Lomaivuna is a small place up in the highlands where life is simpler but harder in so many ways. They only got electricity a few months ago. plumbing was basic. definitely, there was no wi-fi facilities there.
We left Nadi saturday morning. our group got into 2 mini buses all the way to Suva (a large town in Fiji). from Suva, we had 18 people riding in the back of the truck. it was way scary because the last person was very likely to fall out at the next bump in the road if they didn't hold on tight. so we were in the back of the truck for a little more than an hour an gravel road. *another experience to add to my colourful book of Life Experiences*
When we got there, the village people came out to greet us. all of us (yes, boys and girls together) slept inside the church building, which was essentially a basic 4 wall structure. we had to roll up our mattresses everytime we had a church meeting/gathering. i was grateful for my ear plugs as the snores at night created an interesting harmony.
we had to walk down the hill everytime we wanted to use the bathroom or shower. personally, i was glad that we didn't have to dig a hole every time we had to go. so praise the Lord for small comforts.
Sunday morning worship was quite an experience. we started at 9.30am and finished promptly at 2pm. lunch was served 15mins later. later i found out, that it was normal to have 3 sermons each sunday but we only had 2 this weekend since the team from our training centre all shared testimonies. the funny thing was, the pastor kept calling our team up to do meke (Fijian dance) without us first knowing about it. by the 4th time he did it, we were seriously hoping that he wouldn't call us again because we had performed all that we knew. that moment was simply hilarious.
lunch after sunday worship was superb. we had "lovo" which is food that is cooked in an earth oven. Lovo is usually served during celebrations so i guess us being there was a cause for celebration. we had chicken, fish, shrimp, sweet potato leaves, stew, lamb shanks etc etc. all was good. oh, i was trying to eat as much as i could to stay warm because the whether there was quite cold most of the time.
i guess what i take away from this visit is the generosity of these people. they certainly have very little compared to what i have. the opportunities, the resources, the abilities that i have, should generate much more generosity when compared with what these people have given. the few days that we were there, they have worked so hard to prepare the church for us to stay and the wonderful food that we had each day. at any one time, there were at least 10 women in the kitchen baking and cooking away. most woke up earlier than us and slept later than us. the men were running around making sure we had enough water and electricity during our stay.
this church could have chosen to do so many other things but they chose to serve us. on the last day, we all had a chance to stand up in front of the church to say our thanks. i told them that what they have done did not just impact the few of us individuals, but also the ministries and communities that we represent. truly, the impact of the church in Lomaivuna reaches all over the world. it is my prayer that they continue to be generous to other teams that come in the future, as they are a great testimony of what it means to have little but still have much to give, to be humble yet taking pride in the great God that we serve.
i think this weekend encouraged me to continue to work hard. it also showed me that if God were to call me to do ministry in villages like Lomaivuna, I could survive well.
Oh well. God is certainly opening my eyes up to new experiences and to new perspectives. i see this time that i have here as a learning experience. i'm just like a sponge, soaking it all in. not sure what exactly applies to my specific calling, but i'm just taking it all in. God will reveal everything in his own time.
"Call to me and i will show you great and unsearchable things you do not know." Jeremiah 33:3
certainly, he has shown me great wonders. just being out doors so much and enjoying his creation makes me stop in my tracks and be amazed at his great work.
