"No Poor In Samoa"

The first month we were in Samoa, I attended a Sunday School class.The lesson centered around the commandment to take care of the poor and needy.

This led to a discussion about the monthly fast offering.As we discussed how the fast offering donations can be distributed by the bishop to take care of the needs of ward members, a comment was made that I will never forget...

"There are no poor in Samoa. Everyone has food and a place to live...So, our fast offerings will be sent to another country for those that need it."

I've never forgotten that comment. There are no poor in Samoa. Just lots of good people who willingly share their plenty with others who have so little.

I love these people!

Chickens and Turtles and Pigs...Oh My!

We love the animals in Samoa! We have blogged about the chickens and the turtles already, so this blog will concentrate on a couple of other animals.

Look at these pigs! Of all the animals here, I think they fascinate me the most. My whole life, a pig's place was in a stinky pen. I remember going on a school field trip with one of the kids to a pig farm. It was awful. For weeks afterwards, I could not get the smell out of my mind. I felt so sorry for those poor pigs.

But here in Samoa, pigs have a great life!

They get to roam free. When they are little they are fed by their owners so they learn where home is. They wander out next to the road and around the homes where they are fed.

At least until they become someone's dinner! This one is a #2 we think. They are graded according to size. #2's are tender and delicious.

These four pigs are larger than #2's.

There are a lot of dogs in Samoa. Maybe more dogs than people and most of them are free roaming as well. We have lots and lots of geckos in and around the mission compound. A few of them live in our apartment. Note to grandkids....How do you catch a gecko?

• Get a washcloth wet


• Sneak up in back of the gecko


• Toss the wet washcloth over the gecko


• Take him in and show him to your mom!

I absolutely love the snails! They are quite plentiful here and they love to crawl up the outside walls of our apartment. One night, I was doing the laundry and coming and going between the house and the washers. A nice fat snail attached itself to the screen door in such a manner that if I opened the door, I would smash him.

I had to wait a long time for him to make his way across the screen to safety

Yes, there are a lot of dogs in Samoa. This one belongs to Bishop Joseph's family. He is an active member of our ward. Only a couple of times has he been in sacrament meeting. He is very good at making sure everybody is safe and no stray dogs come to church.

They all look pretty much the same.

This dog was voicing his displeasure at me for daring to take his picture!

I'll close with one last look(okay, two, maybe three if the video loads) at the pigs that reside across the fence when we go walking right here on the compound. We are separated by a fence, thank goodness!

Just can't get enough of them!