We walked about 30 minutes to find a church on the island of Pangaimotu. A chorus of voices greeted us long before we saw anything but jungle, so I tied a sarong around my yoga pants and added a long sleeve shirt so that I would be properly dressed upon arrival at church – Tongans are very modest, particularly the women and it is a sign of respect to honor that when visiting their villages. Momentarily we came upon a Catholic church, Sangata Telesia, the source of that beautiful sound, and went inside. Although we did not understand a single word as the service was in Tongan, I was able to follow the service a seemingly traditional Catholic mass. I was so taken by the music, a chorus of voices with no accompaniment that was surely the most beautiful singing I have ever heard. I imagine if there is a choir of angels in heaven this is what they sound like. I was struck by the colorful clothing everyone wore, beautiful ‘tapas’, woven cloths around the waists of both men and women, beautiful neckwear made of fresh flowers that gave off a wonderful fragrance, and all of the children wandering from friends to adults throughout the Mass which seemed to bother none of the adults and kept the children quiet and happy.
This post was by Liz (lest you wonder what has gotten into Bob :-)
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