Enter to Learn-Go Forth to Serve………..

Because of the many days of rainfall here in Samoa the school has covered walkways to almost everywhere on campus. Last spring they put a covered walk way across the road in the middle of campus. This week they were able to install the signs for the Middle School and Pesega College. Here is the entrance and the departing signs. It is significant to this special Church school.

We went to another Fia Fia show, this time at the Traditional Resort. The Williams (the dentist from Pocatello) and the Harpers (tech specialists from Boise) had not been to one so several of the couples went to the show on Thursday night. The food was not as good as the first show we went to, but the shows were about the same.

It was sort of our 46^th Anniversary dinner (it was really Saturday the 25^th), the MC did have us recognized. Here are a few other shots.

We had to put air in one of our rear tires. Gramma took a picture of their sign. “Air Prizes”, I think they mean “air prices”. The sign on the other door that we didn’t take a picture of said, “we are a Famlee business”. We hope their schooling was not at Pesega.

We are observing teachers teaching as part of the Pedagogy class we are teaching at Sauniatu and Pesega, here is Gramma in a class with Sister Losi at Sauniatu.

It was the last time with the Institute choir. ( As Gramma stated in her email, the Mission President told us we had other things we needed to be doing, which with the new term is very true).They practiced and sang at the awards devotional. Gramma gave out some certificates for choir attendance. Here are some of the students she has worked with.

I have sent several pictures of the Samoan Buses and told you how they pack people two and three deep in them in the mornings and at the end of the day runs. Their bus at Sauniatu broke down so they rented one to use until their bus is fixed. It took some pictures of the inside to give you a little better idea of what they are like.

It is Saturday and we are about done with the blog, laundry, graduation choir practice (Gramma is doing that too), and hope to shop and relax on our anniversary. Maybe we will get some pictures. Our ward is meeting a 10:00 instead of the regular 9:00 and is having Priesthood and Relief Society first. The rumor is they may divide our ward and one other ward and make one new one, but I don’t believe anything till I see or hear it here in Samoa. We shall see. It is getting hotter and we are a little nervous of the coming monsoon season. It would be nice to experience it without a Cyclone. We love you all and think of you often. Be good, go to church, and love one another. Hope all you Utah folks had a good holiday.  God Bless you, Tofa Soifua, Grampa and Gramma.
      

Displays, Food, and help for the Dentist……

The Technical and Vocation Departments here at the Church College had their end of year displays and there was some interesting things shown (and for sale if you wanted them). Here are the welding and automotive department’s pictures. The first is garbage holders. They have to put their garbage for pick up on these baskets in the air so the many dogs don’t get in them. It doesn’t always work.

This is clothes line poles, a small picnic table, and what they call “Samoan Stoves”, they cook over fires with them.

The next is the automotive, this class is hard because it is difficult to get car parts on the Island. The last picture is the instructor, he is usually in white shirt and tie I guess it was “aloha” Friday.

The Home Econ. Department had a lot of interesting stuff and were cooking a lot of food to eat.

While all this was going on the Middle School had there foods of the world day and each class presented from different countries. Gramma ate several things, I was much more cautious.

It was a busy place.

We went to the Institute choir practice and stayed for the talent show. Very interesting, remember I have said, “Samoans love to perform”.

This is Kiwi the blind student. His number was probably the best.

This one, well, I will let Gramma explain in the email.

Gramma and I went with the senior couple zone leaders Elder and Sister Layne (he is a dentist serving here from Florida) to the airport to pick up a dentist and his wife to help them at the Church's dental clinic. They spent six months of their 18 month mission alone at the dental clinic, then the Church sent a Dr. Thomas and his wife for three months and today they were to get a new dentist for 1 month. Off the plane comes Duane Williams and his wife. Our Pingree II Bishop's brother. It is interesting that I grew up 3/4 miles from him; it is indeed a small world. It was good to see them and the Layne's were very glad to have the help. The clinic is open to anyone in need and people line up early in the morning hoping to get to see a dentist. That day Dr. Layne had seen the Samoan Prime Ministers wife because it does not matter if you are rich or poor the Church's clinic is one of the few places you can get dental services.

That last picture is  eating out with the Williams, Winters, and Layne’s. The next picture is of a delicacy served only two days in Samoa. It is a sea worm that comes out for two days each year and they catch it with small nets and serve it raw. The Layne’s and Gramma had some (it tasted like sea weed they said), I tasted only the toast.

We also saw a swimming pool and trampoline in the Williams apartment compound. They are not very common here.

 

Well, that is the high lights of the week. Gramma has not died from sea worm poisoning yet, so all is well. I am trying to get the blog done today. Gramma is working with the Graduating class this morning on a class song they will sing in a few weeks at Graduation. She still cannot get the word “no” though her lips. I ask “where is the school music teacher?” I think they rather work with Sister Hammond. We love you all, hope you enjoy these last fall days, it is starting to get hotter and we read in the paper yesterday that there is a chance of worse than usual cyclone season coming. We will see, it is all part of our cultural learning experience. The Gospel is true, be kind, and may God bless you all. Tofa Soifua, Elder and Sister Hammond

Cathedrals, New Cars, and the Beach…….

We had a good class at Sauniatu this week and before it started we turned around at the end of the road and took this picture of Camp Sauniatu. It is used for a young women’s camp, young men’s camp, father and sons, and even was used by the ward for a chapel when their chapel was being remodeled this year. 

Because we were in a car (more about that later) and the sister that we take home so far away from the school was in Apia having a new baby, we got back a little earlier than usual. So we stopped and visited the Mulivia Cathedral in downtown Apia. It is Samoa’s biggest Catholic Church building and has been hit and damaged so many times by cyclones, they remodeled it so it can endure these terrible storms It is a beautiful building. 

The rotunda in the south side of the building has so many beautiful paintings.  

Here is a rear view back at the organ loft.  

The ceilings are made of native hardwood.

  There are many beautiful windows. 

Here is one of the many reliefs that are along the walls.

On Monday they came and got our van. I posted it on Instagram. President Tolman said he needed more vans for the zone and district leaders. They, in some cases had to drive their car to the mission home to get a van so they could pick up their entire district for meetings. We and the Goodlets have vans and both of us would prefer having a car. They drive much nicer, are more comfortable, and get better gas mileage. So they took ours and Goodlet's vans, gave us cars and our van is now in Savaii. Here it is.

It was so dirty when we got it I had to spend a couple of hours cleaning it. The Elders that had it were apparently not very concerned about cleanliness. We need to be careful too, we went to the beach and I parked under a palm tree again and two Samoan guys that walked by said, ”you may want to move that.” Coconuts fall down!

We went to the beach after laundry and Gramma cleaning the apartment. We had not had a chance for a long time and it was nice. Gramma found more shells and found that if she walks about 12 feet out as the tide is going out she can find “sand dollars”, she is trying to get one for every grandchild.

This picture is of her looking on the beached in a down pour, I am taking this picture under my umbrella to keep from getting the camera soaked. The picture does show how hard the rain was coming down.

 These next two pictures are of some kind of old rusty caterpillar vehicle, you can tell by the tracks. It looks like the bottom of a small Japanese tank they used in WWII, but Samoa was lucky in that no battle or occupation happened to them. The closest major battle was in Fiji. 

Tomorrow we will go to the Sunday sessions of conference we have seen the morning and part of the afternoon session already, but you cannot get enough of conference. On the Island it is “white Sunday”, every one wear white to church. It is really for children, it is children’s day, they get new clothes, and get to eat first at meals. The other times the kids eat last! Because of the white Sunday holiday they have to take Monday off to recover, only in Samoa. So we don’t have school, but still have to deliver water and mail to the missionaries. We will see if I can get 16 water bottles in a car with the seats down. Elder Goodlet is going with me and Gramma will go with Sister Goodlet shopping. I think everything is closed so that could be interesting. We love you and want you to know the Church is true. Be good, Be kind, look out for one another. Do what you should and may God bless you. Tofa Soifa, Grampa and Gramma Hammond.