Fits and giggles – the funny side of mission

While we slogged it out we had a lot of laughs, and a lot of memorable quotes and moments…

“I don’t think I could choose two better sweaty guys to spend three weeks in a tent with.”  – JP to Matt and Ali 

“Why don’t you put your paw paw on your plate and scratch your nose with your hand?”  Katie to Michael referring to his attempt to scratch his nose with his breakfast plate.

“This mango tastes just like Just Juice!” – Lucy

“This place is a blocky’s nightmare, a builder’s nightmare, a plumbers nightmare and an electrician’s nightmare…” – Mike referring to the casual attitude towards ensuring things are level, plumb, watertight and keeping electrical cables covered.

“Katie, you’re in charge of me. Can I have a carrot stick?” – Natalie

“JP, your dolphin is showing.” – Laura, meaning to say ’dolphin side’ 

“I bet you never imagined you’d spend your 19th birthday in a hardware store in Vanuatu.” – Lucy to Lizzy

“Nothing on this island is bent!” – JP remarking about the common Bislama phrase ‘hem strait’

“Grapes are nature’s lollies,” says Nat.  “Yes, and bananas are nature’s muesli bars,” says Lizzy. After much deliberation and discussion with JP, “Well, tomatoes are nature’s ketchup!” says Nat

“I have a British friend, she lives in Britain.” – Stacey

“Dude, you look like a microphone!” – JP to Matt after he took out his cornbraids

“It’s a ‘badvertisement’” – Natalie, proud of her new word.

“Just put your feet here, because we don’t want Jenny to go fa-tang.” – Michael to others on balancing the workbench

Mikey was also known as the Doxypsycho, as his job was to remind us to take our anti-Malaria medication, Doxycycline, every morning.  With entertaining enthusiasm, he found new ways each morning to remind us…

*civil defense style siren noise* “This is your final doxy warning…it’s great for you, good for your skin, great for health and tastes fantastic.”

“Why don’t we meet up for a Doxy sometime?”

“Everyone else should follow the example of Katie and Ali.  They’ve taken their doxy.  They’re good people.  You could be a good person too.”

*bing bong* [in his best airline hostess voice] “This is a friendly reminder that doxycycline is important – it prevents plane crashes.  It’s a proven fact: doxycycline prevents plane crashes.”

“Doxycycline is more important than pants.  If I had to choose one, I’d choose doxycycline.”

And the finale Doxy warning was a poem he composed on the flight home to Auckland…

“My name is the Doxypsycho, while others rhyme fast I will rhyme slow.

I have an important announcement for you all, about a medication that will make you feel tall.

The first reason for you to take doxy, is that it’s a known fact that doxy makes you foxy. 

It will take away your wrinkles,  your flaws and your gut, it will even do your math’s homework while you play mini-putt.

Doxy will try to settle your tum, though in Ali’s case I think it gave him the runs.

It’s a currency in Vanuatu, the current conversion is three paw paws and a shoe.

So please take your doxy everyday, to prevent the onset of malaria – it’s not fun eh!

A song composed by Vianney of Eratap

This song is referred to in one of the previous blogs, and was written by the husband of one of the school’s teachers, Vianney, who was very involved in the construction also.  It was sung by the young people in Ewentau and the JPII Youth from Vila…

Italics is my best shot at translating the Bislama to English…

Goodbye song to our FRIENDS Volunteers of NZ

Ol brata mo ol sista, Thank yu tumas long help, we yufala i mekem, long community ia.

Nomata san i saen, nomata ren i ren, yumi still winim Mission blong yumi.

Bat nao taem i kam, bae yufala i go back, dei and naet tugeta bae i finis tede.

Ol fren mi wisim yu God is stap wetem yu, oltaem long laef blong you long rod blong yu i go.

Chorus: Gudbae, gudbae long yu brata blong mi, Gudbae, gudbae long yu sista blong mi, thank yu tumas long God Papa bilong yumi, mi wishim yu merry Christmas prosperous New Year 2009

All brothers and all sisters, thank you so much for your help.  We all make the community here.

No matter if the sun was shining, no matter if the rain was raining, we still won the mission of us.

But now the time has come and you must go back. Day and nght together, but we finish today.

Old friend I wish that God will bless you always for your life on the road that you go.

Goodbye, goodbye to you brother of mine.  Goodbye, goodbye to you sister of mine.  Thank you so much, with this God of ours.  I wish you a merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

A speech from the Ewentau Women’s Group

This speech is referred to in the previous blog…I have copied it as is, so some of the english is not quite correct but I don’t want to guess what was meant if it is unclear.

This speech we present to you all today may be short, perhaps it may not contain everything we mothers and women around here in our small community wish to tell you.  But many thanks to all of you for everything you all did in this short time with us for our small community school.

You have all been servants who serve very faithfully and have succeeded within the limited period of time you had with us, especially for our school.  We thank you for all your performances.

We believe you have learned something from us druing your stay with us, and we have learned a lot too from you all.

We must admit, we have admired all of you, for things you did as individuals and as a group of young people together…boys working closely well with the girls together, sharing and discussing things together and because we are mothers, we wish our young people behave in the same way, but in the Melanesian society this maybe a difficult task for boys and girls to do so, unless they take education seriously, like you are doing to teach others – we are really proud of that.

So every little thing each one of you contributed to is of great help toward our school and an example for our young people.  Finally, a good teaching to our young children you have spent time with for all this time in the school.

We believe that our young students in this school have seen your good examples set, and have experienced now to be working hard for their education in order to be good students and become good citizens of this country.

This is seen through their performances; with you when they helped to work on the building [carrying water] and with their cultural backgrounds have performed dances and concerts in their little community school and we are really proud of them.

We also want to express our gratitude and appreciation to thank you all very much for chat you did to upgrade the Ewentau Community school to a better standard now through the building today we see it stands, and we are sure this school will grow and be extended into a big school one day because of what you all have started.

The Food, Accommodation and Showers

We apologise for any inconveniences to you all, yet we were so thankful when you fitted in well in our Melanesian way of living and thank God for your good hearts that made you could live on to experience our way of life.

The Lord loves a generous giver and you all have offered yourselves as a good living testimony to people in our community, serving people for God and it’s exactly what you all have demonstrated in this community.

We love you all with God’s love and we are sad as our hearts cry for you all and wish you stay on longer with us, not only to assist in the building but to teach us more of being a good character – healthy life, for our young people like everyone you are…

You have been like sons and daughters to us because that’s what all mothers expect from children; would do to them and we try to be mothers to you, to talk nicely and kind to you all and make you feel comfortable in the home.

We will pray for all of you that God will continue to take care of you and keep you safe for your journey home and that He blesses  you with all wisdom.

Once again, thank you very very much to you all.

From the Chairlady and women in the Ewentau Community

In Bislama (copied from a barely legible scrawl so with many mistakes!)…Tok tok blong ol woman

Tok tok we mifala: falem ot long yumi tudei bombei emi sai nomo mo mboi ino Kofremop wonam we ol mama or ol woman long ples ia long smol komuniti Iwentau talem out long tok tok blong mifala tidei.

Be thank yu tumas long yufala long everything yufala i mekem long mifala long sat team long smol komuniti skul ia.

Yufala everywan emi wokmon nomo. Blong save sevem morafala people.  Thank yu long every somting yu work hard blong helpem mifala long skul.

Mifala i hope yu lonem plenie somting long mifala long smol hem yu step weiem mifala.  Mifala i glad long yufala wen won long yufala i mekem long mifala olsem group long young pipol.

Ol boi oli work close mo work gud weiem ol girl.  Blong shrem tingting together. Mo ol mama long ples ia i wantem ol young pipol i behave olsem, be melanesian societies eli hard tumas blong ol boi mo girl i work olsem. Be sepos oli ko long kul olsem yufala i mekem blong tijem ol narafala, bembai mifala i glad tumas.

Ol smol smol somting we wan won i mekem. Be emi very bik help i kom long skul mo enri shoem gud example long young pipol mo emi gud tijeing long ol pikinini blong mifala long skul.

Mifala i hope young pikinini long skul, oli luk gud example we yufala i mekem.  Blong kom wan gud pikinini mo gud Ni Vanuatu.

Olgeta oli wanem long yufala team yufala i stop wok togeta long bildem skul.  Long culture back round mo performance olsem danis mo konset long smol komuniti skul mo mifala i glad tumas long em.

Mi fala i wentem tekem team ia blong tolem thank yu every much long women we yufala i bilden skul long Ewentau komuniti long i Kom ontap true long bilding tudei we yumi luck i step.

Mifala i hope skul ia bambei i Krow i kem ondop from women we yufala i kem mekem.

Ol Konoi, Ples Blong Slip: Mifala i talem sori long omysomting long everywan long yufala from ol Kekei mo slip no gud. Long melanesian way long life and long God i mekem yufala save lonem live stile blong mifala.

Emi olsem won gud testimoni long pipol in communiti.  Blong savem pipol emi women we God i Luokem, olsem we yufala i stop mekem.

Mifala i likem everywan long yufala we love Blong God. Mo mifala i sori teem heart blong mifala i sori long yufala.  Hope yufala i save step yet.  Ino bildem house nomo.  Be blong step long gud life olsem yufala.

Yufala i olsem bei mo girl blong mifala, olsem ol mama oli wantem ol pikinini i mos mekem blong tok tok gud mo kind mo feel good long home.

Bembei mifala i prayer from yufala blong God i step wetem yufala long rod blong ko home.  God i blesdem yufala weiem gud tingting. Wan mo team thank you very very much long yufala everywan.

Mi nomo chairlady mo ol women blong Ewentau Komuniti

Goodbye Ewentau, we will miss you!

Just got back into Vila this morning…it’s been a mammoth week.  The boys were up every night until at least midnight working on the building, often with a few of us supporting them.  Everyone was working on site until midday Saturday, while Stace, Josefina and I worked on packing up all seven tents and cleaning out the domestic stuff.  John Paul fixed up the swing set so there’s now a swing and a tyre swing. He also designed and constructed, with the help of some others, a see saw for the kids to play on.  Jenny was also doing a marathon to get the painting and artwork finished, but gees it all looked so fantastic – such a gift.  Could have used an extra week, but then we haven’t left undone anything that the community can’t do themselves – they’re very organised and plan to finish of the patio, the interior dividing wall and the guttering next week…and start work on the next classroom in Jan!!

 

After a big swim, we had a massive celebration, ceremony and kai kai (food) last night and there was dancing into the late hours. 

 

The ceremony was very moving – we sang for them Pokarekara Ana and Tutira Mai Nga Iwi, then finished with an almighty Haka as a mark of respect to the community.  That went down exceptionally well.  We received lots of gifts – most notably, they made Island Dresses in the same material for the girls, and shirts for the boys.  They got us to change into the dresses, then adorned us with necklaces of flowers and woven bags.  We also received individual stone carvings from teacher Jean Baptiste and his wife Petina – very special.

 

Ali and Matt had been talking about buying real Ukeleles on Monday and they’d chatted to the local guys about it…what do you know, a relative of the local builder on the project, Philip, hand-made two ukeleles for the boys – they just about died with excitement!!

 

Madame Carmel, a beautiful women and the school principal, noticed that it was the feast of St Lucy and so gave me a special woven bag too.

 

There were speeches from many special people…Kalsere, the Chief of Ewentau (our part of Eratap), the Chairman of the Eratap Council of Chiefs, Tomas Tau…who just won the provincial election last week also…he is a great man and it is a great thing for the community of Eratap as he will advocate for them strongly.  If my Bislama was correct, he spoke about getting the school registered next year and of the great spirit of the community.  This is a huge thing because the school will then be able to access all sorts of funding (e.g. from NZAid) not previously available to them. 

 

A woman from the Eratap Womens’ Group spoke – in English too – and brought me to tears.  The Womens’ Group had a roster among themselves for all the cooking while we were there.  I will put her speech up on the blog – she was a teacher and spoke reasonable English, so the women had gotten together and wrote the speech in Bislama but wanted to translate it so we could definitely understand it!

 

Theodore, the chairman of the School’s Committee (I think like the BOT in NZ) with the biggest most fantastic crooked smile, spoke with charismatic fervour and apologised that I found myself crying in the previous speech…he then proceeded to wipe tears from his own eyes.  If my Bislama is good, he spoke about what the school has come from in four years and to dream for the future, for twenty years time.  A representative from L.A.D.E.C (I think the equivalent of our Catholic Schools Board or NZ Catholic Education Office) spoke also…they ended up visiting last week during the children’s farewell concert to us, totally by chance, and so they were invited back yesterday too.  LADEC supports the Catholic schools in Vanuatu and it was under there banner that we got all our materials and tools VAT exempted…similar to Tomas Tau, they spoke of their plan to really support the school more in the future. Madame Carmel spoke also – she looks just like a principal, haha, and she is a truly beautiful women dedicated to the cause of educating children.  The spirit of this community is something else…hard to really describe, but truly what community is about.

 

They finished with a whole lot of custom dances led by some of the local guys who had been working with us, plus a song written by the husband of one of the teachers (who also spent a lot of time on the site).

 

Jenny presented the Nativity Crib set she had been given and the whole community came for a tour of the room.  At the end, each of us on the team put a handprint using blue paint on the wall (see photos later)…a tradition which can be continued when the kids return to school next year.

 

I crashed pretty early but heard that the boys were going late on the Kava.  We slept in the classroom since we had to pack all our tents yesterday – that was something else ey.  Jen and I went for an early morning swim as the sun rose from behind the bay…what a magic moment that was.  We finished our time with a prayer walk to the sites around the place of significances…the river, the tent site and dining room, and the classroom.  With Mass finished, we’re laxing for the day and catching up on sleep, cold beverages and other such good things.  Two days of retreat and wind down time and it’ll be back to NZ for most of us.

 

As we left today, part of me really didn’t want to go – returning to the dusty and noisy Vila and then back to NZ where everything we do just requires more stuff – more products, more petrol, more time…life in Ewentau has a beautiful simplicity, and while it’s not an easy life all the time, it’s built upon a strong community spirit and amongst the gifts of nature given by God.

St John Vianney, pray for us.  St John the Baptiste, pray for us.  Mary our good mother, pray for us.

- Lucy

Extreme extremes

Our stay in Vanuatu has been filled with extremes…the heat is to the extreme, the quantity of sand we have had to carry was an extremely large amount, and even the incredibly and unexpectedly cold nights were cold beyond what the word extreme can adequately describe. Even the spiders, moths, and crabs which occasionally find their way into my tent are extremely bigger than usual.

 

But the most extreme extreme that I can think of, which to me can truly justify the use of the word, is the way that everybody here has put in their most extreme efforts to achieve the wonderful work that has been achieved thus far. From day one, everybody put in 110% effort, knowing the task at hand that was to be completed, in the limited time we had. While there have been slight ups and downs, these were none too extreme so as to throw us from the track – the dedication and support shown by everyone, to everyone, has ensured that with only 3 working days to go, the school (while plenty remains to be done) is near completion. Unified through the love and message of Christ, the children of Eratap will come to school next year with a Year 4 classroom to go to.  

 

But it is not solely us who have led to the final stages of this work. The community of Eratap has shown extreme kindness and generosity in inviting and welcoming us into their homes and way of life. As one of our number said, I cant imagine having a guest in my house who couldn’t drink my water, and always looked suspiciously at their food. Our incessant need to question what we are eating and to continuously purify water has simply been taken as another little quirke of ours. The support that individuals within the community have shown to us has simply been amazing too; a lot of the time it seems that they run around looking solely after us. It is for things like these that it seems difficult to see how we will ever repay this small community.

 

But one way will be too spend the next few extremely hot days working extremely long hours to achieve the extremely gratifying end of leaving behind a finished classroom. While we still have a few more extremely tiring days left ahead of us, we all know that none of us could extend ourselves to reach these extremes without the will and the extreme ways of the Holy Spirit. For this power that we receive, through thoughts and prayer, we are extremely grateful.

 

- JP

Tin foil on the roof, murals on the walls, steaks on the beach and tours around Efate

(This post was meant to go up last Monday but for technical reasons…grrr… we couldn’t get it up!! Enjoy!)

I feel like I’m really missing the action today…the roofing iron was halfway on the roof as I headed into Vila this morning to buy paint and other bits and pieces.

 

Folks, now it really looks like a classroom and possibly by the time I get back in an hour or so, there could be plywood on some of the walls and plastering around all the brickwork, and doors and windows taking shape. 

 

It’s down to the crunch and we’ve only got three more working days with a heck of a lot to do.  We’ve got to the stage of a big To Do List on the classroom wall, ticking off each job as we go…angle bracings, clean up the joists, finish the fasciaboard, construct and hang doors and windows, finish nogs, install guttering, connect watertank, paint the exterior, finish plastering, cement the patio…

 

Jenny has been putting her artistic skills to work on the window shutters, painting collages of images relating to the school – local culture, fruits, flowers, local scenes, people, building, maps and flags of Vanuatu and New Zealand.  I’m really looking forward to painting the names of all those who have supported the project on the shutters too.

 

We made a massive effort on Saturday night, working far later than we probably should to get rafters and co. completed, and there was a sense of vigil anticipation as those of us spare sat up on the site praying a Rosary while the banging and hoisting continued.  We made it to Mass on Sunday morning in Vila somewhat dazed over, but Mass revived our droopy spirits, especially accompanied by the stunning lyrics and harmonies of the French and Bislama hymns in the Mass.  Turns out the French hymns were from a Francophone Christian group called Exo.

 

After Mass and a quick dash in the rain to the internet cafes for everyone to catch up on their fix, we headed off for a tour around Efate, the island that we’re on.  There were relics from WWII, sites where the American airstrips were, sitings of the island where Survivor Vanuatu was filmed (which sparked a huge debate about the merits of the show itself), lots of little communities great distances from Vila, exceptionally bumpy roads most of the way…and a ‘light lunch’ on a stunning beach that tourists would pay mega bucks to enjoy if they knew it existed.

 

‘Light lunch’ was a bit of a misnomer…we piled out of the taxi buses and the guys from the JPII Youth group start setting up the fire.  Soon they’re cooking steaks, sausages, chicken drumsticks…there’s salad and mini baguettes and fresh mangoes and paw paw like no man’s business.  To top it off, Fr Patrice (the Cathedral parish priest and administrator for the diocese of Vila) turns up with a box of Vanuatu Tusker Beer…enough for one each to wash down the great kai kai.

 

Sunday was what we all needed, along with some good nights’ sleep, to get ourselves back to square one.  Everyone knows it’s the homeward straight and we praise and thank God for paving the way thus far.  We have every faith that He will provide us with the resources and the will to get done what needs doing before we head off.

Rain, rafters, rivers and roofing…

I wake to the sound of rain pelting on the tent…’Argh, did I put my tent fly down ?’ I hastily panic. I check outside to find my fly already down. Listening a little further I realise that rustling sound and voices around my tent belong to Ali and JP. It’s around 3am and they’re checking that everyone’s tent flies are down and everything is covered from the rain. Just one example of the spirit among the team.

Everyone is doing their bit, as cliché as that may sound, and sometimes that bit is simply making sure there’s some Raro and biscuits for morning tea and washing up the glasses afterwards.

We’ve had delays here and there, timber the wrong size, a minor repair job, structural damage to Mikey’s tiny excuse for a tent, heat enough to fry an egg on the ground, dog fights each night and that darn rooster that loves to remind us that it’s the morning all day long.

But in spite of those challenges, the project is being carried on the wings of God’s grace and blessing. Stacey goes bananas on a raft with the kids in the river. Matt looks just like Tarzan as he swings off the vine into the river. The girls look like the washer woman as we relax after the hot day, scrubbing our clothes as clean as they can go with sunlight soap in a river.

The children finish school today and so yesterday they put on an amazing concert for us.  We presented all the gifts from our home parishes and local communities (books, stationery, cricket sets, balls, musical instruments, posters etc) and the teachers and parents were very moved to know that so many people in NZ had contributed.  It all reminded me of the last days of the school year when I was in primary – lots of parents around and thank yous and gifts to give.  It was a privilege to share the festivity with the community.

On Wednesday night, the local Couples for Christ group came to cook dinner…and cook dinner they did!! We had a BBQ very like a Kiwi BBQ with salad and sauce and sausages and…*salivation begins* Again, so much that universal spirit of hospitality…it could have been the NZ Couples for Christ group and it would still be the same spirit.

And of course, the building itself. As we speak, the rafters are going up and God-willing, the roofing will be done by tomorrow afternoon. The effort of everyone, whatever they could give physically, has been just amazing and I’m proud to say that everyone in the team is giving 110%…

The kids too have been helping…carrying water, sitting on the wood to keep it steady while we chop it, collecting up stray bits, helping with clean up and more…it’s a combined effort of the best kind around here.

St John Vianney, pray for us. St John the Baptist, pray for us. Mary our good mother, pray for us.

- Lucy

Weaving, coconut trees and Tusker beer

just spent our first Sunday in Vila. everyone’s been getting their coke and burger and fries and internet fix. Managed to upload a whole lot of photos too. hope you enjoy the picture of JP climbing a coconut tree. with some illusionary camera work, it looks aot riskier than it actually was. However, yesterday at eratap, Vianney (one of the guys in the village) actually did climb right up the coconut tree, at least 10 metres high…to chop down a whole lot of coconuts and the leaves which are great for weaving.

turned out that the wife of jean baptiste, the school’s principal, works at one of the nicest souvenir shops in vila…it was such a funny coincidence when we walked in today and found her behind the counter.

everything is going swimmingly. Jenny created an Advent wreath and we welcomed in the ‘new year’ of the Church with a great games night last night, playing charades and ‘welcome to the party’ and water bottle bowling with coconuts (like ten pin, but water bottles instead). It was us and the locals, both young and old, and we had such a hoot of a laughing time. a real sign of the solidarity and affection that seems to be getting stronger every day.

today we uncovered an old manual Singer sewing machine amongst the stuff stored at the cathedral. We bought some blue and yellow cotton and we’re going to try get it working. It would mean the community could buy fabric and make their own uniforms instead of buying them pre-made.

Really special times, really graced times, enjoying the abundance of fruits and natural resources. we spent yesterday morning learning to weave bags, mats; fans, soccer balls, golf balls and more.

Tomorrow is back into the work…it’s been a rejuvenating couple of days to rest a little and chillax. This week’s goal, God willing, is all the timber framing and roofing done…we’ll see!!

Day 7…no eliminations yet!!

Survivor reality tv jokes aside, a few of us are just back in vila to buy some bits and pieces…it’s lizzy’s birthday and we have to buy a whole bunch more materials.  I’m just chowing down some beautiful fresh pineapple…they’re a dime a dozen here and so so sweet!!  I’ve managed to upload a bunch of photos here.

construction is going fantastic.  a few hiccups, but nothing major.  we’ve got the the brickwork done and the boys are working on making sure it is all level before we start putting the timber framing on top. Every hoist of sandbag and dig of the shovel is a little prayer in itself…even if we forget that sometimes in the heat and frustration!! everyone is learning so much and the boys are doing a fantastic job of leading on the site.  this morning we’ve had some downtime because we can’t do much more until the brickwork is polished off.

So we’ve been working on lots of other little things today…Jenny is discussing with the community to design the artwork to paint on the outside of the classroom…it’ll be a mix of Ni-Van and Maori designs, getting the kids involved too.  we’ve got the harddrive working that we got given ‘second-hand’ (they only had the screen and keyboard) – thanks Datacom Services in Wellington.  Mikey and Ali are fiddling with the lawnmower to try get that going.

the people are just brilliant…we laugh so much and our conversations are this crazy mix of bislama, french and english.  Add the maori songs we have and it’s just nutty!!  the kids are losing their shyness and hang out with us during prayer times, to go swimming and just muck around.

the weather is brilliant…sun and rain and cloud, just the right mix to get clothes dry, building done, respite from the heat and more…wow, God has blessed us so brilliantly.

For Lizzy’s birthday we woke her by shaking the tent violently…muahaha.  her present was two melted black forest chocolate bars…nice.

the food is even more amazing than the weather, and we are having some great times helping in the kitchen.  crepes for breakfast every morning…fresh fish for dinner each night…Katie managed to make her famous sauce for chicken…a funny yummy fried beans job…beetroot, potato and egg salad…and of course fresh paw paw; lycee, coconuts, mangos, bananas and tapioca from our natural surroundings…

while it sounds like paradise (and we’re pinching ourselves at times since there are many moments like that), the team really has been slogging it out, especially in the heat of the day, and it’s hard work.  shovelling sand, sieving sand, laying bricks, setting up boxing, and the spirit and motivation has been exceptional from everyone.

when we come together at the end of the day to share and pray, with some of the community sitting around too, it reminds us all that what we’re doing is not of our making.  each day unfolds with winfalls and obstacles alike – qnd so we know more and more that we just have to let the Spirit lead, because He has it all in hand.

st john vianney pray for us, st john the baptist pray for us, mary our good mother, pray for us.

First greetings from Eratap

Matt and lucy coming to you from vila on the first day at work.  we’re putting the finishing touches on purchasing all the materials and tools still needed.  Yesterday, we sat under the palm trees with the village chief, the chairman of the school’s committee, some of the teachers and the builder at Eratap and nutted out the details.  As Matt calls it, we have to ‘freestyle’  a lot of the way but it will be a sure sturdy building when we’re done!!!

the rest of the team are out in eratap lugging sand up from the beach, starting the blockwork and i’m sure making fine progress.  excuse the weird typing – it’s a french keyboard.

it’s been a phenomenal 48 hours – we have been totally and utterly bowled over by the hospitality.  They have built a marquee (using natural materials and a tarpaulin) for our ‘dining hall’ and a brand new toilet (i.e. longdrop) with a ‘washroom’ and everything. In the afternoons, we’re having loads of fun swimming in the river with the kids. the team is doing great, even if we’re just adjusting to the heat still.  Matt has already had his hair corn braided, we’ve been eating coconut juice straight from coconuts in the tree.  Beautiful welcome yesterday with real flower leis.  Our days start at 5am and finish by 9pm, to utilise the most sunlight.

The faith of the community is incredible too.  They’re joining in our prayer time, and we’re picking up little bits of Bislama (ni-van pidgeon english), in particular how to make the sign of the cross.

Talk about ecumenical…you’ve got the 7th day adventists, presbyterians and catholics all working together on the school.  Great community spirit.

Yesterday there were two baptisms in eratap, and of course a massive feast.  Some of the young men in the village go fishing each night for the next evening’s dinner – so it’s fish’n'chips, without the chips, and the ‘batter’ is simply the scales of the fish (i.e. fried up as they were pulled up!!)

Righto, better go – desperate for a drink and some kai kai (food in bislama)

St John Vianney, pray for us. St John the Baptist, pray for us. Mary our good mother, pray for us.