On Yasawairara - Vakarauwai (Saturday)

Saturday
I woke to the slight wiggling of my hand by Mosese. We had both slept in and were about to miss the sunrise! Quickly I got myself together and headed to the beach. After a short walk we found a nice fallen coconut-palm trunk to sit on and enjoy the rising of our star in the east. As dawn broke we were joined by Mosese's cousin Atu. We sang for a bit, watched the sun rise, and enjoyed some Fijian "peanuts" (a tree-nut), which tasted like a mix between a walnut, a pecan, and an almond... Delicious! We gathered them from the sea (as is tradition) so they even had a natural sea-salt taste to them. Mmmm! 1st breakfast!
We got back to the house ad enjoyed some homemade Roti (Indian tortilla-like flatbread) soaked in coconut milk (probably the best breakfast I've ever had), before preparing for our day in the sea. Back in Lautoka, I talked to Mosese about my love of the ocean an it was decided that we would go spear fishing. After collecting the necessary supplies for the slingshot apparatus, and hearing the many shark-stories from Mosese's childhood, we were finally going spear diving! This morning, as we sharpened our homemade spears (steel rods), I couldn't help but let my knowledge of sharks get the best of me. I know a lot about marine life from my nerdy-homeschool days of reading encyclopedias and watching discovery and animal planet every time I could... I was able to identify the sharks in the stories just by how Mosese said they moved. I would show him a photo online and he would say "yeah! That's the one!" Unfortunately, I discovered the majority of his stories involved bull sharks with a few reef sharks here and there an one particularly horrifying story involving a tiger shark. As we walked to our location, I had a moment of nervousness. We prayed as a group (there were four of us going) and we headed out into the water.

After getting my bearings I was quickly surrounded with the world of Finding Nemo. The fish swirled around in large schools and the coral swayed in time with the rhythmic waves rolling above me. I tried several times to spear a fish but the pressure in my ears was increasing as we got further out beyond the reef. I remember thinking... I wonder how far out we are? I raise my head to find that we were almost 1 mile from the beach! It was beautiful and scary at the same time! We continued hunting, my companions getting fish after fish, when suddenly I heard the Yasawan word for shark echoing above the waves. Unfortunately, or rather... Fortunately, the story is not nearly as exciting a it might seem, as the 5 ' White-tip Reef Shark continued to glide around the coral we were hunting around. As the shark slipped away into the blue my nerves were at ease. We were swimming towards shore when I heard "Vonu!!! Vonu!!!" The endangered Hawksbill Sea Turtle was slowly making it's way across the seabed until it noticed us. Then it swam off like David Phelps leaving us in the bubbles. That made for two creatures I could strike off of my "must-sea" list! We swam back four hours later with the waves pushing us back over the reef where my world was filled with a rainbow of color once more. Every fish more beautiful than the last...Whatever breath I had in my snorkel was taken away at each passing
reef head.

Our afternoon was spent sitting on the black, volcanic rock and munching on more coconut as we recounted our stories, sang, and thanked God for His protection while in the sea and the provision of our large catch. We walked back along the pristine beach before trekking back through the bush towards Bukama. We arrived back and rested while the fish were prepared for our lunch at 4 PM. While resting, Sarkarai's two children and Mosese's cousins joined us on the mat and we took many pictures, sang Sunday-school songs, and they practiced their English on me. I made the mistake of lifting the kids one by one up into the air counting in Fijian then lifting. Eventually, with 3 kids on each arm, after four hours of spear-diving/treading water... I was exhausted! At last our lunch was finished and we enjoyed the spoils of our catch. Grilled fish over an open flame and then soaked in hot sea-water... It was amazing! Among the best fish I've ever tasted! Served with kasava and tea, I knew there was no chance of going hungry on Yasawairara.

After lunch we rested for a bit before our next adventure. We eventually made our way back towards the beach we spear-fished off of but, instead of fish, this time we were collecting coconuts. With the kids running ahead of us as our "helpers", we made our way off the rough road and into the bush once again. After a quick stop for some fresh papaya off the tree, we finally located some coconuts and hitched a ride back on the same flatbed truck we'd ridden on the day before. We got back in time for dinner and enjoyed fried fish, kasava, and the Bukaman delicacy of Ibo (eembo). I was nervous to try the Ibo as 2 foot sand-worms generally aren't too high on my list if good-eats. I was surprised however when the flavor was surprisingly American (They were fried, after all). Despite getting the somewhat stringy insides of the worm stuck in your teeth, they were surprisingly good! Just like a strange, unbreaded, 2 foot long, calamari.

By this time, between the multiple tea-times and three square meals with snacks all in between, I was full, tired, and entirely content. Later, sitting in the beach and staring up at the stars, it was a very odd moment. I realized, for the first time, that these were new stars. I couldn't find the Big Dipper or Orion's Belt... And the only thing brighter than the moon was probably my huge, beaming smile. The strong winds whipping through my salty clothes, cooling my sunburnt and jellyfish stung skin. I began to pray. Why? Why me, God? Why did he choose me to come to Fiji? Why did he open the (many miraculous) doors for me to make it to Yasawairara on such short notice for 4 days? Why did he give me my ideal night on a beach? I got back the answer... "Because I love you."

"God is good,"

"All the time,"

"And all the time,"

"God is good."

This common church-phrase rang in my ears for some reason. Is it that God is good because He gives us good things? Is that how shallow our perception of Him is? I have grown to really question the phrase, "It's a blessing."Is that new "thing" you just bought really a blessing? This trip has truly made me realized the over abundance I have. And in America... I'm not even wealthy!! God's blessings are everything that falls within His will, whether they make us comfortable or "uncomfortable". True blessings flow from Him as water from a fresh spring. Overflowing us with things that we, sometimes, can't yet understand but can come to appreciate through the wisdom He gives us. I could say that coming to Fiji has been a blessing for me, and don't doubt for a second that I haven't enjoyed myself, but the true blessing has been the growth and fellowship I've received upon my arrival... The incredible beauty of this place still overwhelms me, but that's just the tip of the iceberg when I think about the other gifts The Lord has given me through these last 19 days. And I couldn't be more grateful for the hospitality of these people, or for God's continuing faithfulness as I grow in Him more each day.

Another quick walk on the beach, and I, again, fell asleep before the rest of the family and didn't wake up until the next morning.

Our (their) Catch!

The Sea Turtle is highlighted in the top-right!

Mili, Sam, and Pita!

Mosese's Sister, Mita, was helping with the cooking.

Mosese's Mom is an expert Roti maker!

I, on the other hand, am definitely not.

The Ibo (Sand Worms) we ate!

On our way to find coconuts! 

Location:Bukama Village, Yasawairara, Fiji Islands