All Smiles at the Dentist!

I’ve been telling family and friends for three years that Samoans have amazing teeth and this week that point was proven within the first five minutes of the boys’ visit to my dentist.

Dr. Mickelson, my dentist since I was an infant, agreed to do a free cleaning for Saulo, Milo and Neueli after I had told him about the program. None of the boys had ever been to the dentist before, so I figured this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and we were very fortunate to have Dr. Mickelson there ready to assist us.

I wasn’t sure what their anxieties were before heading for their appointment. I knew from my own childhood that those early visits to the dentist were sometimes quite frightening! However, I found each of the guys did a great job their first time.

Milo went first—after he was volunteered by Saulo—and was laid back in the big chair at just past 7:15a.m. Within a few minutes, Dr. Mickelson told me how amazing Milo’s dental hygiene was and said that an orthodontist would starve in Samoa. Samoans have great smiles with straight teeth, meanwhile, Americans spend thousands of dollars on their children’s braces.

Neueli ended up going second and Saulo third. Each of them did just as well, although Dr. Mickelson found two cavities on Neueli, but said for him to come back this week to have them filled. Each of the boys got the usual complementary tooth brush, paste, dental floss and he even a new pencil! It was a great experience for each of them and I can already see it has made some impressions on them.

The boys usually only brushed their teeth in the mornings, but after their dentist visit and learning about the importance of brushing twice a day, they’ve now started brushing their teeth before bed. This may seem like something so simple, but if this is all they are able to gain from the visit, knowing they probably won’t be to a dentist in the near future, then I think it was still a huge success!

Milo got to go first!

Saulo enjoying the teeth cleaning.

Thanks to Dr. Mickelson and all of St. Joseph Valley Dental Clinic!

Great smiles after the dentist visit!

Lasers, Strikes & Pins

One of the more “fun” activities the boys have been able to be a part of was an afternoon of laser tag, bumper car ridding and bowling! None of these games are available in Samoa, so it was a real glimpse into a part of American life for kids their ages.

We met up with a family who we met through the Mormon Church in Sturgis and wanted to take the boys up to Kalamazoo to a game arcade and bowling alley. Both Saulo and Milo attend the Mormon Church back in Samoa so we have been doing some activities with the Mormon Church here in the area. Karl, Michelle and their family have been so welcoming to the boys during their time here. They have been taking time to get to know the boys and extend a welcoming hand.

The first activity was laser tag. I had never played laser tag before either, although I had heard it was fun. We split into two teams and rivaled against each other a few times, although my team—the red—lost every one of the rounds! It was a lot of fun, and was followed by bumper car riding.

Our final activity was bowling, which I have always considered a fun family sport we have here in the United States. I was curious to see how Saulo, Milo and Neueli would react to all the parts of the game: wearing special shoes, picking a ball, throwing the ball and then seeing the machine retrieve it and reset the pins. Although this is something that most Americans who have played the sport have overlooked, it was all a part of the new experiences the boys were having on their game day!

Milo ended up beating the other 5 players he was competing against. He was throwing strikes one after another for a while, gaining several doubles—remember he had never played before! He got a kick out of it, and it made Saulo and Neueli a little squirmy, but it was all in good fun.

We all finished the bowling without having any falls on the slippery alley or balls released into other lanes. In the end, it was a fun afternoon spent with new friends and for the boys, new sports!

Getting ready for laser tag.

Saulo with Karl and his daughter Brianne.

The guys enjoyed the gun fight!

Milo did a great job bowling!

Neueli about to bowl.

A good time had by all.

Lake Michigan

It was one of the more simple things to plan thus far for the program, but a car ride over to the shores of Lake Michigan was a huge success. I knew the sights would be familiar to the boys, considering the lake might be mistaken as an ocean at first glance to someone who was unfamiliar with U.S. geography. I had taught Saulo, Milo and Neueli about the Great Lakes over the past few years, but I knew they would only completely understand its size if they saw it first-hand.

On the drive over along U.S. 12, I realized I had never before been to Lake Michigan during the winter months, so in many ways it was a new experience for me as well. I pulled out a state map of Michigan to help them get a sense of how far we were traveling. We arrived around 3p.m. to Warren Dunes Sate Park and spent the afternoon there until the sunset. Although it was a frigid day, it was mostly clear with abundant sunshine!

As we drove up the entrance to the park, the boys got more excited. When we rounded the final corner and they caught sight of the waters, the first word I heard came from Neueli who said, “sami,” which means ocean. I reminded him that in fact, it was a lake we were visiting, referencing the state map once again.

We practically had the place to ourselves, other than one or two other families there who were there. We headed straight for the beach with the football. Arriving at the water I had them go over and put their hands in to feel how cold it was and to taste that there really wasn’t any salt in that huge body of water! I think I impressed them when I explained that the lake has a low and high tide like the oceans do.

Our impromptu game of football was fun, as well as our trek to the top of Tower Hill, the big sand dunes along the beach. From the bottom, the dunes don’t look to intimidating, but I told them they would get winded about half way up. They laughed at me and said I was wrong, only to be found sitting on a dead tree stump shortly after in an attempt to catch their breath!

At the top we took pictures and watched the sun as it neared the horizon at sunset. I took the football and threw it down the hill and had them race down to get it. I was surprised that all of them made it to the bottom of the dunes without wiping out!

I was nearly ready to have them head for the car when I decided to head back over to the beach one more time to take in the sunset. After another 20 minutes we finally headed out and made one last stop at the front gate to grab a picture next to the entrance sign.

Growing up in Michigan, it was a family tradition to head over to Lake Michigan for a day during the summer months. Although the boys weren’t able to get a swim out of the day, it was still a huge success and one I’m sure they will remember from their trip here to the Great Lakes State.

We were a little bewildered when the first thing we saw on our walk to the beach was a coconut shell! It made the boys feel right at home!

The coconut shell made them feel like they had been given a piece of Samoa!

Saulo writing his name in the sand.

Samoa!

Neueli on Tower Hill

After the climb to the top of Tower Hill.

Together on the beach.

The guys wrote out Samoan Youth Empowerment Initiative in the sand.

Cultural "Roots"

Walking on a pile of potatoes
stacked to the ceiling of a barn!

What would a trip to Southwest Michigan be without making a visit to a farm? Our area is linked closely to the agricultural business and so it has become a part of our local culture. Therefore, we were extremely lucky when both Walther Farms of Three Rivers and Fresh Farm Solutions of White Pigeon reached out to us in offering a tour of their local potato processing plants.

Our tours were arranged by Karl Ritchie, President of the Mormon Church in Sturgis and an agronomist at Walther Farms. He and his wife met us the day after Christmas to show us around the plant. All of the boys had eaten potatoes before in Samoa, although they had never seen them on this scale.

The first barn we walked into was a huge storage room where potatoes were stacked to the ceiling. We walked to an adjacent room where sorters were pulling bad potatoes off a conveyor belt, while the good ones passed by and were loaded into the bed of an 18 wheeler semi-truck! The boys seemed very interested, as was I, in the entire process and for them to see the technology involved in the business was also especially important. All of their families grow plantations of taro, bananas and other local Samoan crops, but for them to see the agriculture meet the technology world was inspiring in a new way. It goes along with the goals of this trip—to make them see things in a different way, or larger than they had thought about things before.

At Fresh Farm Solutions in White Pigeon, we got to see more of that technology as multiple conveyor belts sorted potatoes and dumped them into huge bins which would then be boxed or bagged. Our tour guide, Ron Vandervelde, did a great job of explaining things and we left with a better understanding of what went into a bag of potato chips. Later that day at the store the boys were pointing at bags of potatoes and asking if it came from where we had visited.

Walther Farms was also extremely generous in helping the boys prepare for the cold weather! Their business donated money for the boys to buy warm clothes and boots with and Karl and Michelle assisted in the shopping. They also took the boys out for their first Mexican food and while we were inside eating it started to snow for the first time since the boys had arrived! It made for a great day and we again were delighted by the warmth and hospitality of the local community to reach out to our program.

Karl and Michelle with the boys before our tour.

Potatoes traveling by conveyor belt.

Loading the truck.

After our tour at Fresh Solution Farms.

Christmas in Michigan!

Christmas morning

Just three days after arriving in the United States, Saulo, Milo and Neueli were celebrating Christmas with my family! 98 percent of Samoa is of Christian belief, so the holiday is nothing new to the three boys. However, Christmas in Samoa is much less commercialized and very few families in the rural villages exchange gifts. Santa Claus is a word known by most children, but since gifts aren’t traditionally given, most children have not had Santa visit their houses. Although all families celebrate the day in different ways, most seem to just attend church and then spend time with the family over a traditional Samoan meal, perhaps a simplicity to the holiday that many of us Americans long for.

I had been looking forward to sharing my family’s Christmas traditions with the boys since the trip was set in place. Christmas in Michigan usually means cold and snow, warm comfort foods, bright outdoor lights and festive Christmas music.

They started the holiday with sampling some eggnog, although they found it as hard to like as I do. We spent Christmas Eve singing Christmas carols while my Grandma accompanied on the organ as she has for years. Most Samoans know all the traditional Christmas songs so the boys felt right at home in singing several of the hymns. We demonstrated part of their culture by doing a traditional Samoan dance where Neueli played the “drum,” a wooden box with two spoons, and Saulo, Milo and I performed the dance, called the sasa.

Christmas morning began with the opening of presents! The boys all received Notre Dame apparel and warm shirts from our friend Katy, and Texas t-shirts from my sister Jenny, a proud Texan! Mom got them gift cards and disposable cameras while Dad gave them journals with pens and pencils. They had been asking me for a football for the first two days after their arrival so that was an obvious choice for one of my gifts to them. I also gave them some of my old childhood books which they’ve been good about reading in the last week!

They were impressed by the amount of food for Christmas dinner and especially enjoyed the ham. My aunt normally says grace before our family meals, but she was very happy to let Saulo say the prayer for this year’s Christmas. He did a great job and made us all proud! When it came time for desert, I think they were in shock that my family still had room for more food!

Every Christmas has special memories, but this year had a few more because of the presence of these three young men. I was so blessed to have them here for Christmas and will remember the day in the years to come. I’m guessing they will also recall their Christmas in Michigan for years to come and remember our traditions and perhaps share them with their own families and children in the future.

Dad, the boys and I on Christmas Eve

Notre Dame shirts are being worn daily in the lead-up to Monday's National Championship Game and the boys can hum the words to the entire ND Victory March!

Thanks to Katy for the warm clothes!

Those smiles are as wide as the plates!

Welcome to America!

There is so much exciting news to update you on in this New Year! The Samoan Youth Empowerment Initiative is in full swing and so many wonderful experiences are being enjoyed by all involved in the program. The jet lag of traveling from Samoa to Michigan is now behind us, and we look to keep the blog updated almost daily from here until the end of the program on January 24th.

Despite Cyclone Evan hitting Samoa and delaying the program by one week, our patience won the race and we finally left Samoa in the early morning of December 22, 2012. Saulo, Milo and Neueli were full of excitement as we headed to the airport. Checking our bags, going through immigration and waiting to board the plane, were all parts of the exciting last hours spent in Samoa.

As we boarded the plane the boys were all smiles and walked with gusto up the set of stairs and then eyed the numbered rows to try and spot their seats. Chelsea, a Peace Corps Volunteer from Group 83 was also with us on our flight and sat beside me, while the three boys were in front of us. As we settled in it was fun to see them react to things on the plane, finding everything fascinating—even the folding trays and headsets for viewing the in-flight entertainment.

As we taxied on the runway, I felt a certain sense of calm, as I reflected on the months of preparation and all those who had helped us to get to that point. As the engines were fired up and we started to roll down the runway, I kept watching the boys in front of me for how they were reacting. Neueli and Milo both sat there quietly, but I could see Saulo perk up with excitement as we took off. It was amazing to think of how far these young men were about to travel, and how they had already made such a big step towards their futures. They were full of hope and optimism of the days ahead.
We arrived in Honolulu without any trouble and had a long 12 layover before our next flight. After checking our bags for our evening flight, it was still early morning so I decided to go with them on the city bus downtown. It gave us a chance to get out of the airport and allow them to see part of the area.

That evening we boarded our second plane and headed to Chicago on a direct flight. We had flown on a Boeing 777 so our plane was quite big. As we got off the plane in Chicago, I asked one of the flight attendants if we could view the flight deck. She told us to go ahead and ask the pilot. He was very gracious and let us come in and had each of the boys sit in his seat. As some of you know, Saulo’s career goal is to become an airline pilot, so this was especially exciting for him. I made sure to get a picture of him, as well as Milo and Neueli before we headed out and down the jet way.
From that moment on, everything seemed new to them: the automatic flush devices on the toilets, the baggage conveyer belt, the escalators, the countless restaurants lining the concourses—it was all a part of the experience, it was all a part of America!

After claiming our baggage, we walked out the sliding doors to go catch our bus which would take us to Notre Dame where my parents were picking us up. As we walked out the doors, the guys got to see their breath for the first time in their lives, and although it was just a dusting, they did see some patches of spotty snow around the airport.

Arriving at the Notre Dame bus stop, the boys woke up from their long nap and saw the big welcome sign the fifth graders from White Pigeon, Michigan had made for their arrival—it said, “Welcome to America.” After hugs and introductions, we each got our warm winter coats that my parents had waiting for us in their cars.

Once we finished lunch at a nearby McDonald’s, we were all walking out to get in the cars and I saw Milo, Saulo and Neueli walk over to touch the snow. I realized that was the first time in their lives they had ever touched snow. I began to understand that over the next few weeks there would be a lot of “first moments” like this and they would all be a part of this amazing trip which is inspiring these young men to be better than they ever thought they could be.

On behalf of the Samoan Youth Empowerment Initiative, I want to wish you all a Happy New Year and invite you to stay with us as we continue to update you on the program in the weeks to come!

Checking in at Faleolo Airport in Samoa on Friday, Dec. 21st.

Boarding the plane at around 1:30a.m. on Dec. 22, 2012

On board the plane and ready to fly...for the first time in their lives!

Hanging out at the airport in Honolulu before our flight to Chicago.

Watching planes take off in Honolulu

Each of the boys got to see the flight deck of our Boeing 777 from Honolulu to Chicago. Saulo wants to be a pilot! Thanks to the pilot from United Airlines!

Milo

Neueli

In the concourse of O'Hare after getting off our flight from Honolulu.

Baggage claim.

Welcome from my mom and dad at Notre Dame.

The Next Steps

Workers climbing limbs of the pulu
trees on beach road as they cut them down.

It’s now six days since Cyclone Evan hit Samoa. It’s official that it hit as a Category 3 storm. Since last Thursday, it crossed over the small French Territories of Wallis and Futuna and moved on to hit Fiji as a Category 4.

Back here in Samoa life is starting to get back to normal, or at least as normal as it will be for the months ahead. Power has been restored to most of the capital, although all the rural villages away from town still remain without electricity. Stores have continued to clean up. Construction is taking place on the roof at McDonald’s and most stores have moped out the layers of mud that coated them a few days ago.

The first addition of the Samoan Observer was printed yesterday, loaded with pictures of the damage and stories of heroic acts that took place during the storm. Concerns are building about the possibilities of food shortages which almost seem inevitable. Most Samoans depend on basic foods such as bananas, breadfruit and taro and much of these crops of been destroyed, either by wind or water. The ocean, which has always been a source of food for Samoans, has suddenly become ever more important as a source of food. Rice, which has also become common in most households, is sure to see a price rise and other imported goods as well. I keep reminding myself that Samoans have been living on these islands for the past 3,000 years and this isn’t there first time through this, yet this is a new generation that is experiencing this storm, given the fact it has been 21 years since one this strong has hit.

Saulo, Milo and Neueli are growing ever more anxious for our departure on Friday night! Because of limited transportation and roads that are still being cleaned up, the parents and I have decided to keep the boys at my house which is closer to the airport and town, as opposed to going back out to the village where it would be expensive for transport to and from. They’ve been in touch with their families over the phone throughout the week and their spirits seem high. I think they’ve realized they aren’t in this alone; all of Samoa—and now even other Pacific islands, are going through the same thing.

In my last blog I commented on how the Samoan Youth Empowerment Initiative has already begun in many ways, with the bravery they’ve shown and their patience in waiting for the program to begin. There is no doubt that the program will have a different tone to it, as their minds will certainly be on their families back in Samoa. However, it is my hope that the program will give them a chance to keep busy and still accomplish the original goals and objectives we set from the beginning.

Below are some more pictures of life here in Samoa over the past few day. We thank you for your continued prayers and support!

Today, one of the first freighters arrived into Apia. In the foreground are limbs that liter Apia Harbor.

Digicel, the dominant telephone provider for Samoa, realized that when cell phones are dead, no money is made. They've set up tents around the country, such as this one, where people can come and charge their cell phones by generator.

Damage at the bus stop.

Sardines and rice have been our food for the past 6 days. We buy instant noodles for variety. We are fortunate, however, to have food.