Admiral’s Update No 19 2015

Greetings Everyone,

We are in Fiji.  Phil has seen the eye specialist here and is booked to fly to Australia for treatment at 9am on Tuesday.  He has fluid leaking into his eye and need surgery to drain it before the retina is lazered back on.  They don’t have the equipment in Fiji to do it.  I am staying at Vadu Point Marina until he returns.

We didn’t end up leaving Tonga until Sunday the 9th as the wind had died.  It enabled us to have a lovely taste of Tonga.  We enjoyed a musical evening on another yacht with a Tongan family singing amazing harmonies.  I taught some Scripture songs at the high school the next day and felt very inadequate.

We went to the Tongan annual agricultural show — similar to the Sydney Royal Easter Show in national importance (about 1/30 the size) but as well as vege displays there were displays of fish on ice, dried octopus, a prise for the fattest pig (huge!!) the heaviest yam (also huge) and the best displays of weaving, basketry, and jewelry.  We tasted vanilla popcorn and the food from the cooking completion –YUM!!.  Also, got a close look (about one metre away) at the king and queen of Tonga when they came around inspection all the exhibits.

On Sunday we went with friends to the Pentecostal Church and sang old Hillsong songs and heard an English translation of the sermon with an indescribably funny parody of boxing by the pastor to demonstrate the spiritual battle.

All in all we left Tonga with regret and memories.  Thanks for all the prayers.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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Admiral’s Update No 18 2015

Greetings Everyone,

We might leave for Fiji tomorrow (Thursday) if the weather is OK.  It is a four day trip if the weather holds.  Phil’s right eye is troubling him again and he thinks the retina may have torn again.  There is nowhere near us where he could get it looked at and Fiji seems the best place for a check-up.  However, if it need laser treatment again he may have to fly back to Australia.  We will wait and see.

We hope to slip the boat in Fiji and antifoul it while we are there.

Tonga has been a bit of a disappointment as it rained a lot and was cold!!  We are wearing jumpers and had two blankets on the bed at night.  The water temperature was only 21 degrees and the whales, we think, were in hibernation.

The Pactor modem is still playing up so our correspondence after we leave land may be spasmodic.  Keep praying for us; especially for Phil’s eye.

God bless,

Pam and Phil

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Modem problem

Greetings Everyone,

Just to let you know we are having problems with the modem again. I think it may be in the USB connections to it. Anyway, if I can’t get it working we will only be able to send e-mails and Yotpeps when we are on land somewhere. At the moment we are at Vavau, Tonga and will be here a couple of weeks — not always in wifi areas.  Then we will head for Fiji.  If I get the modem going you will get Yotreps updates.  If you do and then they stop midway it will probably be because of the modem — don’t panic — the trip to Fiji is only a few days after we leave Tonga and we will get back to a wifi connection there.  At the moment I can’t get it working.

God bless,

Phil

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