The Samoa Observer reports that in among the shoppers on Friday, there were sellers - some only of primary school age - selling things such as chips, soda and matches just so they would not feel left out of the festivities.

One seller, 13-year-old told the Samoa Observer reporter, "I am a school boy and I am here to sell chips and cocoa to help out my parents so they can buy food for White Sunday."

"Not only so they can feed my younger siblings on White Sunday, but so we have enough to buy lunch when we go back to school next week."

In Samoa, the second Sunday in October is call White Sunday. The celebration of White Sunday was introduced in the islands by London Missionary Society missionaries in the 1800s.

On White Sunday parents and communities acknowledge and celebrate childhood by hosting special church services during which children re-enact Biblical stories, recite passages from scriptural and perform creative dances.

Children receive gifts (often new clothing and/or school supplies) on White Sunday and are allowed privileges normally reserved for elders, such as being the first to be served food at family meal time.

Samoan women and children dress completely in white clothing. Some of them trim the clothes with the other two colours of the Samoan flag, red and blue. Men will wear white shirts with either white slacks or the traditional 'i.e. faitaga form of the lavalava.

Source

• Samoa Observer
• Wikipedia
• Image: Samoa Observer

The General Secretary of the Council Reverend Ma'auga Motu says a letter of objection has been received and will be discussed in next month's executive meeting.

He says the objection is based on using LMS because the Congregational Christian Church was formerly known as LMS before it changed its name 50 years ago.

The Congregational Christian Church of Samoa traces its beginnings to the arrival in 1830 of missionaries sent by the London Missionary Society, accompanied by missionary teachers from Tahiti and the Cook Islands and a Samoan couple from Tonga.

This Samoan church has continued to forge ecumenical relationships with other churches locally, regionally and internationally. Now it has become a transnational church with eight Districts (synod or diocese) outside Samoa: one in the USA, one in Hawaii, three in Australia and three in New Zealand. It has one congregation each in Fiji and American Samoa.

Source

• Radio New Zealand
• CCCS.org.ws
• Image: Facebook

Samoa's motto says: "Samoa is founded on God" and the locals' strong religious beliefs are etched everywhere in day-to-day life.

Christianity was informally introduced to the islands by travellers in the late 1700s. When Methodist missionary Peter Turner arrived there in 1828 he discovered there were already Methodists on the islands.

Methodists had established a mission in Tonga and the religion had spread to Samoa.

John Williams of the London Missionary Society arrived at Sapapalii on his ship Messenger of Peace in 1830 with eight teachers. Hymn and prayer books were then printed in Samoan and in 1848 the first Samoan version of the New Testament was published. This was followed by the Old Testament in Samoan seven years later.

In 1848 two French Catholic priests established followers in the village of Sale'aula and this has been followed by many other denominations.

And the missionary work continues - young Mormons regularly cross the islands on their bikes - fully rigged out in their usual sartorial splendour.

Church attendance is very high - some estimate up to 95 per cent of the Samoan people are regular churchgoers. Sundays on the islands are special, with the locals seen walking to and from their churches - often wearing white to represent purity and clutching their Bible.

I slipped into one of these services at a church in Fagali'i-Tai, about 5km east of Apia. There didn't seem to be any strict timetable of worship and people seemed to be arriving at all different times, but I got lots of big Samoan smiles of welcome.

Another Kiwi tourist who was drawn into a church service by the beautiful singing was treated to a sermon translated into English - the pastor did it especially for her. Continue reading

Sources

• Robyn Yousef in The New Zealand Herald
• Image: Everywhere

Robyn Yousef is an Auckland writer.

The general secretary of the Church, Rev. Dr Iutisone Salevao, said the idea has been in the pipeline for about five years but after its General Meeting in May, the church finally decided to go through with it.

Talks have been held already with those whom the church think should carry out the transmission work. The only cable TV company in Samoa, Pro-Com, have been contacted to assist in ensuring that full national coverage is established by May next year.

A committee handling programmes and other aspects of television work has also met and will continue to meet and establish staff, equipment and sales and marketing strategies within the next ten months.

Source

• Island Business
• Image Arthur Henrique