The earthquake in Turkey and Syria is absolutely devastating, the number of casualties catastrophic. We will continue to pray for them and find ways to reach out and support them in whatever way we can. Christian World Service have an appeal which we could support. We also continue to remember the flood victims in Auckland and in particular those who have lost everything and those who are uninsured. My sister-in-law Ofeira works for The Fono who are one of the major agencies for relief and welfare and they are working non-stop to house flood victims in emergency housing and provide food and clothing and emergency finance through WINZ.
All this was happening whilst I was literally lying on the beach under a palm tree in Savaii, Samoa. I had no television but luckily I had internet connection so could keep up with some of the world news.
I was contacted the day that our new deputy prime minister Carmel Sepuloni was chosen, to go into Parliament the next day and offer a blessing and pray her into her new role. Unfortunately I had just arrived in Samoa and obviously could not do this. But it was an honour to be asked.
I had a wonderful two weeks in Samoa with my family. My sister Helen was installed with the chiefly title of Leiluafogaga and my two nephews Lucas and Albert received the Taule’ale’ausumai titles. My brother Ben and sister Violet who also hold the Taule’ale’ausumai titles organised and ran the whole occasion. It was most unusual for two New Zealand born chiefs to lead the proceedings given that Samoan was our second language and we didn’t live there. But the fact was that being the children of the youngest sibling of 9 we were the youngest surviving children from that generation’s offspring. Most of our nephews and nieces were older than us and so even though we were younger in age we were older in genealogy or “gafa” and so were considered the most senior and had the authority. Our family title Taule’ale’ausumai was only passed down through the brother’s line so only my father and his brother’s children could hold the title. As the most senior holders of the brothers line my brother and sister Taule’ale’ausumai decided to open the title up to the children of the 7 sisters and break with tradition and be more egalitarian. That was ground breaking and so the sisters’ children those who were able were given the Taule’ale’ausumai title for two representatives from each of the sisters’ families. It was a great celebration led by the village council of chiefs with an ava ceremony and the receiving of the Aaronic blessing from the two ministers of the village of Faletagaloa, Safune. My job was to lead the family devotions in the evenings.
On Sunday when we would normally attend church in the local village I was asked to do a baptism for my nephews friends who had travelled from Shanghai to be with us. They were Christian but did not attend a church in China but wanted their children and wife to be baptised as they could not do this in China. I went prepared with baptismal certificates and a family bible as a gift for them. We had our own private beach to perform the ceremony on and it was a wonderful occasion. Little 4 year old Emerson asked if I was Jesus since I dunked him in the water. I laughed and said that Jesus was my boss and I worked for him. The following week we all travelled back to Upolu for a week’s holiday of recreation and relaxation. I arrived in Auckland on Sunday 5th February and drove back down to Wellington in my newly acquired second-hand campervan on Tuesday 7th. Great drive down and beautiful weather.
Betty Radford Turcott of Canada writes: Ordinary Folk. Out of the ordinary comes the extraordinary. We ask, O God, that you be present in all our doings and our being. Give meaning and purpose to the common routines of each day. Give hope and promise to the events that shape us and shape our world. Give each one an ordinary task and extraordinary love to carry it out in your name. Fei
You can read the full E-News here: https://mailchi.mp/feb6a5dc0f6c/this-weeks-newsletter-from-st-andrews-on-the-terrace-9300963
