We are Team Wicks: Last Day in Suva!

It is Thursday afternoon, and our last full day in Suva. Tomorrow, we will take a 7:30 am bus back across the island to Nadi, where the airport is. We will take a couple days to rest in a budget hotel there and then fly back to Kona on Sunday night. We are so excited to come home, but are almost too exhausted to realize how close we are.

Last Saturday, Angie taught her second sex-ed class for the moms. I could hear all the ladies laughing from up the hill (so not sure what that means). Then on Sunday, she and our friend Jen hosted another tea party for the ladies. It is amazing to see how much sugar they put in their tea and coffee. It is literally almost a 1:2 ratio of sugar to coffee!

I taught a finance class for four of the ladies each day this week. They were so excited to learn some basic principles and I was able to help each of them draft a budget and savings plan by the end of the week. However, because they only earn $5 per week, it makes it difficult to budget!

Angie has continued her nursing rounds and training. Also, she has spent two days this week taking baby Rani to the hospital and to some specialists to evaluate her leg. It is very difficult to find someone who really knows what they are talking about and then to get a straight answer from them on the diagnosis and prognosis for her condition. Also, we have spent some time researching the possible loopholes that would allow us to adopt her. The Fijian adoption laws require a US citizen to live in Fiji for two years with a work permit to even become a candidate to adopt a Fijian baby. At this point, this is something we are unwilling to do. So, we will continue to pray for a miracle and/or for another family to come along that can adopt Rani and give her the love and care she needs. We have given her back to one of the moms to care for so that leaving her tomorrow isn’t so traumatic. We take comfort on behalf of Rani with the following promise from God:

Father to the fatherless, defender of widows—this is God, whose dwelling is holy.

God places the lonely in families; he sets the prisoners free and gives them joy.

Psalm 68:5-6

Last night, all the staff and moms put together a going away party for us. Many of them shared what they have enjoyed and appreciated about our family and then they did some traditional dances for us. It was pretty cool.

Sam and Katie are doing very well. Sam has become best friends with two 11-year old boys here. He takes off in the morning and comes back in the evening very tired after playing with them all day. The boys, even though they are older, have been so kind to Sam and take good care of him. Tonight we are taking Sam and his new friends into town to play video games at an internet café and then to McDonalds as a going away treat.

Did I say that we are leaving Fiji in 3 days and back to Seattle in 8 days?!!!