Manuia le Kerisimasi

Dec.24/2017

It seems a bit different this year for Christmas, no snow, no turkey, no grand kids,  no family or children but swaying palm trees, a lot of ocean, eggs and spam, lots of smiling children, a few cockroaches and a couple geckos. All is well.
This past week was a bit slower with school out and Christmas almost here. We had the opportunity to meet with some people and get to know some of our contacts. We met with the Ministry of Education, we work with them in helping supply desks, chairs, tables for students here in Samoa and neighboring islands. We also met with a village that is constructing a fale. Fale's are everywhere here. Villages and  families use them for meetings, school, family gatherings and celebrations, many families actually live in them.
Being here in the rainy season is quite the experience, the sun will shine, it gets really hot and humid then the sky opens up and a torrential down pour will come lasting for maybe a few minutes or sometimes an hour flooding the streets and roads because the ditches can't handle all the water. Crazy to see and crazier to be driving in it.
On Tuesday Scott and I are headed to Savaii, a small island just off of Samoa to go through an emergency container (a large sea can) that is filled with emergency response items that are needed for natural disasters such as cyclones,hurricanes,typhoons, and yes, tsunamis.Which I am told can and do happen here. Better to be prepared.
Scott and I went to a Fia, Fia Thursday night, a celebration that had a lot of Samoan culture dancing, it was really good.The Samoan people love to sing and dance. This past week, every night in celebration of Christmas they have had different church denominations and  groups sing and dance in a program that is put on by the LDS church. The people love it and it helps kick off their Christmas season.
Well it is the Christmas season, and we are wishing you all, family and friends A Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year or as they say in Samoa, Tausaga fou fiafia fiafia ole Kerisimasi.
Remember to always "Light the World". 
How will you remember the Savior this season?  Take time if you can to watch and listen to this beautiful video.
Love and miss you all,
Grandma and Grandpa
Elder and Sister Cameron

Christmas program

Fia Fia night

Fia Fia night (Larissa, Just for you)

Apia Temple