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So I'm writing this not exactly when it happened, but as soon as I was able to get to a computer. So after we played volleyball on Saturday, the next day was our last day to be in American Samoa. We taught our last bible lesson for the little kids. As I sat in church singing it finally hit me that I was leaving. I was listening to the Samoans sing and thinking about all of the relationships that I had formed over the last 5 weeks. I was overwhelmed with emotions and started crying. At the end of church, Tia, got up and asked us to stand at the front of the church. Again, just like with the Nu Uli church we had another tofa (goodbye) from the Tafuna church. As I was walking up to the front I lost it again. These kids who I had got to know mean so much to me and I wasn't ready to say goodbye. The kids brought us up gifts from the congregation in a line and they kept coming and coming. After this happened we said our goodbyes and took lots of pictures. We exchanged addresses to write letters to each other and parted ways. The rest of the day was spent packing. Marci and I filled up a suitcase each with gifts that were given to us. The thanks we received again was very touching. We went to the airport that night and even had some kids meet us there to say goodbye again. We left hoping to one day return. I will never forget the last 5 weeks for the rest of my life. I have learned a lot about love, kindness, and respect from the Samoans. I want to live my life trying to love other people even if I do not want to or am scared, or do not know them. I want to treat my friends, family, and everyone with kindness. I do not want to have to think or to try, but for it to be effortless because it becomes habit. I have learned a lot about respect. I think that in the United States we forget about this action because discipline is not enforced as much anymore. To show someone respect is to truly go out of your way for them. The relationships that we have with these people were real and powerful. Thanks for reading, we look forward to living out the rest of our lives by the things that we have learned from the people we met and the things we experienced in American Samoa. God can really teach me so much in so little time!
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