Zoë Vandervelde
Year 13 Intensive Student, Tasmania

Bula! (Hi) I'm Zoë and at the moment this is the extent of my knowledge of the Fijian language, but I will be learning more because on June 24, myself and my fellow
Year 13ers from the Youthworks Gap Year program will be jet setting to Fiji for a month long mission trip!

This trip to Fiji will be the first overseas venture I have been on (apart from crossing the Bass Strait).

Yes I'm Tasmanian and even though some people would argue against it, I am from Australia.

Anyway Fiji will be my first major cross cultural experience and I am very excited for the opportunity God has given me. As a group we spent a week at Waterslea (Nowra) preparing for the trip during which we learnt about the culture of Fiji including how we are to talk, greet, dress and act around the Fijians.

One of the main things I'm looking forward to in Fiji is the home stays we will apart of. All of us will be splitting into small groups and staying a few nights with Fijian families in various places around the Island of Viti Levu. My group will be staying in the Indo-Fijians' town of Navua. Home stays is the part of our mission trip where we get to be a part of the true Fijian culture by living in their communities. 

As a follower in Jesus I am really looking forward to the opportunity God has given me and the whole Year 13 group to go to Fiji. It will be a taste of what overseas mission is like. I'm looking forward to seeing how God will grow and challenge all of the team. We are not there just to teach the Fijians but to learn from them.

Before Fiji, there is language to learn, presentations to plan, gear to get together, money to be raised and many other things. The excitement doesn't start just in Fiji, it begins now as we prepare. So please pray we get organised efficiently. Prayer is definitely something need as we head to Fiji.

Pray that God will prepare us, pray that we'll be able to adapt in unplanned situations, pray that we will let the Holy Spirit guide us and pray for the Fijians we meet and that through God working in us we will be an encouragement to them.

That's all from me now, but stay tuned for more Bula Blog updates from my fellow Year 13ers.

For more information on the Year 13 Fiji mission trip, and updates from the team, continue checking sydneyanglicans.net

To read more blogs from the team visit [url=http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/author/bulablogteam]http://www.sydneyanglicans.net/author/bulablogteam[/url]