Look Ma ... No Hands!

No tethering rope ... no net!

This week ushered in March and typically things start cooling down over the next several weeks as the hottest months (January and February) are behind us.  We have had several days of overcast and rain.  I don't know if this makes things better or worse ... maybe both.  Better as it is a bit cooler and worse as it gets pretty muddy for those trying to clean up.

Repairs are happening everywhere.

Several of the senior couples have received financial donations from family and friends (many of you) who are looking to help the Tongan people recover from cyclone Gita and to help the most needy.  There are many organizations that are doing really good things here to help, but there are always those truly needy that slip through the cracks.  Because of the generous nature of our collective families and friends we have been able to help many families with food and other necessities as they work hard to recover from the devastation.

Etuate and his young family at home in Nuku'alofa.

One of the employees in the FM group is Etuate.  He has helped us out on many occasions and we found him to be a hard worker and very reliable.  I have helped him get new strings for an old guitar he found and repaired and started teaching him some basic guitar chords.  He has six young children, the newest additions being twins born just before Christmas this last year.  He also has one son that has autism.  When we showed up to visit he and his wife had their hands full just getting the twins fed.  Their home is a one bedroom home located in downtown Nuku'alofa.

One of the benefits we have at our disposal is our secret weapon ... the Va'enuku's.  They are a Tongan couple from Salt Lake City serving their third mission here in Tonga (I also mentioned them in last weeks blog).  They of course, not only speak Tongan fluently but are also very tuned into the community as they were both born and raised in Tonga.  They were in tears at the generosity shown by so many to help in this time of great need.  I have to admit that it has really raised our spirits as well.

The heartfelt thanks we see from others as well as our own to you is hard to express in words, but we hope you know that the people here are so filled with gratitude and love for the generosity that has been shown them.  We know there are still tough times ahead for many but everyone is very optimistic and genuinely happy that they were blessed to live through the storm.

Food staples being given to the needy.

We have tried to provide a few photos of some of the supplies and families here but we are also trying to be sensitive to the proud nature of self sufficiency they carry with them.  We often have to dig deep to find the needs as people are generally very self sufficient and are not asking for a handout or help from the outside.  When they finally realize that offer of help is just based on our desire to do what our Savior taught and our love for them and that there are no strings attached, many break down sobbing while expressing their heartfelt thanks.

Our car lights were the only lights
in town.

I will share one story.   I do this so that you may feel some of what we see and feel on a regular basis right now.  The last three photos were taken the day after our initial visit when we came back to see what else we could do to help.  We hesitated to show such personal tragedy but decided it is good to capture and share some of the personal side of this disaster because of the wonderful nature of the Tongan people that shines through.

This family of six are now
living in the tent you can
see on the left.

We went with one of our released missionaries to his village to deliver some food to a family who had lost almost everything.  Their home was gone along with most of their personal belongings and property.  They have been provided a nice tent that is setup next to where their home used to be.  It was about 7:30 p.m. when we arrived.  The sun had completely set and the sky was overcast so not even the dim light of the stars shone through and since the town still does not have any electricity it was very, very dark.  As we turned into their property the car lights lit up the yard and the tent and the family came out to see who was there.

Cleaning up and salvaging what they can.  If you click on the photo you can
better see the devastation and destruction but this family has not lost hope.

Hotau, Mele and family
Still happy to stop working and pose for a photo.  We didn't
want to make them stop but the father called them all over.

As our guide told them why we were there they were overcome with gratitude and wept openly and gave hugs as we carried our meager offerings to their tent.  This family is basically living with no electricity (no light), very little personal property, exhausted from their days of cleaning up and just trying move forward and survive.  We are coming back on Monday to provide more help and even though a little can go a long way over here there is a very long way to go for this family.  It really tears at your heart-strings to see what they are going through.

I wondered as we drove away if I could ever show the kind of strength this wonderful family has through such tough circumstances.

We feel so blessed to have so much and for the opportunity it provides us to help others.  It is truly humbling to interact with this people and feel of their innate goodness.  The lessons we learn here are difficult to convey.

Here are some of the photos taken by the Va'enuku's as they deliver food.