The Kingdom of Tonga

On January 6, 2015, we flew to Fua'amotu International Airport in Tonga.  Tongatapu is the Kingdom of Tonga's largest and most populous island.  The capital, Nuku'alofa is on the island of Tongatapu.  When you arrive at the airport they do not have jetways, so you use a roll-a-way stairway to exit the plane.  As you get off the plane and look toward the terminal everyone is crowded on the top level of the airport where they can watch the planes arrive and take off.  Everyone is up there watching and waiting for their person to arrive.  Our humanitarian couple, Elder and Sister Murdock did not let us down.  We spotted Elder Murdock's white shirt first thing.  After we got off the plane, collected our baggage and went through customs, the Murdocks greeted us with flower leis which smelled wonderful.  The Murdock's had traded cars with another couple, so they had an 11 passenger van.  We were taken to the Liahona School Campus where we stayed in House 1.  Most all the senior missionaries live on the campus in addition to some employees.  There are 36 homes.  House 1 and House 2 are kept open for visiting guests.  House 1 is huge.  There are at least 5 bedrooms with 5 bathrooms as well.  There was a formal dining room, family room, huge kitchen, and a gigantic front room.  We were told that House 1 is where they put "special" guests when they come.  We enjoyed our accomodations.  Susan especially enjoyed having a nice long hot bath every night.

House 1

Liahona Campus consists of 52 acres with housing, a dental clinic, a high school and middle school, a chapel, the Samoa Service Center, and physical facilities offices.  Most of the senior missionary couples live here.  It is a great place.  Each morning we would go for a walk and enjoy the beauties of the campus.  What a wonderful place to serve a mission.  Liahona School is the flagship of schools for the islands.  There are also schools on the islands of Fiji, Samoa and Kiribati.  The Liahona School was built in the 1940's by construction missionaries.  All the buildings are very well built.

As you enter the campus you see this

Different views around the campus

Homes on the Campus

More Homes 

The maps identify this as a photo oppotunity.  The only split/ double palm tree on the island

Coconuts outside the Wood's apartment 

Palm trees next to the campus

After Church on Sunday.  The Murdocks in typical Tongan attire 

Dental Clinic

Elder and Sister Beckstrand (Dentist)

Elder and Sister Beckstrand in the clinic

Hans, Susan, Gary, Sister and Elder Murdock before we go into Hina Cave for a traditional Tongan Dinner.  Our dish was a piece of banana tree stock.  We had a real Tongan feast.

These are fish traps.  the fish swim into the poles which have nets on them under the water.  Then when the fish get into the corral, they can not get out.  Then the fishermen gather their catch.

This tree is next to the Murdock's house.  It is called a Flame Tree or a Royal Poinciana tree.

Another view of the Temple

Tonga Temple

Hans, Gary, Susan Sister and Elder Murdock after a session.  

Blow Holes

Sign telling about the Blow Holes

More Blow Holes.  They are all along the coastline.  The height of the sprays depends upon whether the tide is in or out.

"We believe it is essential that our young people gain sufficient education to care for themselves in this highly specialized age, and also to serve their fellowmen, and we have in the past and shall continue in the future to support education al all levels."  Joseph Fielding Smith

Training our couple headed to Tonga

This week was spent in preparing and training a couple from Idaho who will serve in Nuku'alofa, Tonga. Wednesday morning, 6:45 AM we picked them up at the airport after their long flight.  Then we took them to the hotel which is about two blocks from the Area Office.  After dropping them off so they could freshen up, we went to work for about a half hour.  Later we went back to pick them up to begin their training.

It was one month to the day that we had arrived in New Zealand, therefore we were very sympathetic to their physical condition.  They received training with LDS Family Services and then we took them to lunch.  After lunch their training continued.  Just before we took them back to their hotel we were able to help them FaceTime with their family.  They were not sure it would work.  It made our day to see Grandma and Grandpa faces light up when they saw their grandson on the screen.  After they talked to their family we walked them back to their hotel about 4:00 PM.  We picked them back up for dinner and went to a place called Lonestar (not the US Lonestar).  The restaurant served steaks and fish and played country music just like back home only New Zealand style.  We did our best to keep them awake until it was bed time.

Gary, Susan, and Sister and Elder Murdock

Thursday morning they looked much more rested.  Everyone has learned that the adjustment secret is to stay awake the first day until normal bed time.  It really does help with the jet lag.  We reviewed the training they received in Provo at the MTC.  As we discussed humanitarian principles we could tell that things were starting to click and they were beginning to catch on.  The Murdocks were able to review all their projects in Tonga.  We were excited to work with them.  They will be a great asset to the people in Tonga.

In the evening we went to the suburb of Devonport and had dinner.  Before we ate we walked around and enjoyed the pleasant weather and the ocean.  They have some HUGE trees.  We think they were Magnolia and Kauri trees, but we may be mistaken.  All we know is they were Big!

The water is enchanting

Gary, Sister and Elder Murdock in front of one "big" tree

We think this is a Kauri tree

Susan and Gary in front of a Magnolia tree?

On the stone it said "placed here in 1905"

Friday morning we took the Murdocks' shopping to get things that they felt they might need.  We also took them to visit other couples in the office who had lived or been in Tonga.  We helped them make one last call to their family as their flight would not arrive in Tonga untill 10:00 PM which would be 5:00 AM in Idaho.  Everyone was also uncertain of the Tongan Internet and phone situation.  About 3:00 PM we started our journey to the airport.  The traffic was slow, but not too bad.  After dropping them off we went home.

Susan, Gary, Elder and Sister Murdock

Saturday was a beautiful day.  They was hardly a cloud in the sky and the weather was warm.  We took a walk to town and visited the beach.  Everyone else had the same idea.

Time for a run along the beach

Enjoying the surf

Notice the sailboats in the horizon

The tall building is near the Area Office

We taught our class today at church.  The lesson was on Obedience.  When we arrived at church we were greeted by the missionaries.  Transfers took place last week and we have a new missionary, Elder Jenson.  As we talked we discovered that he was from Sandy.  We told him that we were from Sandy as well.  We told him that we lived near the mouth of Little Cottonwood Canyon.  Turns out that his family lives in Dimple Dell Park ward.