Nu'uuli Friday

Man. These people sure do know how to say goodbye...

Today I got up and walked several miles. That is true but there is more to the story than that. I got up and got ready about 8. I tried to start the van that I was supposed to be driving today and it wouldn't start...So I got the rest of the way ready (I was just planning to run a quick errand) and headed off to Nu'uuli around 10. I walked down to the end of our road (maybe half a mile) and then planned to take a bus. I crossed the street and waited for a bus. No buses came. So...I started walking...I walked a good oh, maybe two miles, before I saw a bus. I waved my arms and flailed around like an idiot to try to get them to stop for me. I finally suceeded. I knew that I could not miss that bus. Then I road for about 20 minutes to my destination. You have to knock on the side when you want them to stop and I didn't knock early enough, so I got to walk kind of back to my destination and got there about 10:40 or so.  Did I mention that when the white girl started knocking...all of the Samoans on the bus thought she needed help and started knocking along with me? No, well, now I have. 

When I got to Nu'uuli, I was early, so I walked to get batteries with Ruth's little sister Val. I got them and then walked back to the church. Ruth was still not there, so I grabbed my camera and got some pictures of the village. I was lucky and John was out at the kitchen (sheltered area with fire pit) cooking taro. I caught him right in the nick of time and got some good pictures of him cooking and flailing around a large knife. He was a little bashful about the camera, but warmed up once he knew I was not going to put it away. As to be expected, the kids started gathering around me and wanting their pictures taken too, so I got somewhere around 100 pictures just today. Then I put the camera up and got my journal. I tried to write a little, but the kids gathered again, and it was impossible. 

Then I went into to Tofoi's house and we watched some Samoan dancing and music videos. Around noon Ruth got back and immediately was ready to go shopping. I was later to discover why. We walked a couple of miles to the Lafou Shopping Center (the closest thing to a mall) and I got what I needed. She kept urging me on the way back to "walk like a snail" insisting that American's "walk too fast". I am a thoroughly Texan mosier, so I didn't buy it. We got part of the way back and some of the girls from the church just turned us around again. We went into a little bakery and got some "Hawaiian Pizza Roll" things and a coke. It was actually really good. When we got back to the church, there was a banner hanging over one of the fales that said, "Sharing the love with Kate" They had all signed it and set it up like a party. We had to wait though, because they weren't ready, so I got some more batteries and chilled for a little while longer. I talked to Cialolo, who just adopted her sister's baby and the baby, Gideon, weighs in at 14 lbs. at one month (that is more than I weighed at a year). He is a hefty one!

Then we went inside and they had laid out fine mats and pillows and made Koko rice (very Samoan). They told me to honor my past as a cheerleader, we were going to watch Bring it On 4. It was fun. Then we played some games and did some skits. We played musical chairs, kung-fu, zip zap zop, get in groups of..., killer killer killer, and look down look up. Some Samoan, some American. It was a blast. We did the cha-cha slide too. Finally, after a while, we sat down and had our Bible study. We talked about how it is special to be a woman and how God created us different and how that is good. I really think they liked it. I attempted to teach them, "Mighty God" and they liked it. We will try it again tomorrow and see if they remember it. 

Before I knew it, it was time to go home. Jerry picked me up. I finished a project and uploaded some pictures to facebook. Here I am now...sitting at the table, "Kate-made sweet tea" in hand and facing my last 48 hours in Samoa. How great it is for God to provide comfort padding on both ends of this transition, with lovely wonderful Samoan sisters on one end, and my great amazing loving biological family on the other! I am truly blessed to be in such a sandwich.

I have come to terms and have accepted the call from God to come home. I usually think of a call from God to "go somewhere different" but what I am hearing now is more of a call to "go back home--they need you there too." Praise God for His amazing mercies all throughout this trip!