International Dateline, More Garden Visits and A Pleasant Evening in Taveuni

After the ceremony at Somosomo School we jumped into our 4WD vehicle and drove to the other end of the island (Vuna) to visit more gardens and the people who have been working with Elder and Sister Roth.  We thought we had seen some nice gardens - then we visited the gardens in Vuna.  We are not sure whether it was the soil, the warmer climate or something else but we very impressed.  As you can probably tell, the gardens are flourishing.  The members were happy and were able to provide for their families as well as sell a little produce on the side.

Everyone in the family was involved in the garden.  After Gary showed one sister how to thin her carrots, her little ones immediately got down on the ground hard at work weeding the garden and thinning the carrots.

After our delightful visits to the gardens we loaded ourselves back into the car (really a 4WD truck) to go to our dinner appointment.  As we drove along, the topic of the International Dateline came up and since it was nearby, we decided to make a quick stop.  It was nearly sunset and quite windy, but we were able to capture some pictures before we drove up the road to rendezvous with some other senior missionaries at the Tramonto Restaurant.  The view was breathtaking.  Here you see Gary in "today" and Susan in "yesterday".  

After dinner we went back to our hotel which was rustic and quite nice.  We had a marvelous view of the water and even had some fruit bats out in the trees.

In the morning we got up and ate breakfast before going to the dock to catch the ferry back to Natuvu, Buca Bay.  Susan had made sure to take her seasick pills the night before and she did much better on the return trip.  We had decided to ride a different ferry on the return, but there were no available seats so we got on the Taveuni Princess again.   The captain wears white unless it is a stormy day.  Then she wears brown.  When the ferry arrived she was wearing brown.  We boarded the boat and waited for our departure.  As we were sitting there, Gary's cell phone rang.  It was a phone call from Church headquarters SLC regarding a missionary dentist that was scheduled to come and serve in the Samoa humanitarian dental clinic for the next 18 months.  We were glad for that call and quite surprised that we could receive telephone service so far from any center of population. When we returned to Natuvu, Buca Bay we drove to Savusavu where we had lunch with Elder and Sister Roth.  On the way to the airport to catch the first leg of our return home we stopped at the Seaqaqa Primary School where more school furniture had been donated.  It was just a quick visit.  It was Friday afternoon and school was out, but we were impressed that all the children and teachers were cleaning the buildings and grounds.  At the airport we checked in and departed at about 4:00pm.  The flight to Suva, Fiji was a short one.  We arrived and settled in for a 5 hour layover in the Suva airport, which has one small snack counter and not much to choose from - a good place to maintain your diet.  At 10:30pm we boarded our flight for Auckland and got back to New Zealand at 1:45am.  By the time we got home it was close to 3:00am.  It was wonderful to have been in Fiji, but it was also good to be home.

"Whatever our calling, regardless of our fears or anxieties, let us pray and then go and do."  Thomas S. Monson "They Pray and They Do"  General Conference April 2003