So Steele Days is the American Fork celebration week. Can I just say, I love parades! They are so fun and it's always an added bonus for me when I can wear a pretty dress. ;) I also can not express how much I love everyone I was able to work with! The other girls in the royalty, the amazing ladies that directed the pageant, the moms, the veterans, and everyone else in between! I love feeling like I am an active part of the community and helping in ways I know best.
Next was my amazing opportunity to travel to Fiji. Wow, that place really is a piece of heaven on earth! Aside from the obvious world renowned natural beauty, the people are saints. They are so grateful for even the smallest of gifts and want to share what little they have with you, just because they love you. Being able to build bathrooms for some of the villagers and meeting so many Fijians was such a humbling, amazing experience and I will forever be grateful for that experience. The food, well... let's just say my stomach was not the biggest fan. Right after we landed in Fiji (a 10 1/2 hour plane ride) we boated to an island off of Fiji that was so beyond beautiful.
There we went snorkeling and we hiked a dormant volcano which was steep the entire way up! I went snorkeling with sharks and there were also super pretty fish on the reef we swam at in the middle of the ocean. The smaller boat that took us to the reef was super bumpy and you would hit a wave and the boat would bang into your back which hurt but it was also so much fun. Luckily none of us fell out... That was all on Waya Lei Lei Island. Then we boated back to Viti Levu (Big Island) and went to a grocery store and it was fun to see foreign foods. On Sunday we went to the Lautoka 2nd ward which was in an outdoor church and spent time with them. Both Sundays we went to meet with inactive members and invite them back to church. It was such a great experience and a real eye opener about missionary work. We had a youth fireside and I sang at it.
We built bathrooms all that next week. The first day I woke up very sick and had to rest all day. I chilled at the work site, though I had wished I was in bed. The lady we were building the bathroom for was so incredibly kind and brought out a mat and pillow so I could be more comfortable. After that day I was able to feel well enough to help on the bathrooms. The villagers were so sweet. I became especially close to Grace and Neea, but near the end, I also became close to Paula, Saveh, Lacy, and one other girl. Needless to say, it was very difficult to leave them that last day.
The next weekend we traveled to Suva and saw the famous Hindi Temple in Nadi and a blue starfish (I can check those off my bucket list!).
We went to a stake dance in Suva and we were also privileged to meet some people working on the Suva LDS Temple. The temple was very beautiful and I can't wait for it to be open for all the islanders.We also were able to meet with the mission president and his wife in their home and I so badly wanted to sleep on their super comfy couch.
We had Fijian style pizza which is honestly nasty. We also shopped in Suva for souvenirs. We went souvenir shopping so much and I was glad. Then we got to go net fishing in Suva with a local family. The best thing I ate in Fiji was the food they made us and the sea food we caught. (Swordfish tastes so good, in case you were wondering). We also caught a sting ray and a balloon fish that felt like one of those spiky balls you buy at Walmart. It honestly broke my heart to watch them die, but it was so amazing to see and touch them. I also held my first fish which had spikes on it that hurt! I also collected tons of sand dollars that were all over the beach!
The next day we went zip lining through a jungle which was gorgeous and so much fun! I was super scared at first, but wow, I would do it a million times if I could!
We had another youth fireside in the Lautoka ward and I directed the song the HEFY group was in charge of singing. We worked on our bathrooms again all that week until Thursday. We did a mock pageant called Fiji Idol and there was a tourist/local dress up, fitness, talent, and interview section and my group won! Our prize was Magnum bars and if you haven't had one you haven't lived.
After we said our really sad goodbyes to the village and ward, we had a surprise which was a spa mud bath. It was super weird but also really fun. The mud had a weird texture and you had to let it dry before rinsing in the series of four hot pots you went through. It was amazing!
Then it was off to the airport and back to the U.S.
Now I am starting college! Crazy how fast life goes! I am all settled in my dorm and love my roommates! I am scared, but I am also excited for this new adventure! I will be studying music with an emphasis in commercial! Wish me luck!
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