Fatty Fatty 2x4, Fiji and a Guy Named Jesus

I've been an absentee blogger.

I didn't mean to neglect you, my faithful, vast audience of 13 + 1 (Mom). It's not you, it's me. Please do not call Social Services for Bloggers on me. I promise to make it up to you. I know you've heard this before, but this time it's true. I swear. Look, I even got you these to say I'm sorry:

So... are we OK? Good!

What's going on?!?!?

After 2 intense, but amazing weeks, our DTS class said goodbye to our speakers, Jono and Mary Turner (NZ). Although it's interesting to have a new speaker every week, our 2 weeks with Jono and Mary were a treat, because we got a chance to really get to know them... and this couple is SO worth knowing. What an amazing couple- they are just generally good peeps. Jono taught about the Father Heart of God and Mary taught about Submission and Authority. Talk about a double whammy- socks were getting blown off all over the place with these teachings! 

And, better yet, hearts and characters were being challenged and changed... something started in those 2 weeks with the Turners and it lead well into last week's teachings with Debra Nakora (US/Fiji)- The Divine Plumbline. For all of those YWAMers out there that are reading this (I think I have 3?), remember that week? Of course you do- that was the week of your DTS where God lovingly smacked you flat on your ass.

(as someone who just says "ugg" to Uggs, I have to say that this picture makes me giggle... but just a little)

OK, so I'm being a tad dramatic here... don't worry, Friends, our God is a gentleman and He would never actually smack you flat on your ass. But He is persistent when He pursues you and this was evident during our “Plumbline” week. He showed me things that I had never really seen before and, more importantly, He restored me and my pitiful heart to give up a few ghosts and move towards that life of love He keeps talking about. And with that, Friends, He pulled me even closer into His arms. I suspect that an upcoming blog will be under development shortly to explain all of this in much more detail...

But right now I have a few more pressing things to share with you.

Grab your popcorn (Billy)...

sit up straight and be prepared to be...

Amazed!

No, that's not it.

Entertained!

Ooo, too much pressure. Not that one either.

Enlightened!

Yea, um... definitely not that.

Well, I don't know how you are going to feel about this- I will leave that up to you. Without further ado, here is...

MY TOP TEN LIST OF STUFF I'VE NOTICED ABOUT STUFF

(catchy title, eh?!)

(look, I'm pretty tired right now- let's just be honest- I got nuthin'... )

1. One of my new favourite drinks here is Lemon Leaf Tea. What's that, you ask? Well, it's tea made from lemon leaves (duh). It is the most marvellous tea out there (yes, even better than the Aveda tea that I like so much). The smell alone is enough to make your taste buds sing “hallelujah”! How does one make such deliciousness, you ask? Well, step 1 is to find a lemon tree (good luck Prairie people... maybe some of our BC peeps can help us out on that one?) and pick off a fragrant leaf or two for your cup. Step 2, boil water and pour into cup with leaves. Steep for a bit (don't ask me how long “a bit” is, I'm usually too busy sniffing my lemony cup of heaven to notice). Step 3, remove leaves (if you want) and add milk and sugar to taste. Step 4- drink, savour and be merry in all that deliciousness!

2. I'm getting all messed up because the seasons are backwards here and most of that is due to the daylight. When I first arrived here on January 14, daylight would start to appear at about 6am and it wouldn't get dark until after 9pm (it may have been later, but like I've told you before, my bedtime here in Fiji has been around 9pm, which I realize is about the same time my 2 year niece goes to bed). Now, when I get up for my morning Sweatapalousa (aka, the morning run), it doesn't start to get light out until 7am and the sun now sets before 8pm. And, daylight savings time here ends this Sunday (March 6), so we are moving 1 hour back in time. Talk about messin' this Saskatchewan girl up! I likely won't notice a huge change in temperature as we here in Fiji change seasons from Summer to Winter (I told you it's backwards!)- to me, hot is just hot.

3. They have peanut butter here!!! I know, a weird thing to be excited about, but most countries that I have travelled to do not have peanut butter. And, while I realize that I am definitely nuts about peanut butter (boo, who gave this girl a computer to blog on?! Terrible humour!), I didn't realize how much I love it until I travelled and couldn't have it. So, yea for Fiji!

4. On that note, I have been told, on several occasions, by several different Fijians, that I am looking fat. Ouch. I know I have put on some weight in the last few years (maybe too much peanut butter???), but *ouch*, that stings just a little. And then I found out one of my roommates- who is tall, beautiful, slim and in shape- was being told the same thing- all the time. 

Huh?! 

Well, apparently, like many warm-climate cultures, Fijians will call someone fat as a compliment- what they are really trying to tell you (if I understand it correctly and, for the sake of my self esteem, let's just say that I do) is that you look good, and you look healthy. And let's just leave it at that.

5. I've always said that I will most likely die in an accident, working in the back of an ambulance (ironically, ambulances are some of the most unsafest vehicles on the road). I'd like to recant that, if I could. I'm pretty sure that I will die as a pedestrian on a random Fijian street. I have three reasons to support this argument. One, they drive on the “wrong” side of the road here (ever notice that if it's not your way, it's the wrong way?) and even after 2 months here, I still have trouble figuring that out (my Mom says I'm smart). Two, I walk around like a pedestrian in Canada, which means I believe that I have the right of way at all times everywhere and cars will stop for me. That is definitely not the case in Fiji. Definitely not. Three, despite Fiji's world wide reputation as having the most friendliest people in the world (and trust me, it is so true- people here are so nice!), the drivers here are nuts. 

Every time I cross a road, I'm pretty certain that I hear the oncoming traffic accelerate, not slow down. And I'm pretty sure my glaring, white skin gives them momentary blindness. I kind of feel bad about that.

6. Fijians are a people of only so many words. Despite the fact that most of them are at least trilingual (English, Fijian, and their own tribe's dialect), they don't really talk a lot. But they do communicate with one another all the time- through facial expressions. It's really interesting to watch. I was walking down the street with a Fijian guy when he saw someone he knew across the road. They didn't talk, I only saw a eyebrows raised, a couple of twitches and a smile- and he told me that his friend said he would call him later... Wow! It's funny because I've started to do it a bit too. But that's to be expected- I pick up languages very easily.

7. Fiji reminds me a bit of Camrose and a lost era- almost nothing is open on Sundays and most shops close at 2pm on Saturdays. Honestly, I appreciate it as there is no way to have my weekends consumed by “getting stuff done” and “errands”. It's all about relaxing, resting and enjoying the weekend. And there is nothing wrong with that.

8. God is a great Father who listens to His children and wants to give them the desires of their hearts. As a super awesome Parent, He is also wise in that His timing is always perfect and He knows what is best for His children. I learned that lesson last week. My Dad, who lives in Edmonton, ended up in the ER a couple of weeks ago with shortness of breath. He hasn't been well for a long time and when the doctors saw how bad his leg was (gangrene from diabetes), they wanted to amputate it right away. But my stepmother, Dolores, is a Christian and she insisted that they go home to pray about it. So, we all prayed. People prayed in Canada and people prayed in Fiji. When Dad went back to see the surgeon a week later, the surgeon put him on antibiotics and the surgery was cancelled! In one week, Dad's leg went from being one that needed “immediate” amputation to one that is now regaining some feeling (unfortunately for Dad, that means pain) and only requires some rest and a prescription. That, my Friends, is the glory of God. So, we will keep praying and we keep trusting that God knows what is best for my Dad.

(on a side note, my Mac computer died and my very own personal Mac Genius, Nick, delivered some bad news: Mac was gone for good...

I was sad to see Mac go because it is through him that I keep connected with all of you through this blog, emails, skype and Facebook. And then I realized that there is nothing- and I do mean nothing- that my God cannot do. So I prayed for Mac. And, three days after Mac died, he came back to life (I swear I'm not making this up). My God loves me so much that even the little things that matter to me, matter to Him)

9. The average person here only makes FJ$1-3/hour. Things here are expensive, especially given that kind of wage. A 1 litre cartoon of milk, which is not the same quality as home, is FJ$2. A small jar of peanut butter (about 1 cup) costs FJ$4. Chocolate bars average at just over FJ$3, but can go as high as FJ$6. A small chicken is well over FJ$15. A small jar of Nutella (obviously, not a staple, but something I noticed, of course) is FJ$12. A can of Pringles is FJ$6. I found out the other day that copyright/piracy laws don't apply here because how little the average Fijian makes. So, movie shops, for example, can sell "pirated" movies legally. The owner of the shop is required to buy the original DVD (about FJ$25, over 2 days wages for most people here), but then they can copy that DVD as many times as they want and sell the copies for FJ$1-2.

10. I am right where I belong.

Thanks for reading,

Christy