Thursday, March 28th
We got up early and met Ana Ika at the mission home so we could head to the far east end of the island. It is about an hour drive from our house. When we got there we had to find the water man, but he came and showed us the project. This village really has it’s act together. They have two water stands and tanks donated by Australian-Aid, a water pump donated by LDS Charities, a pump house donated by European Aid and 3 beautiful solar panels donated by a Rotary Club in the states. They gathered money as a village and bought an electric pump as a back up pump. They have all of their bases covered and they always have water. It just takes a couple of educated men living in the village and a few relatives in the states to get things done. We were impressed!
We struck out after that. On the way home we were trying to look at two more projects but we couldn’t find the men in charge. Tomorrow is Good Friday and all of them were in town getting ready for the holiday.
We had to be back to the Nauvoo Stake Center by 12:30 to do a presentation to the new missionaries. We had 16 new ones come in today. They look like a great group. Those of Tongan decent, either from Tonga, New Zealand, Australia or the US seemed fine, but those white boys from the US looked like deer in the headlights. They put the Tongan “skirt” on them as soon as they get here and then do a lot of the training in Tongan and it is a real shock for the first little while. They are always thrilled when we show up and start speaking in English.
We went to the temple tonight. It had rained a lot today but it cleared enough that we were able to walk over and most of the way home before it started up again. My temple dress still isn’t here and now Alan has ordered white suspenders to wear with his pants. I don’t know why he bothered. They have one pair here and no one else ever uses them. It was a good evening.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Wednesday, March 27thWe went into the office for a little while to check email and pick up a few things and then we were out to see more projects. We are doing a lot of driving and we will be doing the same thing all next week. Alan was a little discouraged when we stopped for gas this morning and it is now up to $2.98 a liter! Our Mission President told him yesterday to charge one tank full a month to the mission, since we do so much driving for the mission. That will help a lot!
We weren’t very successful today, we only saw one project. We had a hard time finding people home. We went to one village and met the wife of a member of the Stake Presidency. He was at work so we waited there for him to come home and take us to the water tanks. They are very poor people and we watched his little children playing outside as we waited. They have a dog that just had puppies, 9 of them. It seems that every dog in Tonga is pregnant right now. They run wild so there are dogs everywhere. Most people have 6 or 7 of them and they all look like they are starving. Anyway, the mother dog was nursing her puppies and they were so cute trying to get some milk. When she had finished, one of the little girls went over, laid down and started to nurse from the mother dog --- and the dog let her!! It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I don’t know if I was cut out for a humanitarian mission. It is tearing my heart in all sorts of directions.
We were able to have a great visit with Cade tonight. He had a fun birthday, centered around soccer and he seems to be doing great! We were thrilled that he wanted the picture of the temple of Tonga that we sent home awhile ago, so his mother printed it for him. He is preparing for a mission one day and with those pictures in his room it will help to keep him headed in the right direction. We are so proud of our grandchildren!
Tiffany told us that Greg called to wish him a happy birthday. She was surprised that he would remember but we weren’t. They were after all, good buddies in the pre-existence! That plus the fact that he has the family calendar with Cade’s picture on today.
We weren’t very successful today, we only saw one project. We had a hard time finding people home. We went to one village and met the wife of a member of the Stake Presidency. He was at work so we waited there for him to come home and take us to the water tanks. They are very poor people and we watched his little children playing outside as we waited. They have a dog that just had puppies, 9 of them. It seems that every dog in Tonga is pregnant right now. They run wild so there are dogs everywhere. Most people have 6 or 7 of them and they all look like they are starving. Anyway, the mother dog was nursing her puppies and they were so cute trying to get some milk. When she had finished, one of the little girls went over, laid down and started to nurse from the mother dog --- and the dog let her!! It was the saddest thing I have ever seen. I don’t know if I was cut out for a humanitarian mission. It is tearing my heart in all sorts of directions.
We were able to have a great visit with Cade tonight. He had a fun birthday, centered around soccer and he seems to be doing great! We were thrilled that he wanted the picture of the temple of Tonga that we sent home awhile ago, so his mother printed it for him. He is preparing for a mission one day and with those pictures in his room it will help to keep him headed in the right direction. We are so proud of our grandchildren!
Tiffany told us that Greg called to wish him a happy birthday. She was surprised that he would remember but we weren’t. They were after all, good buddies in the pre-existence! That plus the fact that he has the family calendar with Cade’s picture on today.
Tuesday, March 26th,
Today is Caden’s birthday but not in America. We will patiently wait until tomorrow to call him. We are so grateful for that little future missionary in our family. He is setting a good example for all of us by the way he saves conference talks and hangs pictures of the temples in his room. We are very proud of him.
We were the only ones in the office today, everyone else had meetings elsewhere. Thus, we were able to get a lot done and I even got a few things on the blog! Wow, miracles never cease.
We went back into town this evening and met the missionaries. We have been assigned to a different ward and they meet in town. There is a couple there that they have been teaching along with the Jensens, who just returned to the states. President Tukuafu has asked us to teach them now. The wife, Lina, is a member but her husband, Richard, (I can’t spell his Tongan name) is not. They have two daughters that the missionaries have been teaching in Tongan. They both are over 8 and want to be baptized. Richard is learning all he can about the church. He was raised Catholic and his parents are not happy about him looking into another church. He is the oldest son and he feels very responsible to them. Still, he likes everything that he knows about the church and he wants to know more. We had a great visit with them and it felt SOOOO GOOD TO BE TEACHING THE LESSONS AGAIN!!! We didn’t realize how much we had missed that part of being on a mission. Richard is going to take some time over this Easter weekend and write down some questions that he would like us to answer for him. We will be meeting with them every Tuesday evening.
One very sad note, Lina’s sister, who was only in her early 40’s, died of a heart attack two weeks ago, leaving two children behind. A daughter who is 9 and a son who is 11. They are both members of the church. Lina and Richard are adopting them. To look into the sad eyes of those two beautiful children about broke my heart. Maybe I will be bringing some little ones home with me after all.
Today is Caden’s birthday but not in America. We will patiently wait until tomorrow to call him. We are so grateful for that little future missionary in our family. He is setting a good example for all of us by the way he saves conference talks and hangs pictures of the temples in his room. We are very proud of him.
We were the only ones in the office today, everyone else had meetings elsewhere. Thus, we were able to get a lot done and I even got a few things on the blog! Wow, miracles never cease.
We went back into town this evening and met the missionaries. We have been assigned to a different ward and they meet in town. There is a couple there that they have been teaching along with the Jensens, who just returned to the states. President Tukuafu has asked us to teach them now. The wife, Lina, is a member but her husband, Richard, (I can’t spell his Tongan name) is not. They have two daughters that the missionaries have been teaching in Tongan. They both are over 8 and want to be baptized. Richard is learning all he can about the church. He was raised Catholic and his parents are not happy about him looking into another church. He is the oldest son and he feels very responsible to them. Still, he likes everything that he knows about the church and he wants to know more. We had a great visit with them and it felt SOOOO GOOD TO BE TEACHING THE LESSONS AGAIN!!! We didn’t realize how much we had missed that part of being on a mission. Richard is going to take some time over this Easter weekend and write down some questions that he would like us to answer for him. We will be meeting with them every Tuesday evening.
One very sad note, Lina’s sister, who was only in her early 40’s, died of a heart attack two weeks ago, leaving two children behind. A daughter who is 9 and a son who is 11. They are both members of the church. Lina and Richard are adopting them. To look into the sad eyes of those two beautiful children about broke my heart. Maybe I will be bringing some little ones home with me after all.
Monday, March 25thAfter our devotional at the Service Center I headed into the office with the Beans and Alan went out with one of the FM men to check the MQ’s. The first thing I did was email Elder Halversen about our project. I sent him the project number and we are praying that he can find it. What happens to a project when you push the “submit” button? It should go somewhere! I think ours ended up in space somewhere. Only I could accomplish that!!
We had a Welfare team meeting today and it was good to get everyone on the same page and coordinate all of our efforts. Anna is really making things happen. We have been able to visit 11 villages so far and we will go to 6 more this week. Then we should be well prepared for our visit with Elder Colson next week.
We found out today that we will have a long weekend this weekend. Everything in Tonga closes down on Good Friday and stays closed through Monday. We won’t be in the office again until Tuesday. We didn’t know this would happen and it really isn’t the best timing when the Colsons will be here on Saturday. Oh well, we will just have to spend Monday showing them around Tonga.
Alan came home from his trip through the zone quite depressed. They have all been deep cleaned, or so it was reported to us. They still look awful! We won’t be paying for that work until it is done right. He was also disappointed in many of the missionaries. They are living like pigs. Somehow we have to think of a way to motivate them to do better.
The Szokas did our FHE tonight. It was all centered around Easter. They did a great job. For treats we had avocado pie. It was interesting but not something that I would ever make. The avocados are on here right now and they are amazing! They are huge and sooooo good. We never see anything like them in America.
We had a Welfare team meeting today and it was good to get everyone on the same page and coordinate all of our efforts. Anna is really making things happen. We have been able to visit 11 villages so far and we will go to 6 more this week. Then we should be well prepared for our visit with Elder Colson next week.
We found out today that we will have a long weekend this weekend. Everything in Tonga closes down on Good Friday and stays closed through Monday. We won’t be in the office again until Tuesday. We didn’t know this would happen and it really isn’t the best timing when the Colsons will be here on Saturday. Oh well, we will just have to spend Monday showing them around Tonga.
Alan came home from his trip through the zone quite depressed. They have all been deep cleaned, or so it was reported to us. They still look awful! We won’t be paying for that work until it is done right. He was also disappointed in many of the missionaries. They are living like pigs. Somehow we have to think of a way to motivate them to do better.
The Szokas did our FHE tonight. It was all centered around Easter. They did a great job. For treats we had avocado pie. It was interesting but not something that I would ever make. The avocados are on here right now and they are amazing! They are huge and sooooo good. We never see anything like them in America.
Sunday, March 24thIt was raining again today. Yesterday was another tender mercy for the senior couples. We all needed a day off and a little relaxation. However, it was a little hard for me at church today. The backs of my legs are really burned and sitting is hard. Also, I had to tell the Relief Society Presidency that we have been transferred to another ward. Alan came home from the mission office the other day and said that the Mission President had asked us to go to the ward that meets in town. There is a family that he wants us to teach and help get ready to be baptized. Also, the ward really needs a senior couple to give them some support. We are missionaries and we will be obedient, but I hate to be transferred!! I love the ladies in Relief Society and I love this ward. It will really be hard to leave them. The ward that we will be going to is a lot smaller and they don‘t have as much fun as we do. I am so grateful that we had this experience and that I got to know these people. Most of them live around us so we will hopefully still see them around the campus. We have already made eternal friendships but I know the Lord will help us make more in our new assignment.
The next sad thing was saying good-bye to our Sunday School class. We have finally got it to a manageable size and the kids are starting to really respond. We have come to love them and now we are gone. They were all so good to us today. Lots of hugs and sad good-byes. They have been a blessing in our lives. We hope they all go on to accomplish great things here in the islands. The Lord needs them to be faithful and strong.
We didn’t tell the members that we were leaving. There is a chance that we might be back one more week, but for sure in April we will be gone.
It was pouring when church was out. We got drenched just getting to the truck. We had driven over because we had to take our computer and the projector. Thank heaven, we would have drowned trying to get home. I had to take my shoes off just to get to the truck the water was so deep.
I had some home made rolls in the freezer so I made mini hamburgers for lunch. We used the minced beef and it really wasn’t bad with onions and tomatoes and lots of ketchup. In fact they tasted pretty good to us.
We went over to the Service Center in between rain storms and tried to “face time” with the kids.
We were able to get in touch with everyone but Bryan today. Some of the connections were better than others but at least we were able to talk to them and see most of them. We will try Bryan again tomorrow.
The next sad thing was saying good-bye to our Sunday School class. We have finally got it to a manageable size and the kids are starting to really respond. We have come to love them and now we are gone. They were all so good to us today. Lots of hugs and sad good-byes. They have been a blessing in our lives. We hope they all go on to accomplish great things here in the islands. The Lord needs them to be faithful and strong.
We didn’t tell the members that we were leaving. There is a chance that we might be back one more week, but for sure in April we will be gone.
It was pouring when church was out. We got drenched just getting to the truck. We had driven over because we had to take our computer and the projector. Thank heaven, we would have drowned trying to get home. I had to take my shoes off just to get to the truck the water was so deep.
I had some home made rolls in the freezer so I made mini hamburgers for lunch. We used the minced beef and it really wasn’t bad with onions and tomatoes and lots of ketchup. In fact they tasted pretty good to us.
We went over to the Service Center in between rain storms and tried to “face time” with the kids.
We were able to get in touch with everyone but Bryan today. Some of the connections were better than others but at least we were able to talk to them and see most of them. We will try Bryan again tomorrow.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Saturday, March 23rd
Most of the senior couples went to another island for p-day today. We took a 30 minute boat ride to a small resort on the island of Pangaimotu. For the first time in the last 4 weeks the sun was shining on a Saturday and we had a wonderful day at the beach.
There is a small resort on the Island and that is where we spent the day.
We went to the “Big Mama Yacht Club” so we could take a picture of the big mama.
We were able to swim and snorkel. I have only done that once before, when we were on our cruise, but Greg absolutely loves it so I wanted to give it another try. Now I am hooked!! What a fun day. I guess I was out snorkeling for about 3 hours. We saw so many beautiful sights. We were able to locate all kinds and colors of fish, different types and colors of coral and interesting shells and formations on the ocean floor. We started when the tide was just starting to come in so we were able to see a lot of things really close before the water got too deep. It was an amazing experience and I have the sun burn to prove it! Alan could only stay out for a little while because of his skin cancer problems but I had the time of my life. One of the senior couples brought an underwater camera and he took a lot of pictures. He is going to email some to me that I hope to put on the blog. I really hope to be able to do that again while we are here.
After snorkeling for about 3 hours we stopped for lunch.
I had fish and chips and was pleasantly surprised at how good it was. The fish was snapper. It is a white fish that is very mild and very good.
This is an old resort and it is quite run down, but the beach is still very beautiful! After lunch we walked around the island. It is quite small so it only took us about 45 minutes. We had to go part way in the water because the tide had come up far enough that the beach was under water.
They used to have places for people to stay but they are very run down. It was a great day trip, but I wouldn’t want to stay overnight.
We headed home about 4:30 in the afternoon, leaving behind a small island but taking with us a day full of wonderful memories.
When we got home we were exhausted. It’s been years since I have been swimming for that length of time. We did a load of wash, had a sandwich and were in bed by 9:30. What a GREAT DAY!!
P.S. Something interesting happened while we were out swimming. The other senior sisters saw my back and were shocked at how bad it looked. When I told them what had happened one of them said that what I had had done was acu-pressure. I have never heard of it before but she had seen someone else who had had it done. Finally I was able to convince Alan to take a picture of it so I have proof of just how bad it was, but not to worry, I have recovered and will be just fine
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