Paea-He-'Ofa Kindergarten Project

This project has been a special one to us from the start.  The first day we arrived to look at the school and their needs, the little children came out and sang to us several songs, and one, "I am a Child of God", in English.  They were so adorable in their little navy and white uniforms with white ribbons in their hair.  At the time they only had two small rooms to hold class in for 85 students.  It was wall to wall children.  They were requesting renovation of the existing building, a new multipurpose room, with tile in all rooms and new doors.  We turned the project in and was told that Elder Haleck, 2nd Councillor in the South Pacific Area Presidency, was coming to Tonga and he was wanting to visit this school before he decides whether to approve the project or not.  When he visited the sight, he instructed us to make the new multipurpose room twice the size we were requesting due to the number of students and he then told Ela, Principal and owner of the school, her project was approved.  When Elder Haleck left, Ela through her arms around Elder Murdock and cried for about 5 minutes, thanking Jesus for helping her.  We hope you enjoy the progress of this project through our pictures.

This is the existing building of the little kindergarten.  Very small for 85 students!

Here a few of the students singing to us.  Their leader is Ela, our Champion in this project and the school principal and owner of the school.

This is one of the small rooms where half of the 85 students are taught.

And this is the other room.

This is the day that Ela received the news that her project had been approved and that she would be getting more than what she was requesting.

This is Ela, the contractor, Fine from PTH, Ana and Elder Murdock, measuring the room that will be the new multipurpose room so Fine can give us an estimate on the cost of the materials we will be purchasing from PTH (our Home Depot in Tonga).

The renovation on the existing building has started.  The new doors are on and the tile is being laid.

The footings are being set for the new building, and the outside of the existing building has been painted, new rain gutters to her water catchment tank has been installed as well.

The tile is done in the existing building and the clean up is starting.

First row of cinder blocks are laid with the re bar  in them.  The piles of gravel in the middle are for the base of the floor.

The bricks are slowly going up.

Each day we come to check the progress, there is always a big change.

This was an interesting visit.  They are making the rafters for the roof.  The man on the top of the building is nailing the blocks for the rafters and he is bare footed!

It has been raining for two weeks, but the works is going on.  They have the rafters all up!

The new roof is on and looking great!

These men are preparing the floor by spreading the gravel base, by hand and wheel barrow, so they will be able to pour the concrete floor.

The floor is poured and they are putting up the ceiling.

Ceiling is up and Elder Murdock is talking with the man that will be doing the tile.  He said that he would have it done in one day!

The building is coming along great!

The tile looks wonderful and the painting is coming along.  Won't be long before all is done!

We stopped to check on the project and found most everything is done, just the clean up and decorating for the Handover Ceremony.

School was in session and a few of the students sang a beautiful song for us!  It was so enjoyable!

Here we are waiting to start the Handover Ceremony.  We have the Stake President, Garrick and Susan Parr, Elder Murdock and a representative from the Ministry of Education.  Ela had everything decorated so nice for us!

Garrick Parr is presented with the scissors to cut the ribbon to the new multipurpose building.

Garrick Parr hands the keys to the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Education hands the keys over to Ela.

The children were excited to sit in the new chairs!  Due to the donation of Seren and Peggy Chandler, we were able to purchase 52 new student chairs.  They looked wonderful in the new building.

The students are presenting all kinds of gifts to Elder and Sister Murdock.  We were amazed at what they offered us!  

Elder Murdock and Sister Murdock stand with gifts in hand as the students sang a wonderful song to us.  Such an emotional day for us!

Sister Murdock was ask to give a few remarks of farewell since we were leaving the next day for home!

These four men are the ones responsible for all the hard work and meeting the deadlines we had set for them.  They were amazing as they would do their regular job during the day and work on this project at night, sometimes into early morning hours!

After the Ceremony we all enjoyed refreshments, including the children in the newly renovated building sitting on the new tiled floor.

Ana was then interviewed by the media concerning this project.

Our final goodbye to Ela, so difficult to say goodbye to someone who has become like family to us!

"Being compassionate is a great work of our Heavenly Father and a fundamental characteristic of who we are as a people.  We are commanded to 'succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees' (D&C 81:5)."   Dieter F. Uchtdorf