It was a particularly emotional Sunday service at the Saoluafata Congregational Christian Church of Samoa (C.C.C.S) as the congregation bid farewell to their longest-serving Minister, Reverend Elder Limua'a Samuelu Olo, and his wife Daru Samuelu Olo.

For 39 years, the couple has served the congregation at Saoluafata. Rev. Elder Limua'a said he hopes that the spiritual seeds he has sewn across the past decades will help people to prosper and grow in the future.

"Before I graduated from Malua in 1982, Saoluafata has already done their vote and wanted me to be their covenant (Feagaiga). So after our graduation, we came straight here to serve up to this day," he said.

"It's a very emotional day for me, my wife, and my kids. It is not easy to say goodbye to these people because we have become a family. The bond we have is inexplicable but we have to follow our church's protocols. It is definitely not an easy thing for our family to say our farewell to this church and its people, we have served for 39 years, four of our kids were born here in Saoluafata."

The 70-year-old is a father to five and a grandfather to seven. Ever since he set foot in Saoluafata he has always focused on the development of young people: mentally, spiritually, but also physically.

"I love working with the youth, and the main thing that I always talk to these youths about is 'discipline'," he said. 

"I have witnessed so many youths and their behavior, it is not a very nice scene to be seen and for our youth to behave accordingly. I discipline them, I scold them, I beat them, and I teach them how to behave in certain ways. 

"And I am happy that when I leave here, I have seen some of the kids that I taught, raise, scold, beaten up, are already successful, and have families of their own."

For Rev Elder Limua'a, those who were his students in the Sunday School and part of his youth group have since gone on to become lawyers, doctors, nurses, teachers, and even Chief Executive Officers (C.E.O). He says seeing such progress gives him joy like no other.

"As you have seen the videos shown during our service this morning, some of the kids that I taught and raised are now abroad with their own families. In 2017, we had a youth trip to America, and some of the youth that I took there have not returned to Samoa to this day, as they have already married and have families of their own there," he said.

Members of the congregation who are living abroad have sent videos of their farewell speeches and were shown during the service on Sunday. They have thanked the work of Rev Elder Limua'a and Daru Samuelu for the past 39 years. They say that the discipline and the training they received from the pair has helped them in shaping their life and taking care of their families.

A total of $216,000 was raised on Sunday by the congregation and affiliated groups such as the youth, choir, Sunday school, and others.

On Wednesday, the family will depart Saoluafata and head back to their family in Falelatai. Rev. Elder is the only remaining American Samoan national serving in Samoa.