Easter Weekend

On Thursday of Easter week, we had a special program at school. Students practiced their ‘items’, songs, and Bible memory verses all week, in preparation. The performances went well, and made us all thoughtful about the Easter season. Again on Easter Sunday, the students performed a song in sign at church. (Young children typically wear white on Palm Sunday.) 

Jim and I donned our ‘kalavata’ (same colors) ---the typical attire for special occasions in Fiji.

Easter is a four day holiday weekend here in Fiji. (Fijians really know how to celebrate!) So on Saturday, Jim and I went to Pacific Harbor, to enjoy a relaxing day at the beach. While driving in the school van, Jim was pulled over by the police. He didn’t think he was speeding, and we had our seat belts on, so we weren’t sure why we had been stopped. The officer approached the van, and immediately apologized for stopping us. He thought we had an unregistered commercial vehicle, but as soon as he saw “Gospel School for the Deaf” painted on the side, he realized the vehicle was private. 

​He then wanted to know how long we had worked at the school, and asked if we had known a woman named Laisa. And of course, we did. She was our former Head Teacher and Development Director --- a wonderful, hard working woman, with a great sense of humor, who, sadly passed away in from cancer in December, 2014. Well, lo and behold, the policeman who stopped us was her son, Peni. We had a wonderful visit with him on the side of the road, sharing stories about Laisa. This was probably the only time we’d ever been happy about being pulled over by a policeman! 

​Yes, it was a busy Easter weekend! Two new volunteers also arrived from England. They are friends of Matthew Adediji, who helped start the Gospel School for the Deaf in 1999. Telma and Thomas will be with us for six weeks of their year long trip around the world. Telma is hearing, and grew up in Portugal. She now lives in England. Thomas, also from England, is deaf. They will be helping out in the hostels. 

We also recently welcomed Isoa as our new driver. Isoa is the grandfather of one of our students, Isei. Upon hiring him as a driver, we received an additional bonus when we discovered that he can repair just about anything--- including our vehicles. He cuts grass, too, and does many other handyman projects! He’s also humble and hard working --- a great addition to the staff! 

And lastly, just after Easter break, we celebrated Oral Health Day with a morning program at school. Our school was selected by CWM dentistry and Colgate Palmolive, based on the good record of our students in oral health care! Students honored our chief guest with the traditional garland, and performed items for the visitors. Students received prizes (two toothbrushes each), for their creativity in making posters about health care and healthy diets for the event. 

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Each class also received a packet of Colgate Palmolive toiletries. Students were then
thoroughly entertained by a special
Bunny Rabbit---- not the Easter Bunny this time---- but Mr. Brushwell the Bunny, who added a lot of excitement and fun to the day! After the entertainment, the staff was treated to a nice lunch, and students were given a healthy treat of apples---- which, as the Kindergarteners recited in their poem, would keep the dentists away! 

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