Jacob has arrived safe and sound in Tonga, and it seems as though he's already in for quite the adventure. For one thing, the food is very different. He described it as "chainsaw butchered" because the animals seem to be cut up and served as is-bones, sinew, fur and all, and they are expected to eat all of it. He doesn't quite speak Tongan on the level that he can communicate effectively with the native people, but it's off to a good start and I think he will be able to speak with them before too long.
He will be starting off on the island Tongatapu, which is the main island, in Longolongo. He says it is about the size of a smaller Utah town, and doesn't feel much like he is in one of the most remote places in the world at all. The buildings themselves are very different from those in the states. He is staying in a fairly minimalist house with floors that tilt back and forth. When he first got off of the plane, he thought that the airport was a barn. Many of the homes are four plywood walls with a metal roof. There are animals that no one really owns all over in the streets, and when you get hungry, you just go pick one up.
It sounds as though it will certainly be an adjustment, but he is eager to see the work there move forward.
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