One more week of teaching, then a few days of rest before we start our trip home. Our students don't want us to leave, and I we feel the same way.
This last weekend was very full and filling (=. We took part in traditional food preparation for a large Samoan feast and dance including the famous Fire Dance. It was great to get a chance to see the traditional side of the dying Samoan culture. Sunday we went to a village on the other side of the island for a family dinner and dancing, we were invited into the traditional dancing and were given beaded necklaces for dancing. It was amazing to be dancing in traditional Samoan fashion, eating, eating and eating, surrounded by multi colored huts filled with multiple related families. At least 20 people were living in the four colorful houses. Red, yellow, Blue, Green, the colors are so great here in Samoa.
Today at church I shared my testimony and talk for part of the sermon. God is so good, he gave us the words and ability to speak and the congregation seemed really blessed by everyone that shared.
Some things we have learned are that villages are mainly made up of family groups, some villages are made up of only one related family.
There is a death struggle between traditional Samoan culture and the ever growing Western mindset. The mentors of the island are fighting to find a healthy balance between the two but the old ways are dieing faster than they can be passed on. Mid week Samoa is very very Westernized, while the weekend is the remaining traditional Amerika Samoa. Its hard to be here in the middle of this loss and change.
Samoan Pastors make an average wage of a hundred thousand each year. The pastor is the highest paying job on the island, but many of these men still don't have a personal relationship with Christ.
All dogs on the island are part wild and usually infected. The locals warned us against being around them at night, because they travel in packs and have been known to be demon possessed at times.
I can weave a basket out of palm leaves!!! And peel green bananas with a stick!
Thank you for all the prayers so far.
Jesse
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Wow, it's shocking reading this post and the "Seeing the 'Real' Samoa, Christian?" post. Will certainly be praying for you and the team as you finish your last week there. May God use you guys to open up hearts to the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ, not the fake gospel of community Christianity.
ReplyDeletePS i love your exclamations at the end about weaving a basket and pealing a banana, haha :)