We stayed with the English family while on Tutuila. Randy and Sharon, missionaries originally from Arkansas, came to Samoa while Jimmie and I lived and worked there full-time, and they have been dear to us since. I remember how impressed I was by Sharon's courage then because she happened to be 6 months pregnant with their first child when they arrived. Now 22 years and 4 more children later they are still in Samoa.
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| Randy & Sharon with Garrett and Aaron (who are now away at college), Austin, Noah and Cassie |
In addition to Randy's work in various island nations he also began a radio station a few years ago to promote the Lord's church on Tutuila. Now he is about to get another, more powerful station operating that will reach the other Samoan islands. He has been building a new broadcast studio behind his house so Jimmie and Ron worked each morning to assist him. Rocco and Debbie Pierce, missionaries who have been here working with the English family for 4 years, live right next door so we also enjoyed getting to know them.
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| Rocco and Debbie with their son Robert |
But while the guys were hard at work with some good old-fashioned manual labor, the girls played. That's how it should be, isn't it? Sharon and Debbie took Carolyn and me on a drive to see some of the island. It is still just as incredibly beautiful as I remembered it.
Unfortunately, everything was not perfect in paradise. All 4 of our campaign party was now fighting coughs and colds. (Jimmie drank that nasty stuff given him in New Zealand and was the closest to being well.) And a disturbing problem required quite a bit of Jimmie's time and attention throughout this week. But the Gospel meeting at Leone was wonderful. It began on Wendesday evening with 72 listening to Ron's sermon on Lessons We Learn About Death. Then more heard it the next morning as it aired on the radio during te morning commute to work.
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