Ordination

Sunday, August 01

Because some of the youths from Isabel were sleeping in a temporary shelter right next to the bell, the catechist rang in fewer times and more softly this morning.  Church started a few minutes after seven, and the building and grounds were even more full than last night.  When we arrived at the part of the service for the ordination, the new priest stood at the back of the church with his family.  A group of men and then a group of women all dressed in traditional garb led way singing and dancing up the aisle of the church.  It was beautiful.  I almost cried to see this special way of life preserved and celebrated on such a precious day.

 

After the church service, we all gathered for "dinner on the grounds".  The bishop and his entourage got to sit under a covered shelter and feasted on fish and shellfish, tinned meat, rice, leo (beetlenut) every special food the Lavukaleve could offer.  Everybody else (including our family) sat on the ground or on tree stumps and got lelenga.  Somebody actually brought a pig's head, and I was told that it was rubbish.  That didn't stop some of the kids from fighting over the pork as soon as the "amen" was uttered.  Within 30 seconds, our tables were emptied of food as everybody grabbed whatever they could.  Since it has been so windy, nobody has been able to go out and fish.  Our neighbors don't like to eat lelenga "dry" (without fish).  I saw Pogo without any food, so I offered her my parcel of lelenga, but she turned me down because there was no fish!

 

After the feasting began the program with hours of dancing, speeches, singing, and gift giving.  Aaron stayed down with the festivities while the kids and I went back to the house.  Everybody was thirsty, and the only place to get water was our tank.  We had a steady stream of visitors from villages all across the Russells, and we just kept praying that God would make the water last like the widow's oil.  Finally, Ezekiel and Eileen each individually came up to the house and asked me to monitor the rain tank.  Ezekiel said that people though we had another tank in the house, so they weren't being careful with the water and it was being wasted.  So I sat down by the rain tank for several hours and showed people how to use the funnel to fill up their water bottles.  I tried to stay out of the sun, but I ended up a little pink. 

 

This was the first time I have felt anything but pleasant thoughts for our neighbors.  People were cutting through our fences and stepping on my tomatoes, spitting red beetle-nut all over my ground, wasting my water, I really had to pray for God to give me love for our neighbors.