Friday, May 10th
There wasn’t a lot going on in the office today, so we were able to catch up with Ana on the Welfare work. There is a navy ship coming next month, so we are starting to prepare for that. They will be here for 10 days and they have a full schedule outlined. We are excited about having that opportunity but nervous that our project will get through all of the red tape about the same time and we will be overwhelmed! There will be doctors and nurses on the ship that will do medical procedures right there on the ship and then others who will come out on the island and do some eye clinics and work in schools with hygiene and other needs. We hope to be able to spend some one on one time with them. The full time missionaries will be translators for them.
We called Jake this afternoon to talk to him on his birthday. He is VERY BUSY! But somehow he seems to be able to handle it all. We are so grateful for the wonderful husband and father he is and he is a pretty terrific son-in-law too!
Alan took me out to dinner for Mother’s Day tonight. Our stake was having a Black and White Ball in honor of the women in the stake so we decided to make a night of it. We went to a beautiful little place called Luna Rosa. A man from Italy came to Tonga, after marrying a Tongan woman, and built a restaurant just off the lagoon. It is beautiful, quiet and very tropical. We had a lovely dinner, I had steak and lobster and Alan had steak and Mahi-Mahi. It cost us a small fortune but we had such a good time that it was worth it, although when we go back I will have something Italian, steak isn’t his specialty.
Then we went to the ball. We were just slightly under dressed for the event, but missionaries don’t take clothes like that on a mission. The women were dressed to the hilt and some of the men were even in tuxes. It was a grand occasion and we had a great time. We danced and mingled with the members of our ward. We also met some important people, a member of Parliament and a Tongan Opera singer! The MC welcomed us personally and expressed gratitude that the Senior Missionaries would come to the ball. We were the only Palangi’s in the whole place. It’s funny, I don’t even think about that any more. We also met the nephew of another one of Alan’s mission companions, Sepa. Another Tender Mercy! He was sitting right next to me and when we started talking he found out that Alan had served his mission here. He said that his uncle served about that same time and it turned out to be Alan’s favorite companion. Evidently Sepa was a famous boxer here and he used to tell people that if they messed with Elder Webb they would have to answer to him. No one messed with Elder Webb. Sepa is in California now and his nephew is going there in a couple of months. He will tell him that Alan is back in Tonga. Maybe he will come while we are still here. It wouldn’t surprise me.
We didn’t get home until after 11 and we were exhausted, but it was a great night!
