BIG SURPRISE #1

Tropical paradise....here we come!
We had been planning to go 'home' to Samoa to see Nu's parents for quite awhile. There were informal plans in place to go during the summer for several months, but when that didn't look like it was going to happen, an opportunity arose for us to go during Spring Break.
We found an awesome seat sale (thank you Air New Zealand) at a price noone has even heard of before. The only drawback being a 9 hr. layover in LA on the way.
Nu got the time off work...it just so happens his eligibility for holidays kicks in just several days before we leave! So we are going to Samoa for 2 weeks during March.

This is Lano beach, literally across the street from the home where Nu grew up and where we will be staying. The water is bath temperature...

One reason I am particularly excited about the trip is that Nu's parents have not met our 2 younger children. It is going to be so special to see them interact and get to know one another. I also think that the older two are at a pretty good age for learning lots of Samoan words from the cousins and village kids. Too bad it's only 2 weeks, or they may even have developed a good speaking ability!

So, we fly into Apia, on Upolu island, then take an hour ferry over to Savai'i, and then drive to Nu's village Lano. The last time we were here (5 years ago) we took a family holiday and drove around the entire island of Savai'i, and also did some sightseeing on Upolu. This time our resources will be allocated a little differently, but I do hope to see some waterfalls and scenic areas that we missed last time.

The heat will definitely be one of several challenges, and I would love to have people praying that the kids (and I!) adjust well to that for sleeping especially. These beachside huts were great for catching a breeze, but they are just for resting and sitting during the day, not for sleeping unfortunately!

Western Samoa is a developing country where agricultural and village communities maintain an economy base on farming and fishing. Many people, like Nu's family, have plantations where they grow subsistence crops such as banana and taro. More than half of the land is too rugged for agricultural use. Pigs and poultry are everywhere, and there are no really dangerous creatures on land, save the cockroach. They like to hang out in showers, so that usually makes for some unfortunate situations. The ocean is another story, but much of the coastline is protected by the reef.

The people of Samoa are very very religious. There is an unbelievably high percentage of church-going people here, but the religious climate really felt like more of a 'belonging to (insert religion here) club' when I was there last time. It's a bit of a paradox. It consumes a large part of life for the people, but in a ritualistic way that doesn't always transfer into real life. This is another challenge for us as we go.

Another purpose for our trip is to help. There are many things that the Samoan people happily do without, but there are some that would be very useful to them that are easily accessible here in Canada, and not so much there.

The big ticket item that we are looking into purchasing there is a refridgerator for Nu's family. Last time we were there they had one, but it's broken down and they've been using their neighbor's for quite some time.

We'd also like to fix up some holes in the walls and paint them in Nu's parents' home.

There are lots of other items that we will be bringing along from here including:

Reading glasses for Nu's mom and dad

Single sheets and pillowcases

Teatowels

Kitchen spoons

Other kitchen utensils/cookware

Shampoo, soap, tweezers, nailclippers, combs

Puzzles, art supplies and coloring books

Tylenol and simple medical supplies

The reason I am telling you all of this is that we would like to invite family and friends to join with us in being able to give to Nu's family, but also to their neighbors and the people of their village. It is customary to give the biggest gifts to the biggest chief and the pastor, but I am really hoping that we will be able to go and bless some really poor families with some much-needed daily items.

If you would like to drop by with some items to send, or maybe give cash to help with some of the bigger purchases, it would be really appreciated. Your prayer support is of even more value to us. Please pray for safety, a CALM flight (10.5 hrs straight from LA with a 2, 4 and 6 year old....ahhhhh!!!!), an easy adjustment and for us to be able to clearly demonstrate the love of Jesus while we are there.

Lastly, Nu is also available to come do some landscaping for you on a Saturday (hopefully it wouldn't be raining buckets like today) and we will put his pay towards these gifts. I don't want anyone to feel any obligation to help out in any way, it's just an opportunity if you feel so led, but please DO PRAY FOR US!

Thank you for reading right to the end of this VERY LONG POST. That's what happens when I don't blog for several months...