TONGAN UPDATE JULY 28, 2008 SO EVERYONE IS GOING TO LAKE POWELL

Tongan Update, 28 Jul 2008, So Everyone is Going to Lake Powell

It’s August in Utah—the perfect time of year to go to Lake Powell. We have received several emails informing us of the truthfulness of this statement. Frank Overfelt, our friend, is on a houseboat enjoying the sights and sounds of Lake Powell (amazingly he is mailed us from Lake Powell); and our kids, Ryan and Trevor, and their families are heading to the “big lake” this weekend.

Elder Thompson and I will not be making the Lake Powell scene this year. We won’t be driving six hours in our Ford truck pulling the boat from Salt Lake to Bullfrog. We will not be staying in an air-conditioned trailer at Halls Crossing, and you’ll not see us water-skiing or “slime & climbing” the canyons. However, we did have a simulated Lake Powell trip in Vava’u.

It only took 45 minutes for us to fly to this destination,

and our boat was waiting for us at the wharf—the mission boat, that is.

We had the warm sun, the glistening water,

the high rugged canyon walls of the islands,

and John as the proud boat driver.

Sounds a lot like Lake Powell to me!

Actually, John was showing the Tongan drivers how to use the boat’s new GPS system. They installed the new computer chip that contains the maps of Tonga and over a period of time, John and Elder McCarty

(one of our computer whiz elders) figured out how to use the new computer information. While they were doing all the work, the rest of us enjoyed the scenery.

The GPS system will be helpful for night driving because the system tracks every movement of the boat and records it. To get back home at night, the boat drivers can simply following their recorded route.

In addition to training the boat drivers, we were involved in missionary conferences.

The big difference in our Lake Powell trip was instead of all the outdoor water activities, we spent most of our days at Zone Conference and doing Missionary House inspections,

followed by an evening Fireside.

John did another power point presentation on proper use of the Missionary Support Fund. He has presented this presentation five times now and is hopeful that some of the abuses of the past will be history. He has explained the correct principles; now we’ll see how the missionaries do with them.

The fireside was at the village of Mataika. We arrived early to let the President McMurray have a few moment to relax and prepare his message. Just as we pulled into the church parking lot, two elders (Elder McCarty and his companion) showed up in a panic.

They needed transportation to get some investigators to the fireside, so to the rescue we went. In our borrowed van, Elder Thompson and I drove our two missionaries to the appropriate locations, only to find that their prospective fireside-goers had excuses why they would be unable to attend. We drove the disappointed elders to the third house. The investigator was there and wanted to go to the fireside, but he had just returned from working in the bush and needed a shower. While the elders patiently waited, Elder Thompson drove me back to the church so I could be there when the meeting started and support the President.

Shortly after, John, the missionaries, and the investigator showed up. As they walked into the chapel, the President called Elder Thompson to the stand. The president then told the people (in Tongan), “Elder Thompson doesn’t know what is going on, so he is going to be surprised when I ask him to do something.” The Tongans laughed thinking they were pulling a trick on Elder Thompson.

Then president said, “I just told the people that you do not know what I’m going to ask you. I told them that you are here at you own expense; that you have left your family, your four children and eight grandchildren at home; that you have two grandchildren

that you have not seen yet. Now, I want you to tell them why you are here.”

For a few seconds, John couldn’t speak. He was choked up. Tears were in his eyes. I think he was thinking about the kids at home that the president just mentioned to the people. Then he began to speak and the president translated for him. I’m here because I love Heavenly Father. He has blessed me during challenging times. He has heard my pleading prayers. I am here because I love his son, Jesus Christ who sacrificed his life for us. I accept him as my Savior and Redeemer. I am here because I believe the Prophet Joseph Smith’s story of seeing the Father and the Son. I testify that he was and is a prophet of God. I believe he translated the Book of Mormon and I testify that it contains the word of God. It is a second witness of Jesus Christ. I am here because by doing so my children and grandchildren will be blessed and they need all the blessings they can get. I enjoy what I am doing. I have come to love the people that I work with. This is a wonderful place. Sister Thompson and I love being here. Then he switched the attention to President McMurray. What he said made president McMurray squirm. I enjoy working with President McMurray. He is here because Heavenly Father wants him here. His call is not by accident. He is what I would like to be, but am not. He has the gift of tongues. If you will listen to him and do what he says, you will be blessed. He is a good man. I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

John then left the stand and came and sat by me. He leaned over and said, “You're next, get ready”. Thank heavens the president didn’t call on me. After the meeting, it was another feast- a Tongan dessert feast, which consisted of: an extra large bowl of ice cream and five different pieces of cake.

The next morning we had a breajfast discussion with the president, then back into the small plane and back to home.

P.S. Aug 1, 2008

Today was the King of Tonga’s Coronation. The evening festivities included series of fires lighting the coastlines of Tongatapu and a spectacular fireworks display. As we were watching the fireworks explosion of colors, I remembered a Lake Powell trip when our granddaughter, Meg, was three or four years old. It was the 4^th of July, and John had driven the boat from Hall’s Crossing to Bullfrog so that the family could watch the fireworks there. Dusty, our son, told us how he had taken our dog, Chica, for a walk and she had run away. He looked for her everywhere. Finally he walked back to our house, and there was Chica waiting patiently on the front porch. Meg was enthralled by the story.

“Chica got lost?” she said.

“Yes,” Dusty replied.

“Chica go home?” she returned.

“Yes.”

“Chica got lost?”

“Yes.”

“Chica go home?”

“Yes. Chica go home.”

“Chica got lost?”

This conversation continued on and on. Sometimes Meg added, “Chica run away?”

“Yes, Chica run away.”

TONGAN UPDATE JULY 27, 2008 GOOD SALES TECHNIQUES

Tongan Update, 27 July 2008, Good “Sale” Techniques

Today I met two very cute con-artists. They were a couple of plump Tongan grandmas sitting right smack in the middle of the sidewalk pedaling their wares of hand-made bracelets, necklaces, and earrings which were spread out on the sidewalk similar to the Navaho sellers you have seen at rest stops along Interstate 15 in the Southwestern states.

I was taking my daily trip to the post office when I had to skirt around these ladies or step on them. (Good sales technique #1: do something to catch your potential customer’s attention.)

All smiles, these bubbly little women questioned me about where I was from and about my family. I fell for it, and proceeded to tell them all about home, my children, and grandchildren. (Good sales technique #2: appeal to the potential customer’s emotions.)

Then they each gave me a free shell necklace. “A souvenir from Tonga to show my family when I get home,” they charmingly said. Oh, what seemingly nice ladies!

Next they each clasped a bracelet onto my wrists. Admiring the strung shells, I profusely thanked the sweet grandmas. (Technique #3: make the victim think she is getting something for nothing.)

Then they dropped the hammer, “Oh, the necklaces are free, but you have to pay for the bracelets.”

What do you do? I was all ready wearing the necklaces and the bracelets so I felt obligated to buy the Tongan goods…so, I did…5 pa’anga each.

I again thanked the gals profusely and went my merry way knowing that I had just been worked over by two very delightful schemers.

‘Ofa ‘atu, Diane and John

P.S. We had a missionary, Elder Bibber, who received two letters a week his entire mission from his mother. We often wondered what his mother could possibly find to write when she wrote that often. Maybe her letters were similar to this one—just little every-day experiences.

TONGAN UPDATE JULY 15, 2008 WATERS OF BAPTISM

Tongan Update, 15 July 2008, Icing on the Cake

SATURDAY—P-DAY

Saturday is usually “market” day. The big “flea” market in Tofoa is opened for business only on Saturdays,

and we needed American toilet paper and laundry detergent. So off hunting we went looking for our prize items. After a successful morning of shopping, Elder Thompson, the two office elders (Elder Makai and Elder Karratti), and I drove the President, his family, and their bikes to the far end of the island. The ambitious McMurray’s were determined to ride their bikes the 26 miles back to their home in Liahona and persuaded us to be their support team. Once we got their bikes unloaded and the McMurray clan pedaled down the road, the A-team (that’s us) was left to search out our own entertainment. We visited the Ha’amonga (Stone Hedge),

then had a picnic (Teddy Grahams and M&Ms sent from the USA by our terrific children), and explored the Anahulu Cave (Spider Cave.)

The last time we had been there was Christmas day.

It was a wonderful day like nibbling on moist, chocolate cake. But the smooth, creamy icing for that cake was yet to be spread on.

Along with other missionary assignments, Elder Thompson and I have been helping the Elder Makai and Elder Karratti teach some investigators. This truly is the icing on the cake. What a joy and blessing to actually give those “Preach My Gospel” lessons! (“Preach My Gospel” is the book of instructions for missionaries to use to guide their teachings.)

We have been working with a 22 year old woman named Dina Loto’aniu. John interviewed her for baptism last week, and she accepted the invitation. THIS SATURDAY NIGHT DINA WAS BAPTIZED!

Her two recently returned missionary cousins helped to make Dina’s baptism very special. They had a covering on the table with flowers and a picture of Christ. They arranged for a trio to sing some musical numbers. (We love to hear the Tongans sing!) It was a beautiful ceremony with testimonies given by one of the APs, an office elder, and the bishop. The bishop spoke in English, and as he bore his testimony one lone tear ran down his face. The evening touched our hearts.

About an hour before this baptismal service, we met with another investigator (actually a family now.) Different sets of elders have been teaching Pong for several months, and he comes to church almost every Sunday.

He is a college professor in Tonga on a teaching assignment for the Chinese Communist Government. We are happy for Pong because his wife and son have come to visit him for two months while Shangshang, the son, is on school vacation, and they have been receiving the missionary lessons. (We have a recently returned Chinese missionary who is helping us with the language differences. Now the family can hear the lessons in their native tongue.) Pong has been challenged several times to be baptized, but has always refused citing various reasons. Well, tonight he and his wife have committed to baptism!

At the end of the evening the Office Elders visited us in our apartment. Elder Makai grabbed Elder Thompson in a big bear hug saying, “This is the best day ever!” No hugs for “the Sister”—I got two handshakes. Ahh…cake with icing is wonderful!

‘Ofa ‘atu, John and Diane

TONGAN UPDATE JLY 11, 2008 I WONDER WHAT THE KING IS DOIONG TONIGHT

Tongan Update, 11 July 2008, I Wonder What the King is Doing Tonight?

The tour book describes the topography of Tongatapu as flat as a pancake with an elevation of only sixty meters. The king’s palace rests pompously on the summit of the lone hill on the island which is probably at that sixty meter elevation. There is a gate with a guardhouse ,which is manned by a couple of military soldiers, that sits in front of a quarter mile driveway which leads up to the mansion. Because the palace can be seen from the main road,

Elder Thompson and I view it frequently as we run our errands about the island. Often we sing the words from the musical, Camelot, “I wonder what the king is doing tonight” as we drive past the estate mocking the king’s extravagant life style compared to his lowly subjects.

The king is quite an eccentric fellow who talks with an affected British accent and actually hasn’t been crowned the official king yet.

King Tupou IV, his father, died about two years ago. Because of political dissension in the country, Tupou V decided to put off the coronation until this month. Now, with heart-felt concern for his people, he is cutting the ceremonial activities to three days instead of a full week. He is only going to spend seven million dollars for the shindig. (Can you feel my sarcasm?)

Each village is expected to contribute some kind of offering for the occasion. The Church is also expected to donate to the cause. Yesterday the senior missionaries were invited to join the LDS delegation to meet the king at his palace and present him with our contribution for the coronation. We were told that John needed to wear his suit (which he hasn’t worn since the dedication of the temple), and I needed to show respect for the king by wearing a kiakia. I ran to market and spent forty dollars buying a woven skirt-type thing that fits over my own skirt. So now Elder Thompson and I were ready to show proper respect when we met the king.

The common people are expected to arrive two hours earlier then the king and an hour earlier than the nobles when the king is to attend an event so fifteen to eighteen car loads of people waited at the guard station for the expected two hours. Finally at 1:00 the cars and a couple of trucks paraded up the king’s driveway,

and parked close to the mansion.

We had heard about the king’s compound with its octopus-shaped swimming pool, garages, horse stables, and gazebos.

But we were totally amazed at how decrepit and worn the place looked. Moss was growing on the outside of the house, shingles were coming off the roof, grass was growing up through the asphalt driveway, and there was no water in the swimming which was not shaped like an octopus. Why did everything look so dilapidated? The only reasons that we could figure out was that the king is rarely in Tonga. He is a jet-setter, and he seldom jet-sets to his own home land. Another important element is that he doesn’t have a wife. Surely, she would demand that the estate be in better shape.

All of the gift-bearers sat on the grass in front of a gazebo overlooking the farm fields and the lagoon.

Two trucks filled with eight feet long ufis and two head of beef were in position. (There may have been other contributions, but that’s all we saw.)

Again we were amazed, when a young girl walked stately out to the gazebo, sat serenely cross-legged on a large pillow which was placed on the floor, and seemed to be waiting for the presentation of our gifts.

NO KING! This was the king’s brother’s daughter—the princess. Sitting on the lawn in front of her were her two “talking chiefs.”

There were conversations back and forth between our representative and the talking chiefs. The missionaries and stake presidents were then instructed to move forward and shake hands with the princess. After shaking hands with us,

she simply turned and walked back to the palace. She didn’t utter a word. No “thank you”-- just a smile as we shook hands. The ceremony was over!

Afterwards, the senior missionaries went for lunch at a place called “Two Sisters.” As we finished eating, who should walk into the eating establishment?...the princess. Without the ceremonial dress, she looked like a commoner, very plain and unassuming. Had we not just seen her at the palace, we never would have guessed she was part of the royal family.

Speaking of royalty, we have a new senior missionary, Sister Vuki, who is related to the king. Her companion, Sister Kinikini, says she can’t understand Sister Vuki because she uses the “royal” language. “I’m just a commoner and I don’t know what she is saying,” contends Sister Kinikini. It’s amazing that there are three different Tongan languages—one for the king and his family, one for the noblemen (the chiefs of each village), and one for the common people. CRAZY!

Well, at least we know what the king was NOT doing tonight—meeting with our gift-giving committee!

“Ofa ‘atu, John and Diane

TONGAN UPDATE JULY 16, 2008 SHOULD SENIORS BE ENCOURAGED TO GO ON MISSIONS

Tongan Update, 16 July 2008, Should Seniors be encouraged to go on Missions?

Not too long ago we were asked this question “do you recommend seniors to go on a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.”

There are so many opportunities and ways to serve. Our experience has been a blessing to us. It has been hard work with many very long days. Our assignments require us to be on the road for many hours at a time visiting missionaries, solving problems, meeting church leaders, etc. We’ve bounced around in boats from the time the sun starts coming up to the time is finally fades away in the evening.

There are days that we are totally exhausted when we finally call it a day, but we have solved problems, and we are doing well. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.”

The office couple is the support team to the President. Because we are here, he doesn’t have to worry as much about the temporal things of the mission. We wear many hats becoming the President’s CFO’S, CMO’S and CEO’s. Because we are here, he has less worry about boating, housing, finance, and vehicle issues. We help him plan activities and then we implement the plan for him. As the office couple, we try to do everything possible to help free up his time so that he can work with missionaries and other church leaders. Consequently, he is not in the office very often, but with the missionaries. He has the stewardship and keys and final say on things. We are just the little guys trying to get the work done and trying to support and sustain him. We try to be a buffer or shield for him because so many things and people can be a distraction to him. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.” We know senior couples are a blessing to mission presidents.

In our mission, we deal with a third world environment. We have learned to do without many things. Our life style is simple. We have learned with greater clarity that our possessions are not very important. For the most part our cars, houses, and clothing are just fluff to our egos. We have learned to appreciate more the blessing of God, our country, our home, and our family. We feel we have learned to surrender some of our pride, arrogance, and selfishness and roll in the dirt of the streets, so to speak. Bugs and little critters don’t bother us as much. It comes with the territory. Daily plans and agendas are important to have, but being flexible and able to adjust in order to get the work done is more important. Patience and flexibility is the rule. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic , “YES!!! Absolutely.”

Because of our education, background, and experiences over the years, we hope we have been able to accomplish much. Diane is a master teacher and is an example to the branch leaders. Because of her, primary is fun and educational.

She teaches with patience and love. She is the primary leader that the children adore and is their spiritual grandma.

Her lessons are fun, and the children love her. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.”

Diane’s cheerful personality lifts the spirits of missionaries.

They love talking to her. She is fun and positive. Her teaching skills have been expanded to include secretarial skills, and she is becoming a computer guru. She is the spark if the office, just like home. She’s the silver fox of Tonga.

I’m more mechanical by nature, but I know that my training, my career, and my education have made it possible to get some things done. I know, without being prideful, that I have been a blessing to this mission and to President McMurray. It humbles me to know this. My task- oriented mentality makes possible for things to get done in a more timely manner.

With the help of my boating knowledge, the mission was able to get rid of boats that were not sea worthy. New boats were ordered, constructed, and delivered in record time. The missionaries now travel in safe boats, and we now have more peace of mind.

With the help of my building and remodeling experiences, we were able to justify our request to re-locate the Mission office to Liahona. The floor plan fits our needs, not the ideas of architects in faraway places who don’t understand our needs. I was able to document, diagram, and defend our plans. Our plans were approved and the project is now funded. It will be done at a cost significantly lower than initially projected. We are also solving other housing issues throughout the Kingdom of Tongan.

Have we been beneficial to the mission? Humbly we say, “Yes.” Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “ YES!!! Absolutely.”

We believe there are many reasons for our being here. We just feel grateful that our training, education, and previous experiences have made it possible for us to be useful. The hymn, “Because We Have Been Given Much” echo’s in our ears. This service (mission) is our way to say, “Thank you Heavenly Father for helping us get through our trials. Thank you for blessing our family when we were hurting or confused. Thank you for lifting us up in moments of despair. We love you, Father in Heaven.” If possible, we consider this service as a “payback time” to the Lord.

We love the people that we work with. People at the Church Service Center are wonderful, talented people.

Our branch leaders are amazing.

They are so involved with multiple church callings (branch and stake). We have become very close to many missionaries. They are like children to us. We love them. When we have a transfer and have to say good bye, oft times it is like saying good bye to our own family at home.

It is painful. Emotions surface and have to be held back. We know that it is possible that when we say good bye, it could be the final good bye because we may not see them again while on our mission, and, probably never again because of where we live and where they live. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” The answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.”

Should those approaching retirement age consider a mission? “Yes!!!” Should those approaching retirement consider accelerating their decision to retire so that they can serve a mission? “Yes!!!” The counsel that we are given before our mission--”your mission will become a blessing to you” has been and continues to be fulfilled. Senior couples can help in so many ways. Do we recommend seniors to go a Mission?” From the bottom our hearts, the answer is an emphatic, “YES!!! Absolutely.”

Love you all

John and Diane