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When the undersea volcano Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai erupted on January 15, 2022, it sent shockwaves throughout the Pacific. (While this happened in 2022, we felt it a wonderful story worth revisiting). The explosion generated a tsunami that devastated the Kingdom of Tonga, destroying homes, flooding villages, and covering the islands in thick volcanic ash. In the midst of chaos and destruction, five young missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints acted with courage and compassion, saving lives and offering faith amid fear.
A Nation in Crisis
The undersea eruption occurred about sixty five kilometers from Tonga’s main island of Tongatapu. Its shockwave circled the globe and sent tsunami waves crashing into coastlines across the Pacific. Tonga was hit especially hard, with entire communities displaced and communication nearly severed.
According to The Church News, four people were killed and eighteen injured in the disaster. For weeks afterward, communication across the islands was intermittent because the undersea cable had been destroyed. Families relied on faith, community strength, and local efforts to survive and begin rebuilding.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints operates two missions in Tonga, one covering the main island and another serving the outer islands. President Sitiveni Fehoko leads the Tonga Outer Islands Mission, overseeing around one hundred thirty five missionaries scattered across distant islands. When news of the eruption reached him, he knew a tsunami would follow. Without delay, he began calling the missionaries closest to the volcano, warning them to seek higher ground immediately.
Racing Against the Wave on Kotu Island
Among those he reached were Elder Malakai Ika and Elder Richard Tu’l’onetoa, serving on Kotu Island about sixty miles from the eruption site. When they received the call, they dropped everything and ran uphill. As they ascended, they noticed villagers standing near the shoreline, watching the sea recede unnaturally far.
Elder Ika saw a father and two children struggling to climb the hill and carried the children to safety. Elder Tu’l’onetoa encountered an elderly woman using a walker who was unable to move quickly. He picked her up and began climbing as fast as he could.
As Pacific Newsroom later reported, “as Elder Tu’l’onetoa neared the top, he turned around and saw a huge wave heading toward them. But suddenly the wave turned away. And when he got to the top, he realized the woman he was carrying felt almost as light as a baby for him.”
Both missionaries stayed on the ridge to help others climb to safety. The Tongan Navy later estimated that the tsunami hitting Kotu Island reached heights of over fifteen meters. Many who made it to the higher ground owed their lives to those early warnings and to the missionaries’ quick action.
A Miracle on Nomuka Island
About twenty kilometers south on Nomuka Island, two more missionaries, Elder Moses Foliaki and Elder Sefita Polata, also witnessed unusual ocean behavior. The water had pulled far back from the shore, exposing the sea floor. They received the same call from President Fehoko urging them to leave the coast and head for higher ground.
The two elders grabbed their scriptures and started running inland. As they ran, they looked toward the horizon and saw the tsunami sweeping over the nearby Nomukeiki Island and heading in their direction. On their way up the hill, they met a mother and her two children. They carried the children and kept climbing until they reached safety.
From the hilltop, they saw something remarkable. According to Church News, “they looked back and saw a wave coming up the island, but it seemed to split just as it got to the Church’s Nomuka meetinghouse, leaving it undamaged.”
Moments later, volcanic ash began to fall across the island. The missionaries knew people would need clean water, and they remembered that President Fehoko had previously instructed them to store bottled water at the Church building. They retrieved the bottles and distributed them to families taking shelter nearby.
Diving into Danger
As they helped distribute water, someone told them that a Church member had been trapped in a deep inland lake filled with debris and floodwater. When the missionaries arrived, they saw the man struggling to stay afloat among wreckage and dead animals. Without hesitation, they jumped in and pulled him to safety. Two more people were discovered in the debris, one severely injured, one already deceased.
Pacific Newsroom’s report stated that the missionaries “knelt and prayed, thanking God for keeping them safe. They later explained that a wave of gratitude and love washed over them as they did this, and they knew their prayer had been answered.”
The experience deeply affected them. Even amid loss and sorrow, they expressed gratitude and faith that they had been preserved to serve others.
A Nation Rebuilds
The destruction across Tonga was widespread. Ash blanketed fields, homes, and churches. Crops were damaged, drinking water was contaminated, and many families were left homeless. Yet within days, communities began to help one another rebuild.
Deseret News reported that the damaged communication cable left Tonga largely cut off from the outside world for more than a month until it was repaired. During that time, local Latter-day Saints and neighbors across the islands organized grassroots relief efforts.
Church News reported that “local members have been sending relief” to nearby islands, and within days the Church organized an air shipment of cargo to deliver supplies. Additional relief shipments came from other nations, including New Zealand and Alaska, supported by Church members and humanitarian partners.
Volunteers from stakes across Tongatapu helped load boats and trucks bound for outer islands, bringing food, water, clothing, and medical supplies. Though the work was exhausting, local leaders described it as an outpouring of love and faith.
Encouragement from the First Presidency
Just days after the disaster, the First Presidency of the Church sent a message of encouragement and love to members in Tonga. In a January 21 letter, Church leaders expressed their admiration for the Tongan Saints’ faith and their confidence in the Lord’s power to help them rebuild.
“How we love you!” the letter read. “Your deep and abiding faith in our Heavenly Father and His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is known and admired the world over.”
The Pacific Newsroom article emphasized that the letter “encouraged faith and calm” during recovery efforts. It reminded members that Christ’s light continues to shine, even through the darkest storms.
A Testament of Faith and Courage
The courage of Elders Ika, Tu’l’onetoa, Foliaki, and Polata stands as a powerful reminder of what it means to serve in the name of Christ. Their obedience and selfless actions saved lives, and their faith uplifted entire communities.
The eruption of Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai was one of the largest natural events of the twenty first century, yet within that tragedy emerged stories of bravery, compassion, and divine protection. Across Tonga, the Saints’ unity reflected their belief that God had not forsaken them.
As the Church continues to assist with rebuilding efforts, the example of these five missionaries remains a living testament to faith in action, a faith that climbs hills, carries others, and gives thanks even in the midst of destruction.
