PRAISE THE LORD!
20 August 2023
Roberta
Itâs Sunday here in Tonga, and the custom here is no work; nothing
repaired (only your soul if needed,) so itâs off to church and singing
and praising the lord in the various religions represented here in
Tonga, Mormons taking the lead but all other faiths close behind.
We attended a beach cookout feast last night at our anchorage, and the
host, David, took a liking to Eric (and his beer supply!) and invited us
to his local church service onSunday. We were told the singing would be
wonderful and the locals in this small village would be happy to have
us. Teddy, Pete and myself were picked up at Rover and motored over to
Lape Island. There were whales blowing nearby and, at last, there was
sunshine and aquamarine waters to enjoy on the way.
When we got to the village and church, the boys were invited to a kava
ceremony while the ladies got ready for church. The singing started
before mass and continued throughout. I have to say it was soulful and
harmonic. The preacher spoke Tongan exclusively, and although we didnât
understand a word, we got the gist, all fire and brimstone preaching
with lots of hand waving and the congregation loved it.
After the service, there was another kava ceremony for the boys, so I
took a stroll to the beach with the ladies and kids, and thatâs when I
realized they were cooking their Sunday feast and we were invited! A pig
on the spit, the traditional foods buried underground to bake, including
taro, cassava, taro leaf in coconut, goat, mutton, fish, and other items
I have no idea of, but all tasty! Took lots of photos I shared with Ted,
andthen we sat down to a long table loaded with food and the village
people and had a great meal. The pastor got up and preached again. We
were told part of it was thanking us for being there and being so
helpful. Teddy made a donation of repainting the church, and I am sure
will go to heaven for his generosity!
We returned to the boat, with the women driving the motor boat, which
gave me hope that equality was on its way. We raised anchor and had a
beautiful ride back to Vavaâu.
A great dinner at the only open restaurant in town, the Kraken, and back
to the boat to pack. Iâm getting ready to change boats tomorrow to start
my next adventure exploring the rest of Tonga and onward to Fiji. My
time on board Rover has been fun and with the best crew and captain a
gal could ask for. I am sure we will cross paths again!
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