Homecoming

Approaching the family property, from the road

There was joy and elation as we, somewhat sticky travellers, drove over the grass toward the main fale, and Nu's parents came down the steps to see who was there. They knew we were coming sometime in March, but we didn't tell them when. It was fun to come by surprise.
It was an emotional moment as the grandparents met two of their grandchildren for the first time, and saw Lesina again after 5 years. The kids were timid, understandably so, but there were hugs all around, and the grandparents were beaming. One of the main purposes of our trip was underway.

The family lives together with a great assortment of children, grandchildren, cousins, aunts and various other extended family, in one main house and two smaller houses. The makeup of the family 'compound' is fluid, changing from one year to another, and even month to month. Children go to school, but are essential helpers and workers around the property as well, so the more the better! Children are sometimes taken in from a mother who can't support them, or from a family who lives several villages away. The children may live there for a short time, or for many years. The whole complex runs under the authority of the elders, in Nu's family's case...his parents and aunt Kilisi.


Nu's mom, Talau'ula


The kids and I with Nu's Dad, Lapa

Aunt La'i is a sweet, soft-spoken lady who has many children who have grown up at with Lapa and Talau'ula as well. She does a lot of the cooking and laundry at the house, and in our two visits there, I have never seen her hands idle, nor have I seen her take a nap. She is a hard worker. I know that she lost a son tragically many years ago, when he was hit by a car, but even after being through that and many other hardships, she has a gentle, loving spirit that exudes joy, and I can't help but wonder if she knows the comfort of Jesus and walks with him. Her daughter Lusia is a beam of sunshine that always adds grace to our stay in Lano, and makes the unbearable days brighter for me.


La'i at her cooking station


Lusia on the front steps of the house where Nu grew up, and where we stayed.

After many greetings, hugs, and kisses on the cheek, we set about giving gifts! I was looking forward to this with all of my being, and it was great to see family members receive...from mundane things like underwear, toothbrushes and can openers, to the wonderful shining white fridge, and special perfumes and lotions. (We were quite amused to hear several days later that the men had been 'borrowing' these lotions from their spouses and had been smelling considerably more fragrant than usual.) That day our family truly felt the truth of the verse that says: it is better to give than to receive.

We settled into our new routine with more ease than the first visit. In the morning Nu procured breakfast for us, usually fruit from one of the corner stores, fresh white bread and sometimes boiled eggs. Once in a while La'i would fry some pancakes for us. It felt a bit strange, since the only other people eating breakfast were the elderly...but the kids were starving, and so was I! There was a LOT of downtime during the day, where the kids enjoyed freedom and the company of so many friends. Come evening, they were exhausted, and often fell asleep as we tried to eat dinner between 8 and 9. That change in schedule was not fun. Then we tucked everyone in under the mosquito net beds that Nu's Mom made up for us, and slept fitfully through the hot night.

The heat does not subside in Samoa. The shower is freezing cold, and you wouldn't want it any other way. Kids are so resilient, and they really did well with all the changes. I did better this time too, with the only complication being that hunger during pregnancy makes me nauseous...and we were hungry a fair bit due to the change in our meal schedule. The kids and I made several disgruntled trips to the small corner store to momentarily appease our hunger with a shared bottle of Fanta or some chips (trust me, if there had been a healthier alternative, I would have taken it!). That wasn't a great solution because anytime any one of the many children in the vicinity see a person heading toward the store, they descend like a flock of circling vultures, waiting for their prey. We shared treats with them when we could, but sometimes there were just too many!


Nu's aunt Kilisi

One afternoon Nu and I had a hilarious time giving a sewing machine tutorial. Nu's aunt Kilisi is always sewing. She has lost the use of her legs, but she is an industrious lady who has found a useful skill and employed it, for many years, it would seem, by the ancient machine that she uses. While we were there, she asked me to show her how to use a brand new machine that someone had sent over from Australia. Little did she realize the irony of asking ME to show her how to sew...I have a horrible time setting up my Mom's sewing machine, and feel lucky if I can even get it threaded. However, this machine was in the box still, with the manual, and I felt it would be great if Kilisi would have the use of it...so much more efficient, with a better quality end result. So Nu and I agreed to teach her. The process of reading the manual, attempting (many times unsuccessfully) to do what the manual stated, then translating and redoing the step, was very very very long. We almost gave up at several points, when we couldn't figure out a diagram or it didn't seem to be working properly. I know Kilisi appreciated the time we took and she listened attentively as Nu showed her all the steps, but at the end of it all she decided it was just too new-fangled and difficult. I understood, but it was disappointing after all that! The old and familiar way is always easier.

And so we spent many restful days. Laying and playing with the kids in the fale...coloring, reading books, playing sequence. Many times it was too hot to do much exploring, so there was a lot of REST. I find it hard to set and do nothing for very long, so this was challenging, yet good in a way. Because of the language barrier, communication is easier with the Samoan kids, so I spent a lot of time with them. I did a little bit of helping around the house, with dishes and laundry, but often a cousin or auntie would be sent to relieve me of the work that I was doing. They were being gracious and hospitable, but I also realized that I was probably doing a totally substandard job of whatever I was trying to do!!