Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Tumanuvao William White
TUMANUVAO WILLIAM WHITE
1918—1986
William White was born into a respected family in Savai’i, Western Samoa, in 1918. He heard the Message of Bahá’u’lláh for the first time in 1973, when Mr. Bob Biti and Mrs. April Lake visited Savai’i to teach the Faith of God in that fertile region during the happy occasion when the whole village was
celebrating the Fiafia, or traditional feast, with Samoan dances and songs. William was inspired by these two strangers dancing with local people and he was told that they were preaching a new Faith.
William was shocked, and could not believe that any religion other than Christianity would ever exist. He took his wife, Manesesa, home and returned after some time to talk further with Bob and April. Their meeting went on through the night. When the sun rose, its golden rays beautified the surroundings and made everyone happy except William, who was very much upset and disturbed. His new friends tried to comfort him. He answered:
I am happy to know about Baha’u’llah
and His divine principles, but I am sorry it is impossible for me to become a Bahá’í because everyone will oppose me, even my wife and all my family and relatives, and if I die tomorrow, no one will even attend my funeral. But I am puzzled and wonder that if I don’t accept Bahá’u’lláh, I have to reject even all other Prophets. If they are right, then He is also right; and if He is false, then all others are also false, because all of them are in the same condition and situation.
Then they read to him part of the Writings of Bahá’u’lláh from Gleanings, and suddenly these words penetrated his heart and attracted his soul towards Bahá’u’lláh and he said that now he was ready to face all the difficulties and troubles. He became a dedicated servant of the Cause.
The next day his wife and other relatives opposed him, but he stood like a rock until his wife accepted the Faith and she began assisting him in all his efforts. William said a few days after his acceptance of the Cause of God, a Canadian pioneer named Philip Beattie came to him in Savai’i and invited him on a teaching trip. William said he didn’t know anything about the Faith, so how could he teach others? Philip said that is the only reason he was invited. William
[Page 852]
852
Tumanuvao William White
was deepened during this teaching trip and he could never do without teaching again. His travelling caused many prepared souls to draw to Bahá’u’lláh’s Threshold. He was always grateful to Philip, and often talked about him.
William was often ill and in great pain, but even when he had a fever he never refused to go on a teaching trip. He always willingly left his house with a broad smile. One of the incidents he loved to narrate was from those days when he and Philip were walking around Savai’i with a bag of books on their backs. Here are his own words:
It was evening time when Philip and I felt
tired. We took rest under a tree in one of the school compounds. After some time, we witnessed nearly twenty youths approaching this compound along with their leader. They came and started practicing boxing. Philip and I were sitting and watching their practice. The youths gradually started warming up and came to Philip and said, ‘How about boxing with us a few rounds?’ Philip told them no
way, he had never boxed in his life and
could not do it. Then they came to me and said, ‘Hey, old man, what about you?’ I said, ‘I am an old man. I do not want to box with you all.’ But they insisted, and forced me to box with them. Then a youth came mockingly towards me and started with all his strength to knock me down and I pretended that I was unable to stand his blows. All of them laughed and Philip, who did not know that I knew boxing, was very much worried. Then they sent a second youth, this time he started very fast and acted very proudly. Then I knocked him down unconscious. They sent in their leader and he was defeated and I threw him out of the ring. Then all of them said, ‘Ok, old man, you know boxing,’ and they sent for their senior boxer. He came, and as soon as he looked at me, he recognized me and embraced me. Then he introduced me to these boxers and said all of them should apologise to me as I was a great champion. Then he invited us to his home and to the village. We were talking to them the whole night about this great Message. On the same night, eight people declared in this village and embraced the Faith.
Another exciting experience while teaching occurred when he was travelling all alone, riding on a motorcycle. The following are his own statements:
It was evening, and I was riding on my
motorcycle which was serving me as a queen of the roads. As soon as I reached near Falealupo, my queen stopped. The more I tried to start her, the worse she became. I kicked her and kicked her badly, but she did not care and did not start. I prayed and begged her to at least reach me to some village before dark, but she refused. Anyhow, darkness enveloped the area and I was helpless and I was so thirsty that I left my queen at the side of the bush and walked and walked in search of water. At last, I reached a fale (house)
and I asked them to give me some water.
They welcomed me to their home and they insisted that I should spend a night with them. I told them I have to go to take care of my motorcycle, but they said do not worry, we are all here to assist you. The head of the family, Mr. Fiono, asked his son to accompany me to the spot and help me to bring the motorcycle down to their house.
As soon as we reached there again, they served me with a beautiful dinner and told me that they were waiting for me since evening. I was shocked and speechless and puzzled. Then I asked them how they knew me, and how were they expecting me. Mr. Fiono said, ‘This evening, my wife saw a beautiful white owl fly over our fale (house) a few times and then fly away. Then I told my wife according to Samoan tradition, this means that we shall receive a respected guest and he shall bring us some good news. I told her to prepare a nice dinner.’ Then I told them how sincere and true they were. The whole night I was speaking to them about the Faith and it was nearly dawn when Mr. and Mrs. Fiono and their son accepted the Faith. Later on, Mr. Fiono was elected as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of Samoa.
Unfortunately, after a few years of service, this great man, Mr. Fiono, had a stroke and was completely paralyzed and motionless. He could not even talk. While he was laying on his mattress, the elders and pastors of many sects of Christianity would visit him and add to his pain by telling him that he was not saved because he was a Bahá’í, and that he should return to the Church and they would pray for him. But this man was so steadfast that he refused to listen to them, such was the result and the outcome of William’s outstanding teaching work.
In addition to his teaching work, William served the Faith as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa and
as a member of the Auxiliary Board for Propagation. He also wrote a book called Search for Truth to explain the Bahá’í teachings.
Mr. William White passed away on 7 November 1986, a shining example of how to teach the Cause of God. The following telex from the Universal House of Justice, sent on 10 November, will surely bless his soul and also adorn these pages:
SADDENED NEWS PASSING DEVOTED SERVANT BAHA’U’LLAH TUMANUVAO WILLIAM WHITE PRAYING SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL KINDLY CONVEY CONDOLENCES HIS FAMILY
A second telex, from the International Teaching Centre sent on 11 November, honoured his blessed activities and his soul:
DEEPLY GRIEVED PASSING HIGHLY DISTINGUISHED TUMANUVAO WILLIAM WHITE HE WILL BE LONG REMEMBERED FOR HIS CEASELESS ACTIVITY SPIRIT DEDICATION DEVOTED SERVICES TEACHING CONSOLIDATION UPOLU SAVAII HIS COURAGE EXEMPLARY MAINTAINING ACTIVITY DESPITE MANY YEARS ILL HEALTH PRAYING SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HIS SOUL PLEASE CONVEY CONDOLENCE MEMBERS HIS FAMILY
William was laid to rest in Savai’i, in Papa Village near Puleia, with a most dignified funeral. Hundreds of people attended with tears rolling from their eyes. He was, up to his last breath, steadfast and firm and holding fast to the Teachings of God. He was survived by his widow, Manesesa, and sons and daughters and grandchildren.