Sundays in Samoa are a lot like Sundays in Provo--most stores and businesses are closed and the city or villages are quiet. It is amazing to see an entire island observing the Sabbath Day. A few other interesting observations--you can hear village bells ring in the early evenings calling the people to evening prayers. I remember Dan talking about this but I was quite surprised to see and hear that it is still a tradition. A second observation--people bury their loved ones in front of their homes. Almost every burial tomb and marker were beautifully constructed and cared for, usually much nicer than the homes the people live in.
We slept in on Sunday morning and attended the local Stake Conference. We walked into the building 20 minutes before it started and were amazed that the chapel and overflow areas were already filled. We sat on the very back row and then watched rows of chairs being set up on the stage to accommodate more people. A beautiful, stirring choir sang prelude music and then the meeting got underway. Most of the meeting was conducted in Samoan and so Dan had to translate for us. One of the youth speakers, a young woman, spoke in English and then bore her testimony in Samoan. Elder Callister of the Seventy was the presiding authority and he and his wife spoke in English with Samoan translators. I loved singing the intermediate hymn with the congregation in Samoan--it sounded amazing! The building didn't have A/C but the cross ventilation of open windows was decent.
It was also Father's Day and we spent some time strolling around the harbor, taking pictures and hanging out together. We completed a lot of Mad Libs on this trip!
A conclusion to another amazing day!
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