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Draft:Tini Inu Lam Yuen


Tini Inu Lam Yuen (born January 31, 1917) is an author, translator, and renowned pastor of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church in the South Pacific region. His long-standing service and efforts are notable in the establishment of the adventist message in the Samoan islands.

Biography

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Early Life

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Tini Inu Lam Yuen was born in Apia, Samoa to Lam Wu Yuen of Fuzhou China, and Mataiumu Tulifua of Taputimu, American Samoa, on Jan. 31, 1917. Tini Inu's father arrived in Samoa as an interpreter for Chinese workers employed by foreign government entities. Tini had four brothers and two sisters. His siblings included John (Sione) Hanke Lam Yuen, Foutu'ua Pupi Lam Yuen, Poe Lam Yuen, Sae Samuel Lam Yuen, and sisters Moana Lam Yuen and Aloma Lam Yuen (died in infancy).

Tini Inu grew up as a young boy in Saleufi, Apia, (Western) Samoa part of the time, until he moved to Pago Pago (Malaloa) and Taputimu, American Samoa part of the time after the death of their father. He returned to Apia where he and his siblings attended school.

Education

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Tini Inu first attended school at Leifiifi Elementary then continued to higher grades at Marist Brother's School in Apia. After completion Tini Inu was awarded Dux medal for highest achievement and top of the island-wide university entrance for furthering his education overseas. He was offered educational incentives from various sources, including government scholarships to further his education and pursue careers as in business, law, civil administration or politics. However, during his final years in high school, Tini had been inspired by a deeply religious friar teacher, who convinced the young student that the true seventh day sabbath was Saturday, so Tini decided to pursue studies to become a Christian minister.

Tini Inu attended Vailoa Missionary Seminary, the Seventh-day Adventist boarding school at the village of Saoluafata, (Western) Samoa, and after completion was assigned as a ministerial intern at the village of Satomai, where he also taught at the church's primary school located there[1].

In 1937 Tini Inu was called to teach at Vailoa. Here he met his future wife, Fueainaula Mu Tagaloa, who had been attending Vailoa as a day student. Fueainaula's mother and father were village high chiefs. The couple were married in Apia, (Western) Samoa on August 21, 1937.

For the next seven years Tini Inu continued to work as pastoral intern and teacher at Vailoa. Three daughters, Florie (Florence) Tupito, Puna, and Man-Ha Marjory were born to the family during this time.

Career - Evangelical Work

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In 1944 the Seventh-day Adventist Church was prepared to enter the U.S. Territory of American Samoa[2]. The Tini Lam Yuen family was chosen as pioneers for the church in this area. Fortunately, Tini was familiar with his family's history in American Samoa, for they played an important part in his work assignment there. In the early 1800s Tini Inu's great grandfather Henry Rosenberg Gibbons from England ("Le 'Au Losi'') landed on American Samoa and there his descendants settled and thrived, mostly at the western villages of Leone, Taputimu, and Poloa[3][4]. Henry Gibbons was appointed the first U.S. representative as Vice Consul Agent on Tutuila in 1847[5], before these islands were annexed by the U.S.[6][7]

Tini and his family stayed in Taputimu for a few years while he traveled and worked throughout the length of the island of Tutuila. A church headquarters was established on land leased from Mrs. Lina Kneubuhl at Satala by 1946, and the family relocated to this suburb at the eastern end of the village of Pago Pago the following year. Additional land was given to the church by Mr. Norman Foster and a church building was erected in Satala by 1952.

By 1956 the Adventist church was firmly established on American Samoa, with congregations in nine different villages. Seven more children had been added to the Lam Yuen family, Le'alā Ebigale, Lam Laiuni, Etenauga Alvina, Arthur Abraham, Tini Jr., Elaine Emalaine, and Hannacho Tini. Towards the end of 1956, Tini was called to return to Vailoa, where he again taught and trained more workers, and pastor at the school for a few more years. In 1959 the family moved to the church's headquarters in Apia where he was an administrator, pastor, and evangelist. Tini Inu continued to work as teacher and mentor, counselor, interpreter/translator of religious materials, and editor of mission literature. Tini also traveled extensively overseas in connection with his responsibilities and ministry[8].

Throughout his career, Tini Inu translated church books and also authored and published works used by Samoan church leaders and instructors, as well as lay workers and members[9]. As an instructor for the church's lay ministers and head evangelist, Tini translated Bible Study Guides[10][11], including the popular Voice of Prophecy ("Leo o Valo'aga"), and published a monthly newsletter, Ia Outou Ō in the Samoan language which was distributed to all church members throughout the islands and overseas.

In 1976 Tini Inu was due to retire after more than forty years as a Christian minister to the Samoan people on behalf of his church. However, he was called back to American Samoa where he continued to work and direct this field until he officially retired from active ministry in 1978. Though retired, Pastor Tini Inu continued to train lay preachers in the islands as well as on the mainland U.S., especially newly established Samoan churches in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

On April 1991, Samoa honored the work of the Adventist Church when they celebrated one hundred years since being introduced to these islands[12][13]. Tini Inu was presented with a memorial plaque as they paid tribute to the family for pioneering the work in American Samoa. It was a simple token of love and respect from a people whose lives he touched. CenPac News (the newsletter of the Central Pacific Union of SDA) reported on this moving event.

Parkinson's Disease

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Pastor Tini Inu Lam Yuen retired from his pastoral work largely due to affliction from Parkinson's Disease. He battled through with this disease until his death in May of 1996.

References

  1. ^ "First MIssionary to American Samoa Dies". The Record. 101 (26): 11. July 6, 1996 – via adventistdigitallibrary.org.
  2. ^ Neufeld, Don F. (1976). Seventh-Day Adventist Encyclopedia (Commentary Reference Series, Vol 10 ed.). Review and Herald Pub. Association.
  3. ^ Murray, Archibald Wright (1876). Forty Years' Mission Work in Polynesia and New Guinea From 1835 to 1875. London, England: Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
  4. ^ Lundie, George Archibald Lundie (1846). Missionary Life in Samoa, as Exhibited in the Journals of the Late George Archibald Lundie: During the Revival in Tutuila in 1840-41. New York.
  5. ^ Koskinen, Aarne A. (1/1/1953). Missionary influence as a political factor in the Pacific Islands (First ed.). Helsinki : Suomalainen Tiedeakatemia. ISBN B007XAQAKE. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: invalid character (help); Check date values in: |year= (help)
  6. ^ Kennedy, Joseph (12/31/2009). The Tropical Frontier: America's South Sea. Micronesian Area Research Center. ISBN 9780980033151. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  7. ^ Ryden, George Herbert (1933). The Foreign Policy of the United States in Relation to Samoa. Yale University Press.
  8. ^ Hughes, Neil (June 1, 2001). "TINI: Trailblazer" (PDF). Journal of Pacific Adventist History. 1 (1): 31 – via adventistarchives.org.
  9. ^ Watt, Abbie Le'ala Lam Yuen (1/1/2000). Tini: Trailblazer in the Wake of the Pitcairn (First ed.). TEACH Services, Inc. ISBN 1572581662. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link)
  10. ^ Lam Yuen, Tini Inu (1979). O le Failauga o le 'Upu Moni.
  11. ^ Lam Yuen, Tini Inu (1959). O Fa'amatalaga o le Tusi Pa'ia.
  12. ^ "108 Years Ago". Adventist Review. 173 (30): 7. July 25, 1996 – via adventistdigitallibrary.org.
  13. ^ Hay, David E. (2005). Samoa 100 + years : the South Pacific and beyond : Seventh-day Adventist churches in the Samoan Islands, NZ, USA & Australia. Hamlyn Terrace, N.S.W, Australia: David & Cecily Hay. ISBN 0646445286.
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