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January 22, 2014

Finally back at site! After a long training and a very long ferry ride (22 hours) we are finally back in Vava’u at our sites! On our way up to Vava’u we stopped in Ha’apai, some of us got off the boat and walked around, the devastation is incredible. Ha’apai was severally hit by a cyclone and almost ever structure is felled or has some sort of damage. Are hearts go out to all those suffering and rebuilding.

From Ha’apai it was about another 14 hours before I was able to get off the boat and see my island. My best friend and his family came to pick me up and it was great to see them all again. After a quick hug and uma (Tongan kiss which is actually a sniff on the cheek) it was off to the hospital to go to a church service for the recently deceased pastor of the Free Church of Tonga in my village. What return, not even half an hour off the boat and I am back in a tupenu praying. After the service we went back to my village and without trying I saw all of my favorite kids right away just playing around. We dropped my bags off at Hepi’s house and went back to the wharf to load stuff on to the boat for its return to Tonga. When I finally got to get back to my house it was after 8 pm and I had to get the key from my principal who I had found out let one of my teachers stay in my house while I was gone...

I tracked down my key and walked into my house with my friends Hepi and Suli. I was shocked. The house was a mess. It was dirty, all my stuff was moved around and I found a dirty diaper in the corner. As i walked through the house speaking only profanity and assessing the damage, Suli pointed out my room was locked, my key ring didn’t not have the room key on it so I had to break down the door frame to get into my room. In my room things were piled in boxes and just thrown around. I thought i was going to explode from anger and I had to keep apologizing to my friends because I didn’t like that they were seeing me so angry. I ultimately straightened up enough to keep myself sane and then put the rest off for the following day so I could try and salvage the night with my two best friends.