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Our Unforgettable Journey to VanuatuThe Watchtower—1988 | July 15
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Meeting the “Small Nambas”
The next day, a native brother and I took a small plane and headed for the island of Malekula. After a rough and turbulent flight, we landed at South West Bay. My companion went in search of his cousin to get a boat for us. It was the only way to reach the village of Letokas, our final destination.
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Our Unforgettable Journey to VanuatuThe Watchtower—1988 | July 15
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Soon we noted smoke ascending from a coconut plantation in the distance. It marked our destination, a beautiful cove near Bamboo Bay. As we got close to shore, several porpoises came by to play around us. Then we saw some men with bows and arrows making a lot of excited gestures. Among them, we spotted our brothers, rejoicing over our coming.
These were the Small Nambas of southern Malekula, one of the most isolated tribes in the South Pacific. They live in small villages high in the mountains several days’ walk from the coast. The men used to wear the “namba,” a loin covering made of leaves attached to a bark belt. The women wear short grass skirts. In each village, there is usually a ceremonial center where sacrificial dances and other rituals are performed. Though many of the villagers have adopted the Western way of life, superstitious and spiritistic practices are still common.
It was a pleasure to meet and greet the brothers. The men were of small stature but very strong. Their natural shyness and their kindness touched my heart. Some of the children were afraid of me because the white men they knew were mostly doctors, and the children could well remember the shots!
The village was divided in two by a small coconut plantation in the middle. One half of the village is reserved for those who have accepted the truth, and I soon learned the reason for this. In order to take a stand for the truth and to continue their Bible study, some must live separately from the other villagers.
The huts are built on top of bamboo piles. As we entered one of them, I was immediately affected by dense smoke from a fire in the middle of the room. The smoke made my eyes itch, but at least it also kept mosquitoes and flies away. Nearby, in another small hut, a woman was attending a piece of buluk, or beef, laid on laplap leaves, black with flies.
We invited the people to attend a slide program on Wednesday evening. It was a presentation of the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses entitled Moving Ahead Worldwide Despite Persecution. One of the publishers had gone ahead on a one-day journey to invite some villagers in the mountains. I was anxious to see if they would come. By dusk, a young man arrived with his bow and arrows. He was followed by several other persons. I was thrilled to see that the distance did not stop them from coming to this meeting.
Soon, we were surrounded by bows and arrows. About 80 people had come, and we started the program. It was amusing to listen to the sound they would make with their tongue when they were surprised by something they saw in the slides.
After the slide program, the discussion centered on the customs and practices of the native people. The villagers listened attentively and gladly accepted the Bible’s warning against demonism at 1 Corinthians 10:20, 21. For some time, they had resisted the efforts of the missionaries of Christendom’s churches to make them follow the so-called Christian way of life. This was partly because they did not agree with some of the doctrines taught by the missionaries and partly because they were shocked by the conduct of some who claimed to be Christians. Now, the villagers were happy to learn about God’s promise to restore an earthly paradise and to resurrect the dead. I could not help thinking of Jesus’ words at John 8:32: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The faith of these people and their love for the Bible had also meant opposition for them. Some religious chiefs forced the natives to nail our brochures on their doors as a sign meaning ‘we do not want these here.’ But this kind of pressure had only caused some of the householders to want a Bible study in order to find out about the truth. It was very hard for me to leave these fine friends who love the truth. I promised that I would come back and visit their village up in the mountains.
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