As the light at the end of the tunnel begins to glow a little brighter, we can be thankful to God, that none of our children, staff, or members of Harland Trust have come down with Covid 19.

Like most of the world, everyone has been affected in some way, whether minor or majorly, and the next few months will be interesting as we discover what the new norm will be, both in Fiji and wherever “home” is for you.

School officially reopened on 6 July and some of our children were there on the first day, while others gradually arrived over the next two weeks, and now all but a few, are back at school and into hostel living again. Interestingly, it was the day students who were slow to return. Gloria and her two hearing siblings will not be returning to kindergarten, for fear of catching the virus.

We have a new little boy who will hopefully be able to join us within a few weeks, but there seem to be a few hurdles to clear before he arrives. Please pray for Arnav (around 7) and his family, as they face this new chapter in their lives - it is especially hard for mums to say goodbye for that first time. Arnav has been at a special school in Labasa, with an interpreter some of the time, but he hasn’t made much progress - he knows his alphabet but that is about all. Living in the hostel will be great for him and he will be signing and communicating in a very short time.

 Temnik, who is Tony and Tema’s (Hostel Director) son, recently turned six and the theme for his birthday breakfast was red. Fijians love to celebrate and they make a very good job of doing so.

​Mrs Babitu has been with us many years and has been a huge asset to the school. She is very strong in math and has been able to “make the penny drop” with some students when no one else has been able to. She has also been our Librarian at times and has a good knowledge of what books we have in the library and where to find them. For a few years now, she has said “This will be my last year”. However, we still have her and we await to see what she does in 2021. Thank you, Mrs Babitu, for your commitment and expertise.

​The Fijian government has extended the school year to finish in mid-December rather than 20 November. As the school year normally starts in mid-January, it will be interesting to see the term dates for next year, as that leaves a very short break for the children and staff. The economy of Fiji is suffering at the moment with no tourists, and while we are not government funded, they do give an allowance for each child, and we are praying that they will have the funds to continue with this contribution.
This picture shows some of our teaching staff and children, preparing for our street march to mark the beginning of the Fiji National Disability Games, held in November 2019.
From Left to right back row: Isei (student), teachers Christine, Isi and Ana. Front: Temnik, Tuvou, Walter, Eremasi, and Leba.

      
Thank you for your interest and support – we will stay in touch.

​  Two weeks ago, we were invited by the same private hospital as last year, to take all of our children and staff for free medical checks and lunch. We were delighted, that apart from a few minor ailments, most of our children were given a good report, and the volunteer medical staff were impressed by their good health. We have had chicken pox in the hostel recently, and while those children went home to recover, these early holidays will break the cycle and prevent further infection, which is something we can be thankful for. Michael, Aliti, and Tuvou holding four-year-old Waisea, after they had completed their medical check.

​​ This year, Christine (hearing) teaches class eight, our highest level before the children move on to Gospel High. Christine enjoys her teaching, and she can often be heard having a laugh with her children. She lives in the senior girl’s hostel, is very much involved with the girls outside of school hours, and is a fantastic help to “Ma”, the hostel mother. Thank you, Christine.

​Seru (deaf) came to GSD when he was seven in 1999, has been right through our hostels and school, and now teaches in our kindergarten class. The children love Seru, and have great respect for him. If a trip to see Seru is suggested when a child is misbehaving, that is usually enough to make them sit up and listen!

We value Seru and wish to thank him for his contribution to GSD over many years.​As I finish, thank you again for your support and interest. I received a text from a friend this morning and she finished with these words: 
 “Our God reigns”.

Wow, we are on the countdown and school finishes for Christmas holidays on 23 November. What an amazing year it has been with changes to both teaching and hostel staff, new children joining us, several volunteers from NZ and UK, a team from Wainuiomata NZ, many donations of food, meals, and financial support, but most of all the prayer support from all around the world which has kept us operational. After 18 years under Jim and Marilyn Cooneys’s guidance, staff have adapted well to a new Director.

Jim and Marilyn are returning to Fiji for 2 weeks this month, to assist a team from Wycliffe Bible Translators, who over the next few years plan to translate the Bible into Fijian Sign Language. This will be a huge task for everyone involved and prayer for the project would be greatly appreciated. This is a wonderful opportunity for the Cooney’s to catch up with everyone they have worked with over many years.

For those who have visited us, you will be pleased to know that we now have “stop” signs (lollipops) for the children to cross Dhanji St on their way to and from school. Dhanji St, where our main hostel is situated, is extremely busy, and fast at drop-off and pick-up time. We, as hearing, rely heavily on sound to warn us of approaching vehicles, but for the deaf it is all by sight.

Over the past two years, a group of parents have been fund raising and have built a new fence around our main hostel. This is now finished and looks fantastic. It is also much safer for the children to play outside, and with the gate closed and Lexi, our dog on guard duty, the main hostel is more secure overnight.

On the first Saturday in November we held our first ever “Market Day”, which was also a celebration of the 27th anniversary of Harland Hostel and 21 years for the GSD. All hostel children and staff members were involved in many weeks of planning and were divided into three competing groups to see who could raise the most money. There was also another category for the best decorated tent combined with the best performed item. The ‘Canaan’ group made the highest profit and were presented with a trophy. Fiji Times were present, and the paper the next day featured photos of our ‘Raven’ and ‘Lion King’ groups. Parents donated produce from their villages and attended on the day to support their children. Three thousand dollars was raised and staff and children would like the money to be used to install hot water heaters in the showers and kitchen. During the cooler months, our children often come out of the shower shivering and staff are concerned that this is not good for their health.

Richard from NZ has been with us for 10 days and has worked tirelessly from early morning until dark. The children now have functional swings and one of our shower doors which was badly in need of replacing, has a custom-built door filling the gap. The photograph shows his farewell morning tea, put on by the hostel staff. Thank you, Richard, and we hope to see you return some time in the future.

Our prizegiving for the year was held on 7 November and a good number of parents attended to see their children receive their awards. Our youngest pupil, Myra, who is not yet three, walked up on her own for her handshake and to receive her certificate from the Chief Guest. As some parents travelled quite a distance to attend, their children have finished school early to return home with them, and avoid another trip during the last week of school. Our end of year party for the hostel children takes place tomorrow (9 Nov) and preparations are under way to make sure that everyone has a fun day. Tomasi will put the lovo down in the very early hours of the morning, for the food to be ready to eat at 12pm.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share what goes on at the GSD and Harland Hostels throughout the year and we wish you all a Happy Christmas with your family and friends. Thank you again for your support in so many ways.