RELIGIOUS AUTOBIOGRAPHY

by: Sauileoge Pouli Jr.

Born and raised in American Samoa, I grew up in a Christian family and baptized in

our small Methodist church. As a Samoan Methodist, I grew up going to church every

Sunday both afternoon and evening services. I went to Sunday School when I was very

young, yet did not really understand Christian values until much later. Together with my

siblings, our parents used to take us to church, we prayed prior to every meal, we had family

evening devotionals, and our parents set a good, if not perfect, example for us to observe and

follow. They constantly taught us about God, and this enabled me to learn about God’s grace,

love, patience, and forgiveness. We normally had great conversations about faith, and they

always explained the reason they cared so much for our spiritual development. My father

served as a lay preacher (I thought at a very young age, my father was a pastor), and my

mother was a class leader and a Sunday School teacher. Their works in the church and as

Christians not only molded me as a Christian but also influenced how I view Christian life

today. I remembered how excited I was when I was in Sunday school learning Bible stories

and playing fun games.

In high school, I started to think critically about life and the crucial of

decision-making. Attending youth programs in church was again my favorite hobby to do on

Sundays. Peer pressure had played a huge role in turning my life into depressed and starting

to lost faith in God. I started becoming troublemaker and peace disturbance in my

neighborhood when I was introduced to marijuana, cigarettes and alcohol by my friends. I

even went to jail for peace disturbance. The good thing is that my parent did not give up on

me easily.

At college, things change a bit. I married in my early 20s, nurture a daughter and went

to school. This relationship kept me going and strengthen my faith in God. Marriage life was

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exhausting but exciting; fortunately, it was during my marriage years that I started to learn

more about Jesus Christ. I became a lay preacher from 2008 until 2012 when I attended the

Piula Theological College. I was also served as a Sunday School teacher and a member of our

youth fellowship administration. I was an active Christian and a Methodist.

My dream of becoming a teacher was fulfilled; however, it seems like there is

something that has been missing. In March 2012 at school when I became a teacher for fifth

grade, I felt a strange feeling, little did I know that the Spirit of the Lord whispered my heart

that it is time to fulfill my other dream. The moment I felt this strange feeling, I called my big

brother on the phone to inform him about this good news. I went home and shared the good

news to my wife and she thankfully agreed. To short the long story, in June 2012, I flew to

Samoa to take the entrance exam at the Piula Theological College and became a student.