Messages
Displaying 1 - 10 of 13 -- Add Message
Ou te fa'afetai mo lenei avanoa lelei ua ou maua, e mafai ona feso'ota'i
atu ai ma nisi o uso ma tuagane sa fa'apea ona tatou galulue faatasi ai i
le galuega a lo tatou Tama Fa'a Le Lagi.Ou te talitonu o lo'o outou tutumau
pea i le talalelei ma avea pea outou ma ni toa i le tautuaina o le galuega
ale Atua.Ia ua ou fa'aipoipo atu i se perisitua malosi, o ia foi o se RM ma
ua fa'amanuiaina i maua ele Tama oi Le Lagi ini agaga se 7,e 3 ni tamaitai
ma ni alii se 4 sili ona aulelei, sa fananau uma i latou i le malo tele o
Amerika. o lo'o matou nonofo nei i le aai o le kolisi i Vaiola.E moni le
talalelei a lo tatou Tama oi le Lagi, o lo'o soifua le Atua ma lona alo o
Iesu Keriso,alofa mo outou uma,Soifua. <rutapaogo@gmail.com>
|
| |
Helen Atoa
I don't know how many of you have already donated to this worthy cause but if you would like to help, you might like to contact Sam at his email address and he can tell you how and where to send your donations. Thanks in advance for your generosity.
> Date: Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:06:52 -0700
> From: Sam.Atoa@uvu.edu
> Subject: Samoa
>
>
> Talofa my dear aiga,
>
> I hope all is well with your families. We are doing very well. Elder Atoa is coming along very well in the MTC. He is working very hard to try to learn the language that his father failed to teach him. He is excited to go. I will be going down to Samoa in 2 weeks. The main reason for me going is to prepare for the trip our volleyball team will be making to Samoa in May. We plan to play 1 game in Samoa while we are there, but also to do some humanitarian service. We are planning to send down a container in April so it will be in Samoa when the team is there. We plan to target mainly those that were affected by the Tsunami especially church members and family. There has been a great out pouring of support from friends here in Utah to help with this project. We have started already to collect items for this cause. There is still a lot to do, but we are excited to try to do something to help those in need.
>
> I am telling you this because I need your help. I need you to reach out to your contacts and friends to help us with this. Especially those in Utah, let your friends, wards and others know about our efforts to help our people in Samoa. Donation drives in your wards and stakes will be easy to do to get the items needed. Those of you not in Utah, if you have friends that will be willing to donate funds to help with this project, that will be greatly appreciated. Talk to people with Samoan ties, returned missionaries, and families that lived in Samoa that you know who would like to help. When I return from Samoa, I will know the specifics of what they will need the most. For right now, we are collecting clothing, shoes, tools, household items, books, educational materials etc. Whatever you are able to do to help will be greatly appreciated. If you have any questions, please let me know. This is going to be a huge success. We have the opportunity to help so many people that need our help.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Sam
|
| |
The months I spent as Elder Wecker's companion were among the most enjoyable of my mission.
Anybody know of his whereabouts?
Thx.
|
| |
|
I have a limited number of Apia Samoa Temple tie clips and lapel pins which were made specifically for the LDS Legacy Bookstore in Vaimoso, Samoa. We had them at the recent reunion in Salt Lake City and I will send whatever remains to Samoa November 1 for them to sell there. If you would like one of these, please write me and I will get one or more to you. I'm charging $5 USD and will need to have your contact information to get them to you. They are available in gold or silver.
|
| |
|
Tracy Wilson is headed to Samoa July 10, 2007 to finalize a venue for a new LDS Bookstore in the Pesega area. This is something that has been needed for a long time--not a distribution center for the Church, but a store to buy LDS books (new and used), jewelry, Church-related tourist items like souvenir decorative plates, etc. Tracy is in need of new and used books that would be appropriate for this store. They will be sold at a discount rate to cover cost of operating the store (ala Deseret Industries, etc.), and will provide employment for several families as they create Samoan artifacts, etc. PLEASE...anyone who has books they would like to donate, please contact Tracy at trw@wilsonsonline.net There will be ongoing shipments. Fa'afetai tele!!
|
| |
|
A committee is continuing to research the archives of people's minds for stories and pictures of pioneers or pillars of the Church in Samoa from aso anamua (the beginning of the work). We are looking for names, dates and places that people served as faife'au fa'anofonunu or were threatened because of their embracing the Church when it wasn't popular. PLEASE, we cannot make up stories for this book; we hope to have it ready for publication either in print form or online by 2010. Pass the word along to all your acquaintances. Fa'afetai tele! Please submit any information or contact names and numbers to Tracy.
|
| |
|
If you are traveling to Samoa, the new temple does not have a laundry and therefore they do not rent temple clothing. Take your own with you or plan to buy some at the distribution center...I learned the hard way when I was down there last week :(
|
| |
Having only learned a modest amount of respect language when I was serving from 1965-67, I was impressed by those missionaries who excelled in it and could rattle off a respectable greeting speech, lauga fa'afetai or lauga fa'amavae. Then, having forgotten most of what I once knew, I was recently intrigued to discover a book some of you might be interested in:
In 2002 the University of Hawaii Press published "O Si Manu A Ali'i" by 'Aumua Mata'itusi Simanu, a female talking chief who honed her oratory skills as an educator in Samoa and more recently as a tacher at UH.
The 681-page softbound book, which is outstanding, can be ordered online through the UH Press website at [no breaks intended]:
http://www.uhpress.hawaii.edu/cart/shopcore/?db_name=uhpress
...but beware, it's 99% in Samoan and written for people already fluent in Samoan who want to gain greater insights into the "va feiloa'i" and "saunoaga a tamali'i ma failauga." SOIFUA.
|
| |
Hey Brandon,
I did the same thing you are doing. I served in Samoa 1989 and 1990, and then took my wife back to Samoa 10 yrs later in 2000. It was the best! Total cost for airfare (from SLC, UT) plus all expenses came to about $4K for both of us, including Hawaii car rental, PCC, etc.
Some tips we learned:
- We contacted our local health dept to find out about shots and get the right ones.
- We took diarrhea pills with us.
- ALWAYS use hand sanitizer. And, guy-to-guy, I mean it: USE it all the time...your wife will know what I mean... this cuts down on diarrhea which makes a trip horrible.
- Have spare toilet paper.
- Have spare granola bars.
- Use sunscreen, and we took hats
- We had suitcases that we stored at friends' houses, and backpacked much around the islands.
- In one place we stayed, we had access to a friend's bungalow with kitchen, so we went into town to buy food from the grocery store and market and came back to prepare it. This was much cheaper.
- Be prepared to pay a few tala to families who own the land that some sites reside on. They look after the site and try to monitor it, so the "entrance fee" is certainly worth it and goes to a worthy cause.
- We certainly depended on some Samoan friends/contacts I had from my mission days. Aiga o Wendt, Aleni Fuatimau, Toloa'i Ho Ching were the best hosts!!
- We rented a jeep to tour the islands-- most economical and flexible... I think I even tried to get a temporary drivers license but it seems that the police let me not worry about it (Samoa faigofie!)
- Once we drove to the south side of Upolu and just followed tourist signs to fale's on the beach side, hosted by a member family (Stake pres of Upolu Southeast)- I think it was only $10/night, but they gave us gifts worth far more than that.
- We stayed with a Catholic family in Falealupo in Savaii for my wife to experience true remoteness-- that was great! I got to practice my faaSamoa with the matai all over again. I recited his area's faalupega I found in a book somewhere and that impressed him. We brought a few oso's as well.
- Search the web for sites... There were some I had no idea about while I was on my mission: Papase'ea, Taga blowholes (HUGE! and IMPRESSIVE!), underground lava tubes on the Northern side of Savaii, etc., the Rainforest catwalk in Falealupo (~70 ft above ground- ~$20/person, but worthy cause).
- Of course have your passports ready with roundtrip tickets in hand. If you are staying for less than 30 days, you don't need a permit.
- Traveler's checks seem to be less acceptable worldwide, but banks will still accept them.
- Snorkeling is the best! There is a good place just east of Apia... the web will probably describe it. Bring your own mask and snorkel though, the rented ones look dirty, and we want to maximize the comfort of your faletua, correct?
- American Samoa airflight to (Western) Samoa: I tried to make reservations before we got there, but when we did, they did not have my reservation recorded. We still got on a flight anyway.
- Bring walkie talkie radios, in case you are separated in the maketi and she needs you to help barter a deal for a souvenir.
- I probably would have brought a camcorder, but be very careful about getting it dirty or lost.
- Bring ziploc baggies for the boat ride Upolu-Savaii-- my dear toalua has a weak stomach as it is.
- Teach your faletua beforehand to wear a ie lavalava.
- Be sure to take pictures and later include in a family scrapbook. Trust me... involving your wife in your experiences will reduce the number of times you bug her later with "When I was in Samoa, this is how it was/is...."
- Try your best to do a little bit of everything. We went to a Catholic church on the same Sunday as LDS, we went to a siva, the temple, etc.
Boy, is this too much or what??? Once I got going, it was hard to stop. It was a fun experience for the both of us, and we have started talking about returning to Samoa with our kids when they are a little older to give them a good experience, maybe in 10 years???
Ia manuia lava le malaga a lau susuga ma le paia a lau faletua. Return and report!!!
Ia soifua,
(Elder) Paul Pulley
|
| |
Brandon:
I was in Samoa with my family last November and early December 2004. No shots necessary to enter although some folks would like to be safe not sorry. We didn't get any since I am a devout coward. Passport is required but no Visa (if 30 day stay or shorter .. at least not extended stay). I have always purchased an International Driver's License from AAA before going to Samoa although I am not sure that it is mandatory. You will need to arrange for a temporary driving permit when you arrive if you expect to rent a car (or you get picked up). We rented from Sonny Ah Kuoi at Funway Rentals (close to Aggies) which we have done several times. However, there are a number of reasonable and reputable places to rent a car. We took our rental over to Savaii on the Ferry and it worked out just fine. Bottled water is becoming more of a "staple" (unless you can get a cup of boiling hot Koko Samoa). All in All it is an overwhelming experience and the beauty, in spite of the cyclones that have hit the islands from time to time, is breathtaking.
Riki
|
| |
|
Next >> |
| 1 2 |
Add Message
|
