Samoa Tsunami

Sone has given us an update on the  tsunami relief effort. The container was picked up on the 29th October and I think It was shipped out 2 days later at the Auckland Port. It should arrived early this week at Apia, and Six of the family members are flying out tomorrow to make sure that the container is speedily transported to where its intended and given out.

The family decided to use some of the money collected to pay for one person to accompany the container and the rest will pay for their own fares.

 The money collected was also used to buy stuff for the container, and the balance will be given to some of our families who were affected most; also to the  village council to use it where it’s needed most.

I just want to say thank you again for your contribution and may our contributions be used by God to further His gospel and Will. Here are a few photos of the container . Cheers; Sone

At Janine’s request we  made contact with one particular family that have lost many of their loved ones in the devastation that occurred in Samoa when a tsunami was triggered by an undersea earthquake. We have heard reports that many of the local residents of these villages were engulfed by four tsunami wave 15 to 20 feet high that reached up to a mile inland.

Sone Mariner a chief from the village of Lalomanu 40km southwest of Apia is now working tirelessly to help rebuild the entire village.  He explained that several dozen - maybe more - children, tourists and villagers were drowned, or crushed, or just swept to their deaths by the wall of water that swamped the tiny villages dotted along the southeast coast of Samoa.

Sone told us that he lost 17 family members and explained that in an island community everyone is very interconnected- so the loss is deeply felt .

"My family has lost everything," Sone told us- we have no houses –  no schools – everything has been swept away. Lalmanu was one of the worst affected  areas.
As a part of Samoa National Disaster Management Sone has been able to access a couple of free containers that will leave from Auckland in the coming weeks.  The Kath Dickson Family Centre is contributing to the rebuilding of this community .