Discipleship In Action
Lele with my late mother Puataunofo Fereti Puni
Since the beginning of the Samoa Sabbath dilemma, numerous attempts have been made by agents of the Samoa-Tokelau Mission (STM) and the South Pacific Division (SPD) to confront and discourage those who have made a stand for the Lord’s Sabbath in the new reckoning. I’ve been reminded a few times that the rational thing to do is not to share any information that will trigger such reactions.
However, the Lord has impressed my heart that I should share the story of Lele Minute, eager to make disciples of other people (Mt. 28:18-20). Please remember her in your prayers, asking the Lord of the Sabbath to protect her from any attempts by agents of the STM and SPD to silence her witnessing to others in Savaii (the big island of Samoa).
Lele is my first cousin from my mother’s family at Puapua, Savaii. Through lack of information, Lele went with the STM decision to worship on Sunday before she came over to visit her children in New Zealand. While in New Zealand, I had an opportunity to share with Lele my position on the Samoa Sabbath dilemma. Straight away she agreed, saying she was never comfortable with working on the Sabbath back home.
Lele returned to Samoa last week enlightened and with the desire to share her new-found knowledge of the Sabbath issue in Samoa with members of our family at Puapua, as well as with the leader and members of the local Sevent-day Adventist church.
On Sunday we called Samoa and spoke with Lele. She was excited to share that on her return she talked to her two younger brothers at their family home who are not Adventists. Both were supportive of her decision and also asked why the Seventh-day Adventists were worshiping on Sunday like the rest of the churches in Samoa. This is contrary to the doublespeak the STM have been promoting, saying that all other churches are now worshiping with the Seventh-day Adventists on the Sabbath. As the dust settles, more and more people are getting uncomfortable with this line.
Lele told me that, last Sabbath, she and her young niece Apo kept the Sabbath at their home. She was not able to meet last week with the leader and members of the Puapua church to inform them of her decision and also to enlighten them that the Sabbath is still on Saturday, the seventh day of the week on both sides of the IDL.
Saying good-bye to Lele in the middle at Auckland International Airport, New Zealand last Wednesday before she returned to Samoa
Lele is like the Samaritan woman whom Jesus met at the well.
“As soon as she had found the Saviour the Samaritan woman brought others to Him… She carried the light at once to her countrymen.. Every true disciple is born into the kingdom of God as a missionary. He who drinks of the living water becomes a fountain of life. The receiver becomes a giver. The grace of Christ in the soul is like a spring in the desert, welling up to refresh all, and making those who are ready to perish eager to drink of the water of life.” (Ellen White, The Desire of Ages, page 195)
(This post was taken from the SKN Newsletter #12.)
