Sunday – Nov 4

Today we attended a new Ward about 10 minutes from our home. It was really a unique experience. There was an English couple visiting Tonga on their way home from a mission in New Zealand. They were delightful and we were glad to make their acquaintance, however brief. It’s always interesting to hear about peoples lives, and their unique views and perspectives, and for us especially so when they come from other countries and have such different life experiences. Sharing a core belief gives you something in common to begin with, but then there is so much to learn about and to share. Today there were just a few (and I mean JUST a few) pilanges in the Ward, and the rest were Tongans.

It seems that no matter where you go that people love to sing. While I was in Relief Society we could hear the children’s melodies as their meeting room was just across the patio from ours. All the windows are open because of the temperature, and I found it a bit surreal to hear their harmonies. Even being so young they have discovered how to blend their voices so beautifully.

I actually took a little nap in the afternoon and then spent some time on our front porch reading. It was so very quiet as the campus has just emptied and the students are on summer vacation.

In the evening all the senior missionaries met for a potluck dinner. They do it once a month. It was delicious, and we had lots of fun. I was quite amazed at how inventive people were with what they made. Imagine crab salad and cream puffs! We just can’t get lots of things we take for granted back home. People seemed to really like my Quinoa salad and were surprised that I had found the grain. Me too! I had to admit that SueRae Johns who lived here before us had gifted me with quite a few delicious things she had acquired one way or other, and along with the Quinoa is a wonderful box of spices. It’s worth its weight in gold!! It will take a bit of getting used to, knowing you’d like red pepper flakes, for example and realizing that it just isn’t going to happen. Oh well, it’s all good.

Tomorrow we’re going to adventure out and about with the Kapps and we’re both looking forward to that. It’s a Government Holiday so everything will be closed down. When they say closed down in Tonga, they really mean it. No one works and nothing is open. I think we will be going to the beach and that will be just the best!