The LDS Church College of Fiji

Elder Jacobsen and I had the privilege to visit the LDS Church College of Fiji last week (April 2-5). It was our first opportunity to observe Elder and Sister Whitehead (the ITEP missionary couple)   provide Professional Development for the teachers at the Church College (High School and Middle School level) and the Primary school. Upon arrival we were welcomed with the usual island hospitality that we have come to treasure from the people in the South Pacific. Just by chance we were on the inaugural flight of Fiji Airways Airbus 300 airplane and enjoyed the 2 hour and 40 minute flight from Auckland with a hot meal and our own personal video screens. The company's CEO was on the plane and we all received a  warm welcome because of the special flight. As we disembarked we all received shell leis and a warm "Bula" while being serenaded with Fijian music. 

The view from the Novotel Hotel

The LDS Church College of Fiji

 Mereoni Vuibreketi - Counselor 

 Our first day in Fiji was spent at the Church College. I was able to meet Mereoni for the first time, although we have talked and Skyped long-distance a number of times. Mereoni  has been a counselor for two years and is doing a great job implementing Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance at the college. Other schools in Fiji do not have school counselors so Mereoni is pioneering Comprehensive Counseling and Guidance in her country.

 Elder Jacobsen couldn't resist stopping to visit with some students waiting to go into the library. Although many students also speak Fijian or Hindi, the official language of Fiji is English. The students are very welcoming and are interested in talking with us when we tour around the school.

Elder and Sister Whitehead - ITEP Missionaries

The Whiteheads picked us up from the airport upon our arrival in Fiji Tuesday evening and were our excellent hosts throughout our visit. The first day we spent time touring the Church College (the secondary school) and attending a meeting with the administration and HODS (Heads of Department). That evening we had a wonderful dinner at the Whiteheads apartment with Elder and Sister Osborne, another missionary couple working in the schools on the Technical Vocational and Educational Training (TVET) programs.

The LDS Church College of Fiji Campus

 Lunch at McDonald's with a Fiji "Hello"!

The Presidential Palace

The LDS Primary School of Fiji

 Elder Whitehead, Principal Qaga and Elder Jacobsen take a tour around the Primary School. 

Greeting us in every class we visited were beautiful smiling faces. 

Elder Whitehead, Principal Qaga and Elder Jacobsen point out the important teaching strategy teachers are using in the schools... 

"I Do, We Do, You Do"

This teacher was so excited about the new learning strategies that Elder and Sister Whitehead presented to increase student engagement that she started using the ideas the next day.

We caught this student cleaning up his classroom at the Primary School.

We were able to see Elder and Sister Whitehead present to the faculty at the Primary School. Sister Whitehead is checking to see how the faculty had used the ideas for student engagement in their classrooms the previous week.

Elder Whitehead continues the presentation about Direct Explicit Systematic Instruction to the teachers. The teachers loved it!

We had the chance to attend a session at the Fiji Temple the last night we were in Fiji. The temple is located right next to the Primary School.

After the temple session we had dinner with the Whiteheads, the Osborne's (the TVET missionaries) and Elder and Sister Tennis. It was a reunion of sorts for me since they are former colleagues of mine from our days working in Davis School District. Scott is the retired principal of Viewmont High School and Lanae is a retired school counselor. As missionaries they are running the Institute programs for the Young Adults in the Suva, Fiji area. They are doing a great job reaching out to the young adults and increasing participation in the YSA programs offered at the Institute. 

This is the sunset that greeted us as we arrived at the airport in Nadi. I thought it would be a fitting way to close this post.

It is always a great experience for Elder Jacobsen and me to visit the Church Schools, where we always feel such an incredible spirit. We have come to love the people of the South Pacific in our journeys to visit the schools. Serving this mission has been a wonderful blessing in our lives.

Love and Prayers until our next post!