February 2020 – Tonga 2020

HM King George Tupou VI

We have seen the King of Tonga – LIVE with our own eyes!

Last week, we saw that the flag is up at the King’s palace, so we assumed he must be in residence. We had that assumption confirmed by a friend, and were told that His and Her Majesty will probably go to church on Sunday.

Stepping Up

Over the last two weeks, 20 further businesses have called out for mentoring support! This is in addition to the nearly full workload my colleague and I already have! How can we respond to this growing demand? The answer is in the title: We need to STEP UP!

Pisinisi ‘i he Ofisi

What do a furniture factory, a construction company, handicraft manufacturers, a bakery, a kava exporter, a few restaurants and resorts, a coconut-oil-based cosmetics manufacturer, a new retail shop, a whale-watch operator, and a pearl jewellery centre have in common? You have guessed correctly: These are all businesses which are part of my growing mentoring portfolio.

Some of you have asked me for an update on my business mentoring job. Thank you for your interest. Here it is:

Sharing an Article

This is an excerpt from an article we read in a local magazine. May it inspire you!

“When we lead with our heart, the world looks different. Judgment decreases and compassion increases. We see others the way we wish to be seen. It becomes important to live with passion and purpose and vision. Where there is no vision, people perish. When we know our heart’s desire and lead with our heart, we begin to understand our purpose and passion. If we do what we love, we will never ‘work’ another day in our lives.Martin Luther King did not say “I have a plan.” He said, “I have a dream.” By following our dreams with passion and purpose, we can make a difference in the world; as individuals or as groups. – It has been said that our 60s and 70s are often the most powerful and productive years of our lives. All the years leading up to those years are an opportunity to remember who we are, how we can be of service and refine our purpose and passion. We are becoming better, not older, if we age consciously. We can live the dream.”

(from Real Tonga Airline Magazine)

Chatter Post

So, we are well settled back into life in the Kingdom. Last week, we had eight more VSA volunteers arrive. With this, the number has doubled to 16, and our Programme Manager decided she needs to look around for a formal office building, rather than working from her apartment. It certainly changes the dynamics of our group – in a good way.