Talofa Lava from Samoa,

On August 4, 2013 we went to church and one of our young single adults that got married in March and had a baby in July asked Reed to bless her baby.  The babies name is ReeNada Roache named after Reed and Nada.  We love this family and have become very close to them.  Reed was very honored that they asked him to do the name and blessing. 

 Ingrid (the Mom) and baby ReeNada outside the chapel.

 Ingrid, ReeNada and Nada.  We have really loved being able to be part of this babies life. She was born on July 17th and blessed on August 4th.  At home we would not have brought that baby out around everyone yet!

Reed and baby ReeNada!












On Thursday August 8, 2013 the high school students at Pesega, from the Samoa classes, had a cultural day.  Behind the shops they killed chickens and pigs and cleaned them and cooked them.  They also did fish, taro, coconut and taro leaves made into palu sami.  It was interesting to watch these kids handle the animals.  Some of them were petting the chickens one minute and plucking them the next!  They were not squeamish at all.  Nada had a rough time with all the blood, innards and smells.  We were invited to eat but passed.

These boys have already skinned and cleaned their pig and are getting it ready for the umu.

Getting the chicken gizzards out.

These girls were just carrying their cleaned chickens around.

The umu is ready to put the food in to cook.  They heat up rocks with the coconut husks and shells.  They wrap the food up in banana leaves and then bury them in the rocks and put more coconut husks and banana leaves on top.

Getting ready to clean the inside of this piggy.

This boy was just carrying this piggy around by its hoofs.

They are scraping the hair off of this piggy.

These girls are plucking the chickens.

They have cleaned this piggy and are washing him off to bury in the rocks of the umu.

These guys are washing and cleaning a big fish to be cooked in the umu.  The students did all the work.  The teachers were there for support and parents were sitting around but the students did all the work!




On Friday August 9, 2013 we went up to Sauniatu early to be part of their devotional and science day.  The year three students did a devotional about the important and roles of fathers.  It is Father's Day here in Samoa on Sunday August 11th.  Then all the students in years 1 through 3  did little songs, skits or posters about the importance of water and conserving it.  The years 4 through 8 students did posters and talks about using and conserving electricity.

Year three students did the Father's Day devotional. Sister Teena Rasch is the teacher.

Year two students putting on a skit about using and conserving water wisely.

The picture above and this one to the side are the older students talking about using and conserving power.










On Friday, August 9th after we finished at Sauniatu, the teachers gave Reed a candy lei and a lunch for Father's Day.  Then we hurried and drove back for Pesega Middle School talent show.  Reed was the opening act while the teachers were getting ready for their rugby skit.  Reed played his guitar and sang a couple of songs.  The students were very receptive.

 Reed singing Maybe Baby by Buddy Holly.

 These teachers were representing the All Blacks from New Zealand.  Sister I'aulualo is the one showing off her muscles.  She teaches in the tall lab right outside our office.

Sister Kaio is the referee.  I'm not sure which time these teachers in the stripes were representing.  They sang the Samoan National Anthem before they began there game.

 Calling each other on.  These teachers were not afraid to get up and show off.  The Samoans act shy and nervous when you ask them questions but boy do they love to perform!

 Both team fighting for the ball.  The students loved watching this side of the teachers.

 The students sang and danced for the next two hours.  The girl on the far left is in our ward.

 These girls performed a dance from India.

This girl got up all by herself and did a Hawaiian dance.  There were quite a few groups that did dances from Hawaii.  Their moves really are different from the Samoan dances.

 These boys did a great job.  Each of them did a lead part of the song and then the four on the left did dance moves together while the backed the boy up on the right.  It reminded us of the Temptations.

 This all girl group did a hip hop dance.

 These were the technical directors.  Brother Uili on the far left played the keyboard to accompany the students singing.

At the very end all those who performed got up and sang We Are The World by Michael Jackson.  It was a very nice talent show.

On Saturday, August 10th Reed and Nada got Elder and Sister Gertsch, Elder and Sister Budgett and Elder and Sister Goodlet to go to Sliding Rock with them.  It was a gorgeous day.  The water level wasn't real high but we had a great time anyway.  Reed, of course, was the first one to go down then most the rest of us followed.  It was a little scary the first time.  You weren't sure how deep the water was or if you would fall back and hit your head.  Reed went down every slide.  The rest of us that went down only went down the two main slides.

 We had to walk down a lot of stairs to get to the pools.  They were very uneven stairs.

 Reed at the very first slide.  He was the first to give it a try.  We were the only ones sliding.  All the younger people were laying out on the rocks or just swimming in the biggest pool.

 
 

The picture above is Reed and Nada at the bottom of the second slide.  We only have a video of Nada sliding down the rocks. 
You actually got going pretty fast and become air borne at the bottom.

Reed and Elder Gertsch climbed up to the top of this slide.  Reed was the only one who went down.  The water was a little low so the slide didn't have as much water going down it.

 Reed braving the big slide.  He hardly touched the rocks he said.

 Reed going air born before he hits the water.

This was a very short slide but Reed wanted to try them all.

After we climbed back up all the stairs we looked down on the view from the parking area.  There was so much moisture in the air it was hard to get a good shot but you can see the Apia Temple in the middle and the Apia Harbor in the background.  It was a fun day!

Sunday, August 11, 2013 was Father's Day.  Ingrid gave Reed a candy lei and the Relief Society gave all the men in the ward a candy lei.  We took a picture of Reed in front of our Bougainvillea tree when we got home from church.

 

On Monday, August 12th it was still Father's Day Holiday and the schools were closed so we went with Budgetts to a new resort and beach we had never been to before.  It was on the southwest side of Upolu called Salamumu Beach and the resort was call Samoana Resort.  They had a beautiful infinity pool and we tried to snorkel.  The water was too rough for Nada but Reed snorkeled quite a while.  There were some beautiful fish.

 

 Nada loved swimming in this pool.  It looks like it runs right into the ocean.  They are pumping ocean water into the pool.  It was so nice.

 Nada and Cheryl got rolled by the waves right in this opening trying to get out and snorkel.  The wind was blowing quite hard and the waves coming in were a little rough.  However, the water was so clear and beautiful!

 Very nice beach.

 One of the sea creatures we saw.  Reed said it is a sea star with about 19 legs.

We ate lunch on the deck of the resort.  It was very good food, a little pricey but the scenery was worth it.  It was another wonderful new adventure.

 
 
 
 
 
 

 

On Saturday, August 17th the senior missionaries who could went on a history tour to Sauniatu.  We went last year but there are new missionaries so we went again.  We get to go every single week but the other missionaries do not so it is fun to show them the beautiful place we get to visit all the time.  Brett Macdonald is the church historian for the pacific and was our guide for the day.  We first went to Fagalii cemetery where there are LDS Missionaries buried.  It started to rain on us there and never quite for the rest of the day.  In fact, it rained so hard the rivers were overflowing and the roads were flooded.  The waterfall at Sauniatu was dangerous and the pool was a roaring river.  We still had a great day.  They fixed us lunch and did the umu and luckily we stayed mostly dry.  This was a day we could have worn a jacket it was that cool up there.

 This is a picture of Brett Macdonald at the Fagalii cemetery.  He told us about the graves there and we sang Come Come Ye Saints.  He has done a lot in Samoa to preserve historical sites.

 Helping with the Umu.

 Eating the very nice lunch that was prepared for us.  We ate in the fale in the farm area.

The Sauniatu waterfall and pool.  You can see that it is a raging river.  Usually the water on the left is not even there and the waterfall on the right is just a nice flowing waterfall.  The river area is the pool where we usually swim.  There was so much water today.

Nada walking over the little river to get back to the car.  Usually this little river is not even a stream. 
The drive home was a little scary.  Reed had to drive through water that was thigh deep in a couple of places on the roads.  We were glad to get home.  It was another great adventure. 

We feel so blessed to be able to serve here in this beautiful country.  We are so blessed to have so many senior couples around us and do things with them.  We love seeing all the beautiful sites and visiting all the different beaches, waterfalls, and areas.  We are blessed to have time to do these things on the weekends and during school breaks.  We love our mission and the people we are serving with.  We know the gospel is true and will do all we can to keep the work moving forward.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about some of the wonderful things we are able to do with the teachers, students and other senior missionaries here in Samoa.  Until next time.
 Alofa, Elder and Sister Spencer.