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.