"The Other Side of Heaven"

Here are some pictures of our stay in Niuataputopu.  We had some interesting meals and some amazing sights.  The water here is so beautiful.  We were very thankful for it as it was so very hot and that was the only way to cool down.  President Lino was so very good to us in providing us with meals and transportation in which we  was able to travel Tongan style.

While there we did a "Hand Over Ceremony" for our water project here.  The people in one of the villages has had to pack water for at least a year and possibly since 2009.  They had a water tank, but did not have the pump or the engine to pump it up to their tank.  They were so very thankful to have running clean water in their village.

We also met with the doctor at the Health Clinic that was needing some help as well.  They have had a nice new generator since 2009, but had lost the key so they could not start it.  They then proceeded to remove the ignition to have it re keyed and that was misplaced as well.  Since they do not have use of this generator they have been using a smaller one, but it is not powerful enough to run their computer and printer or their sterilizing unit for the instruments.  They need some help with this so we started working on this project as well.

This is where we started our day with breakfast.  It usually consisted of fresh fruit, crackers and peanut butter.  This is Ana Ika and the owner of the Guest House, Sione.

This is one of our meals that President Lino cooked for us.  Doesn't it look appetising.  We thought Jordyn would love this!

Here is Ana with the pig head digging the goodies out, like the brain.  Sister Dassler is looking on with a questionable look on her face!  In the other pan is manioke and boiled bananas.

Here we are riding Tongan style headed to our water project.  We also travelled like this to church as well.

Here we are at the gas station.  They would pump by hand out of a barrel into this container then go and dump it into the truck.

This is one of the villages we were in.  In the back ground you can see a mare and her colt.  They roam free along with the pigs, chickens and goats.

More of the Village

Sun is setting on this village while we were there.  We thought this picture turned out unique.

Another beautiful sunset from the chapel.

We loved this picture of the sunset and some Tongans out digging for clams and gathering their reeds for weaving that they had soaking in the sea.

One of the many beaches that we walked on for our walks.  In the center is Kolipoke Island.

Here is Elder and Sister Dassler going on an exploring hike around an island with us.

Another view of our hike around an island. The water and beaches were so beautiful here!

This is the road that we walked back and forth, from our guest house to the chapel.  It was about a 1/4 of a mile walk.

This was a house along the road that we walked every day.  It made us thankful for what we did have to stay in.

With the house above this was the outhouse and their shower.  We were definitely thankful that we did not have to shower here!  Look closely and you can see their towel hanging out the window!

This is the little shed that housed our water project.

Our supervisor, Ana Ika, instructed the Tongans that they needed to make the roof higher on the shed to make it a better place for the new pump and motor to run.  She felt that the air would circulate better by doing this.  So they went to the bush and cut some big post, then just cut the old ones off (if you look closely you can see where they cut the old ones) and lifted the roof  and set  it down on the new posts.  It was amazing to watch.  We were worried that it would fall on someone and hurt them.

Here they are lifting one of the corners.  Notice there are people inside lifting as well.  We were sure they would be crushed if it fell.

Here they are installing the new pump and motor.  The man on the left is George our engineer from Palu Development, who is teaching the Water Committee how to do this and to maintain it.

Here is the first water through the new pump.  Every one cheered, what a wonderful sight!

We were at the water project site for most of the day and the mosquitoes were terrible, so Ana started to build us a fire, and then the other men came and helped her.  This is what the Tongans do to keep the mosquitoes away.  It did help some, but by the end of the day you smell like smoke!

This was our lunch that the Village women brought to us and the men that were working all day.    It is the leaf on the right it was filled with like creamed coconut spinach with chunks of chicken (with a lot of chicken knuckles!).  It was not too bad, but we did not eat it all.

This man went up on this tin roof to put a cap back on to keep the rain off the new motor.  We were surprised as it was a very hot day and there he was, barefoot on a tin roof.  These Tongans are something else!

This is the same water project shed.  They have decorated it beautiful with palm leaves and flowers for the closing ceremony.  They also laid down beautiful mats all around.  What a change from our first view of this place.

Here we are at the Closing Hand Over Ceremony.  We were presented with leis.  

This is George our engineer handing over some of his tools that he brought with him.  They did not have any tools on the island to do the maintenance with, so he gave them his.  He is such a good man!

Following the ceremony they took us to the Town Hall where they had prepared a feast for us.  Our place was at the head of the hall.  They treated us like royalty!

Here they are bringing a woven mat to us for  all that we had done for them.  When the Government Official spoke, he had them all stand and bow to us, like we were royalty!

While being stranded here, we learnt that the hospital was in need of some help.  This is the generator that needs to be repaired.

This is the little shed that they have to build their fire in to do their sterilizations.

This is the Doctor with the pot that they use to sterilize their instruments.

This is the little branch that we went to church with.  It is actually two branches that were meeting together.

Here is their Air Terminal.  We are here waiting for the plane to come praying all the while that it will come.

Here we are inside the terminal waiting.

Oh what a beautiful sight!  The plane is here!

Leaving Niuataputopu this was the sight out of the plane.  Another beautiful little island just before Vava'u.

"The Lord didn't make Lehi a mere spectator, watching and learning and taking notes from afar.  Instead, the Lord taught his prophet by taking him out of the bleachers and placing him right in the middle of the action."  John Bytheway