Sat. Nov. 5- Tongan Devotional

 Every other month a village in the PCC does a devotional for the seniors. This month it was Tonga. (To say it right you have to put your tongue against the back part of your upper teeth and say the T that way ) then you say it like..TOE- ngah.

We met inside their beautiful Tongan hut- not in the amphitheater where they have the shows. They have an amazing way of decorating- they wrap the inside poles with palm fronds. Sometimes they are left plain and sometimes they put flowers in them.

The singing is magnificent! The person leading the congregation, or leading small groups just start singing the first few notes of the song, then everyone joins in. I guess it is to give everyone the right pitch. Then, oh man, the volume goes WAY up and the singing is so strong and a lot of harmony!

We also had a darling family sing, accompanied by their father on the guitar.

There were several speakers ending with President Grace, who is the President of the PCC. He is not Tongan though.  He is From New Zealand.

The music was all in Tongan, even the opening and closing hymns, which had the words on the program. Again, the music was so strong and powerful.

The top song - #10 is We Thank Thee O God for a Prophet.  The second one- #27- is a Tongan hymn called Thus Saith  the Lord. The Tongans and Samoans have many songs in their hymnals that we don’t.

The speakers spoke on the theme that Tonga’s greatest treasure is her Gratitude. They mentioned that they may not have a lot of wealth, or industry, but that their greatest export is their people, who have been taught to be humble and grateful.  It was a wonderful devotional. Afterward, they fed us refreshments of Tongan style banana bread.  (Didn’t get a picture…we ate it too fast! It was good! )

We love these devotionals!