Today is December 5, 2012.  Sorry I haven't posted for a couple of weeks but we have been so busy.  We had prize giving, graduation and then Power School training from 8:30 a.m. until late into the afternoon.  Reed finally went through the pictures and so today we are going to post about all those things.

 This is a picture of most of the senior couples serving here in Samoa.  On Monday, November 12, 2012 we had a farewell party for Elder and Sister Harker and a lot of people dressed up in polynesian attire.  Reed is looking good in his orange Samoan shirt.

This is our Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Leota. 

Reed doing a little farewell number for the Harkers.

You can see the table full of the prizes and trophies for the Sauniatu students.  We were under a big tent but the children are sitting on matts on the concrete.  They sat there for 11/2 hours.  The Year 8 students got to sit on chairs.

A closer look at the prizes.  They are school supplies for next year.  The parents are very grateful to have their kids receive these.  The kids are excited, also.

Elder and Sister Spencer were able to help give the Year 2 students their prizes.  It is fun to be with the children.  Reed is wearing his ie faitaga (lava lava with pockets) and Nada has on her Pula Tasi that she had made in American Samoa.  The man sitting down is Steve Mauigoa the principal of Sauniatu.

This is the Stake President Lorenzo Neria and the young man is the Salutatorian.                Below is the picture of the young girl who was the Validictorian.  The parents make candy leis to give to their children when they do special things.  You can see that she was showered with leis.  It is a fun tradition that we will take home with us for our grandkids!

On Friday, November 16, 2012 we went up to Sauniatu for their year eight graduation and prize giving day.  The year eight students were all dressed up and performed two songs.  They did a great job.  They give prizes to students from years one through eight for all different things.  They give them for top students in math, english, samoan, attendance and cleanliness are a few.  Not all students get an award or they call them prizes.  It made us feel a little sad but they all seemed to handle it just fine.

On Monday, November 19, 2012, Pesega had their awards assembly.  This is different than prize giving days.  These are awards for 3rd term.  Elder Spencer and Sister Spencer were asked to give out the award certificates for distinguished students.  GPA 3 to 3.27.  It was fun to shake hands with all these students and see them smile and get candy leis from their parents.

These students sat on this hard floor, no matts, for 21/2 hours.  Some of them when they stood up limped to the front because their legs had gone to sleep.  Thankfully, we were able to sit on chairs.

 

On Tuesday and Wednesday they did prize giving at the LDS Church College Pesega.  Tuesday the 20th was for years 7 - 9 and Wednesday the 21st was for years 10 - 13.  We did not stay for the 3 plus hours on these two days. 

These trophies went to the top students in each year in variuos subjects.  The man on the far left is Leo the principal of the College (high school) and the other is Mika Lolo principal of the new middle school.

 The pile of notebooks, binder, pencils and pens are the prizes that they receive.  Prizes are given for top 3 students in each subject and top 3 students of that year and a few other miscellaneous awards.  They call this prize giving, not awards.  The girl on the second row of the picture below is one of the students, Penina, that Nada did timed readings with.

 








Graduation was on Friday, November 2012.  They had 113 Year 13 students graduate.  It lasted about 11/2 hours.  They hold it in the big gym here and this time everyone was sitting on chairs.  No floor sitting today.  Elder Jessop from the Seventies was here and the main speaker was the Minister of Education for Samoa.

 The students are lining up for the processional.

The picture on the right are all the administrators and the Minister of Education in the yellow Aloha shirt and then Elder Jessop in the white shirt and tie holding the book.

The 2012 graduates from LDS Church College Pesega.

This young lady is the Validictorian.

Sister Schmidt in the green pula tasi announcing the graduates.

Reed just liked this picture with the young graduate and the beautiful floral arrangement of Teuila flowers.  After they all received their diplomas the graduates stood up and performed a great song that one of the boys graduating wrote.  Then they did a couple of other songs and dance moves.  They love their music.  It was very nice.

 The two young men are Alexander and Jasper.  They are both young men in our ward.  You can see how loved they are with all the leis that were presented to them.  Their moms, aunts and friends wanted to be in the pictures as much as the graduates did.

 This is the view we see every day when we go to the office.  Fabulous.  This is called a Flame Tree.  They are all over and aren't even in full bloom yet.

They held a luncheon in the library after graduation for all the teachers and administrators.  The Validictorian and the two Salutatorians and their families were also invited.  They had the library all decorated for Christmas.  These have been two wild, busy weeks but very interesting to see how they do awards and graduation.

 

On Saturday, November 24, 2012 we picked the Jordans up at the airport.  They came in for an S&I Conference and are going to stay with us.  We took them to the flea market and then we went to Palolo Deep to snorkel for a while.  We had a lot of fun.  It was great to see them again and have them stay with us.  Beautiful sunset that night.

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving Dinner with all the senior missionaries on Monday, November 26, 2012 and all of them were here.  So we took another picture because every single senior missionary and the Mission President and his wife were at the dinner.  We took it on the Temple stairs.

Well, that catches up our blog for the last couple of weeks.  We hope you enjoyed learning about graduation and prize giving here at the church schools in Samoa.  From the seniors picture, you can see that we have a very diverse group.  It is nice to be able to serve with so many willing capable senior missionaries.  

Until next time, Love Reed and Nada