Update on Dental Initiative Program - Things are happening

Well, we have been plugging along for another month now and we are entering into the last 2 weeks of our time here in Tonga. Time has really gone by fast, and I guess that is because we are so busy that we do not have time to count the days or wonder where they have gone.

After this week, we will no longer be in the clinic. Next Monday there are 6 students and 4 instructors coming from UNLV and they will be here for 2 weeks. They will need all 7 chairs so we are stepping aside and letting them have the complete clinic starting next Monday. We will spend 1/2 day orienting them to the clinic and then they will take over. We will spend our last week here in Tonga, seeing some of the sites that we want to see again and going to the temple, and just relaxing. It will be nice, because during the last 3 weeks Dad has begun to have positional pain in his shoulder from so much dentistry. He is seeing about 30 plus patients a day and that really is hopping from one to the next without any kind of a break, only to take 3 steps from one chair to the next. I am even having a hard time keeping up with him and having the patients gone, the next one ready and all the charting done. Wheeeeeehhhhhhhhh. So we are ready to take a break. He has said more than once, "didn't I retire a while back?" He says he is going home and retire again. Ha, ha.

Well, all of Dad's hard work in the evenings on the Dental Initiative Program has really taken some big steps in the last couple of weeks. He had his BIG meeting with all the Ministers here in Tonga, and they were very impressed with it, and willing to support it. Then last week he was on TV to be broadcast here in Tonga, in Tongan, about his program the effects that it will have for the people in the future. Then 2 days ago, while we were home for lunch, he was asked to come and show his presentation to the South Pacific Welfare Manager for the church, who was here in Tonga. And I guess you could say that it went quite well, because before he left to return to the office he said to Dad, would you be interested in going and taking this program to other countries as a dental specialist for 2 or 3 months? And Dad said, "sounds like something that we would be interested in if we were called to do it, we would then consider it." He told Dad that it would be the first of the year before they did it , if they did it. This man is from New Zealand where the South Pacific Area Presidency is. They are the ones who authorized the money to Tim to do the movie.

Now, about the movie. The script is done, it is being translated into Tongan here at the Liahona by church staff, who are official translators for the church. We are waiting for the information about when the filming will be done. We should hear any day now. We were hoping it would be before we leave, but maybe not. We will see.

We are headed home on the 24th (2 weeks from today) and we are anxious to see everyone and have a few hugs and kisses for the grandchildren AND their parents. Funny, funny.

Any one want a banana? Guess what? They all rippen within 2-3 day - banana bread day!

David Bingham the day we took him to the airport to return home - we enjoyed having him with us - he was VERY POPULAR WITH THE ISLAND PEOPLE.

A typical Tongan home - humble.

Love to all, Dad and Mom