Tuesday, September 1, 2009

A Pathway to the Nuku'alofa Temple: garnished with flowers and sunsets

Robert Frost's poem, "The Road Not Taken" is even more meaningful as Elder Hawley and I serve as ITEP missionaries in Tonga.  With gratitude we see that the Lord watches over us in every little thing and guides us as we walk the road less traveled by, "and that has made all the difference."  Frost's  poem concludes with these lines:  Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.

An exquisite sunrise begins our morning walk on Liahona campus:001The Flying Foxes--a protected species--are coming in to feed:  They're fruit bats and only the Royal family are allowed to hunt them--a delicacy.  It's head has the look of a fox and they compete with the bees in the morning for berries, nectar, etc.  Fascinating!  Sometimes they sound like cats fighting in the evening--don't like each other.   054  High up in the palm trees they hang upside down to eat:007 008 This one is different--most of the bats are a velvety reddish brown:012An early morning walk down the lane to the church cattle ranch surrounding some of the Liahona campus:016036 The flowering plumeria tree loses its leaves in winter (May-September in Tonga) but blossoms valiantly appear on bare branches;  the Christmas poinsettias are in abundance.  Plumeria i Winter and this is the trees that drops it's leaves but still blooms We do love papaya for breakfast with a squeeze of fresh lime on it:011

"In-- my neighbor's garden, the flowers are blooming.  'How do you do,' they say.  " "How do you do today?' " . . . 015 In a village next door to Liahona, we admire a beautiful flower garden.  These two lovely sisters are going to help us plant one.099 102 101

023 The leaves from the Pandanus  tree hang out to dry and will be woven into fine mats or kiekies for the women to wear:Hang leaf out to dry for making matsBanana tree blossom near mission office 018 President and Sister Makemaile live in the  mission home just a short walk from the temple.  The beautiful noni tree with orchids growing around it is a favorite.  Pres. and Sister Makemaile's mission home 007 This rare palm tree with 2 crowns is a short walk from the Liahona campus:025The Navu stake house is across the street from Liahona campus:Navu chapel across the streetAn Eternal Pathway:  Our pathway leads to the Nuku'alofa Temple.  These things we know to be true--that we have been given a certain amount of time and opportunity on this earth to be molded like the Savior.  We are, indeed, Works in Progress.  And what better place to learn and experience our eternal purpose, than in the greatest university on this earth--His holy temple.  It is the conduit that can move us forward in  becoming more like the Savior.  How thankful Elder Hawley and I are to live here on the Liahona campus where we may walk the path to enter His Holy House.  007 No earthly kings we serve,  but King of kings o’er heaven & earth!

Come, O thou King of Kings!  We've waited long for thee, with healing in thy wings, to set thy people free.  Come, thou desire of nations, come; Let Israel now be gathered home. 

Hail!  Prince of life and peace!  Thrice welcome to thy throne!  While all the chosen race their Lord and Savior own, the heathen nations bow the knee, and every tongue sounds praise to thee.  ----Parley P. Pratt, Hymn 59                                                   004As we walk through the temple gates back to our Liahona home, we feel gratitude for the road we have taken.Navu Chapel at sunset

Saturday, August 29, 2009

A Joyful Reunion With Gifts and Talents

Elder Hawley and I have never experienced anything quite like the Liahona Alumni  celebration held every 3 years in Tonga with hundreds of alumni from all over the world.116And of course we love the Liahona Brass Band!078When a musical program includes performers, it is traditional for Tongans to spontaneously join in the dancing right along with the performers, including this brother from Ogden who sings in the  Tabernacle Choir!  His daughter was one of our talented BYU-Hawaii interns.  The Liahona  HS band majorette is a delight.088  Many of the students are dressed to perform traditional Tongan dances.  Anyone can join in to show their appreciation give them pa'anga (money) on their lavishly-oiled arms.   090Winnie  bows to the queen after leaving the field.  Inoke rewards the majorette as well.Sister Nau bows to queenInoke gives Pa'anga for the danceLiahona student dances a welcome to the queen mother 113 These lovely students wear dresses made from colorful leaves on the island: 075Giving is an tradition of the lower rank to the higher rank,  and the Tongans give liberally and appreciatively.   The celebration for the afternoon concluded with more gifts for the Queen Mother:  several dozen homeade quilts and long lengths of beautiful tapa cloth (bark cloth pounded from the inner bark of the  mulberry tree.)  According to the booklet, Making Sense of Tonga, "Tonga is the king of tapa.   People use tapa as gifts at weddings or funerals, as blankets, wedding clothes, dancing costumes, and to decorate their homes.  Typically, Tongans are wrapped in tapa when they are buried.  Tongans measure their wealth in their tapa and their mats.  If you are Tongan, you can have a million dollars, but if you have no tapa and no mats, you are poor. "  118125 129155 135 152 New Zealand performs for the Queen:163 A Maori warrior:164 166 Goodbye to the Queen Mother, Halaevalu Mata’aho. 170LIAHONA EDUCATION EXPO IN DOWNTOWN NUKU'ALOFA:  Silu (PBO) and Ministry of Tourism, Fineasi Funaki, open the Liahona Alumni Expo:073_thumbSister Fehoako and  Sister Hawley pose at the Old Tonga display wearing the woven hats with flowers she made.    Her husband is the stake president who has re-established Old Tonga to preserve the Tongan heritage and traditions of the islands.047_thumbMaking a canoe:055_thumbBeautifully woven and embroidered materials are fit for a queen:067_thumbThese cute home economics students model the dresses they sewed from Tapa Cloth.  Red dirt is mixed with coconut oil for the color.  And the black is done with charcoal.  Impressive, right?068_thumbCan't believe these are the same girls who wear pigtails and uniforms to school each day!  076_thumb

069_thumbHand-carved Kava bowls:048_thumbHats are always stylish:060_thumb