*The following two posts are about a week late. I literally got sick in the middle of writing them last Wednesday. I am home now and feeling much better. Thank you for your prayers and support!
The families that we have been surveying are recent transplants from an area right on the ocean. They were actually forced from their homes by the government because the land was sold to a developer for a hotel. In addition, there is no running water in the area they had to move to. The Samoan government promised water last October, but as of now they still have to draw water from a truck that comes around. This situation made the social worker inside me want to organize and petition.
I have been struggling with the amount of child abuse there is on the island. In many families, if you are sick you get hit for being a burden, if you get hurt you get hit for being stupid, if there are guests you get hit for playing or wanting to be near them. It is really hard for me to handle being able to hear a 3-year old being beaten from 30 yards away. There are no protective services for children. They even get hit in the head in school by their teachers. I have been praying often for the Lord to protect these kids' hearts. Anger is a huge issue here, and it does not surprise me since many children grow up being hit all the time, often for (what seems to me) no reason.
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