TONGAN UPDATE 30 NOVEMBER 2008- THNAKSGIVING

Tongan Update 30 Nov 2008 Thanksgiving

Wow! What a wonderful week! Thanksgiving is a great time to be reminded of our blessings, to enjoy tasty food, and to spend time with friends and family. On a score of 1 to 10, this is our score card for this Thanksgiving season in Tonga:

10 Remembering blessings

10 Enjoying tasty food

10 Time with friends (on the island)

1 Time with family (our thoughts were with you though)

We had three different days of Thanksgiving “feasting” this week. At each dinner only “plangi” (American) food was served with the turkeys costing between $78 to $100 each. The farmers do not raise turkeys so the frozen birds are imported into Tonga, and the plangis are charged a lot of money to buy them.

Monday: Thanksgiving with President and Sister Shumway

and the Temple Missionaries at the Shumway’s home adjacent to the Nuku’alofa Temple

It was a surprise not to have Tongan food at this Thanksgiving celebration because most of the people who attended were Tongans. We had a delicious dinner with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes—a regular American traditional dinner. Then each couple shared one thing they were thankful for. John spoke about the blessing of understanding the importance of the temple. Because we love the temple, we were gathered together for dinner and sharing thoughts. We ended the evening by watching a rebroadcast of the 2006 Christmas program performed at the Conference Center.

Wednesday: Thanksgiving with President and Sister McMurray and the plangi missionaries with their companions at the Mission Home

About 40 missionaries snuggled together at the Mission Home for this great meal.

Elder Iketau, our AP, honored us with a thanksgiving pray IN ENGLISH. (Usually people do not get a round of applause for saying a pray, but Elder Iketau did. Because he speaks such a little bit of English, he had to work really hard to put the English words together for the prayer. It was awesome!) After dinner, the young missionaries finished their P-day by playing volleyball and working out at the Liahona High School’s gym. Elder Thompson and I went back to the work of moving the mission offices.

Friday: Thanksgiving with the Senior Missionaries, the McMurray family, and the Jorgensen family (teachers at Liahona) at the Pope’s beach home

It has been a tradition for the senior missionaries to spend Thanksgiving Day with Brother and Sister Pope. (The Popes met each other as teachers at Liahona High School thirty some odd years ago. These two plangis fell in love, got married, and eventually adopted four Tongan children. They live in Tonga full time.) This thoughtful couple share their home and food with the missionaries each year. They have satellite TV so that the men can watch the football game (Texas AM vs Texas this year), and they have a private beach so the ladies can enjoy the ocean scenery and seek out those precious ocean shells. (We’ve taken our snorkel gear three times out to the Pope’s place, and we still haven’t made it into the water yet.)

Our group was small compared to last year, but the two vans full of hungry guests arrived in Fatumu for the festivities.

After the pray, Elder Thompson shared his testimony with us. He expressed how grateful he was for his many blessings…and especially for the gift of LIFE. He then told us of how he was leaning over some boxes that he was going to relocate, when his tie got caught in “the shredder”. (I know, you think we’re into the next episode of “24”, but we’re not!) His tie really did get pulled into the shredder machine used to dispose of private documents. The machine kept pulling Elder Thompson closer and closer to its slicing jaws of teeth. John was laughing so hard he almost forgot there was a reverse.

He explained how thankful he was that the shredder had reverse, and that he knew how to use it. Then he pulled out his visual aid—taadaa--the shredded tie.

Our Thanksgiving Day ended with a telephone call from Dusty and Melissa, our son and his wife…

talk about an almost perfect Thanksgiving week! The only thing that could have made it better is if a few of you would have joined us in the feasting!

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson

TONGAN UPDATE 23 NOV, 2008 GO UTES/

Tongan Update, 23 Nov 2008, Go Utes

Way to gooooo…Utes! Score: UTAH 48, BYU 24! Whaaaahoo!

The game plan for football is for a team of eleven players to move a ball down the field, to get the ball across the end zone, and thusly, score a touchdown which; I might add, Utah did most effectively in the big win over BYU on November 22, allowing Utah to have an undefeated football season, and the chance to go to a BCS bowl.

Our game plan for this week was to move the office from downtown Nuku’alofa, across the island to Liahona, and thusly, score a new residency. The office-complex team (Elder and Sister Thompson, Elder Kairi, Elder Iketau, Elder Karratti, Elder Lyon, and Elder Haltli)

were on their own 20 yard line and ready to start their first drive down the field when the Office Elders were intercepted and had to rush to the airport to pick up a missionary who was being transferred to ‘Eua. So we had to bring in the secondary (back-up) team which was hired by the Church.

This team consisted of 3 men, 4 women, and 1 baby.

The father was the chief supervisor and did very little.

They brought with them their own moving vehicles—2 vans, a flatbed truck, and 1 rattle. On the offense this team was great. But on the defensive side, they kept breaking down. Every time the engine on the one van was turned off, it had to be started by compression. So the Tongan secondary team would hook up a tow rope from their first van to their second van, drag the van far enough to start the engine, and then they were on the move again. Needless to say, there were many fumbles and time-outs during the first half. But the team did score a touchdown by getting all the items moved from the living quarters of the missionaries to Liahona. We had only one casualty. Our quarterback (Elder Thompson) was side-lined with a pulled groin muscle.

During halftime we had quite the entertainment. The Tongan women move-team took turns picking lice out of each other’s hair.

The second half was very slow and uneventful. There were no long rushes, interceptions, or “Hail Marys.” However, we did score a huge touchdown—we DID GET everything moved over to our new accommodations!

For the after-game party, we still need to unpack and find a place for everything.

OH, BUT IT’S FUN TO WIN! (Go Utes!) (Yeah Mission Moving Team!)

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson

TONGAN UPDATE 12 NOVEMBER 2008 " 24", PART 2

Tongan Update 14 Nov 2008 ’24’ Part 2 and Finale

This week’s episode: Bauer and the MOC operatives resolve the problems of Luther Finau and do everything in their power to mentor the MOC recruits (the senior couple) newly arrived from the states.

1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Police Task Office Falemai

strolled into MOC headquarters

. She insisted that all operatives (Elders Karratti, Lyon, and Haltli)

were present as she discussed the aftermath events with Luther Finau. Apparently he is a self-serving con-artist who is well known by the police force. He has many convictions for drug abuse, and according to Falemai, he was on drugs when he came into MOC headquarters to retain funds from us. There was no murder! It was all an elaborate scheme to elicit money from us.

While the operatives were being debriefed, Agent Bauer (Elder Thompson) and Audrey (Sister Thompson)

were out in the field on another assignment from their superior (President McMurray). They were to train the new recruits (Elder and Sister Wood).

In order to update the Woods in the workings of MOC, they were sent to research possible locations for attacks around the island of Tongatapu.

First they examined the site of Mapu ‘a Vaea (the blow holes).

Everything checked out satisfactorily there except for the missing “Minister of Tourism” signs that were recently installed for the King’s coronation. It was at the Hufangalupe Archway, known as Pigeon’s Gate, that imminent danger awaited.

The Operation’s Handbook (Tour Guide Book) described Hufangalupe as the site where the sea pounds through an opening in the coralline limestone and tears at 30m high walls to create a natural bridge and adjacent pit. As Bauer and the “green” recruits approached the archway, they determined that indeed, the information was correct. It was possible to climb all the way down to the sea in the gully, but it is very steep and the coral rocks are razor sharp.

The operatives decided “negative” to that idea, but all seemed satisfactory at this site also.

The MOC team

got into the Mobile 1 Tumbler (van)

with its scratch-resistant paint and see-through windows. They had just started plowing through the “bush” when their vehicle met with resistance. Oh no! They were being attacked on all sides by oozing mud.

The more strength the operatives produced, the more the mud flexed its muscles. There was screeching of wheels and flying of mud, but the sticky monster of the earth could not be extinguished.

The MOC team was overmatched!

Shell-shocked, Bauer called for back-up.

The assault team of operatives went into action. They grabbed their “rescue kit” and scrambled into Mobile Tumbler 2.

Armed with hand grenades, AK1s, and taizer guns, the team, wearing invasion clothing, came screaming onto the scene. There was grunting, groaning, snorting, but no cussing (we are missionaries, you know) as the combined forces of operatives battled this international crisis. The enemy slowly succumbed. The ultimate punch was the three-stranded lasso used to corral the Mobile 1 Tumbler. Once the vehicle was encircled with the twisted strands of hemp, Mobile 2 Tumbler yanked it from the monster’s grip. Once released from the mud, both tumblers navigated the terrain together returning back to MOC headquarters.

Bauer was satisfied with the safe return of all the MOC operatives and their assault vehicles.

(All this to say, “The van got stuck in the mud, and that the office elders had to come and pull it out.”)

2:45 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

NEXT EPISODE: After the successful completion of two episodes, this series is temporarily being terminated. Two of the main cast members, Bauer and Audrey, are being replaced by newly-assigned operatives, Sperry 1 and Sperry 2.

‘Ofa ‘atu, Bauer and Audrey

P.S. Bob and Elaine Sperry are members of our own home ward in Salt Lake City. They will be joining us in Tonga sometime in January. As a lad, Elder Sperry served as a missionary in New Zealand. They are really excited to come, and we are really excited to have them be part of our Tongan missionary force!

WE ARRIVE HOME ON 10 FEBRUARY 2009!!!

TONGAN UPDATE 12 NOVEMBER 2008 '24' SEASON PREMIERE

Tongan Update, 12 Nov 2008, ‘24’ Season Premiere

Sneak preview of this week’s episode: Bauer, Audrey, and the MOC operatives brace themselves against the confessions of an Australian deportee, Luther Finau.

12:44 p.m. to 1:44 p.m.

Audrey (Sister Thompson) trudged through the torrential rains and flooded streets of Nuku’alofa towards the Mission Office Complex (MOC). Her mind was full of complicated thoughts concerning the NTM (Nuku’alofa Tonga Mission). As she entered the offices of MOC headquarters, she noticed Bauer (Elder Thompson) and Operative 1 (Elder Karratti) conversing with a sinister-looking Tongan Aussie, Luther Finau. Expanding this man’s entire arm, from his shoulder down to the tip of his middle phalange, was a tattooed fire-breathing dragon. (Bauer says this was not a Pete’s Dragon, but more like a Lord of the Ring’s dragon.) Luther’s hair was like a half moon—partly shaven and partly pulled back into a ponytail colored with shades of red, orange, and brown. Standing there with his ripped-sleeveless shirt and bare feet, he said with a strong Aussie accent, “I need to talk to Audrey.”

Bauer interrupted the conversation by saying, “Why are you here?”

The TA (Tongan Aussie) replied with a cold, quivering voice, “I’ve witnessed a murder, and I fear for my life.”

At that precise moment, Audrey and Op 1 were called out of the main office to help Operative 2 (Elder Lyon) with the investigation of possible infiltrators of MOC .

So Bauer was left alone to interrogate Luther Finau. After fifteen minutes Bauer left Luther and came to explain the situation to Audrey and the two MOC operatives. Luther apparently claimed that he had witnessed a murder. He didn’t dare go to the police for fear that he would be exposed, and the murderers would go after him. He needed a good lawyer, and someone who could help him get into a “Witness Protection Program.”

Because of the lack of resources, Bauer and company were perplexed as how to help TA. They needed someone else’s help in exposing the truth. Finally Bauer persuaded Luther to talk to a personal friend who was a member of the Tongan police task force. (This was Falemai—the young woman who we helped to baptize and is a member of our branch.)

Bauer talking on the phone: “Falemai, we have a person here who claims to be an eye-witness to a murder.”

Falemai: “Bauer, keep him there! And keep him safe! We will be there shortly.”

Within a few minutes after the telephone call, Falemai and her sidekick arrived at MOC in their 1984 cherry-maroon Four-Runner.

Falemai and her sidekick sequestered Luther in the confines of the President’s office. They drilled him with questions. The words zinged around the room and off the walls like bullets ricocheting from an AK47. (The Elders tell me that an AK47 is some kind of a gun.) ZING….ZING….ZING…ZING…ZING!

Finally the police team appeared from Luther’s holding tank and said to the operatives, “We need to take him in for further questioning. We suspect foul play and that witchcraft and drugs may be involved.”

1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m.

Next week’s episode: Bauer and the MOC operatives resolve the problems of Luther Finau and do everything in their power to mentor MOC recruits (senior couple) newly arrived from the states.

(If you are addicted to the suspenseful TV series, 24, then you might like this Tongan Update. If you haven’t seen this drama on television, then you will think we are nuts. But in our defense…we have been on this island for over 15 months now, and we are getting desperate in trying to figure out something new to write about.

The basic facts are correct in this episode…just a “few” details have been added to hopefully make it more interesting!)

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson

Tongan Update, 06 Nov 2008, We’re All Shook Up

We are “all shook up!”

We experienced an earthquake while we were at a Fireside with President McMurray and the other senior missionaries last Sunday night. We felt the house shift and saw the curtains in the living room sway from side to side. We looked at each other and rolled our eyes, but that was about it!

What is really shaking us up is…our good friends and fellow-missionaries, Elder and Sister Embley, are returning to their home in Salt Lake City.

They were called to a 23 months education mission where they have been training teachers to become college certified. So…adios…another one bites the dust…that leaves in Tonga two plangi missionary couples, us and the Garretts.

..but… reinforcements are on the way. Three more couples are scheduled to arrive here within the next couple of months. We used to panic and felt deserted when we’d drive people to the Fua’amotu Airport

and then watch them get on a plane heading anywhere. Now we have been here long enough that we know we are going to be OK! So…only our knees are shaking!

What do you think of this next experience? Elder Thompson and I had assignments in Ha’apai and Vava’u, and we had to leave our comfortable apartment in the mission complex for about a week.

Around midnight one night while we on one of the outer islands, Elder Kairi heard a door shut. He asked his companion, Elder Iketau, if he had heard it. He nodded so they silently slipped out into the courtyard to investigate. One carried a wooden mermaid statue for defense

and the other manned a shovel.

Then they heard rattling sounds by the back gate and proceeded in that direction.

The neighbor’s dogs, our Merry Men, were barking like crazy. As they were closing in on the source of noise by the gate, the elders sighted a figure precariously clutching onto the roof of the complex.

This person was trying to negotiate how he was going to swing himself down and into the courtyard of our complex. Another figure swung open the unlocked door into the complex from the carport.

An invasion was transpiring. Their goal, we think, was our vacant apartment. Word had gotten around that the Thompsons were gone!

Oh yes, the elders were shaking! What to do? They looked at their weapons of war, decided against them, then made a mad dash to the light switches and flipped them on. The beautiful light radiated throughout all the corners and curves of our mission complex, and…the invaders slithered away.

OOOOOoooooo…we’re all shook up!

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson

TONGAN UPDATE 05 NOVEMBER- BROTHER TAFUNA

Tongan Update, 05 Nov 2008, Brother Tafuna

There was a tragic automobile accident that occurred here last Friday.

It was graduation day for the seniors of Liahona High School, our Church school. The class of about ___ students had received their diplomas, had many congratulatory leis placed around their necks, and had headed out to their individual parties to celebrate. There was a group of six happy, laughing guys, best friends, who had squeezed into a small compact car and pealed out of the parking lot heading towards their party destination. They never arrived. While traveling fast on the rain-slick roads, the driver missed the curve and crashed into a tree. Four of the young men died, one is still in critical condition in the hospital, and the sixth student was propelled through the front window and walked away from the accident.

One of the boys who passed away was the principal’s son, Francis Tafuna. We never had the opportunity to know Francis, but we are well acquainted with Brother Tafuna because he is not only the Principal of Liahona High School, he is also the first counselor to President McMurray in the Mission Presidency.

Therefore, President McMurray and Sister McMurray lead a group of senior and young missionaries over to the Tafuna home three days after the tragedy. We were there to give our love, support, and condolences to this grieving family.

The Tafunas had made a memorial for their son in their carport.

The coffin, flowers, photographs, and mementoes were inside the carport while the driveway was lined with large woven mats.

It is the tradition for the guests to sit on the mats,

and the mourning family to sit on chairs. At this gathering the seniors were asked to sit with the family on chairs.

It is also traditional for the group to have a “chief talker” for them, and Brother Iteni Henu was designated as our spokesman. After Brother Iteni gave our condolences, President McMurray gave a short speech,

we sang, and had a prayer. Then Brother Tafuna wanted to share some thoughts with us. (I’m going to write his words as best as I can remember them because I think we can all learn something from this humble, faithful man.)

“In our Church we don’t talk much about Christ’s death. We concentrate on his life and resurrection. And that’s what we want to do with Francis—remember his life because we know he continues to live just in another form. The last time I saw Francis alive, he was getting into the car with his friends. I talked with the boys and told them to be careful. Later they passed me as I was going to work on my plantation. They stopped at the side of the road, we exchanged a few words, and the driver said as they drove off, “We love ya!” Later, as I was walking back from working in the field, someone stopped me and said there had been an accident in which my son was involved. I went home and found a secret place to pray. I thanked by Heavenly Father for all the blessing that I have. I used to pray for things that I wanted. As years have gone by, I prayed for things I thought I needed. Now I have learned to pray for God’s will; and as I prayed, I felt comforted. In this case it was-- Father, do what is your will. Take my son if it is your will.

I was going to ride my bike to the hospital (his wife had their car), but the bishop stopped me. When I saw his face, I knew that Francis had died. As we drove to the hospital it was I that provided comfort to my bishop. It was I that spoke about the plan of live and the purpose of life. At the time of my son’s death, it was I that was consoling the grief of my bishop who was hurting for me.

My son was on the next step in his progression towards eternal life. It’s a time to be happy--a time to rejoice. We’ll cry because we will miss him, but we know he lives again. He is starting his missionary work today! Because of his death, he will bring family and friends who are not members of the Church together for his funeral, and I’ll bare witness to these people that God lives and His son is our Savior. I will be able to discuss with them gospel principles.

Towards the end of movie, “The Last Sumari,” the emperor says, ‘Remembering how you live is important, not how you die.’ And through repentance there is a bright hope for all of us.” I want you to remember by son, come and stand by him

and let’s take some pictures."

‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister Thompson

P.S. After the accident many drivers would pass the scene of the accident. There were many flowers at first, then only a few. Then last week the tree was cut down. No longer does the site cause people to slower down and look. These students are being remembered for their lives, not their death.

P

TONGAN UPDATE 30 OCTOBER 2008 SPOOKY STUFF

Tongan Update 30 October 2008 Spooky Stuff

It was a dark and bone-chilling night. The quarter moon clung to the darkened skies over the island of Tongatapu. Shadows of hundreds of sleeping bats can be seen hanging upside down in the grasping branches of the Silkwood (To’a) trees.

As if given a silent command, these flying foxes

unwrap their half-meter, brackish wings and ascend, circling overhead looking for their unsuspecting prey.

Where will they fulfill their lust for……………………fruit? (I know…I was just trying to make this “update” sound spooky because it’s Halloween, and I know you are in the mist of costumes and holiday fun.) Actually these bats are called “flying foxes” because their faces do have a foxish appearance. They scourer the ground below looking for papaya, bananas, and other fruits…not too scary, but they are very impressive because of their size.

Monday we flew to Ha’apai then took the mission boat to Ha’afeva. Our suitcases were packed with a vacuum, a steam cleaning machine, and cleaning supplies. The Zone Leaders, Elders Sanchez and Alatini,

and the District Leaders, Elders Shaver and Tuimoala,

helped us clean the newly acquired house of Elder and Sister Finau

who are American senior missionaries and have been assigned as missionaries to support the members of the Church on this island.

Elder Finau will be the new Branch President.

Their house was not haunted, but it was full of crawling, scampering, and slithering creatures.

The young missionaries roused out a good-sized mouse from somewhere. They proceeded to chase the little guy all over the house while it scampered around looking for an escape route. My response was to chase the thing out the opened door, but…shortly thereafter, Elder Tuimoala, the executioner, strutted proudly out the door swinging the deceased mouse by its tail. (What do you think, Giolas girls? Have you had similar experiences with mice at the Alta house?)

While Elder Thompson was fixing the broken screen door and steam cleaning the bathroom shower, I attacked the chest of drawers like a wild witch with my Jenola (cleaning product). I threw opened the top drawer, screeched, and took five steps back. Several grotesque cockroaches leaped out at me, sailed with twitching legs onto the floor, and started scurrying to various places. While I was regaining my composure after the surprise attack, Sister Finau was busy crunching the insects with her feet.

Oh yes, Halloween in Tonga.

After our cleaning project was completed,we walked through the palm trees and the tangled plant growth to the other side of the island. We were getting thirsty and started looking for a 7-11. We couldn’t find one so Elder Shaver was kind enough to shimmy up a tree and knock down four coconuts. Elder Alatini, using Shaver’s newly delivered machete, whacked the outer husks off the coconuts creating openings at the top of each coconut. The milk inside was delicious—“Big Gulps” Tongan style!

The last leg of this trip was back to Ha’apai to teach the young missionaries there how to clean and maintain their houses.

We also delivered and installed mosquito nets. (This is an experiment to see if we can keep danque fever to a minimum this year.) We had a District Meeting, and then even had time to look for shells at “Sandy Beach” while the missionaries played volleyball for P-day.

So…how was your Halloween? ‘Ofa ‘atu, Elder and Sister T.