EUA: A flavor of In-House Track Meets, Pig, Flowers

Liahona In-house games begin at Liahona High School with 8 houses or groups competing.  All LDS church schools require students to wear green and white uniforms and the girls always wear braids.  Other schools have their own uniforms and colors.

 EUA GAMES----EUA Middle School (an LDS church school)  marching around the track at the game competitions with the other schools on the island:

Another school with teacher circles the field:

Another school, another teacher:

This sweet sister heard we were in Eua and made fragrant  leis for us that her son put around our necks.  The Eua high school principal told us that leis not only welcome us, but they keep the wearers cool.  It's mid-February and still the summer season. Sister Hawley enjoys the games with Aloine Havea, LDS Eua Middle School Principal:

Aloine takes photo of Eua's Minister of Agriculture in front, the Eua High School principal and Elder and Sister Hawley:

Colorful native bird--not Eua's red parrot.  She's a teacher at the high school.

Definitely a coach!

Eua Middle School student wins a race and then poses with "Sista" Hawley and Amelia Na'apa, her teacher.  Aloine, the principal hand basted green ribbons on all the participants to make their outfits look special.

Spectators enjoy the games from a typical Tongan truck--multi-purpose:  school bus for hauling students to school, produce to the market, portable bleachers:

Loseline and Amelia, Eua Middle School teachers, prepare students for race.

Timers with stop watch in hand as we listen for the clap of the 2 cement trowels that work as the starting gun for the race.   

 

The custodian of Eua Middle School made for a great cheerleader!  Parents, kids, and spectators get up to dance, cheer, or race along with the kids on the final yards.  Note the sugar cane baton in the 2nd photo  :

Piggy in Eua:  School crossing guard!

A sister is making a tavala for the men:

Elder Hawley buys tickets for us to fly back to Tongatapu; the Tongan is on his way back to Vegas for work. 

Flowers of Eua--the orchids were growing along the fence of the airport there. Pilot is ready to fly us back to Liahona campus and home

Eua Island: Our First Trip

Chathmas Pacific pilot prepares us for brief 6 minute flight from Tongatapu to the small island of  Eua. 

We fly over the east coastline of Tongatapu towards Eua.

Destination:  EUAAloine Havea, principal of the church middle school in Eua, is there to greet us.

Aloine's husband, Felengi Havea, is the stake president of Eua.  He was 31 when he accepted the call two years ago.  As a result, Aloine gave up her one-year scholarship to BYU-Hawaii where she could have received her BA degree.  Feleni was called as the stake president 3 weeks before they were to fly to Hawaii.

The ocean as seen from Eua's scenic Rock Garden

Eua's coral rock gardens...

Feleni takes us to the water reservoir in the hills of Eua

Eua's water supply in the mountains never runs dry.

Aloine picks some guavas for lunch.  The fruit is delicious!

  From the ocean looking back to the Hideaway where we stayed in Eua. "Wild Jungle Beast" from the bush at the Hideaway.  Billy Goat Gruff?Room #4 at the Hideaway where we'll stay when we spend time in Eua training teachers--no hot water, of course.The sun sets in the ocean west of the Hideaway in Eua.

P-Day with Haircuts, Peanuts, Sugar Cane, & the Beach

The scissors fly when Elder Heimuli cuts Elder Hawley's hair in his sing song way...probably took him about 3 minutes.  Hmm, wonder what they're discussing?

Our once beautiful avocado tree.... had a haircut too!  Elder Heimuli did a great job for Elder Sing, but  perhaps Elder Hawley and the avocado tree  had a bit too much taken off the top.

Elder Heimuli's barber in Nuku'alofa who cut his hair when he attended Liahona High School. 

His barbershop is across the street from the bakery in downtown Nuku'alofa.  These kids are watching their brother get a haircut.  The banyan trees on Liahona campus are kept trimmed to avoid damage to structures during the hurricane season.

There were 3-4 men up in this tree cutting away.  One Tongan was so proud of his handiwork that he wanted to pose. 

Peanut vendors in the Bush.  We like peanuts!  They can be boiled in salt water, baked in the oven, or eaten raw.  Sister Hawley prefers them raw. Sugar cane with its natural sugar is great to chew on and it whitens and cleans the teeth as well, we understand.  Work in progress. Elder Heimuli peels tapioca root from the market.  Tastes much like a potato when boiled... quite good! Later, after going to market, we spent the afternoon at the beach and walked out on the coral reef.

Elder Heimuli grilled some bread fruit and peeled it.  Bread fruit is often called "The Tree of Life" called by the Saints here because it bears fruit year round.  Breadfruit tree on campus.  Breadfruit when fried is delicious...similar to potato chips.  It is used much like a potato--baked, boiled, fried, or grilled.

Elder Heimuli never goes far without bringing his trusty knife--puts Elder Hawley's pocket knife to shame!

Elder Heimuli peels the breadfruit and wraps it in a banana leaf to keep warm.

  White flowers at the beach

The Heimuli's grandson--Crystal's little adopted boy enjoys the senior missionary couples at the beach!Sunset at the beach lingers  in Tonga.  Yes, that is blue sky!  And a glorious display continues:

  

 

 

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