They LOVE to eat...

When the Lord provided the opportunity to come to American Samoa, one of the first things I did was to check a map to see where it was.  The second thing I did was check the weather.  After realizing it was going to be hot and very humid, I figured I would be sweating a lot and losing some weight.  Well, only part of that is true.  Yes it is hot and I am sweating constantly, but the losing weight is not happening.  The people of American Samoa love to eat and share that tradition with you.  I am sure you have figured that out if you have read any of the previous blogs.

Today was not was no exceptions.  We attended the Wednesday night service at Happy Valley Baptist Church. (American Samoa for those of you in Arizona)  It was a great time of worship as usual and the message was outstanding.  It was given by Pastor Mark from the Alaskan team and it was refreshing and encouraging.  He was speaking from Hebrews chapter 10 from verse 1-14.  These verses speak about how the law was a shadow of the good things to come.  What was really refreshing to me was the fact that the law required an annual sacrifice that was a reminder of our sin, but with Jesus Christ there is not need for that annual reminder.  Verse 14 says "... because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy."  What spoke to me about this verse was that the sacrifice of Jesus is what makes us perfect in order to step into the Holy of Holies and have a relationship with a living God, but the process of being made holy is still going on in our lives.  That process is exactly why God has me in American Samoa.  He has given me an opportunity to step out on faith to trust in Him and lay all of my worries and concerns about this trip at the feet of His Son Jesus.  What an amazing thing.  The perfection and the being made holy is all done by God.  We must respond in obedience and allow him to do an amazing work within us.  Thank you Lord Jesus for allowing us to have a personal relationship with you that is perfect and on going.

After that encouragement from the Holy Spirit, another pot luck.  Pastor Elise wanted to show his appreciation for the teams being here and helping out on campus.  So, they invited us to their Fali (House) and along with the other missionaries who stay on site and teach at the school, they provided an awesome time of food and fellowship.

The testimony in all of this is that going back to when the opportunity arose and we were getting information on the trip, a certain dollar amount was recommended for us to bring along to take care of our needs while on the island.  This included food.  I had even confirmed that the original amount would be okay.  So, when we first arrived, we were eating out at every meal.  The kitchen in the mission house was torn apart and we were not able to prepare meals like we had thought.  God had provided double what was recommended I take and I was starting to get a bit worried that the funds would not last.  Especially being that if we need tools or items on the jobsite, we were to purchase them and get reimbursed when we returned to the states.  The reimbursement is great, but it doesn't do much for me while I am here.  Also, the credit/debit systems here are not reliable, so as they say..."Cash is King".  I remember doing the calculation on how much I could spend per day with what I had left at the 4 day mark and I was a bit anxious.  I prayed right then and the Lord gave me a peace that he had provided for this trip and he would continue to provide while I was here.  That is when we started actually working on the homes and lunch was provided daily.  It seems that above that, once a day, someone was either taking us out for a meal or cooking for us.  God has not only been sufficient, he has provided plentiful.

I am looking forward to Thursday.  We are back at the house of the High Chief to hopefully finish up the job. We have been waiting for more material that has arrived and we have been waiting for a good break in the weather in order to do some work on the roof.  The forecast is mixed at this point, but it appears to be the best day of the week.  Please pray that the rain ceases for the day in order for us to completely finish the job before we leave.

Thank you all again for your continued prayers and support.  I know the Lord is hearing them and acting upon them during this time.

May God Bless you and I look forward to updating you again tomorrow.... Billy

Rainy day schedule

The heavy rain was back again today. The schedule today (Tuesday) was to work at the two new projects in Fagasa. There were a few things that could be done in preparation for the materials to arrive, so that is what we did. The building supply companies here do not have any type of box truck to deliver materials, so if what you ordered needs to stay dry, you won't be getting it until the rain stops. That was the case today. The concrete, drywall and wood doors would not have done well in the heavy downpour we received today. At one point, we were done with what we could do until the material arrived and we just sat there and watched the water come down in the bay. It was pretty amazing because the clouds came over the tips of the mountains and created a mist. I was unable to bring my camera today because I forgot to charge the battery. I will try and get some pictures posted tomorrow of the mountains. I still am enjoying how pretty the island is.

While I was standing there waiting for the rain to die down a bit, I was able to talk with the social worker from the Volunteers Organization that stays on our jobsites while we are working. We were speaking about the local customs and how a lot of them seem to be based on a reverence for God, but in reality have nothing to do with God. I was able to hear his testimony of his love for Jesus and he invited me and my "partner in crime" Steve to the church he attends on Sunday and then lunch at his house afterwards. If you can't tell by now, feeding a guest is an important tradition in the American Samoan culture. Of course we accepted...... :) I am excited for another Sunday to come and another opportunity to interact with the people. His name is Roy and my prayer is that God blesses him and his family. He has been very helpful to us while we have been here and had been a key factor in us being able to actually get these jobs to work on. God is using him in a mighty way. Even more so than I believe he realizes.

Today after we were done working, we were invited to the Korean Baptist Church for a potluck dinner. They wanted to show their appreciation for coming and helping the American Samoa people. It was a really fun and uplifting experience. It turns out that not only was the Korean Baptist Church there, they had people from the Chinese Baptist Church and a couple from Fiji. When the dinner was over, Pastor Elise stood up and wanted to teach the Arizona and Alaskan teams how to sing God is So Good in Samoan. By the time it was all over, we were singing God is so good in English, Samoan, Korean, Chinese, and the native tongue of Fiji. It was so awesome to hear God's people singing praises to God in their native language. They were so welcoming and the food was awesome. I am continuing to receive more blessings than could ever be given.

Here are some pictures from the evening:

(Good time of fellowship)

(The women who prepared our meal... it was great)

(Everyone)

Tomorrow is much of the same.  We are hopefull that the materials arrive and we are able to have a productive day.

God bless.....

Back at it...

After a great Sunday, we were able to get back to the house we have been working on.  There were a few items to be finished included laying the tile flooring and finishing up the windows.  We were short some of the items, but we were able to complete all the material would allow us to.  It looks like because of the rain that has come upon us today and will continue into Tuesday night, we will not be able to return to the site until Wednesday at the earliest.  One of the things we need to do is paint the roof and we will need it to be dry to do that.  Wednesday and Thursday look clear at this point in the forecast. 

The good thing is that we won't be idle.  There are two more homes to begin work on that will take us through our time here and continue on with the next crew coming from North Carolina.  Material is expected to be there tomorrow and we can begin working. 

Okay, I have figured out where the confussion was in regards to the Korean service.  We are actually going to be going to the Korean church tomorrow (Tuesday) for a youth rally.  After the rally, they will be having games and a potluck for us to fellowship with them.  I am really looking forward to seeing what God has in store.

At this point in the trip, I am feeling a bit bitter sweet.  I am truly enjoying myself and am excited about what God is doing.  I wake up expecting to encounter the Lord each day and am ready to interact with the people.  Yesterday gave me such insight into the culture in which they live and the expectations they have living on the island.  But, on the other hand, I miss my family terribly.  I have yet to be away from my wife and kids this long and am longing to be home with them.  Throughout the week though, God has given me and incredible peace to know I am right where he wants me to be and has also given me a wonderful sence of assurance that our famly is being blessed because of this experience.  As they say in the beginning of the service in American Samoa, "God is good...... All the time....... All the time..... God is Good!"

Thank you again to all of you who are following and commenting.  Your encouragment is a blessing to me.

In Christ..... Billy

Sunday!

What a great Sunday.  First off, I was a little off on the Korean church.  It wasn't Korean at all.  Must have got lost in translation somewhere.... :)  We went to a traditional American Samoan Church today and I will do my best to explain to you what we experienced.  Three of us went from the team.  One of which was giving the message.  Not one of us had even met anybody from the church and were going in completely blind as to what we were going to experience.  When we arrived, we were warmly greeted and introduced.  They were finishing up bible study and getting ready for the morning worship time.  One thing about the American Samoan people is that music is a bit part of their lives.  As were are sitting down, they are already singing praises and worshiping the Lord before the service started.  Once the time arrived to start, worship continued.  They began be reading the Word in both Samoan and English.  They then proceeded to sing songs of praise.  Let me tell you, I don't think there are any words to describe what I heard and saw.  I can just imagine the Lord sitting on His throne and listening to them sing His praises with a smile.  Yes, the Samoan people have beautiful voices and the harmony was outstanding, but what brought me to tears was the sincerity in worship.  You could see the Spirit working in them and the joy worshiping the Lord brought them.  The were truly reverent towards the Lord.

I also noticed while they were singing, they can't stand still.  They were swaying back and forth and bringing a joyful noise.  Then something that reminded me of home happened.  One of the things that we do at Morristown Christian Fellowship is that when you have a birthday or an anniversary, you come up to the front of the worship center for the congregation to sing to you.  When your day comes, you are to bring a dollar with you and put it in a jar.  Pastor Mike always says we must be the only church where you have to pay to have a birthday.  I am not sure if anyone knows when or why that practice started, but it did and it is still observed.  So, as a song ended, a woman form the congregation walked to the front and gave a quick testimony in Samoan.  Once she was done, the congregation began to sing happy birthday to her.  As they were singing, everyone walked up to her and gave her a hug and placed money in an offering plate.  You see MCF, we have it all wrong.  We are supposed to get paid not pay out.... :)  Anyway, it was a nice reminder of home.

Once that was over, the songs continued.  It was also amazing to see that the whole family was in church.  The American Samoan people are very family driven and there was not other area that they sent their kids for church.  Little ones walked around and the school aged kids were expected to worship along with the adults. No one was bothered by the little ones and all the other kids we singing as loud as anyone.  We had two boys that sat behind us that were about 7 or 8.  We could her them sing out every song.  They did however have a fascination with our arm hair.  It appears that the Samoan men do not have much arm hair if any at all.  This seemed to intrigue them to the point where the pulled on the arm hair of brother Don as he was sitting and listening to the sermon.

Brother Marvin did and excellent job giving the message and his testimony.  He is a new chaplain and this was his first time giving a message to a congregation.  The Lord blessed him beyond measure and blessed the ones listening.

When the service was over, the pastor invited us to lunch.  We had an awesome time getting to know them and hearing about how the Lord is working in the lives of the people at their church.  They were so appreciative of us coming to American Samoa to help, but what we wanted them to know is that we were blessed by their people and they way they worshiped the Lord.

Sunday is considered a day of rest and worship on the island.  In the past, all businesses shut down and the day was spent at church and with the family.  Things have loosened up of the last few years, but it is apparent that the focus has changed for the day.  Every restaurant and store we went into was playing Christian music.  And when I say every, I mean every.  I asked the pastor about it and he said that all of the radio station play Christian music on Sunday.  The people that you did see out and about, were dressed up in their traditional Sunday dress which is a Lava Lava (skirt) and dress shirt for men and a dress for women.  It was pretty neat to see.

After lunch, we didn't have much time before the evening service started at Happy Valley Baptist where we are staying.  We have two of the team members that have been here for three weeks that are leaving today and they were having a special presentation for them.  What happened at the service was an awesome time of testimony and worship that lasted 3 hours.  It was one of the quickest three hours I have ever had.  The Lord was moving in the lives of the workers and the people.  They shared from their hearts and began to sing songs of praise.  I was blessed beyond words.

It was a pretty awesome day and I am looking forward to getting back out to work tomorrow.  I hope all had a wonderful Sunday and I look forward to my next update.

God Bless.... Billy    (Check out the Pics below)

(The Emanuel Baptist Church)

(Me and Marvin.... yes, I am actually here and that is a Lava Lava)

Looking forward to Sunday

(New Door... Thanks Kendel)

Today was a good day of work on the island.  Because of the delay in getting multiple jobs going at the same time, we were able to get a little more help today.  It looks like we will be able to finish the job up on Monday.  That is good news because we finally have approval to start two more jobs on Monday in the same area.  It looks like my postcard view will remain. :)  Here are a few more pictures from our day of work.

(Roof Repair)

(Steve working and Kendel making fun of his Duct Tape boots)

(The local workers on the other side of the roof)

(Kendel working on the front door)

(Finished Roof Repair)

(Other side of the finished repair)

The weekends are pretty low key in American Samoa.  Most families spend the day outside playing volleyball or their version of cricket.  It was also the first time I saw people swimming in the bay.  Most buses stop running on the weekends and most of the stores are closed.  We also had to ask permission from the homeowner to work on Saturday.  We are glad he gave us permission because we did not want to waste a day of our limited time here.

I am really looking forward to Sunday.  Part of the responsibility of a pastor or a chaplain on this disaster call is to preach at a local church on Sunday.  We have one pastor and one chaplain on our team, so they will be preaching at different churches.  I have enjoyed getting to know a brother named Marvin on our team and he will be preaching this Sunday.  I am excited about going with him to where he will be giving the message.  It is a Korean Baptist Church, so I am very interested about how a Korean church worships in American Samoa.  I can't wait to experience a new style of worship.

Being that Sunday and it we are taking the day off, we are hoping to be able to go sight seeing a bit.  There is a call for a good amount of rain, so we will see how much we will be able to see.  If we are able to, I will be uploading the pictures.

May all of you have a great day of worshiping the Lord.  Until next time.....

Blessings...... Billy

A great testimony of Gods Love

We were a little later getting started today.  We had to pick up a few items at the hardware store to be productive today.  The owner of the house was meeting us there to pay for the items, but we had to make a stop at the bank first.  I tell you that because that is where Steve and I received a great testimony today.  We were riding in the pickup truck "Samoan Style".  That just means in the back.  As we waited for the homeowner to go in the bank, the woman who was driving the truck stepped out and began speaking with us.  I wish I could remember her name, but even if I did, I would most likely not be able to spell it.... :)  She gave her account of the tsunami, which was pretty similar to the others we had heard.  But, what stood out was her perspective on the whole thing.  She stated that it was widely professed throughout their village that God must hate them to have sent the earthquake and the tsunami.  She continued on by telling us that she saw it as a blessing.  She  felt the earthquake and saw the water head back into the ocean.  And as that was happening, she ran towards the top of the hill.  She said that if God wanted her dead, it didn't matter how high she was able to get, God would have found her.  One of the things that happens on the island are boat races between the villages.  This is taken very seriously and she professed frustration because they expect the members of the village who are in the boat race to be there above and beyond church.  These boats are really long and we have even seen one named satan.  The lady continued to share that the boat in their village was destroyed and she was kind of glad.  She was hoping that people would stop taking their focus off these boat races and begin to focus more time and energy on God.

Another testimony she gave was that she had been praying for a block home.  That is the most common type of home on the island, but for some reason hers was a stick built.  When the tsunami hit, it wiped out her house completely.  They were able to take the relief money and build a block home for her and her family.  I just kept thinking that here is someone who lost of earthly possessions and all she was thinking about is how God has answered her prayers.  She was very careful to not say that God sent the tsunami to answer her prayers, but I am sure you understand her heart.  That delay at the bank was the best part of the day.

We arrived at the house and began to work.  The volunteer workers were there ready to go and go we did.  One of the projects I am working on is replacing some of the masonite in the living area.  I had a couple of sheets to go and then I could move on to the next thing.  Well, the last piece had to be cut and trimmed and it took me a bit to hit right.  After getting it adjusted just right, I installed it in the right position.  A few hours later, on of the workers was looking for  a pry bar we have.  After all of us looking around for it, Steve stated that the last time he remembered seeing it, it was on top of a 2x4 that is now covered by that "special" piece of masonite.  It didn't take long for me to realize that I have left them in the wall and the only way to get them out was to remove the panel.  It was a bit difficult because the masonite just rips a bit when you are trying to remove it.  I was able to get what ended up being four items left in the wall.  Needless to say, this took a lot of time, but I was able to get it done with a minimum amount of damage to the masonite.

Tomorrows plan is to do some more work on the house.  We should have the same crew of Steve, the VOAD worker, local workers, and myself.  But, it looks like we will have another guy from our team show up to make some good progress.

I was hoping to upload more pictures this time, but my camera battery was dead when I arrived at the job site. I am charging it now and hope to have more pictures tomorrow.

Thank you all again for your support and I look forward to updating you again.  Until next time........
God Bless You.....Billy

What a great Day!

We got up early this morning and were on our way. Cheerios for breakfast and and MRE for lunch. I have never had an MRE, but most of the people with us are ex-military and they seem to eat these on a regular basis. I have to say that overall it was not bad. I could eat it in a pinch if I had to. Others seem to like them way too much.... :)

We have seen some pretty awesome sights while here on the island, but I think today has topped them all. As we drove over the hill down into Fagasa, I felt like I was in a movie. The tropical vegetation was so thick and green and the view of the bay was amazing. As we drove up to the house, the first picture was our view of the ocean. God's creation is so beautiful I almost forgot how hot and humid it was. Just to give a little idea of what the people in Fagasa experienced, after the earthquake shook them long and hard, the ocean water reseeded to beyond the opening of the bay. All they could see was the rocky bottom knowing that the next thing that was going to happen was going to be a huge wall of water. They ran to a two story house in the village and all of the family was safe. Cars were swept into the ocean and houses were damaged or completely destroyed. Just looking at it now, it is hard to believe that such a peaceful view could bring so much havoc. I was able to sit and talk with the daughter of the High Speaking Chief that we are working for. She was able to give me a play by play of what she went though. She was also able to share with me a lot of the familiar customs that I found amazing. I wouldn't mind being a part of that kind of tradition and respect the American Samoan people practice. For instance, one of traditions and expectations is that when you have someone working at your house, paid or not, you are to prepare a meal for them. This is especially true if they are from another part of the world. They want to share with you there culture and give you the opportunity taste their food. So, at about 2:30 local time, two younger gentlemen began to setup a table right on the edge of the shore and fill it with local food. On the menu was Yellowfin tuna, breadfruit, a sweet coconut mixture to dip the breadfruit, and a fresh coconut to drink. He also included some tacos and spaghetti because as I found out later, he was worried we might not like it. All I have to say is that I am glad he did. If you don't know, I do not like fish at all. Add to the fact that my stomach was upset today for some reason, I was not up for trying anything new. But, because it is considered disrespectful if you do not at least try something, I gave the breadfruit a try. It actually tasted pretty good, but because of not feeling so well, I was not able to eat anything else. So, a bit of taco and spaghetti was all I could handle.

With that being said, the practice of tradition and respect replace the presence of God in their lives most of the time. The hierarchy is not much different than the family system represented in the bible and a lot of those traditions came from some sort of spiritual influence. But, there is a greater focus on the High Chief than on God. Getting a good perspective on how they live their lives has given me great insight on how to be respectful to their customs, but also share the Love of Christ.

We also have three local men working with us that are very knowledgeable and hard workers. They really help out with understanding the building procedures and how things are done here on the island. We have found that they do not pay a lot of respect to codes or safety. A lot of the materials, especially the concrete, is not up to the standards we are bound by in the mainland. Along with the sea air that deteriorates the building materials, it really makes it nice to have a local there to give us some direction. We are not bound to any type of inspections, but are doing our best with what is available to rebuild the homes in an up to date fashion.

(The House we are working on)

We were able to make good progress on the home today. As with most construction projects I have been involved with, we didn't have everything we needed, but will be able to pick it up in the morning. We are installing new electrical service, repairing some interior walls, installing some tile in one of the rooms, framing and installing the local type of windows, repairing the rusted roof, and installing some doors. Considering that this home was almost completely submerged by the tsunami, it is in good condition. The funniest thing that happened today was when I was removing the old masonite on the walls. As I was pulling away one of the sheets, a few cockroaches jumped and scurried away. The locals were laughing at how far I jumped away from the wall. I was not expecting anything to jump out of the walls and it completely surprised me to say the least.

(The wall I was working on)

(My partner in crime Steve)

(Our VOAD representative Roy)

                                                                                

God is so good and faithful. After a few days of feeling like we were running in a bed of sand, we were not only able to go out to the job and begin to work, we were able to begin to build relationships with the locals that I know are reflecting the love of God. I thank you Lord for blessing us with your power to accomplish Your Will.

I want to thank all of you who have been showing your support through your comments on the blog. It is very encouraging and an hope the testimony of the Lord is encouraging to you as well. I also want to thank all of those that are praying for me while I am gone. Your intercession is evident every day.

Thank you again and God Bless. I look forward to updating you again tomorrow.

Billy