funerals

We have been to two funerals the last few weeks and we find it very interesting how different funeral customs are in different countries. We are used to our own traditions and don't realize there are many different ways to honor someone who dies. On Christmas Island by necessity the funeral was all done within about 24 hours, but here it lasts a week or ten days or more

 

We live on the same street as the cemetary so funeral processions pass by our house about every Saturday.

 

They consist of a couple of cars with flowers on them and then either a marching band or a speaker system playing very loud music

 

Then comes the hearse followed by all the people mostly in tricycles or on foot. There sometimes are a few cars. They often walk a long ways.

Often the funerals are done in the homes and they have a service every night for five or more nights.

This one was at the church but still there was a service everynight. Our missionaries in that ward, Elders Blackham and Tsunoda, did a great deal to help each night, they spoke, they played the piano, and lead music ect.One night they had all our zone missionaries sing a song and Kent and I spoke

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The caskets are about the same as ours at home, Some graves are below ground and some are above in cement vaults. This one was a young man about 24 who was a returned missionary and just an exceptional young man, from what we have been told. He suddenly had kidney failure about three months ago and even with dialysis he died quite fast.