I am falling in love with...SAMOA!

Talofa family and friends,

I have now been in Samoa for over a month and a half! I can hardly believe that it has already been that long! God is giving me His heart for this country and I am quickly falling in love with it, its culture, and its people. Things have been very busy in the last few weeks as the Discipleship Training School (DTS) that started last September graduated, the new DTS started, one of our own, Liaina, left the base after 6 years to head to the next place God has called him to, as well as starting up our mobile team, and so, so much more.

Mobile Team: 

We have just created a mobile team in the last 3 weeks, which I am a part of, which goes around to different churches, ceremonies, and prisons doing dramas, dances, and leading worship. Almost every night during the week, we have dance practice, and I am quickly trying to learn Samoan, Fijian, Cook Island, Tongan, and Hawaiian dancing. My thighs, calfs, and hips are sore, but I’m getting in really good shape.  
We have performed at three different churches, four ceremonies, and at a prison. I am improving each time. It is very fun to be involved in this because dancing is so much a part of the Samoan culture; they just come alive when they dance. The first church we performed in, I received a standing ovation when I did my 5 second solo section; apparently they were just blessed that I have even attempted to learn a piece of their culture, but also my movements are slightly different than theirs and they find that amusing. It is quite daunting at the same time because all of the islanders can dance and have been dancing since before they could walk. I am learning to let go of my pride and walk in humility big time.

Dancing for Liaina's Farewell party

One of the leaders on the base was one of the founders of Island Breeze, a YWAM dance troupe that travels the world doing Island dances. He has been giving me some private lessons and tips which has been SO helpful as many times the girls show me the actions but basic things like posture and hand and feet positions they forget to teach me since it is second nature for them.

Mobile Team Girls heading to Church

Learning Center News:

Things have not progressed much as far as the learning center goes. We cannot start until the construction workshop finishes because they are storing all of their building materials in the learning center and as they build, it is dangerous for kids and very noisy. They have had to put the library fale on hold while they have been feverishly trying to update and do construction on the fales for the DTS students. Although we were hoping to have the school start sometime in March, realistically it will not be until April. This is ok with me as it gives me more time to acclimate to the culture and to learn the language, although I am really missing having kids around and being in my niche. There is a small team from Canada in Samoa for a few weeks and one of them is a English as a Second Language Teacher/Instructor. We are hoping to get some time together next week or two so that I can pick his brain and get materials from him!

Construction Workshop Boys building the Library Fale

 My Role:

As the Learning Center isn’t yet functional, I have been doing the things that no one else has been able to do, time to do, or don’t have the skills to do. Mostly office work. I have become the “techy” on base-who would have thought?! It is by far not my favorite, but it is a need the base has and I am good at it. I have been typing up electronic copies of things that they only have hard copies of- Rewriting applications, syllabuses, and debrief curriculum. I have also been put in charge of international communications (which has been sorely lacking at the base)-emails, outreach teams that want to come, short term mission builders, etc. I have also become the official photographer on base as well as the one who updates the YWAM Samoa facebook page. (Find us YWAM Samoa). I would much rather be outside working with my hands and with people, but at least I am out of the sun and have a fan. I have still been working on the grounds weeding and hacking with machetes most mornings, and of course on the kitchen cooking and clean-up rota.

Kitchen Clean-up Crew

I have also been nominated official cake baker for special occasions-however, Samoans somehow make many things special occasions-I think they just are in love with my cakes-so I have been baking at least two or three times a week.  I feel like a true missionary woman now as Friday I baked a banana cake with bananas straight from the tree, made my own buttermilk as a substitute for sour cream with lemons from the tree. And for my coconut buttercream frosting, I used fresh coconut cream which I rung from the coconut meat with my bare hands. :)

Cake for Liana's Farewell Party

Base News:

Liaina just left the base for Brazil via Hawaii. Our March DTS just started two weeks ago with 13 students and 6 staff. Seven out of ten of the September DTS that we graduated last week have come back on staff as well as two other new staff members. So the base is hopping with people. The two DTS fales have been refurbished and enclosed. The roof is on the library fale-the only two story fale in all of Samoa! Our YWAM soccer team won their first elimination game in the tournament 3-0 and unfortunately lost in the second game 3-1 in a very hard-fought game in torrential rain.

DTS Graduation

Ava Ceremony

Me Personally:

I have been told that I have a black (African) heart, a Samoan soul, Latin hips, and white skin-a woman of the nations :).

Two weeks ago the honeymoon stage wore off/ I was exhausted and didn’t have my personal time with God, and therefore, it was a rough week. Amazingly, similar things were happening in the life of one of the staff named Ema. As we hid in my room to eat guacamole (which I made from the avocados on our tree) so that we didn’t have to share, God moved. We ended up spending more than two hours on our knees, sobbing, repenting, and crying out to God. It was such a sweet time. It was like a spiritual weight and darkness was lifted. I feel like Satan is really attacking me using the fear of man- caring more about other people’s thoughts and opinions of me than God’s- against me. This has been specifically prevalent in dancing (in the mobile team and also in worship). God has been speaking to me and asking me to be obedient, and I have been hesitant and resisting in some areas. I was sick for a few days with a sore, scratchy throat. I woke up that Friday morning feeling pretty miserable and bummed that I would not be able to sing during our base worship time, and God said, “It’s ok. You can dance instead.”, forcing me to step out in obedience. And His presence fell and many people were blessed by it.

Tiff and I relaxing at Coconut Resort the day Uncle John and Uncle Don took us snorkling. 

Tiff and I

Snorkling

I am still progressing with my language skills. I have been able to speak some sentences and have very, very basic conversations with people. I am pretty perceptive so I am able to discern what people are saying even if I don’t understand the words which helps. I am enjoying learning, and the Samoans are enjoying teaching me. Although I need to be careful who I ask as some of the boys think it is funny to teach me the wrong words now. Sunday I learned the alphabet and the words that correlate with each letter (like A apple but A ato). I feel very accomplished :).

I’m in a weird place where I am feeling accepted and a part but also very separate and alone all at the same time. Building relationship with the girls has still been difficult and sometimes seems like it is two steps forwards and one step back, but every time I feel discouraged, God rocks my world again with an amazing one-on-one time with one of the girls or one of them asks me to pray with them or confides in me. I have a room to myself currently which is nice for sleeping and having downtime, but is unhelpful for building relationships as at night time I can hear all the other girls giggling or talking together in their rooms. The language difference can also make things lonely as they don’t always think to include me or translate. The feelings of loneliness have been much better in the last week as they are seeing me as a permanent fixture and I have been stepping out more. God has been providing opportunities for fun and adventure and relationship. He is so good! Uncle John and Uncle Don took Tiffany and I snorkeling on the other side of the island; Saturday, Uncle Don, a few of the guys and I went hiking, jumping off waterfalls, and exploring caves across the island as well. Random dance parties are daily occurrences as we clean up the kitchen or cook.

Hiking and playing in the waterfall

The natives have gone wild while cooking Sunday lunch

Hiking to the Ma Tree

What God is Doing:

In the last week specifically, God has been expanding my heart for Samoa, giving me such a love for this culture and people, showing me the broken places that break His heart, and how He wants to heal and change it. It has been an incredible week! Such a week of surprises. Mei Shu (Taiwan), Auntie Vicki (New Zealand), and I had an incredible prayer and intercession time in the new fales-declaring it a place of God’s presence, safety, sisterhood, honesty, and so much more. We had a surprise visit from a couple from Washington State who not only mentored but also married my mentor and dear friend, Jessica, from YWAM Harpenden. In the short 48 hours they were here, they spoke into my life in such profound ways, confirmed the things that God was showing to me about Samoa and the base, and encouraged me personally and in the things that I feel God has asked me to step out in.

One of the things that God has heavily placed on my heart and on Tiffany and Ema’s hearts is to have a small group for the girls on base staff. I have noticed that there seems to be a lot of loneliness here as people have put up barricades around their hearts and placed a facade of strength and being “ok”  around themselves guarding very vulnerable and broken hearts. Many of the relationship are just surface level. The people are crying out for someone to see them but terrified of letting someone in as there have been so many hurts in the past; there is also a problem with gossip here in Samoa which makes people not want to share their hearts for fear everyone will know. I think this is why one of the strongholds/ prevalent problems in Samoa is in sexual sins like lust, sex outside of marriage, pornography especially in the youth. God wants to restore people’s identities, self-worth, and for the girls to know what it truly means to be a woman and walk in beauty. Most of them have been told their entire lives what to believe and think and who they are that their true God-given identities have been lost, crushed, or buried.

God has already begun this. The last three nights Tiffany, Ema, Uncle John and I have been up until between 1 and 3am praying over each other and seeing God breakthrough strongholds, lies, and fear bringing freedom and restoration. I am exhausted but so content and at peace. We really feel that this is just the beginning and God wants this to sweep over the base starting with us. We have been sensing that God wants to tear things down to the foundations with hurricane force and rebuild it from the base up-not patch jobs. I have started mentoring two younger girls and already God is working in that. We are going to start our girls’ group probably this week and just see what God does.

International Table-American Samoa, Taiwan, Solomon Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, USA, Samoa

Fun and Funny Firsts:

Mei Shu (Taiwan) loves to eat fresh wasp larvae-it is apparently a delicacy and full of protein. Of course, I tried it. Not a fan, although it is not terrible. I also spent one evening collecting snails by flashlight in order to make them for lunch a few days later. I had the privilege of helping Tiff de-slime them. Those were actually quite tasty since she is a fabulous cook. I also had a funny experience where a quite large centipede almost ran across my foot while I was going to the bathroom. I sat there with my legs and bare feet in the air until he crawled through a crack in the wall so I didn’t get bit. I also walked into the kitchen one day to the sight of two pig heads thawing on the counter next to the sink. As I was on for lunch prep that day I was a bit nervous as to what exactly it was we were having for dinner. It ended up being a special treat for the boys that they prepared themselves so I never had to cook it or eat it.

Prayer Requests:

1. Me
 a. Continued boldness and a willingness to be obedient in whatever the Lord asks of me. To keep
Him and His opinion of me first and foremost.
b. An unoffendable heart and love towards others. No judgment.

2. VISA- I will be applying for my 1 year VISA in the next week. Please pray that it is granted with no  problems or hassles and no extra fees.

3. Relationships with the other base staff, locals, and students that will be coming to the Learning       Center.  *Specifically relationships with the girls on base, and that those relationships would go deep and not just be surface level.

4. Mobile Team
a. That God would really use us mightily, that we would be led by the Spirit, and unity would  pervade our team.
b. We are believing God for a van to transport us to and from locations and for uniform poletasis (Samoan traditional dress).

5.  Girls Small Group- wisdom and discernment for how to run it and start it, but that also the girls    would be willing to be vulnerable and open. Bond of sisterhood.

6. Samoa (specifically the base)
a. That God would break the strongholds over Samoa- sexual perversions and lust, isolation and loneliness, gossip...and be replaced with unity, family, respect, and love

7. Health
a. Protection from sickness.
b. Mental and physical strength.
c. Denghi Fever is coming to Samoa. It has already affected Fiji. They have put out a national advisory. There is no immunization, but just be smart and take preventative measures like not leave standing water. I'm very peaceful about it and God is so much bigger, but I will always take the prayers.