Samoan "Mother's Dae"

In our Samoan ward, Mother's Day was celebrated all week long. Early in the week, there was a mother-daughter Primary event (that we unfortuantely missed because we didn't know about it...the joys of not speaking the language!) I was heartbroken when I found out because all the mothers and their children performed talents, which I would love to have seen. This is a banner left over from the program. They used it for decorations at all the other events.


The elders and high priests organized an event on Saturday. It was one of our favorites yet. The potluck was scheduled to start at noon. As we arrived with our hot chicken rice caserole, we were delighted to listen to this band serenade us! Different people would come up and take a turn singing.

People began arriving and putting their food on the tables there in the back. We love these people. They have become our family away from home.

Brother and Sister Toa. He is in the bishopric and she is the seminary teacher. See how the husbands and wives wear matching clothes!

Here is Bishop Joseph, along with a few sisters in the ward. This game required that the husbands pick our their wives by looking at their feet. He ran out of fabric, so the sister on the end is inside a plastic garbage...yes, he really did make her put her head inside that bag!

This is the before picture...

In between games was lots of singing and dancing...oh, and these good people are fanning the flies on the food table. My caserole, as well as all the rest of the food, sat on these tables for three hours before the meal was blessed. (I admit that Elder Merrell and I did not have enough faith in that prayer to stay for the meal. Thanks goodness his cell phone called us away at just the right moment!)

Everyone loves to have their picture taken!

Sister Key is on the right. She translated for me at every meeting for the first couple of weeks. I have grown to love her and her family very much.

Two more sisters that I love. Sister Pine, on the left, is the matriarch of the family we have been fellowshipping (more on that later) and Sister Ao is my favorite Relief Society teacher.
She teaches the fourth Sunday lesson and always runs me off a copy in English.

My dear, dear friend, Tomai Manoa. She is our Relief Society President. She and her family lived in St. George for a few year. Their daugher, Kahaolani knows Nate Stevenson! How cool is that!

On the left is Sister Joseph, the bishop's wife. One of the kindest, gentlest woman I have ever known. I do not remember the name of the sister on the right, but she was in charge of the musical fireside we had last week. I think she is the ward music director. Another very wonderful person.

Also during our Mother's Day week there was a fireside put on by the Young women. They sang several musical numbers, gave inspirational messages and had a slide show running of pictures they had taken of all the mothers in the ward. My favorite was the fresh flower leis they made for each mother to wear. I wish I could have figured out a way to keep it.

I will leave you with two videos Mike took, at the Mother's Day party on Saturday. I laughed so hard, there were tears running down my cheeks during the musical chairs.

Benjamin

This is Benjamin. (Sister Eves calls him "Benjamin the Wise" ) Not long ago he had a promising career to look forward to, playing professional rugby for his country of Samoa. However, an accident left him paralyzed from the neck down. He had attended the same school as a few of the missionaries who are serving here and one of them, Elder Ufagalilo, talked to Elder and Sister Eves about him. They were instumental in helping Benjamin get professional help and care so that he could move out of the hospital and back home.

Elder and Sister Eves took us to meet him a couple of weeks ago. This is where he lives. Mike said that the government helped to provide a home for him that could accomodate his hospital bed and wheelchair.

We left our shoes at the front entrance, as is customery here in Samoa.

The flooring you see is a luxury here, and you will notice that it appears to be very level. Another luxury. The Eves have made a DVD for Benjamin and his family to watch. They are gathered around the televison, watching the DVD and loving that they are in it!

This is one of the angels that takes care of Benjamin. His uncle and wife (that's her, above) have raised him since he was a tiny babe. He has to be moved every 90 minutes so that he doesn't develop bedsores.

And here he is with his uncle. Although Benjamin is not a member of the LDS Church, the missionaries have befriended him and his family. We have grown to love him for the wonderful spirit he has. (His uncle is LDS, and he told us at our last visit that he plans to start coming back to church. God moves in mysterious ways.)

These are some of his family members. They are so sweet and loving.

These guys were quick to group together and pose for a picture!

An interesting sidebar to the story. Elder and Sister Eves have a son who was also paralyzed when he was in high school. Do you think maybe the Lord had a hand in getting the Eves in touch with Benjamin? Oh, yes. He did.

Here he is in his wheelchair. The smile on Benjamin's face almost never disappears. He is the best example of a positive attitude I have ever seen. And he is wise beyond his short years.

These three will miss each other next month when the Eves return home to Hurricane. They've been good for each other. The rest of us will have to step up to the plate a bit.

Art on Envelope

Here in Samoa, one of the things that our missionaries like to do is to decorate their envelopes with personal artwork. I am amazed by the incredible talent of these missionaries!

I love Mondays when the Elders and Sisters bring in their letters to be mailed.

The office sometimes looks like an art galery!

This one is not an envelope, but a Plan of Salvation drawing, done by one of our former Assistants to the President, Elder Moala. I sure do miss that missionary!

Pretty cool, isn't it?

Oh My Goodness! Isn't this the cutest picture you've ever seen in your life!

I promise an update from Samoa sometime in the next 24 hours. In the meantime, (thanks to the marvels of modern technology) here's something to make you smile!