Building Houses

One of the main concerns when Cyclone Gita struck 12 February 2018 was shelter. Short-term this was addressed with tents and tarps/plastic. We are now in the long-term plan. LDS Charities and Self Reliance along with Preisthood Projects have partnered with CARE Australia, Tonga Skills (funded by Australia), Tonga Institute of Science and Technology (TIST), MORDI, and Caritas (Catholic Church) for this project.

More than 250 houses will be built by 124 trainees. Each of the students will receive tool kits and safety gear valued at $1000 TOP for the project, which they will keep. Working alongside master tradesmen, the trainees will start building in November and continue through to February. They will receive certificate II in Carpentry from TIST. These students will then be able to find employment in carpentry, although many will go on to first earn certificate 3. These certificates are recognized not only in Tonga but also Australia and New Zealand.

Mobile mill used to cut coconut trees for use in building

Downed coconut trees have been logged and cut into timber to be used for the project. 






Some homes have already been built by men in the church. Each stake was asked to build a certain number of homes based on the amount of damage in that stake. The new project takes building of homes to a much larger scale. Homes will continue to be built throughout Tongatapu and 'Eua.

Francis Howes and Cynthia Ojiambo of Tonga Skills try on safety equipment

Tool kits arrived in a shipment this week. Representatives from the partners were present when LDS Charities unloaded the container with the help of missionaries. The boxes will be stored in our warehouse until Monday when the students will receive their kits. Each student will receive a tool belt, safety helmet, safety boots, tool box filled with tools including hammer, hand saw, screwdrivers, wrenches, etc. Tonga Skills has said they will also provide some power tools.

Students assembled for a discussion of the project and were shown the tool kits they will receive.

The students listened attentively as the partners addressed them. They learned how the project came to be and what is expected of them.

Students will be given life skills as they participate in this house-building project. They will be able to support their families.

Front row: Verna Tukuafu (Self Reliance), Talanoa Hafoka (TIST principal), Francis Howes (Tonga Skills), student, Cynthia Ojiambo (Tonga Skills), Elder K. Brett Nattress (Pacific Area Presidency), Elder 'Aisake Tukuafu (Area Seventy), President Etuate Toutai (Welfare agent stake president), Silongo Samani (Country Welfare Manager), Sister Thomson (LDS Charities), President Fifita (Liahona Stake)

Elder K. Brett Nattress (General Authority Seventy) was in Tonga when the tool kits arrived. We were pleased to hear from him at the meeting with students. Elder Nattress recited a family story. When his grandmother was a young girl, the family had come on hard times. The grandmother age 11 and a younger sister worked at a store. At the end of the day they swept the floor and picked up the crumbs to take home to eat. A lady noticed the girls, took them rice pudding, and saw their potential. She taught them to read and write, and later helped them fulfill their dream to move to America. Elder Nattress told the students they are now that person. They have been given tools to help others.

Elder Nattress also reiterated the parable of the Talents, wherein we are instructed to increase our talents. Elder Nattress encouraged the students to use the talents and skills they are being given in this project to bless not only their own lives but also the lives of others.

       Learning is a treasure that follows its owner everywhere.

                                                                              Chinese Proverb

Tongan Cooking with Elder/Sister Olive

We are blessed to have several Tongan missionary couples in our mission. The Olives approached us to do traditional Tongan cooking for a senior activity. Great idea! There is a large umu in Mission President Sione Tuione's back yard; Elder Olive got permission to use this for our cooking.

First step is to start the fire in the umu with wood. We then added coals and let them get hot. In this photo, Elder Olive is warming the banana leaves so they will be pliable later on when we place them over our lu.












While the umo got  ready to be filled, we visited on the patio, grated coconut and squeezed the fresh grated coconut for coconut cream to add to our lu. Fresh coconut cream makes all the difference in the taste. Elder Thomson grated quite a bit of the coconut we all used.

Each couple brought ingredients for lu ... meat, tomato, onion, manioke (supplied by Olives), mushrooms. The Olives had gathered taro and banana leaves.

Sister Olive, Sister/Brother Evans

Coombs

To make lu, we put meat or fish and vegetables on top of taro leaves. We next folded the taro leaves neatly and tied them with banana stem. We devised ways to identify our lu. Hudsons  tied theirs in a mattress suture. We just put the stem straight across the tie, not fancy but we knew it was ours.

Sister Heiner

Some of us then stuffed squash with manioke, tomato, onion, and again fresh-squeezed coconut cream. We identified ours with a T carved in the shell. I never had thought of stuffing squash before, but this was really good!

It was time to fill the umu! -
lu wrapped in banana leaves and squash wrapped in foil - traditionally it would have also been wrapped in banana leaves.

Elder Olive carefully covered the food with banana leaves to add flavor and hold the heat in. The banana leaves were then covered with a metal lid which then was covered with wet fabric to hold the heat in and smoke the food.


All that was left was the cooking...about 2 hours for everything to be done and the flavors all mixed together. Again a great time was had visiting and telling stories. The Va'enukus arrived ... they had been picking up missionaries including President and Sister Tuione at the airport. We had made them lu so they did not go hungry. The squash was shared by all.
       Everyone helped remove the steaming banana leaves... very carefully not to get burned. Then it was time to eat ...   DELICIOUS!

This was such a fun activity. Thank you Olives for teaching us to cook Tongan style.

“Every person you meet knows something you don’t; learn from them.”

                                                                   —H Jackson Brown Jr.