Inside the Educational Learning Center, the team finished installing the remaining windows and added a door, wrapping up the interior work we were given for the week.
Outside, there was one major mission: finish the concrete slab. That meant another full day of mixing cement by hand, loading wheelbarrows, hauling them across the worksite, pouring the mixture over the rebar, and smoothing everything into place. After days of digging, leveling, setting posts, laying plastic and reinforcement, and preparing the ground, watching the veranda floor finally take shape made all of that work feel very real.
And apparently, one local dog wanted to leave her own contribution to the project. At some point during lunch, she wandered straight across the freshly poured cement, leaving a perfect trail of paw prints behind. So somewhere beneath whatever eventually covers that section of the veranda, a little piece of her will quite literally be part of the building forever.
Construction wasn’t the only thing happening today. A few of us spent some time working in the garden alongside the pastor who has been helping lead this Habitat and community project. The property is full of things growing — papaya, breadfruit, eggplant, and more — and we helped weed and clean up some of the garden beds.
His grandson was also at the worksite again today and spent part of the afternoon picking flowers and handing them out to the women on our team. It was one of those tiny moments that had absolutely nothing to do with construction, but made the day feel even more special.
And then there were the puppies. After watching the dogs around the worksite all week, several of us stopped at the supermarket last night for flea shampoo, towels, a basin, food, and a few other supplies. We started the morning by feeding them, which immediately produced a noticeably more energetic group of puppies, and later gave the three of them baths.
They were not necessarily convinced this was an improvement while it was happening. But afterward, clean, warm, wrapped in towels, and finally getting some relief from the fleas, they curled up and promptly fell asleep.
Watching everyone on the team jump in to help with whatever the task may be was another reminder of how naturally this group has come together. Someone is always carrying something, mixing something, helping someone — or cracking a joke.
And there has been a lot of joking. Today’s running joke came courtesy of Dave and his New Jersey accent. At some point, we became very entertained by the way he says “water,” which naturally meant the rest of us spent the day saying “water” in increasingly terrible fake New Jersey accents. Dave has informed us that none of them are remotely accurate. We disagree.
We also discovered that Dave’s sweat marks somehow formed what looked suspiciously like Mickey Mouse, which required photographic documentation. It has reached the point in the week where almost anything can make us laugh, and I think that says a lot about how comfortable everyone has become with one another.
The same is true with the guys we’ve been working alongside all week. There has been so much teasing, joking, and laughter mixed into the work that even the hardest parts of the day rarely feel heavy.
By the afternoon, the last wheelbarrow of concrete had been poured and the final section of the slab was smoothed. And that was it.
We are officially ahead of schedule. There isn’t additional construction ready for us tomorrow morning, which is probably the best possible testament to how hard this team has worked all week. Instead, we’ll return to the community for our kava and farewell ceremony before sharing lunch together.
After the workday officially ended, I had one more very important stop to make — Bula. She spent today at the vet receiving her flea and deworming treatments and continuing the process of getting everything ready for her eventual trip home with me. When I walked into the room to see her, she immediately started yelping with excitement.
I had never heard her make that sound before. So naturally I asked the vet, “Has she been doing that all day?”
Nope. Not until I walked in. At this point, I don’t need any more confirmation. She chose me just as much as I chose her.
Tonight, we also wrapped up another day with dinner together. I handed out our Habitat Fiji shirts, and we walked across the street for Thai and Indian food, reflections on the week, conversations about future builds, and — unsurprisingly — a lot more laughter.
It’s strange knowing that tomorrow is already our final day together here. Last night, as all of us were walking to dinner, I remember thinking that we will never have that exact moment again. All of us together in Fiji. This particular team. This particular community. This project. All the inside jokes and unexpected moments and relationships that somehow formed in only a few days.
There will be plenty of time tomorrow to reflect on what this week has meant. For now, I’m just trying to soak up every last bit of it.
Outside, there was one major mission: finish the concrete slab. That meant another full day of mixing cement by hand, loading wheelbarrows, hauling them across the worksite, pouring the mixture over the rebar, and smoothing everything into place. After days of digging, leveling, setting posts, laying plastic and reinforcement, and preparing the ground, watching the veranda floor finally take shape made all of that work feel very real.
And apparently, one local dog wanted to leave her own contribution to the project. At some point during lunch, she wandered straight across the freshly poured cement, leaving a perfect trail of paw prints behind. So somewhere beneath whatever eventually covers that section of the veranda, a little piece of her will quite literally be part of the building forever.
Construction wasn’t the only thing happening today. A few of us spent some time working in the garden alongside the pastor who has been helping lead this Habitat and community project. The property is full of things growing — papaya, breadfruit, eggplant, and more — and we helped weed and clean up some of the garden beds.
His grandson was also at the worksite again today and spent part of the afternoon picking flowers and handing them out to the women on our team. It was one of those tiny moments that had absolutely nothing to do with construction, but made the day feel even more special.
And then there were the puppies. After watching the dogs around the worksite all week, several of us stopped at the supermarket last night for flea shampoo, towels, a basin, food, and a few other supplies. We started the morning by feeding them, which immediately produced a noticeably more energetic group of puppies, and later gave the three of them baths.
They were not necessarily convinced this was an improvement while it was happening. But afterward, clean, warm, wrapped in towels, and finally getting some relief from the fleas, they curled up and promptly fell asleep.
Watching everyone on the team jump in to help with whatever the task may be was another reminder of how naturally this group has come together. Someone is always carrying something, mixing something, helping someone — or cracking a joke.
And there has been a lot of joking. Today’s running joke came courtesy of Dave and his New Jersey accent. At some point, we became very entertained by the way he says “water,” which naturally meant the rest of us spent the day saying “water” in increasingly terrible fake New Jersey accents. Dave has informed us that none of them are remotely accurate. We disagree.
We also discovered that Dave’s sweat marks somehow formed what looked suspiciously like Mickey Mouse, which required photographic documentation. It has reached the point in the week where almost anything can make us laugh, and I think that says a lot about how comfortable everyone has become with one another.
The same is true with the guys we’ve been working alongside all week. There has been so much teasing, joking, and laughter mixed into the work that even the hardest parts of the day rarely feel heavy.
By the afternoon, the last wheelbarrow of concrete had been poured and the final section of the slab was smoothed. And that was it.
We are officially ahead of schedule. There isn’t additional construction ready for us tomorrow morning, which is probably the best possible testament to how hard this team has worked all week. Instead, we’ll return to the community for our kava and farewell ceremony before sharing lunch together.
After the workday officially ended, I had one more very important stop to make — Bula. She spent today at the vet receiving her flea and deworming treatments and continuing the process of getting everything ready for her eventual trip home with me. When I walked into the room to see her, she immediately started yelping with excitement.
I had never heard her make that sound before. So naturally I asked the vet, “Has she been doing that all day?”
Nope. Not until I walked in. At this point, I don’t need any more confirmation. She chose me just as much as I chose her.
Tonight, we also wrapped up another day with dinner together. I handed out our Habitat Fiji shirts, and we walked across the street for Thai and Indian food, reflections on the week, conversations about future builds, and — unsurprisingly — a lot more laughter.
It’s strange knowing that tomorrow is already our final day together here. Last night, as all of us were walking to dinner, I remember thinking that we will never have that exact moment again. All of us together in Fiji. This particular team. This particular community. This project. All the inside jokes and unexpected moments and relationships that somehow formed in only a few days.
There will be plenty of time tomorrow to reflect on what this week has meant. For now, I’m just trying to soak up every last bit of it.
