The woman I love, respect, and miss

Siokapesi Potolaka

 

My Grandma Soko was a mother figure to me. She had a hard life, but refused to make it hard for her grandkids. Growing up with very little my grandma could make miracles happen. In the kitchen, holidays, and birthdays. At the time I didn't notice how much self sacrifice she made so that we had a babysitter, nurse, chef, mother, father, teacher, and great example. She taught me to love God. She taught me that prayer was important (even though her prayers made me fall asleep). She taught me compassion. She also was our savior (especially when our parents came home to discipline us). Her examples will live on through me and my siblings. I love her and miss her, and although she is gone from this physical realm I am ecstatic for the day we reunite. I am extremely grateful for the plan of salvation and the promise I will see her again. With her on the other side, death no longer is scary but will be that much sweeter.



I know she looks upon us and can see us mourning her exit, but I want her to know that she will forever be missed and loved. Siokapesi kou mate he ofa atu ki ho'o mata. Until we meet again. Your legacy lives on.


She was stylish

 



She loved her Grandkids.

Towards the end this big head had all her attention.

 

 

Nervous???

Sooo LOOONNNNGGG since I've posted anything! Where to start? Soo, lets see? What's new with me?

 Well, first, I'm going to be able to enter the temple Saturday! Super excited and frign nervous wreck because I know that I am starting to really grow up. I feel like my parents are slowly pushing me outside the door so that I can finally be on my own. I don't mind really because I look at it as a step closer in the right direction.

 Man and it's a hop and a skip to my bros wedding! Super excited for that, not looking forward to the drive, but being able to go in for his sealing will be super cool!

 After the wedding it's only going to be a few short weeks until I'm off to the MTC to serve the people of Peru! I think this is one of the things I am most nervous about. I have been to farewells and homecomings, and I have always knew in the back of my mind that one day it will be me bidding farewell to family and friends, but I really never expected that day to come so soon. For me it feels like around the corner! When I first got my calling in December I thought oh May! I have 5 months to prepare, easy squeezy. Now it's March and I really am shaken! One, I don't know where the time went to and what I have "prepared" for me to go. I know a lot of RMs tell me that you really won't know anything until I experience it myself. I know that's true, but I wish I could sort of foresee if I really am going to be that kind of teacher that can command a room. I have trouble as it is remembering where I put my keys so I have some trouble knowing if I can remember half the scripture masteries that will be required for me to remember...IN SPANISH! As I write this I am comforted with the words of my Sunday school teacher which were something to the effect,
"because we doubt and question ourselves we are subsequently leaving less room for the spirit to dwell within us, and therefore can not feel His promptings."
So because I am reminded of that I'm not going to doubt that I WILL be a good missionary. With much prayer and obedience I will labor in the Lord's vineyard in May and bring the world its truth.

LOL! Kinda corny but who cares... 8P It's my blog and I do what I want! WHateverrr I want! LOL! Happy Monday folks!

Happy Birthday NAISE!

First off I want to wish my lil sis Pelenaise Langi-Tuavao a happy 19th birthday. I can't believe its almost a year since this lil hoochie got married and moved to Reno. I hope her husband and in-laws treat her to a day of babysitting and deep house cleaning. =) Anyhoots, sorry Paylay I can't give you anything monetary, but remember I will always love you my dear. Leti and Bby Niki more most def, but since you're in the picture too, I guess, if I really have to, love you too. See yah when you finally back up your talk in March? Well payce hooch.
;)

What a Co-ink-a-dink!

So I was surfing the blog world, and I got curious about my mission and the area I'm serving in. I decided to hop on google and look up missionaries pictures in Trujillo Peru. To my surprise I landed on this palangi couples page who are in Peru. Their picture looked so familiar to me. I scrolled down a little bit more and read the caption for the picture, and then it hit me, they are my future mission presidents! Yes, I did look through that blog like crazy, and the mission looks like soo much fun. I really am excited to serve there. 8)

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

2011 BABY! 

Oh good golly Ms. Molly! What can I say about new years...ok, let me start with new years eve.

• New years eve:

Let me make this clear. There were lots of calls made this night. All of which were related to getting my cousin (I'll call her Poko) to come enjoy new years eve, dancing the night away in San Bruno (at the Stake dance..super lame that I look forward for these dances?LOL!) Yeah so I spent a good two and half hours in Los Altos (totally opposite San Bruno) trying to get Poko to leave with me. I sat in my car and waited for my aunt (I'll call her Tia, and inform you she doesn't like Mormons) to agree to let Poko come out to a Mormon dance. Trust me, I was so tempted to leave Poko a million times because the whole situation just got on my nerves. 

First, I'm sitting outside Poko's work (8:00pm), which she shares with Tia, and she's not answering my ten back to back calls. Second, when she finally did call me back (8:12pm) it was to apologize for wasting my gas coming there because Tia told Poko that she couldn't go with me. Third, Tia calls me (this would be around 8:40pm) and tells me to give directions to my great aunt on how to get to the work so me and Poko can go (knowing dang well there weren't any street lights and these vaivais live on the side of a hill.) Fourth, I had to drive around looking for my great aunt so that I could guide her to the work (by this time it is already 9:15pm).

Oh I felt so crappy! When I arrive with my great aunt at the house (9:30pm) I see she's all dressed for the dance (my great aunt is Mormon and just moved from LA to work here and was trying to familiarize herself with her new ward by going to the Pen 3rd dance.) I felt so bad for her because I already knew that Tia is the type of person who says she'll be there at like 10pm, but not show up until 4am. Yes. SCANDALOUS! So, when I saw my great aunt dressed in her new outfit, with her hair done back, and her lipstick on my heart fell to the ground. I knew she wouldn't be making it to any new year's eve dances. Yeah, at that point I looked at Poko and thought to myself, yeah I should have left you. My great tells me in Tongan that she was just getting ready to go to the dance when Tia calls her and tells her to go wait at the work for her because she's running a little late. My great aunt thought running late like 15minutes? Then, she continued to remind me that we (her and I) already talked about the plans a week ago (because we share the same job, but I got my mom to cover my shift so both my great aunt and I can go to the dances--and don't worry my mom didn't want to go she hates stake dances.) I told her I knew that already that it wasn't my fault it was Tia's. LOL! Yeah that didn't make me feel any better. So my great aunt got out of the car and I told her what Tia's running late meant, and she goes, awww man. I'm gonna just change then. Man I got all dressed! Look at my dress. -yes folks, this is what made it so sad. I tried to reassure her that Tia would be there in no time all she had to do was harass call her and ask her when she would be there to relieve her from work. My great aunt said she'll just wait for Tia to show up because she shouldn't be taking that long.

So my cousin and I left (9:50). We get home rush to get dressed and shoot out to San Bruno to arrive there at 11pm. Yes, we felt guilty for our great aunt getting stuck at work, but we chalked it up to we didn't know Tia would call her to come there, and it would be a waste of gas to send her to her dance if she was already at the work (hmmm, now that I typed that, it sounds SCANDALOUS)

Well with one hour left until the new year, I thought let's make the most of it. So we danced for half an hour awaiting the big count down to welcome in 2011! Yeah, and the count down was SOOO late! AHAH! When the clock struck 12 the DJ stopped the music and we are all staring at each other like huh? Then we realize it's already 12, then the music comes on as we are greeting each other. Following that at 12:03am the M.C. gets back on the mic and does a countdown starting at ten! Bwahah!

I couldn't stay long, because I had to pick up my dad from work at 12:10am so we rushed out of there. Then we went home, got my things ready, and rushed back to work to relieve my mom.

So to sum up new years eve: I felt annoyed, guilty, happy, content, and tired. 

• New Years Day:

I worked all weekend. Sucks, but I made some major goals concerning my mission prep! Looking forward to putting in all of this hard work so that I can spread the gospel to the people of Peru! Oh, and I deactivated my Facebook account. Nervous about that, but I am sticking by my resolution! 8)

Well til next time-

Happy HOlidays!

Kay, I know I'm late, but who cares! MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Let's see..how was my Christmas?
Well I worked. I thought I would at least have the afternoon off, but nope. I did however have like four hours off from 5-9. I didn't mind. Once I got off I rushed to my aunts spent like fifteen minutes with them, and then ran to my other vaivais house to eat. LOL! I mean, she did buy extra food just for me and my family to come by? It was delicious! Then rushed back home to get ready for the rest of my weekend shift!

Some news I got today. We may be getting a new room mate? For at least a month. He's an old friend of my brothers, and I don't mind that he's moving in. He's pretty coolio, and he's just trying to stay here to make things work financially! Well, here's a big blog welcome my friend!

Anywho, there's nothing new or exciting other than the end of the year. Boy where did the time go? Well 2011! I'm ready for you, or getting ready to take you on by storm. Got lots of "Long-Term Resolutions" and I'll post that later. Some of them even make me look at it like hmmmmm.
Well til next time...

MISSION CALL!!!!!

I have been called to serve in the Peru Trujillo Mission. Can I just say I am having mixed emotions about where I am going. LOL! I am super excited that I am getting called to serve in Peru, but at the same time I am terrified!

When I initially turned my papers in I, like most soon to be missionaries, said to myself where ever the Lord calls me, that is where I will go. Then when my mission papers got "postponed" I told myself, well the states wouldn't be too bad. I mean there's indoor plumbing, fast food chains, packages will arrive with their full contents in store, etc...The states is where I am most comfortable. So when my little brother started to read the letter that was sent to me, I secretly within my mind was wishing it would read Portland, Oregon. Oakland, California. Salt Lake City, Utah. Somewhere where I have family and know that while I am in the Lord's hands I'm also surrounded by family who's hands will take care of me too. So when my brother read Peru, my eyes almost popped out of its sockets. I thought he was playing around with me before he read my real mission call! While at first I was dumbstruck and kept repeating Peru over and over again in my mind and out loud I started to get scared. I know this is just prejitter feelings and as I prepare faithfully and with vigor for my journey ahead, I'll be comforted-at least I hope so.
-Well til next time blog world-