Talofa from Samoa.  This will be our last blog as we are leaving Samoa at 2:00 p.m., Monday December 2, 2013.  We will then report to the Area in New Zealand on Tuesday and we will be finished with our ITEP Mission.  It has been a wonderful, interesting ride.  We are sad to say goodbye to all our Samoan friends but are excited to get home and be with our children and grandchildren.

I am going to post about all the busy, exciting events we were involved in during November 2013.

Usually we go to Sauniatu on Mondays but we went on Tuesday, November 5th to help Elder and Sister Budgett's grandson with his Eagle project. They had 5000 books shipped over and then Michael and his family came to visit the Budgetts and passed out the books.  Each child at Sauniatu was able to choose three or four books.  They were so excited to own their very own books.  It was fun to see them all so excited.  Even the teachers chose books for their children or grandchildren.

Nada with all the tables of books before the students arrived.  Reed, Nada and Sister Talataina had them all set up before the Budgetts arrived.

Year one students holding up the books they chose.  It was a fun day for all.  Later after Reed finished teaching his class we had dinner that Sister Neria catered because Sister Budgett wanted her grandchildren to participate in an umu.  Their father is full Samoan and had been here when he was a teenager so he was excited to show his children their heritage.




Wednesday November 6th after class we hiked with Maylani and Celesete.  It took us almost two hours up and then an hour or so down.  It was quite a hike but beautiful scenery.  You could see for miles and miles.  It was a beautiful clear day and by the time we got back to the car it was getting dark.

 We were hiking the tallest peak of Mt. Vaea. About 1/3 of the way up you could see the hospital and our Motootua Chapel

 Celeste Ah Chong, Maylani Ah Hoy and Nada on the trail.  They are both teachers at Pesega Middle School and have been in our classes and have become good friends.

New bananas growing.  There are banana trees just growing wherever.

Looking down on the city of Apia and the Apia Harbor.

 Reed and Nada with Apia Harbor in the back ground.  We are almost at the top.  This is where the first cell phone tower is.  There are cell towers here for Digicel, Blue Sky and one of the TV stations.

 Maylani, Celeste, Nada and Reed

 This is the end of the trail.  You can go behind this TV  tower and find the trail that leads over to the part of the mountain where Robert Louis Stevenson is buried.  It would have been another hour over and back and we were running out of daylight.  We never got back to trying it.

This is the main government building and downtown Apia from the top of the mountain.

This house is the only one on the trail.  When you get to this you know you are halfway up or down the trail.  It was great exercise and really fun to chat with Maylani and Celeste and get to know them better.  Wish we would have found this trail earlier in our mission.  There were a lot of people hiking it this evening.






On Saturday, November 9, 2013 we took our final trip to Vavau Beach.  We have really loved this beach and it is hard to say good bye.  The weather was not the best.  It was stormy which makes the water here a little rough but we still had a good time.  Sister Roos got in some current and had a hard time getting back to shore.  Thank goodness it all turned out fine.  Everyone will respect the ocean a little more because of this experience.

Reed and Nada waving their final goodbyes at Vavau Beach.  This has been paradise to us

This cove area is a little safer than the other side when it is stormy.

 Getting ready to head home.

Brother and Sister Te'o harvesting our bunch of bananas for us.  It was fun growing our own.











At the high school and middle school it is the final week of classes and testing.  Nada helped Sister Ah Chong take pictures of all the different classes in the middle school while Reed finished up preparations for his classes and the final tests.

 Brother Lolo who is the Principal of the middle school with all the prefects and student body officers.

Freeman who is the Student Body President and Elizabeth who is the Vice-President.









Friday November 15, 2013 our Motootua Ward had a farewell fia fia for us.  When we arrived at the church it was all decorated with signs and balloons.  We were very humbled.  They sang, danced, performed and had us dance some of the Samoan dances with them.  They presented us with very nice gifts.  They have so little but give so much.  They served us so much food but it was very good.

 This is the sign in the entrance before we entered the cultural hall.  Pepe is the girl in the picture, she is one of our young single adults.

 Nada with our Samoan Jane!  Nada had Brother Taavao, from our ward, make this dress for her.

 Our Young Single Adult girls dressed in their pule tasis to perform.  They did a great job.  They make outfits whenever they perform and have such beautiful flowers for their hair.

Pepe, Uriana, Silotomua, Emmalynn, Nadia and Anne

 Front row, Alex, Epati, Neal, Tasi, Simon
Back row, Uriana, Silotomua, Emmalynn, Pepe, Nadia, Anne

We love these kids!

 The YSA kids had Nada come out to dance and they all circled around her.  At the end of the dance they wanted their picture taken.

 Daisy and Reed

These are our plates of food along with the gifts we were presented!

Reed carved trees for a lot of the teachers we had in our classes, the senior missionaries and some of our friends.  He carved more than 30 of them.  He wanted to leave them something personal from him.  He also carved all the YSA girls a necklace.  They all loved them!

Saturday, November 16th we took seven young men and young women from our Ward to Palolo Deep to snorkel.  None of them had ever been there and only a couple had ever been snorkeling before.  They had a great time and were a lot of fun.  They didn't want to get out of the water.  We did not take our camera which makes us sad so we have no pictures of the day.

Thursday, November 21, 2013 we got up early and went to a 6:00 a.m. Temple Session with some of the middle school teachers.  They started the school year with a Temple Session and decided to end the year with one.  Then we changed clothes and went over to the school and had a breakfast, played games in the gym and then had a big lunch.  Almost all of the teachers and some of their spouses were there.  It ended up being a going away party for us as well.  They gave us some gifts and we hugged and cried.  We will really miss these wonderful people.

Back row:  Brother Elisara, Sisters Ah Chong, Ah Hoy, Janke, I'aulualo, Lesa, Fepuleai, Leafa
Front Row:  Sisters Fuatimau, Elisara, Kaio, Nada, Reed, Sisters Poloa, Amani

The Samoa Temple is so beautiful  Celeste took this picture of us after the group picture.

Number 2 Pig!

They love to play volleyball.  Reed and Nada both played but that was the first time in a long time.

 We went back to the learning center main office to have lunch and a little speech.  This is the room that we held all the middle school Monday morning devotionals and they hold their staff meetings.  We also taught our classes here. The food is all sitting under the paper.

 Maylani and Lofi telling Reed and Nada thank you and how much we will be missed and presented us all those gifts from the faculty.  It was very touching.  We love these teachers.

The pigs head and all the rest after he has been cut up.  Nada never ate any pork the whole time we were in Samoa.  She just couldn't eat something she had seen running around.









Thursday November 21st in the evening we went to the Traditional Resort for a fia fia.  It was Budgetts farewell dinner.  We had really good food and great entertainment.  We had lightening and thunder but stayed dry because we were under a covered patio.  The Prime Minister and his group were there the same evening and sat at the table right next to us.  They made sure his group had all the best cuts of meat and much more food than the whole rest of the people attending that night.

 Our Mission President, President Johnny Leota and his wife Betty Leota.

 When you attend these fia fia's they are usually a buffet and then they sing and dance toward the end of the meal.  This was quite different from the performance at the La Manumea Resort.

 The Prime Minister of Samoa.

 Most of the senior missionaries attended that night.

 The girls and boys dancing with the musicians in the background playing drums.

Fire Dancers!











Friday, November 22, 2013 we headed to Sauniatu early for their prize giving and Year Eight Graduation.  It rained so hard, the road to the camp was so muddy but they had the graduation in the main covered lodge at the Sauniatu Camp.  The graduates sat on chairs while all the other students sat on the concrete floor.

 The year eight graduates waiting for graduation to start.  They have them dress in white for special things.  The LMS Church, now called The Congregationalists, still all wear white to church on Sundays.

 The rest of the students and parents.

The prizes on the front table.  They usually consist of school supplies, like pens, pencils, notebooks, crayons, erasers and rulers for next year.  The top students receive scholarships for tuition the next year and trophies.

 Nada presenting the top students awards for the year eight students.  The girls greeting, when you are familiar to them, is you hold their hand and give them a kiss on the cheek.

The parents give their students candy leis.  Some of these students have a lot of them.

 This is the Sauniatu Faculty,  Sisters Maugatai, Rasche, Laulu, Peresetene, Brother Mauigoa, Sisters Filifili, Kaio, Talataina, Leung Wo

The teachers all wanted a picture with Sister and Elder Spencer so Steve Mauigoa, the principal, stepped out and took the picture.  After they had a dinner and party for us. We love these ladies.  We will miss having class and activities with them.  They played music and then each of them brought us a gift and gave us hugs and kisses.  It was a very tearful good bye!

Saturday, November 23, 2013 we put Jordans, Gertschs and Budgetts in the van and went on our last excursion together.  We went to Matareva Beach.  The weather was gorgeous and the water was perfect.  We saw fish as soon as we put our faces in the water.  It was a wonderful last snorkeling trip.  We will really miss the fish, the water and these wonderful senior couples!

 Matareva Beach

 Jordans, Gerschs, Spencers, Budgetts

Beautiful sunset that evening.  We took the Jordans to the airport to fly back to American Samoa.  This will be the last time we see them until they leave in April.









Sunday, November 24, 2013 we took Budgetts to the airport.  We went to the MTC together and flew to Samoa together.  It doesn't seem right for them to be flying home without us.  It is hard to believe their mission is over.

It was hard to say good bye at the airport.














Monday, November 25, 2013 we went to the middle school award assembly.  At noon we met the Goodlets who borrowed Sale's truck and we drove up the Cross Island Road to a turn off and then needed four wheel drive to get to the place to park to start our hike to Le Lanoto'o National Park.  It is a fresh water lake formed in a crater.  We hiked for one and a half hours to get to the lake.  It was a harder hike than we thought especially because the trail was wet so it was slippery and muddy.  Reed fell a couple of times and Sister Goodlet fell about 10 times.  It was worth it though.  The lake was beautiful.

 Goodlets and Nada on the trail up the mountain.  It was not well marked and quite overgrown but we never got lost.

These fern trees are so beautiful.

We came upon some red bananas on the trail

We came around a bend and there was the lake.  It was bigger than we thought it would be and quite beautiful.

Reed decided he had to swim.  It started to rain on our hike out and made the trail even more slippery and muddy.  This was our last big adventure.  We are glad we did not miss it.









Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were prize giving and awards for the middle school and high school.  We attended them all and were asked to present some of the prizes.  We donated four scholarships to Sauniatu for tuition and four between the middle and high school.  On Thursday evening they had the S & I Christmas dinner for all the faculties of all three schools at Kokobananas.  It was very delicious.  They also said their farewells to us and gave us rugby shirts with our names on the back and a beautiful framed tapa hanging.  It has been hard to say good bye over and over again.  This is the last party so we are grateful for that.  We appreciate all their love and kindnesses but it is hard to accept all these gifts because they have so little.  We will never forget them.

Friday, November 29, 2013 was graduation day.  They asked Reed to be the graduation speaker and Nada to introduce him.  We felt so honored.  Our Area leaders said they think he is the first ITEP Missionary asked to be the graduation speaker.  All the teachers and leaders were asked to line up at 3:30 p.m. to march in before the graduates.  The processional started right at 4:00 p.m. with Leo and Elder Fata at the lead then Reed and Nada, then the Goodlets and the rest of the teachers then the graduates.  They gave us leis and it began.  Nada did a good job and barely teared up to introduce Reed.  Reed gave a great talk.  He sang part of the theme song "Man in the Mirror" during his speech and had the graduates back him up.  It was unexpected and worked out great!  The theme was "Make That Change."  They had three valedictorians and one salutatorian and with all the songs, speeches and graduates walking we were finished in under an hour and a half.

 
 

Elder and Sister Spencer marching into graduation with the teachers and staff of LDS Church College Pesega.

2013 Graduating Class of LDS Church College Pesega

Nada introducing Reed as Graduation Speaker.  She was given this dress 15 minutes before graduation began by Sister Su'a

Reed talking during graduation.

Reed singing part of "Man in the Mirror" and getting the graduates to back him up.

 Elder and Sister Spencer after graduation with their leis.











In the picture below is Simon Utai with his family and friends and Reed and Nada.  He is our only YSA that graduated from Pesega this year.  They had a dinner for all the faculty and leaders right after graduation and then they had the senior prom that started at 8:00 p.m. and went until 10:30 p.m. that night.

 

On Saturday, November 30, 2013 we cleaned all day and packed up boxes of gifts people had given us.  We had some people come to the house to visit, bring more gifts and say good bye.  That evening we had our Thanksgiving Dinner with all the senior missionaries which was also the farewell dinner for Elder and Sister Spencer (us) and Elder and Sister Gertsch who are leaving on December 6th.

 

 

Kneeling, Elders Spencer, Layne, Crowley

First Row:  Sister Moaga, Elder Gertsch, Sisters Gertsch, Spencer, Layne, Crowley

Second Row:  Sisters Winter, Goodlet, Elder Goodlet Sisters Roos, Rotz, Lamoreaux

Third Row: Elder Winter, Sister Leota, President Leota, Elders Roos, Rotz, Lamoreaux

 

 

Sunday, December 1, 2013 we taught the YSA Class for the last time and said good bye to our friends in the Motootua Ward.  That was really hard.  We tried to get a group picture of just our young single adults but everyone else kept getting in the picture.

 

We went over to the Taavao's home to say good bye.  We love this family and have become very close to them.  This was a very tearful, hard good bye.  The baby is the one named ReeNada after us.  We hope we will be able to stay in touch with them forever.

 

 

 

Monday, December 2, 2013.  It is time for us to leave.  We mailed the last two packages, cleaned the fridge and all the cupboards.  Gave away hundreds of dollars of food and supplies.  Looked over everything one last time to make sure we packed everything and closed our door for the last time in Samoa at 11:15 a.m.  Sister Te'o came running with one last gift and to say good bye.  Elder and Sister Gertsch took us in our van to the airport.  We arrived at 12:30 checked our luggage which was under weight and met up with President and Sister Leota.  We spoke for a few minutes, said our good byes with hugs and kisses and then walked through the departure doors for the last time.  It was hard to say good bye but not as hard as we thought it would be.  We were ready to finally go.  We said good bye to Samoa at 2:05 p.m. as the plane took off and flew over the beautiful island of Samoa and water. We arrived in Auckland at 5:00 p.m.  We rented a car and drove to the Spencer Hotel, had dinner with the Jacobsens at Aubergines, which was delicious and walked back to the hotel and went to bed exhausted.

 

Tuesday, December 3, 2013.  We went for a walk on Takapuna Beach for the last time and walked to our final meeting with the Area to report on our mission.  It lasted about two hours with Bruce and the Jacobsens asking us questions and having us share out thoughts, feelings and experiences.  We took this final picture at the Area Office as our last ITEP Missionary act.  It is hard to believe it is all over.

 

Elder & Sister Jacobsen, Sister & Elder Spencer, Bruce Yerman

 

We arrived in Utah on December 17th at 1:10 p.m. after our tour of New Zealand and Australia.  All our children and grandchildren were there to meet us.  What a welcome sight.  President Waddoups came to our house with all our family there to release us.  Just like that, it is over!

 

 

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our trials, our joys and all our wonderful experiences in Samoa.  We are so grateful we have been able to serve this mission.  We love the people of Samoa, the beautiful flowers and trees, the interesting traditions and the wonderful water.  We will miss it so much but know that we have finished what we were sent here to do and now it is time to go home and be with our families and start our next chapter of life.  Alofa, Elder and Sister Spencer