Fiji Day 10: A Sticky Day!

Most stores are closed in Suva from Saturday noon, through Sunday night.  Not much going on...and today is really heavy, sticky, hot weather!

"Bula" is a Fijian greeting

We've been trying to finish reading our textbook for our new class starting tomorrow, but we both kept falling asleep.(And sticky days seem to irritate all my mosquito bites.) But...within walking distance of this house, open even on Sunday is...(drum roll, please)...MacDonald's in all its air-conditioned splendour!

Fiji Day 9: Going On An Adventure!

Koli organized Joe Fire to take our PNG team on a bus tour this afternoon.  It was great fun riding in a bus through different villages.

  We came to a river and exchanged our bus for two motorized boats.  Even though boat rides were scary to me in the Solomons (on the sea,) these river boats weren't far from shore and the water wasn't too deep...and I really enjoyed it.  (Greg stood up in their boat the whole time, like he does in PNG.)

 After a fun and refreshing journey down the river, we got out and walked down the road to meet our bus, which had driven around to pick us up.  As we walked towards it, we passed an old man sitting in front of his village house.  It turns out Joe had led him to the Lord years ago and we got to shake his hand  (and the hands of his grandkids.)



The bus took us to a beach where we had a photo frenzy for 15 minutes, then we returned home via the market where we bought some coconuts to drink. (A first!  I saw Elton crack open a few coconut open with his elbow!)





It was a very satisfying day off!

Fiji Day 8: What I didn't know before!

Things have changed since I’ve last written an academic paper.

Things I didn’t know before:

 I didn’t know I could access a bible commentary on line by googling my verse.

 ...that I can change the length of my paper by the font I use.

...that I can’t write a paper any more without the help of a techy.  I can’t even remember how to access my previous worksheets, let alone set up my paper in outline form.  Just getting all my sentences to be the same colour has proven to be a challenge...not to mention margins, etc.

I am now not  motivated by a grade as much as gaining the knowledge...although I still want to beat Dan.

 I’m NOT motivated by technology. (OK, maybe I knew this one before.  TeeHee)

 However...My paper is turned in.  (Oops, I mean: emailed in an attachment.)
 

After class today the PNG staff went to the Ludwigs house for ice cream and a visit.  The Ludwigs are getting ready to move back to Guam in a few months, to start the ministry back up on the uni campus there.  (The girls are planning to get a puppy after they move.  Sound familiar?)

Fiji Day 7: School!

I must admit, Dan has been getting better grades than me in our Biblical Interpretation class homework.  HOWEVER, today we both got the same grade!  Look out, Dan Mills, I'm comin' through!

I am loving how this class is presented.  (I think Nathan would love it, too!)  The class could choose from 2 biblical narratives, so Dan is studying Luke 5: 1-11, and I took the one from 2 Samuel 9.  Part of the analysis is to look at our story as if we had a camera on our shoulder.  Each time there's a change in time, or character, or action, we were to note it.  Then we looked for the setting, the rising tension, the climax, the resolution, and the following action...always looking at both what the passage has to say about the falleness of man, and God's redemptive solution.  My passage deals a lot with the kindness of God...which is a very refreshing thing to concentrate on!

Working on our papers

Our big papers are due Saturday morning.  Both Dan and I were assigned the best teacher aide for our study group, so we feel pretty confident with all the help he's given us.  (Although that confidence wavers from time to time.)

Everyone at our house is studying hard, and we all just shared a big tub of ice cream for a break...YUM!
 

Fiji Day 6: Answers!

OK, students.  Here are the answers to your island quizz:

a) Dish soap (Wet a sponge, dip it across the soap dish, and away you go.)

b) Coconut scraper (Sit, straddling the board and scrape out a coconut half into a bowl on the ground or floor.)

c) Breadfruit tree

d) cassava or tapioca

e) banana tree

f) coconut tree

g) paw paw or papaya

h) taro or dalo

Grade your papers and pass them to the front!  TeeHee

Fiji Day 6: Guessing Game!

c.

b.

I thought that since Dan and I have to identify things and answer questions in our Bible interpretation class, it's only fair that you get an opportunity to be tested as well...only we'll try some plant and object pictures on you.  Some of you island type people will have a distinct advantage as you try to identify these photos taken around our home-away-from-home!

a.

d.

You can check your answers tomorrow!

e.

f.

g.

h.

Fiji Day 5: On the offense!

All right.  I'm tired of being a human banquet for some cheeky mosquito and all his friends and family!  I look like I have the chicken pox.

Do you remember how this device works, you Mills kids?

Tonight I'm pluggin' this baby in!

(The device plugs into the wall, a small metal plate heats up, and the pad on top emits a pest dissuader of some sort.)

Oh...and here's a picture of our bedroom/study where we do our homework.  (You'll have my renewed sympathy, Laurie, when your classwork begins!) I'm learning lots...and learning how much more I need to learn!  AND  I have a good-lookin' "study-buddy!"