look out below! bible launch

I followed a truck one day and the driver clued me in on Something Big happening up in North Ambae, coincidentally in Michelle’s village Wainasasa. On October 16, there would be a bible launch for the North Ambae local language bible! I’m sorry to be the one to inform you that actual bibles were not to be launched, as the name clearly suggests. This bummed me out, too. But an equally memorable spectacle was sure to be observed, so I made plans to go!

michelle and her home. look at that rain collecting bucket line! a pro indeed

Michelle informed me that this project has been going on for over 10 years! An Australian pastor came to visit Wainasasa around 20 years ago and comes back every year or two with a few others to mingle with the locals. Bring basic medicine, hold bible study, storian, and scoot on out after a week or two. I think that this is both honorable work, but at the same time, not. But more importantly, how did this pastor end up in a remote village in the bush of North Ambae? Well, because he belongs to the church that is made up of the descendants of Charles Christopher Godden, of course. Who is Charles Christopher Godden? Let me tell you…

A long time ago, the men living on Australia (Englishmen? Would you say Australians at that point in history?) came to the South Pacific islands and manipulated men into coming to Australia to participate in, for lack of better words, slave labor in the sugarcane plantations. You’ve probably heard about blackbirding and its horrible conditions. Well Vanuatu was a victim of this and once it was over, you could imagine there were some uptight, pissed off ni-Vanuatu. I think us white men have made ourselves some enemies over the years, huh? A quote I just read in Mark Twain’s Following the Equator sums it right up: “There are many humorous things in the world; among them the white man’s notion that he is less savage than the other savages.”

So when missionary Charles Christopher Godden came to Ambae, shit got real. All was smooth for a while –he introduced Christianity, set up some churches, and began reforming/destroying island life as it had always been. When he headed up North, he crossed paths with one man who had made a vow to kill any white man he ever saw step foot on Ambae. So he did just that. On October 16, 1906.
People felt a bit guilty and now October 16 is Charles Christopher Godden Day on the island. The hospital is named in his memory and the bible launch was held on this day, the 108th anniversary.
Anyways this Godden church has funded the creation of a North Ambae language-translated bible! I think this is both good and bad, but mostly good. Here is an opportunity for the Ambae community to have something published in their own language. And of all things, the bible that they so passionately worship. By translating the most translated book in the world, man-Ambae has a chance to better understand what he is reading and more importantly, help preserve a local language that is slowly (but surely) being taken over by Bislama and English.

Despite my bitterness towards some of the God-fearing tactics and outcomes observed here in Vanuatu, I really am glad that this happened because it is helping keep the North Ambae language alive, which I think is very important!

a beautiful day in wainasa 

After 10 years of translation with an oldfala from Wainasasa, the bible was ready to launch! The Australian pastor decided to name the language “Havai” which means “what” in language, even though no one has ever referred to it as that. People call it “leonda” which is the language word for “language.” Simple and to the point. Really no need to change it.. but so it is.

Let the games begin! Jessie Rae and Chris picked me up in the provincial truck and we headed north. Chris is a New Zealand volunteer who works with the provincial government in Saratamata. He’s only here for 6 months, but he’s great to have around! We arrived at The End of the Road and started the half hour hike up to Wainasasa. We listened to speeches, watched some kastom dances, and saw the unveiling of the bible (next to a portrait of Charles Christopher Godden, which can also be found inside the bible) and the cutting of the cake. Cutting the cake is a big deal here! They fancy up the knife with ribbons and flowers and usually multiple people hold it while they slice through the icing castle. I’ve never seen a cake cut here any other way. Just celebratin’ the sweetness of life, that’s all! This one, by the way, was shaped like a jumbo bible and was made in Saratamata and brought up to the village!

beating the tam-tam.. without warning. makes ya jump every time

the martyr himself!

how many ni-vans does it take to cut a cake?

carrying wan bigfala laplap! 

We waited patiently for any signs of the launching of bibles, but to our dismay, it never happened. One thing did happen, and that was the unbelievable amount of times people said the name Charles Christopher Godden. It was wild! We joked about how you could have a drinking game for every time his name was mentioned and you’d easily be plastered. And it was meant in the least blasphemous way possible. So we danced, ate cake, and headed back down before the rain came.

So the language bible is an exciting and much-welcomed addition to the short list of Ambae language publications. An overall good day, despite the misleading event name!

a little kastom dancin!