New Beginnings--Nuku'alofa, Tonga December 2008

We were greeted with cheers and waves from President McMurray, his children, and the Thompsons.

Our friends, Elder and Sister Sing from the MTC were there too.Liahona High School campus entrance welcomes us to our missionary homeRainbow on the street where we live.

We love our house #24 on Liahona campus.  This is our kitchen and dining area.

We're learning to enjoy these little guys in our living quarters.  Gecko lizards love the bugs we hate!  Ants..........

Our living room with TV has no reception.

Our backyard neighbor is the Tongan temple--we enjoy Thursday evenings here.

Typical home for young elder missionaries on the islands.  This is one of the best in Tongatapu!

Washing clothes in plastic buckets with pvc pipes--one wash and 3 rinses before hanging on the fence.

Pruning the seed pods from the palm tree in our front yard.

Our first visit to the blowholes just a few miles from Liahona---and this wasn't high tide!  Some missionary couples take their walk from Liahona to there and back.

We enjoyed the ocean view as we sat under the Pandana trees.  They're sometimes called Polynesian paint brush trees because when the fruit falls off and dries it can be used like a paint brush.

Christmas day late afternoon and evening at the beach with the missionary couples and the mission office elders.  Elder Hawley and Elder Thompson play a round of golf with tennis balls and pandana tree sticks as Elder Lyon looks on.  President and Sister McMurray (Makameli) on Christmas day at the beach.

A Christmas day sunset

Captain Cooks Landing on the Friendly Islands.  My, what a tale!  You'll enjoy the story below.

  Tree blossoms on Liahona Campus in December.  How blessed we are to serve the Lord here in the South Pacific, and our dream continues. 

ITEP: Welcome to Hawaii & Tonga

On December 12, 2008 we were welcomed to Hawaii by Elder and Sister Jensen ITEP missionaries on their way home to Hyrum, Utah, and Elder and Sister Salvensen, BYU-Hawaii ITEP coordinators for the South Pacific. We paused in the Haiku Gardens near a Banyan tree: A delicious dinner was served on the veranda at Haleiwa Joe's above the Haiku gardens: We stayed in this lovely cottage the first day in Laie near Hukilau Beach:

From the cottage looking left towards Hukilau Beach:Our 2nd house (top floor) for the rest of the week was directly across the street from Hukilau Beach.

To the right of our beach house is Laniloa Point:The Lizard Story: Lailoa, The Mo'o Laniloa Point BYU-H Education Department where we were trained by the Salvesens and BYU-H faculty The original Hukilau Cafe, where Elvis Presley came often while filming in Hawaii, is a favorite with the locals just off campus. Try the scrumptious mahi-mahi burger! The night before flying to Tonga we had dinner at Jamesons by the Sea with the Salvesens, his assistant Lisa and her husband Joseph. Lisi's entire village of Samoa joined the church when she was a little girl. The baked shrimp and crab with cheese as well as the Mahi-Mahi were exceptional.Christmas time at the Visitor's Center and the Laie Temple

A day at the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) in Hawaii: Sunrise over Honolulu from the airport window as we depart for Fiji 3000 miles away.

The first sign of land since leaving Hawaii 6 hours and 40 minutes later. Arrival in Fiji: Departing from Fiji for TongaFirst sightings of Tongatapu, Tonga: