November/December 2002

The Whearty Family Tribune

Volume I. Number 2.

We must be the change we wish to see in the world. —Gandhi

Editor: Kinsey Whearty
published once in a while

Robert (Who is not Insane)

Guest Author: Robert Connell

Onesua is in a remote location on North Efate. We have no television, radio, newspapers, or other forms of passive entertainment. Because of this, we often create our own forms of amusement. Some people sing or play musical instruments (badly), clog dance, and others collect shells. Some have violated curfew by caroling nocturnally. I, personally, collect clothespins and have so far collected sets of many different kinds. This is a fascinating and absorbing hobby, and recently my good friends, the Wheartys, have joined me in this captivating pursuit. Recently the community of Kalmar Residence helped me festoon my house and veranda for the Yule-tide festivities with Christmas clothespins.

Robert; a free-lance missionary. (By the way, I'm a bastion of normality in a sea of madness.)

Editorial Comment: Robert says that we can admit to decorating his house in another part of the paper. We don't understand what he's talking about! We also refuse to admit to shell collecting, caroling, playing music, and especially dancing. Robert is from Scotland and has lived in Canada for the last 20 years.

Thought for Today

"May you live as long as you want, and never want as long as you live."
-Anon.

Emily's Q & A

By Emily Whearty

Q from Concerned Laundress: How do you wash your clothes?

A: Washing clothes is by far easier in the U.S. than in Vanuatu. Because washing machines use so much water, very few people have them. Instead, we have a sink on the back porch that we use to wash clothes. First we put the clothes in soapy water to soak for at least half an hour (two or three if we forget!). After soaking the clothes, you take a bar of soap and clean the especially dirty spots. Then you rinse out all the clothes and put them through the wringer. When we came to Vanuatu this time we were especially lucky to know that we had to wash our clothes by hand, so we brought the wringer. Last time we were here, we didn't bring the wringer and so we had to wring our clothes by hand. Each of us does our own laundry.

Q from Pat Lee: How do you get Internet in the summer?

A: It really isn't very reliable because we can only use it when we have electricity. We only get electricity when three or more people need it and ask for it. Then they will turn it on and boot the lab up and then we can get on the Internet. It's still free, the same as in the school year.

Q from Tessa Mosdal: What is the population of Vanuatu?

A: The population is about 184,000 people; about twice the size of Billings, Montana.

Thanksgiving Dinner

By Bruce

We ate Thanksgiving dinner at Jill's Cafe in Vila. Jill, who serves as the unofficial American ambassador to Vanuatu, invited all Americans to her cafe. She prepared as authentic a meal as possible, with chicken, stuffing, cranberry sauce, potatoes, fresh salad, and even pumpkin pie with whipped cream. There were three groups of guests. The Mormon missionaries wore white shirts and ties, and stayed in pairs. The Peace Corps volunteers wore khaki, drank wine, and sometimes forgot to use their silverware. Some of them have been on remote islands for the last two years, and Vila is so civilized that it is a shock to their systems. The four of us were the third group. We listened to fascinating stories about people's lives. One woman had worked in youth development on Tanna, where your clothes turn gray on the clothesline from the volcanic ash in the air. One couple had been touched by their farewell in the village where they had worked in rural education; the local people had given them handmade farewell gifts and apologized that the gifts were "small in your eyes." The couple replied that the true gift had been the friendship extended to them, as strangers, and that they would never forget the village. One woman talked about her amazement that God had provided for all her needs, even in a jungle setting, and how her faith had grown while she was working with villagers, supposedly to help them on their faith. It strikes us that we share in all those stories, and that we are deeply thankful for our experience here. I hope that all of you recognize some familiar themes in the stories that we tell, and that those stories echo in your lives. All of us have opportunities for mission every day, wherever we are. Tell us your stories, too!

Cooking the Island Way

By Lora

For a treat, try cooking your next meal the way it's done here in Vanuatu. First, you need to build a bush kitchen in your backyard. In the pit, which you have dug in the floor of your bush kitchen, make a fire. While the fire makes a nice bed of coals, choose a root crop (yams, kumala, or manioc) and grate it, pile it onto a bed of leaves, squeeze coconut milk over it, fold the leaves into a bundle, and put it in the fire. You prefer pumpkin? No worries. Grate it on to a bed of leaves, squeeze coconut milk over it, fold the leaves into a bundle and put it in the fire. Suppose you have a freshly caught fish. This poses no problem. Lay it on a bed of leaves, squeeze coconut milk over it, fold the leaves into a bundle and put it in the fire. For the efficient, who like to cook a whole meal in one "pot," try putting pieces of root crops (yams, kumala and manioc) onto a bed of leaves with fish, beef, or pork, squeeze coconut milk over it, fold the leaves into a bundle and put it in the fire. Don't worry, you'll soon get the hang of island cooking. It just takes a bit of practice, a ton of work, and some adventurous eaters!

You Know You Live in a Rain Forest When

• it rains every afternoon even when it's sunny.
• the beetles are three inches long.
• the leaves are so big that when they fall the bus has to swerve to avoid hitting them (we're talking about coconut fronds).
• the bug you find in the garden is eight inches long.
• the clothesline poles grow.

Obituary

By Kinsey Whearty

Cynthia, the golden orb spider, left our world on October 15, 2002. Cynthia led a long and happy life on our front porch. We will all miss her and remember her with fondness.

Births

By Kinsey Whearty

Before Cynthia died, she laid many egg sacs. One of the sacs hatched on November 2, 2002. There are between one hundred and five hundred. Please help us think of names.

Torey had triplets on October 26, 2002.

Brownie is one of Torey's kittens. She is mottled black, brown, and gray. The fur around her left eye is white. She was the first to open her eyes. She is the sweetest kitten of the litter. Robert has claimed her and so chose her name.

Rosie is another of Torey's kittens. She looks like Brownie except that most of her face is white with a couple of brown stripes. She is the most curious and rambunctious of the litter. She is Emily's and Emily chose her name.

Louie Alexandre also is one of Torey's kittens. He is the only male in the litter and he is an orange tabby, just like Torey. Also like Torey, he wants to eat all the time. His nickname is "Tubby" consequently. He was the last to open his eyes. I have claimed him and have named him accordingly.

Things We Miss

• visiting Grandma H and Grandpa R
• watching volleyball games
• playing in pep band (or any band!)
• snow
• Christmas programs

Hateful/Grateful

Bruce:

• H: Referring to being on time as "White Man's Time" and referring to being late as "Black Man's Time"
• G: Mosquitoes biting only Emily and leaving the rest of us alone!

Lora:

• H: When geckoes fall off the metal roof onto your face while you are taking a nap.
• G: It's only happened once!

Kinsey:

• H: American History
• G: Snorkeling at Hideaway Island Resort for free.

Emily:

• H: Mosquitoes.
• G: Searching for shells at the beach.

Mystery Bible Verse

13 Naoia i gat trifala fasin ya i stap. Man i stap bilif long God, mo man i stap putum tingting blong hem i stap strong long hem, mo man i stap lavem ol man. Be nambawan long trifala fasin ya, hemia we oltaem, man i stap lavem God mo i stap lavem ol man.

Can you guess this verse from the Bislama Bible? Write or e-mail your answer to us and if you are right, your name and location will go in the next newspaper! Please try and be one of our winners!

Winners

The answer to September's "Mystery Bible Verse" was the first two verses of Psalm 23. Here are our winners:

Katrina Gardener New Zealand
Harriet Whearty Billings, Montana

Pet Report

Torey had her kittens and is doing fine. We set up a nice little box for her and she used it for about a week. She has now moved them under the far corner of the girls' bunk-bed. Thanks.

Mortimer is a spider who lives in Lora and Bruce's bedroom. He still lives there because they don't want to touch him. Very wise. He is about four inches in diameter. We don't really notice him until we least suspect it.

St. Helen is a praying mantis. She was in our house and flew around Kinsey and Emily's bedroom for a while. Then she went behind the food safe in the dining area.

Vocabulary

By Emily Whearty

We have people from all over the world here and these are some slang terms from their countries in their language. See if you can guess what the word means before you look at the definition.

A. Japan: "Magide!" (ma-gee-day)

B. Vanuatu: "Faea i ded!" (fie-ya ee dead)

C. Vanuatu: "I fit!" (ee feet)

D. New Zealand: "It's 'down the gurgler'!"

E. New Zealand: "Good on ya, mate!"

F. Scotland: "Hooch jings ocheye the new!"

G. Scotland: "Help ma boab!"

A. "Unbelievable!"

B. "Shame!"

C. "Cool!"

D. "It's ruined!"

E. "Well done!"

F. "Oh my gosh!"

G. "Oh, no!"

Recent Quotation

"The rain really dampens the day."

-- Kinsey

Christmas Greetings

We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, We wish you a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year! We are grateful to send this Christmas letter to all of you wherever you may be, and we wish you all Happy Holidays! With love from Lora, Kinsey, Bruce, and Emily.

Kidnap Alert!

Be on the lookout for a striped yellow/orange catnapper! Torey was last seen carrying Brownie off into the bush, where she is suspected of holding all three kittens hostage since mid-November. Torey is a notorious carrier of large bodies, including rats that she has deposited on our porch. She is toothed and dangerous, but pretends to be an innocent pussycat when she is hungry. If this striped felonious feline is spotted, please alert the local authorities.