Recently, Pacific Area President Tad R. Callister toured tsunami-weary Samoa, visiting the homes of several members who had been affected by the Sept. 29 disaster.

At each home he was welcomed by a Mormon bishop or stake president who was there providing spiritual and sometimes temporal support to the troubled families. For President Callister, such loving shepherding served as a reassuring symbol that needs were being cared for and that prayers were being answered. The physical and emotional scars left by the catastrophe will forever remain. There is much pain — but there is also hope and healing as people work and worship together.

The Samoan members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints "have a remarkable faith in the Resurrection," said Elder Callister, of the Seventy. "They have a remarkable faith that God is good. They have a remarkable resiliency to bounce back.

"They have turned to God instead of away from God."

Indeed, with each passing week, life moves a bit closer to normal in tsunami-impacted regions in Samoa, American Samoa and the Tongan island of Niuatopatupu. Accessibility to potable water remains a challenge is some areas, with local members and others having to rely on trucks to deliver drinking water. However, all have access to food, according to Elder Brent H. Nielson, of the Seventy and second counselor in the Pacific Area presidency.

"Overall, the feelings of the members are positive," he said.

Dozens of members in the region lost their fales — the traditional Samoan open-sided homes. President Callister said the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans to assist in the rebuilding of 50 such fales, including several that will shelter tsunami victims who are not LDS. The Church will provide the building materials, "while the local people will provide the bulk of the labor," he said.

Photo courtesy of President O. Vincent Haleck Jr.

Flood waters from a deadly Sept. 29 tsunami left coastal areas such as this beach property in American Samoa resembling a bombed-out war zone. Much of the Church relief efforts in the region will now concentrate on rebuilding the homes lost in the catastrophe.

Two stake centers on the east end of the Samoan island of Upolu were severely damaged by water and debris. Members from those stakes have found alternative venues to meet and worship together. Although the horn from the Angel Moroni statue atop the Apia Samoa Temple snapped off during the Sept. 29 quake, operations at the temple were never interrupted and the temple continues to serve as a haven of comfort to the Samoan members, said President Callister.

Many of the members living in impacted regions are farmers operating small "plantations" that yield food for their families and serve as an income source. Fortunately, most of those plantations were located far from the coastline and were not damaged by tsunami waters. As a result, the local economy was not severely hit.

Photo courtesy of President O. Vincent Haleck Jr.

Tsunami Damage and rubble along coastline of American Samoa point to the destructive power that visited the Samoas and part of Tonga during a Sept. 29 earthquake and subsequent tsunami. Members continue to serve those in need.

President Callister marveled at the way relatives of LDS victims have responded in the aftermath of the disaster to provide emotional and spiritual comfort. The Church will also continue to make professional counseling services available to those coming to terms with the catastrophe, including children.

Elder Nielson said good-hearted people continue to inquire about how they can help tsunami victims in the South Pacific. He recommended that people contribute to the Church's humanitarian fund so people in need can be served as efficiently and effectively as possible.