Like so many other Tongans in the aftermath of the cyclone, Mateo Lautaimi, lost his home to Cyclone Gita. Garrick Parr, Manager of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ service centre in Tonga, reported, “Many of those we spoke to have begun rebuilding already; picking up what was left of their homes where possible and starting (to rebuild) with those materials.”
Lautaimi’s attitude is like that of so many of his fellow Tongans. “Our home was very old anyway. We can now rebuild it so the cyclone has done us a favour!”
In this article at stuff.co.nz, read other accounts of the fortitude of Tongans as they recover from one of the worst storms ever to hit the country.