CELEBRATION AND SADNESS: LIFE IN A TRIBAL VILLAGE
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| Nisae and the Tobo ladies prepared the vegetables. |
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March 28, 2008
by Jackie Fallis
Life among the Tobo people of Papua New Guinea has its ups and downs.
Among the Tobos, it is cultural to amamas (make happy) people who helped in one way or another. Missionaries Jason and Nisae Williamson threw a party for the men and their families who helped build their house.
They were told they needed to buy two pigs for the party.
Nisae wrote, "Jason went and helped some of the men round up the pigs and even helped to carry them back to our house to be slaughtered (yummy!). We cooked the pig with cabbage, green beans, sweet potato and rice, and had a big feast lasting until about 6 p.m.
"We also gave out portions of food to each family including noodles, rice, tea, sugar and crackers," she wrote. "It was a fun time for all of us and everyone left very happy with bags of food and full tummies!"
With fun times come more difficult ones.
A girl from the village died recently, and a "court" was held to determine the cause of her death. They decided she either died from someone working poison on her or from sin in her life.
In the end, the family concluded that the village doctor, a strong believer, was to blame. Nisae wrote, "Because of this, his family must pay 3,000 kina ($1,000) to the family of this dead girl as a sort of bride price."
Please pray for the doctor and his family, that they would rely on the Lord during this time, and that it would only serve to strengthen their faith. Pray also for the missionaries and other Tobo believers for continued faith and growth as life goes on in the village.
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