Catching up:  
   Dec. 31, 2014 Rex wrote: We finally received some training for Education & the Perpetual Education Fund. The church sent Foki, a marvelous woman who has volunteered at the Suva Self Reliance Center for nine years. We picked her up from the Labasa airport on Saturday Dec 27. From then until Tuesday, we tended her while she trained us. Most of the time we were together, we were asking questions, and she was giving answers. First thing, we took her to her hotel and went grocery shopping while she checked in and settled in for about an hour. Then brought her back to our flat where she gave us two hours of training. We took her out to lunch at the Chinese restaurant and then back to her hotel where she met with members by appointment.
   We drove her to attend church in Labasa on Sunday while we went to Naduna. She gave a fireside right after church. We were able to catch the tail end of the fireside and listened to her talk individually with some of the branch members. We brought her home and gave her an Idaho chicken and potato and gravy dinner with strawberry Jell-O and bananas, fresh green beans, and no-bake chocolate cookies for dessert. She had a couple big helpings of everything and asked for recipes. That made Betty happy.
   On Monday we took her to the church where she met with four individuals who wanted to apply for perpetual education funds. We were there to watch and learn. We set up a time to start teaching them the Self Reliance Workshop since they have to complete the workshop before they can receive any funds.

Our First Self Reliance Class Students

Foki had planned on staying until Tuesday afternoon, but she received a call from the airport that her flight had been changed to 8:30 AM. She learned her aunt had died. Her family hadn’t wanted to disturb her during training, but changed the flight so she could be there for the funeral. As soon as we arrived at the airport early Tuesday, she said we could leave; she would be fine; but for some reason, we just stayed.
   When she checked in her luggage, she had a small box as well. They asked, “What's in the box?” When she reported it was frozen fish, they informed her that she could not take frozen fish unless it was in a Styrofoam container. She would have to wait a half hour until the little Cantina opened, and she could buy one there. Again, she said we could go. She would be just fine. Again we stayed. We had bonded, and it didn’t seem right to just leave her there.



Rex & Foki

   When the store opened, she found it cost $30 for a Styrofoam container. That was way too much; she had already paid $30 for the fish. Betty mentioned that we had a Styrofoam container stored in our back room that the Walkers had left. We didn’t even hesitate. Foki’s plane was leaving in just 45 minutes, and it was 15 minutes each way back to the flat. We rushed back to our flat; I grabbed the Styrofoam container, some tape, scissors, and a sharpie marker; and we raced back to the airport. We made it just in time for me to stuff the already-packed box with the fish into the Styrofoam container, tape it, mark it, and send it out with the luggage so Foki could catch the plane! She left excited to have her fish.