／Pastor／

Smangus's pastor was a middle-aged man with a friendly appearance, dark skin like the aboriginals, and a sense of humor. He always made us laugh during interviews.

The pastor's name was Aaron Yopas. Although he was not a resident of Smangus, he loved this place and the people here. He thought that the residents were very simple. Unlike other aboriginals, they didn't smoke or drink a lot and they listened to other people's advice. He told us in private that he wished the residents would not get too rich; that they could live in a simple way, protect nature, and always be the tribe of God.

He told us a lot about their festivals. There were festivals giving thanks to the God, such as the thanksgiving ceremony, the millet planting ceremony and other celebrations. The pastor played the Gan mouth string for us after we had just arrived. He said that playing the Gan mouth string was a kind of ceremony to show respect for the mountains. Their Christmas festival was also a kind of ceremony, because the residents in Smangus were all pious Christians. They wanted to praise God by the festival on this day. The pastor also invited us to join the festival on December 25.

The custom of tattoos didn't exist anymore. However, the pastor suggested that the elders pass down this custom. Tattooing on the face wouldn't hurt so much like it used to, because now there was better technique. The professional tattooists could make one for those who wanted a tattoo on the face.

The pastor said that he was thinking about getting a tattoo on his face. If we come back again, we might meet a pastor with a tattoo on his face. It would be him without a doubt.