Elder Cameron Summers:

November 11,2008

I'm glad to hear its cold back home, cuz here, it’s burning. It’s kind of funny how the Samoans are like fearful of the sun. They always say that we are going to get sick because the sun is so hot. They say, "A'asa tele le la! O le 'a e ma'i mai le la!" That’s a translation of, "The sun is scolding hot! You're going to get sick!" Ha, it’s kind of funny. Some days when we have to go far, my face gets burnt a little and so it’s red and they feel bad for me. They say, "Talofae Palagai." Which is, "Poor ole white boy." Ha,ha, but it’s good. I got the package yesterday. It was just in time because I had used the last of my deodorant actually. It’s Samoan custom to share everything you have. Especially food! So when I popped it open, the Samoans’ eyes were bulging! They usually understand that we’re not way familiar with the food and really like to have food from home. But this one fat Samoan in my Zone had no mercy when it came to the jerky! He seriously pounded like half of the bag! I’d only had a couple of pieces and I saw that it was almost gone so then I had to hide it! He probably would have eaten the whole thing! Ha but its alright.

November 18, 2008
It’s crazy that I've already been in Samoa more than two months! In the field for four! The saying " le taitai," means, I’m still young. Being out in the mission field, it’s crazy how much you take for granted the things we do back home; the outdoors, sports, Nascar, and just being together as a family!

Everything is going good. There are a crap load of dogs here. They are all diseased and disgusting. Some can be pretty vicious too. Life here is just so much different! For example, we were doing this lesson with a guy, and right in the middle of the lesson, I see the family round up a pig. They fill a bucket, lift up the back legs of the pig and dunk its head in the bucket! I couldn't concentrate on the lesson, the only thing I could see was the pig’s legs flipping out and the two guys trying to control it! Also, I haven’t knocked a door yet, because nobody has a door! They all live in huts. The missionaries and ministers here are the highest in the respect line. Respect is very big here. So when the family sees us coming, they usually start tidying up their house and laying out mats for us to sit on. Once inside the house you give a "Susu mai Speech." The speech is kind of a welcome thing. You just acknowledge the people there and their roles in the society; if they be a chief or just a regular guy. But if just a regular guy, you still give them high respect. It’s really cool. The speech translates like this, " We've came here your highness and are thankful for this opportunity to be together in the holiness of the four corners of your house. (Acknowledge different people and their titles) Congratulations on living!" So a little taste of the culture.

I have a Samoan comp, he's definitely a little different. We still have the language barrier so we don’t get along the best. But the language is coming good. Some things are really awkward to say in English when I talk to the Senior Missionaries in the office. So I guess that’s a sign the language is coming. I gotta go. Ua uma le taimi. ua vavela le fala fo'i. faafetai lava mo le avanoa e talatalanoa ia oe. aua le tafao. ou te alofa tele ia te oe! Soifua!

Alofoga,
Cam
(In case you run into a Samoan in Utah or don’t have anything else to do and run into a Samoan dictionary!)