Tonga!

We met with Howard Niu this week to go over the list to update the emergency container for Tonga. We have it stored here at Liahona and it is almost empty. It is a real challenge to know what we can safely store in a small, dark place like that, that gets so incredibly hot in the summer and is subject to mold and mildew. All of those things present their own challenges. It will take a few days to come up with a list to submit, but it is something that needs to be done before a natural disaster hits this island.

While we were working on the list, Howard told us a wonderful story. Back in the early 90’s when they had the last really bad cyclone go through here, all of the power lines went down and there was no electricity on the island, except at Liahona. The King has a residence on the west side of the island and he was driving into the Palace in the evening. The island was totally dark until he came to Liahona. The lights were on in the houses, the Service Center and the Temple was all lit up. He told his driver, “This is what we need to do. We need to be prepared, like the Mormons.” When the Liahona campus was built, all of the power lines were put under ground, trees cannot knock them down. We have our own generators here and they are constantly upgraded and repaired so that if the power goes off it usually takes about 10 - 12 seconds to get power back up. What a blessing that the church thinks so far ahead and is prepared for whatever might happen, in every country.