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Ellen White: Woman of Vision

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The Stop In Samoa

The autograph album page designed for Sabbath, September 8, shows the Moana lying placidly in the harbor at Apia, largest of the Samoan islands. The artist's prediction came close to the fact. The ship arrived at 7:00 Friday morning. It would have been Sabbath morning if they had not just crossed the date line, thus adding an extra day. WV 367.1

As the anchor dropped, the White party spotted its welcoming commit-tee—a large green boat powered by singing Samoans (15 WCW, p. 868). They were directed by Prof. D. D. Lake, who supervised the Samoan Mission. One by one members of the White party were helped down the rope ladder into the boat, and even 72-year-old Ellen White climbed down. One giant Samoan took Baby Grace in his arms and stood right on the point of the bow, much to the discomfiture of her mother, May, who had an innate fear of water. She could easily imagine those big bare feet slipping off the slick wood. WV 367.2

Even the smaller boat could not go all the way in to shore, so two of the men crossed arms to make a chair for Ellen White and carried her to the beach. May White was told to put her arms around the neck of the one who carried Grace, and Ellen White had a good laugh over the strange sight of this grown woman in her full skirts clinging to the bronzed back of a Samoan as he carried her and her baby ashore. WV 367.3

Two carriages were waiting to convey members of the party who were not up to walking the mile (two kilometers) to mission headquarters. The rest of the group enjoyed the little jaunt. Oh, how good the home-cooked breakfast tasted! While most of the party went sightseeing, Ellen White and Willie stayed behind with Professor Lake to discuss the possibilities of reopening the sanitarium that had been forced to close when Dr. F. E. Braucht left for New Zealand (Ibid.). WV 367.4

The sightseers returned just as the interview was completed. After having prayer together, they collected the many baskets of fruit that had been gathered for them. There were bananas in abundance, mangoes, papayas, and oranges. Everybody then headed for the boat, except Mabel. One of the women had wanted to return early, so Mabel had volunteered to drive her to the dock with the horse and buggy. On the drive back to the mission she became lost. She could not ask her way, for the only words in Samoan she knew were “How do you do?” It was nearly time for the boat to leave. Just as the situation seemed almost hopeless, along came Willie Floding. He had worked on the island and knew his way around. Together they quickly found the ship. WV 367.5

Calm seas continued as they plowed their way north and east on the next leg of the journey—2,260 miles (3,616 kilometers) to Honolulu. Midway they would cross the equator and again be in the Northern Hemisphere. It was a pleasant week of travel. Ella, unable to restrain the desire to teach, had organized a little school for the twins, and soon other children joined. She even recruited Leonard Paap, one of the party, to teach the older children. The sunrise on Monday morning was outstanding. Ellen White wrote, “The sunrise was glorious. The whole sea was a river of yellow gold. We have on this journey a placid sea” (Manuscript 96, 1900). WV 368.1