{"id":19325,"date":"2023-09-12T12:24:31","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T23:24:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/talamua.com\/?p=19325"},"modified":"2023-09-12T12:24:31","modified_gmt":"2023-09-11T23:24:31","slug":"samoa-youth-for-christ-celebrates-50th-anniversary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/talamua.com\/?p=19325","title":{"rendered":"Samoa Youth For Christ Celebrates 50th\u00a0Anniversary"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Lagi Keresoma<\/p>\n

APIA, SAMOA -12 SEPTEMBER 2023:<\/strong> Members of the Youth For Christ (YFC) in Samoa and internationally have come together this week to celebrate the Samoa organisations 50th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary milestone.<\/p>\n

The three days celebrations started with a parade and the officially opening in-front of the Government building yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Tevaga Iosefo Ponifasio.<\/p>\n

Tuala acknowledged the presence of the founder of the organisation Tavale and Alison Matai\u2019a \u201cwho planted the seed that saw the organisation grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Tuala said reaching 50 years is a milestone and believed there were challenges along the long journey.<\/p>\n

YFC history
\n<\/strong>Tavale Matai\u2019a returned to Samoa after completing a scholarship abroad and started teaching at the Apia Primary and Leififi Intermediate Schools from 1971 to 1972.<\/p>\n

Late 1972, Matai\u2019a was approached by several evangelists Ene Sagala, Max Rasmussen and Reverend Jerry Appleby to lead the work with the youth.<\/p>\n

Despite his heart being swayed towards his calling, Matai\u2019a had a bond to serve the Government and twice he asked the then Director of Education, the late Professor Aiono Fanaafi Le Tagaloa but she refused.<\/p>\n

\u201cAiono Fanaafi later agreed to release me when she realised that I was not taking another job but that I would continue to teach the youth,\u201d said Matai\u2019a.<\/p>\n

The then Deputy Director, Magele Perefoti Tamati supported his move and encouraged him to do it then sent a letter to Government schools principals to allow Matai\u2019a to talk to their students.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a major breakthrough for our work,\u201d said Matai\u2019a.<\/p>\n

\"YFC

In February 1973, Tavale & Alison Matai\u2019a established the Youth For Christ in Samoa.<\/p><\/div>\n

In February 1973, Matai\u2019a and wife established the YFC with the emphasis that it was not a church but an organisation that caters for the spiritual development of the youth of Samoa.<\/p>\n

YFC was intended to work closely with church ministers of all denominations.<\/p>\n

He and Alison then embark on a new journey that took them to various schools such as the Teachers Training College, Samoa College and Avele College where the then principal Seiuli Paul Wallwork allocated a room and place for the organisations meetings and camps.<\/p>\n

After 13 years, Matai\u2019a and Alison left for New Zealand due to his wife\u2019s health issues and handed the reigns over to the late Apostle Viliamu Mafo\u2019e in 1986.<\/p>\n

In 1997, Mafo\u2019e founded the Worship Centre Church and the YFC work was passed down to Isaia Lameko.<\/p>\n

Other leaders that followed included Fitu and Fogatia, Matauasi Aliitasi Auvae, Mauasa Tili and the first woman to lead YFC was Sister Silia Kalepoa Ualesi. The current leaders are Asiata and Patricia Peniamina.<\/p>\n

\"YFC

A Methodist youth group performing at one of the open rallies to celebrate the Samoa YFC 50th anniversary.<\/p><\/div>\n

Prayer meeting with Government leaders<\/strong>
\nOther than the work with the students, Matai\u2019a also approached the Government Secretary at the time, Simon Potoi and asked for an audience with the late Prime Minister Tofilau Eti Alesana.<\/p>\n

Potoi found his request rather different from all the other requests for people to see the Prime Minister.<\/p>\n

\u201cI told Simon I wanted to pray with the PM and he said that was strange, but I did get an audience with Tofilau,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

It was from that time that Matai\u2019a would visit Tofilau at 5.00am every Saturday morning for a prayer meeting which was later joined by Cabinet Minister Polataivao Fosi Schmidt then by other Cabinet Ministers.<\/p>\n

That led to their Saturday morning singing and evangelism work in-front of the Government building every weekend.<\/p>\n

Matai\u2019a believes that it was from those prayer meetings with the Government leaders that led to the establishments of the Government Prayer House – Maota Tatalo\u00a0<\/em>at Palisi and the weekly prayer meetings led by different government Ministries.<\/p>\n

\"YFC-official

The Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala Iosefo Ponifasio and YFC Leaders at Monday’s official opening ceremony.<\/p><\/div>\n

Salute to the leaders of YFC<\/strong>
\nMatai\u2019a was emotional as he read out the names of all the leaders and those who rendered support for YFC at its early stage and acknowledged their persistence and perseverance in continuing to develop the spiritual life of the youth of Samoa.<\/p>\n

Their support helped made the journey easier and he remembered times when the late Reverend Elder Oka Fauolo invited him to speak to the students at the Malua Theological College.<\/p>\n

Those who stood out:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Reverend Vavae Toma \u2013 Chairman, National Council of Churches<\/li>\n
  • Reverend Oka Fauolo \u2013 Principal, Malua Theological College<\/li>\n
  • Reverend Lene Milo \u2013 President, Methodist Church<\/li>\n
  • Reverend Seloti Alainu\u2019u\u2019ese – Methodist Church Matafele<\/li>\n
  • Reverend Faatauva\u2019a Tapua\u2019\u012b \u2013 President, Methodist Church<\/li>\n
  • Pastor Tasi – Assembly of God<\/li>\n
  • Seiuli Paul Wallkwork \u2013 Principal, Avele College<\/li>\n
  • Albert Wendt \u2013 Principal, Samoa College<\/li>\n
  • Dr. Aiono Fanaafi – Director of Education<\/li>\n
  • Magele Perefoti Tamati – Deputy Director of Education<\/li>\n
  • Galumalemana Netina Scmidt – Principal TTC<\/li>\n
  • Aiga Poasa – Avele College, Deputy Principal<\/li>\n
  • Asi James Blakelock \u2013 Commissioner of Police<\/li>\n
  • Aliitasi Tanoa \u2013 Principal, Vaimauga High School)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    The 50th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary is scheduled for 3 days with open air rallies and various performances by groups from the United States, Brazil, Fiji, New Zealand and Samoa.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Lagi Keresoma APIA, SAMOA -12 SEPTEMBER 2023: Members of the Youth For Christ (YFC) in Samoa and internationally have come together this week to celebrate the Samoa organisations 50th\u00a0anniversary milestone. The three days celebrations started with a parade and the officially opening in-front of the Government building yesterday by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tuala […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":19327,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2},"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[177,193],"tags":[59,3002,3001,3000],"class_list":["post-19325","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-religion","tag-featured","tag-spiritual-development-of-samoas-youth","tag-tavale-mataia","tag-youth-for-christ"],"yoast_head":"\nSamoa Youth For Christ Celebrates 50th\u00a0Anniversary - Talamua Online<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/talamua.com\/?p=19325\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Samoa Youth For Christ Celebrates 50th\u00a0Anniversary - Talamua Online\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"By Lagi Keresoma APIA, SAMOA -12 SEPTEMBER 2023: Members of the Youth For Christ (YFC) in Samoa and internationally have come together this week to celebrate the Samoa organisations 50th\u00a0anniversary milestone. 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