On Departing from Sia’atoutai Theological College

Greetings to All from STC,

Well, after 6 ½ months in Tonga, we are about ready to head home. What can we say? On so many occasions, we have commented on the fact that we have been surrounded by beauty. We travel the roads with our affordable rental car and say that we are embedded in an environment that would remind someone of a South Pacific holiday postcard. We have dined on the finest of fresh locally-grown fruits and vegetables; even the local butcher’s mince and chicken are very tasty. Renate especially likes the freshly fileted mahi mahi from South Pacific Fisheries (straight off the fishing boats at Nuku’alofa’s wharf).

Starting in December, we began a daily practice of walking for about 5.6 km at 6 am. This has given us an opportunity to be out in the coolest time of day and appreciate the beautiful scenery along the waterfront. Of course, we walk the initial portion with a good cup of tea. It has been fascinating to meet the variety of locals and visitors who are out walking at that time of the morning. There are several locals that regularly walk the same path. It has been enjoyable to get to know some of them. With other folk, it is just a pleasure to share words of greeting and encouragement.

Also, during this time, we were able to witness the graduation of one Sia’atoutai Theological College class in November 2019 and the start of another class year at STC in February 2020. It has been a real mixture of joy and sadness to be able to interact with the students. Newly-made friends graduated, some returned for another school year and a new group of people have commenced classes. I was able to proof-read a great variety of papers and was richly rewarded by the experience. I was privileged to be able to learn about Tongan culture, history and pastoral papers, which focused on tremendously moving life-stories. I was both educated, fascinated and quite often moved to tears. What a privilege! What a gift! Renate has been engaged in teaching yoga classes in different venues in the local community. She has enjoyed relating to a wide variety of Tongan and International residents.

As the Kingdom of Tonga is known as the Friendly Isles, the STC staff have been exemplary models of Tongan hospitality and graciousness. They have always been supportive and have provided us with both a home and a caring community. It is with great gratitude and humility that we head toward London and begin to envision the next steps of our shared journey of faith.

The Registrar at STC had read my poem from our last posting and decided to respond in kind. He has been a great friend for discussions about Tongan history, culture and overall theological discourse on a variety of topics.

“In return to your poem this is what I say”

Beautiful poem Bill,

A piece of history that not only marks

This place in time

But more deeply into the

Experience of being

 

Walking about here and there,

Keeping the river flowing, as we thought, 

Giving and Receiving

On the table, keep sharing

 

This nafualu spot on the dot

With its odds and flows

Ripples of culture mixed

With Christian melodies

Celebration! if you may

Grafting a way of life.

 

Hybridized, as I may say

Consisting of laughs about nothing

But yelling just to make noise

More to make sure 

We are here.

 

True Bill 

Forgive the noise

Our being is 

The most vital value

Of our existence here.

Your presence

In the midst of all

Made it sure that we should 

Look up & bow down

To learn.

We'll value our existence

acknowledging His Being

Bill and Renate

your being, your presence

Means so much to us here

In the kingdom of Tonga! 

In the Name of Jesus.

 

Reverend Paula Onoafe Latu Ph.D

POL.stc.siaatoutai.2020.

 

Best Wishes,

Revd. Bill Tardy & Renate Lalloo