Can you believe I’ve been in Tonga for three months?

One quarter of my project is gone and I had to book my plane ticket home last week. Maybe I shouldn’t type this for fear of backlash but we’re already thinking of staying longer because I don’t think we will be ready to leave in 9 months….

But let’s just pretend I didn’t say that. Ok, family and friends? Stop stressin’.

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while you might remember this post, where I wrote a list of things I hoped to achieve in Tonga. As I’m realising that one year is so short and will just fly by, I wanted to see how I’m progressing.

• Take a holiday around Fiji or Samoa or outer Tongan islands. Or all.

Well, we’ve seen Eua. Which is one outer island. And we are planning on travelling to Ha’apai and Vava’u and hopefully to Fiji. Feel free to donate to our we-are-poor-sort-of-missionaries-and-really-need-a-holiday fund. 

• Learn to relax!

Done. I stayed at home last Sunday and did nothing but bum around watching movies and doing housework. And I didn’t complain once about getting antsy and needing to go out. Relaxed with a capital R. This is a big deal for me. You can leave me comments of praise.

• Meet members of the Tongan Royal Family. (Technically already done after meeting HRH the Crown Prince of Tonga)

While it is very possible that I have walked past them on the street and not known about it, I don’t think I’ve done this yet. 

• Take language lessons and hold a conversation in fluent Tongan.

Still working on this one. We take language lessons every week and I try to remember my phrases but it’s hard. I thought I had mastered counting to ten but realised that I had counted 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 6, 100. Oops. 

• Start to write my book

Does blogging count? 

• Read my bible more i.e. instead of 1-2 times per week (which is pitiful) maybe 3-4 times a week (which is not too bad).

Only by the grace of God go I. So no, failure on this one too. 

• Undertake some form of exercise around 5 times a week.

Yes! Winner! I ride my bike every single stinkin’ day because it is my only form of transport plus I go wharf swimming and take gym classes each week. 

• Spend more time with Drew. 

Done and dusted. Although, I’ll continue to work on this one because hanging out with my husband is fun and he’s hot. And Leita, this time I DO mean it in a sexually attractive way. 

• Figure out how to enjoy snorkeling and not freak out when attempting to breathe with mask underwater

Complete fail. 

• In mastering the above; getting to swim with whales!

Well…. I got in the water that whales were swimming in. I think that counts.

But what I’ve also done is:

Adopted a puppy.

Made a Tongan BFF. (Being a BFF who lives in Tonga and happens to also be part Tongan).

Experienced a plague of cockroaches. 30+ dead coackroaches in a 24 hour period. Gross.

Hung out on some beautiful deserted beaches.

Eaten the best fish of my life.

Enjoyed free bananas.

Danced with the runner up of a male model competition.

Played with a pet pig called “Pebbles.”

Attended a Tongan funeral.

Survived two bouts of food poisoning, an eye infection, a cut foot and major dental pain.. all in one week.

Joined a fabulous bible study with fabulous people.