As March comes to an end...

This month has been crazier than the last and the list of things to do just keeps getting longer! Lots to do between creating Sight Word Books, forming assessments and syllabus plans, starting to plan for Camp GLOW, and school! It’s been a month full of ups and downs but here are some of the highlights:

Started the month off with a sunrise fun run! I apologize for the terrible quality but you can still see the 5am enthusiasm!

Started the month off by attending the Wards conference at the Mormon church in my village. This little guy was clearly a fan...

Found some tasty passion fruit at the market!

Asked for some tape and more poster board to continue organizing the library, got this roll of gold. Nothing speaks to a PCV's heart like school supplies and some (lots of) tape! Laminating ki ai!

Finally got the world map up in the library, now we're learning WHERE Tonga actually is in comparison to other places and that it's pretty small in comparison (small but mighty! ;) .

Got some goodies from my neighbours: Faikakai (breadfruit with a sweet sugary coconut cream sauce) and Mango otai (shredded mango with fresh coconut milk and sugar)

My power got cut again this month so the principal wired electricity to my house from the school so my fridge wouldn't melt.

Easter Sunday!!!

My actual goal for the next 6 months is really going to be documenting people who fell asleep in church... ;)

Tupenu capes...newest fashion for Sunday church camp! Every Easter weekend there is a 4 day camp starting Friday and ending on Monday. In the camp there are leaders from the big Wesleyan Seminary school that come in and lead bible studies, skits and plays, and teach church songs to the children.

One of our Camp GLOWers from last years camp was helping at the camp, this is her sharing thoughts from a bible study discussion. I got to talk with her a bit and she talked about how the skills she learned at Camp GLOW really helped her when she was working with all the children in the church camp (WOOP WOOP! Job well done Camp GLOW 2015). 

Kids waiting in line to stack their plates high with yummy food after their hard word in their respective bible studies.

Sneaking by...

All the kids ready to eat, waiting for the prayer to be said (can't say I didn't see a couple kids take a taste test or two before the prayer was said...)

Another yummy fruit! The jabong, which is similar to a grapefruit just bigger and a bit sweeter!

MOVE that rubbish bin!!!! They were finally moved to their appropriate places around the school compound. The Nukunuku school now has 3 rubbish bins, one for each of the schools from BSP and the Tonga Waste Authority! Now we're working on putting (the correct!) rubbish in the bin!

Have a super April and happy spring!!!

From tava to guava, to cyclones oh my!

January and February are almost through and they've been two months full of the good, the bad, and the ugly!

 After my holiday, school started creeping towards its start for the 2016 school year.

It started with student Sunday, where all students present and past are recognized for their achievements in school. It's also a time where people have accomplished higher education talk about the importance of education and inspire the youth to follow in those footsteps of continuing their education.

Then we had training week for the teachers, which consisted of sermons and prayers, and teacher meetings (luckily I was able to help out at some professional development workshops at one of the local high schools).

That took us to the first week of school on February 1st! Unfortunately that whole week was only half days due too the outbreak of the Zika virus (apparently the mosquitos that carry the virus are most active in the afternoons, so the Ministry of Educations solution was to send students home after lunch). Luckily all the schools were sprayed by the end of the second week of February!

Week 3 all the schools were ready to go, classes started Monday and it seemed like we were going to finally start the school year with full day classes.... then cyclone Winston decided to pay Tonga a visit.

Good old Winston ripped through with some gale force winds and lots of rain (which was great for our Sima vai's), however, a 5.7 earthquake decided to shake things up a bit along with Winston.  As one would expect, school was cancelled or put on half days this past week, and we as volunteers were on constant alert. Thankfully no severe damage occurred in Tongatapu, however the cyclone did move up and gain strength (like this sucker went up to a category 4 and at points a 5) to hit Vava'u and eventually Fiji. Thoughts and prayers are with all the volunteers and people on those islands! To my knowledge we don't know yet the exact impact and damage caused by the storm, but all our volunteers are safe at this moment!

A crack in my sima vai (water tank) from the earthquake.

 Gale force winds making some waves in the trees behind my house!

Hoping that this next and last week of February is full of school (all day) as we move into week 4 of our school year, getting ready to start taking common tests in the coming week 5.

Here's some highlights from the past 2 months:

Escaped a molokau (centipede) bite just in the knick of time (yes this is taken by me standing on a chair...)

Picking tava (a fruit very similar to lychee but much bigger) with my teachers during our first week of school. It's the tradition every year to start the school year by shaking the tava tree and eating it's yummy fruit!

It's also guava season! YUM!

My new library in the secondary school that is finally organized and labeled!

The other half of the library where I will be teaching Form 1 & Form 2 (equivalent to 6th and 7th grade U.S.) english of the rest of the year.

Straight lounging... my cat pinati (peanut) living the dream!

 A beautiful Tongan sunrise on a morning run!

Have a great rest of your February!!! 

Holiday

 December started with school ending and ended with an awesome visit from my family to the Kingdom of Tonga!

My host family graciously picking my U.S. family up from the airport.

 Lunch after the plane ride at the favourite local spot (best food in Tonga)!

My two momma's!

My brother checking out the school and library.

 A rat eaten water-bottle... there were some adjustments they had to make living the Peace Corps Tonga life during their visit, but they adapted very well.

 Waiting for the bus to town.

Checking out the Saturday market in town.

 Pineapple season!

Got some quality church time in, all dressed in their traditional Tongan attire.

After church my host family prepared a wonderful feast full of traditional Tongan foods.

Including a roasted pig!

Mom found some papaya (lesi)!

 Explored the main island

Blowholes!

Land bridge!

 Hufangalupe!

Got to meet my awesome taxi driver, who took us all around the island!

Erik got to bond with the kitty (Pinati).

Enjoyed some resort time!

Church on Christmas!

After Christmas we started our 'eva' to the big NZ!

Visited the living Maori village!

Rode up the gondola and naturally go-carted down!

'

Then my favorite human came!!! Bil joined the adventure!

Found some seals!

A cute little blue penguin!

Tried some brews at the infamous Speights Brewery!

Found some Lord Of The Rings filming sites!

Explored Auckland!

Hiked to some waterfalls!

Chilled with some Hobbits!

Naturally ate some Hobbit food!

 Explored some caves!

Jet boated around some waterfalls!

Finally headed back to Tonga with Bil, as my family left for back home!

 Bil with my host brothers!

Overall it was an amazing trip and I enjoyed every minute of it! It was definitely a much needed break and I am refreshed and ready to work hard and make my last year here count!

Happy 2016!