The Tongan community welcomed their new Minister Lasinga and his wife Va'e Piutau to our Tongan Service at St Barnabas last Sunday.

Rev Lasinga will minister alongside Rev Leni Havea with our Tongan community.

The Tongan service last Sunday at 12.30pm was a wonderfully joyous occasion of welcome & thanksgiving for the arrival of a new Tongan priest and his wife - the Revd Lasinga and Va'e Piutau. The singing and the service, which was variously led by a range of people from the priests & congregation, was an uplifting and happy one. The Revd Leni Havea had invited representatives of St Barnabas to attend and to offer short speeches of welcome- the Revd Jenny Wilkens spoke warmly for the parish and staff; Marion Cook, our Administrator, spoke of the range of assistance available from the parish office; and Marjorie Smart welcomed all in te Reo Māori (and English). We all found it a very special occasion and were very happy to have been able to share with te whanau a te Karaiti, this gathering of the Tikanga Pasefika part of Christ’s family.

Marjorie Smart