Sanders Party of Five

On the final full day that the team was in PNG, our village treated them to a very special event: a singsing and a mumu! Several villagers who are part of the literacy class we started dressed in traditional “singsing” clothes, danced and sang down the mountain to our house, then escorted all of us back up the mountain, dancing and singing the whole way. Once we got to the community meeting area, they held a special program to thank us, presented us with gifts, then unburied a pig that had been cooking in the ground for several hours. We all ate and fellowshipped for the remainder of the afternoon. It was a very special day, and one the team won’t soon forget, I’m sure.

Everyone had to take pictures of the villagers in their singsing clothes.

The villagers were quite a sight to behold as they danced and sang down the road.

Our friends Terrance and Abel

A big smile from one of the literacy students

Golaks, a literacy student and dear friend of ours, gave Jeremy a special handmade gift during the ceremony.

Helen, one of the village children and a good friend of Olivia and Everett, participated in the singsing as well.

Some of the villagers put on a skit to show us what life was like for their grandparents before there were matches to start cooking fires. Although they all still cook over fires every day, they do have access to lighters and matches now, which makes life a bit easier.

April and Mike enjoyed the afternoon.

A special treat was prepared for us: greens, pork, and ginger were cooked inside of bamboo over a fire, kaukau was roasted, and all of it was served on a large banana leaf. The villagers insisted that we finish all of it before the ceremony went any further.

Everyone looked on as we tried to finish the greens and kaukau. We did finish it, and the ceremony continued.

During the appreciation ceremony, we presented Miriam, a recent widow, with a Bible. Hers had been taken away by other villagers when her husband died. The treatment of women here after their husbands die is deplorable; everyone believes it is acceptable to take everything away from the widow, even pots, pans, cups, clothes, etc., leaving her with absolutely nothing. Although her husband had been a pastor, Miriam didn’t even have a Bible anymore because of this common cultural practice. She was extremely thankful for the one that April presented to her from all of us.

Lots of people were in attendance at this special day.

The guys look on as the pig is removed from the ground.

Removing the pig from the pit where it cooked all day

Each family unit is given a large bowl of food, then everyone sits on the ground and eats out of the same bowl.

Everett and Jeremy showed everyone how to enjoy mumu food.