP pool

It was suggested to me that swimming would be a good way to exercise and increase my strength as I continue to recover from back injury. Steve and I checked out the available options, and decided that the pool on the University of the South Pacific (USP) campus was our best option. I headed over there one Saturday after I got out of the temple. Once I found someone to unlock the gate and take my entrance fee, I met a delightful family who also came to swim, and we had the whole pool to ourselves. Walking back to meet Steve I couldn't resist taking a pic of the "official" Tsunami route signs.

These signs direct students
to safe gathering places
and high ground.

June was a month of several arrivals and departures.

Sister Call and Sister
Mildenhall

Mickey, Sister Komainqoro
and Sister Campbell

said goodbye to Sister Call and Sister Mildenhall, who greeted us with bright smiles anytime we went to the mission office. We will miss them. Also leaving us were Sister Campbell, to return home, and Sister Komainqoro, to transfer to the Australia, Sydney mission. She extended the time of her missionary service to take this transfer, because they needed Fijian speaking missionaries rather urgently in Australia.

President and Sister La'ulu
President and Sister Markus

Our most sad and joyful departure were President and Sister Markus. They have been amazing in their leadership of this mission through the difficult Covid years, and now into the "recovery" from Covid year. We feel privileged to have been able to serve with them. We are so happy that they get to return home to Utah and enjoy family.

President and Sister Markus
at the airport to meet
Elder and Sister
Seeholzer

Arriving to join us are Elder and Sister Seeholzer, who will be taking over office responsibilities. President and Sister La'ulu have come to take over the role of Mission president and wife. They have been living in Australia, but he is native to Samoa and she is a New Zealander. I'm always amazed that there is not more orientation time for these changes. Markus's left the day after La'ulu's arrived.

Mwaari Bwebwe and Mickey

Also leaving is a dear sister who has become a good friend, Mwaari Bwebwe, from Kiribati. She has been here the last couple of years working on her master's degree in Public Health Administration. She has a strong nursing background, and she has helped me out of some difficult situations with native Kiribati missionaries and temple patrons who get here with health problems. She gave me a sneak peek of her disertation, which was amazing. She passed the interviews with flying colours, and was asked to stay in Fiji for an extra month to get her dissertation published in a medical journal. I am so grateful that I have been able to know her!

The week of June 20th a group of admissions staff from BYU Hawaii was touring through Fiji, so Steve and I joined them for a few of their meetings and firesides. It worked out nice at the Sigatoka meeting because the Hawaii group was delayed an hour, and we were able to do the BYU Pathways introduction and answer questions, so no time was wasted for the participants. Since Pathways is an official portal of entry to BYU Hawaii, we like to encourage enrolment as much as possible.

One of my favourite stops
on the way to Nadi is
Maui Bay. The pier goes
out over the reef. It provides
a nice pit stop when
taking a long drive.

Overlooking the Nadi area
from the top of the hotel.

Because a couple of the firesides were on the west side of the island, around Nadi, we decided to extend our trip a couple of extra nights and take a break at the DoubleTree resort. It is a beautiful property, and it is always lovely to sit back and enjoy a little bit of pampering!