Did you know………?

-The Kingdom of Tonga is the very first country in the world to see the dawn of every new day?

-Our L.D.S. Temple smells like gardenias inside. It’s absolutely lovely!

– Businesses and shops are closed by law on Sundays here. There are no airline flights in or out of the islands, and business contracts signed on the Sabbath are legally void.

– According to the tourist bureau the four core values of the Tongan people are, Fefaka’apa’apa’aki(mutual respect), Lototoo(humility and generosity),Tauhi vaha’a ((loyalty and commitment), and Fefeitokai’aki(sharing, cooperating and the fulfillment of mutual obligations). Family is the central unit of Tongan life with older people commanding the most respect. Sundays are devoted to church, family, and rest. I love how the people cherish and live these values.

-If I chance to walk home from the clinic during the lunch hour I can hear the students as they practice their singing. Even teenagers love to harmonize and it’s almost surreal hearing them. Today is graduation for the high schoolers. 182 will get their diplomas and I plan to be in the gymnasium watching the ceremony. I am assured it will be memorable. Women are busy making leis now and it will be a day of colorful Tongan dress as well as beautiful flowers adorning the seniors.

-Wednesday I was given a beautiful lei. When I asked how long I could wear it I was told that they are worn until they stop emitting their beautiful aroma. I have worn mine ever since I got it, even while cleaning teeth. It makes me feel so happy!

– Our “new” (refurbished) compressor was installed yesterday evening after the old one died mid-morning today. It takes at least four big Tongans to repair such a thing. Generally one works, encouraged on by the others, and they switch places now and then. Sad news is that the new compressor lasted only about half an hour before it overheated. With no air, or water or pressure we were down for the count. People, however did not stop coming in and Dad did some heroic dentistry. Imagine extracting teeth with literally no direct vision, no way to rinse, and no way to clean up your patient. We improvised though and got the job done over and over again. I have now renamed our clinic “Fourth World Tongan Dentistry”. Amazingly, everyone not only did well, but left with a smile. We keep meeting the nicest people. Fast forward to Friday morning. We had one father and his family show up at our door last night about 8. Another this morning shortly after nine. Both had family members complaining about toothaches. We ended up going into the clinic and making do with what we had, which wasn’t much. That’s part of what will be our new norm I’m thinking

-Papa New Guinea has 800 distinct languages according to one of our favorite patients. Could that even be possible? I loved our animated discussion about all the different people who live there – their ethnicities, body types, hair differences, and varying skin colors. They really have a little bit of everything in them there. This woman, a single mother, is super smart and determined to provide well for her children. Her daughter graduates today and it will be the crowing glory of her life to date. Talking to her is fascinating and makes me even more aware that we do not have any kind of monopoly on determination or the will to succeed.

– I am discovering that the happier a person is in general, the easier their dental appointments go. It’s really true! And – the happiness level is not much related to fiscal prosperity. I find myself hugging many of the women and exchanging “I love you’s” as if I’ve known them all my life. When people leave we’ve often become good friends.

-A young girl in her mid teens was absolutely thrilled by what Dad did for her. She was already a beautiful young woman, but after her appointment was so relieved to find that her fillings didn’t show and her smile was prettier than ever. She told us that she now wants to be a dentist because she wants to make people happy like Dad made her.

-My kitties are getting bigger every day. They have such distinct personalities. When I come home from the clinic I often sit down in my chair for a little talk with them.   I usually find all four curled up next to the hot water heater or playing next to my washer. Today one of them got up his courage and crept over to me for a more personal “hello”. He checked out my pretty pink toenails and rubbed against my legs. He might be a wild little thing, but I want him to know he has a friend in me. His mother thinks otherwise and still hisses when she thinks I’ve come too close. One can only do so much. Dad gave the little ones a bit of leftover chicken after our dinner. They gobbled it right up.

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