The latest happenings - without pictures, sorry.

OKAY, I AM FRUSTRATED - I am trying to add pictures and aftter Nicole spending a ton of time with me before we left, teaching me how to do it, and I wrote it down step-by-step, now we get here and of course it is a completely different format and nothing is the same.  Some one tried to figure it out and was unable to do so.

SO.................................... I tried to put pictures into an email and that did not work either.
SO...................................  Okay, I am sorry!!*?#*

Well, to put it in a nutshell - things are going wonderful and we are so excited about how the people are accepting our program.  They are very excited to learn this simple, but new information that will help them in preventing tooth decay.  Up to now,  we have personally taught 3800 people who will turn around and have the opportunity to teach those in their wards reaching 10,000 people.  THAT IS A "WOW" TO US!!!!

So, we will continue to teach 6 nights a week, reaching a new Stake about each week,  We are also trying to reach the government officials during the day and have been quite successful.  Their question has been "why can't we do that?"  "How do you get so many people to come that are interested in dental care?"  We have to just smile and we think to ourselves, the real reason is that your people have to have a love for their fellow man and be willing to serve them in a way that will help and to do it without pay, you have to have a love for your Heavenly Father and His plan for all of us.  But, what we do say is that we are going through the church priesthood line and then we offer to help them in anyway that we can.  So......for the last 2 weeks, Dr. Tomiki (nonmember) who is the head of the dental clinic at the hospital, has been coming to our meetings and is so excited about what is happening, he sits there and takes notes.  He is onboard now and we think that he will be able to help with the gov. now.  So we will just keep blugging.  We offered to train their Public Health Nurses who go into the villages and do new-born and well baby training and teaching.  They would be perfect to get into the families with small children.  The answer that we got back was "they said they have too much on their plate already".  ZSsurprise, surprise.

Another exciting thing is happening.  We can see that we will have the program completely implemented by the middle of Sept.  In the mean time, Karen HoChing from Am. Samoa has called us and wants to know what needs to be done to get this program over in Samoa.  So we told her what we were doing and who we were meeting with.  She hung up from talking with us and talked with those people there in Samoa, and the next thing we are getting a call from them asking for information.

Dick emailed New Zealand, Area Welfare Director, and told them what was happening and that we were available to go to Samoa for the last 5 weeks of our mission and implement it there if they want us to.  So, yesterday he had a conference call with New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.  Samoa felt like they were doing okay with implementation.  Dick told them they are doing what we did 2 years ago and the results was very minimal - no follow up with the government in charge.  So when Dick asked a few important questions of him and it helped him realize that maybe they are not doing as well as they thought, his feelings were different.  So now it is in their hands and we will wait and see what they decide.

During this whole thing with Samoa, we were told that the South Pacific Area Pres. 1st Counselor is good friends with a Sr. Missionary that just went home and he is one that really started the dialog with Dick.  These two were together in South Africa and both felt that this program needs to go there.  Yeh............  that is what Dick visioned in the very beginning, it could go anywhere it is needed with simple translation and following the implementation model that we have developed following the steps of the Welfare Program - self reliance, participation/work, leadership and sustainability.  This will be fun to follow.

We have also recieved an email from SLC Director of Short Term Welfare Projects, Ferron Squires, and he says that they are now looking at our model to be used in other welfare and humanitarian projects.  What a thrill this is to hear.  From the very beginning we have felt the hand of the Lord leading and guilding us, and even now as we implement it, we know that He is with us.  What joy it brings to both of us to be a very small part, an instrument in the Lord's hand, in this great effort.

We love you all and I apologize for my lack of technical knowledge that eliminates pictures from this. (Where is Aaron, Trevin, Nicole, Dawn etc........... even the grandchildren could probably help us with this)

All our love,

Elder and Sister Oyler (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)

The start of the journey at the MTC.



this is the skyline of Auckland New Zealand



Malo...........................

Yes, we are here and all is well.  It only took us 3 weeks to get the computer and phone up and running and now we feel like we are in touch with the world again, and mostly our family. 
Yehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

So our story picks up where we left of from our last visit.  We were met at the airport by all of the Sr. Couples (which is a tradition when ever someone new arrives or someone is going home).

We have returned to the very same house that we were in when we left 2 years ago, which made us really happy, like coming home (sort of).  We are very grateful that we are here in the islands again during their cool season, which means it rains a lot, temperature is usually in the high 70's or low 80's and the humidity comes down to a tolerable reading, somewhere around 80%.  So we open all the window loovers and let the trade winds blow through - actually it is very pleasant at times.

We were in hopes that when we arrived on the island that someone would have made some appointments for us so that we could begin within a couple of days to meet with the people.  Well................. it was more than we could have hoped for.  A wonderful woman by the name of Mele Nau is over the Welfare Program on the island and she was given the assignment and boy did she do us a good job.  We started our meetings 2 days after we arrived and are scheduled every Tues. thru Sat and sometimes Sun. evenings until the 2nd week in Aug.!!!!!

Mele is Tongan, but has gone to BYU and has a palangi (whiteman's mind).  She thinks this is the best compliment we can give to her.  Her English is perfect and we have a great time with her.  And she can handle all the problems we run into, because she knows all the Stake Pres. and Bishops on the island.  We have 18 Stakes with 160 Wards.  We meet with the leadership one night then the wards, and then we are calling Trainers from each ward to actually go into the homes of the families in their wards and do the teaching - one on one.  Of course we train the Trainers and they are so excited about what they are learning.  It is a JOY to us to see their faces light up as they learn these new ideas and concepts.  At this point we have taught over 1600 people in 3 Stakes.  Dad is doing a great job teaching these beautiful people.

We traveled to one island, Eua, last week, and had a wonderful time with the members there.  Our flight was 7 minutes in a small 7 passenger plane and I found out that I can hold my breath for 7 minutes.  The plane was so small that the trade winds were blowing us to and fro like we were a little paper plane (like the grandsons make and fly in their yards).  I was a bit nervous, but we landed well and there were no chickens or pigs on the runway so that made for a smooth landing.

We have had doors (meetings) open up to us already where we have had the opportunity to meet with leaders of the church and the country to show what we are doing, and without exception they all see the need and are anxious to be involved and want to see their people helped.  We know that what we are doing is important and that the Lord in involved with us. 

Dad and I walk every morning as the sun is coming up- and the sunrise (and the sunsets) are beautiful.  We are taking pictures, but our blog is now different and I have not been able to figure it out (surprise, surpris) Nicole where are you when I need you.  Ha, ha. We have someone coming to day that knows about these things and maybe she can help while she is here.

We have not gotten killed driving on the left side of the road yet, but we have been banged into by one of our Stake Presidents.  He was very embarrassed.  The roads here are so full of holes ( about 6 inched deep) that we have to go very slow and weave all over the road to try to miss some of them.  It is really a funny site to look down the road ahead of us and see cars on both sides of the road, weaving and bouncing.  The young people ride in the back of pickups and trucks, sometimes a dozen of them and they never fall out.  We have not figured that one out yet.  Seat belts are not required.

Well I will sign off for now and hope that I can figure out the picture technique soon.

We love you all and miss you tons,  Elder and Sister Oyler (Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma)

We're back...........

We are back......................

Our story from Tonga that ended in August 2010, when we came home, now has another chapter.

In December, 2011, we received a call from the South Pacific Area President to ask if Dick would accept, if he were called as a dental specialist, a return to Tonga and implement the program that he put together while we were there before. Of course he said he would be happy to. What an exciting opportunity for him to implement, critique, and evaluate his program that was definitely given to him through divine intervention.

Since we came home from Tonga, 1 1/2 years ago, Dick has had the opportunity to present this Preventative Dental Initiative to the heads of the Welfare and Humanitarian Departments of the church, as well as the president of the International Dental Group and the LDS Dental Academy. They were all very impressed with what he had accomplished. They said many dentist had come home from different areas and had seen the same problems he had. They all had good ideas of things to do that would help, but no one had ever come home with a program, a step 1, 2, 3, etc of how to begin to teach and help the people gain knowledge of how to prevent the dental problems that they had. Dick's mind just works that way; he sees a problem, and his mind analysis it and he will soon have the solution in a very logical order. The Lord used his skills and his willingness to follow, to create a simple to follow program that will be taken into the villages and there teach the families the basic skills of dental hygiene and proper nutrition.

Dick's long range vision of this program is that it can easily be translated into any language and then taken anywhere in the world where it will help the people to better care for themselves and their families and thus become more self reliant and healthy. Interestingly, over the last few months, Dick has had continued correspondence that had led to the translation and use of the DVD into 3 more languages, Samoan, Tongan and Spanish. Lawrence Porter, who did the DVD for us in Tonga, is soon to be in Samoa to do filming for another DVD to be used there.

This is exactly what Dick envisioned would happen.

In addition to the countries that will be helped, there is more good news. The church asked the the president of the LDS Academy of Dentist, Dr. Roundy, to provide a dental segment on the church's Provident Living Web Site, that could be used by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Dr. Roundy has talked with Dick about using his program. Of course, Dick is very excited about this.

So...................... as we have now received our mission call and will be entering the MTC on April 23, we are very excited about this wonderful opportunity that has been given to us to continue to serve in a way that will be helpful to many people, and to us as well, as we learn from the example of the beautiful people in the South Pacific.

This could be a very interesting time to be in Tonga and experience the change of leadership, especially after the rioting of 2006, and the "election" that they held last year, 2011. There are changes happening, but not necessarily like what we are reading in the news. Is that a surprise????

This week we have heard of the death of the King of Tonga. This will be a time of great mourning on the island, and most of the family will be wearing black for 1 year to show their sadness. This will be the typical dress, and even the men will dress this way. Their funeral will be for several days and sometimes weeks. The people will gather, have the funeral and then stay for days and the family will have to feed and care for them. The men do the cooking, outside (of course), and will be cooking for hundred of people. The church is trying to get them to change this tradition, because it is such a financial drain on the family. But as we all know "tradition" or "habit" is not always easy to change.

Soon to be coming home

Well, the time is quickly arriving that we will be headed home. Seems like the 6 months has gone by really quickly. Each mission has been exciting in it's own way and different from all the rest. This time, we have been more involved with service as Dad was giving dental service and I at his side trying to keep up with his needs. I have a new appreciation for what he does and how hard of work it actually is. Yes, he is sitting down most of the day, but the physical and mental drain on him is tremendous. He said to me more than once, "didn't I retire a few years back?" "let's retire again when we get home". Of course, the older we get the harder it is on him. Kenyon, I appreciate your skills also with a new understanding now that I have been a "chairside assistant" for a few months. I know that it is "four handed dentistry" that you both practice, but Dad has been doing "3 handed dentistry" because I was just learning. It has been an emotional drain on both of us as we each day would see child after child with full mouth decay and adults with hardly any teeth, and teenagers that were loosing teeth because it was too late to safe them. Our hearts have just gone out to them.

Because of this difficult situation here in Tonga, Dad would work hard each night after being in the office all day, on creating a program that will make a dramatic change in the lives of these people within 3-4 years as it is applied. We are both very excited about the way that it is taking hold, and the dentist here are now accepting it and buying into the need. It is now THEIR PROGRAM FOR THEIR PEOPLE, and they are ready to take it and impliment it into their culture. One of the dentist said to us, "we have always wanted to help our people, but we have not known how. You have shown us how and now we can."

The final step of the program is a movie that will be taken into the villages to help teach them on proper dental cleaning and care. And this is the exciting part. Yesterday, Thursday, we picked up Lawrence Porter, from SLC, who is here to do the photographing for the movie, and then will go home and make a DVD for us to use. He has some exciting ideas that will take the needed information to the people and then add a bit of excitement that will get the children's attention and make it very inviting for them. We are so grateful that he was able to come while we are still here, so that Dad has been able to help and have some imput as the DVD is created.

Lawrence has come prepared to "pay" people that help and are photographed for the DVD and has had a hard time understanding why no one wants to take his money. We have tried to explain to him, but it is hard to believe unless you live with them for a while and see what their culture is like. We think money talks, and will solve most of our problems, but these people live a different belief and they are better off than we are in many ways. I think, they have what we say we would like to have, but are not willing to give up much of what we think is important to gain the spiritual happiness and peace that they have, the simple but beautiful way of life.

(Luke 18: 18-30)

We will in deed return home with something from the Tongan people that can not be learned from a book or bought in a store. It is an appreciation for the simple things in day to day life and the importance of family and how we are with each other. Here in Tonga there is no welfare program, no homeless, no old folks homes. That is because they take care of their own, they will feed anyone who is hungry whether they know you or not. There is probably not one home on the island that does not have extra people living there because the need was there. Their hearts are as big as the need and they do not think anything of it, it is just the way we are and it is what we are suppose to do, that is what they believe and that is what they LIVE. It does not take money to live here, because their life is so simple and basic and they desire for nothing more than they have. They are happy with what they have, no matter how little or how much. If someone need a meal, they will literally give the last food in the house to them and be very happy to do it. One of the saddest things to a Tongan is to have nothing to give to someone else, regardless of how little they have.

We have loved our time here. And we are excited and and ready to come back to our family and friends. We miss all of you and will look forward to seeing you soon.

Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Dick and Reta

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

Everybody wants better teeth - Let's make it happen

Hello Everyone,

We are keeping busy here at the Dental Clinic, and we still have patients waiting for us each morning when we arrive and the office is packed all day. I guess that is really a dentist's dream in most places. Most of them are here because they are in pain, but we are beginning to see a few that are coming back to get identified work done. We now have a 4th year dental student here from Canada, Lemi Lafontaine. He is doing a good job and learning from this experience. We can see a change already and he has been here just 2 weeks. He will go home on Aug. 16. Some of our equipment is a little "outdated" as you see what Dad is using on me. "Ouch"

David Bingham is here also, the predental student from Eagle, that found this clinic on the web. He is staying at our house and is delightful. He is assisting Lemi and learning lots, and still wants to be a dentist. He will be going to Pocatello this fall and then the last 3 years at Creighton University, the same school that Kenyon went to. He is getting into Tongan life in the evenings and is involved in all the events that are here. He is really enjoying it.

The big excitement for the last week is that we received the first script of the movie for the program that Dad is putting together. It really sounds good, and Dad added a few suggestions and he sent it off, and the next morning we had a revised edition on our email. It is so exciting to be working with professional people who do not take a ton of time. This is exciting for Dad because it is the first tangible item from his 5 months of hard work.

He will have his BIG MEETING this coming Tues. where he will present the program to all the Ministries and the professional people that will take over and carry it out. After this meeting he will pretty much have it in their hands and will concentrate on the movie. He is hoping that the photo shooting will be done before we leave, so in the next couple of weeks, hopefully there will be someone here in Tonga to do the visual part of the movie.

We have made a couple of beach trips and it is really nice now that the humidity and temperature are down. This is Nau Beach and it was very peaceful. We loved just watching the waves come in and crash up agains the reef. Not many shells and a few fish, but very fun day. We were there with all the people that work at the clinic (Fusi, that works at the desk and is an RN, Charlie that helps with cleanings and extractions, Lemi and his family, David, and us. It was a good day.

It is customary in Tonga that when someone dies the family and close friends dress in black with their traditional tapa wrap and they will dress this way for as long as a year. Many of the people on the Island are dressed in black because there are so many funerals.

The first picture is of Noble Fulivai, his wife Helen, and their 3 children. He is the first Noble to be baptized to the church and they are a wonderful family. They are in their early 30's and have bore testimony to the goodness of the gospel and how it has changed their lives for the good. He will be the Honorary Chairman of the committee for the Tongan Dental Initiative and this will really add some importance to the program as he stands and says that he supports it and will be involved in seeing that it comes to be.

Lots of love to all of you. We will see you soon,

Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Day to day in Tonga

Sunrises are as beautiful as the sunsets. This is our house where we are now and it is on the other side of the campus from where we were. Sunday mornings are a little different than other days here on the Island. The sky has a lot of smoke hanging over Tonga, because on Sunday they traditionally cook their meals in a umu (in the ground or in their cook shack). Remember there are NO stores open and noone goes anywhere but to church and then spend time with their families. It is against the law to even go to the beach on Sunday. The police patrol to make sure that everyone is at home.

Each day we are going to the clinic for a full day of work and we continue to see little mouths that are full of decay. It is not getting any easier to see this site. Dad is pushing forward with his program and we are beginning to see some exciting steps happen. We are presently communication with the International Audio Visual Director, from Tim's dept., about the movie and what we want in it. He will be here to do the photograghing in the nexts few weeks and we hope to have that part done before we leave in Aug. That is a HUGE STEP, and an exciting one for us.

On July 20, Dad has arranged for a big meeting with all the Dept Heads, Church leaders, Dentist and the Honorable Fulivai. This is where he will inform them of the program and tell them the role that they will play and how important it is to have them all involved. Dad has asked the Honorable Fulivai to be the Honorary Chairman of his Committee, and this has added a huge amount of importance to the program. To have a Royal supporting this is very impressive and will stabalize it in the eyes of the Island leaders.

Last week the Honorable Fulivai and his family were baptized and this is the first time that a Noble has joined the church after he is in office. He and his family attend the English speaking Branch where we go and so we have gotten to be "good friends" with them. He is really excited about what Dad is doing and the last week that we are on the Island Dad will go to his Island with him and his wife so that they can meet with the leaders there. They had a Fireside for them to tell their conversion story and it was so touching. She was touched by the message of families can be together forever, now and in the next life. She knew that it was true and was so excited about this truth. Her husband was a little slower to accept, but he had a blessing and it was as if his "heart was changed- and I heard and felt things differently". He was then taken on a Father/Son outing and was overcome with the tenderness that he saw between all the dads and their sons. At one time they were to go off by themselves with their sons and just spend time and talk about anything that they wanted to. He said that the most "powerful and wonderful feeling came over me and I knew that I wanted this in my life". They are a young couple, probably in their early 30's and have 3 children. This is a GREAT THING FOR THE CHURCH to have a Royal accept the gospel.

Poinsettas grow on bushes here, and this is in the yard next to ours. It really is amazing all the beautiful, colorful flowers that are here and they grow WITHOUT labor on our part. The weather is cooler but still hot enough for AC at the office and home, yet the Tongans wear coats, jackets with hoods, long sleeves. When they come to the clinic they bring a blanket to put over them or they have a jacket on. It is all what you are use to, I guess.

The girls in green are in uniform for the Liahona and they all wears their beautiful hair in braids, so this makes them all look alike to us. The girl on the left is a sister to Sis. Kaafi, that is serving her mission in the Idaho Mission, and Nicole's family had her over for dinner. We have her family come to our home to email her when ever they want, but they do not come weekly like we would. That is Tongan.

David Bingham arrives this Tues. We are anxious to meet him and have him with us. He is going to love this experience at the office and we have a return missionary who is going to show him around in the evenings.

Love to everyone

Marooned on a Tropical South Sea Island - Your dream?

We're back!!!!!!

Sorry for the lack of enteries lately, but the last 3 weeks of our lives have been out of our control. We had another dentist here from the states for 3 weeks, so Dad scheduled us for a 2 1/2 day "get away" at Ha'apai (a small island in the Tongan chain - there are 70 of them). We had been told by many that it is the best island for snorkeling and shelling, so we were cvery anxious to go. Yes, it is beautiful and very remote. The bungalos, beach and scenery are what we picture as the kind of area that Chad and Ryann were going to enjoy, but it did not work out. We did not have internet either. Sorry yours did not work out - this was wonderful.

A German man and his son have built, payed for and run this lovely resort, with 12 bungaloes each 20 yards from this beautiful sandy beach with coral beds right there, yes it was heaven. No AC and very hot and humid but lovely. Well ,on the day that we were to fly home the airline (has 2 planes, a small 8 seater, and a 40 seater) had a problem with the landing gear on the SMALL plane and so both planes were "grounded" by the Aviation Board. So............. begins our extended "get away". Two days later the Aviation Board lifted the restriction and said that they were save to fly. But..................... the Tongan Government got involved and would not let them fly until they reviewed it, and that led to the next 5 day delay. By the time everyone returned to the island and could "sign" the paper, we were held up a total of 7 days. We did enjoy the extra snorkeling, shelling, reading etc, but it was kind of hard knowing that we should be back to the office with Dr. Pulsipher. I know............ it is your dream to be in this situation, but we got the blessing. Ha, ha. We did have some adventures while there. The airport goes across the only road on the island and so when ever a plane is scheduled to land or take off, it is someone's job to put up the bar to stop the cars and get all the cows, chickens and pigs off the runway. No kidding!! As soon as the plane is gone, a truck full of rugby players pull in and they play their game there too. Multi-facet use of the area. Ha, ha.

We made one trip to the airport thinking that we were flying and then it was cancelled again and so we ended up riding in the back of a pickup, sitting on a board, hanging on for dear life going down a typical Tongan road with more potholes than smooth area. The airport is on a separate island to the resort and the two are connected by a road built on the reef, just wide enough for one car and it is surrounded by water at high tide, very scarey to me. But normal for them. You would have all laughed if you could have seen us in that truck. We were laughing, wind blown and waving to all the Tongans walking on the road, and then they would laugh too.

So........... 9 days later we come home and when we open our door we are met with a huge surprise!!!!!

It took only a few seconds to discover that our home had been broken into and we were robbed of all our technical items: COMPUTER, PHONE, cords, razor, curling iron, 8 $100 dollar bills Dad had in his draw for imergency, my 2 beautiful turquious necklaces that Dad made for me, and lots of other items. We were shocked, angry and could not understand what or why this had happened. The house was a mess - they had been eating peanut butter and jam and bread and it was all over the house. Popcorn all over. Smoking using our books as ashtrays. Sniffing glue with the cups all over. Every drawer opened and the content all over. Etc. It was a mess.

We went to Pres. McMurray's home (he is the mission pres. here). He called the police and we went back with his camera to take pictures. The police came and decided to fingerprint all over so we slept at another house that night. Well, we tried to sleep, which did not come. I must admit that I layed all night trying to figure this out and in a very prayerful state, talking with Heavenly Father about all the blessings and miracles that we have had in our live, and there have been many!!!!! And I prayed for a "small miracle" to get our computer back because ALL OF THE DOCUMENTS FOR DAD'S TONGAN INITIATIVE PROGRAM were on the computer. Without them we are at a standstill and much time and effort is wasted. We have felt the Lord's hand guiding us in this effort and have really felt that it is something that we should do while here. I said to Heavenly Father, we need your help, we can not do this alone, we need a small miracle. And prayed that we were worthy of such a blessing.

The NEXT MORNING at 7:00 we packed up and MOVED (yes, another move) to another house because we neither one wanted to stay there. At 11:00 AM we were informed that they had caught the BOYS (14-15 yo) who had done it. My anger turned to sorrow and sadness for them. They are students of the Liahona School. There are 8 of them and they had pretty much been in the house for the entire week, each day.

After a few trips to the police station, at their request, we have received back about 3/4 of all of our belongings. Most important, the computer. When we opened it we were met with another surprise. They had DELETED our pictures, and put theirs in, pictures of themselves (evidence), they had deleted many of our folders, including the one with all of the dental program documents in. We were so shocked. Why??????? Makes no sense to us. They down loaded lots of Tongan music.

Yesterday at church we found a WONDERFUL MAN who is a computer genious (like Trevin and Aaron) who is coming over today and says that he can probably find all that has been deleted. We are soooooooooooo excited. It would be a BIG MIRACLE in our eyes if we can get them back. I felt much better after talking with Aaron this morning and he too, said that they could probably get it all back.

When this all happened Dad was ready to get on the next plane and come home. But with sleep, a small miracle, and a BIG miracle we are both in the groove to continue on and do what needs to be done. Oh, yes, a part of the big miracle...... we got a call from the South Pacific Area President who is in NZ and he had heard about the robbery. We had communicated with them the past month about them helping us make a movie for this program and they are supportive, but not able to do it because of projects that they are already involved with for this year. But Fri they told Dad that if Tim in SLC (Tim Taggart, Dad's cousin that is in charge of Audio/Visual for the church) could do it they would support it. Yeh.......................... that is what we have been trying to get them to say. BIG MIRACLE - THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER.

Sorry about the "goofy" entery of pictures, I keep forgetting that I should add them as I am writing. Maybe next time I will get it right.

- I entered a couple of pictures from our bungalo.

- One of Dad about to eat a spider. These are the BIG spiders that we found all over and we actually had to be very careful walking to the beach or we would run into their webs which feel a piece of twine. Yuk!!!!!

- One of the road crossing the airport runway, the runway is running left to right, very small, and when you are on it you are sure that it is not long enough for even a small plane to get up.

- One of the road that goes over on the reef to connect the two islands, very, very narrow, especially at high tide.

Love you all, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Molocau # 3 for sure, # 4 ??????

Okay, I am going to tell this story first. We were walking to the clinic one day and right there on the sidewalk was a molocau and so this was the perfect time to take a REAL picture of the critter, all 38 pair of legs. Yuk-k-k-k-k. Okay, that is #3. Now for # 4 ??? So last Fri. morning I got out of bed, Dick was in the bathroom, so I turned on the light and I was surprised to see a "molocau" on the edge of the door with his legs over the edge and I could definately see the 2 pinchers on one end. The spray was in the kitchen so if I opened the door to get it, the molochau would take off. So....... I went into the bathroom to tell Dick - he can solve any problem - I picked up my glasses from the counter and went to make sure the molocau was still there - HE WAS - because he was the hinge on the door!!!?! Boy, did I feel goofy. I guess you could say that I have "molocau fever".. I am sure that Dick will get some mileage out of this one. (the rusty part of the hinge was the legs going over the edge and the pinchers were 2 rusty streeks coming off the hinge - I hadn't taken time to count and see that he did not have 38 legs, silly me)

Now on to something of more worth. I have decided to tell you what your father (Dick) is doing to make a difference here on the Island of Tonga and probably all the South Pacific Islands before he is done. We were here only a few days before he said, "I feel like we are trying to put our finger in the hole in the dike and not stopping the problem from coming". Practically every mouth that is opened here has 8-9 cavities in it and he is extracting permanent teeth on children who have had these teeth for only a few years. It is so sad to him and myself.

So, we feel that he is being inspired in what is now happening, because there are many doors that are being opened to him in his persuit of a solution to this situation.

Dental caries are at an epeidemic level here and throughout the islands. There is a definate link between dental disease and other systemic diseases like: diabetes, heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. Over 52% of all people over 50 years of age here in Tonga have diagnosed diabetes - that is epidemic levels.

Dick feels that a multi-strategic program must be the approach and it must be presented all together to really get to the base of the problem. He has contacted the Area Presidency about his program and they will get back as to how they can support this initiative. He suggested a Sr. Couple be called to serve in this area and carry out this program, getting it to all of the South Pacific Islands. He has contacted his cousin, Tim Taggart, head of Audio/Visual for the church in SLC, and he is ready to help. Dick is putting together the following ideas for this program:

• Get the local Ministry of Communication, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Public Health on board and claiming this as their program, as a way that they can do something to help their own people
• Declaring a National Dental Health Month with a 'fun walk' ending in the statium where they will be given a short talk, hand out dental packets with toothbrushs and floss, etc
• A committee to meet with the above leaders and representatives on it to keep this program going after we leave
• There will be a contest in the local High Schools where they will be challenged to find a "dental floss" in nature (it is too expensive to buy for most of the people), with a cash prize to the winner
• A well done movie on dental care and diet that can be translated into any of the South Pacific Island languages and used there as it progresses
• We have created a "Tommy Tooth" (animated tooth that talks) who will become the "Symbol" or "Icon" of this program, so that anytime he is seen, people will think about their dental cleaning - he will teach and demonstrate where ever he is
• Training of educated people to go into each village and show the movie, give demonstrations and products to each family through the churches, community and schools - this would be done 2 times a year
• Massive advertisement campaign on TV, radio, newspapers and public (billboard) at the kick-off of Dental Health Month (at the beginning of the program)

This is the basis of what he is doing. He has had many "doors opened" as this has progressed and so it is as if the Lord is saying 'go ahead this is good'. One such 'coinsidence'is Tonga's culture is founded on the concept of RANK, and this cornerstone affects every aspect of a Tongan's life. Rank is so important that one Tongan will avoid speaking to another until she or he knows which of them ranks higher. It is a three-tierd class system made up of 1. Royalty, 2. Nobles, 3. Commoners. Now......... picture this: A Noble is coming to our English speaking Branch and is interested in the church. We have had him, his wife and children in the dental clinic, and have made a friendship with them. He told Dick, "when you are ready to have your meeting on my island, let me know and I will have all the people there that you want." Today at church he told Dick that he could get a meeting for him with the Prime Minister this week if he would like. Oh......my.......gosh...... Is this a "coinsidence? No, we do not think so. Doors are opened and we are excited about it.

Dr. Pulsifer will be here this coming week (one of the Dr. who helped put the clinic together) and will be here for a couple of weeks. While he is here to do dentistry, Dick will take advantage of the time and meet with all the "top people" in the Tongan Government.

Getting the funding and expertee for the movie and putting this program into affect will show a difference within a few years in the dental condition of the people. When this is in affect it will make a great deal of difference in the lives and health of the island people and that is what is driving your father in this project. He has a love for the Polyneisian people and desires for their lives to be better. Even the natives call "pull teeth" but we need a program to "save" them.

We love you and miss you tons, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

This shows the foliage on the "land bridge", this area is constantly sprayed with mist from the water and it grows and grows and grows and hangs over the edge of the cliff, so it is impossible from this angle to see where the edge is. It is very dangerous if you do not know the area.

Accident pictures

This is Dad standing closer to the edge of the "land bridge" than I wanted him to. From here you are looking out to the ocean which looks peaceful and serene, but underneath in this area it is forceful and in control.

Accident

For this picture we are standing on the "landbridge" where the girls were standing when the waves picked up her body and took it out. She fell from the right of this site, this is looking down on the ocean side (land bridge is about 50 feet wide)where she would have come under the land bridge and gone out. They did recover her caprice 3 days later without any tears or rips in them. Bro. Lee was comforted to have them.

Accident pictures

This is where Sis. Lee fell to. This is taken at a lower tide than when the accident happened which was closer to high tide, meaning the ocean water was much higher and much more forceful coming in and going out causing a strong current. Man is at the mercy of nature at this time.

Pictures from accident site

This is a view from where Sis. Lee fell. On the top to the right of the green lous folige area. This is about 100 foot drop to the rocks below. This hole has been made over the years with the ocean water hitting into the cliff, undercutting to this area, and then a portiong fell in leaving this hole. On top there is a 50ft bridge of land that you can actually drive a car over when it is not wet. This picture is taken standing where they climbed down into the hole to try to reach her body, but were unable to get to her before the ocean waves took her body out.

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

Sad Week in Tonga

I had planned to tell you a bit about the life-style in Tonga this week, but an unexpected event happened and so I will try to cover it instead.

About 2 weeks ago there was a group of 25 Graduate Nurses from BYU Idaho who arrived here in Tonga with their Directer and her husband, Gayle and Gary Lee. They come every 2 years with a group to do service and learn from the experiences of the Island. Bro Lee served his mission here as a young man and so they both LOVE the Tongan people and their Island. In additon to the great services that they render while here, they also site-see under the direction of Bro and Sis Lee and a local Tongan couple.

Last Thur. was one such day and they were all in a bus with a Tongan couple traveling to see some sites on the Island. Interestingly the Land Bridge ( Hufangalupe Cliff) was not on their list, but as they approached it, Sis Lee wanted to stop and show the girls this amazing site. The Tongan couple said, "no, not today, maybe another time." Now, I must insert here that the Tongan people seem to have a "reverence" about nature. They understand it's beauties and also know of its power and destruction at a moments change. They live with it everyday and so do not try to change it or control it, but have a respect for it and its power. When it is high-tide they do not approach the water, they patiently wait until it is down (small example of their respect for nature)

Anyway, they stopped the bus at her insistance and Sis Lee jumped off first and hurried the girls along. To tell what happened next is really hard, and I will not go into details - that I will do when we are home for those who are interested because there is really a beautiful side to this. Within minutes of leaving the bus, Sis Lee fell about 100 feet into a rocky pool of water which has been formed by the undercutting of the limestone cliff by the oceans water over the years, forming a Land Bridge which is about 50 feet wide. Her husband climbed and fell, sustaining injuries, down into the hole with 2-3 Tongan men and they tried to get to her body which was still visible in the pool, but were unable to reach her before the waves took her out to sea. They have not found her body yet, and are still looking.

Needless to say this has been a horrifying experience for Bro Lee and these students. They were at the temple that night and Pres. Shumway (the temple pres.) talked to them as well as the Mission Pres. - Pres. McMurry. They then did a session, which Dad and I officiated and baptisms. The next day they decided that they should not go home but stay and do all the projects that they had arranged to do, because that is what Sis Lee would want them to do. Bro Lee also felt that was the thing to do, so they did. He was pretty banged up by the waves hitting him into the cliff, but is recoverying quite well.

BYU Idaho wanted them to come home early, so they pushed all their projects into a shorter time and skipped the remaining site-seeing. We opened up the use of our Vonage phone to the girls so that they could call families, husbands, and make new arrangements for flights home from LA. So the last 4 days we have had all 25 girls here at least 2-3 times each as they made their arrangements and called their loved ones. It has been such a tender time with them and we got to know them as individuals. What a sweet group of young ladies, some married and with several children, kind of took over as the "mother" figure to the younger ones and it was such a sweet thing to experience with them. We did a lot of talking, crying and trying to understand.

The school sent the Directer of Nursing and her husband over to accompany them home. When she arrived she was amazed at how well the girls were doing. And they will tell you that the Island people gave them their love and physical help that has helped fill their immmediate need as well as their emotional needs.

Yesterday, the Stake Pres. arranged a Memorial for Sis Lee at the request of Bro Lee, and it was a beautiful tribute to her. Among other things, the message was that those who die living the gospel will not taste the bitterness of death but that it will be sweet unto them (D&C 42:46, this is part of the story that I will tell you at home.) They were also told by Pres. Nau (Tongan Stake Pre.) that as people return to the site, they will not find her there and they will not see her body, just like they did not find the Savior's body in the tomb when they returned there to see him, because she, like the Savior has gone on to her place with Heavenly Father.

Bro Lee said yesterday, as he spoke at the Memorial, "if I were to pick a place for my Sweetheart to leave this life from, I could not have chosen a better place than here in Tonga, because we both have a great love for these people and this Island."

Yes, the week has been saddened by this event. The students have experienced something that has changed who they are and how they feel about somethings. They told us that over and over. They said it was the "hardest thing they have ever gone through and it has made me a different person than I was when I came." We heard this from several of them. So, we know that we learn from our experiences, allow the growth to take place and then we will become more of the person that we are to be. May we all remember that when we have hard experiences to endure, there is something for us to learn from it; and how we endure it will determine how we are blessed by it or how far we fall.

We love you all, and know that the Lord is aware of each of us and our needs. He will be as close to us in our time of need as we choose for Him to be. Open the door daily through prayer and an open mind to His promptings.

Love to all of you, Dad and Mom / Grandpa and Grandma

PS We will post pictures of this site in a week or two.

First full week of Medical Services

Hello family and friends,

Well, this is the first full 5 day week of dentistry because of all the breaks and holidays they have here. It has been a busy week. Each morning as we arrive at the clinic there are 8-10 people sitting on the bench and grass waiting for us to open, and most of them have been there at least an hour. Usually they are in pain. So Dick is trying to teach the girls in the front to leave 1-1 1/2 hours for emergency (new concept for them) and then have the scheduled procedures after that, and another block of time right after lunch for the same emergency time. These people will sit there all day long waiting to see the dentist. When we break for lunch, they will sit there through the lunch hour and never leave and never be anxious about all the waiting. They are use to it, I guess.

The more patients we see the more Dad feels like the little boy who stuck his finger in the hole in the dam to keep the water from coming, it is overwelming. Every mouth that he looks in has more decay than you would want to see all day. There was a study done here that showed by the age of 6, they have the average of 6 missing or decayed teeth. I really wish we would have taken a picture of the sweet little 3 year old girl, big happy smile, no fear, who jumped up in the dental chair. When she opened her cute little mouth it was all BLACK WITH DECAY. I teared up. How sad. We had a 17 year old in the chair who denied knowing what dental floss was, and when Dick showed her a piece she had no idea what it was for, and her mouth validated that. It is obvious that the most rampant disease on this Island is not diabetes (52% of all people over 50 have diabetes!) but it is dental caries. Dick spends his day doing extractions and trying to do emergency treatment so they can come back for a rootcanal and he tries to save a tooth. It is really a very sad situation.

Soooooooooooooooo, that is why most of our off hours are being spent doing research on public health programs, and Dick is putting together his own program to meet the needs here and will collect the top Government, Medical, Public Services, educators, commnity leaders, etc and present his program to them in such a way that they will see it as THEIR PROGRAM, FOR THEIR PEOPE, AND THEIR ISLAND. When they accept this, he will work with them to get a movie made, contest in the schools to find floss and tooth brushes in nature, and a scheduled program to take the movie into the villages on a bi-annual basis and teach the families about diet, brushing, flossing, bottle-mouth decay, sweets (especially pop), etc. If they can teach the families at the schools, churches, and community centers it will make a huge difference. He thinks it would make a measurable difference within 5 years. He will use his contacts at church headquarters (Tim Taggart, his cousin is in charge of all videos for the church) and approach the BYU programs where we could possibly find a student needing to have a residency or intership in Public Health that would take this on for a few months and get it running. The possibility of it being put in different languages and sent to all the South Pacific Islands (who have the same problem) is good if we get this backing from BYU and the church.

Usually the dentist that come to work at this clinic only stay for a week or two. They probably see the same problems as Dad, but are not here long enough to make a difference. I feel that is why we are here for 5 months, so HE CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENCE THESE PEOPLE NEED. Dad is a good organizer and can get this presented quickly, so hopefully it will be in their hands when we leave and they will keep it going.

They say it is fall and cooling off. We see them wearing sweatshirts with hoods, coats, jackets, they bring in blankets to the clinic because we still have the AC on, and we are still feeling really hot. I guess it all depends on what you are use to. Rain comes in an instant and drops buckets just as fast.

With a church every 2 miles, because over 50% of the people are LDS, Sundays are a joy. All classes at church are open to the outside with loovers that are always open. So when classes meet it is heard all over. These people love to sing as all polynesians do and start and finish every class with a song. So when, RS, YW, YM, Primary, SS, and Priesthood class are going, every class is singing their own song at the same time. The choristers do not try to start everyone at the same time, they just start singing and within the first line there are 4-5 different harmonies that develop. It is beautiful. Today in RS, I am sure that I was the only person singing the written melody (and that made me sound like harmony too, yeh) You do not hear this kind of singing at home.

We think of all of you daily and miss you tons, Dad and Mom