Day to day life in Tonga

Hello family and love ones

We have been here long enough now that it is beginning to feel like home and the routine is more familiar each day. Basically, I am doing better as Dad's assistant and that is a slow process, but I am feeling a little more comfortable with it. We are busy each day with a steady line of patients, and they are still sitting at the door waiting for us each morning. They really are an amazing people when it comes to being patient and waiting for what ever length of time is necessary. They never complain. We have decided that their idea of an "appt" is different than ours. This week we had a young man scheduled for a rootcanal and he came a day late and thought it would be okay - Dad told him to make a new appt. And we had one come 2 1/2 hours late, we were able to do him though. We just laugh. Today Dad said to someone, "be sure you are here for your next appt. or we will have the police come to your house". Of course he was kidding and they laughed, just like they do for everything.

Life is really very easy and layed-back, so to speak. Compared to home it is very easy going. It seems that about mid day they begin to slow down, like the energy level as run out. And with the humidity and heat, I can definately see why that would be. However, it is now in the low 70's and the humidity is way down, and the trade winds are beginning to blow more and so it is very pleasant now. The Tongans's say that "winter is here" and they are wearing jackets with hoods and long sleeve sweeters, etc. and we are just beginning to be comfortable, and still do not even think of wearing a jacket.

Tongans are very easy-going people. They accept life for what it is and what it brings to us each day, and do not question or try to change. The accept everything in life for what it is and do not try to change or fix it. They say, "you palangis always want to fix everything". They have a great desire to please us and give us what ever we want. So sometimes when they are asked a question the answer we get is not right and we know it, they have a great desire to say what they think we want to hear and that is what they do. It is hard to get information that you need. At the clinic, to find out what is bothering them is a real challenge at times. So Dick has started asking them to "point to the tooth that hurts" and that seems to work best. They will say "yes" to everything that you ask them whether it is the right answer or not. They want to please us.

Friday Dad went to a rugby game that the Liahona High School was playing against their rivals, Atele High School. At the end of the game one of Liahona's boys took a high tackle and ended up with a broken jaw in one place for sure and possibly 2 other places. We saw him at the clinic and it took Dad about 10 seconds to diagnos it. He had surgery on his jaw yesterday (Mon) and has been sent home. This will not be fun for him to be wired shut for 6-8 weeks, if he is lucky he will be able to drink his food through a straw during this time. After watching the game Dad said he is surprised that there are not more injuries as rough as the game is. PLEASE NO RUGBY PLAYERS IN OUR FAMILY.

We are trying to make Tongan food occasionally. We shop at the open market on Sat. to get the only fresh vegetables on the island. We are craving fresh fruits and vegetables, but they are few and far between. Our Tongan neighbors showed us how to make "breadfruit chips" and they are very good.

We love to hear from you and reading your emails. Know that we think of all of you each day and miss you tons.

I will now try to post the pictures that we took from the accident site.

Love Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Dick and Reta