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.

Elder Hardy (Utah) and Elder Takapu (California)
Walking in Kolomotu'a.  This was the first I have Met Elder Hardy.
They said they are doing GREAT!

We stopped in for lunch at Carpe Diem and look who we ran into!
Elder Purdy and Elder Andersen (both Utah) ... we couldn't resist
buying them lunch.

Full Moon from our back yard on August 25th, 2018

Sorry to short change you on photos this week.  I guess I must be slipping (either that or saving up).

12 Puaka (pig) Next?

"12 Steak" Restaurant

The owner of 12 Seafood told us about another restaurant her husband just opened up about a quarter mile from her restaurant that serves New Zealand beef.  They named it .... you guessed it "12 Steak' restaurant".  It's 12 item menu was mostly based on beef, however, there was Fish and Chips and a Chicken item listed on the menu.

Since we have really enjoyed the "12 Seafood" restaurant we had to go try "12 Steak" and decided that night was as good as any so we headed over at 6:30 p.m.  We were the first guests to arrive for dinner (they opened at 6:00 p.m.) and placed our order.  I ordered the bourbon steak, medium rare, with all the fixin's.  As per my usual, I had my bottle of Heinz 57 steak sauce.  Elder Hudson had the sirloin steak also medium rare.  The ladies had the beef stew.

In the end the steak was a little bit undercooked which made it somewhat chewy but at least it wasn't gristly.  It was pretty good but it definitely won't surpass the Seaview Cafe as my favorite.  We may go try a few of their lunch items as they seemed a little more reasonably priced.

We did have some live entertainment that we enjoyed while we ate.  I have posted a short video clip along with the photo of the band.  One was in a wheelchair and the keyboard player was blind.

The band did a good job and we
enjoyed the music with our dinner.

I wondered what the saying on the T-shirt was as I didn't want to post something inappropriate so we asked one of our missionaries to translate for us and got something like; "If you stab (or pierce) the truth, you'll know you should".  This got us pretty close but since it didn't make a lot of sense to us we asked Elder Va'enuku and he said it means; "If you have a strong testimony you'll recognize the truth".   We'll go with that one but give kudos to our young missionaries who actually got us pretty close.

Now we're just waiting for the "12 Chicken" and/or "12 Pig" restaurant to open and complete the set.

Chinese Hospital Ship

A Chinese Hospital Ship arrived in Tonga on Monday.  The Ark Peace (as it's called) is here to provide free medical services in Tonga for eight days.  This is the second time the ship has visited Tonga as it was here three years ago.  "They are providing free medical services to the locals as a sign of good will in exchange for cultural entertainment to help develop a better understanding and deepen the traditional relationship between the two countries that currently exists."   Click here to read more about this in the news.

At the Ice-cream Store

2 young girls oogling the desserts

Ice-cream all around here.

We did have time to stop at the ice-cream shop and have banana chocolate chip ice-cream cones that were really good.  There were a few others there enjoying the sweets too.  The price on the P-Nut butter cake on the left ... $120. (TOP)

Today is Saturday and the rest of the senior missionaries went whale watching.  We changed our date so we can go when John Perry is visiting.  It will be fun to go with him and experience the raging sea.  I'm sure we'll hear all about the senior outing that we missed but we ended up seeing many missionaries today anyway so it would have made today a very long day.  We may add a few of their photos to the end of the blog if we can get them before we post it.

Our Big Mote

Timote (Kau) sent us a few photos of the work he's been doing.  He's been working in his community to help clean-up all the fallen coconut trees so they can be milled in the portable saw mill.  The logs are very heavy but Big Mote is up to the challenge.  After hauling these around all day he heads to the gym for a workout ... or just finds ways to workout at home.

He wants to find a job but says right now the community needs him more as he donates his time and efforts as directed by his Bishop.  They used a few of the logs to build this stand (on the right) to help in the milling process.

Field of logs gathered and ready for the portable saw mill.

Elder Taufeulangaki

 Elder Taufeulungaki (good luck with that one) and Elder Clifton enjoying a refreshing sip of coconut juice right from the coconut at the end of their nguae 'ofa (work of love or service project).  I love the photos of Elders and Sisters that just dig right in to some pretty "dirty" work.  If you click on the photos you can see soot on their faces.

Elder Clifton

An older couple's home burned down a few days ago (non-members) and these two decided to help in the clean-up of all the old burned wood.  The couple didn't want us to post a photo of their burned home (which we totally understand) but we did want to post these happy elders photos.  They worked so hard to help this family in need.  We still had a little bit of money left that had been donated before and we had been looking for the right place so we gave it to them (the homeowners).  They were very grateful for the donation and all the hard work to help them in their time of need.  I'm sure we haven't heard the last of them.

Twins Mele and Ana waiting for Auntie at the dental clinic.  Their
mom passed away last year so they are being raised by their Grandma.

The 'family' represented in the window with the caption:
"We ate your stick family".

Baby chicks in Fanga with no mom in sight.  Our chicks wouldn't
last a day without mother hen to protect them.   Can you pick out all 3?

Our waitress at 12 Steak dancing

Pretty Pink Pet Pig Posing Phor Photo

Pet Pig?

We saw something we have never seen in Tonga before .... no, it wasn't the pink pig as we see pigs in almost any color you can realistically imagine from pink to black.  Multi-colored pigs, dark pigs with light spots, light pigs with dark spots.  They run wild everywhere and fences are put up around houses to keep them out ... not in.  What we saw that was so unusual was a pig with a collar.  Now that is really out of place in Tonga!  I suppose it is somebody's way of marking the pig as "theirs" so it doesn't become lunch or dinner for a neighbor.  It would have been even more amazing if it had wings.

Our brood having lunch at the Kapp's

I also have one more photos of our brood of chicks.  All eight have made it to the age (or size) that they should be able to start fending for themselves.  Our other new mom with that starts with four chicks about a week ago is now down to just one.  We hope she can keep it protected and alive.  It makes you wonder how one can raise eight and not loose a single one and another looses three so easily.  We've tried to keep the cats away as much as possible but they must be catching them off-guard somewhere.

LDS Chapel at Kolovai

I'm going to post photos of many of the LDS meetinghouses the week with a few other religions meeting houses sprinkled in.  Many of the non-ads meeting houses had damage from cyclone Gita and they are in the process of being repaired or in some cases completely rebuilt.

LDS Chapel at Te'ikiu

You may notice that the LDS buildings pretty much have a theme and every little town has one.  Some are large and some are small but almost none of them have a gymnasium as we do in the U.S.  They do however, had tennis courts, volleyball, and basketball courts outside where many of the ward parties and various functions during the week take place.  The outdoors is a big part of Tongan life.  Even their baptismal fonts are outdoors with many just using the nearby ocean for baptisms.

Catholic Chapel on the way to Lakepa

LDS Chapel at Lakepa

LDS Chapel at Fatai

Tonga is a very christian nation and every small town typically has meetinghouses for at least two different religions.  Some towns have as many as four or five different denominational buildings and in most places the people get along pretty well.  I have had 8 flat tires now since we arrived and in every case but one (thanks Norma) someone nearby has come to assist us who is not LDS but is just looking to help someone in need.

LDS Chapel at Nukunuku

LDS Chapel at Foui

LDS Chapel at Longolongo (front)

These next three are of the LDS church in Longolongo. I include these three to show the separate buildings and the tennis, volleyball, basketball court (currently under renovation to the fence).

Longolongo back

Longolongo outside gymnasium

Basilica of St. Anthony of Padua

These next few photos are of churches in Nuku'alofa.  Below is the old Kings church of Tonga.  I'm not sure how long it has not been used but it did lose most of it's windows in cyclone Gita.  It's still a beautiful old building.

(New) Kings Church of Tonga

(Old) Kings church of Tonga

LDS Chapel in Pea

These next three photos are of three meetinghouses in Pea.  They are all within about a block each other (the last 2 are right across the street from each other).

My understanding is that one of the two churches below is Wesleyan and the other is Catholic.  I think the Catholic one is on the right but I'm not sure.

Wesleyan?

Catholic

LDS Chapel in Tokomololo

Okay, you got me!  This one isn't a chapel however, we have had a couple of
spiritual experiences as we shopped there (Wah wah wah)

LDS Chapel in Teufaiva

 This is the LDS church at Teufaiva.  It is the newest LDS Church in Tonga.  It is not only one of the newest but it is also one of the largest.  It is near the Tonga sports stadium.

LDS Chapel in Kolofo'ou

New (or rebuilt) Church in Longolongo

LDS Chapel in Havelu
(next to Havelu Middle School)

Catholic Church in Havelu

LDS Chapel in Pelehake

LDS Chapel in Pelehake

 This is not a Sesame Street lesson, however, on the left, Pelehake Chapel (far), on the right Pelehake Chapel (near)

LDS Chapel in Ha'asini

Not sure which denomination
(possibly Wesleyan) in Ha'asini

This church house was destroyed in cyclone Gita.  It is made from modular
panels.  They have been gathered and stacked and are ready for reassembly
once the rest of the structure is ready.  You can see the metal dome trusses
on the right and some of the stacked panels on the left.

LDS Chapel in Mu'a.  There used to be a palm tree that leaned out over
the road here but the top was broken off in cyclone Gita as well.

LDS (behind fence) and Catholic
behind the building you can see
the scaffolding and bell tower.

Church in Fatumu

 These two photos were taken in Fatumu.  The one on the left we tried to get the LDS Chapel and the new Catholic Church )under construction) but you can't really see much of either.  On the right is another church in Fatumu.

Small LDS Chapel in Halongo

Seventh Day Adventist in Beulah

Methodist church in Fua'amotu

LDS Chapel in Nakolo

Seventh Day Adventist near Nakolo

LDS Chapel in Lavengatonga

Unknown denomination in Lavengatonga

LDS Chapel in Fua'amotu (this also has the best Family History Center)

This is Pakilau Middle School
There is also a chapel in the school
for Sunday Services

LDS Chapel in Vaini

The photos on this blog represent approximates 1/3 of the LDS Chapels on the main island of Tongatapu (I didn't count but that seems pretty close).  There are many other non-LDS churches as I only captures a few for this blog.  I hope you enjoyed them!  You can click on any picture for a larger more detailed version.