Shutes' Visit

Jon & Wayne Shute

This past week our ITEP (International Teaching Education Program) Special Education course concluded with the final exam.  Our class of seven teachers did very well and will move on to the next course, Foundations of Education.  Additionally, we had one educator complete his final course to receive his teaching certificate.  This is a program for educators seeking to improve their teaching capacity and culminates with a student teaching class not to be confused with student teaching as we have in the states. This upcoming week is mid-term exam week and teachers and students are keenly aware of the importance of the exams. 

Also, we had special visitors who came to assess our ITEP progress and they gave guidance regarding curriculum, expectations, BYU-Hawaii applications, and the value of these courses.  Dr. Jon Shute is an Assistant Professor of Education at BYU-Hawaii and has direct oversight of all the church schools in the Pacific Islands.  His traveling companion was his 84-year-old father, Dr. Wayne Shute, retired professor from Stanford University and BYU-Provo.  Both men are astute in the educational field. (picture attached)

Because of their Samoan connections of the past, they are revered in Samoa and each spoke to the staff and then to an assembly of the high school students.  Their remarks were inspiring and edifying.  The elder Dr. Shute addressed the students in fluent Samoan having served his mission here 62 years ago.  He was the Primary (Elementary) principal of Vaiola school while serving his mission.  His son, Jon Shute, gave the history of the beginnings of Vaiola school.  Dr. Wayne Shute is most often addressed as President Shute having served as the Samoa Mission president and then later as the Samoa Apia Temple president.  It was quite the emotional send off as the students sang a Samoan farewell song waving good-bye to the Shutes.

Movie night we showed "Suits on the Loose", a missionary comedy that elicited a lot of laughs.  We had a typical Saturday going to the market, washing vegetables and cleaning fish.  There's always laundry and house cleaning to be done.  Ron harrowed out a small garden spot in our backyard between the rain downpours and planted some seeds.    See the beautiful double rainbow Ron captured yesterday and a picture of the rainbow in front of the trees. 

High Priest Excursion

Saturday Ron joined some High Priest members of the Vaiola Ward for an excursion to Falelima on the western tip of the island of Savai'i.  They met at a fale (like an open air covered platform on stilts) and the day was spent fishing and eating.  In Ron's words:  "We had a great time but the waves were a bit large and the water too disturbed to catch many fish.   We had a traditional Samoan style feast of fish, chicken, fruit bat, and fire roasted pork along with Taro leaves, Taro, Cocoa Samoa, and a breakfast pancake that is more like a biscuit.   Yes, the bat was different but edible and very lean meat."

Happy Father's Day!  In Samoa it is celebrated in August.

Special Ed. Class

This past week our Special Ed. class culminated with oral presentations and a review of the upcoming final exam. Karla sat in on a TVET (vocational classes) department meeting as they reviewed, followed up, assessed, and discussed departmental goals set at the beginning of the school year.

Having been invited to present for faculty inservice, Ron did a great job addressing Classroom Management and likening all things to the school setting here.  Most techniques are universal. I assisted with materials and the activity. Some of the teachers that live down in the villages have to catch the church van between 5:30 and 6:00 a.m. to make the meeting.  Following the 6:30 a.m. Friday faculty meeting, they provide a simple breakfast. We felt the gentle spirit of those in attendance; they are so teachable.     

Happy Father's Day!  In Samoa it is celebrated in August.

Roasted Fruit Bat

Ameet Kumar Visit & More

This week Brother Ameet Kumar visited from the Auckland, NZ area office.  He oversees TVET (Technical Vocational Education & Training).  He monitored inventories, observed classrooms, and offered constructive guidance and direction to us in our TVET role.  We are getting closer to the end of term for our ITEP class.   

Friday afternoon was the ward service cleanup project.  The teenage Young Men, using their bush knives, cleared the jungle-like growth along the sidewalk path leading down to the church.  The young men were deft and strong in wielding the long bush knives to take down trees in record time.  The sisters and Young Women "raked" leaves (using straw brooms) into a big pile which was then lit and burned.  Leaves tend to fall regularly and cleaning yards is an ongoing endeavor everywhere in Samoa. 

Friday evening was a ward dance which is more like a campus community event for all ages from little kids to teens to adults. Everyone joined in the festivity.

Saturday after acquiring our groceries from the market and the store and washing them, we celebrated our 43^rd wedding anniversary in good company with Elder & Sister Deffense.  We went out to dinner at a resort restaurant called Amoa.  It has ambiance and excellent food, the special this week being Mongolian dishes of beef, lamb, and seafood.

Apia

Elder & Sister Foley, Ron & Karla, Kathleen & Jim Henderson, Arthella & Bob Starke.

These are pictures from our trip to Apia with other missionaries at dinner and after a temple visit.

Apia Training with Hendersons

Midweek we ferried to Apia where we met as ITEP & TVET missionaries with our Coordinators from the area office in Auckland, New Zealand.  Networking discussions enhanced our vision of the work to be done in our arena.  The program set up is an extension of BYU-Hawaii and is intended to provide opportunity for teachers to further their skills in the classroom, to encourage self reliance, and for them to become further certified in the educational realm as well.  We are a small part of something bigger and it challenges us to do more, teach more, and contribute to amazing individuals' careers in education. 

Thursday and Friday were holidays for Samoa's Independence day---55 years ago.  The streets were lined with flags and schools took part in the parade in front of the government offices.  We celebrated by attending Rugby games of the high school level and of the middle school level.  It is interesting to learn more about that sport.

We enjoyed fish and chips "take away", home prepared Hawaiian haystacks and a German pancake brunch, dining at Scalini Restaurant as well as the International Buffet at Sheraton's Aggie Grey Restaurant.  Elder Rees ventured to eat a baby octopus, about 3" in diameter.  Being with the other Senior Missionaries was rewarding.

Then we did a major grocery shop and caught the return ferry on Saturday.