updates from Samoa

A letter I got from my Mommy.
Oh, I miss my parents!
I miss their Spirit and their humor.
But, am grateful for their sacrifice and service they are giving. their amazing!


Dear family,


We are in Apia until Tuesday the 24th. We have enjoyed the break away for a few days. We have done our share of exploring and I have a few tales to tell you.

First of all we went out to where Dace and Laur and Alexa lived. We tried our best to find their house. I had seen a picture of it once and I remembered it was high on a ledge above the ocean. We asked people about the school, and a few remember it, but most said, “It was washed away by the tsunami. In fact the whole village of Lepa was swept away. They have since rebuilt a few things however the village has relocated to higher ground. They got enough money from the relief fund of other countries to build roads up on the side of the mountain where they now live.
It was a depressing sight to see and think about all the some 230 people that lost their lives there. As Dace, Laur and Dusky probably remember there is no where to run because the cliffs and jungle are very close to the beach. They said the earthquake lasted for 3 full minutes giving only seven minutes before the 47 foot wave hit the beach. They figured the wave was travelling 500 miles per hour and because of the friction the water was scalding hot killing everything in its path. All the vegetation and of course people were killed instantly. 29th September 2009
On a happier note, life goes on and the surviving people have started to rebuild their shattered lives. One of our teachers, Jeany Obley’s mother was swept out to sea that day. Jeany said, “People saw my mother running, but she was very old and couldn’t run fast enough.” Some people lost their whole family.
Well, I took a bunch of pictures and hope Dace and Laur will recognize some of the area are houses. It was amazing to me that every house looked like the one I saw in their pictures. I knew it had a little store in it, but again most every other house here in Samoa has a little store attached.

We have gone golfing twice since we came to town. The first course was rough, and sort of like golfing at Mount Carmel when they are reseeding the course, however the vegetation was magnificent. Every hole was a par five and dad had a blast driving away. We took another senior missionary with us and they had a great time. Even I had a good game and so it was fun. Yesterday we tried to go to that same course, but it was packed and so we went to a course up on the mountain by the University of Samoa. I knew it was going to be an experience of a life time when they had to psst-psst the drunk that had taken up residence in our Barstow golf cart. He had a six pack of Vailma, Samoa’s best beer finished off and he had crashed in the cart. Another man that took our money did his Samoan psst-psst and the old man revived and pulled himself up to give us the cart.
Only a few seconds passed until Harry, Bob Marley Junior hopped unexpectedly onto the back of our cart. He introduced himself, asked me my name and, “what is your man’s name?” he said. Well my man’s name is Robert, but he was not the nice Robert we all know and live. Dad immediately said, “I don’t want a caddy!” “Okay”, said Harry as he hung to the back of the cart. As we drove to the ladies tee dad kept saying the most unthinkable things, such as I’m not going to pay for a caddy, I wanted to get way from the every watching eye.
Finally I hit my first ball and I realized what I needed to do and so as I returned to the cart I told Harry, “Thanks for helping us find the first hole, but we really want to be alone. We can find our way from here.” Harry said, “Okay” as he hung tightly to the back of the bouncing cart. His Bob Marley hair sticking out wildly from under his knit cap and he continued to jump up and down on the cart. I tried again by saying, “Harry I want to snuggle with my husband so you can stay here, thanks.” Then Bobby Jr. curled up on the back rack smiling like the Cheshire Cat all the time pointing to the next tee box and saying, “I show you, I show you.” Okay so I had to bring out the big, bad stuff and so with my best jesting, stuff I learned from Sisalee, I drew him a picture of how to get off the cart and go back to the clubhouse. Finally it translated and his smile faded as he stepped of the cart leaving us to fend for ourselves. I felt like a real bad missionary, but I’d rather be mean than have dad taken to prison for murder.
We did okay for a few holes even thou none was marked. Dad kept saying, “Whoever laid out this course was drunk and I kept telling him, “Everybody that runs this course is drunk,” and as we weaved back and forth trying to find our way from hole to hole some may have thought we were tippy too. Hole number seven was high on the mountain side and only jungle below it. I asked dad where do we go from here? I thought we would be sorry we had shooed Harry away, but Dad told me to look down into the thick canopy some 131 meters directly below us. There barely visible was the green. Since dad had just bought ten used balls from a little boy I felt okay about losing one? Just as I prepared to hit my ball another self appointed caddy walked out of the thick jungle to give us aid. Dad said, “Oh great another Harry!” He followed us from hole to hole. Every time we hit the ball he ran to locate it.” He retrieved one of mine from the river and was willing to go into the nastified undergrowth to look for balls. We ditched him on hole number eight and finished our game. All in all it was a good experience.

We went church in the Paalagi, white man, English ward. It was great to hear English and be able to understand the speakers. We are heading home, not really home, but Vaiola on Tuesday. It’s amazing how sleeping in your own bed even here is good. The little guesthouse we are staying in is alive, need I say more.

Robbie will love this little story. When we were here in Apia last time Dad picked up a panhandler on the street. It was really my fault because we were trying to find a doctor’s office and so we stopped to ask directions he said he knew where the office was and so he hopped in to the van. Then he directed us to an out of the way alley. Dad said to him, “I’m not going down there and it’s time for you to get out.” Dad was trying to drive and kick him out at the same time. I told dad to give him 10 tala for helping us and it worked. We paid him for not killing us and he got out of the van. We swore we would never pick up strangers again, but Dad forgets and so we had another close call where we stopped to give some men a ride. Just before they grabbed hold of the door I asked, “Are you prisoner?” One responded, “yes?” Dad immediately started driving away and I yelled back, “It’s against rules to give rides.” Since they live only a quarter of a mile from us I worried all night that they may seek revenge. Okay so with that background we were walking down the street here in Apia the other day. A man comes up to us and starts on his lingo about his poor wife and children. In a flash dad grabs my hand and yells, “I have an appointment, love ya bye!” It reminded me of Robbie when she said, “Here whistle boy” I could hear her tone as dad voiced, “love ya , bye”

I hope this e.mail finds you all well and happy. My words can’t express how much I miss all of you and how much I love you. I don’t understand how I could be so blessed. Heavenly Father has been so good to me. I don’t understand why my life has been so blessed, but I am forever grateful for each of you. We pray for you always and hope you are taking care of each other. I’m reminded everyday of good times we have had as a family. May God continue to bless each of you.

Love, Mom