ITEP Program in 2003:
In June of 2003, Elder and Sister Cottle replaced Elder and Sister Cook as the ITEP Coordinators at BYU-H. Elder and Sister Cook accomplished the work of rewriting the ITEP manual and coordinating the program with the missionaries working in the various countries. The spring before their release they traveled to all the countries inspiring the missionaries and teachers in the various island schools. They left a legacy that will be difficult to follow.
Arriving at BYU-H right before graduation, Elder and Sister Cottle were trained by the Cooks, along with Elder and Sister Ellsworth, who were going to replace the Jensens at the Liahona School in Tonga. It wasn't until then that the Cottles realized what a tremendous work they were under taking.
The School of Education Building was being renovated during the summer and all the ITEP records and files were in boxes. The Cottles office was moved as the various offices and class rooms were being refinished. It wasn't until near the end of August that their office, and I might say, the best office in the building, was ready with new filing cabinets and furniture.
Settled in their new office with transcripts filed in various cabinets according to country, the work progressed very well. Elder Cottle revised the ITEP transcript and put it into a data base for easier recording of classes and credits. A shared file that contains the transcripts, according to country, was also added. It could be on both Elder and Sister Cottles computers. Both were able to share the transcripts and know what changes were taking place as the various classes were recorded.
In late September, Elder and Sister Cottle made their first trip to the islands to actually see the program in progress. They flew to Nadi, Fiji, a six hour flight from Honolulu, then a short flight to Suva, the capital of Fiji. They were met by the Burbanks, the ITEP missionaries working at the Church College of Fiji. They would stay at a Holiday Inn. There they actually saw the wonderful work done by the missionaries teaching the teachers education classes to help them improve their teaching skills as well as rising higher on the pay scale. The Burbanks were great hosts and gave us a tour around the island. They drove us back to Nadi to catch our flight to Kiribati. Fiji is a beautiful place with many mountains where they grow lots of sugarcane and tare).
From Fiji, they flew to Kiribati, a small U shaped island better known for the great battles fought during WWII. There is one road down the middle of the island and one can usually see the ocean on both sides. It is near the equator and very hot. They were met by the Whitakers, the IMP missionaries. It is amazing how we felt like we knew these missionaries from our many correspondences. The Whitakers drove us to the Moroni High School. We were very impressed that the church buildings were the best buildings on the island. Most of the people live in grass huts very close together. Where the school is located are 5 houses for missionaries, a church and several school buildings. We were given the guest house. The houses were all air-conditioned which we were thankful for.
All the water had to be boiled before you could use it, a task we did every morning. The Whitakers, like the Burbanks, were doing a wonderful work and a great asset to the school. Sister Whitaker would boil water and fill bottles so the students could have water to drink during their classes. In the evening we were honored at a supper and show with some of the girls in the school. Elder Cottle was invited, with other gentlemen, to come and dance with the girls. It was a joy to watch him try to do the Polynesian dances. We were asked by the principal if we would speak to the students at a morning assembly. We were asked to talk on the importance of getting an education.
We were scheduled to fly back to Fiji and then on to New Zealand to meet with Ian Ardern, the Associate Area Director. When we arrived at the airport we discovered that the flight back to Fiji had been canceled. There wouldn't be another one going until next week. However there was a flight going to Nauru and then on to Australia. Many people were taking that flight. With the help of a local fellow, Norman Cross, we were able to exchange our tickets and get a visa to go to Australia, a place I had always wanted to visit, then we would go on to New Zealand. We flew to Nauru, a small island somewhere in the South Pacific, where we left the plane with all our luggage, and waited for close to two hours wondering why it stayed there so long. Finally they let us board again and we were on our way.
We landed in Brisbane, Australia around 10:00 clock in the evening. We found a motel close to the airport and settled down for the night, wondering how we were going to get to New Zealand. Although we didn't get to see much of Brisbane, we did walk around the next morning to a small market to get us something for breakfast. After calling BYU H travel people we were able to get tickets to New Zealand that afternoon. We learned many things about ITEP from Ian and enjoyed the sights of New Zealand. Elder Cottle even learned to drive on the right hand side of the road. Our flight back to Honolulu was uneventful. We were glad to be back in our little apartment and to get back to work in our office. We had learned so much visiting Fiji and Kiribati and meeting with the Area Director. It helped us understand ITEP and the effect it has made in those countries.
Graduation, in December, brought honors to our 1 1 EP program. Lily Kaio from Church College of Samoa and Makilita Satini from Liahona School in Tonga graduated and will return to their countries as better educated teachers. Makilita graduated Cum Laude. These students had taken classes in their various countries and could finish their Bachelors degree in one year. They are now back teaching in the schools of Samoa and Tonga . They were here on an International Leadership Development Scholarship.
