Swaying Palms, Reefs, "Fatu-Ma-Futi"

SM:    There's a saying - "Near the sea you forget to count the days."  This must be the case here.  Time is passing quickly.  We have been here seven months! 

On August 15th, we flew out early to Samoa. We stayed overnight then flew on to American Samoa the next day. The little prop plane was interesting.  We were two feet from the cockpit that had no door and could have easily grabbed at the controls.  I wondered if, with Jim being a pilot, he was yearning to maneuver the plane. There was no air conditioning for the 30 minute flight but we managed without too much discomfort by fanning ourselves. After we landed he commented, "that's the first time I've ever seen a plane do a u-turn on an active runway."

 

Apia Samoa Harbour

Headed to American Samoa

JM - I was amazed that Shirley would get on the plane! She doesn't like flying even in a large jet, but a small prop! She must have just put her trust in the Lord because we were on His errand.

I thought the plane ride was a lot of fun. We flew relatively low (climbing to just 7,500 feet over the ocean).

Beautiful Am. Samoa Young Women returning home on our flight wearing YW Values necklaces.

Am. Samoa Airport

When we arrived in American Samoa, the first thing we noticed at the airport was the American flag.  What a beautiful sight it was.  We miss our homeland and all that it represents.

Unlike the U.S, American Samoa (and all the other smaller islands of the Pacific) never seem to be in a hurry. For Americans it's Go-Go-Go. Move Fast.  Not so, here. That's good and that's bad, from what I can tell.

Oka - a Samoan dish consisting of raw fish in coconut milk in lime juice! One bite was enough!

We stayed at the Tradewinds Hotel (Owned by Elder Haleck, our Area President and GA Seventy) in A.Samoa.  It was a pretty good stay except for the bugs in our room.  Oh, and the 3:30 a.m. wakeup
with an intoxicated woman trying to break down our door.  I can truthfully say that our mission is never boring.

Our National Public Affairs Director, Kalilimoku Hunt, our friend and island contact, kindly drove us around to see some of the island and to meet with people there. Kalili played linebacker at BYU during the years when BYU had some great teams.

He shared some interesting facts about A.S. with us.  Apparently AS has the biggest babies in the world.  A little light shed on that is the fact that the two McDonalds in that country have the highest per capita revenue for all of the US and it's territories.  Quite amazing.  And most likely, the tuna you eat probably comes from AS.  There are two huge tuna plants in town.  (When you drive by the plants you can really smell the tuna.) Pacific Area President Haleck owns a tuna boat there.

View overlooking Pago Pago Harbour

Working at the hotel

The "Mormon Lake" - next to the stake center

Kalili drove us by what has been nicknamed "The Mormon Lake".  This has been an issue since the stake center was completed.  Considered doing a story for Newsroom on this but decided it would be best to leave this one alone.  Claims are that the Church is responsible.  Church says government is responsible because of clogged drains.  It's been like this for over a year.  The members living across the street have written to "Pres. Monsoon" at Church headquarters about the issue.

Kalili and me meeting with the director of the American Red Cross in A.S. - the Church donated paint and other materials for the construction of the new Red Cross building.

Siainiu sharing her story with Jim while she takes a break from working at Carl's Jr.

We loved meeting with the members there.  Click here to read about Siainiu and her amazing story.

Kalili took Jim shopping for Lava lavas. The actual name for ones with pockets and buckle is  
'ie faitaga.  I convinced Jim to get one against his better judgement.  (JM: That is a slight misrepresentation. She didn't convince me to get one, she just bought it.)  I've promised Kalili a photo of him wearing it with flipflops (Jandals).  I've got my work cut out to get the photo shot.

Jim (uncomfortably) trying out a skirt!  Brotherly love!

View looking down into Vatia

Famous 'Fatu-Ma-Futi' (Rocks in the Ocean)

Legend says that Fatu and Futi were lovers who tried to sail to Tutuila (modern day American Samoa) from Upolu (modern day Independent Samoa). They almost made it, but their boat floundered and they expired in the waves just before making it ashore. 

Turned to rocks where they passed, their remains stand in the surf and the swell to this day, highly visible from both the coastal road as well as on the way in and out of magnificent Pago Pago harbor.

We love Polly.  To meet her we drove down into the humble "Tongan Village". Something I wouldn't recommend doing alone.  Fortunately the missionary couple there, the Anthons, took us. We never would have found her house without the Anthons. 

Polly has had many challenges but is determined to rise above them and get an education.  Here is her inspirational story. 

Two Dollar Beach

Junior

Let me introduce Junior! Read his story "Spiritual Strength Overcomes Spiritual Challenges" here.

In writing stories for the Mormon Newsroom I'm continually learning new journalism techniques such as anecdotal leads, nut grafs, headlines, etc.  It doesn't hurt that our friend and Public Affairs missionary, Steve Thomsen,  a journalism professor at BYU, (serving with his wife, Dorie in Tahiti) gives me pointers.

JM:  When we first met with Junior we asked if he had ever talked with anyone about getting a prosthetic. He said he had been measured for one two years ago but had not been contacted since. We asked who had measured him and he told us where he had gone to get measured. After our meeting we went to the location he had told us and, sure enough, there was a small storefront advertising prosthetics.

No one was there at the time, but there was a telephone number on the door. We called and asked the man who answered if he was familiar with Junior. He said he was and that he had a prosthetic for Junior in his office. He said he would get in touch with Junior the following week.

After further discussion we learned that Junior had come in some time ago and tried the prosthetic but didn't like it. The man said it isn't uncommon that amputees get used to using a wheelchair and don't want to go through the adjustment to use of a prosthetic.

We had a meeting and a lovely dinner with Kalili's public affairs team and some priesthood leaders. It was wonderful to get to know the people with whom Kalili works. I was greatly impressed with the quality of our public affairs team and the priesthood leaders we met in American Samoa. It is such a beautiful (but small - only 77 square miles) island and the people are beautiful too.

The American influence was very apparent in this little island. The food was much more American than the food in Samoa and we loved that the American flag is proudly flown. The flag made us feel more at home than we have for the last seven months.

There aren't many beaches on American Samoa. On most of the island (except in the area around the airport where most of the commercial development is) the mountain drops steeply to the ocean and a road has been built between the mountain and the ocean. Homes are possible only in those spots where the mountain isn't so steep or by building on the mountain side with access only by a very steep road.

The side of the island opposite the airport is gorgeous but sparsely developed. It is not easily acceessible. Only a few roads go over the mountain to the other side.

We took two hours on our last day and traveled to the west end of the island. On our way we came across two sets of young Elders. They were happy to be in American Samoa and were loving the work. We heard that President Hanneman (the Mission President) had put the best Elders on the island out west in order to increase the membership of one of the branches there so it would be large enough to become a ward. In a very short time that happened and the work is still moving forward on that part of the island.

I'm rethinking how I'd like my remains honoured.  A nice little pavillion with picket fence will be most appropriate and will definitely reflect how much we are loved.  I think I shared that in many of the Pacific Islands the deceased parents are buried in the front of the house.  Of course I don't want any fighting amongst our children as to who the fortunate ones are that get the honor.  I also heard that the higher above ground loved ones are buried, the greater honor they are showing.  Hmmm.

Graves of honored parents

The best gifts are tied with heart strings and our hearts are bound to Kalili and his beautiful wife Tupu. Like so many of the islands of the Pacific, we found kindness and generosity to be the hallmarks of American Samoa.

We boarded the twin engine prop and headed back to Samoa. This time, instead of sitting in the second row, we sat in the sixth row. It was much more fun in the second row where I could watch the pilots and some of the instruments. They don't have GPS capability in the small planes used here, so the pilots relied on the navigational equipment of VOR stations like I used when I was flying.

We left American Samoa on Friday afternoon and 35 minutes later arrived in Samoa on Saturday afternoon. Apparently the international dateline was altered so that American Samoa would be on the same day as the United States.  After landing, a young man boarded the plane and shut the door behind him.  Then he sprayed something up and down the little aisle and around our feet.  I asked why and was told it was to help prevent the spread of Zika, Dengue Fever, and one other.  Hope I didn't inhale too much of the pesticide!!