Leauvaa-uta Official Opening
On Sabbath, 3 November, 2012, the Leuvaa-uta branch of the Samoa Saturday Sabbath Keepers (SSSK) group officially opened. For the first time since 29 December, 2011, the doors of the Seventh-day Adventist Church at Leauvaa-uta were opened on the seventh-day Sabbath of the Lord. Tears of joy and exaltation of God flowed freely as the Saturday Sabbath keepers praised the “Lord of the Sabbath” for another milestone in the journey of His Sabbath-keeping children in Samoa.
Leauvaa-uta Sabbath keepers now have exclusive use of their church building for seventh-day Sabbath worship
Seven private vehicles and a bus transported the Lighthouse members from Alafua to Leauvaa-uta. The ride took us through Aleisa and we enjoyed the lush green scenery of the countryside. About ten minutes from the right turn-off at Aleisa, we came across two of our Leauvaa-uta brethren, in white shirts, black wrap-arounds and neckties, waiting with bright smiles by the roadside to show us the way to the SDA church. When we arrived, Salā Peteli Kuresa (on whose land the church is built), elders and members of the Leauvaa-uta Group were waiting with wide smiles to greet us in front of their church building.
With happy faces, Leauvaa-uta members (facing camera) met the Sabbathkeepers (Tagaloa with back to the camera) on arrival
The week before this Sabbath had been a very challenging one for our members at Leauvaa-uta. Right from the start, it had been their wish to remain on good terms with their other SDA members who worship on Sunday. For that reason, they (the Saturday Sabbath keepers) were cautious and courteous in their approach in dealing with the Leauvaa-uta pastor and Sunday-keeping members, requesting that the Saturday Sabbath keepers be allowed to use the church building for their worship on Sabbath with the Sunday keepers to worship there on Sunday. Their requests were denied and all attempts were made to prevent the church being opened on Sabbath (Saturday).
After two meetings, with the last one being quite ‘frosty,’ and the Saturday Sabbath keepers being told that they could not use the church, the Sabbath keepers stood their ground, and informed the Sunday keepers courteously but firmly that the church will be opened for worship on God’s seventh-day Sabbath, commencing 3 November, 2012. The Sunday keepers did not accept this decision and the suggestion for them to continue to use the church on Sundays until the Sabbath dilemma in Samoa is resolved. So as of today (Sunday, 4 November 2012) they have gone elsewhere for their Sunday services. Thus the Leauva’a church building is now the first formal church building in Samoa to be exclusively reopened on Saturday for Sabbath worship.
Approximately 21 families used to worship at the Leauvaa-uta SDA Group until the ‘seventh-day Sabbath issue’ came up in December, 2011, as a result of Samoa’s re-alignment to the date line. Today, seven families are ‘Sabbath keepers’ at Leauvaa-uta, and it is their aim to start witnessing to their people and community. This is not easy, as their firm stand has put a wider rift between them and their Sunday-keeping sisters and brothers.
Our Leauvaa-uta Sabbath keepers are courageous people who, despite the challenges and complications in their way, are determined to “obey the Lord — come what may.”
There are now five Seventh-day Adventist Sabbath-keeping groups in Samoa: Samatau, Lighthouse, Pu’apu’a (Savaii), Multicultural group in Apia and Leauvaa-uta.
Please pray for our Leauvaa-uta members; they need your prayers, especially at this time, as their ship sails through the treacherous and hazardous seas. These days, it is that much more meaningful when we sing the favourite hymn: “Jesus, Saviour, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea.”
Lighthouse members who traveled to worship with Leauvaa-uta Sabbath keepers in their church
Leauvaa-uta and Lighthouse Sabbath keepers
in front of the Leauvaa-uta church building
On 3 November, 2012, the Leauvaa-uta SDA Church opened its doors for the first time on the seventh-day Sabbath, since 29 December, 2011
Tagaloa Enoka Puni leading out during Sabbath School lesson time
Fuimaono Esera Rimoni (standing) sharing a message of encouragement during Divine Service. Seated are Ioane Ah San (L) and Lofa Lolesio (R).
Leauvaa-uta’s brave ‘forwards’ (L-R): Muliaga Vaea, Taleni Milovale, Ioane Ah San and Salā Peteli Kuresa with Fuimaono Esera Rimoni of the Lighthouse Group
Maulolo Lino Pogai and wife, Leone, with baby daughter
Maulolo Lino Pogai’s five daughters sang a special item during Sabbath School
A view towards the left side of the congregation
A view towards the right side of the congregation
Tupa’i Pio (left) with his children and wife, Piliopo (right) from Faleula, singing a special item during Sabbath School
The Leauvaa-uta baptismal font has not been used in 2012. This is a challenge to the Leauvaa-uta Sabbathkeepers — to witness and win souls for the Lord
Ioane Ah San, Matalena S Kuresa and Peka Ah San led out during Sabbath School on 3 November, 2012
Tamua Senituli and wife, Malae, of Solaua
‘Manu-iti Singers’ (L-R) Tia-Gene Collins, Fuaoa Collins, Pule Lockington, Vaimalama Tariu and Charity Malaga singing during Divine Service
L-R: Tupa’i Pio, Matalena Kuresa, Tagaloa Enoka Puni, Salã Peteli Kuresa, Lofa Lolesio
L-R: Muliaga Vaea, Ioane Ah San, Tupa’i Pio, Matalena, Salā Kuresa, Tagaloa Enoka, Lofa Lolesio, Maulolo Lino; Front (kneeling) Falaniko
Ta’i, Lepapa, Uta and Leauvaa-uta members
Name of bus which took the Lighthouse members
to Leauvaa-uta is “Brothers for Life”
Words of thanks after lunch
Last view of the Leauvaa-uta Sabbath keepers as the Lighthouse Sabbath keepers reluctantly bid farewell to their sisters and brothers
May God richly bless each one of these dear people pictured above as they take their stand for truth!
May their group increase with many more seeking to honor their Creator on His sanctified seventh day each week.
We need to pray for these dear people as the journey ahead is still frought with hardship in a country where keeping the seventh day (Saturday) is regarded as rebellion against the church.
Praise the Lord for His faithful few. Adelante!!! My prayers are with you. You are an encouragement and an inspiration to the few of us that want to stand like you are standing, by the grace of our Saviour. May the Lord bless and prosper you!
May the power of the Holy Spirit removed the veil of deceit thats so seriously darkened the sights of these love ones. For those that are leading these love ones down this road of deceit, there is a more agonizing destruction awaiting you if you don’t genuinely repent and recognize your mistakes. That we may all come to repentance and be ready for His appearance. Here’s a song of appeal to all of you.
Dear ILaoa,
I presume your comments are made in reference to the 7th-day Sabbath-keepers and not the Sunday-worshippers and I reflected over them in the context of “keeping God’s commandments” and “keeping God’s Word”.
If we accept the 7th-day is located in the sequence of the 1-7-day week cycle after preparation day and before the 1st-day of the week, (according to Mark 15:42 and Matthew 28:1), and, we accept the principal of the universal calendar, then the last 7th-day Sabbath of 2012 was 29th December, upon which the global Seventh-day Adventist community worshipped God. This being the case, do you think this is consistent with “the keeping of God’s commandments” or “the commandments of men”?
You also asked that “the veil of deceit that’s so seriously darkened the sights of these love ones” be removed and I wondered about such a strong statement. Given the wider context of obeying God’s commandments because we love Him, can you honestly say the Sabbath-keepers, who worshipped on the 29th December, the 7th-day Sabbath, when the global Seventh-day Adventists community, according to the universal calendar, also kept the Sabbath, are not keeping God’s commandments?
I also reflected on God’s Word and the following references sprung to my attention. Given your comment about ‘deceit and darkness’ do you think the Sabbath-keepers are being deceived and in darkness, in the context of God’s Word?
God’s rich blessing you. ulalei
Matthew 15:8-10 (NKJV)
8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth,
And[ honour Me with their lips,
But their heart is far from Me.
9 And in vain they worship Me,
Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
10 When He had called the multitude to Himself, He said to them, “Hear and understand:
John 14 (NKJV)
15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.
21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me.
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him.