Update on Life in Tonga

Well, like always, life has stayed interesting since being back in Tonga. So much adventure has filled my past couple of months, as well as, sickness and injury (no surprise there ha!) The best way to share what is going on in my life in Tonga is through pictures!

The most important event to happen in the last three months is my niece, Brenna Joy Baldwin was born at the end of June. This sweet little bundle has made me so homesick because I just want to squeeze her and love on her so much. I cannot wait to meet this sweet little girl that made me an aunt in November!

We had a holiday at the beginning of June and the SAMs and I went on a hike that turned into us getting very lost, which turned into us finding ourselves in the middle of a person's bush land. Our lost adventure led us to huge talo leaves and high school boys climbing a coconut tree for us. What a day, but what day isn't with the SAMwich?

Over the last school holiday a big group of us went to a northern island group in Tonga known as Vava'u. We saw some beautiful sites, had lots of fun, and the SAMs and I even got scuba dive certified. You know in the fourth book of Harry Potter when they have the underwater challenge? That is scuba diving. The first time I went to the bottom of the harbor we started in I thought to myself I am Hermione Granger. It was magic.

This sweet, sweet little guy who was named after me turned one this past week. It is so crazy how fast the first year of his life went. I am so sad every time I think about having to leave him and his family soon, but am so blessed by getting the opportunity to be apart of his life. 

Here are just a few snapshot from the past couple months full of people I love and am having a hard time coming to terms with leaving them. I love them all so much and they all bring so much joy to my life <3

And finally to end this post my three traumatic medical incidents haha

First I got Mata Kovi (pink eye) 5 days after returning to Tonga. It was an epidemic in Tonga. I was banished to my house for a whole week, my eye was swollen shut, and it hurt to watch movies. It was a really longggggggg week. 

Second I woke up about a month ago at 5:30am with hives covering my whole body. When I say whole body I mean from the top of my skull to the bottom of my feet. It was traumatic to say the least. It took 3 hospital visit, 3 shots, and 3 days before the hives went away and stayed away; followed by 3 weeks of oral steriod. We have no idea what I am allergic to, but I am hoping that I never come into contact with it again. When I get back to the states I will be getting an allergy test done. 

And finally, the most recent incident occurred about two weeks ago when a very hot water (on account of it just being boiled) fell onto my foot. The first couple of days it looked like a bruise and hurt like one. Then it blistered. Then is popped. Then is peeled. And it is finally healing.

Well, that's about all that has been happening in my life over here in Tonga. Next week, my group has their COS (close of service) conference. It will be three days of celebrating and reflecting on the past two years. It is crazy to think that our time here really is coming to an end. In just a little over three months I will be back home, but I am not emotionally ready to talk or think about leaving Tonga. 

'Ofa atu and thanks for reading <3