Miracles in Paradise

I have been trying to add pictures and an update to the blog for three days now. The internet here is so slow that I can't get it to upload the pictures, so they will have to wait for another day.

We arrived on Tuesday with an assignment to see the homeless families through the FEMA process and provide information to the Area Presidency on their situations. We felt like Nephi going back to get the plates from Laban--no clue how to accomplish our task. In the first forty-eight hours we were able to contact both Stake Presidents and two of the three Bishops we needed to see. The Bishops just happened to show up at places where we were which was a great blessing because the two areas that were most affected are on opposite ends of the island.

The third day we were able to begin visiting families. Fortunately for us the Bishop accompanied us as we wandered through destroyed areas looking for families. The destruction was something to see. I could not believe the force of the water. One of the villages had lost all of the vegetation and topsoil leaving only a gravel pit. The people were trying to reconstruct their lives as best they could without bathroom facilities and running water. It requires many of them to walk to a neighbor's home to borrow the bathroom and bring water back. Many are living in tents provided by the government or the church. Most are scared to rebuild their homes on the shore and are planning to move inland up the mountain. One sister described the wave as coming and receding seven times. By the time it was over she could see all of her possessions including furniture and appliances floating on the water. She expressed how the ocean used to bring her such peace and now brings only anxiety.

The most amazing thing that we witnessed was the spirits of these sweet people. They have lost everything and yet they were kind and cheerful and resolute about rebuilding their lives. Many apologized that they did not have food or drinks to offer us. Reed was great with his Samoan. I felt badly for him because he had to use language that he had never used before like application, loan, grant money, etc. At the end of the first day he commented to me that this had been the best language lesson of his life as the Bishop helped guide him when he lacked the necessary word.

We attended a Halloween party out in the Leone 3rd ward where many members suffered loss from the tsunami. It was Halloween Samoan style. Lots of dancing and singing and candy throwing. It was nice to see the members forget their burdens and have fun for a short time.

We also attended church in Leone today. I was amazed that these people who now don't have homes or running water were at church in clean, pressed clothing. I truly don't know how they accomplished it. They all have to ride a bus to get to church. Some of them leave home at least an hour before 8 am church because the bus must make many stops. Reed and I were waiting for church to begin wondering where everyone was. The bus pulled up and the entire ward got off of the bus. There must have been 50 people crowded into the bus. I thought about how we can be unhappy because we have to drive more than ten minutes to the chapel where we meet.

How grateful I am for this experience--there is much to learn in paradise.