A report in Talamua a local newspaper include photographs of some of the messages.

Some of the messages, appear to be similar to those found in the diary of the St Maria Faustina Kowalska.

"The only difference is that Sister Faustina's messages were written in English, and Toa's messages were in Hebrew," said her father Elder Opapo Oeti of the Congregational Christian Church of Matautu, Falelatai.

"The messages include God and Jesus names in Hebrew, Yahweh and "God's wish for his daughter to tell the people of his (God) love for them."

Toa has recorded 18 messages and 6 of these were in the ancient Hebrew language, and were translated by teachers at the Malua Theological College.

There are also messages written in the Aramaic language, which surprised the Malua principal," said Opapo as Aramaic is said to be the language Jesus spoke at his time.

Copies of the messages were also given to the Methodist and Catholic Church teachers and theologians for their own perusal and study.

Messages in Hebrew have been written by Toa in the presence of others including Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, the prime minister and one in front of the principal of the Malua Theological College.

The prime minister sent the message recorded before him to a Jewish person in Wellington, and his translations are similar to that of the college, except for some words which he could not translate.

Opapo says the underlying message is for the people and the world to be at peace.

He said the fact that the messages are similar as revealed through Saint Faustina, a Catholic and his daughter who is an ordinary person of the Congregationalist faith, reveals that God's message and Love transcends church and human differences.

Talamua has reported that Toa will reveal God's final message at the end of August 2016

Source

• talamua.com
• cookislandnews.com
• Image: screenshot Youtube

Samoa's Land and Titles court has issued an injunction stopping members of the Congregational Christian Church at Tanugamanono from doing any further work on the family's land.

A family member says they sought the order after church members continued cultivating the land, thinking the family would never return.

A group of matais, recently lost an appeal against a damages award it has pay for banishing a family from the village.

The appeal has been dismissed but the amount of punitive damages has been cut by 50,000 US dollars.

They were to pay about 400,000 US dollars in damages, including legal costs, to the family of Afu Faumuina Tutuila for the banishment and the destruction of their property, including houses and vehicles.

The 16 defendants, including two former MPs of the ruling HRPP party, had appealed against the original ruling by the Supreme Court.

The case has its roots in a dispute between the Tutuila family and the faipule or village leaders of Tanugamanono.

On 20 August 2010, the Court ruled on a compromise between the church and the family where the church would get its extra land and the family would be able to stay on next door.

The Court compromise centred on a floral hedge row that had grown up between the two properties.

However, village elders were angered by the family going to the Land and Titles Court and unlawfully, "in defiance of the Constitution and the Land and Titles Court, met and resolved to banish the whole family from Tanugamanono," according to a 2012 Supreme Court ruling.

Source

• Radio New Zealand International
• Radio New Zealand International
• Samoa Observer
• Image: Samoa Observer

According to General Secretary, Reverend Dr Iutisone Salevao, the proposed bank will be funded from the church's To'omaga Fund, a fund which already exists to provide financial assistance to parishes.

"The fund is close to ten million tala at the moment and we are looking to allocate anywhere between two and five million tala to the proposed venture.

"The loans firm and the bank would be to help church members."

Savelvao says the church doesn't plan to extend these services to the general public.

The church's decision enter the finance sector follows the opening of its TV Station.

Source

• Savali
• Talanei
• Samoa Observer
• Image:Savali

EFKS media opened with 80 percent coverage of the country.

"We hope to have complete coverage in three months," says Chairman of the General Assembly, Rev. Elder Tautiaga Senara.

Both the radio and TV outlets will be under the operational leadership of Tuiasau Uelese Petaia, a former CEO of TV One, who also ran his own television station and has wide experience in the print media.

When Tuiasau was named manager of the stations, the appropriateness of the appointment was questioned because Tuiasau has been convicted of 67 counts of theft and given an 18 month jail sentence which he completed last year.

Asked about the concerns raised by the appointment, General Secretary of CCCS, Rev. Dr. Iutisone Salevao responded with a question of his own.

"Who was crucified together with Jesus, was it an angel?" he asked.

"However, he has the experience needed to realise the church's dream of operating a radio and television service for her members and the community," he said.

Initially the focus will be on youth; all programmes are to be broadcast in English and Samoan.

Salevao has previously revealed the need to address the problems faced by youth and hopes the programmes will help them choose a better road in life.

Both media are co-funded by the Council for World Mission in Singapore and London, but the church hopes for financial self-sufficiency in the future.

Source

• Talamua
• Talamua
• Talamua
• Image: Bebo

His coffin was draped with the national flag and shoulder-carried by Police pall bearers.

"Reverend Oka was a man who was not easily swayed by others' opinions," Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi noted in his state eulogy during the reverend elder's funeral service at the Safotulafai EFKS church Tuesday morning.

Source

• Savali News
• Image: Savali News