Celebrate, Work, and Explore

The government sponsored a Council on Violence Against Women and Children last week and the Senior Missionary couples were invited to sing for it.  We were even televised.  It seems a bit unusual that we should perform when many Tongan singers are so strong and harmonize beautifully, almost always a’capella.  One of the speakers is dressed in her best in the photo, and note the bare feet------very common.

They have a huge parade here the day Parliament opens.  All of the schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges march through town.  Everyone through high school age has uniforms, girls always wear dresses or skirts to school and are required to wear braids.  They are always clean and well groomed.  

They march past the Parliament Building shown in the photo and end passing the King’s Palace,
where they bow or salute the King sitting on his porch.

This is a mysterious archeological site called Ha'amonga' Maui, a stone trilithon from around 1200 A D.
Each coral vertical rock is 30-40 tons, 

We found this amazing beach by accident and vowed to come back with snorkels.
Saturday is the only day we make time for exploring or the beach.  Most days we work at the office late unless we have something scheduled:  presentations, workshops, training Self Reliance Specialists and Stake committees, FHE,  group dinners and temple nights.  Sometimes it’s hard to find time for laundry and house cleaning.  That’s when it’s nice to have a small house. 

Dick is getting pretty good at retrieving coconuts

The word seems to be getting out that we can help the Tongan people to provide for themselves, and we are surprised at the numbers of people who actually are coming to see us and seem to be willing to work and to become educated.  It's not so common here.  Many are VERY comfortable sitting around, doing nothing.  We had a married couple in this week who said they wanted to further their education and came in a year and a half ago, but couldn't afford the monthly PEF loan payment of 5 pa'anga ($3 US) each while they were going to school, so they had to wait until one of them could get a job and then apply for the loan.  The woman was giggling with excitement to think that her dream of both of them becoming educated might come true.     They only have to pay $5 pa'anga monthly while in school, then after graduation they get 6 months to continue with that amount, then the costs rise when they  have finished their degree and likely have found a job. They and several others have signed up for our next series of 4 Planning for Success workshops starting Tuesday, one of many requirements before getting a PEF loan.   It's great to see people get excited about this kind of opportunity.  Some have called us 'angels'.  We are having fun being the 'good guys'.