My father is a Matai.

Sad news last night as I spoke with my parents and they told me of the passing of another elder in our Community. As I spoke with them about the truth of our mortality and encouraged them to look after themselves, inviting them to be healthier my father said something interesting. He said with all seriousness that he would live to see his 80’s because he had been obedient to his parents and had been a good son.   When Christianity finally arrived in Samoa, the Samoan’s embraced it whole -heartedly. So much so, that the Samoan coat of arms says “ Faavae i le Atua Samoa” “Samoa is founded on God” Or “Our Foundation is God.” In the evenings, visitors to Samoa are pleasantly surprised when passing by villages to hear the sweet melodies that flow from house to house as families wind down and give praises to God and thanks for the days blessings and further water seeds of faith planted from birth. The old adage that children are seen but not heard is true in Samoa. They lea...