Babasiga kids in Suva letters

from w
Grandkids wearing out Grandpa in Suva

Dear Wendy
Bula vinaka and may the Blessing of the Lord be with you. I am a bit tired today. We had a very successful day yesterday. Yesterday was as good as Sunday when people of Fiji recognised and valued our presence as well making our stay more meaningful. I
took the boys to Navuso and spend the whole day there after being in the Epworth House till 11 30 am. Today we are going to see L.
Best Regards
Peceli

Dear Grandma,
Wear going to L’s house at 11 o'clock this morning. We went to Navuso yesterday to get our presents from M.S. The presents were clothes and tshirts from America. She went to the States last year.
A.

Dear Grandma
Yesterday we went to Navuso Village. We went to get our presents that M.S. bought for us in Arizona, America. We saw the new bridge and the tarsil of the road right through the village. we went to the house in the village and got some rest and we ate. After we ate we went to walk on the bridge it was so beautiful. Once I walk on the bridge the bridge was okay. I thought it will collapse or how do we say it. Our gifts were T-shirt, cardigans, toys and a rugby ball etc. They were really happy to see us when we arrived and we played with the rugby ball. So we had to go back home. So today we`ll be going to Pacific Harbour to see L. We might swim I guess. Thank you for the Photo you send to us. The next day we`ll be going to a birthday party in Cunnigham. It’s one of our cousin`s birthday.
Regards
J.

from W.
Peceli's reference to Epworth House is about the soli given by American and Australian Fijians. They donated about $475,000 to the Methodist Church in Fiji. The earlier plan has been that the USA contingent open the choir competition and the Oz contingent close it. Instead it was done informally.
The photo Jordan referred to is of his cousin who danced at Tadra Kahani and her school won the Junior Prize.
I'm glad to hear that the new Navusa Bridge is standing up well. Last time I went to Navuso we had to go in a punt across the river in total darkness so my grandchildren had to look after me!

Birthday party in a Fijian village

from w
Yesterday afternoon Peceli,Mereoni, Jordan, Iliaja, Andrew and I crammed into a taxi to go to Navuso village for a birthday party for a little four year old girl Mere. We hadn't seen her since she was two weeks old. We had to cross a river by boat then walk up a muddy path. We were warmly welcomed by relatives and the party took place in a vakatunuloa (temporary shed) decorated with plaited leaves, balloons etc. It turned out to be a party for two little kids as a one year old also had a special cake.



Many youth mothers brought their infants and the barbecue cooked by the teenage boys was enjoyed as the men drank kava and told stories in one corner. We left after dark using a torch to find the river, the boat, and to negotiate the puddles to go to the main road. It was a beautiful starry night and one of the kids said, 'Grandma why don't you do a drawing of those trees, the sky and the stars?' This was in the middle of the river!

A 15 seater minibus, with a side door that opened and shut at every bend, picked us up to go the 20 minute trip back to Namadi. It was a lovely occasion of catching up with stories from the extended family of our grandsons.