The past few weeks have been filled with a variety of marvelous meetings. It all began with a visit from Elder and Sister Hutchison, a wonderful senior service couple from New Zealand who oversee the Church’s wheelchair distribution program in the Pacific Area. You may remember we wrote about them during our time in New Zealand when they entertained us for a day. They came to Tonga to meet with the rehabilitation unit at the hospital which is responsible for distributing wheelchairs here in Tonga. During their short visit here, we were able to take them sightseeing to return the favor.
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Elder and Sister Hutchison visit the spot where Abel Tasman (1643)
and later the first Christian missionaries (1797) came to Tonga. |
The Hutchisons departed the same day Fineasi Tamale, our supervisor in the area humanitarian office in New Zealand, and Elder and Sister Lewis, a medical specialist senior couple from the area office, arrived for meetings here in Tonga. We met with officials with the Tonga Water Board to discuss our multi-village water project. We also met with the Ministry of Health and the main hospital to discuss potential projects such as a primary care training program for hospital staff and providing necessary equipment to hospitals and clinics. In addition, we met with the Ministry of Education to discuss the Church’s possible involvement in a national school breakfast program.
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| Tonga Water Board Meeting |
One choice meeting was with Her Royal Highness Princess Sālote Mafile'o Pilolevu Tuita, King George Tupou VI’s older and only sister. We had been in contact with a local center for the disabled and vision impaired for possible Church assistance and were informed that Princess Pilolevu is the royal patron of the center, so we needed to discuss any improvements with her. She was absolutely delightful and not pretentious in the least. She welcomed any assistance we could provide and especially wanted us to arrange for individuals to help the disabled at the center exercise regularly. She said that she is on a campaign to lose weight, so she exercises every morning and would be happy to participate with the disabled folks in the exercise program.
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| L-R Elder and Sister Lewis, Princess Pilolevu, Elder and Sister Latimer, Fineasi Tamale |
We were able to squeeze in some sightseeing for all our visitors. One new spot was the ancient tombs—Central American-looking mini-pyramids where early royalty are buried. We discovered a plaque in Tongan with a Book of Mormon etched above and the name of the Church. Fineasi, who is Tongan, translated the plaque which said the first convert of the Church in Tonga was a member of the royal family and is buried in one of the tombs.
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| The Ancient Royal Tombs |
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Imagine our surprise to see an etching of the
Book of Mormon at the Ancient Royal Tombs! |
After our visitors left, we attended the annual intercollegiate games, a national track and field meet (a meeting of sorts) between all the middle and high schools in Tonga. This is a very big deal here. It is livestreamed online for all to watch who could not attend in person. The Church’s Liahona Middle and High Schools dominated most of the events. We and another senior couple were seated in the VIP area directly behind the Crown Prince. Our badges seem to make us VIPs a lot—we know it is the respect they have for missionaries.
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| Liahona athletes take first and second (in green) |
We received a request from a middle school to build two additional classrooms. We met at the school to discuss the project and were excitedly greeted by two officials from the Ministry of Education, the principal of the school, and the PTA secretary. They opened and closed our brief meeting with prayer, expressing thanks to Heavenly Father for guiding them to us and us to them. The principal made a teary speech about how she had prayed for some way to find the funds to build the classrooms, and said we were the answer to her prayers. As we left, they presented us with an enormous basket of fruit which required five of the students to carry to our car, along with some lovely handicrafts. We are very hopeful we get approval to fund this project. We were so touched by their sincerity and kindness.
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| The principal and Ministry of Education representative give us a map of Tongatapu |
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| A gift of delicious fruit--it took five students to carry it |
Finally, Church Historian Elder Kyle McKay and his wife visited Tonga on a tour of the Pacific and spoke at a member devotional held in the Liahona gym. Their messages, along with messages from our mission leaders President and Sister Kaufusi and Area Seventy Elder Tuione, were inspiring. Equally inspiring is hearing a large congregation of Tongan Saints sing the hymns. Recording it on our phones just does not do their beautiful singing justice.
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| Elder McKay greets some senior missionaries |
We must share one last meeting “with nature” with you. One day we stepped out on our front porch and lo and behold, a huge papa and mama pig and their 15(!!) piglets were on our driveway munching away at the greenery in our landlord’s yard. We have told you that we have pigs to the right of us and pigs to the left of us and pigs to the rear of us, but never before have they been daring enough to enter our yard. Fearing that they might do too much damage to our landlord’s plants, Mary tried to shoo them out of the yard. Mama and papa managed to easily leave the yard, but the piglets became frantic and repeatedly crashed into the fence trying to get out. One of them got his head stuck in the hinge of the gate and began squealing incessantly. This drew the attention of the many dogs thar run free in the neighborhood, and they began to circle, sensing a free meal. Kyle managed to move the gate which allowed the piglet to free itself, and then Kyle tossed a few rocks at the dogs to allow the piglet to rejoin his parents and siblings down the road where mama and papa kept the dogs at bay.
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| At first there were just Mama and Papa... |
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| ...and then the babies began to arrive... |
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| ...and they just kept coming... |
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| ...and coming. Can you find all 15? |
Things are pretty exciting here in the paradise we know as Tonga.
