Bale and Alfreddy our very gracious and lovely host family
Sunday, July 20, 2014

Pat, pat, pat...pitter patter, pitter patter, pitter patter POUR! Agh... it's 5 AM and raining hard and our hatches are open! I yell at Larry and jump up naked, my mind going into high speed - the computer on the salon table, Ben's bed under the very large open forward hatch in the V-birth! Such is the life of a cruiser. Larry always says, if it's predictable it's preventable. Yeah, this was preventable but, you are always wrestling with comfort over being smart. And a cool breeze whilst you sleep in the tropics just feels oh so good :)

Well, it's Sunday. We laid back down for about an hour after "the event", and now are rising with that feeling that you have a hangover. We need to leave for the village no later than 9:00 for church, and I feel this obligation that I need to bake something to bring for our host family for lunch after. Plus, knowing that we would probably be gone for about five hours you have to plan ahead. You want to be well hydrated before you go as you will only have the water you carry on your back. But I already have a 20 lb bag of supplies I'm carrying (jam, honey, butter, two pair of flip flops, tea, sugar, some toys for the children etc...) and oh yeah, did I forget to mention that you cannot wear a backpack? No sunglasses, hats, and men must wear the traditional sulu. It's considered rude if you do not carry all things in hand. And if you need to go to the bathroom? Forget it. I'm afraid to ask. So, in other words, you want to be done with all things having to do with bodily functions... if 'ya know what I mean.

By the time we hiked into the village, arriving at 9:50 AM, we can hear the melodic voices of children singing inside. Holy crap, are we late?! No, apparently the children start their Sunday school at 8:00 AM, then sit through the adult service from 10:00 - 11:15 AM, then have to be back for more Sunday school at noon, then having a short break at some point and then more school at 2:15. And let me tell you, this is not fun stuff! There is a man who walked around during our service with a, as Larry calls it, "a child correcting tool"! Yikes! I was scared of him! What if he noticed that I had ever so slightly hiked my long skirt up just to get a little air under there!

We were graciously accepted into their Methodist House of God, and we were grateful for the shade. After the long hike in, carrying all our goodies, we sat of the wooden benches, and that was when I slowly started to melt. The air was still, the humidity was 99.9%, and we were in the tropics! Dang it, I forgot my little woven fan! No problem, I'll pull out the Savusavu Times newspaper I brought for our host family to read later (they crave any kind of reading material they can get their hands on here) and try fanning myself that way. Well, it didn't really work and I was afraid of the man with the stick if I had anything else in my hand besides my bible! We all just sat there feeling the slow trickle of sweat down our chests, down our backs...remembering I have forgotten my water on the boat as well, sigh...then the music began...and as the melodic voices grew to their, oh so right pitch, it made you realize that you were truely witnessing one of the most beautiful things ever. The best way I can describe it is, when the congregation sings - it truly soothes your soul. And so once again, I am pinching myself, not believing I have sailed halfway around the world - to this remote island that only a few people get to visit each year - and I get to be present in this. Wow!

So, after Ben had asked me a half dozen times, is it over yet, is it over yet, it finally was. He is such a sport! We keep telling him one day he will appreciate this. Off to our host family home we go, not sure what to expect because they weren't in the service with us because they are Jehovah's Witness. And there they are, waiting for us with open arms! A beautiful meal was prepared of cassava, sweet potatoes, Fijian cake (flour mixed with a little bit of sugar and coconut milk, then wrapped in a cloth and boiled), fish, a small amount of some kind of dark cabbage, and mussels - that Alfreddy had worked very hard the day before, digging them up at low tide. We sat on the floor in their small but immaculate home and ate and laughed and talked. And we also included some bible study, as we are very curious about the differences in religion. The chief of the village forbids and other church starting up here, but Alfreddy and Bale remain forever hopeful.
I don't think I can quite do justice when I try to describe Fijian woman. They are like that favorite aunt you always wanted to have, that always had a smile and would look at you like you were the most special person in the world. They have that bosom that you just want to rest your head on, taking all the problems of the world away when they wrap you in their arms. They are just so darn capable. They are tough and warm and playful and funny, all bundled up in their dark skin and Afro. I just love these ladies!

What a great day. We returned to Lisa Kay around 3:00, with a smile on our faces and exhausted...but satisfied.

Ed note: Sorry, no Fulaga photo gallery until we reach better internet. At least another week or two. Surprised we can even post this!!! As always we welcome your comments on the blog posts!