Happy Birthday, Alison

Okay, so we are here at the airport in Vava'u waiting for a plane. As a reminder, last year we waited for 5 days in Vava'u for a plane. Not at the airport, though. Five of the girls got to leave earlier on a little plane. Supposedly we were leaving not long after on a bigger plane. That was two hours ago. A bigger plane came and went, but no, that was not our plane--that was a charter plane. Ours isn't here yet. We will see if it comes tonight.

So the weird thing is that this little TEENY airport out in the middle of a little island on the Pacific, an airport with no available food and no working bathroom, HAS INTERNET!! We are sitting on a cement floor here in the corner just to keep connected. Opportunity in this waiting period.

With this opportunity, I am going to be the first to wish Alison a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! It has already been Alison's birthday for 19 hours here in Tonga, and I know it is almost her birthday there. 25 years ago today we had the opportunity of her coming into our family. She is amazingly creative and talented, has a lot of energy and good ideas, and has been a blessing to us. It has been a good 25 years since all 4 pounds 11 ounces of her came into the world. Happy Birthday, Alison!

We had a great day here in Tonga yesterday. We went out on a Tongan "Speed Boat" (maybe 25 miles per hour at top speed) to one of the farthest islands, Hunga, to see patients and do immunizations. We then stopped at the island of Nuapapu, where we hiked in and did blood pressure and glucose screening in the town hall by the women who were weaving their mats. We then stopped at Matamaka, where the town hall was not open, so we did our screening on a mat on the beach. Finally, we went to Nuku beach, and just swam and played in the water with the Tongan nurses who came with us. It was really fun--the beach was white sand, with little sand crabs that would bury themselves in the sand when you got too close to them. On the way back to Neiafu, we stopped at the magical Ana Pekipeka cave, where if you jump in the water, it glows. Several students did jump in the water, and it did magically glow.

Today was our last day at clinical. On Tuesday, when I stayed 24 hours at the hospital, we saw four births, a c-section, twins, and a vaginal birth. I found out that I got to name the twins today. I thought they looked like Jacob and Esau when they came out and called them that for fun. Lo and behold, I found out today that those were the names their parents had given them!! I don't know if the family overheard me, but they must have--the mother was very medicated, so I know it did not come from her. I also found out that the first girl was named after us when I went and talked to her parents this morning. HER name is Toa BYU and then her Tongan last name. I will have to put it down on the post once I get the full name. Another BYU baby!! I told her parents I knew a cute one year old boy named Brigham that she needed to meet in about 20 years.

Speaking of Baby Brigham--I took presents to him a few days ago. Well, his birthday is today. They came in town with Brigham to find me, and we had a great time eating birthday cake and ice cream by the pool at our hotel. He is a cutie, with beautiful dark eyes an long eye lashes. I will post a picture when I get home. He is a little guy, and does not like cake or ice cream. He was dressed in the "Brigham Young" shirt I gave him the other day.

Well, the plane just landed, and it appears we are actually going. Happy Birthday Alison, AND baby Brigham!

Another Tonga update

We are going out on a boat tomorrow with the nurses and a couple of the doctors to one of the further islands to a health clinic there.  We have to pay the gas--they don't have any money for this until the end of June.  However, it will be a combination of clinical and fun, we have enough money in the budget, and I think all of us will enjoy it. 

 

Yesterday we got to help wash and dress a body (51 year old man, renal failure).  Jaclyn, Deina and I actually helped (versus just watching).  After that, they had a c-section scheduled.  It was for 6pm, but didn't happen until closer to 8pm.  Then, a woman with twins came in in labor--she was scheduled for a c-section today, but ended up getting one this morning about 1am.  I had five of the girls with me--5 that had missed clinical days due to illness.  They did just fine, in fact, did great.  Two helped take care of a baby per team, and Camille was supporting the mother.   About 2am, when we were going to go home, another woman came in in labor.  The Ministry of Health van was outside, so I took those 5 home and asked if any of the other girls wanted to go back for the delivery.  Two did (Whitney and Amy J) and we stayed until just after 8am when she delivered.  The baby was very depressed, and I did the resuscitation with the students.  I was very happy I just barely went through the Neonatal Resuscitation Provider and Trainer courses, because I used it.  The baby ended up doing fine, and I was happy that I was there to help, and that the students were there to help me.  I ended up being at the hosptial for over 24 hours again, but this time doing things with the students rather than just sitting with them when they were sick.

 

We are having a great experience here.  I am so glad we are better, because it would be very hard to be sick here even further away from home.  Dr. Edgar here gave Ciara a prescription for flagyl (she hadn't taken it yet), and I might have him give me some too.  The other five are doing much better on flagyl.

 

It is Dad's and my anniversary today.  26 years.  First time in 4 years we have been together for this day.  (Dad adds with 12 nursing students too).  We would go out to dinner, but Dad isn't eating.  We are having a date here at the internet cafe. 

Love, Mom

Second week in Tonga

A facebook picture from one of the BYU nursing students - Mom and Dad with a translator and classic polynesian/extremely dorky hand signs

From Dad: 

Well we are halfway through our stay.  And you know what its like, with living with Girls from OSSO.  It's like that.  Boys, School, Clinical, and stuff.  A couple of the girls have I-phones, and I think mom needs one, but don't say anything to her about it.  She is kind of like you, strong willed!  against anything that might cost any money etc.  

We are surrounded  by Brits, Australians, and New Zealanders.  Their accents are strong.  Its quite far away from The USA, so I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I don't hear any North Americans accents either.  Tonga is on the international Date line; so we are a day ahead of  you and the kids at home.  They are 18 hours behind us, or 5hours ahead of us when we call them.  So when its 8:00AM here, its 1 pm there.  and when its 11pm there, its 5 pm here in Tonga. And when you have 12 nursing students trying to call their boy friends, husband"s, or Parents! its sometimes hard to get on the phone at the right time.

   We have been doing clinical in two hospitals now, and on Monday will be three.  Many of the students have been sick, and 3 have stayed the night in the hospital.  Mom is a little tired of spending the night in the hospital with the girls, and dealing with the insurance company and doctor's on the phone.  There is a sister missionary who stayed with a couple of the girls one night too.  We are trying not to be a burden on the mission here, and the mission president gave them new rules about taking members around in the mission cars too.

   Its been fun here, though it's been hard to be away from work, and the apartments too!  Neil is handling everything at home.  However, he hasn't gotten all the rents yet, which worries me, and we have an empty unit too.  Uncle Garth is there at our house for a wedding in his family.  He took the kids out to Chuck-a-rama, which the kids liked.  We just happened to call Neil's phone since no one was home which is how I found out. 

   Annie told me she is just trying to finish up school!  She said there is only 16 days of school left.  Wow time flies by when we get older!  I asked Sam if he is doing his homework, which he claims he is, and eating dinner too.  He worries me about how thin he is. 

   Well I love you! I know this letter is getting long so I guess I'll say goodbye! 

                                                                 Love Dad

This is the caption for this facebook photo: "Mike, our trusted co-leader and Shelly's husband, AKA the Tuna Fish and Mustard Connoisseur

From Mom:

  We went to the island of Eua this past week.  You would love it.  It has the only national park in Tonga. and has the red parrot there.  I saw it last year, but only heard it this year.  We did a health fair/screening at the stake center there.  Even though it said "English speaking" at the church, most of the older people only knew Tongan.  So a member, a young woman, stepped up and translated all of our talks.  I talked to her later, and found out she had attended BYU Hawaii, and knows Shawn.  Her name is Tema, and she was very excited to know we were his parents. 

   Yes, we did have a lot of trouble with illness this week.  10 out of 12 people got sick, and three were hospitalized overnight.  I think we got giardia from the water.  The doctor prescribed 5 of the girls medication for this at my suggestion.  Everyone seems to be getting better.  I am glad--it is very hard to focus on what you need to do when your are sick. 

    We came to the island of Vava'u yesterday.  This is where we spent most of our time last year.  It is like coming home.  It is a beautiful place (although I think Eua has more cool nature things).  The people are so friendly.  We had a health screening in the market place this morning. We screened about 220 people with blood pressure and glucose checks,  and found 70 new cases of hypertension or elevated blood glucose patients.  The nurses were there and arranged follow up visits for all.

It is really nice being here with Dad.  I can totally see us going on a mission like this some day.

I love you!!

Mom

First letter from Tonga

It is Mother's day here in Tonga.  The students bought me a beautiful lei at the market yesterday. Church was very nice with the mother's day tributes.

 

Half of the students and myself are sick with vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach ache.  I think it is from the water--we were drinking unfiltered water here at the Liahona when we first got here since we did not understand the system.  the senior missionaries and dad gave everyone blessings this morning, and hopefully that, with loperamide, pepto, sprite, and coke, will help everyone get better.  tomorrow we are supposed to fly to eua, and stay until wednesday.  Our flight and accommodations have been pre-paid, so I am hoping all will feel well enough for the 10 minute flight over there. 

 

It is really nice to be here with dad.  It has been a very long time since just the two of us have been together, and I must say, he is my best friend.  the tongans have a very patriarchal society, so dad is now the spokesperson because he is the MAN.  I like it.  He has been extremely helpful with everything involved.

 

we have been at the hospital for three days, and did a blood pressure and glucose screening in the market yesterday.  we screened 223 people.  Probably 30 of them had elevated blood sugar, and more than that had high blood pressure.  It is definitely a drain on health care system here.  In the hospital there are many people with parts of their body cut off (mostly legs and feet) because they were infected and dying.  the problem is diabetes.  when the blood sugar is not controlled, wounds do not heal. 

 

I will give dad a turn.  I love all of you.  

Love, Mom

 

Well here I am in Tonga its beautiful. The soil is rich, and it rains everyday except while we are here.  It sprinkled once.  I worked with the students in the Government hospital, in which we were warmly accepted.  People speak two languages here, so for us they speak english, but between them, they speak Tongan.  The roads are bad like Mexico, and the electricity goes out at 7:00PM for three or four hours.  Maybe they have rolling blackouts, but the Church has backup generators to keep lights on at the Temple here, that is next door.  I am surprised the American Fruit company does not have fields of pineapple here.  Or the Chinese government has not overrun the government.  There or only a 105,000 people here.  and every year 5,000 people leave for a better life.  They figure by 2025 there will only be 75,000 people here.  We are having a hard time hooking up to the internet here, but mom has a friend who has it in her Apartment.  Well i had better go.  

Love you Dad.