Stranded in Niuatupotapu

While we were in Vava'u, we were notified that the plane that was to take us on to Niuatupotapu broke down and that there would be no flights to there.  There was a ship going that had our Water Project supplies on it.  We prayed as to what to do.  The people in Niuatupotapu have waited for so long for this project to be complete that we felt that we needed to go on, to show the people that we cared about them and their project.  So we booked passage on the ship and prepared for an eighteen hour boat ride.  We left about 8:30 at night and arrived in Niuatupotapu at 1 PM.  It was a little faster than what was planned as the sea was good.  On the boat you just sit up in chairs and watch movies, or try to sleep.  The chairs are very hard with hard arms rest as well.  You had to hold onto your suitcases as they would go rolling off with the rocking of the boat.  It was a long, and very cold night.  The air conditioning was like a refrigerator!

When we arrived President Lino, the Branch President met us and took us to where we would be staying.  Elder and Sister Dassler, Church Audit Missionaries, would be staying at the Missionary Quarters by the Chapel, we would be staying in the Kolaliane Guest House.  This island is close to the equator, so it is very hot and humid.

 We knew that there was no hot water, no refrigeration as there is no power, no internet and half the time no phone service, even for our mission phone, but we thought we could handle it for a week!  The plane was suppose to come and get us in one weeks time, but we soon learnt that they had to order parts for the plane from America.  We ended up staying on this island for 3 weeks.  It was probably one of the most trying time for us on our mission so far!  There were mosquitoes every where and even though you spray and light mosquito coils, they still get you.  Elder Murdock became quite ill, at the time we did not know how ill he really was, but he has been tested and he has Dengue Fever.  A virus that you get from mosquitoes that bite pigs then bite humans!

Since we did not have good connections to the outside world, it felt as if we had been abandoned, forgotten by all.  The first week we managed as we were busy with the project, but the following weeks began by just waiting for a call from RealTonga, which we called now "MakeBelieve Tonga".
We talked about how Captain Moroni felt when the King was not sending support troops and supplies, how he became angry if the King was just sitting on his throne doing nothing.  We felt so alone and not speaking the language made it even worse!

Here is our boat that we are about to board and head to Niuatupotapu.

This is our lovely seating for  a restful night.  This is Elder and Sister Dassler, Elder Murdock and Ana Ika

Arriving at Niuatupotapu.  It is a very beautiful place.

This is Kolepoke Island, named after Elder Groberg from the film "Other Side of Heaven".

Here we are departing from the boat meeting all the island people.  Every one turns out when a boat comes, especially since they have not had one since January!

The back end of the boat unloading all items.

This is Kololaine Guest House, our room for 3 weeks!

The shower, the pictures do not do justice to this shower!

Our sink to wash in and brush teeth in!

Our toilet, which made us very homesick for our new ones at home in America.  This one did not even flush hardly one golf ball!!

And here is our bed, we were thankful for the mosquito net as the mosquitoes were terrible, even if it was not all that clean.

This is the little chapel that was about 1/4 mile down a little graveled road that we had to walk to each day for our meals that President Lino had arranged for us.  He took very good care of us, usually always way too much food.

Inside the little chapel they had set up a dining room table for us to have our dinners.

This was in the chapel as well.  As you can tell it is their little branch chapel, but there was another building that they were having the meetings in, so we had this one to ourselves.

President Lino took us to the beach one day and we had a picnic there, lobster, manioke chips, fish and bread fruit.

This is the bread fruit being cooked in a beach fire.  This is how the Tongans use to always cook their bread fruit.



After the picnic he took us to another beach that was better for swimming.  The water was very beautiful here!
 

"Even though the tasks of life become heavy, and although sorrow thrusts a drooping burden upon us, the light that emanates from our Savior beckons us on, undismayed."   Joseph B. Wirthlin