American Samoa Mission Adventures: December 2022

PIONEER DAY SURPRISE—July 24, 2022

Life has not slowed down. Let me back track on events of the past few months.

JULY

UPDATE ON THE DOG BITE: By the middle of July, my dog bite wound was healed. For me that was truly a miracle to see how such an open wound could heal so completely. Even though there is an indentation in my leg, it did heal. I call it my Samoan tattoo.

Healed with a little scab

Almost healed

The month of July we were blessed to have our son, Nate, and his wife, Annelisa, and their two children come to American Samoa. Nate is an ophthalmologist in Hood River, Oregon. He has been doing an internship this year with the Moran Eye Institute at the U of U. This journey has taken him to Nepal, India, Tanzania, and American Samoa. He spent a month working with the ophthalmologists at the LJB Tropical Medical Center. They were able to live in an apartment just two doors away. Aside from work at the hospital for Jim and Nate, we were able to have many adventures around the island. It was a delightful month to spend with our grandchildren. The end of that month was also spent moving to a new apartment and all that involves--preparation, cleaning and more cleaning, and moving.

Day at Hidden Beach

AUGUST

The middle of August, we welcomed a new missionary couple to American Samoa--Eric and Allison Carter. Dr. Carter is a cardiologist. There is a great need for this specialty on the island.

We were blessed to be honored with the unique and beautiful Ava Ceremony. "It is a solemn ritual in which a ceremonial beverage is shared to mark important occasions in Samoan society." You may have heard of the Kava or Ava drink. It is mixed in a beautiful bowl called a tanoa. This beverage is made from the root of a plant. It is mixed with water in the tanoa and then is strained for drinking. A coconut shell is then used to dip into the tanoa, slightly filled with the ava, and is then given to the guest of honor. He drinks it and offers a word of thanks. This is repeated for each guest. The ceremony was followed by Samoan dancing called Siva dances.

Dance for Ava Ceremony

Ava Ceremony

Jim drinking the Ava

We, the women missionaries, were asked to teach some classes at a Stake Relief Society Conference. Our topics were Parenting (mine), Domestic abuse, and Healthy Eating. It was a very interesting experience. I learned a lot about the Samoan family dynamics.

Teaching my workshop

Each ward Relief Society performed a dance the night before the workshops.

Another unique experience we missionary couples had was to attend a ward conference on the island of Aunu'u. This is a small island off the coast of Tutuila Island where we live. We had to arrive at the dock by 7:00 which meant we had to leave our apartment at 6:00
a.m. We, along with other stake leaders, rode in a small motor boat to Aunu'u to attend church. It was a wonderful experience even if the Sacrament meeting was spoken in Samoa. The spirit of the members was strong. We were honored with a beautiful luncheon after the meeting. The pig was roasted right at the church. We had platters of pork, fish, octopus in coconut cream, and much more. The island of Aunu'u is known for its taro root. We were able to taste the Fa'ausi, or caramelized taro, a delicacy made on this small island. After all was done, we boarded the boats and rode back to Tutuila, the main island.

Fa'ausi--caramelized taro

Roasted pig

Carters, Gebhards, Tarrs

Boat ride after church back to the big island of Tutuila

In July we were interviewed on a KVZK television talk show. The hostess was named Sayonara, a very gracious and wonderful woman. As we conversed after taping the show, Sayonara invited us to come to her church, the CCC or Congregational Christian Church, formerly known as the London Missionary Society. Missionaries from this church first brought Christianity to the island in 1830. For many years it was the dominant Christian church on many islands. We went to church with her on a Sunday in July with Dr. Tarr and her husband. The women in this congregation wear very beautiful, elegant hats to church. I loved it. Sayonara's husband played the piano for the church service. As we listened to the prelude music, one song he played was very familiar to us. It was "Come, Come Ye Saints." It was very apropos as that happened to be Pioneer Day, July 24. It did bring a few tears to my eye, I admit. After the meeting, we asked Sayonara's husband how he knew the music for "Come Come Ye Saints." He explained that he went to Mapusaga High School, which was the LDS Church school from 1960-1974. As a student, he took piano lessons. One of the songs he learned was our famous hymn. It was a perfect song for our visit to their church.

Beautiful hats at church

Attending church with Sayonara

In August a session of "Eat Healthy Be Active" began with the Pago West Stake. This program for diabetes prevention education was developed for the Polynesian Islands by the New Zealand Area Presidency. It is a 12 week course, discussing diabetes, exercise, healthy eating, and more. I was the facilitator for this event. It was wonderful to start teaching the members. We had 20 members at the first meeting. Since diabetes is so prevalent in Polynesia, the intent of this program is the help members understand better how diabetes affects their lives and what they can do to improve their life style to avoid, or at best, control diabetes.

Step exercise outside. Can you find Jim? (In yellow)

Wonderful members at our class.

Helen braving the heat and humidity at the step class.

We attended a Village Choir Sunday event in August. Four congregations of the Congregational Christian Church met together to celebrate Christ through singing. Each church choir presented and sang several songs. It was a lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon. All the women were dressed in white with their elegant hats. Samoan choirs sing beautifully and with lots of gusto.

Dressed in Samoan attire
The women's dress is called a puletasi.
The men are wearing ia faitagas (ee a fi tan ga).

We had a few more “first’ experiences:

1—Tasting some new and interesting fruits—sasolapa which is called soursop, and abiu.

Sasolapa or soursop

Soursop

Abiu

2---Samoan farewell ceremony where we got to learn the coconut dance.

Coconut dance

Farewell for Dr. Bob and Sue Keddington

3—We learned about the face in the coconut from a Samoan who let us use their family beach. He cut the coconuts off the tree. Then he cut off the leaves and wove a basket. Finally, we brought us the coconuts in the basket and showed us how to drink Niu—fresh coconut water. This is an acquired taste that I am learning to appreciate.

Cutting the coconut

Can you see the face on the coconut?

Hand woven basket with freshly picked coconuts.

Drinking Niu from the coconut.

4—Spiny starfish and hermit crabs.

One thing I have learned in these past few months on our mission is patience. "Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.(James 1:3-4). It has taken time to meet people, make connections, and gain trust to be able to start helping and teaching to meet the needs of the people here in American Samoa. Covid certainly played a part in slowing down that process. Then, once Covid restrictions were lifted, so many people went off island as they had been unable to travel for almost three years. There was a mass exodus in June and July. Slowly but surely we have been able to create and make friendships and build relationships here on the island. Samoans are wonderful people. They are appreciative of anything we can do to help them, and they are so loving and kind. Through patience, we are beginning to see some of the fruits of our labors at the hospital and around the island.