TOP 3 JANUARY 2014

OUR YOUNGER SUMMER READERS

OUR OLDER SUMMER READERS

Best of January 2014:  Sometimes we blink and another month is gone: Here’s  top 3 events:

 #3:  75 summer reading students :  We had a day of excellence and celebrations.  We performed reading  and singing and now I have 75 new friends that make sure they wave and holler at me from across campus, or down town or wherever they see me.  The other senior sister that got the ball rolling on this effort has written” Book of Mormon Little Books” that are leveled readers and it was so fun to mix state and church!!  You can find her site on Pinterest -FYI

#2-1 CYCLONE IAN: 1/11/2014 we were in the path of a Cyclone heading to Tonga.  You get extra food, you get extra water.  You decide how far you live from the temple, in case you need to head there, and then you watch the track and pray for all to survive.  Only one life was taken which is miraculous!  This ended up  hitting the Tongan Islands north of us called Ha’api and 90% of the homes received damage - affecting all of the 8,000 population. If you see a roof intact in the picture below, it is on an LDS church or a missionary quarter as they were the ONLY buildings not damaged.   Many tender stories are being collected as the Lord’s hand is evident in their recovery.  While we were safe, we are still affected and have watched the widows mite be collected and donated by the good saints here on Tongatapu Island. We are talking 100s of truckloads of clothing and supplies donated,  and stuffed on a ship, from the 14 stakes here, from people who have very little to spare.  It was a tear jerker to behold!! #1: Last week, another effort was made here to gather up 500 loaves of bread and send on a plane.   The bread was the “touch of home” that lifted spirits, even for the moment, to help them continue on as they live in tents & regroup & rebuild. The stake taro crop was harvested to send to them and it was a BUMPER crop to no one’s surprise!  It’s an ongoing effort as many still occupy churches & schools. 

LOCAL CHURCH LEADERS ON TONGATAPU DISCUSS LOCAL RELIEF EFFORTS FOR THE ISLANDS OF HA'APAI

PUTTING THE MISSIONARIES TO WORKS LOADING RELIEF SUPPLIES ON THE BOAT

WATER IS A PRECIOUS COMMODITY AFTER A HURRICANE/SYCLONE

THE TONGATAPU LDS CHURCH RELIEF EFFORT WAS AMAZING. HUNDREDS OF TRUCKS LIKE THESE ARRIVED AT THE WHARF WITH DONATED FOOD AND CLOTHING

BANANAS ARE PLENTIFUL ON TONGATAPU BUT ALL DESTROYED ON HA'APAI

TONS OF DONATED FOOD

THIS IS THE SHIP THAT WAS FILLED TO CAPACITY

LINES OF TRUCKS ARRIVING ALL DAY AND INTO THE NIGHT

NOTHING IS TOO SMALL TO DONATE

HARD WORKING BRETHREN FROM THE 14 STAKES ON TONGATAPU

AT A LOSS FOR WORDS.  THIS WAS HER SAFE HAVEN!

90% OF THE ISLAND LOOKED LIKE THIS.  NOTICE THE LDS CHURCH IN THE BACKGROUND.  THE ONLY BUILDINGS THAT SURVIVED WERE LDS SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES

THIS WAS A BRAND NEW METHODIST CHURCH

HIS FACE TELLS IT ALL

EVEN WITH ALL THE LOSS THERE ARE SMILES ON THEIR FACES

STILL SMILING!

A SMALL ISLAND WITH LARGE WAVES FROM THE CYCLONE

OUR PRESIDENT, PRESIDENT TUPOU ARRIVES TO ASSESS THE DAMAGE AND START THE MISSIONARIES WORKING TO ASSIST

UNLOADING THE BOAT WITH RELIEF SUPPLIES FROM TONGATAPU

EVERYONE PITCHES IN AND FORMS A LINE TO UNLOAD

ONE OF MANY PILES OF RELIEF SUPPLIES

500 LOAVES OF BREAD HEADED FOR HA'APAI THE BREAD OF LIFE