July 14

Went to dinner last night at Tikos.  It is a ship tied to the wharf.  As one eats, the ship rocks.  The food was good, the company even better.

A senior couple, the Thornes, was here from Kiribati.  He needed medical attention.  They were staying in temple housing.  He was the superintendent of schools in whatever district is in Richfield.  Listening to them, I have decided that I live in a really modern place.  Look at Kiribati on the map.  The main island on which they live is long and very narrow.  The narrowest place is just 10 meters from water to water.  There is only one road, and everything has to be shipped in--everything.  They are the I-TEP couple there.  They had a great attitude about it, bless their hearts.

Met with Bro. Smith for the last time yesterday morning.  He was very worried about getting back to NZ.  It seems Pacific Air (Fijian) canceled his flight from Suva to Nadi. The next flight out gave him just 30 minutes to get through customs and onto the plane.  He would never make it.  As we were sitting listening to him wrangle with Pacific Air, his eyes lit up and he ended the call.  "Want to go to Nadi?" he asked.  "Of, course!" was our reply.  And so after we had finished institute inservice this morning, we hopped into the car and drove the 31/2 hours to Nadi.  I must confess after the first hour of bumpy roads, I fell asleep until we were just outside of Nadi when Scott hit the biggest pot hole in Fiji.

The terrain changes greatly between Suva and Nadi.  Suva is definitely lush and green.  It rains almost every day here.  As one travels from Suva west to Nadi the terrain gets drier and drier.  In fact, by half way around the landscape looks like Southern California--hills covered with greenish yellow grasses and  pine trees which are pretty scraggly.  Someone told they are ponderosa, but I am skeptical.

The terrain on the way to Nadi

We got Brother Smith to Nadi airport about 4pm and decided to go out to a resort island called Denarau.  It is pretty posh.  A building lot runs $690,000F.  Each lot has its own boat ramp and the boats that were docked there were yachts.  We went to the shopping center on the island looking for something to eat.  We ate on the wharf and watched the sun set.  All in all a very nice day.

We stayed at the Mecure a hotel that Pres. Sefeti recommended.  We opted to upgrade to the deluxe room, because I wasn't sure about Fiji standards.  We were ticked when we found out we had paid $45F more for a shower that doubled as a very shallow tub, and about 2 extra feet in the room  Won't do that again.

The Wharf at Denarau Island Resort

We watched this ferry park at the wharf
almost the same way one parks a car.

Sailboats at Denarau Resort Island

Pres. Sefeti gave the best inservice lesson and I don't want to forget it.  In it he emphasized that what matters is what we are becoming.  Becoming is everything.  If we become what we should then with the Savior's help we will be made perfect.  Becoming.