Tauranga's Paul and Esther Walker, Catherine Balo and Mizpa Essed are expecting to see a country in grief when they touch down in Samoa.
The group left for Samoa at midnight on Friday to help with the medical relief effort in the country after the tsunami on September 30.

Tauranga's Paul and Esther Walker, Catherine Balo and Mizpa Essed left for Samoa on Friday night to help with the medical relief effort in the country after the tsunami on September 30.

At least 30 medical staff employed with the Bay of Plenty District Health Board were vying for an opportunity to assist with the relief effort.
Esther and Catherine are nurses at Tauranga Hospital, Mizpa is a Tauranga GP and Paul is travelling with the group to help coordinate their efforts.
The group will first head to Samoa's Manono Island and help establish medical clinics in the region, but will travel to a variety of areas during the seven day effort.
Tauranga based aid organisation Marine Reach, which promotes humanitarian work in the Pacific region, is sponsoring the group's visit to Samoa.
Esther believes the group's visit to Samoa is something that needed to be done.
'We're not concerned there was a second tsunami alert. There's a medical need in the country and we are responding to that,” says Esther.
Volunteers with Marine Reach visited Samoa in 2008 and carried out medical assistance with eye surgery, dental work, optometry and primary health care clinics.
People interested in the work of Marine Reach have the opportunity this weekend to go on a tour of the New Zealand Youth with a Mission Ship at Salisbury Wharf between 2pm and 5pm.