Elder Sam Gwilliam: Sa Kama Vakadua na Vale

Well it was quite an eventful week, probably the most intense week in the mission so far. We finished off our exchanges in Taveuni. It was a good time! Finally made it over there. I got to work with Elda DeBruce and it was a riot! He's a great missionary and it was a fun day.

Then on Wednesday morning we were able to take the boat back to Viti Levu. We had a nice drive and then went and got back to work. We went and started to visit people and then had a few fall throughs and went to visit one recent convert family. We went and had dinner there and then went home after teaching the Plan of Salvation.

Upon arriving home me and my companion saw a strange fire-looking light inside of the house adjacent to ours. My companion and I decided that we needed to go in and check it out. When we got out of the truck we saw smoke coming out of the windows and heard a boy crying and a patting noise that we later found out to be the small boy trying to put out a fire. When we ran inside my companion went into the room and I went and told the rest of the people inside there was a fire and told them to call the Fire Department. It was us, the boy (about 4) and about 4 girls (from 12-18) and one neighbor boy (about 16) started to try to get water on the fire. And then the water cut out so that was great. We were working on putting it out meanwhile on trips back and forth between the sink I had to go outside a few times for fresh air. Too much smoke and I couldn't get low enough. Dry-heaved a few times and then went back in. At that point we realized there was no stopping it because it had taken the whole room and part of the hallway.

At that point we got everyone out of the house and went outside. We asked a few people if everyone was outside and they told us that the boy and the youngest girl were in the room next to where the fire had started. We walked over and sure enough the 2 kids were in the room and at that point was where the adrenaline went from 110% to 150%. I don't remember much, but my companion said that I came out of nowhere and "hulk-smashed" the windows with my hands. But there was a metal mosquito screen blocking us from the inside. One big Fijian man who was the neighbor came and ripped the whole wooden thing off with his bare hands. He took the girl out and the little boy kept jumping out of reach. After a few tries my orangutan arms came in handy and we were able to snatch the boy out of the window.

Then we took the kids to the hospital and by the time we got back the whole complex was up in flames. Then we helped a next door neighbor douse her house with water. After lots of excitement we were at the police station till about 12 giving statements.

The 2 kids got transferred to Labasa for the burn unit and seem to be getting better.

The next day we were walking through a village and saw someone's kitchen cooking fire and I almost threw up. It's all good though we've recovered from that.

But rumor around town is that Fijian Secret Service CRW saved the kids and if they weren't there us elders as well as everyone else would be dead. Seems like the more plausible story to me.

1-4) Taveuni Fun before the excitement