Pray for Samoa

NOT my photo - taken off of FB

Talofa Family and Friends,
     As many of you have heard, Western Samoa is fighting a deadly measles epidemic.  In 2013 the immunization rate was over 80% but then two children died in Savaii of a contaminated immunization and parents stopped immunizing their children.  The result - over 4,000 cases of measles in the country with over 60 deaths, mostly of children under the age of 4.  It is almost certain that the death toll will rise before this is all over.  To put this into perspective - if my math is right - that would be comparable to 100,000 children in the USA dying in a matter of a couple of months.  (USA Pop - 329,000,000 vs. Samoan Pop - 197,000 - 60 deaths).  Two days last week the entire country was shut down.  No one was allowed on the roads except medical and emergency personnel.  All businesses, schools, and government offices were closed. All Christmas parties - or large gatherings of any kind are cancelled.  Immunizations are now mandatory.  If your household is not vaccinated you have to stay home and fly a red flag outside so medical personnel can bring the vaccine to your house.  The real tragedy is that this was 100% preventable.
      So here in American Samoa, extreme measures have been taken to try and keep the disease off our island.  Sadly, this week there were 9 confirmed cases here.  As a result all Christmas celebrations have been called off, schools are closed, church services are very limited and efforts to make sure everyone is vaccinated continue.  It is doubtful that we will see the same devastation as Western Samoa, as the vaccination rate here is over 80% and malnutrition is not as prevalent.  However, one child would be too many.  The lesson here - VACCINATE your kids!

   
This week Sister Leiataua and her companion Sister King spent most of the week with us, as she had to have three wisdom teeth pulled - one side on Tuesday and the other side on Friday.  I have to say that she was a trooper.
Sister King, not accustomed
to air conditioning, spent the week cocooned in a blanket. We love these sisters, but hopefully we will have a break for a bit from house guests.

Elders Larsen and Fa'amasuli were welcome help this week as we made our weekly run to the Post Office.  I'm really not sure what we would have done without their help.  We sent 18 large boxes to Apia, with many still more distributed to our missionaries in American Samoa.  We're grateful President Ho Ching has given us permission to use these Elders through the end of the Christmas season as neither Brent nor I can crawl into the back of the truck to stack boxes.  What you can't see is the sweat literally pouring off of poor Elder Larsen.

Brent, Jr., Patty, Sky, Mata 

     Thursday night we had invited our institute students for dinner and games to celebrate the end of the semester.  I had no idea how many people to expect, and actually had nightmares of being over run with YSAs (Young Single Adults).  However, from the photo you can see that my fears were ungrounded.  Even though we were few in number we had a great time.  After dinner we played the "Ricky Ticky Bear" game (which was a hit) and then watched a movie.  We love these young adults!
     One of our Elders, Elder Pingree, took a leave of absence from the Air Force Academy to serve a mission.  In order to be readmitted he had to talk to his Minnesota Congressman and two other high officials.  Getting this phone call set up was a big deal, Saturday morning we were on edge while we waited for the call and prayed Elder Pingree would make it from the other side of the island in time.  The phone rang - I answered - Elder Pingree arrived!  Whew!!!  His goal is to be a fighter pilot and I think he's on his way.  If all the young people in the academy are the same caliber as this young man,

Elders Pingree and Raybon

our country is in good hands!  Best of luck Elder!
     Friday night was the Christmas Party for the PBO.  This was the first day the Government had announced the presence of measles, and so the police arrived and told us everyone had to be out of the restaurant by 8:30 pm.  That cut the party a little short, but we still had a good time.  That will be the end of our partying for this year, as all future events have been cancelled.
     Sometime this week I was listening to a program and  heard something I'd heard before, but this time it stuck in my head.  "We are not Human Beings having a spiritual experience, we are Spiritual Beings having a human experience." As a consequence of our mortal existence we are subject to disease, heartbreak and trials.  That is why having a strong faith in God and an understanding of who we truly are, literal children of our Heavenly Father, is so important.  That faith is our ark in the storm.
    Trying to tie this all together, to try and make sense of a world that sometimes does not make sense, I came across this quote from an LDS talk by L. Whitney Clayton: "The sweetest gift given at Christmas will always be the one our Savior Himself gave us: his perfect peace. He said: 'Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid' (John 14:27). Even in a world where peace seems far off, the Savior’s gift of peace can live in our hearts regardless of our circumstances. If we accept the Savior’s invitation to follow him, lasting fear is forever banished. Our future has been secured. These are the 'good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.' 'Fear thou not,' the prophet Isaiah reminded us, 'for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness' (Isaiah 41:10)."  
Alofa atu, Patty (Nana)