Liahona Dental Clinic

                          

Dr Bob Lorenz showed us around the Liahona Dental Clinic. There are only 4 or 5 dentists on Tongatapu so not enough at all. The clinic is busy. People line up at 7:30 to see the dentist. The Tongan people do not have very good teeth - because there are not enough dentists. So it is very good that there is a free clinic here in Liahona. Many Tongans do not go to the dentists until the pain is unbearable. Hence, they are in need of extractions or have abscesses which need treatment. This clinic provides a great service to the island.

The missionary dentists serve different lengths of time. Dr Lorenz went home shortly after this visit. He goes around serving gaps at dental clinics around the world. There will be fill-in dentists for about 6 weeks and then our new full-time dentist will arrive in mid October, Dr Phil Hudson.

Fasi GPS School

LDS Charities did some remodel work for Fasi Government Public School in Nuku'alofa, a primary school. We provided materials for a new classroom building. The PTA provided the labor to get it built. In another building we provided tile for the floor, paint, and furniture from the project Furniture For Schools from New Zealand. When schools are remodeled in New Zealand, the used furniture can be requested and then is sent to the Pacific Islands.

Students in a classroom at Fasi School. We talked with them. They were quite good in English.

Another classroom. Note the benches for the children and the floor in need of repair. 

Benjamin

Benjamin was playing rugby with his friends one day. Their ball went out in the street. Benjamin sprinted after it. Oh No! Screeching tires. A car hit Benjamin and ran over him. Benjamin was rushed to the hospital. The doctors were not able to save his leg; it had to be amputated.

Last summer, Two Foot Prosthetics from Utah (in conjunction with LDS Charities) made a prosthetic leg for Benjamin. This year, they constructed a bigger prosthetic to account for his growth. They will continue to do this every year until he stops growing. Benjamin actually has 2 prosthetic legs. One for when he is running and jumping and playing with his friends. The other not as rugged which is used around the home.

We asked Benjamin's mother how life would be different for Benjamin without the prosthetic. She answered with tears and words. "Without the prosthetic Benjamin's life would be totally different. He would be using a wheelchair to get around. He would not be able to keep up with his friends. Now, Benjamin can play ball with the other boys and run and play. They accept him as just another one of the guys."

Indeed, as we interacted with Benjamin he walked around with barely a limp. He ran into the house to get his mother. It is marvelous to be able to reach out to people to improve their lives.

Houma Water Project

Houma Water Project

There are two pumps at the Houma Project, one diesel (above) and a solar pump as well. This projects serves 500 families in the village of Houma. Before the project, not all homes in the village had water to their homes. Now they do. There are many needs around the islands for clean water .. in all the island groups including Tongatapu, Ha'apai, and Vava'u. We are waiting for parts to come in for the next project in Ha'alafuli, Vava'u. Then that project will be installed. There is another in the works now for Ha'apai. We are just beginning to work on a project to provide a new water tank in Koloua, which is near where we live in Liahona. It is a great thing to bring clean water to people's homes.

The second day here in Tonga, we had to take a cold shower! (Someone had turned the switch outside our little home off) We thought that was bad. I cannot even imagine not having running water in my home. 

Timota Eteaki, Elder Thomson, Leo Hoponoa, Lee Hardy, Zach Robinson, Hans Sorenson

                                                                                           Leo Hoponoa

And of course EVERTHING involves food. The town administrators and water people brought us lunch and set up this table for us.

Niumate Welfare Garden

Niumate Welfare Garden

 
Brother Tuione, Zach Robinbson, Lee Hardy, Hans Sorenson, Brother Kaufusi, Elder Thomson

The Welfare tractor was used to plow the fields at Niumate. The fields are planted and harvested by the ward. Every family participates in the care of the garden, and all benefit from the food grown there. Some of the crops are sold. The profit will be used to pay for the ploughing next season. In front of the men is taro, and behind is ufi. 

To plant ufi, men dig down about 5-6 feet (using shovel, no modern equipment used) for each plant. Yes, that is for EACH plant in this 5 acre field. The soft soil is then put in the hole and the ufi cutting (like a potato) is planted placed about 6 inches down. The ufi will then grow to be 5-6 feet long. If the hole is only 2 feet deep, it will grow to be that big. Ufi is a starch, generally cooked in an umu in the ground and served with coconut milk over it. It is a survival food here in Tonga. The other major crops are sweet potato, manioke, squash, and coconuts. Of course, there are also bananas, papayas, mangos.

The ufi is considered food storage as well. It can be left in the ground for a long period of time. In the event of a hurricane, it can be dug up for food. 

Pacific Review -- SLC visitors

One week on our own in Tonga (The Waddoups who we replaced had returned to Idaho Falls), we hosted a Pacific Review in Tonga. Steve Peterson, the church general humanitarian manager was supposed to come but he got called emergently to Houston to conduct the response there post hurricane and flooding. Lee Hardy, who runs Deseret Employment, came in his stead. Also and already scheduled was Zach Robinson, Humanitarian Department. Hans Sorenson, Area Welfare Manager for the Pacific, who we report to, accompanied them. We thoroughly enjoyed their visit. We toured many projects here in Tonga and also went out to dinner at Hina Caves where there is traditional Tongan food and entertainment, along with some history of Tonga.

                Lee Hardy, Hans Sorenson, Zach Robinson, Sister and Elder Thomson

The Pacific Review team presented at our senior missionary couple FHE. There are humanitarian missionaries in parts of the world where regular missionaries are not allowed for one reason or another; such as Egypt, China, Iraq, and many other countries you may not think the missionaries are. Humanitarian aid goes to nonmembers as well as members of the church. In fact, more is given to nonmembers. There are 160 humanitarian couples serving at this time. Many more are needed. 

We try to follow Alma 1:30: "And thus, in their prosperous circumstances, they did not send away any who were naked, or that were hungry, or that were athirst, or that were sick, or that had not been norusihed, and they did not set their hearts upon riches; therefore they were liberal to all, both old and young, both bond and free, whether out of the church or in the church, having no respect to persons as to those who stood in need."

Hans Sorenson, Lee Hardy, Zach Robinson

Projects toured: 

Niumate Garden

Houma Water Project

Benjamin - a 10-year-old who recieved a prosthetic leg

Liahona Welfare Farm

Liahona Dental Clinic

Fasi School

Atele School

A chicken project

Wheelchair accessible van turnover ceremony

One evening we went to Hina Caves, AKA Oholei Resort. It was founded by Papa Osika Kami and his familly in 1960. For a while, it was closed but was reopened by the family. It is set among caves and cliffs of Lavegatonga Beach.

The food is traditional Tongan, as is the entertainment to include singing, dancing, and fire dancing -- including a 7-year-old grandson who is superb.

Guess Who's Wearing Flip-Flops?

Never thought you would see this!

Freshest Coconut Ever

Liahona Campus is kept beautiful. Boys who come from outlying islands live in dorms. They have weekend chores. One of their duties is to knock coconuts down before they fall on someone's head.

On our morning walk, we saw the dorm boys collecting coconuts they had knocked down. We asked if they would do one more tree so we could watch.

One of the boys climbed up the tree!

                                They offered us coconuts:  mmmmmmmm... coconut water!

70th Birthday of Liahona Campus

Liahona High School has an interesting history. In 1924, mission president M. Vernon Coombs obtained a property lease in Tonga, where he started a school called The Makeke School, meaning “arise and awake.” The Makeke School helped advance the Church in that region of the globe for generations.

In later years, this became the foundation for an enlarged school system in the region. Church leaders eventually obtained a lease on a 275-acre plantation outside of Nuku’alofa, not far from Makeke. They used the land there to build an expanded school campus named “Liahona,” and Makeke transformed into Liahona in 1947. Building the Liahona School represented the beginning of the Church’s labor missionary program and it was probably a leading catalyst for the Church’s expansion in Tonga. Liahona continues to prepare youth for leadership positions in their families, Church, communities, and in the government.(“Liahona High School.” BYU Hawaii: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints http://soe.byuh.edu/node/274)

Education can open many doors: some of them are personal, some are religious, and others are secular in nature. In the end, however, education ultimately helps the Kingdom of God roll forward, whether it’s in a geographical region of the world, a country, or a family.


                                           

Inspired purposes brought about the establishment of Liahona High School Campus.  Elder LeGrande Richards offered the dedicatory prayer here 70 years ago.

The kids made the leis and skirts.

I love these trikes

Bands supplied the music: Liahona High School,
Pakilau and Havelau Middle Schools.

We even had floats!

BIG smiles were all about Liahona.

The theme was the B's. This float be was Be Positive

 King and Queen

I think this was supposed to represent families are forever.

Trip to 'Atata Sept 5

We are trying to improve the nutrition of the people in Tonga. One way to do so is to provide wire for them to build chicken coops and raise chickens. Huni is our champion. He explains the project to the people. They then build the coops. They have a choice to get chickens from the minister of livestock, but then have to purchase feed as these chickens require a different diet, or capture wild chickens and raise them in the coops. The Tongan chickens will eat scraps. Most are choosing the second option. 

We hired a boat to take us and the wire to 'Atata, about an hours ride. Luckily the weather was good and we sailed in our little boat across the great blue sea. No dock so we had to wade onto shore. The men (4 of them) had to carry 22 rolls of chicken wire onto shore. We then walked about a quarter to half mile to the house where the meeting with the women was held. After Huni explained the program, we handed over the wire. The ladies will now build the coops and capture the wild chickens. They will have eggs and meat for protein in their diet. 

This village has also inquired about keyhole gardens so we will probably be going back with Tevita, our garden champion with this project. The people build the gardens, Tevita shows them how to build the keyhole garden and then Tevita brings seedlings to plant.

Please see the sidebar for a link to a remarkable story about Brother Huni, fisherman for the poor.

Huni is our champion on the chicken project

The men had to carry 22 rolls of chicken wire to shore

Boy playing as we walked to our meeting

Women with branch president in plaid shirt

Pigs are everywhere

Boys helping carry the wire inside the house until the building begins

We had to wait for the tide to come in to lift the boat off the bottom so we could go home.

Fun Run for Diabetes Awareness

We left our apartment at 5:15 a.m. on Sept 2 for the stadium for the fun run. LDS Charities provided T-shirts for the participants. The run was to raise awareness for diabetes and promote healthy lifestyles ... exercise and eating. Monte and I walked our normal pace, but then noticed a lady by herself. We slowed to her pace and completed the 5K walk/run with her. We came in last - But who cares! Ila has just begun exercising to improve her health. With our walking and talking with her, Ila was able to complete the whole 5K. She was so proud of herself. Diabetes is prevalent in Ila's family, and she plans to get healthy and do all she can to prevent the disease in herself. We may have come in last, but I think we were winners!

Ila

Waddoups (Idaho Falls), Parrs (New Zealand), Thomsons (Alberta)

Busbys from Pleasant Grove, ITEP (Internatonal Teacher Educaton Program) missionaries

Making Tapa Cloth Aug 30

We were at the Minister of Livestock helping with delivery of chicks when I heard pound, pound, pound. Across the street, this lady (Luisa) was pounding bark to make tapa cloth.We walked over and watched her as she worked. I asked to take her picture, and she went to get a finished product to show as well.

For more info on making tapa cloth, here is a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tapa_cloth

Luisa pounding the mulberry tree bark to make tapa cloth

Finished tapa cloth to use as mats, etc

Delivering a Wheelchair Aug 29

Sister Waddoups (who we replaced) has done assessments for people in need of a wheelchair. Diabetes is a big problem in Tonga. Diabetes complications can lead to amputation of limbs. We have helped with the delivery of several wheelchairs. The smiles of the people when they get their chair and realize they can now get out of bed and out of the house is a big reward for us.

Near Niutoua on our way to deliver a wheelchair

Elder Waddoups explaining use of the wheelchair

Ha'alalo Village Aug 27

We visited Ha'alalo Village which is very near where we live on the Liahona Campus. The chickens will provide a good source of protein (eggs and meat), and the gardens will provide a variety of lettuce, tomatoes, green beans, cabbage, onions, carrots.

A sister at Relief Society today told that for her family they spend $40 per week for fresh vegetables. That is a lot of money in this country. After an educational fireside about gardening, she sees the importance of her planting a garden. Their family will build one soon. This week we are going back to the keyhole gardens in another village. I will post pictures of the keyhole gardens that she plans to make soon.

Cooking facility

Cooking dinner

Lady preparing her family meal

Chicken coop

Another chicken coop

Sister Waddoups, Bishop Tuiasoa, Brother and Sister Huni, Elder and Sister Thomson

Beautiful Garden