Work on the South Seas Christian Ministries headquarters has started at Puipa'a with the founder Papali’itele Jack Tihati Thompson and his wife Auimatagi Cha Thompson attending the groundbreaking ceremony.

The mission headquarters has been designed to include a medical clinic, library, onsite offices, kitchen, classrooms, and homes for locals and travelling missionaries as well as doctors and ministers in Christ to feel welcomed.

In an interview with the Samoa Observer on Thursday, Mrs. Thompson said that the land for their mission project was gifted to them by Samoa's former deputy prime minister, Misa Telefoni Retzlaff.

“We were so shocked, we thought, okay, well, God does it in his time, not our time,” she said of the former politician gifting them with the land.

Mrs. Thompson said that the groundbreaking in Puipa’a fulfilled a long-held dream for her husband and they were anxious “to see the first rock being hauled away". The couple have been travelling to Samoa for nearly 40 years.

The founder of the S.S.C.M. had always wanted to return to Samoa and “serve Samoan people in Christ’s name", she added.

Papali’itele shared with this newspaper a story of his motorcycle accident which almost took his life and how he prayed to God for another chance at life. 

“All of this (the mission project) is happening because I almost died,” said Papali’itele. "If you make me live, I will service and that’s where it started so God blessed us with this."

He then discussed the importance of having the S.S.C.M. headquarters and how it will serve as a "home" for the travelling missionaries and stated that the centre of the headquarters will feature an authentic Fale Samoa facing the entrance.

“The most important thing I would like to say is that South Seas is here to stay – even though it’s just a small little thing – our mission is that we service Samoa and not expect Samoa to serve us."

The Thompsons acknowledged their board members Dr. Brad Hall, Rob Denton, Sa’afina Foster, Tua’ilemafua Theresa Ulberg-Cherry as well as their architect Aimee Pang, President Nofo Eletise, Vice President Albert Tufono, secretary Marie Eletise and Elder Alger Fitch. 

Local firm Rudy Anauer Machinery will be in charge of the landscaping during this mission project.