The Assembly of God Church in this village was the first AoG church to open on the island of Tanna many years ago. It was planted by a missionary from Fiji. Lounapiktuan is a village very high up on a mountain ridge on the western side of Tanna.
The village is very picturesque with Bamboo and Palm thatched houses and very productive vegetable gardens set on a narrow ridge. The road ends at this village. The views are just spectacular.
Robyn ran an open Sunday School for 40 children, and Russell preached at the morning service. There were mostly women as the men had gone to overseas to pick apples. We were given a very tasty lunch cooked by the church ladies, and served by Salome the pastors wife. Taro, Manioc in coconut cream, soup (stew) made from chicken, and other island vegetables. We have grown to love the variety of Island Dishes that these women cook over small fires on the ground.
After lunch we had a guided tour of the pastor’s prolific food garden, this garden is on a sloping hill and has very rich black volcanic soil. Our drive took us past many small villages with houses made of bamboo and thatch. This village depends on rain water , when the tanks empty in the dry season, the women walk 2 hrs to the sea to wash their clothes. The children walk 2hrs each way to the nearest school in all types of weather.
