Sister Penina Faagase

Do you have any advice for the sisters?
"Always go to church!  If I want my kids to go to church, I have to go first.  If I want my kids to be tithe payers, I have to be an example to them.  If you follow and listen and obey our leaders, the Lord promises us He will bless us.  If we stay close to our Heavenly Father, He will stay close to us.  In our times of need He will help us.  I know our Heavenly Father never lies to us.  We must be faithful and be full tithe payers.

"I like us to get to know each other - all the sisters in Relief Society - especially the Palagi (white) sisters!  I always say, 'good morning!' every time.  I really want to get to know them and to understand them and to love them.  I know we all have our weaknesses, but we just keep the good part!  I love my Relief Society sisters.  I say, 'to remember my name, if it is too hard, think of 'Pearl of Great Price''!  I miss the Relief Society every Sunday, if I don't go there.  Our Bishop's wife, she's really good to everyone!  She always says hello to everyone.

"Sister Nadine Alfred, I love her very much now!  She is really a good lady! As soon as we got to know her - she is a really good lady!

"I want people to keep smiling, and to welcome everyone!

"Sister Eileen Phillips and Sister Barbara Britton are my Visiting Teachers.  They never miss, every month!  They are very good!

When the language wards disbanded in 2007, Penina's husband was asked to share his testimony on the first Sunday.  
"Bishop Munro did not know what my husband would say when he went up to the front in his wheelchair. These are the words I remember that he said: 'My dear Brothers and Sisters, I advise you to sustain our leaders! Whatever our leaders want us to do - just do it!  Wherever they want us to go - just go!"

On the disbanding of the language wards:
"It is very good for me and my family!  I am happiest for me and my kids to be in English-speaking wards.  The kids are happy because they hardly understand Samoan language.  It is hard for them to talk in Samoan.  It is especially good for me and my husband.  We learn lots of new things.  We learn a lot! That's why we are glad!  Very glad!

"I am very happy in Kuraby Ward.  I love coming to the ward. My best friend is Sister Jones; I know her from New Zealand.  All of the sisters in the ward, I like them!  Especially our dear daughter-in-law, our Relief Society President, Sister Agnes.  (Agnes Faagase)  She tries her best and she is working very hard for the Relief Society sisters.  Most of her time she spends on the road.  I hear the phone ringing for her.. I know she is working very hard!

"I know there are a lot of blessings.  In our (extended) Family Home Evening that we have every month, we always sing, ' Count Your Blessings' - one verse in Samoan and one verse in English.  It's our favourite.  And 'Love At Home'.

"The foundation of our family is to work together, and - if the Priesthood is strong in the family, the family is strong!  The thing in my family is we never let our leaders down.  We always sustain them!"

Penina Faagase was born in 1942, in Samoa.  Her father was born into the church, and her mother was a convert.  Penina was one of nine children - 8 girls and just one boy.  After serving an 18 month Church mission in American Samoa, Penina married Misikei Faagase, in 1965.  They had 7 children and have 30 grand-children.  All of her family live nearby.  Brother Faagase died in 2010, after experiencing severe ill health for many years.  He was such a hard worker for all of his family when he was younger, that he never had time to go to school.  Penina was 'so surprised' to discover after their marriage that he did not know how to read and write, although she saw that he loved to learn about the gospel by listening in classes, and he memorised many scriptures just by hearing them.  Using the scriptures, Penina taught him to read and write.  They worked at it every day and night.  "He was very happy!  He loved to learn the gospel!"  He was a very faithful and good man.

Penina has always loved music.  She sang soprano in many choirs and as a soloist.  Her usual callings at church have been as a Music Chairperson, and as a Home-making Leader in Relief Society.  She also loves craft and cooking, although ill health keeps her from doing much now.  In Family Home Evening she teaches her young grand-children how to conduct the music, to pass on her talents.

The Faagase family moved from Samoa to New Zealand in 1975, then to Australia in 1993 - which she now considers to be her homeland.

Penina doesn't like to go to the doctors - although she appreciated it when her doctor told her that she is still a very pretty woman!

Sister Faagase cannot always attend church, due to ill health.  When you do see her, she would love for you to say hello :)  (She can't always get to people easily herself, in her wheelchair.)



By Sandy Munro