Anatomy of a "lafet"

In Bislama, a "lafet" [pronounced *laugh-it] is a special meal or get-together. Aiel (Lembinwen Village, Southwest Bay, Malekula) requested that we time this month's visit to coincide with his grand-daughter's 1st birthday (traditionally, the only birthday actually celebrated in Vanuatu - I assume that stems from the high infant mortality rate that under-developed countries tend to face).

Lafets are foundational to the Vanuatu culture, and while each one (weddings, funerals, circumcisions, going away parties, first yam harvest, etc.) has its unique attributes, the common bond is sharing food together.  Here are some of the things that went into baby Lexi's (named after our Alexis) 1st birthday celebration...

1. Aiel went through the village a few weeks in advance notifying everyone of the upcoming lafet. One of the provincial counselors lives in a nearby village, and volunteered to supply a 25kg bag of rice [rice is obviously a fairly modern introduction to Vanuatu, and still isn't farmed domestically - traditionally, root crops such as yams and taro would have been the primary dish for the meal].

2. Two days before the big event, Aiel's son, Jansen, went and talked to several of his friends about going on a pig hunt.  Seven or eight of them headed out early the next morning with about a dozen dogs, and sure enough came back just after lunch with a wild pig hanging upside down from a tree limb draped between their shoulders (yes, just like in the movies). The dogs tracked and chased down the pig, tangled it up long enough for one of the boys to run over and spear it with a machete.

3. They had "gutted" the swine in the bush, and quickly got to work skinning and piecing up the meat (basically into legs, ribs and head).

4. [This part, obviously, isn't quite so culturally-rooted] The Vanuatu Police Force Representative for Southwest Bay lives in the village (monthly salary means he's fairly well-off financially) and has a deep freezer that he powers for 6-8 hours a day with a gas-powered generator. When he heard about the celebration and the pig, he had several boys carry the freezer to Aiel's house to store the meat in overnight.  

5. Aiel and Jansen had built a skeletal-structure from tree limbs and bamboo a few days prior, and several of us worked together to extend a large tarpaulin over it as a roof. 

6. The boys who helped Jansen with the pig were invited over for dinner that night (a very common way to express gratitude for a day's work).

7. Early the next day (event day) everyone grabbed a make-shift cutting board (cut down a small tree, cut the trunk into segments, and made each one somewhat flat on each side) and a knife and went to town de-boning and dicing the pig meat. The meat was later added to vegetables and water for a soup to put over rice.

8. People slowly start to trickle in, some bringing food, some decorating the shelter, some making cakes, some cutting firewood, some cutting vegetables, some tending the fire, and some cooking the rice and soup.

9. By nightfall, we were ready for a party. Aiel did most of the speaking, thanking everyone for their participation and recounting some of the events of Lexi's birth. It was very obvious that her future spiritual well-being if of the utmost interest to him, and I was proud of him for making that known.

10. After Lexi cut the cake (with a generous assist from mom), all the kids gathered around a sang happy birthday, with a second verse of "happy long-life to you."  Then, everyone lined up to shake hands with the birthday girl and give her a present - all very practical things such as dishes, soap, powder and clothing. After everyone (I would guess that there were about 100 people there) had some cake, the food was served (and by the way, everyone knows to bring their own plates and forks to a lafet).

11.  Lots of visiting, eating, and being together.  Fun was had by all (and most people took home left-overs).

[Photos below - Bringing in the pig; showing the wound; firewood; what a birthday present from grandpa!; decorations; island-style cooking; dicing the meat; cake; decorations; Lexi 1 and Lexi 2; birthday girl; washing pots and pans the next morning.]

Well?!?

We originally titled our blog "afta" with a plan to keep folks up to date on what is happening. Seeing that we haven't posted in over a month (getting close to two months), some must be asking "well, what happened 'afta' that last post?!?"

Our family spent the month of June in Vila. I assisted Scott Richards who came over from the States in association with his teaching of two PIBC classes.  That primarily entailed traveling out to Epau each am, and then picking up / dropping off students in Vila in the pm. We also scheduled the month in Vila because our now-Stateside teammates, Aaron and Cindy Baker, made a two week trip to Vanuatu (spending most of that time in their old home village in Tanna).

Since returning to Malekula at the first of July, we've been in "wrapping up mode." I am finishing up a series of lessons that we began as a congregation last year on the OT books, a series on Proverbs with the youth, a series on leadership with the men, and Shawnda is finishing up a series on Christian Living with the ladies. She has also been finishing up her first full year of homeschooling the kids. We made one more trip for the year down to Southwest Bay to visit the Christians there.

In between, we've been packing up, throwing away, giving away and selling things, in preparation for our upcoming five month time in the US (primarily as Visiting Missionaries at Oklahoma Christian University and visiting/reporting to supporters). Though, Lord willing, we'll be returning to Vanuatu early next year, we do feel a certain sense of loss as move on from this chapter in our lives. Living in the village for the past few years has changed us in almost every area of life, and we are very grateful for the experience. We pray that God has been glorified by our efforts, and that the lives that have been touched by the gospel will continue to grow and mature in faith and good works.

We are scheduled to return to Vila on Monday, and then head towards the States on Saturday.  We are to have a long weekend in Ripon, CA with supporters there, and then be in Denver for a week.  We are to arrive in OKC on August 13, and school starts August 26. I have my first lecture scheduled for September 4, and must admit that its a little intimidating - I've been about as far removed from academia as possible over the past several years.  The good news is, most of my speaking will entail talking about Vanuatu, which shouldn't be too much of a problem!

We are looking forward to seeing most of you this Fall, and pray God's blessings on you richly. It is our intention to keep the blog going (more frequently with more consistent internet access, hopefully!) to share our OC and travel experiences.  Tankyu tumas mo lukim yu...

Special Opps

...as in "opportunities." It's neat to see how God answers our prayers for open doors (Col 4:3).

Vira is in his late 20's and works at the National Bank of Vanuatu in Vila. He recently responded to an ad in the newspaper for a Bible correspondence course, and indicated that he was not only interested in the course, but also in a face to face meeting. I was excited to meet him and learn about his and his wife's interest in studying the Bible. He intends to take the PIBC courses in Vila this year, and I will continue to study with him each time we are in Vila.

Christopher is an older man, and I also recently had the opportunity to visit and study with him. His is an interesting story. He was promoted to "pastor" in his church several years ago, but by his own admission knew/knows very little about God's word. He is hungry in the truest sense, and I am glad that our paths have crossed, and pray that as he learns he will make the determination to live for Christ.

During our recent trip to Tanna, one of the local Christians (Tom) had scheduled a study in a nearby (about an hour's walk) village. Daniel had invited us to come because he is tired of manmade doctrines and practices and just wants to go back to the Bible. When Tom told him that is exactly what we want to do as well, the invitation was quickly submitted and accepted. Daniel leads a group of 15-20 people in his village (Iannuhup, "yen-new-hoop"), and about 12 of them showed up that morning to study the Bible. I presented the gospel to them and answered the questions that they had. Daniel expressed that they were surprised (at this "new" teaching) and very interested in future studies. Tom is going to continue to work with Daniel and the others, and I look forward to my next opportunity to be there as well.

One of the Christian ladies here in Tulwei is married to a man from the northwest side of the island, Rano Village. They have had a tumultuous relationship from its inception, with him living in Rano and her living in Tulwei most of the time. They are still cordial to each other (for the most part), but it is a strange situation (I still don't understand it totally). However, as Stellen has been studying what God's will is for her as a mother and wife, she has attempted to apply those teachings to her life. Her brother, Williamson, has also made a sincere effort to reach out to her husband, Willie, having studied with him on several occasions. Willie came to our church campout a few weeks ago, during which both Alsen and I had some good spiritual discussions with him. Following the campout, I studied with he and Stellan for three nights, and as a result he made the good confession and was baptized into Christ. Our first order of business, so to speak, is to try and get their marriage on the right track. It is something they are dedicated to, but is definitely going to require a lot of effort from both of them. In the near future, we will look to begin preaching the gospel in Rano Village, once the two of them are living there.

Please be praying for all these situations, and that God will continue to open doors for the word. What an awesome God we serve!

Photos below: Christopher during our initial visit; The group we studied with in Iannuhup Village (South Tanna Island); Myself, Tom and Alsen welcomed in Iannuhup; Visiting with Willie at the campout

Church of what?!?

Since moving to Malekula in 2011, I've heard rumors of a mysterious religious group on the south side of the island, referred to (at least by outsiders) as "the church of marijuana." I had my doubts, as the "coconut telegraph" (island version of "hearing it through the grapevine") can sometimes be quite exaggerated. The story goes that the group meets together every Friday afternoon to "worship" by, you guessed it, lighting up and getting high (with Bob Marley music and videos blaring in the background). They supposedly cook the marijuana into foods as well, and intentionally blow the secondhand smoke into their children's faces in order to "train them up" in the way they want them to go. Repulsive, I know. I imagine they have a pretty effective outreach program in the area.

When we were last in Vila, suspicions were confirmed by the headline in the local newspaper that said "Melip Villagers Arrested." Over 50 men from the village were arrested for marijuana cultivation, distribution and use, and were brought to Vila from Malekula to be incarcerated (word is their sentence is 20 years, which is a VERY stern punishment by Vanuatu standards).

Upon our return to Malekula, we were surprised to see some new faces in the neighborhood, as we know all the kids in our area (they are at our house playing on a daily basis). Come to find out, these new faces were children whose dad had been arrested, and their mom brought them back to her home village (here in Tulwei) to be with her family. Most of the rumors have been confirmed as true by these first-hand observers, though my understanding of the religion is still a bit cloudy. In accordance with the religion, the children were not allowed to wear red, leave the house, or use modern medicine - ever.

Interesting, to say the least. The church is trying to minister to these four kids and their mom, and hope that they will learn to follow Jesus.

[Below: photo taken in Etas Village last year of a marijuana plant being cultivated outside the front door of a house, taken by visiting brother John Carlisto]

Bringing In the Dough

During our recent trip to Tanna, we learned of an interesting situation that we thought might be good to share, as we try to give our readers a clearer understanding of the goings on in Vanuatu.

One of the most stressful issues that ni-Vanuatu face is in regard to educating their children. While the vast majority of the schools are government-run, students are still required to pay school fees to attend. That burden has been lessened recently, as the government passed laws that ensure kids are able to go to school through the equivalent of 6th grade fee-free. However, beginning with secondary school, the fees are still imposed, and can be a significant financial burden since the majority of island families do not have a source of regular income.

Harry and Tess were some of the first Christians in Tanna, and have grown a lot in their faith. It has been our pleasure to work with them and get to know them better. Their oldest daughter, Joslyn, is enrolled in secondary school in the main "town" of Tanna Island, Lenekel. At the beginning of the year it became quite evident that they were not going to be able to foot the bill for their daughter's continued education (9th grade). So, Harry went and talked to the administration about the possibility of paying the school fees in the form of local produce (such could be plausible since the majority of the students board at the school, and thus the school is responsible for feeding some 160 people everyday). The administrator countered his offer with a job opportunity - head baker. Harry had baked bread back in the village before, and so he took the job.

To ensure that his daughter is able to attend school, Harry walks to Lenekel everyday (7 days a week) to bake bread for the students and faculty. Thankfully, it is an otherwise flexible schedule, since he bakes bread "today" to be consumed "tomorrow" - thus not preventing him from other family obligations and the weekly assembly. The walk down to Lenekel (there is a pretty significant drop in altitude) takes a little less than 2 hours from his village of Lorakau. The walk back up to the village takes almost 2.5 hours. Bread baking takes about 4 hours total, as he has to make two batches due to the size of his utensils and oven (he uses a 50lb bag of flour per day). A couple of perks include getting to take home the empty flour bags (used for transporting produce from the garden) and several loaves of bread.

Harry doesn't take home much pay, because the large majority of his wages are retained by the school for his daughter's fees (I would guess that the fees are between $400-500 per term, with 3 terms per school year). But, Harry and Tess are happy "because God has provided a way" (his words) for them to send their daughter to school. They have two more daughters and three sons coming up behind, and it will prove to be a continual struggle to educate their children in this environment. I am proud of the way they've handled the situation, and think they are to be commended for their sacrifice, commitment, and dependence upon God's provision.

I followed Harry to/from work one day while we were in Tanna last month, and very much enjoyed getting to visit with him. He is a thinker, and really does seek to manifest Christ in his life. Please be praying for him and his family.

WidoWork

Early this year, the men here in Tulwei Village had a meeting regarding some objectives that we could focus on for the year to ensure that the congregation is positively influencing people through good works. One of the things that I suggested they do was initiate a "WidoWork Day" in which all available Christians spend one day per month helping one of the members, Leana, with whatever work she chooses.

Leana was widowed shortly before their 5th child was born almost 9 years ago. Village life in Vanuatu is physically taxing, and while Leana's five children (3 boys aged 9, 11 and 14; 2 girls aged 18 and 21) do help out a lot, the family can still use the assistance. A family without a male leader/provider is at a distinct disadvantage, not to mention that Leana has had some health problems recently.

Most men in Malekula have formed "work groups" wherein 8-10 men rotate working for each member of the group one day each week (you help other members during "their" weeks and they all help you during "your" week). The WidoWork days are formed similarly, only its the whole church helping out once per month with no reciprocation.

Recently, the congregation spent the day working on Leana's peanut garden, cleaning the area of brush, leaves, weeds, etc. At harvest time, she will prepare the peanut plants into small bundles and sell them for $1 each at the open market in Lakatoro. The work day proved to be beneficial on a number of levels, including the fostering of Christian fellowship and an attitude of servitude. Cool!

Pictured below is Leana (right) with her two oldest children, Lolin and Lolit.

Flat!

During our most recent trip to Etas Village, we had a flat tire. And when I say flat I mean FLAT.

Several months ago the public works department laid new coral on the road to smooth it out, but with all the recent rains the potholes are back in full effect. In trying to miss the larger potholes, I apparently got a little too close to the edge of the road and banged into a large piece of uncrushed coral, piercing the side wall of our front right tire.

Nothing like changing a tire in the tropical sun on Sunday morning on your way to the assembly. Thankfully, we had all the tools necessary to change the tire and proceed ... dirty and sweaty, but on time nonetheless!