Island Welcome Party

Sunday afternoon, February 28 — Lamotrek Atoll

Fortunately, we took our Bible for reading in church this morning, as the service was in the Lamotrek local language (as is usual for the Islands). Singing is international, though, and we went for the music. On this very traditional island, there were no pews or chairs; everyone stood when appropriate and sat on the concrete floor when appropriate. We went early and scored a place in the middle near the wall for back support. The church alter was wonderful. It was a beautiful, hand carved half-sized canoe on a pedestal, draped in hand woven cloth. A piece of quality museum art.

 

 

 Xavier is the Lamotrek School Principal and also the church Deacon. He organizes the church services and gives the sermons. Xavier looked very unusual and formal in his deacon’s robes (he wears a men’s thu, a sort-of loin cloth, which is a 3′x10′ length of fabric wrapped/draped around the waist, at all other times). Church attire is the same as island attire, ie: covered from waist to knees with thu for men, lava-lava for women. I guess that I looked pretty out of place with my beautiful new lava-lava and a black sleeveless top on, but that would change.

 

 

March 2: For over a week, Dave & I have come into the village every morning by 8am. I head for the Kindergarten/Head Start first, then walk down a long path to the first grade for a “picture book reading circle”, along with art or science, at 11. Dave is keeping busy with repair projects at both schools.

When the Prayer Group met Sunday evening, they decided to give a welcome party to the couples from the two sailboats in their lagoon because we were visitors to their island. Sean and Lulu, from New Zealand, were from the other “yacht” which had just arrived. Sesario, the Head Start Teacher, invited us and arranged for us to meet outside of a Canoe House. We had no idea what to expect. 

Twenty of more women brought presents and food and they and the men sang traditional welcoming songs for us. The families shared, in English, how much they welcomed us to their island, and the four of us gave speeches of love and appreciation too. Then Dave and Sean were taken away to put on their new thu’s, and Lulu and I were taken inside the canoe house to not only put on our new hand woven lava-lavas but to be powered with rouge-like yellow turmeric on our faces and on shoulders and back, then covered with about 6 leis each, plus several fresh flower head bands (mar mars).

We have lots of photos, of both the cruising couples and then the islanders who were eager to join in. Now, my “top” is lots of leis, as is Lulu’s: cool and much more appropriate. I definitely feel like a princess, wearing all those tropical flowers. Dave loves his thu, and is wearing it to the village daily.

Dave had fiddle gigs for both schools and in the men’s house and this party was a nice opportunity to play for the women. The families had many requests, including Christmas carols and folk songs, and Dave could fiddle every one of the requests. Many ended up as sing-alongs. They even requested the Star Spangled Banner, and then, after the families sang their beautiful Federated Stats of Micronesia National anthem, Dave learned that too. It was a wonderful evening. It finally grew dark, and as the cooked lobsters, fish, taro and fruit in the large woven coconut frond baskets were only for us, they suggested that we take it back to our boats. Oh, good! We didn’t need to eat while everyone was watching us. And I didn’t cook a dinner for 3 days. We love the island families soooo much.