Kenny & Becky Kapp: Matau pea Muri Paraoa

That's a tight fit! It also has a little bit of
weight to it. We'll pack the clothes around
it to protect it and hopefully it will make it
home undamaged.

It's official, we have our return flights home booked now! We were able to login and select our seats (with a slight upgrade we paid for). It will give us a little more leg room and slightly more recline on our long flight from Aukland to LAX. It's a long flight so we'll take any little comfort we can get. We also have 75 days left in Tonga as of today ... the last 25 days has flown by! If everything goes according to Hoyle, we should arrive in SLC on November 9th at 3:43 p.m. on Alaska Airlines flight AS3401. With crossing the international dateline we leave on Nov. 9th at 2:00 p.m. and Arrive on Nov. 9th at 3:43 p.m.

So far, preparing to go home this far in advance has helped us appreciate the things we will miss here. We've even started measuring some of the souvenirs we've purchased while here to make sure they fit in our suitcases. The Matau (Fish Hook) combined with Muri Paraoa (whale tail) stands for prosperity, good health, power, authority, and strength also success, confidence and respect for the sea and its life in it (see photo on the left as it just barely fits in our largest suitcase). It is also believed to provide good luck and safety while traveling. We're glad we're already shipped some of the other large items home.

We'll leave most if not all of the clothes we brought with us but we have replaced them with some Tongan clothing we'll bring home. Hopefully, we haven't purchased more than we're leaving behind.

We're also glad that John Perry is coming to visit soon so we can see all the highlights one more time before we leave. It's funny how just getting our ticket has caused us so many mixed emotions. We have heard from so many couples about their thoughts and feelings as the prepared to come home and are having a similar experience so far. We have thought about the many people and things we will miss in Tonga and that does cause a bit of lugubriousness and the thought of seeing and being with our dear family and friends in Utah again is a little bit surreal. It definitely makes everything we do a little more precious as we know it is likely we may never return to Tonga. Social media will help us stay in touch but that certainly has its limits as well.

Officially known as the chicken lady

We have finally declared the baby chicks we have seen grow over the past two month "on their own". Their mom doesn't like them hanging around her especially when she eats. We think out of the original eight there may have been one late casualty (possibly two) but they may just be striking out on their own as well. The mom with four chicks was down to one chick last week and has lost it. We think it must

Part of our flock that come right up to
the door.

have been her first time as a mother hen. We did wake to a brand new batch of four more today and their mom seems extremely attentive. Our front yard has officially become the main feeding grounds and we keep buying oatmeal to feed them. This along with the occasional coconut, bread crumbs, and crushed cheerios keeps them pretty happy. When Lepeka goes out in the front yard, they come on the run from near and far. It's pretty comical to watch. Some of them still keep their distance until the "humans" disappear but most come right up to her.

I taught my usual Wednesday evening class to the Senior Missionaries. This week we worked on PowerPoint and Keynote. We have quite a large group attend this class. We'll see how many actually come back next week. I plan on a couple more classes on presentations and then maybe one on using iTunes, then we'll see if anyone has some specific interest but that may be the end of teaching for me over here. It has been fun and has helped pass the time as well.

TVET First-Aid Class

Becky was asked to teach a first-aid class to TVET this past week at Liahona High School. TVET stands for "Technical and Vocational Education Teachers". She did her usual stellar job of teaching while keeping them engaged and interested. The teachers all received a First-Aid kit for their classrooms. A few of the kits were wet and most had some pretty rusty safety-pins in them. She gave them the information where they could purchase the needed supplies to keep them updated but who knows if that will happen.

New First-Aid Kits ready to distribute

If you read our blog early on yo may remember the Lino family house that we helped get built. Some of you contributed funds as well. They have been out of the country for several months hoping that Monte could get his heart surgery but it wasn't to be (at least this time). He did look pretty good and he really lit up when he saw Lepeka. We had a short visit and could see how much they have been doing to clean up the yard and decorate the inside. It made us feel pretty good that they are so proud of their home. Here's a couple of photos of the yard.

Side of the house that floods. They have brought in a lot of fill to
help alleviate the flooding and mud. They also cleaned up the tree
and brush. They have a couple piles of tree limbs they are drying out
so they can burn them.

The structure that used to be their home is now a play area for the
grandkids. They are bringing in more fill to help get rid of the mud
which will be so nice for them.