A Typical Day.. And a Few Pictures

August 5, 2012  Tonga: 

Hi friends and family,

    

Elder Bean and I are doing great in Tonga.  Some of you have asked us what a typical day is like for us, so here goes.  I get up between 5:30 and 6 AM every day.  After prayer and stretching exercises I get ready for the day.  It takes me a while to get the kinks out of my hair.  My hair is still a work in progress.  The humidity here makes it really kinky.  Elder Bean gets time to get ready in the bathroom about 7 AM while I make us a lunch and eat my oatmeal.  We drink filtered water, and use it to brush our teeth.  I am attaching some photos of our duplex.   

We head for the welfare office about 8:15 AM.  We pick up Fipe who lives nearby and works with us.  She is a PEF volunteer from Tonga.  We drive through the town of Nuku’alofa, and arrive at the office shortly after 8:30 AM.  We always have prayer with the other members of the welfare team each day.  The welfare team consists of Elder Bean and I, the education  missionaries,  Fipe, the PEF volunteer,  the welfare person, the humanitarian missionaries and the employment person.  We all support each other. 

Elder Bean and I spent time with students helping them find ways to finance going to school.  I have been calling the schools on the island and setting up times to meet with the principals.  So far we have visited 4 colleges.  They don’t look like much from the outside, but we have been impressed with what they have to offer.  We eat our sack lunch at the office and then I call my parents every day at 1:30 PM Tongan time.  That is 6:30 PM the day before in St. George.  After the phone call, we do much the same as we did in the morning.  Elder Bean has been telephoning the students who already have PEF loans to see how they are doing.  They need encouragement to continue paying back their loans.   

In addition to the PEF loans, there is a return missionary grant that students can apply for.  This one does not have to be paid back.  We also help students get that submitted for approval.  In order to qualify for either the loan or the grant, students need to take a workshop called “Planning for Success”.  It will be held every Saturday for the month of September.  We will offer it again in October and November.    We got schedules out to the 13 stake presidents on Tongatapu yesterday to give to the bishops in their stakes.  Communication is a bit different in Tonga.  People do not have addresses.  They announce things on the radio.  People can have Post Office boxes and pick up their mail at the post office.  The mission has one.  

On Saturday, which is our P-D, we spent time doing our laundry.  We have a washing machine out back which takes one hour to complete the cycle.  Then we hang the wash on the line.  We visit with all the other senior missionary couples as they hang their wash on the line.  I also make sure to do my Pilates exercises and Elder Bean and I take a walk around the school.   The church has a cattle ranch behind the school.  It is different to see cattle grazing amid palm and coconut trees.  We also grocery shop and clean our house on Saturday.  We have to go to several stores to get the items we need.  Nothing is ever all at one store.  We know which store has chicken breasts and bacon, and where to get vegetables and fruit, and where to get ice cream.

Sunday is much the same as back home.  Our church starts at 9 AM.  The Tongan people are wonderful singers.  The harmony is amazing.  They also have strong testimonies.  I can feel the love they have for us.  We teach the Gospel Doctrine class.  We usually go over to the Liahona school and email and Skype after church.  Because school is not in session, we can usually get good internet service.  I am going to try and attach some photos of the things I described.    

Sister Bean