Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Fiji update - Just blessed!

Have you ever experienced a time when you set out to be a blessing to someone and ended up being blessed out of your socks yourself? Well, that pretty much sums up my experience of my recent trip to Fiji. I blogged a couple of weeks ago about how my dream of teaching art to underprivileged kids was coming true. It is hard to put into words how my time there has opened my eyes to so many things. Not only is Fiji a beautiful country, the people there are just as beautiful! So happy, though they don't have much. So relaxed and content. The children we taught art to were so receptive and eager to learn, well behaved and respectful. My heart just melted when I saw their big smiles after completing a painting and hearing " this is a happy day in my life".
At the Christian camp we stayed at, I got to know the Fijian staff well, sharing many laughs and special moments, and needless to say, many tears on our departure. They showed us around Suva (the capital) and took us on a fabulous mountain walk to a waterfall only the locals know about. What a priviledge! And the depth of their faith is admirable. They trust in God with an unwaivering faith, knowing that He will provide.
The Fijian people have so much for us to learn. To live simple lives, day by day and not worry about the future but just enjoy today. Even the stray dogs were laid back. One dog used to follow us down to the beach everyday and wade around in the shallows looking for fish! Every day, after our hot day of teaching, we would relax with a swim which was bliss!
Below is a quick snapshot of my time there. For more photos, especially scenery shots that you know I can never resist, come over to my Flikr page

 Learning some drawing skills.

Combined effort in poster making.

Their singing was out of this world!

Some focused teenage students

But they were never short of a laugh!

Concentration

Proud of their work!

We were treated to some dancing on our last day.

And presented with a lei.

Next week I'll post some of my scenery and food market shots.