Going to church... in a boat (May 3/09 - Waya Lailai Island, Yasawa Islands, Fiji)

Sunday is traditionally a day of rest in Fiji, where the only thing on most people's agendas is going to church. Seeing as the villagers on the island here fully own, operate, and staff our resort (unlike any other resort in Fiji!), they make every effort to let visitors see Fijian life first hand, inviting them to meet families in the village, tour the school, learn how to weave from the local ladies, and even attend church services with them. Even though neither of us are religious, it sounded like a peek into their culture too good to pass up, so a bunch of us did our best to 'dress up' (i.e. not bikinis and boardshorts!) and we piled into the boat. Since the original village was moved from the south end of the island (beside our resort) to the north end due to landslides in 1985, lots of the island's 150 residents who still live in the south have to take a boat to get there. So as we cruised along the pretty shoreline toward the village, boatloads of locals were doing the same, dressed in their Sunday best. We pulled up to the beach at the north end of Waya Lailai Island, where a narrow arc of sand actually connects it to the adjacent Waya Island at low tide. Within steps of the sand is the primary school, with a big soccer field and even dormitories to house kids that come from surrounding islands to attend school here. Highschool kids go to the mainland and were noticeably absent from the village. The rest of the village comprised maybe a dozen buildings, all of which were houses except for a big empty structure they called Community Hall and a similar one for the church that didn't look anything like a church except for a fabric cross draped over a table inside. Houses were small and simple, but a generator provides power each evening and pipes deliver water from the island's plentiful springs. Unlike most of the low-lying outer islands, locals say they virtually never run out of water. And with waterfront property and spectacular views that people would pay big money for, these people seem to live a pretty sweet life!


Church was about to start, so we filed in and were shown to sit on the floor (guys on the left, ladies on the right) while kids belted out songs in that fabulous harmony that it seems can only come from groups of kids in developing countries. We took our seats and observed people filing in, noticing that men and little boys generally wore sarongs and a button-up shirt that ranged from plain with a tie to brightly coloured and covered with big tropical flowers. Some of the big important looking men wore blazers and ties with their sarong (and must've been sweating to death inside them!). Women seemed to wear long dresses with short sleeves, a longer skirt underneath, and a big round afro hair style. Little girls were all in dresses too, and most had really short hair. Interestingly, it's a society without pants!

The church service began when the entire room broke into song, each person slipping right into their predetermined part of the harmony. The words were all in Fijian, but their passion and musical talent was obvious. They sang song after song, all without instruments and all sounding flawless. Some of the older kids knew the words, but it was cute to watch the ones that were obviously just learning them! After a few songs, one of the big blazer-clad guys stood up and welcomed us (in english) to their village and to their church, thanking us for visiting their island and apologizing that the service would be in Fijian! Over the next hour and a half, various men stood at the front and preached messages we didn't understand, more songs were sung, and several special smaller groups performed songs for everyone else. By the time it was over, we were certainly impressed by their talent and passion, humbled by their kindness, and very sore from sitting on the floor for so long! The big guys in blazers (one of whom we think was the chief) all shook our hands and thanked us for coming before we climbed back in our boat and headed back to our beach.


With no other activities organized for the day, we snorkeled off the western half of our beach (saw a sea snake!) and spent the entire afternoon swimming and reading. My new favourite thing is lying on the sand right at the edge of the waves, reading while the sun and warm water pours over you. Paradise! After dinner, the staff did a little fashion show to model the traditional Fijian dress for warriors, the Chief, and a wedding ceremony. That was followed by a hilarious skit depicting the infamous encounter by an English Reverend who came to Fiji in the 1860s to convert everyone to Christianity, but was unaware of cultural taboos and ended up being eaten. They finished it off with another song, and then headed home to their families for the night. It was really great to see their culture at work today, and we're glad to have chosen a resort that directly benefits from its visitors. They are genuinely interested in learning about foreign cultures, and equally happy to show us theirs without the need to ask for a handout or to wear a fake smile. Plus, it was awesome to see the guys we've known as cooks, boat captains, and dive guides all dressed up and belting out songs with their families at church. It was a great day!