By Martha Taumata Faavae
The National Council of Churches, NCC, is calling on everyone to continue to pray and fast even if the allocated week for doing that has just ended.
The Week of Prayers and Fasting started last Sunday and officially ended at the end of the week.
“We know that there are people still fasting and praying regardless of the official week ending but not the whole country,” NCC Chairman Rev. Kasiano Leaupepe said.
He urged the country to continue to do so with the run of damaging weather continuing as seen over the last few days and weeks.
Rev. Leaupepe also called for prayers asking for divine protection from the coronavirus pandemic and blessings on our general elections in a few months time.
“We have seen the cost of the pandemic on lives at the global level with recent political upheavals like the one in the US when people rioted in the capital Washington,” Rev. Leaupepe said.
The NCC leader pointed to the start of a working year and the health risks for Samoa posed by the repatriation of stranded Samoans home.
“We’re hearing of the new COVID-19 variant starting to spread that is more contagious but we all know God is bigger than anything.
“We have to leave that with him and also pray for the success of our general elections coming up.
“Ask God to protect the voters from being mislead by the power of evil and to accept whatever the outcome of the general elections.”
Rev. Leaupepe is convinced by his faith that the Week of Prayers and Fasting has worked for Samoa.
He still recalls very clearly the many cyclones hurtling towards Samoan until they changed direction at the last minute.
Samoa so far is also protected from the spread of the pandemic despite the stranded Samoans who are repatriated back into the country from outside destinations where the disease is present.
The downpour of heavy rainfall that has flooded the rivers and cause extensive damages to infrastructure is not all bad as far as the NCC faith is concerned.
“Rainfall is also a blessing from God and it is important that we keep the faith and continue with our prayers and fasting in church and in families.
“Samoa is a Christian country and we should act as Christians and seek the blessings from above on Samoa.”
