Senior couples Caroling and Food Boxes - Mu'a

Mu'a

We were on the planning committee for the senior couple Christmas activity. In the past, there has always been a dinner. We decided to think outside the box this year and do something different. We decided to go caroling.

Sister Kapp led us in singing, but watch out for the turns!

Peni Tonga, a family living in Liahona, drove the Liahona bus and brought his wife and daughter Dorothy, which really added to our musical talents. We sang Away in a Manger, Joy to the World, and Silent Night in Tongan. Dorothy or Peni accompanied on the ukalele. The bus drive was very fun as we practiced our singing and just visited amongst each other.

I sat by the teenage boys visiting with their dentist dad who is working in the clinic. I pointed out flying foxes to them. They were amazed.





Our first stop was in Mu'a, a mother and her 4 children, one a handicapped boy. Two years ago when the Va'enukus were here on a mission, this boy could not walk. When they came back, he is now walking!  This boy was so excited to see our
big bus pull up and watched the people pile out.

Mom and family have been forced to move 6 times in the last
2 years. Her younger sister even tore down the little shack next to theirs so they could not live there.

Finally this past week, the Red Cross built on property owned by her uncle. It is a comfortable though very humble home. Now she will not have to ever move her family again.

The family and Dorothy Tonga

Mom thanked us immensely for the food basket. The kids will love the pies and cookies.


Tears streamed down many faces of the senior couples, especially those who have not been out to the villages to see how the people live.

Senior couples sing Silent Night in Tongan - hence the words

Christmas Food Box Delivery in Foloha and Tatakamotonga

Foloha

Kadyee and Pesi live in Foloha. They have 4 children ages 12, 6, 3, and a baby. When Brother and Sister Huni were on a mission about a year ago, they met this family after a bishop had told them about the family. Pesi had hair to his shoulders and a long beard. The Hunis taught them the gospel and Kadyee and the children started going to church and were baptized. A little later, Pesi told Huni he was ready to go to church. Huni told him to cut his hair and shave ... he did! The next Sunday the whole family was in church.

They live in basically a shack. (I left my camera at home and do not have pictures.) It is even smaller than the ones on the previous posts. Brother Huni has a friend who brings groups from the States to build houses. He has promised to build a house for this family this coming summer.

Tatakamotonga

Meile Sele's wife died 3 weeks ago. He has 5 teenagers and a grown daughter who lives in the house with her baby. Meile is building a home out of concrete blocks. It is mostly done. The bishop and a counselor and the Young Woman president met us at the house. Brother Huni talked to Meile and the family about the eternal nature of families. They will see their mother again and can live together eternally.

Meile talked (Sister Huni translated for me). He said he is so thankful for the food, and turned to us and thanked us personally for it. He is holding the family together, they love one another and are helping each other through this time.

I talked with one teenager daughter before we left. She speaks good English. She said it is hard right now with the passing of their mother, but they are a strong family. She is doing a lot of the cooking. They are eating good. They are working together to help dad finish the home.

Families are very strong in Tonga. It is part of the Tongan culture. Children honor their parents.

Christmas Food Box Delivery in Longoteme

Sione and Latu's family

The family gathered to talk about themselves and the food we brought

The second family we visited and brought food to was Sione and Latu in Longoteme, although Sione is working in New Zealand for about 6 months. He plans to build a real house when he returns to Tonga. Latu's mother was visiting from the Niuas, which is about 650 kg (400 miles north), closer to Samoa than Tonga.

Latu's first husband left her with 5 boys. Sione and Latu married a few years ago and have a 2-year-old boy.




The home is one room built of scrap wood they could gather and corrugated steel. A sheet divides the room for sleeping quarters. The cooking and preparing of food is done outdoors. Washing dishes is outdoors in a tin bowl. There is a spigot to the property but not to the house. The water has to be brought to the kitchen area with a bucket.


The outhouse is across the yard. No shower; they use a bucket, lather up, wash their hair, and dump the water over themselves to get the suds off. Alternatively, they bathe in the ocean.

 

The family posed before we left. The food box and watermelon are on the lawn. With this large family, it won't go far. But they will share. They truly care about each other




                                                                                                         

Christmas Food Box Delivery in Ha'atafu

For Christmas gifts to ourselves and our family, we decided to give food boxes to the poorest of the poor. I will post several deliveries separately so I can better tell the story of the family.


The first family is the Paki family in Ha'atafu. Sister Paki is a widow with  5 children. Her husband went out fishing with a neighbor. The boat capsized and her husband drowned. The children are 12, 8, 5, and 4.

There home is 2 rooms, which are divided off by fabric. The living area is about 10 x 8 feet, which includes the sleeping area on the other side of the fabric. The kitchen is outside. Cooking over fire and preparation and washing with a board and bucket.

Children sharing lunch and washing clothes

When we arrived the children were eating lunch outside. They were sharing a boiled manioke and a fish. Manioke is like a sweet potato.

One of the young boys was washing clothes...stirring them with a stick in a bucket of water and soap - see picture.

The home is made of corrugated steel and sheets of odds and ends of plywood (?). The door is a piece of fabric.

Outhouse is in the back. Shower I believe is buckets poured over their head.


Elder Va'enuko spoke in Tongan. He and Sister Va'enuko already know the family from other work they have done for them and visiting. He told the family that we bring them food, not so they will join our church, but because the Savior has asked us to serve the needy. We are trying to do as He has instructed...to treat everyone as we want to be treated, and to help those in need.

Elder Thomson leaving the house. 

Elder Va'enuku exiting the house. Outhouse is to the left.

Sister Paki thanked us so much. She had tears in her eyes as she told how this food will be their Christmas dinner. We had included canned tuna, mackerel, corned beef (which Tongans love), rice, pasta, apple-peach juice, cookies, Mandarin oranges, apples, pineapple, watermelon, two pineapple pies which Sister Va'enuko had baked, cereal, milk, toilet paper, etc.

We left feeling the love this family has for each other, and knowing the Savior loves them. They are happy.  It leaves us wondering what more can we do. We will be coming back throughout the year.

Tsunami Rock ... aka Tolo ʻA Maui

A line of massive boulders on the western shore of Tonga may be evidence of the most powerful volcano-triggered tsunami found to date. Up to 30 feet high and weighing up to 3.5 million pounds, the 7 coral boulders are located 300-1300 feet from the coast.

These boulders were likely flung ashore by a wave rivaling the 1883 Krakatau tsunami, which is estimated to have towered 115 feet high. 

Elder Thomson to the left gives an idea of the size.

The boulders are made of the same reef material found just offshore. In fact, satellite photos show a clear break in the reef opposite the boulder Tsunami Rock.

TONGAN LEGEND:
Tsunami rock in the village of Kalaʻau in Tongatapu has a mythical link to demigod Maui. Legend has it that Maui was angrily awoken by crowing of his father's rooster and he tried to kill it. The frightened fowl escaped from 'Eua to Tongatapu, but Maui kept hurling rocks at it.  He then hurled this huge stone and killed the bird.

We stopped to see Tsunami Rock on our way snorkeling Saturday, our P-Day. It truly is astonishing to think of the power of the wave to have hurled this HUGE rock so far inland. We actually drove down to the beach further down the road. It was quite a ways, maybe half a km. We could also see the opening in the reef where it is believed the rock once was.

Out-of-Country Medical Assistance

One of our major assignments is helping patients get to New Zealand or Australia for medical treatment when treatment is not available in Tonga and they cannot afford it. The patient MAY be allowed to go off island for care after meeting requirements. Any treatment available in Tonga must be done in Tonga.We have helped patients with cancer, neck surgery, severe orthopedic injuries, heart conditions.

Luisa and Monti Lino

Dr Sione Latu (Monti laying on the bed)

Monti Lino had heart valve surgery when he was 5. His mother was told he needed surgery before 12 years were up. His 12th year anniversary from that surgery is next month. Mom worries he will drop dead on the date of his anniversary. We managed to get Monti in rather remarkably to see Dr Latu. We picked Luisa and Monti up and went to Dr Latu's office at the hospital. We were told he was not there and would not be for another week, but that he might be at his office in town. We drove to his clinic in Nuku'alofa. It was filled with 20-30 patients waiting. We talked with the head receptionist who talked to someone else, and then he went to the front and told the waiting people that the LDS would be next. They all nodded in agreement! (miracle 1). We met Dr Latu who remember Monti from prior visits and said he could do a new echocardigram the next day at 7:30 (miracle 2). Dr Latu did say his machine has not been working properly but he would go to the clinic and work on it that evening and call us to confirm it was working. He called about 9:30 and said he got the machine to work (miracle 3) but the machine for downloading to a thumbdrive to send to New Zealand was not. (We were needing to send a required current echocardiogram to New Zealand.)  Next day, the echo machine worked perfectly, it was able to be transferred to a thumbdrive for us to send to NZ, which we did the next day (miracle 4).

This young man (17) has been accepted for heart surgery by a doctor in NZ and next week will be presented for the final approval to the Pacific Area Presidency. There will be one more hurdle after that, the case needs to go to SLC, the Presiding Bishopric, because the expected costs exceed 25K.

Approved 23 Dec 2017.

Written signed medical permission given for this post.

Mate Ma'a Tonga

 

The past several weeks, Tonga has been buzzing with excitement as the pride of this small country towards it national pastime builds as victory after victory after victory pile up to bring it to a fever pitch.  The air on the island is simply electric as this tiny island in the Pacific puts down some of the Rugby giants of the world to advance!  



Pride over money was the main theme as several players (Tongans) qualified to play for two countries in the tournament (their choice). As I understand it, five players (Tongans by blood) chose to play for Tonga instead of a tier 1 team (NZ or Australia). The significance is that they could have made $50,000 playing for a tier 1 team, instead of the $30 per day they get playing for Tonga. Tonga, Samoa and Fiji are considered tier 2 teams, and no tier 2 had ever won a game over a tier 1 team in World Cup Rugby (which started in 1985) .

Tonga won their match 2 weeks ago with Samoa 32-18 in their round 1 match of the Rugby League World Cup tournament. They moved on to meet New Zealand last week and defeated them 28-22 in an exciting match in Hamilton, New Zealand. New Zealand had not lost a major rugby league tournament held in  the Southern hemisphere.

The win over New Zealand led to pandemonium here in Tonga. EVERYBODY was out in the streets dancing and running around or driving around in their cars packed with people (inside and out - yes people on top of their cars), displaying Tongan flags, hooting and hollering, blaring music, and honking horns. They kept this up until the wee hours of the morning. People were not destructive, just celebrating this momentous occasion for Tonga. 

Next up was Lebanon who Tonga beat 24-22.

This week, RED was worn everywhere (Sister Thomson in red Mate Ma'a Tonga shirt or red skirt, Elder Thomson with his red tie). Buildings were draped in red. Cars were flying the national flag. Everyone was excited for this team.

Sadly, Tonga lost in the semifinals to England on Saturday night. They fell behind 20 - 0 and the match was basically considered over but in the last 5 minutes Tonga came storming back to trail by only 2 points at 20 - 18.  Tonga then scored on the final play of the game which would have given them the win but it was disallowed by a perceived knock-on (an infraction) which replay review would have overturned (in my opinion) but instant replay review was not used and time ran out.  The replay is used frequently on scoring plays so it's mystery to me why it was not used in the case.   

What great heart the Tongan team showed. The country of Tonga and anyone with any kind of tie to  Tonga is so proud of these men who gave their all.  Mate Ma'a Tonga!  

To the Sea for a Timeout

We needed some time away from projects. So we drove to the beach.

Almost to the beach

Coconut trees on the road down to Halafuoleva Beach

Tide was up so we just enjoyed the beauty around us.

We never tire of the sea.

Graduation at Funga'onetaka Kindy

We were invited to be the honored guests at kindergarten graduation this week. Funga'onetaka Kindy was built on land donated by our Country Welfare  Manager's brother. The building was built by Australian Aid. The flooring was donated by New Zealand Aid. Furniture and play equipment were donated by LDS Charities. Play kitchen and outdoor equipment donated by WHO as well water tank and vegetables for an outdoor garden which is used for snacks. It truly was a combination of many countries working together to provide this preschool and kindergarten for the village of Navutoka.

There were 7 graduates. Their personalities certainly came through at the graduation. Some are outgoing and ready for the stage. Others are as shy as a church mouse, running and hiding, and having to be coaxed to the front for their presentations.

Kalolaine Taukolonga         Elina kofe
Losalina Tatafuomalie         Katea Huihui
Mele'ana Li                          'Ahoafi Lotefia
Ma'u Mafi

Principal: Ane Kanesi 'Otuhouma

Tradition is that candy leis are piled deep on each of the graduates. This is also done at high school graduation.

Children, like children everywhere, love their sweets. The problem in Tonga is that the Tongans have terrible teeth. The dentists tell of of  preschoolers whose teeth are rotting and need to be extracted. When we show this picture to Elder Hudson, he will cringe.

I have to include this picture of Elder Thomson. He looks so happy! and he was.

Elder Thomson played his guitar. Yes, stage fright fled and he did an excellent job. He played Grandma's Feather Bed (remember that one, grandkids, Elder T has now played it in 3 countries for children) and Away in a Manger. It was fun to see the smiles on the kids faces (parents too) when Elder Thomson played his guitar

I gave a brief talk (maybe 5 minutes) at the ceremony about educating our children, how important it is, and how amazed I was that these children could recite the 2 scriptures in English! Revelations 3:20 and John 3:16. They sang a song in English. English is key for these children to learn. Middle school and high school are generally in English.

This was a really fun day.