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.