April 23

Elder Rasband of the Presidency of the Quorum of the Seventy was in Suva today.   I do not know how these men keep the schedules they do.  He held meetings with the Mission President and then the Temple President in the morning.  Sister Klinger fed Elder Rasband, his wife, Elder Hamula, etc. lunch. At three o'clock Elder Rasband and his wife spoke to the Service Center employees.  At four o'clock they again spoke to the missionaries.  At 5:30 they attended a cultural event put on by the members in Suva.  At 7:30 He and his wife spoke at a fireside for all the members.  Whew!!!!!

Here are pictures of the cultural event.

Sister Wakolo, Elder Wakolo (Area 70) Elder Rasband,
Sister Rasband, Elder Hamula (Area President)
The Salusalu (lei) worn by Sister Rasband
is typical of the salusalus given to honored guest in Fiji.

Sister Raloka and Sister Tiakia (sih key uh)

Brother Miawiriwiri (center facing back) and his dancers
doing a Fijian War Dance

Ulai (oo lah ee) mans the drum.

Most Fijian dances are done with little foot work and

more hand actions.  Woman and men generally do 

not dance together.  

Fijian war dances 

are very fierce with lots of
running,  chest slapping and loud grunting.
When Fijian men do a 

war dance the crowds go crazy.  

When the men in this dance finished 

the applause was deafening.  

Fijian Woman's Dance

There is a little country not far from Fiji called Rotuma.  There are many Rotumans in Suva. They come to Fiji to get an education and to find work.  They are a wonderful people.  Our boss and the president of the Suva Stake is a Rotuman.  Rotumens are lighter skinned than Fijians, and they have straighter hair. They are a happy people and were so excited to demonstrate their native dances.  Our YSAs are: Willie (light skinned), Ani rudh (last man before the woman), and Cherie, (front row last on right).

This professional dancer also

did Fijian dances 

in the cultural night/ 

I have included this picture because,

when one goes into the 

Fijian bush

this is the way the male dancers dress; 

grass skirt, leaf bracelets, 

or leaf decorations on biceps, and

 leaf anklets. 

The men dance with spears and

with fans.

Of course, the male members of the

Church dress more modestly hence the white shirts

of the Rotumens and the bula shirts 

of the Fijians.