Saturday February 21^st

    Rex wrote: Naduna heard of the fun youth activities in Labasa and asked when we were going to have an activity for them. Saturday morning we took the Hindi Elders with us, and the second counselor met us there. He had already set up a circle of chairs inside the shelter and was just leaving for a meeting in Labasa on how to teach seminary. We sat there alone until we saw a little four-year-old came walking up the lane. Then three seven-year-olds came. Betty and I were thinking, “What are we going to do with these little ones?” Eventually, nine youth came with only two over twelve. It was raining a little. We made a small circle of chairs and taught them “Pussy Wants a Corner.”

   Rules: One person stands in the middle. Everyone one else sits in a chair in a circle. The one in the middle goes up and asks, “Pussy wants a corner!” If the person on the chair says, “Next door neighbor,” Pussy moves to the next person and again repeats, “Pussy wants a corner!” This continues until someone yells, “There’s a mouse!”” at which time everyone has to switch chairs, and the one in the middle tries for a chair. The one left without a chair stays in the middle as Pussy. 

   They loved the game. The four-year-old -- not as much at first. She refused to talk so we showed her how to point to the person next to her, which in this game meant “Next door neighbor.” When everyone switched chairs, Betty helped her get to another chair. The result was Betty ended up in the middle a lot. After a while, the little girl caught on and was doing well and smiling. Betty left her on her own, and all went well until the little girl had to be Pussy. Then she had to go off to the side and cry a little. Betty put her arm around her, told her it was okay, brought her back, gave her her chair, and Betty took her place in the middle. After that, everyone made sure the little girl got a chair. 

   When I was Pussy, they got an extra kick when I pulled really sad faces and begged like my father used to do when my children were young.

   In the middle of the game, it started pouring rain. The trenches around the shelter quickly filled with water, and the floorboards near the edge were wet and slick. As one boy dove onto his chair, the back legs went over the abyss. We all watched helplessly as he spilled out of his chair. He was prone and flailing. A split second before he hit the water and mud, strong Elder Palelei grabbed the boy’s shirt with one hand, the chair with the other, and brought him back up safe, dry, and sound. The chair not so much. There was no way he shouldn’t have had a muddy bath. It all played out in slow motion as if we were witnessing a minor miracle. Elder Palelei didn’t say a word. 

   We put the big blue tarps down on two sides, and the game resumed with dry chairs closer to the middle.

   Next we played The Bomb game. A person thinks of a category, pushes the button, and passes the bomb around the circle. It ticks for a random time and then explodes. When the bomb goes off, the person holding it has to think of the next category. We went the first two rounds saying our names. The youth chose things like, animals, trees, scripture names, things in the ocean, birds, etc. The little girl was allowed to just pass the bomb to the next person in the circle.  It is amazing how hard it is to think of a new bird when the person in front of you said yours, and you have to come up with a new one with a bomb ticking in your hand. We had a lot of laughs.

   Last we played Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. By this time there were thirteen of us. The little girl played and, we made another rule that whoever said her number went to the back of the circle. It made it extra fun. The young man who started out as Matthew was very good and never made a mistake. In his perfection, he took pleasure picking on me; and since my timing is bad anyway, I was #9 often. The little girl made it up to Mark. One time when someone said Mark, she actually said a number. That was the only word she spoke the whole time, but she seemed very proud of herself. After the games, we passed out chocolate chip cookies and cold water. 

   We said “Moce” to the youth and took the Elders to the home of a recent convert in Naduna named V Jay. He takes care of his feeble Grandmother. They live on a twelve acre farm that they rent for about $900 a year Fijian money. ($450 US) He raises sugar cane and rice as cash crops. Most of the work is done by hand. They are lucky to break even after paying for fertilizer and laborers. They live on what they grow in their garden and orchard.  

   He told us his story. His mother was deaf and mute. His father, according to his Grandfather, married his mother for the land. When the Grandfather did not deed it over to him as soon as he thought, he left his wife, his little girl, and his unborn son. V Jay said, “My Grandmother was the first one to hold me when I was born. She was the one who heard me cry and took me to my mother. She is the one who told me stories and sang me songs. She is the one who raised me after my mother died. Now I care for her. 

   Even though he has little money, he hires a neighbor lady and her daughter to watch Grandmother while he works. The little girl talks to her and makes her laugh.  He, as far as I can see, is not planning to marry until after his Grandmother is gone.  He is totally selfless.  He has trouble making it to church because he is afraid to leave his sweet Grandmother alone. He comes when he can get someone to watch her. 

  Take care! We love you!