Marshall Dillon! Marshall Dillon!

Chester is on the far right.  He stands
with one leg raised and walks just
like Chester from Gunsmoke.

As we make or visits around the island to the various MQ's we start to recognize many of the animals especially a few of them.  We have Chester the chicken.  He has a severe limp from some injury.  I suppose it might have been a dog, or a car or maybe a deformity but he stands on one leg and when he walks it reminds us of the old Gunsmoke character Chester Goode played by Dennis Weaver in the early episodes of Gunsmoke.  For those of you who may not remember you can see the first episode on youtube by clicking here (fun trip down memory lane).

Chester the pig (one of several).

We also have Chester the pig (I guess I'm not very creative).  He limps on his front left.  You can't tell much from a still photo but it is almost comical to see them walk around limping.  You may be able to tell he just emerged from the mud puddle you can see at the top of the photo.

These are the hexes Lepeka is making.  The fabric is local and
very colorful.  She's not sure how she will lay them out in the
finished product but I'm sure we'll take a photo and post once
it's done.  Thanks Sister Kathleen Watts for sharing her talents.
It's now world-wide!

We have been working to get the internet connection more reliable as well as solve some printing issues in the Malapo ward of the Vaini Stake.  The issues have been ongoing since about November of last year.  While I was working through some of the technical issues, Becky often was sewing hexes for a quilt while she was waiting.  On one occasion the Bishop's wife was there to let us in the clerks office and and saw what Becky was making.  She later asked Becky if she would teach what she was doing to their Relief Society.  So, Becky bought some material, needles and thread and went to their R/S meeting last Thursday.  You should have seen their faces light up as they each participated and learned how to sew the hexes.  This was one of the things that Sister Watts taught the young women when Becky was YW president.

Elder and Sister Radmacher at the airport headed for home.  We will miss them
They are so loved by the people and gave so much of themselves in everything
they did.  I'm sure their family is proud of them and they will be missed here.

Elder and Sister Funaki.  He has served on the faculty of BYU
Hawaii since the early 1970's.  This is their second mission to
Tonga.  They are currently serving as self-reliance missionaries
 in Mu'a.  We really enjoyed getting to know them better.  What
great people!

We have a Senior Missionary Couple pot-luck dinner every fast Sunday and this week we came in and sat by this couple.  As we started talking to them we discovered that he is the brother of Sepi Ngatuvai.  We told them a little bit about our immersion week experience at BYU just prior to our mission.  Sister Funaki asked Lepeka to repeat the first name again and turned to Elder Funaki and they started to chuckle.  He said, "She's my sister".  What a small world.  We immediately became good friends because of our common acquaintance.  We so appreciate those that gave so much of their time freely to teach us the Tongan language and culture.  Theirs is a gift that keeps on giving to us.

Zone conference focused on 1 Nephi 18
(the vision of the Tree of Life)

Combined Zone Conferences this week with the focus of the conference on 1 Nephi 18 (the vision of the tree of life). (Picture below) The talks were almost all given by the young Elders and Sisters as they taught each other Gospel principles and shared their testimonies.  What powerful these young men and women are.  I hope that I can serve in my calling as well as they do in theirs.  They are absolutely amazing.  If any of you have a chance to have the Elders or Sisters in you home you will know what I mean.

It does seem a little bit weird that Saturday General conference starts here at 5:00 A.M. Sunday morning.  The sessions are recorded to be replayed next Saturday and Sunday.  We have already downloaded the Women's Conference talks and have listened to several of the talks today but I will have to download them between midnight and 6:00 A.M. (that's when I have unlimited downloads). I'm sure we'll watch them all over the next few days.  How great it is to have modern day prophets to help us understand the important issues facing us and know they speak the Lord's will to us.

View from one of our favorite restaurants in Nuku'alofa.  You may be able to
see the ocean if you click on the photo to see a larger view as it is located right
on the coast about the middle of the island to the North (Waves is the name).

R-L, Elder and Sister Kapp with Sister and Elder Funaki at the Senior Missionary
couples dinner April 2nd 2017.

Sign on the main door of PT at the Hospital.  Now that's
how to hang a sign!

Zone P-day activity prior to their conference, L-R, Elder Manu (West Bountiful,
Elder Cox (new missionary from American Fork), Elder Winward (Franklin, Idaho),
Elder Wilson (Pleasant Grove).  This is a fun group of Elders, great testimonies,
great personalities.  Elder Cox is just trying to toughen up his feet (note the smile though).

Object lesson on the Tree of Life and following the direction even when you
can't see.  L-R, Elder Takapu and Elder Sopu.

Ien, the IT manager.  It's Saturday so he's casual.  We're
trying to contact the Bishop as Ien locked his keys in his
office and we didn't realize it until we were onsite to install
the firewall.  This is at the MQ where we tried to get the
contact info for the Bishop.  We did eventually get in and
completed the work.