Sunday 10th July - Levuka and the Handleys go to church!

The complimentary breakfast of fruit, cereal, eggs, toast and tea at the New Mavida Lodge turns out to be the best so far in Fiji!  As we eat we can hear the most amazing hymn singing coming from the Fijian church along the street. Church is a big thing in Fiji and most Fijians seem to go once if not twice on a Sunday and we have noticed that a lot of churches are also in session on weekday evenings as well. We walk the short distance to the very simple stone Navoka Methodist Church built in 1864 and one of the first in Fiji.
 Sunday school is in full swing and a handful of children dressed in their best clothes (girls dressed in white dresses) are singing "Yes! Jesus loves me" - words written on a large opened out cardboard box. We are greeted warmly and shown in. The service is due to start at 10.15 - but in typical Fiji Time fashion people arrive throughout and the little church fills. We are given an official welcome by the Church Secretary after the first hymn and notices for the week - including details of the various duties of the four teams which form the basis of bible study groups and proceedings follow in a very traditional format. The choir leads the congregation with the singing, all unaccompanied and sounding beautiful. There are bible readings from Jude which the pastor uses as a basis for his sermon warning us of false gods and encouraging the gathering never to question the will of God or the Church. The final hymn is Guide me oh thy Great Redeemer - none of your modern versions sung here and all from the original Methodist Hymn books.
We spend the rest of the day exploring our new surroundings almost untroubled by locals calling "Bula" and asking if the girls are twins. There is very little open on a Sunday at all as it is seen as a day for church and family time only. The only people we see passing are those on their way to and from church in the afternoon - some of whom arrive by convoys of trucks from outlying villages.
 Levuka is small and the main high street resembles the set of a spaghetti western. We are joined by the only other European resident of New Mavida Lodge - a young Austrian who has been in town a while and he shows us the internet cafe which is located up a side street.

 It appears to be closed - however Andy (quite literally) knocks three times and a face appears from behind a hatch and allows us entry!