So after a few days of battling jetlag we have finally managed to get posting! The journey was long and tedious (see below) but no hiccups.

After a quiet weekend we met the team on Monday – a group of ten (so far) Christian missionaries from New Zealand, Norway, Korea, Philippines and Fiji. They are friendly, genuine and passionate about serving the people of Fiji both physically and spiritually. The Marine Reach base is comfortable (running water, electricity and flushing toilet :o)) and our fears of sleeping in a bunk bed for the next few months were thankfully misplaced! What happens when we get out to the villages may be a different matter though…

Lautoka itself is unassuming, relatively tourist-free and fairly well equipped. It has a large market with lots of tasty fruit and veg – yum! A little cooking knowledge (from scratch, of course) will be very handy here and curry is a common theme. Anybody know any recipes?

Tomorrow we will have another team meeting where no doubt we will be praying that our work permits are authorised :os After which we will be joining a Fijian couple in their home village overnight to help us learn the local customs and culture. Lots of traditions and etiquette to learn, and the first opportunity to don our sulus. Pics to follow…