O le Faafetai ...

 ... sa tuuina i le ‘auvala’aulia o le fiafia sa faia mo Elder Letalu (Aukuso 26, 2014), i lona taliu mai i lana misiona
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Oute manatu o le a le tu’ua faa-mafutaga tafatafamaogo le tatou afiafi.  O upu masani fo’i a le atunu’u e ui ina faapopo aso ua a’o aso folau e le mafai ona tu’ua. O lona uiga poo a ni porokalama fuafuaina ma faataatia, e masani ona iai ni suiga e faapopo ma faafuase’i, ae e iai fo’i tulaga e le mafai ona suia pe soloia.

E faapena fo’i la i nisi o tulaga o le tatou tu ma agaifanua, ae maise le faaleoina o se loto ma se agaga faafetai mo se faaaloalo. O le pogai lea o lo’u toe soso atu, e pei ona tuuina atu i le taimi ua sola.

E le o toe na ma le laina, ua malama fo’i i ulugalu, O le to’atele o lo tou pa’ia ma lo tou mamalu ia o ni aiga ia i ma’ua ma le tina.  Ae a lafalafa fo’i tuga, ua aiga e tasi i tatou uma i le Tala Lelei, lea ua mafua ai ona tatou penei, e patipatia le ta'avaoga ma le ta'aseega i le Tala’iga a le atali’i. 

Peita’i, e ui fo’i i so tatou  soo tulutulu ma faafaleve’a i lo tatou va nonofo, ae e le tuua ai i lalo o outou pa’ia ma outou sa - paia o aiga, nuu ma alalafaga, aua o le tagata ma lona tupuaga o le tagata foi ma lona faasinomaga.  O lea, ta’oto faa-galu e le fati o outou sa ma faiga, ae maise ia te outou o ni o’u paolo ma faamalumaluga, ni o’u sao i malo.  Tulou.

Faatulou atu fo’i i auauna a le Atua faapea tupu ma tamali'i ua tatou faatasi, i o outou sa faale-Talalelei ma mamalu faale-atunuu.

O pa’ia o Samoa, ia o le a faase’etuagalu; e le gafataulimaina e lo’u tagata ona taea pa’ia ia, ae le gata i lea, o loo iai laoa, maota ma malae o Samoa e agatonu ai pa’ia ia. Ae ta faapei ia o le upu nai Poutoa, ia taoama pa’ia ia ae lafo i matau le faatofala’iga aua le Atua ma lona finagalo.  Lea e iai le aso.

Ae o le a se’i  ta’utino le solo a le tamaloa, ma ou faapea atu - Faafetai, faafetai, faafetai tele lava.

Faafetai atu i lo tou maliu mai ma afifio mai. Faafetai i lo tou faamalo’ulo’u lo tou tutu la’au faamanuiti, ma lo tou taliaina aloa’ia o le valaau  ma le faatalau’ula atu a i ma’ua ma le fanau.  O lea ua maualuga ai le aso ona o lo tou amana'ia o le talo atu.

E le faagaloina  fo'i faai’a i ola lo outou agalelei.  E le ufiufia foi faamanugase lo tou alofa ma la tou foa’i,  i soo lava se tulaga. Poo tupe, poo taumafa poo nisi lava faatinoga, ia toe faafetai ma faamalo atu.  O ai le tagata ua e manatu ane ai? O upu masani, ia e sili le manuia o le foa’i nai le talia.  Ia sautualasi ona faamanuia atu le Atua.

E talitonu fo’i le faamoemoe sa outou tagi ma faasagi i le Tama i le Lagi aua le manuia ma le saogalemu o ana auauna tala’i o ali’i ma tama’ita’i o loo tala faauto i itu e fia o le kelope, e aofia ai ma le atali’i lea. Faamalo ma faafetai i a outou faatoga ma talotaloga, ia outou tagisaga ma talosaga.

Ou te le toe tau selu pe faalalanu atu. E le toe tau ‘aufagaina fo'i le la’au ua ta tulaga. E iloa le tamali’i i ana taga o le tupu fo’i i ana aga.  

Ona faata’i lea ma se matou tala, afai ua le so’o lou pale le tau lou titi, ia malu ave i fale i outou finagalo se taumafaiga vaivai a Letalu ma le aiga.  Ua pu’upu’u si ota lima.  Ae o le auganiga, ‘aua ne’i lia’iina i ala sota faatamala. Ia lililo fo'i faiva o Fiti.  O se upu fo’i ua le tau tamali’i, ia alofa ma ia va'atele i outou finagalo. 

Ia o si a'u toe pi'ioa atu lea i le ta aleaga i lenei afiafi.  Sau se taimi tatou taumavae, ia alofa le Atua e puipui ma leoleo le toe taliu atu i aiga ma fanua. Tatou mavae lea i le mavaega nai le tai, a Taema ma Tilafaiga - Pe a ta fefulituaa’i, ia tumau lo ta fealofani.

Ia soifua ma ia manuia.

He's Home!

The Arrival...

Dearie and I, among many who also waited for their sons and daughters
returning from missions around the world.

Elder "L"... anxious to meet his Mom for the first time in two years

... bag off and on its way to the floor, and running

... to hug his Mom

...with Mom

... and Dad

... with oldest nephew (grandson), who should be our next "Elder" - in a year's time?
...we have the leis, the aloha spirit, so why not the sign, aye?

...with Mom, Dad and sisters

The Party ...

The Band serenading -"Ita e, ua lili'a..."
"NC" - North Carolina (Charlotte) Mission

... some of the nephews and future missionaries getting ready to perform for Uncle Elder "L"

... Saaaaauni!!!!! (Ready!)

... jammin'

... the "girls"/nieces after the performance

... the group after the show

... with the performers (nieces and nephews) after the the party

... with "sisters" missionaries

... father and son

SUP??

WussssssSUP?   Well, it’s SUP - Stand Up Paddleboarding ..that’s wussssup!!! ..lol!

Some of our children who were kayaking and paddleboarding last weekend at the lake invited us (Dearie and I) to come hang out.  I wasn’t in the mood of getting wet or doing anything in the water.  I just wanted to sit, relax, enjoy and appreciate nature and watch some of the grandchildren play and swim.  And  then I got bored - hmmm...a little. So I said “why not?”  I couldn't resist getting on the stand up paddleboard; I got on and paddled out to the middle of the lake.

Paddleboarding actually was invented by Polynesians, namely the Hawaiians who would lie (not "lay", Americans ... lol) on the stomach (prone) on the board and paddle with their hands. SUP is a variant of paddleboarding.

Balancing was a challenge especially when the rippling waves, cranked up by the passing waverunners and boats, rocked the paddleboard. Heheee ...

So while SUPing, the connection with my island roots and life was inevitable and immediate.  I remember, as a teenager, paddling the paopao (dugout canoe) standing up, most of the time during folaulauga (leisure canoeing).  The nostalgia was refined and near poignant as some of the songs came to mind:

“Aloalo malie lou va’a Samoa, i lou sami lanumoana ...” and

“A e fia tafao toso lou paopao, 
pei oe se seila mai nu'u mamao
e te  folaulau ai ma e lagilagi pese 
ma e faalogo i le tausagi o manulele.
Samoa e, ou te alofa tele ia te ‘oe ....”  

Hey, it’s Summertime, Summertime, Sum Sum Summertime!!