Monday, October 19, 2015

Having a look-see in Samoa

Monday, October 19, 2015

When we arrived at the Samoan airport there was a group of men serenading the passengers as they looked for their luggage.  When we had breakfast at our hotel a man was playing his guitar and singing those pretty Polynesian songs.  It always makes one feel so welcome, like getting a hug.

At breakfast, listening to Samoan songs.



Monday morning at 9 AM Elder Lata picked us up and took us to their offices, which are located next to the temple and the Stake building.  If we have time we might try to go to the temple one afternoon or evening.  This is the temple that some people burned down and so it has been rebuilt.  Elder Lata has been purchasing water tanks for the water catchment systems from one supplier.  He gets a good deal from him, asking for a discount.  Well, as we drove by today Sister Lata said that someone had burned his place down too.  Someone doesn’t like us very much…or maybe it was a competitor, but it seems to be the same M.O. as they say in detective shows—sad, isn’t it?

After visiting a bit we decided where we would be going for the day.  We checked out a couple of roof rain catchment projects, one just completed and another almost done.  We were surprised that the first areas looked rather well-off.  That is why the Lata’s have these groups donate the materials and labor for the bases that the tanks sit on, and the roof gutters and such.  The church only donates the tanks.  They are whitish in color and have heat resistant materials to make them longer lasting in the heat and sun.  One of the bases was good and the other could have used more cement, but at least had rebar in it.

Elder Lata, while checking out one of the rain catchment bases.



We drove a while up the hill and through the jungle-like terrain on a lava rock road, sometimes covered over with grasses.  The van lurched along on the rough road—I always wonder if we’ll get a flat because lava is so sharp.  After driving awhile we ended up towards the top of the hills and there we saw a not-so-prosperous family.  The base for their tank was rock solid.  Not only that, they fed us this amazing amount of food—so much so that no one could even begin to finish it all.  They gave us real cocoa made from their home-grown variety that was quite large (pod on the tree) in comparison to what we saw in Africa.  They boil it; it has a strong chocolate flavor almost like a mocha or coffee bean flavor, probably because it is made from homegrown beans.  It was really good.  They served us fresh papaya and coconut that they had grown—delicious.  On one plate (each!) they had three very large pastries, so big that I could only eat one, barely.  Also, I could not even begin to eat all the papaya or coconut given to us.  The thought occurred to me that this was the poorest family we had seen and yet the most generous—makes you kind of think…

We wondered why they had two tanks at this poor home, one on the good slab and the other on a wood pallet that was cracking with the weight.  It was because it used to be at a neighbor’s house that blew down in the wind.  They temporarily put it there till they could rebuild the home.  These ‘homes’ can only be described by sending pictures.  Anyway, this family with the blown over home joined the church after the kindnesses shown to them by this project.  These people are truly poor up on this hill.
          
Each of us was to eat all pastries (3 each) and two large slabs of papaya and some coconut and hot chocolate!  None of us managed it!


                                                                               
Right: He fanned the whole time we were eating to keep away the bugs.  He was the poorest but had the best base for his tank.  Sister Lata said he was so pleased that I noticed because I made sure he knew how good it was.  Most speak some English, but mostly Lata’s speak to the people in their Samoan language and often with each other. 



We soon stopped for lunch, not long after the previous offering—Jim and I were so stuffed that we barely ate anything at the Chinese-type Restaurant.  What little we ate was really good.

Elder Fata drove and was with us all day and so we got to know him a little bit.  He is the Area Seventy here.  He and his wife were both converts; he was a CES instructor, served as a Bishop, was a Mission President, and now a 70 on this assignment.  He will be released in a few years.  They have 3 boys and 3 girls and some grandchildren.  We love hanging out with these good people.

We visited with a group of men at the edge of the beach, listening to their proposal; they also wanted rain catchment tanks but looked to live in one of the nicer areas.  Besides what is required as far as materials and labor for the bases and gutters, we also ask for 10% before the job begins so that they will have money saved for future repairs and eventually be able to afford their own tanks—all but the poorest here can afford to do this.  They get city water, which gets contaminated when it rains, then run out when it is not contaminated during the dry season—a catch 22.
 
Elder Lata requires the people to build their base before they get a tank to make sure it is well-done.  While visiting one area we noted that one base had no rock in it so Elder Lata told them that if they didn’t make it right he’d remove their tank.  This is not an empty threat but a promise as he has done this before.  What had happened is that the neighbor, a relative, had two tanks and decided to share, which was nice.  The problem is that the second base was not approved.  When Elder Lata saw the base, knowing it would not last, he told them what was going to happen.  We love this couple!  Elder Lata also bartered with the tank supplier so as to get a discount for the church. 

We saw more projects, went back to the office, visited there and then drove back to the hotel.  This time they had Jim drive the van back to the hotel, following Elder Lata so we wouldn’t get lost.  They wanted us to be able to get back and forth between the office and the hotel.  We had a nice and pleasant and relatively easy day compared to what we normally have to endure.  It was hot and humid, but also cloudy, breezy and sprinkled at times so as to cool us off occasionally.

Another day, another dollar…



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