Papa Tevaga and Mama Keke!

If I was to choose between who would be the best role model as my earthly parent, it wouldn't be my immediate own, but my grandfather and grandmother instead.

I tend to appreciate, honor and illustrate closely all that I had witnessed and observed from my mothers father, Papa Tevaga as he modeled hard work ethics towards with labor around his household even as a retiree; he was responsible enough to wisely advise, strictly chasten and instill discipline into all the children that were his own, so as to reinforce respect and obedience to those senior to them and those that were considered elders in his household.

More importantly, I observed how he carried out with strong diligence in his daily readings of the Tusi Paia (Holy Bible); his prayer life was consistent and impeccably genuine toward God our Father in Heaven. It was just not some routine recital of the Holy Rosary set aside each evenings during the weekdays, but it was much more profound and personal with God, both in solitude or aloud as he led others in our family prayer. He had a grateful humble and contrite heart for God, one that I myself and many other in our family wasn't aware of then!

However, in retrospect I am assured of this because in the way I live today that tends to mirror many ways as to how Papa Tevaga lived his own life. He expressed intimacy and a level of deep reverence and reliance in God our Father in Heaven given impoverished living conditions, unable to no longer provide for all his children material and wealth, I witnessed therefore a passionate commitment for spiritual awakening to supply prudent guidance, provisions for material, wealth and prosperity for the future of his 11 children and their families. He knew that a supreme being in Heaven could comfort and enhance his confidence for Papa Tevaga and we his family, and with the consistent efforts in his prayer life, meditative reflective time to listen, his readings and study of Gods word; I believe God heard the cry of Papa Tevaga, and did a good work in him for His Glory! I've known no man of God to have ever compromised his faith, loyalty and love for our God, than Papa Tevaga, he was firm and steady in seeking God!

Nevertheless, was he a godly husband to Mama Keke; and regardless if he passed on 12 year ahead of Mama Keke, the maturity in Papa Tevaga's faith, hope and love that he communicated with Mama was a powerfully influential. He exhibited the necessary priorities, commitments, devotions, that had created a holy perimeter around their marriage and aligned them properly for him to be in the lead, but a position which clearly and certainly was preceded by God alone. He never ceased in praying, and conditioned his heart to sought after, listen and encounter God's infinite wisdom; enabling him to be proactive when necessary in the areas of family values, cultural core differences and financial affairs...his legendary diligence in leading his family into prayer, ensuring that Sunday Mass attendance was not ever neglected, reinforcing the sharing of Gods love, which was so wonderfully manifested in the following and final years of Mama Keke's own life.

Papa Tevaga was certainly respected as the head of his family, with 11 children, although Aunt Romona Mageo has a different father, along with his loving wife, he had a very enormous responsibility to provide for and support them. But he knew how to lead, because God was his very own lead to bring protection and provisions to have his family to prevail and prosper both in Godly wisdom and knowledge, for eventual material and financial wealth over time as well.

Thanks to Papa Tevaga's strong prayer life, God eventually supplied what was good for all of us family members; and NOT the these kahunas, who are both damned and doomed! Papa Tevage would be offended today, and on pursuing a mighty defensive campaign to protect any of his family members-against any spiritually dark principalities, worthless pagan idol worship, especially family members (Patrick and Sisi) that have betrayed God, for such practices that is of the Devil himself.

Papa Tevaga would abhor and despise any pagan hawaiian society that brings to his family: factions, dissensions, intrusive and disrespectful actions actions against each other that would result with his family overly exposed with indecent filth, undignified and a reputation that's close to ruin. He'd stand against any kind of condemnation or curses that directs harm to any or all of his children and grandchildren, that are which in Papa Tevaga's mind, Gods property and no one elses! I truly believe that Papa Tevaga has prayed for the souls all of his children to be saved, and to have the opportunity for every one of them to gain eternal life through the Saving Grace that is through the Cross of Christ our Savior.

His legend continues, for I find myself more and more, carrying out the rituals and practices to that of my Papa Tevaga, which was habitual prayer, earnest seeker of God in both his daily scriptural readings, and quiet reflective times, and to allot myself not to do anything less. His life as we all know it so well, was stripped down to the bear necessities in life, but leaving him to appreciate the simplest things as gratefully righteous gifts. Virtues of truth is what remained for him to focus and grow attached to into its core; which increased the qualitative righteous value in his life, with hopes of the same to whom he raised, a rich and real wholesome goodness that permeated throughout our family as I grew through the years before he passed on, during the year I graduated from high school. With virtues intensely as his focus, there wasn't much room for vanity only to be forced out; as light pierces through the darkness.

Some examples of his righteous beliefs and behaviors would be, he remained apart from wild partying, drunkenness, drunk driving, he avoided foul slander, indecent exposure scenes, he didn't gambled at casinos, he was an avid reader with texts or literature that in the samoan language, and spoke little english with no interests in tv stations, radio stations nor live concerts.

Factional divisions would trouble him and was unacceptable and not tolerated amongst his children and grandchildren, which is a number that very grand. But instead, he endorsed unity, love and communications with our God throughout all those that lived and was raised in his family household; he would be annoyed and dismiss anything that would cause any of his family members to stumble and fall...he was truly a good example of a loving father, and a God fearing man! Papa Tevaga would compromise, his moral excellence and righteous duty to serve and obey God to NO ONE, but remain faithful and willfully fight for God the Father Almighty, God the Son and God the Holy Ghost!

My life is a product of the God Almighty, but God used others like Papa Tevage and Jerry Papalii, to plant the seeds of wisdom that could eventually produce fruits of Gods Spirit deep into my heart and soul very very long ago as a child and adolescent living under Papa Tevaga and Mama Keke's household. The result is my realization that whom I've become today, is what I witnessed and observed so closely from them both without knowing at that time, for acceptable and pleasing in Gods sight they were, no less a designed framework on how I now view my prayer life, daily scriptural readings, and core value to stand firmly in battle, against the dark pagan spiritual principalities, that has brought corruption and division into our family, that once was united in love, Gods Love!

"Things that the Lord hates are...haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that races to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who sows discord among brothers."
(Proverbs 6: 16-19).

Thank You Papa Tevaga for inspiring me with the disciplinary tools to seek God, find Him and not to ever compromise Him for the carnal fleshly perverted ways, found in this worldly system.

Most Sincere,
~Mickey Tovio Scanlan