Happy New Year everyone

New Years celebrations, Tongan style: A whole lot of people from church, including Fatai, Lupe, Hala, Kea and Mereia and their families, came to my house last night for new years. Leading up to 12:00, we sang a variety of different songs - Tongan hymns, Fijian hymns and songs in English. That was awesome, probably different than what most people were doing at that time. Then, at 11:15, we had a few bible readings and reflections, led by different people. And amazingly, we managed to keep time pretty well :P The main idea of the reflections was trusting in God for this new year, and the Colossians passage about putting on love, patience, forgiveness and all that other good stuff.

Then at midnight we did the standard coundown and 'happy new year!!!!!!' but straight after that we all started praying out loud at the same time, praying for ourselves and our church for the new year. Really powerful, and I think an extremely good way to start the new year. And, after all that, then we partied and ate and jumped on the trampoline. I took charge of the music played, and found to my delight that the hip-hop obsessed church kids like Relient K! :P I spent most of the party talking with Stiney and Fatai, talking about new years resolutions and playing air guitar along with the music. All good!

New Years Day also marks the beginning of the Tongan Uikelotu, or holy week. Every day this week there are worship services at 7am and 7pm. Which means....I was up on new years day at 7am. Everyone at that service looked so dead, hehe, but it was awesome cause it was the service dedicated to thanksgiving and glorifying God...and Tongan singing is always good. I went straight back to sleep though when I got home, and just woke up a little while ago. I've got a really big day today...at 2:30 I'm going to a baptism, and at 4:30 there's a memorial service for a woman from church who died this time last year. In fact, the woman who we'll be remembering is the baby's grandmother, so it's a extremely busy, emotional day for that family. Then they're holding a big dinner that I'll be going to. And at 7pm is the next installement in the Uikelotu. I am going to be exhausted by the end of today.