This past Wednesday was Australia Day. As part of the celebration for Australia Day, Barunga had a pancake breakfast at the community center. It was a lot of fun. I started the morning with pancakes, and a game of pool with a man about my age. He was really nice and let me win(I STINK at pool!). The kids got to jump on a big trampoline(bigger than ours, so obviously better... :D )
Cheri and I sat down with Queenie and Mari to learn more Kriol and learn about the kinship system. I met another one of my daughters. I hadn't asked the man I played pool with what his name was, so I decided to ask my "daughter" what his name was. She said she didn't know, and couldn't ask him, becuase he was her brother. Then Queenie explained, "Within the kinship system, a brother cannot talk to his sister, and a sister cannot talk to her brother. That is the way it is. However, we have ways around that! For example, if a man needs to talk to his sister, he can 'talk' to his neices and nephews instead-her children. He might say, "Hey nephew, I need to get a ride into town today." The sister will know he is talking to her, and things work that way. She can do the same with her brother's children. That is how they can communicate with each other."
This kinship system is so amazing! I grateful to learn more about how things work within an indigenous community, so we can learn how to best relate with people here in Barunga. Thank you for all your prayers and support as we continue in this ministry. You are a blessing to us.
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