The North End of Efate Island - Paonangisu

      Paonangisu is the location of the north end branch.  It is a corrugated metal roof on posts.  There are no walls at all - no sides.  This is a bush chapel.  This was a Sunday afternoon.  It was the branch conference meetings.  Notice the men sitting in meetings in circles at the back.

 

The sisters are finished with their meetings and are waiting for the men.

 

On Friday, we went back and the cows and the pigs were enjoying church!

 

        We were scheduled to teach a class of Planning for Success at the branch.  The branch president told us to expect three young people.  However, all we found were cows, pigs, and children!

We stayed for two hours waiting to see, if anyone would show up.  After all it did take us an hour to get there.  We just seemed to gather more children.  We played with them and took their pictures.  They really liked looking at themselves.  The children must improvise their toys.  They are happy children and manage to keep  themselves busy!

     The oldest one is the Young Women's president.  The girls are named Charideen, Maybelene, and Malene,  The boys, the two youngest, are Tunea and Tupo.  We played a game where I tried to guess their names.  As you can imagine, I guessed and guessed without any luck.  The last boy in white clothes joined us just as we took the picture.  I do not know his name.

  

 

It is not uncommon for babies to be without diapers except at church.  They are very expensive here.

 

       When they clear land for farming or for houses, they cut down the trees.  However, they do not remove the tree stumps  They are good for seating.

 

      It is normal to see the mothers or grandmas or older sisters picking thee lice out of the younger ones hair.  The word for bath or bathing in Bislama is swim.  They always go swim on Saturday - in the creeks.  Some of the creeks even have wooden benches in the water for the bath.  It is not impolite to tell someone they need to go swim.  Or so we are told!