SHOUT OUT SUNDAY!!!

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Malo E LeiLei !!! Fefe Hake???
This means Hello! How are you? in TONGAN.

This Sunday I decided to give a shout out to a group of people who changed my life! YEP a whole group of people!!!

When I first moved to Hawaii in 2003 I wanted to learn all I could about the Polynesian cultures of the pacific. I was so excited to learn because I am fascinated with culture.

I heard about a group of people who were dancing for an upcoming festival and I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn. Well long story short....After many weeks of practice and struggling to be accepted by this certain group of people I was essentially outcast. I don't know for sure but I am positive that it was because I was a white girl from Utah. These particular people didn't like "my kind" very much. Well needless to say I felt devastated. I was so sad, because all I wanted to do was learn, and for the first time I had felt the pains of stereotyping and racism. I won't mention who they were because I don't believe all of the people from this culture are like this.

ANYWAYS soon after someone informed me about the Tongan Club on BYUH campus. They mentioned that they were singing together for a few Tongan nobles who were visiting from Tonga.

I went to the practice and I was welcomed with open arms. They loved me, they taught me, they embraced me, they even gave me a Tongan name. That is where Senoni comes from :) if you were wondering. That's my Tongan name:)

I will be forever grateful to the Tongan men and women I have met. I love them. I will always love them.

Just to explain the pictures a little.
The group with the green shirts was the singing group I participated in;)

The girl with the red feather is Tupou. My sweetest Tongan sister. I miss her. Love you Tupou where ever you are:)

The other group picture is of me and my Tongan girlfriends. They took the little money they had and on my birthday made me a cake and took me to the local gas station to buy me treats:) They are the most unselfish and humble people I know to this day:)

The other woman with the money lei was the instructor that taught us the Tongan dancing that I got to participate in. I was privileged to dance for President Shumway who is a noble in Tonga and the former president of BYUH.:) and experience I will never forget.

........Oh! and I have to mention this..........

My whole life I never felt like I fit the mold where I grew up. I wasn't ever a size 2 or perfect. I never felt like I knew who I was or that I belonged.

These Tongan people loved me for who I was.. they didn't care that I wasn't skinny or that I didn't wear a certain brand of clothes.

My gorgeous Tongan friends liked me for who I was, and for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged. I can never repay them for that. One day I will visit Tonga and one day I will give back them what they gave me. UNCONDITIONAL CHRIST-LIKE LOVE AND SERVICE.

JUST A LITTLE

Although I am sure most of you know, I am soooo excited for our not so distant future. I am pretty sure its not hard to tell how happy we are. BUT even though I am spilling over with excitement I am still trying to hold back a little. I guess its kind of a defense mechanism.

BUT even though I am trying to hold back and just be patient I cant help it!!

Today I let myself look at baby stuff at Target:)

I just can't help it, I cant get our little one off my mind. I am trying to stay busy and distracted but to be completely honest my thoughts are consumed daily by this sweet itty bitty that I have never even met.

Its really weird.. even though I am not even pregnant I feel spiritually I am already bonding with this baby:) It gives me goosebumps;)

You could say I am just a little happy:)

SHOUT OUT SUNDAY!!

Well my peeps.. its another Sunday and I have another chance to give a shout out to someone who has had an impact on my life. I actually thought of this person a few weeks ago but I wanted to save it for this Sunday because this week Thursday Nov. 5th is her birthday!!!!

Drum role please..........dadadadaadadadadadadadadaada



MICHELLE!!!!!!!!
me and Michelle on graduation day;) 1o years ago!!

Michelle has been my good best friend since the second grade. She was my partner in crime when we would skip classes in H.S. ... she was my dancing buddy when our bodies weren't all old and squeaky;)... she was my first roommate after we moved away from home...and the most important of all is that she has been my truest friend through my whole life!!!!
Michelle is not only beautiful but she has a heart of gold. Michelle has been the best listener and shoulder to cry on, and my rock through some pretty crappy situations.
I miss Michelle all the time. She is my sister in every sense of the word. I know that she will always be there for me. She cries when I cry, she laughs when I laugh. WE. ARE. SOUL MATES.
so this one goes out to you my life long pal;) I love you and my life would not be the same without you. I miss you and think of you every day!!! Hopefully soon we will be back in Cali so we can have some more fun;) LOVE YOU FOREVER!!!!

THE GOOD SAMARITAN

We have all heard the story of the Good Samaritan right? (Luke 10:25-37) In this parable a man falls prey to robbers. He is beaten and left in a ditch in very poor condition. Two men pass by, one a priest, the other a Levite. Each of these men passes by on the other side of the road. Both men were to busy or had a seemingly good reason why they could not help.

A third man, a Samaritan, passes by. This man stops and binds up the wounds of the man in the ditch, doing the best he can to take care of his very need. This man had somewhere he was going. This man in that day was shunned for being a Samaritan. YET this man stopped to help, this man gave unconditional love and support to someone he didn't even know. This man was the most Christ-like of all of those who passed by.

I don't mean to be preachy (and believe me what I am talking about is more for me than anyone) but I feel we often times forget this important parable. I forget this. I make excuses.

In recent events that have involved people I care about, this parable (if remembered) might have been the difference between hurt feelings and people coming out feeling good about a situation.
It has reminded me of my faults. I started to think to myself, Do I ignore the fallen and needy because I am to busy focusing on my own agenda? Have I ignored someone who needed me because I was supposedly on the Lord's errand? Have I been so caught up in my trials that I have left that poor person in the ditch?
I really hope not.

I know that I have said to myself, "well because I have my own issues and hard trials and they take up all my time, I am to busy to help you with yours".
I feel terrible for making that justification. Sometimes just because we are going through something hard, we make that excuse. We think "doesn't this person know what I am going through? Don't they know I have no time or energy to cater to their needs?"

I am being reminded all the time that the only way to true happiness is to serve others and lose myself in the service of the Lord. I know that the Lord did not say this for nothing. I know that when we serve others we are serving him.
I love this scripture because no matter how much I try to think I can get around it or justify it, I must lose myself in service to others and it has always proved true.

Matthew 16:25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

I will pray today and always that I can be sensitive to those around me and their needs. I will pray to be led to those who might need a friend or those who need comfort.
Please if any of you need me for anything please ask... and please forgive me if I have ever ignored any of your feelings because I was so focused on my own.

SHOUT OUT SUNDAY

SARIAH!!!

I gotta give a shout out to my girl Sariah!!!
let me just tell you about why this women is so amazing... first of all I can talk to her about anything!!! She was one of the first people to totally and unconditionally befriend me when we moved here. I prayed for a good friend and the Lord sent me Sariah;)
She totally lets me come over to her house and luv on her kids;) She lets me cuddle with her sweet babies so I can get some good practice in. Her boys have helped fill a void in my heart. I love her for sharing her momhood with me. She is always there for me and is a great listener.
I am pretty sure if all people had a friend like Sariah, then no one would ever feel alone;)
Anyways i could go on forever about this girl.. just love her.
Oh and she is also my partner in crime and is one Kick butt photographer;) She is a women after my own heart...Love love love ya Sariah:)

LIKE THIS POST, YOU WILL

I had to just take a minute and post these pics and this video.....

Tim and I are gonna be Star wars characters for Halloween and so it was an excuse for Tim to buy a "real" lightsaber.... he looked like a little boy on christmas morning when it arrived;)

Yet another reason why I love this man;)

!!!SHOUT OUT SUNDAY!!!

My shout out to day is to my long time bestie
MONIQUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I met Moni in 2004 while I was working at PCC. We were instant friends. From the beginning she has been there for me through lots of hard times in my life. She is so motivated and a level headed thinker. I need people like her because she keeps my head out of the clouds.

She was my roomie in a tiny bedroom for almost a year, and although I know that I probably got on her nerves more than once she was always there for me.
We had many adventures and fun times in Hawaii including many trips to the North Shore, a random trip to Kauai, Surfing, Ice skating, long talks, going to dances at BYUH, taking random pictures, Cold Stone trips, and watching each other get married;)

Although we have lived a part from each other for sometime now, she continues to be one of my best and loyal friends. I know I can always call her if I need anything.

So this one goes out to you Moni!!! Love you tons and miss you lots and I hope you know that I am lucky to have you as a fwend;)