Safely home — an emotional return from a war zone
Dozens of Tongan Kiwis who found themselves stuck in Israel have finally made it back to New Zealand and are thanking the Tongan Government for its help to get them out safely.
Members of the Connection City Church Assemblies of God branch touched down in Auckland on Thursday after a trip that started off as a tour of the Holy Land ended in a battle to get out after a deadly Hamas attack less than two weeks ago.
Pesi Sikalu, one of the younger members on the tour, said after several cancelled and changed flights, it was an emotional experience arriving back in New Zealand.
“When we finally touched down, we were all in tears. We were so emotional, clapping on the plane. It doesn’t feel real being back home.
“Leaving Israel was hard — bittersweet. You realise you’re leaving people whose reality is war right now and it’s so uncertain.”
The 25-year-old Aucklander described how harrowing the last two weeks had been; wondering when they would be able to get out of Israel.
She had gotten into the habit of keeping her passport on her in case anything happened and she would need to be identified.
“When you’re there . . . during the night, you wonder if the siren would go off and you’d have to get up and run to safety.
“You’re always on edge. You can never really let loose there because you’re always [thinking]: ‘Anything can happen’.”
The devastating assault by Hamas militants happened just a few days after the group — made up of both young and elderly members — arrived in Jerusalem.
“We could feel the vibrations of the bombings happening. We heard a lot of gunfire, the bombings,” she said last week.
After Turkish Airlines cancelled their flight twice, the Tongan Government organised a chartered flight for not only their church group, but another New Zealand-based Tongan group who had travelled to Israel as well, Sikalu said.
She paid tribute to the small island nation and particularly the Tongan consulate based in London, Major Kiu Kaho, who travelled to Israel to help them.
“If anything, it just shows the heart of our people. Thank you to Tonga. It just showed us the beauty of our culture and our people.
“My sisters had banners. Families had lolly leis — it was so nice.
“Seeing them was so emotional. There were tears. It’s hard to put into words being able to see your family again and embrace them.”