Sunrise Over Tonga

Sunrise onWednesday May 23, 2018 looking East from just
outside of our back door.  The colors were so vivid!
(darn power lines)

Each week seems to bring something new.  I have posted many photos of sunsets especially from our favorite location at the Houma Blow Holes.  This week however, we had some unique sunrises (maybe I'm just not up and out early enough) so when I saw this one I had to capture it.  This view is from just outside our back door as we were getting into the car to pickup missionaries and get them to their appointments. All I could hear in my mind was "red sky in morning, sailor take warning" ... it tried out to be a beautiful day however.

Looking out over a field as we drove.
(near Tokomololo)

The very next morning we ran into a thick eerie fog that just kind of hung over everything as we drove to town.  We have seen some fog from time to time but nothing this thick or extensive before.  We also must have been at the dew point as the windows fogged up immediately and we had to keep the windshield wipers going along with the defroster even though it didn't seem cool at all.  That seems to happen in both the Spring and Fall as we move through the season changes into Summer and Winter.

Looking through our windshield as the morning Sun shone through the fog.

Hospital health clinic.

We have an Elder who broke his wrist playing volleyball (he tripped over a young child).  As he tried to avoid hurting the child he caught himself with his wrist taking his weight.  It took us several days to get him to the main island from Ha'apai for an X-ray and treatment.  We arrived about 25 minutes before the clinic was scheduled to open hoping to be seen quickly so we could get on with our day only to find that it was already packed with patients.  We ended up waiting about 2 hours to be seen only to be turned away and told to come back tomorrow for the cast as the doctor was only seeing patient in the clinic today and did not have time to put on a cast.

Elder Barrus with PA Lynne Aho.

Lynne Aho is an American Physicians Assistant who Lepeka loves to work with.  She is always willing to go the extra mile and has helped us out on many occasions.   Lynne said she was happy to help and both Elder Barrus and Lynne seemed pretty happy with the results.  He finally got his cast after about 10 days of being in a brace.  At least the swelling had gone down so it should be comfortable (at least as comfortable as a cast can be).  Elder Barrus gave his permission for us to use the photo so his mom can see he's alright.

Cruise ship in Tongatapu

On Friday there was another cruise ship in port.  We caught them around 5:30 p.m. just before they were scheduled to leave.  We think we saw a few people scurrying back to catch the ship.  We had to throw this photo in for all of our cruising buddies ... especially Angela and David (hint hint).  We keep wondering why the haven't started using the new cruise terminal that seems to be completed except for some landscaping and parking lot pavement.  It seemed to be complete before the cyclone but they dug up the asphalt after the storm and obviously had to redo the landscaping.

Senior P-day lunch at the Scenic Hotel

Miniature Golf

Saturday was P-day for the senior missionaries and we played miniature golf and had a lunch at the Scenic Hotel over by the airport.  We had never been here but the Hotel is very nice and we had a very tasty lunch.  They also have a nice pool for their guests to utilize.  They told us that we were welcomed to use it as well.  A couple of senior couples took them up on their offer.  The rest of us left to take a well deserved nap after a grueling round of miniature golf.  The miniature golf course has probably seen better days but we had fun playing all 17 holes (hole 3 was closed .... well it is Tonga).

We'll end with some more photos from around the island.

Missionary P-day earlier in the week.  When we drove up they were playing
extremely hard and they stopped as we drove in.  I wanted to get an action
photo so you could see the special footwear (flip-flops and boots)

This mama dog was a newborn puppy when we first arrived in Tonga.
Now she has a young pup of her own.  We only saw the one (in Veitongo).

Nice fixer-upper in Popua ... small down-payment, take over liability.

Molokau in Vava'u.  Photo taken by Phil Hudson dentist at large.  Phil says
that it was 6 inches long but it is on 12 inch floor tiles ... you be the judge.

New Catholic Church being constructed in Popua.
It has some very unique architecture for Tonga.

New no nails needed roof.  Wind tested up to 60 mph

School bells rang but no one seems to be scrambling.

Elder Woods and Christopherson contemplating the meaning of life ... or
maybe they were just hangin'.  Lepeka made them some Mac and Cheese.

Burn Baby Burn!

Health clinic room at Mission Pharmacy in Nuku'alofa.
This one is run by a Nurse Practitioner from the U.S.

We have really been looking forward to the cooler and less humid weather that accompanies Fall and Winter (Apr - Sep) here in Tonga.  It is much easier on the asthma and hay-fever than Spring and Summer (Oct-Mar) ... at least that what we were expecting.  It seems like it has gotten much worse and we attribute it to the massive burning that is taking place.  All of the downed trees and dead brush and leaves have been raked into piles that are set on fire which makes the air quality here go way down.  It has really started in earnest the past 2 weeks and we are hoping that it won't last too much longer.

This week's blog will be much shorter than normal as I am a bit under the weather.  Nothing major, mostly just long hours and my asthma has been acting up again.  I did visit one of the clinics and made some short term changes to my meds so I'm hoping that will give me some relief.  Lepeka never complains but I can tell her allergies are about as bad as it has been since we got here as well.

As I mentioned, we have had some really long days this week as we have had several missionaries that are sick and or injured.  Nothing too serious except for a broken wrist that should heal well.  There are also several sprained ankles and sore knees.  Who knew that volleyball could be such a dangerous sport.  The missionary with the broken wrist has a great attitude and we're hoping he stays nearby so it's easier to keep close tabs on him. The rest have just required lots of time and travel out to their MQ's and then back and forth to clinics as necessary.  Part of the long hours are self imposed as Lepeka does so much follow-up on everything just to make sure the missionaries are well taken care of and that they feel our love and support.  I don't think there's a missionary here that doesn't absolutely love her.

The Senior missionaries that are attending the Excel class still seem to be enjoying themselves.  They seem to be learning quite a bit in spite of their instructor.  It has really helped to have Lepeka and Sister Evans (who are both more familiar with Excel) out among the students helping answer questions one-on-one.  It also lets me know when I need to either slow down or spend more time on a particular topic.  My star pupil is an 81 year old retired dentist from the U.K. via Australia (for 45 years).  He has come to me during the week with questions on projects he is now working on for the Dental clinic.  As soon as I show him anything, he gets it.  We plan on letting this class run for a few more weeks then perhaps having a class on PowerPoint.

Again, I'm sorry that this weeks blog is pretty short and without many photos.  I'll try to do better next week.

Most of these giant shade trees far reaching branches were decimated in Cyclone
Gita.  This one is in downtown Nuku'alofa and lost mainly the top branches
and almost all of its leaves.  The leaves are now starting to fill in again.

This photo was taken at the same location as the one above.  It is zoomed-in on
the students.  The boys were being slow as they headed back to class on a
"no uniform" Friday.  It does seem strange to see them without their uniforms.

I added this photo for any civil engineers who may be looking for work.
The original eave overhang was destroyed in Gita ... I was worried that my
heavy breathing might bring down the repaired one.  The white support beam
is pretty precarious and only supported .... well, you can clearly see how.
They mostly make due with what they have and I'm hoping this gets reinforced
somehow in the near future.

Mother's day

Mom quilting.  She always
has some project going for
someone in need.

Today is Mother's day in Tonga and I have been thinking about the women in my life a lot more than usual this past week.  I suppose that is natural but I also think it's way to easy to take them for granted.  I have been so blessed with good women who have always been there to watch over me and I thank God for that.  Who knows where I'd be in my life without them.

Me with Grandma Kapp on her 80th
Birthday in 1990.  She was such a big
influence in my life.

I was taught the Gospel and good values by my mother and grandmothers from my birth.  I remember my grandma Kapp reading to us from the stories of the Book of Mormon as some of my earliest memories.  My home growing up was always a hub of righteous activities ... especially activities of service.  I was alway diving under the quilt that was set up on frames in the front room as they were being tied for someone in need.  I don't know that my mom ever missed a church meeting or passed on an opportunity to serve.

Grandma Farson was not a
member of the Church but
taught of a special kind of
love by caring for dozens of
foster children through the
years.

My sisters grew into wonderful women who love the Lord and would help anyone in need at any
time.  My older sister who has passed on some 10 years ago is one of my life heroes for just about everything she did (I could talk for hours about her).  I have other sisters that have faced serious adversity in their lives and have been able to recognize those times as blessings in their lives.

Becky wouldn't let me use a current
photo so I snuck this one in.

I don't want to go on and on but I do want mention how lucky I am to have Becky in my life, she is everything to me.  She is the reason I can survive so far away and so out of my comfort zone.  She is always busy taking care of the missionaries but never neglects me.  She can be dead tired but always ask if there is anything she can do for me.   I always marvel at her energy and her ability to care for those most in need.  She is so good at making others feel loved especially when they are sick, injured or just feeling down.

Lepeka working with Tupa, a young boy in Fu'amoth.  He took to her almost immediately.

Timote brought the colorful
flowers.  We had the white
ones here already.

Timote Kau (many of you may recognize him as Elder Kau as he is a local who finished his mission in December of last year) stopped in early this morning with some flowers for his Grandma (Lepeka).  We have stayed in close contact with him since he finished and we have a special relationship with him.  Lepeka also receives many text messages from missionaries wishing her a happy Mother's day, I think they all feel her love as she cares for them

God certainly knew what he was doing when he created woman.  Of all His creations she is His finest work.

We had a wonderful week filled with testimony building experiences.  It always amazed me how things can fall together to get help where it is most needed.  I have heard about these experiences all of my life but have rarely played a part in them until we served this mission.  Maybe I am just more aware since we are specifically looking for them everyday but nonetheless, I am truly humbled to be a part of them.

Even though things are starting to get back to normal for most of the Tongans, there are still many who lost everything and are struggling to get back on their feet.  There are a few who are still living in the LDS meetinghouses in their area since they have nowhere else to go.

We happened upon a couple of families that had some real needs since they had lost so much from the cyclones that came through in the past couple of months.  They had kind of been lost in the shuffle and were doing the best they could to hang on but definitely needed some help.  Through a series of events we ended up at their homes right when we had a few extra donations and were able to help them right when they needed it the most.

The Excel and chess classes seem to be going pretty well so far, I've had the opportunity to teach each class and everyone who is taking them still seems to be interested.  The chess has been the most challenging for a couple of reasons; first, I am teaching 12-13 year old kids how to play and they're not always the best listeners; secondly, back in the late 70's I had to quit playing chess because it is a game that seems to consume my thoughts, and even my dreams start happening around the game of chess.   Hopefully, I won't get in too deeply and can shut it off better now.

We had our housing sprayed for bugs again on Saturday.  We haven't been having any problems since Becky sprays inside and out on a regular basis but several others senior couple are still having problems to we thought it best to have them spray all of the housing units at the same time so they didn't simply go next door for a while.  We feel pretty fortunate to be almost bug free.  We do get an occasional critter but they are mostly geckos lookin for and easy meal.

Liahona's marching band

The Liahona band has been getting lots better recently.  We hear them practicing everyday for the opening day of the Parliament.  They haven't announced when that is, but it must be soon as we were serenaded by the drum corp yesterday morning (Saturday). They are also marching around the campus and as you can see by the photo have a fan club (little boy on the sidewalk).

That's pretty much our week in a nutshell.  The weather has turned downright pleasant as of late with highs around 80 deg F and lows around 72.  The next five months or so are usually pretty nice from a weather perspective.  We do get a few hot days here and there but in general they are pretty nice.  We also get enough rain to enjoy it with the occasional downpour which is also fun.

I haven't been taking as many photos lately so I'll try to get back in the habit but here are a few from our week.

Happy Mother's Day!

Elder Kapp and Elder Talisa.  Elder Talisa is on his way home.  Sister Kapp
and I became good friends with him.  He will be missed.

Elder Lomu and Elder Betten - our current office Elders having an "Elvis" moment.

Catholic Church in Lapaha

The only pig pen I have seen in Tonga

When I moved over to take a photo they all came running.  I think they thought
I was bringing food.

The Attitude of Gratitude

This weeks blog is a simple message.  We hope you feel the same emotions that we felt as we read this card from some very dear friends here in Tonga.

The cover of the little homemade book (thank you card)

Almost immediately after cyclone many of our friends and family start asking us how they could help the people of Tonga (other senior missionaries had a similar experience).  We did not solicit donations but as a result of those inquiries, many sent donations directly to us (or other senior couples) to use as we saw the need.  There was even a Go-Fund-Me account set up to receive donations.  I'm sure many others donated to the Church Humanitarian fund, the Red Cross or many other wonderful organizations setup to help the needy especially in times of natural disasters.  We feel very fortunate to have been able to witness first hand the aid rolling out to so many here in Tonga and to see and feel of their heartfelt gratitude.

Gita's destruction was wide-spread and seemed to touch every town and village on the main island and in Eua.  Many were left not only completely homeless but without basic needs of clothing, food and water.  We came to learn how scarce food was to so many and felt blessed to be able to help in any way but we felt even more blessed as our resources expanded and other donations came to us directly from our family and friends at home.  Many people gave without any consideration as to whether or not it was tax deductible with only our assurance that it would go (100%) to help those we found most in need.  We did try to provide some feedback but in general many just donated and trusted.  Most of the people that we helped after Cyclone Gita have remained nameless to us but we did see many of them as they thanked us and shed tears of gratitude when food was delivered to their doors.

I have previously documented some of the efforts to help and there are a few photos in previous blogs as families expressed their thanks.  We are still finding a few families in need here and there but we think many things are starting to get back to normal again.

We did receive a special thank you card from one of the families we helped that really touched us so we want to share that with you.  We became acquainted with him through his willingness to work or learn to improve his family's situation.  He was always willing to do anything that would help him get ahead.  I will not include their names or photos but I want you to feel the gratitude that we see and feel almost daily. We share this not to point to anything we did individually as there is no way to separate out which dollars went where but we felt fortunate to be the face of many of your donations and wanted to pass on a thank you we received so you too could feel the spirit of that we feel.

Dearest Kapps,

There's a saying here in Tonga, loosely translated, that goes, "The greatest gift for a Tongan is a thank you."  A thank you shows appreciation for a gift or an act of kindness. But a thank you or a Mālō cannot come close to expressing our gratitude for the assistance rendered to our small family. 

We were in dire need but didn't know how to approach our Bishop or family for help.  What we had accumulated for our emergency preparedness was enough to clean out the house in addition to our water supply.  We know that everyone has their own struggles, so we didn't want to bother family and the Bishop hasn't been around to know our situation.  Such is the same story for many members.  

Since the storm, sleep wasn't easy to come by because I knew the struggles that lay ahead.  My short-comings as a father and sole provider burdened my heart and spirit.  My wife and I did our best to preoccupy our children with games, movies etc. in hopes they wouldn't notice our situation and circumstances hurricane Gita left us in.

Meal times became the hardest to disguise.  Regardless of our delemma our faith never diminished and we knew God would deliver us from our burdens.  Our faith was confirmed through Elder and Sister Kapp.

Since the receiving of the donation we have been able to eat proper meals and make repairs to the house.  Meals are a small thing until you're hungry.  My wife and I are truly humbled and grateful from the depths of our souls.  I know our children are grateful as well.

Thanks you isn't merely enough to express our gratitude, but it is a beginning.  We hope mālō 'aupito would also add to the spirit of appreciation and gratitude we have for you two, your daughter and the other donors.  

One of our regrets is not being able to thank them personally and individually.  Please express our 'ofa (love) to them for their individual sacrifices from their own responsibilities to assist an unknown family on a small island kingdom in the South Pacific that barely dots the globe.  We don't know how to truly convey our hearts but we pray this short note will share the spirit of appteciation we hold dear.

We love you 'Oku mau 'Ofa atu.

Signed by each family member (as much as possible) and ending with:

(the unknown family in the South Pacific on an island kingdom that barely dots the globe)

The really touching part that followed on the next few pages of the book were; the outline trace of the children' small hands and an outline of the baby's feet simply labeled, "twin 1 and twin 2"; a hand-drawn picture of the island with the sun shinning brightly and a note at the bottom said, "thank you for helping my family - 'ofa atu (in English); ending with a drawing of the Tongan flag.


Matthew 25:31:40

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: and before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: and he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then shall the king say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:  Naked and ye clothes me:  I was sick, and ye visited me:  I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?  When saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.