03 April 2019, Apia Samoa. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS) in Samoa gifted equipment and 4 complete kitchen units valued at close to $30,000 talā to the Loto Taumafai School for children with disabilities.
Elder and Sister Cameron are the face of the Latter Day Saints Charities, the humanitarian arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Originally from Canada, they have been called to work in Samoa and American Samoa for the past 18 months. In that time they have met the needs of families, organisations, schools and villages with the supply of water tanks, wheelchairs, vision care projects, furniture and equipment.
Sister Cameron says that they do a lot of water tanks for families, and work within schools across Upolu and Savaii supplying furniture and equipment donated mostly by LDS Church members in neighbouring developed countries such as New Zealand.
“For Upolu and Savaii we do a lot of schools. It breaks our hearts when we see the children sitting on the floor, so we do a lot of desks and chairs;
“We are grateful to our members based in New Zealand who do send a lot of what we donate such as the kitchen sets today.”
She said that the contact with Loto Taumafai was first made through the school Principal, Lagi Natanielu.
“We met Lagi and she is such a beautiful person. We spoke and identified the needs of the school that we could provide and then worked closely with her to coordinate this.”
Speaking to hand over the gifts, Elder Cameron spoke of God’s love, to the students of Loto Taumafai.
“God loves you. We serve a loving God and we want you to know that our Father in Heaven loves you”.
Loto Taumafai Director Letaa Dan Devoe thanked the LDS church members for the generous gifts which he estimates to be valued at close to $30,000 tala.
“We have refrigerators, block chest freezers, rice cookers, toasters, blenders; complete kitchen units that will equip our vocational training programmes for the students,” said Letaa.
A Senior member of the Samoa Institute of Accountants, Letaa assured the donors that all the equipment would be duly recorded in the School’s Fixed Asset Register.
“All of this will be booked into our Fixed Asset Register and I estimate the value to be between twenty to thirty thousand tala;
“The Bible tells us that faith without works is dead faith, and this morning we witness the handover of these generous gifts;
“Through your Church, the word of God has been witnessed today,” said Letaa.
We cannot repay this generosity, but we say in Samoan, O mea uma ua faagaogaoina ona o le galuega a Le Atua, ia toe faatutumuina;
“May it come back 30, 60 or 100 fold, and for all that we do, let the praises be unto God.”
The children showed their appreciation with a beautiful action item version of the popular LDS church hymn, “I am a Child of God”.
Elder and Sister Aiono of the LDS Church who are set to take over the Humanitarian work of Elder and Sister Cameron were also in attendance, together with Bishop Faatasi.
