WHY WE MOVED TO AMERICAN SAMOA | AMSAMFAM LIVING ON A TINY ISLAND IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC 

After hearing this. It only meant one thing. You guys were meant to be there. Welcome Home, you're Samoan in my book and i'm pretty sure the people of Samoa feels the same.

Awesome guys..Well done. As a Polynesian, born in Niue, brought up in New Zealand and currently living in Brisbane, Australia, I feel for you. I'm sick of living in false hope that everything will get better. I'm over it. I just want to find a tiny little spot either in NZ or Niue to spend the rest of my days, chilling out, living of the land, and not worry about materialistic wealth...

The best thing about this move is that the kids will grow up with that Samoan culture & spirit in them. Strong, resilient, care free and appreciative of every small thing life offers. God Bless your Family.

Love your love of the Samoan people and culture. God bless you.

Just like us samoans moving to the states for better opportunities, you both did the same! People are not always meant to be where they were born and raised but often wherever the heart is. You guys were looking everywhere but God had already planted love for Am. Samoa and the samoan culture in Nate’s heart a long time ago. Surely he meant for you guys to live a prosperous life here♥️ I would love to meet you guys someday. I mean, its a really small island, how could we not have met by now? 😂😂😂😂😂 Love you AMSAMFAM!!!!!!

I was born in American Samoa in 1965 and our family moved to Hawaii in 1974 and I have never been back I now live in South Carolina obviously visiting American Samoa is a bucket list item for me

10 years ago I moved from Idaho to work for the VA in Tafuna. I lived in Leone for two years. It was a wonderfully awful/awfully wonderful experience that I am really glad we did. My daughter was was in Junior High at that time. I moved in March from Pocatello to AS. I think being part of the LDS community would have been a huge benefit but we were not Mormon. I do remember spending a lot of time trying to learn Samoan from the missionaries most of whom were from Utah or Idaho. It’s unusual to see folks stay as long as you have. I can see that you love it and I love your videos because they remind me of the good adventures that we had as a family. 💞

Prayers bring mysterious joyful surprises to life. God bless you all.

Everytime ur videos are out I want to watch it at home on the big screen than my cell phone...Your family is awesome..SAMOA needs to takecare of those who call Samoa home as well...Stay blessed...We love you all...

Nate, it was Gods plan for you to move to American Samoa. See how things fell thru for you and your family. Look at you and your family now. You’re enjoying everything about American Samoa. Now you really have a taste of true Samoan culture. We enjoy watching every videos you make and you’re true blessing to the island. You’re a government employee 👏👏 I truly believe you’re valuable to the the DOC. God bless you, Melinda and kids.

Oh wow, I am from American Samoa but currently live in Nampa Idaho. I miss home but I love Idaho 😊. Love watching your journey in Samoa 🎈

I’m so glad of what you two done for our Island, put it out for family who never been in Am Samoa.welcome home fam family.

LDS!!!!! Yeahhhhh!!!!!! Wow, Nate.... your younger pics look just like your kids, especially your daughter! Beautiful! Why do I have a feeling there is more to this story that has to do with God and His mysterious ways to make this all happen in your favor at the exact right timing with Samoa and your family’s Intertwining .... I feel there’s a testimony in there!!! How great God is!!!! Thanks for sharing!!

I love you guys’ videos. I’m an American Samoan native from Leone & I’ve been away from home since 2017. I’m glad your beautiful family love our beautiful American Samoan islands. ❤️❤️

What an awesome story! This wasn't an accident surly God's plan came into play here. But now you're at home with us AmSamFam! Thank you for choosing to live with the Samoan people God bless! Tofa soifua!

Such divine guidance!! You are exactly where you’re supposed to be. You surrendered to faith & love & so happy for you. Very inspirational & thanks for the story! Blessings to you & aiga 🦋🙏💛

Well, I didn't choose the move but my parents did. We moved to Australia when I was almost 7. I think we might still be there if my mom didn't get homesick. So, making a move like yours is really in Nate's blood.

I’m from American Samoa the village of Pago Pago & now I live in Idaho 🥰 it’s amazing how we switched places ☺️ I miss my home

You sir, deserves a chief title in Samoa!!! You are a hella of man than some of us Samoan man. You sir earned my respect 💯🙏. Your beautiful kids will make a change in Am. Samoa, that’s why God send you to Samoa. I see potential in loving children n a perfect parents to lead them. Well that’s my opinion , and may our Heavenly Father blessed your amazing beautiful family 🙏🙏🙏🙏 soifua ma ia manuia. From your aiga in Savannah Georgia!!! #AmSanFam#

Good to see your children enjoy themselves in American Samoa. You and your family have been to many places on island that I have not even been to. Blessings to you and your family. Thank you for sharing your videos.❤️🌺

My family immigrated to the US from New Zealand back in the 60s. There was a significant migration of Polynesians that immigrated to the US during this time, especially to the Jackson County, Missouri area (which includes my family). There was some direction from David O. McKay to do so, and many Polynesian families made this trek to support what they believed was inspired direction for them. The family first left NZ to go to Hawaii (because of a job opportunity at BYU Hawaii), and then, later on, finished up by moving to Independence, Missouri. A lot of my extended family - whose surname is AhMu - still resides in Samoa (mostly Western Samoa). In fact, if you make it out to the LDS Temple in Apia that is the plot of land where that side of my family originates.

Hi guys. Laws of attraction and your inner being your guardian angels all come together to answer your vibrations for something new and fresh. Well done.....you have a beautiful family true wealth and happiness.

Inspiring family story for all those with similar dreams and ideas. God blessings.

I loved your guys story. Your love for American Samoa and commitment to having a great life for your family is outstanding. Wishing you all the best and God's blessings on your journey.

😭😭😭🥺 what a beautiful story this got me moved well done my USO much love and respect family 😭😭😭🤧

Our family's best friends are Samoans. Good hearted people with good vibes.

You guys are awesome America Samoa government Needs people like you Nate To make our island better

That is how we feel like we cannot breathe here and we have the beautiful caravan. Good on you both for trying and loving it all.

Best story ever. Thanks for sharing.

Love this story. You guys are a great..great addition to Am.Samoa. Love your spirits... you may not be Samoan by blood but your spirit n your love for this territory makes you samoan in heart... and that's all it matters. 😍

I want Some-more of Samoa 😃

Thats Crazy how you moved to a country that you dont have ties to and made it yall home 🥰😍🤩. Welcome to the Samoan Islands. We love yall 💗 💕

Awesome we live in AMSAM from 1986-89 my father worked at Bank of America Samoa. Your family is truly blessed. Be safe and thanks for posting and keep my memories alive of family and friends and adventure we had on American Samoa...

My wife and I sold everything we owned and moved from Texas to Costa Rica with our 2 pets and 4 suitcases. There are 100 reasons why we did it but the biggest ones were the climate, change in nature, and the changes in the culture in the U.S. I wanted to move to Guam but my wife did not so we ended up here. We had been here a couple times before. I grew up in Boston and as a teenager I always wanted to move someplace warm. We moved to Texas when I was 45 and I kicked myself for not doing it years earlier. I didn't want to regret not moving outside the CONUS. Thanks for taking the time to put this great video together. I loved hearing your story. All the best.

I’m Tongan/Fijian but I love y’all stories. This awesome!! Praying for the best for you two and your kids. Ofa atu

Love your story. Enjoy the Samoa hospitality.thanks for sharing

Love love love this story! And especially since you’ve documented everything from the very beginning. My favorite part, #debtfree ... thank you for sharing your life adventures with us, and also Melinda for the friendship. Truly an inspiring story ❤️❤️❤️

God works in a mysterious way. CONGRATS to you and your family💓🌺🌺🌺❤❤❤🌺🌺

You guys are amazing! American Samoa is blessed with you as essential part of their community. 🙂

thanks for sharing..I had always wondered how you guys ended up here & chose to stay...it's actually very inspiring and a great story for a tv movie some day! take care always!

Hi AM SAM FAM Enjoying seeing your experiences in Samoa yep shes a beautiful place once she captures you she will never let you go.

what an inspirational story. and how ironic...an 'economist'...who surely knows the moral verdict brought upon 'usury'', is led by the Spirit it would seem, to find his childhood dream...and then...one of the most beautiful sailboats is literally delivered to his door! what blessings... i have a similar story, too long to tell her, but ending in my childhood dream that seemed unattainable suddenly 'materializing' and leading to the blessings that i count as wonders to me, since i did nothing to encounter them of my own, but followed the spirit in me as it presented itself...and still live in awe of the unfolding that i embarked on in faith and have since left to the chance of that bold decision. it has so far led me to make two single handed deliveries of my own sailboats from san francisco to mexico, 10 years apart, when i never thought i could ever have my own canoe, let alone an ocean going sailboat! all i can say is, don't lose the faith that conquers fear...and, 'love your neighbor as yourself'. these are the only two things that matter in the end...and what is rewarded by the Master. all the things of the world, 'do not come from God, but from the world...and pass away'. look forward to seeing your family on that sailboat!

I've been contemplating retiring and for the last two years, I always come back to American Samoa. Your videos have sure been fascinating to me. I told a friend very recently who thinks I'm crazy with the desire to leave mainland USA, that I can hardly stand any longer what I term a new American aggression that is depressing and disheartening. Thanks so much for the voluminous information you have given me over the last year or so.

Love my Amsam fam🙏❤️🤙

Thank you for sharing your story. Thank you and God bless.

Great story guys! I’m from American Samoan but grew up here in the Mainland all my life. I do want to retired back In American Samoan 2025. My recommendation for you guys, is buy a land there. Build your own house in Samoan, it’s tax free land. Good luck guys and hope to see you in 2025

u make the right move. i was born and raised in the independent state of samoa and moved to am.samoa, lived, school and worked there for 27 years before we moved here in the us. a calm place, a happy, loving, and peaceful place. i told my wife if we decide to go back to samoan islands; we will go and stay at am.samoa instead of samoa.

Yes, Please! I would love to see a video about the logistics of moving to American Samoa. 😁

Good luck with your life adventure, very brave 👍🏿 God bless ✊

Awesome. Well we are more then happy to welcome u to our/your beautiful island.

Wow it was all meant to be. Just stumbled upon your channel, was in my reccomended. Going to binge all your other videos!

I made the move down to American Samoa because I wanted to be in my daughters life. I chose her instead of my military career. So I finished my enlistment and my degree, leased out my house and sold everything else except for two duffle bags and a backpack. Moved down there not knowing what I was getting myself into. Was very very fortunate to get a job teaching at Voc Tech. Then got a better paying job at Bluesky. I absolutely LOVED living down there. Your stories resonate with me and sound VERY similar to the experiences I had. I just love it! My daughter actually says she knows you two and your kids from SPW. I could make a few videos myself about my adventures down there.

Talofa lava. Fantastic story you guys. A similar thing happened to me many years ago. I was a single mum with 2 children. I felt restless. I always wanted to travel but being on my own with two small children, that did not seem likely. One thing I did have, was a university degree. I applied to do Volunteer Service Abroad. I needed permission from my kids dad, to take them overseas, which I got thankfully. I was selected for position as an English teacher in Arusha, Tanzania. We were so excited. However the position fell through at the last minute. We were all disappointed but then a teaching position in Samoa came up. I was reluctant to go for this position though, as my father is Samoan, and I was wanting my family to experience cultures and environments that were new to us. However, a house was provided for us in the school compound and airfares were paid for my children and myself. It felt like we had won the lottery. So I accepted the position. It was an amazing experience and something that my now adult children still talk about fondly. Even though my father is Samoan, I was born in New Zealand and English is my first language. I grew up in the city. Life in Samoa was vastly different from the world and culture my children knew. We also experienced two cyclones in Samoa and had to learn to live without electricity or running water for two months. I discovered strengths in myself that I did not know I had. The children learnt to carry water from the spring, to watch the flying foxes at night. Without power I read to them by candle light. We read all the CS Lewis books that way. It is still a fond memory for them. I noticed how much happier they were away from the stress of city life back home. They swam every day, chased pigs around the school compound. Our friends were the local Samoan people, as well as UN workers from all around the world, India, Ghana, France, Japan, Australia, America, Germany etc. Our Christmas dinners were potluck, with amazing international dishes from our guests. I'm so glad I responded to that restless feeling and didn't accept that just because I was a single mum with 2 kids we couldn't go on an adventure. As adults my children are now world travellers and I have also continued to enjoy travelling through Europe, Asia, and the Pacific. I feel the experience helped my children to grow into adults who embrace diversity and have adventurous spirits. They have also both chosen careers where they work with people from all cultures and backgrounds. This experience will be so wonderful for you as a family unit. A great adventure. ❤

Watching your movies from the fiji islands, so proud of the move

I am originally from the mainland with family from Ta'u Manu'a and this place is probably the safest place in the world to raise a family. Have you noticed young kids walking to different places after dark? Someting you would never see in the mainland. Glad to have you here. Take care and God bless

Amazing,god bless you both and the kids

From Tafuna here and I am very impressed more so inspired by you guys and your awesome story. Please enjoyed your leaving in America Samoa and stay cool. Love from Utah

LOVE THIS because I left part of my own heart in American Samoa! Sailed in from Hawaii in 1974 and left in 1979. I am still homesick after all these years. So happy for you and your family.

Great video! I left America when I was 18. I moved to the island of Saipan. Spent most of my life there. Raised a family- the kids are still there. When my husband retired we moved to his hometown in rural Japan. It’s only a 3.5 hour flight from Saipan so seeing the kids and grandkids isn’t too difficult. It’s a move I have never regretted! We have several friends from AM. Samoa in Saipan.

WOW! Your family is an inspiration for American Samoa! Beautiful and well said! Thank you for sharing in good honesty! Thank you for RU-vid to have open communication world wide to all in many good resources.

Loved this video. You guys are beautiful. I was a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar 24 years ago, and ended up living the past 22 years in Malawi. Would love to visit Samoa one day. All the best to you! ☺

Awesome for your family welcome to Island and Polynesian life stay safe xx

It's amazing how God blessed you. This is a very inspiring story.

Love you guys very much ❤ awesome 👌 ❤ God bless 💖 🙏 tofa soifua....

Love your story. Thank you for sharing. Tofa soifua!

You are Samoans. You 're currently live and raise your children in Samoa. Everything they do, you will be included. Good for you and it is an experience.

Thanks for sharing your family story❤️

Amazing story! Just moved to Idaho last year! Moved out, we moved in. Look forward to the next phase of your family story!

You're awesome n very thoughtful in all your dreams. You're at the right place. Well done.

Oh I miss it sooooo much, snorkelling and such good friends, I would move back if I could, so beautiful, thank you so very much!!

Hi family! Am. Samoa is blessed to have you there. You are great people and I'm glad you made the island your home. You are Samoan. Alofa Atu!!!

Thank you for doing this video. Beautiful story, so very happy you all are enjoying home. You all look happy. It’s that Vitamin D all year long.

that is an amazing story, i now live in spokane, WA. and to hear that you made a big decision to move to am. samoa is simply amazing

This such an awesome video. A lot of people dream to just get up and move to a whole different world outside of the norm but to actually do it, it's amazing. I look forward to seeing more.

Awesome clip! All the bestest to you guys and your family, Alofaz from NSW Australia

You're so blessed! Enjoy our island is truly paradise 🥰

Wow what a wonderful story inspiring us all

So happy and proud to have you and your children move here in am.samoa, I have three girls that were born in California never seen where their dad is from... Take of my hat to you guys and welcome to American Samoa. Your now called Aiga meaning Family..

Amazing family story! Very adventurous. Blessings!

Bummer! I missed your live video. But I' glad to see it is posted. What a great story. Serendipity-- it's real. I think Stevenson would agree that you have a good claim on the title "Tusi Tala". Thanks for telling the great stories.

You’re very smart brother, God bless you and your family 🙏

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡. You pronounce “Samoa” and “Samoan” perfectly. Thank you and I will always consider you Samoan 🥰

Hey guys... It's me aunty Lei. I know Melinda from our weekly taebo sessions, also with beautiful freely running around kids. This is your second video I've come across. Stay here where it is safe for your kids. No gangs, guns, all that here. Will see you Monday Melinda!

You both are inspiring me👏👏💐

I love your spirit, I myself an RM. " Spasiba" good videos..👍

Love the content! Super proud of you guys! As a full samoan myself that was born and raised in American Samoa I'm glad I stumble upon this awesome channel.

Love this video that is a beautiful story. I was born in the island but moved here in the states to further my education, and now living fulltime here in Phoenix AZ.

Hello there, EXCELLENT video. I'm glad that things worked out for your family. I was born in PagoPago and moved here to the mainland in 1972 at 8 yrs old. I haven't been home since. I pray that God will continue to bless your household 🙏🙏🙏

You guys have been looking genuinely to a place to move too , you guys honestly with sincere hearts wishing to fine a place to move to , and I think God has provided you with the place of your dream it’s challenging in most thing but for a positivity mind and people like you both will make it your dream place Welcome to Polynesia God bless 🙏🏽❤️❤️

Hi guys ,saw this on my feed...showing love from Sydney Australia 🇼🇸🇦🇸 be safe and taloooofffaaa!

I have a Parks n Rec degree. Lots of years looking for the "fit". Working up the seasonal ladder to a dept mgr at a ski area in winter and found a campground manager position summer. Went full time in the camper 3 seasons ago. Florida in the winter at an Elks csmp facility, and the campground in the summer in Oh. Ain't rich. but both these jobs have been serendipitous. I can't imagine a fixed house now. if it wasn't a camper... it would have been a sailboat.

Y’all story is awesome,i will faithfully following y’all,for more videos and story,love y’all all the way from San Antonio Texas!

Talofa lava from New Zealand. Awesome video bringing back so many memories for me. My mother worked for the commerce department in American Samoa. Sadly she passed away in 2011. Wishing you guys all the very best and maybe a trip To New Zealand is on the cards.

Talofa! I think that’s so cool that you took the plunge and followed your dreams. Years ago I had a Samoan friend who invited me to visit there, but I never made it🙁... Another advantage of being in American Samoa right now is that they have done a good job there keeping COVID under control.

I'm so inspired. Wish you guys the best of luck. Thank you for sharing your interesting lives

Great video! Thank you for sharing, this really inspired me. So many good points.

Your family is humble and inspirational. Love all your videos and contents. Keep posting. Alofa atu.

Born and raise there. Keep up with those video. Love it. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ American Samoa 🇦🇸 🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸🇦🇸

Nate saying that he had 2 kids 😆 😆 😆. Thank you for the really detailed explanation. It definitely answered all my burning questions about your relocation to Am. Samoa

Loved your video. My family in 1959 or 60 moved to American Samoa for my dad to teach at the high school. It was some sort of Mormon mission, for 4 years. My youngest sister was born there in 1960. the High school back then was in Mapasonga. (spelling?) Now i hear it is a JR. college. I can still see our house we lived in on google earth. I loved your video showing the scenery as it brings back so many memories. thanks for sharing your story.