A Tam-tam and a Wedding celebration!!!

 

Where in the world did January go??  Coming from Wisconsin, the month of January is usually the longest as it is so cold.  I’ve kept an eye on the weather systems back in the US and it seems like you all are having a bit of extreme cold.  Well, stay bundled up and enjoy a good book and some hot chocolate!

Meanwhile, we are enjoying some beautiful days here in Vanuatu.  We get a bit of rain and then the Humidity takes over.  The rain is a welcome guest as it seems to cool things off a little bit.  I am very thankful for air conditioning and feel so blessed to have it in our Apartment.

The summer vacations here in Vanuatu are over and school started this week.  So, we are back to our weekly routine of teaching Succeed in School on Mondays.  Although Mark tackled that on his own this week as I needed time to prepare the food for Zone Conference on Tuesday.  Our Mission President and his wife travel a lot between islands and districts, and they sometimes only have a few days’ notice before holding Zone Conference here on Efate.

So, I prepared upside down spaghetti, which is like lasagna but better.  I made 6 casserole dishes and baked them the day before.  I did this so I would only need to warm them the next day.  Mark helped by buttering the French bread for garlic bread.  I made a sheet cake sized carrot cake.  My friend, Sister Meyer (Humanitarian Missionary), agreed to help me and so she made 2 giant salads and 2 apple cakes with caramel sauce.  The salads were beautiful and she found some ranch dressing which took those salads over the TOP!

To reheat the 6 upside-down spaghetti and cook the garlic bread we used our oven and 5 others.  Mark and I have a “regular size” stove (still smaller than what you find in the US) as well as our neighbors (Elder and Sister Lamph – some of our Office missionaries) the others have what I call an E-Z bake oven.  We attended half of zone conference and then snuck out to get lunch ready.  The re-heating went well, even if some of the ovens were somewhat challenging, and we arrived back at the mission home just as Zone Conference was ending.  The meal was a hit, and everyone seemed to enjoy it.  Those who know me know how I love to cook.  It is so much fun to see these missionaries enjoy a yummy meal.

Now, what should I cook next?  I wish we had Cream of Chicken soup!!!  But we do not.  I love a challenge and so, I’ll skim through all the yummy recipes I have and see if I can top this one

Marks’ 1^st SIS math class went well.  One of our students was so excited to tell us that she was 1^st in her class.  Her Father said she must continue to go to SIS as it has really helped her.  We are thrilled with this news and give credit to all her SIS teachers this past year!

We began our healthy snack runs to the SIS classes also.  We found that one unit had not started as the schoolteachers went on strike the 1^st week of school… So, there were 4 students that showed up on Wednesday.  We are sure there will be more who will start attending this coming week.  We taught our Wednesday night Institute class, which went well.  I scheduled housing inspections and started making Banana and Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip bread. 

Banana, chocolate chip and peanut butter bread.
Made it for the missionaries that we visited
as part of the apartment checks.   

On Thursday the Lamph’s invited us to come have lunch with them in town.  We enjoyed a good meal while catching up and enjoying the waterfront view.  There was a delicious breeze, I could have remained there to enjoy that breeze all day.  After lunch concluded we walked over to the market as Sister Lamph had acquired a beautiful hand-carved Nativity at Christmas.  We were hoping to meet the artist and ask if he would make us one.  Unfortunately, he had not returned to the market after the summer break.  We took the opportunity to look around the handicraft market. 

Our Tam-tam that we bought.  He's the Dancer
who welcomes guests to your house

We ended up buying what is called a Tam-tam.  I was reading about them and apparently men are the only ones allowed to carve them.  Special payment has to be made to carve certain ones, like pigs or cows.   We purchased the Dancer which is the tam-tam that welcomes visitors.  Most Tam-tams have a hallow slit down the front.  Some of the Tam-tams are the representative of the chief, others the advisor to the chief.  I like them all.

The tam-tams are carved to honor their ancestors and designs/faces are unique to each carver.  The carver pays for the “rights” to his design and is the only one who can replicate it.  The tam-tams that are placed in villages are very large. When the carving is complete, a hole is dug about 1.5 meters, and the slit drum is sunk vertically or at a slight angle.  This will allow the drummer easier access to the drum during performances.  Tam tams are used during sacred ceremonies, and they are used to send messages of birth, death, impending war, circumcision, meetings, and dance. The rhythmic beating of the slit drums will shake the ground under your feet and can be heard for many miles. So this was a way to communicate between villages.

The new couple, Castor & Jessy doing
some customary exchanges (sorry, poor 
angle for photograph)

Friday, Mark and I were invited to attend the wedding celebration of one of our YSA’s, Castor and Jessy, who met last year as counselors for FSY.  They were sealed in the Fiji Temple a week ago.  

They are a beautiful couple, and we are so happy for them.  It was wonderful to attend their celebration.  There were many traditions executed.  I’ll try to share a few that I remember.  The bride was brought forward and told what she would call her in-laws.  I don’t remember the exact word, but I was told it meant in-law.  Then another couple was brought up to the front, and she was told that this couple would be her parents on this island.  (I suppose like Godparents).  The bride’s parents were told that she would be well cared for by her new island parents when traveling to the island we are on, Efate.  There were cultural dances performed by both wedding parties.  The bride’s side is from the Solomon island and of course Castor is from Efate.  There was a Bride and Groom dance and then Father and bride.  While these dances were happening the sisters of the Groom were laying out mats and blankets.

Traditional dances by one of the cousins.

Traditional blankets being piled up.   There had to
be well over 100 blankets in the pile.

The exchange is a form of "bride wealth" where the groom’s family provides these items, often accompanied by other goods, demonstrating the ability to support the new couple. The sister of the groom and the Grooms mother’s sisters and the cousins are the ones who lay out the mats and blankets.  It was so interesting.  After piling these mats and blankets up, they shook baby powder on top of the blankets and then the bride and groom come over and sit on it and feed each other a traditional meal call laplap.  Then they went and danced and sprinkled power on the dancers.  When I ask about the baby powder and the meaning, they said it was tradition.  They didn’t seem to know the origin of it.   I did a google search and found the following:  “In Vanuatu, shaking baby powder (or white talcum powder) on mats, blankets, and guests during wedding celebrations is a cultural practice that symbolizes purity, joy, and blessings for the newlywed couple. This act represents the spreading of happiness, good fortune, and, often, a white, clean, and happy life for the couple's future together. “

• Symbolism: The white powder signifies happiness, blessings, and a pure, fresh start for the couple.
• Cultural Anointment: It is often used as a form of anointment in custom weddings in rural Vanuatu to bless the participants.
• Celebration Custom: It is part of the festive, joyous atmosphere where guests are covered in the powder to share in the joy of the union. 

There was of course a huge meal served.  It was such a wonderful celebration and Mark and I loved being a part of it.

Bride & Groom eating traditional laplap meal 
near end of the Wedding Celebration

We have developed a bit of a leak in our kitchen ceiling.  We aren’t sure where the water is coming from.  Today the owner came in and took a look and said this is bad.  Nothing was fixed and we have 3 buckets catching the dripping water.  We are hoping by this time next week this will be resolved.  We love you all!  Before I close, I must share that we received our 1^st piece of mail from the Waukesha Relief Society Presidency!  It made it all the way!  We were thrilled!  Getting our 1^st real mail made our day!  Thank-you so very much for letting us feel your love.  May God bless you all is our prayer. 

Much love,
Darleen & Mark
aka Nana and Papa, Mom and Dad

Additional Photographs

The Bride - Jessy ... Traditional
head piece for those from Solomon
Islands.  

The Groom - Castor ... In a traditional Vanuatu
outfit.