No more sleeps!  We leave today for New Zealand to meet John & Mereda for a week as they are finished their mission also. 

After dinner at Aggie Grey's

Our Tofas have been said to many people and it is very hard, knowing we may never see these dear people again.  I really believe we will come back some time – even for a visit – but that is because we have said goodbye before and have always returned.

For Roy, as a 19 year old receiving a call to Samoa (he thought it was somewhere in Africa!) the experience of being here forever changed his life.  Returning with me for a 2 year teaching assignment made His mission Our mission.  A dream come true was to return to the dedication of the temple in 2005 (the rebuilt temple after the fire – not the initial temple).  The opportunity to return – again – in 2007 to supervising the building of AhMu Academy was an extension of our Samoan training!  To receive a call for a Senior Mission was thrilling, surprising and not surprising at the same time.  We didn’t ask to come – but the Lord knew he had trained Roy up for this time.  The assignment he fulfilled is soooooo necessary and we pray they will call someone to continue the work.

It was a teary day for me leaving Uafato and any of you who really know me, know I don’t cry easily.  Talai and I have become like sisters and it was so touching to feel of their love and our love for them.  I will truly miss my Tuesdays in Uafato.  As we began this last stake, I was apprehensive and just wished it would hurry up and finish, but as the time progressed I just felt such a privilege to become part of that place.  I am so glad the road is horrible because it keeps tourists away from spoiling it.   Someone asked  me if they could take their car down and I was so thrilled to say NO WAY.  This place is really the most remote part of Samoa.  Elama is a carver and made Roy a beautiful to’oto’o staff .  Talai hand wove 12 small placemats for me that I will treasure forever.  Our last day together,  we spent the time with the keyboard learning some primary songs that she will teach the children.  Her English is great and she sounds so sweet singing those songs. 

It was also a sad time to leave our temple Thursday pm shift.  What a sweet group of ladies.  They had a bag with some traditional gifts (placemats, jewelry box with a couple of necklaces, lavalavas, etc.)  One dear sister gave me a comb for my hair with Talofa Samoa on it.  We sure enjoy the peace of the temple and the opportunity to serve them.

Friday was the Sauniatu Culture Day.  It began with a church service in the am with lots of singing and talking, followed by a cultural dance show put on by the youth and children.  Of course, there was a lot of food and we are always treated with such respect.  The heavens opened and did it rain!  We were under tents, thank goodness and enjoyed the show with no discomfort.  At the end of the day as we were leaving to take the branch president of Falefa home, we were told about a little 6 year old boy who had drowned on Wednesday.  The family, last name of Brown, had just received their papers to go to New Zealand to live and were getting things settled.  The little fellow was down with some other children and tried to cross the river and fell in.  By the time the adults got there, he had already died. 

We have reconnected a bit with one of the AP’s who left the mission about a year ago.  Solo Fa’auliuli is the head waiter at the Tamarind Restaurant at Aggie Greys and we have been to dinner there twice.  It is a lovely place, not too expensive but fine dining.  Solo would love to go to school (and his English is great) but his father relies on him for income and he is a very respectful young man.  His father is not LDS and his mother has passed away quite a few years ago.  We certainly know a few choice young ladies we would like to hook him up with!

Roth, Gertsch and Harker at Aggie Grey's

The enjoyment of forging friendships with some of the senior missionaries has been wonderful and know we will continue relationships after we are all finished.  This country is so blessed to have so much strength, giving freely of their time and love in serving this land of Samoa. 

Some people in our ward were aware of when we were leaving but it felt awkward to go up to the Bishop and tell him, as we knew they would want to throw a party and we don’t want them to go to the expense of things like that.  We spoke to Bishop Moreli on the way into sacrament meeting and guess what?  As he was making the announcements, he told people we are leaving on Wednesday and will have a farewell party for us on Tuesday.  Ahh, he didn’t run that one past us as we were totally booked up until then and we had our farewell dinner with Pres. & Sister Leota scheduled.   During RS the president (in Samoan and Donna translated for me) told them we weren’t coming but if people had small gifts, they were to bring them and the bishop would gather everything and bring it to us.  Ahhhh, they are so kind but I think the bishop was hurt that they couldn’t do a party.  We have been booked up solid for the past 2 weeks with work and dinner appointments so it couldn’t have happened anyway.  I gathered all the sisters for a photo session after and then passed out some laminated bookmarks with a picture of us, a scripture and our contact information.  We then went to Naomi’s to take some special paper and a Christmas tree I had made for them.  It was such a thrill to see the books up on the bookshelf and Helaman climbed up on the chest by it and was reading.  I will truly miss Evelina Fuiava and her family – Naomi and Tuna, Max & Maylynn, Donna & Arthur, Deluvina & Wayne.  They have made the Vaitoloa 1^st ward experience for us.  Well, last night, the bishop came over about 9:00 and brought a load of gifts!  It was such a nice thing for people to do but we will have to ship quite a few boxes to be able to take everything.

Helaman with their share of the books up on the shelf

Sunday we were invited to Lance’s home for dinner and it was so delightful.  Lance had made a really nice card and had made me a “Super Teacher” certificate (I had made him a graduation certificate).  They also gave us a carved plate that Elama had made for them.  It is just beautiful.  We were wondering what to do with some of our games we couldn’t take home and their family will have hours of fun, I am sure.

Part of the Lolo family

We stopped by to see Edith Tausoga  Faaola (sp?) and Noataga was there (her mother).  We were in the ward in the 70’s and her deceased husband was the bishop. What a joy to reconnect with them.  Edith was our neighbor in the teacher’s village in 2007.

We had our final hugs with Amuia & family.  I wore the puletasi they had made for me (it fit after a major alteration) but Roy’s shirt was just too small.  As we left, it was sobering to wave goodbye and know it would be a long time, if ever, that we saw them again.  Thanks goodness for skype as we can call to their cell phone and keep in touch.  They were so quiet as we left and just stood, waving and Ulanita had her face buried in her shirt, wiping the tears.  Heaven will be so wonderful when we can see all our dear friends from all over the world – just imagine!

Nanase, Amuia and Sooga in the back

Some of the family

FHE on Monday was such a tender time.  They treated us like we were royalty, or as if it was our funeral!  The food was wonderful and they had us sit at a "head table" alone.  Sister Mariner's sister's granddaughter performed some dancing for us and it was so nice.  Her mother presented us with a wooden tray!  Well, there were tributes by Roths, Gertsch, Hanson, music by Spencer &Mariner,  dancing by Sister Pauga :)!  We will see most of the people again at mission reunions but Pres. & Sister Leota will be returning to Australia so reunions won't be happening in Utah.

The MSR group at the Service Center took us to lunch yesterday, Elder & Sister Fife took us to lunch on Monday, the Gertschs are having us for breakfast today, the Roths have been by our side with help continually and we certainly feel loved.  Eseta and Mareta Craig came by last night with some gifts and some hugs.  I really am touched that people have been so kind to us.

This is my final posting of this blog.  My time here has reminded me of a handcart trek.  There is a lot of excitement, a lot of frustration, a lot of bonding with others going through the same trip, a lot of roses to smell along the way and a lot of prayer to help through those river crossings and sore feet of a mission.  There is prayer of thanksgiving as well for the successful moments and the tender mercies of the Lord that helped us through.  The scriptures have been my constant companion as well as a dear husband who has softened many of the difficult times.  As on a real trek we must sometimes discard weight as the pulling gets tough. I have come to realize some of the extras that I don’t need and that were slowing me down.  When we finally reach the “valley” and look back at the miles across the “plains” of the mission, we remember the music that has buoyed up the spirit, the new friendships that have been formed, the smells and sounds that will forever trigger pleasant memories and the fading of the moments you wish to forget.

 TOFA SOIFUA!