Petition WOE

I Came home mid September to file the petition from here, because there is no other way....... and because we had tried to sumit the petition while I was in Tonga and found that I needed to be in the States to properly file the petition! Being home is bitter sweet and it has taken me about a month to get back on my feet. I feel so incomplete and alone and it sucks!!! But I must do what needs to be done so we can be together again.
We call and text alot.... and that seems to keep us going and fuel me the next call or text!!! I knew we where going to be apart so its not at-all tramatic just really tuff!!! I just want every one to meet him, it's weird to be home married and no extended family or any friends have meat him!!!...so I just pray and take a deep breath that he is here by next summer to have a party around our 1yr to celebrate him being in America and an open house reception!!! so stay tuned!!!

Monday = Laundry day

 Laundry!!! Well it takes most of the day and I physically do the washing, well my husband helps too! We use a large bucket and a plastic pip to mash/ agitate the garment and on occasion use a  hand scrubber for those tuff stains... The rinse cycle is in another bucket, and using what strength Is left in my arms I attempt to wring out the water as much as possible so it can dry faster on the cloths line....



I tried to trim down the clip and sorry if you cant read what its saying, the video posted small on here. O well, I'm just proud of myself of getting it to work!!!

where we live

Shortly after family left we moved into the house he grew up in and turned the boys fale into our home!!! My mother and sister-in-laws helped clean out the house....we painted the inside of house put down flooring and bought a gas stove to cook on!!! We filled a nice little house into a home!

Married in TONGA!

We decided to get married In Tonga!!! out here you have to be civilly married first, then Sealed within 24hr in the Temple. We schedule the sealing for Saturday and ran into a problem with having a holiday on friday. Both government offices and the temple where closed. With permission from the Temple President, President Shumway, we where civilly married on thursday and Sealed on Saturday...

Tongan culture is to have a huge feast and a dance for the married or soon to marry couple! Sione and I talked and together we wanted to chart our own way of doing things by keeping it simple with just family! It was great to have my parents, my sisters and his sister and aunties from Australia with us in Tonga for our wedding. It was the best surprise for Manu (my mother in-law). They all sacrificed to come out for our celebration, plus a cousin on his side was getting married the same week, so fun that family could make it a double wedding week. We wished Trevor and Angie could come back, but understood their eagerness to get back to America to settle back down to normal life with the most adorable baby girl.

Thursday, our civil marriage 'till death do we part'




We dress in traditional wear and headed to the civil ceremony, everyone crammed into a car and traveled to town!!! It was only Sione, myself, Sione's parents, and my parents squeezed into a small government office to do the all the formalities... there where no 'I does' said only "Yes, i swear by the bible" and a please sign here!!! haha haha!!! so different from what I had pictured and only took 15-20 min!!!









Afterwards we changed out of our civil cloths and started the tour around the island... Latter that night a dance was arraigned by Sione’s aunties. Only the best DJ was hired for the dance!!! Thanks!!! It was so much fun to watch all the family dance and to see so many people come and have fun!!! We spent the next day, Friday, continuing the touring around the island, we found an awesome beach and just chilled out...


June 5 2010

Saturday morning,"I'm getting married for all Eternity..... wah-hoo!!!". The sealing at noon came fast and before I knew it Sione and I where face to face in the Temple! The Rapture of feelings I had dreamed of as a little girl where felt so intensely, I felt Heavenly Father pouring into our hearts His love ... reaching deeper and connecting us to Him in eternal bonds of love!!! I will never forget these deeper understandings that words can not define!!!








That evening we celebrated with a family dinner.... A wide selection of food, everything from Lu Horse, Prawns, to water mellon otai, oh so delicious food!!! my sisters had fun trying all the different kinds of food, even the Lu Horse!!! My sisters made Frog-Eyed pasta salad, that no one really touched.... maybe because of the name!!!














Sione and I spent most of our honeymoon days being tour guides.... so when family left it wasn’t all that sad!!! ok I cried a little... but so ready to focus on being married!!!

Big Q simply Answered

A few weeks went by and the topic came up again of marriage. I asked if we could go to the beach because I wanted to share what was on my mind: Is my heart going to be broken, dose he feel the same as I do!!!... dose he really want to marry me? Are we going to do get married here in Tonga or back in America or, hay why not Australia??? 

we went to the Ha'akame beach to talk... its a great private place to have an open conversation without villagers spying on us... we found a place to sit together and talk!!! We had been sitting for few moments and i started to mumble to find the right words to open the conversation. So I just turned around to face him and asked in a frustrated and almost rejecting tone, "Do you really want to marry me?" His face went calm his eyes centered right on me and said "Yes, I want to marry you." Just then some kids came climbing down the cliff to the beach and our conversation halted as the kids started to play in the water. He turned me to face him again and asked me if I trusted him and I said: "Yeah... I trust you like.... 90%." Then he said: "Lets leave the kids to play and go some where else. I have something i want to ask you." I was bewildered thinking 'what is going on here?' ..... So we climbed to a nice look out of the reef coast-line and stood there. We stood there and I asked him what question did he want to ask me... He turned me to look at him and he said " I loved you and I want to know if will marry me" .... i knew it was coming but I was still in shock; this was not how I imagined it would be ( nothing ever is) . . . ha-ha.... In my stunned state, I stood there and he said; "Don’t give me your answer right now, i want you to think about it, I want to make sure that marring me is what you want too!!!!" I was beaming from ear to ear!!! I knew my answer and he knew me well enough that it would be best for me to rally think it over!

So, I spent the next few days in turmoil, tiring to sort out my feelings, measure them against logic, and seeking Gods support and guidance on the matter.... So, a few days latter I called him and said I want to talk. I was picturing a nice late afternoon romantic conversation on Temple Grounds where we share our feelings and such…. well close: I had a hard time finding a way over to Ha'akame. Once I got there it was already dark and it had been raining! we drove over to the Temple in a van and we we parked in front of the Temple. I was nervous, excited and bummed that I didn't have the perfect setting to give my answer! We sat there in a bit of silence, so i just opened heart and out come my feelings... "I have been thinking of the question you asked me .... and yes, I will marry you!!!" And that was it, simply said and by my word!!! It wasn't the romantic rapture i had dreamed of as a little girl, but the man he is every thing i have been praying to find and share my life with!!! There where no engagement rings to show our devotion or to prove our love for each other only our word!!! I latter explained that i'm not the typical girl that wants a big rock hanging on her finger rather in my love for nature I had wanted something natural and hand made!!!


Engagement and Pictures!
I thought I was going to have time to make and send out wedding invites so we took engagement pictures and we had a tons of fun!!!! I did make an invite for local friends and family in Tonga to come to the Temple Sealing... so here are a few of my favorites!

Dating Girlfriend

We started texting, which turned into a date to a dance on a Thursday, or Friday night. He insisted that he come pick me up....‘To make it easier,’ nothing to do with the last time of getting lost!!! When the night of the dance came, I could hear his car coming up the road and parked across the street. I meet him in the road and said our hellos as he opened the car door. To my surprise, there where three lovely ladies squished in the back... How nice to have Ana, and two cousins with us.

To experience a dance with the lights on and everyone moving to the pounding music in a shuffling and swaying rage fashion was fun and rather different... I noticed the boys would walk up and do a little forward bow to a lovely lady, of course, the Tongan way of asking a girl to dance... it’s all about respect and I dig it!

After the dance ended we drove back to the apartment and he walked me to my door. For me, the door seen is a place I give either a huge or a high five depending on the level of enjoyment of time spent together. I wanted a huge... so I asked what was the proper good-bye...hahaha.He said: "A hand shake!!!" So I said, "How about a good-bye huge?" .... and he did!!! haha

The next two days we texted. On Sunday afternoon, he texted saying: "A good thing happened today. I want to discus when we meet again." There was a dance in his village on Tuesday that I was for sure going to!

That Tuesday (March 9) he texted that the power was out so the dance might not happen... "Well I’ll still come over and hang out," I texted back. I didn’t want to miss what he wants to talk about, even if the lights are out! I got there and the lights are still, indeed, out. So, we walked around a bit, checking the DJ and the set up of the gym. I could feel he was kind of avoiding talking! So, I asked him what was on his mind. We sat outside the gym, ironically, at the same place we first meat...

We sat there facing each other and he shared how he felt about me and recognized how fast and soon it was to ask.... As he was gather his words, I was filled with the most intense warmth in my heart. When he asked me to be his girlfriend. “YES” came flying from my heart to my vocal cords!!!! I had never been asked in such a formal way. These feelings and impressions of my heart spun me into a daze. As I was searching for solid ground, I shared that I too know it is fast. But, I was intrigued that a man so handsome and faithful in the church was interested in me. I gathered that he was a hard worker and as the oldest son had responsibility to the family... and I could see how loyal and trusting he is. So, naturally, I want to date him more seriously...I explained the best I could how I feel: so at peace and secure around him that I too want to see where our feelings would take us!!! We sat there enjoying are feelings as the lights came on and the DJ cranked up the music. The villagers and family started to bounce and shuffle to the music, it was a great evening!

The next few days went from texting to calling in 30 min sessions.... courtesy of the local phone company's specials..."talk 30 min free after the first 3 min for a total of 33 min of talking." Even though we where on the same island, we live on opposite sides of it and he had a job and Rugby that took up his time which didn't allow him to come over as much as we both liked...

That same week, I think it was Saturday, we went on another date to one of the nicest beaches on the island: Keleti. We intended on go swimming, but ended up talking and I fell asleep for a bit on the sand next to him...the next week he switched his work schedule and started to come over to visit more and we went on as many dates as possible for a whole month before he officially popped a crazy question....

How WE Met!!!

With the slight disappointment of not finding the dance, it was suggested that we meet at a fireside at his village. Angie knew how to get there and I could get a ride home from Melee and Polotu.

I was dropped off at his village on the other side of the island. I walked in late passing people as I heard a few say, “Hay! thats Trevor’s sister.” I felt eyes following me as Melee and I found a place to sit! I sat there not understand the Tonga language ha-ha but to hear them singing was amazing!!!! After the fireside, adults and children alike filed out to the out-door basketball court to feast on bread bowls filled with delicious New Zealand ice cream. Melee brought me over to a doorway and said she will be right back. As I stood there, villagers just stood around eating ice cream as the kids ran around playing. Luckily a little girl named, Lucey, filled me in that Melee was going to go find Sione. As I am taking in all of my surroundings a face I recognized, Melee appears around the corner with Sione right behind her. She said, “Malisa this is Sione”... “WOW” i thought to myself “tall AND hello good looking.” A little awkwardly we stood there staring at each other trying to talk, with his cousins standing closer then desired as thought they where listening to our conversation ... I was surprised to find our conversation to flow comfortably, which is tuff to find even with another English speaking person....i noticed that he was dressed all in white which meant he was in the choir!!!



Somehow I found myself walking, either he asked or he started to walk and talk and I just naturally fallowed I cant remember. We walked over to Polotu’s house and sat out side in the cool night air on a plastic mat sitting on old metal church chairs facing each other with him facing the main road.

It was a dark night with the only light coming from the main road and a security light in the neighbor’s backyard.... Because there had been a big event at the church, every one was hanging out and going for a stroll up and down the main road. (I have come to understand that they where curious of us and wanted to teas Sione that is why it seemed that there where so many people on the road.) As we sat talking, I would hear the locals call out to Sione “polong-y” (meaning white person) in the middle of what they where saying. I understood that they where talking about me, so I asked Sione what they where saying. He would tell me what was being said generally, yet I don’t think he translated everything …

We sat and talked not noticing how late it had become so we exchanged phone numbers and said our goodbyes. On the drive home Melee and Polotu asked how it went. I told them that I was surprised with how tall he is and it would be great to see him again.... i had such a good time chatting and getting to know him!!!

Tongan Boy and American Ta’ahine

It was interesting to observe the locals pick right back up to daily life with houses blown apart and trees uprooted. From what I observed, I didn't see a horrified look on faces, as I thought I would have if I found my house scattered! “You get by,” seems to be written on their faces. This is how island life is handled. It has happened before and will likely happen again, so why get over emotional about it, your alive so nothing to worry about!


After mother nature introduced herself to me on the island, I continued  
to adjusting to the Tonga way of life!






Angie received a texted from Plotu, a friend of the family. He was asking if I wanted to meet his wife's cousin, Sione, and if I was involved in a relationship back in the States. I could see what they where up to and I wasn’t involved back in the states. But I was hesitant, I spent  the past year or so dating filled with heart break and I was wanting to take a break for a little while. I had no interest in adding an international heart ache to the list. Yet with some rethinking i thought to myself, ”I doubt that Sione would even be tall enough, but at least a friend would be nice.” Plus knowing that he was a cousin seemed to keep me at ease, that a friend of the family wouldn’t set me with someone questionable!

 It was arraigned that we would be introduced at a dance next to his village. Angie and I tried to follow the instruction to the dance! But in Tonga, there are a lot of roads and only a few have names so following directions can be interesting!


It might go something like this: you take the main road out of town, pass the Hospital, pass the Royal Palace on the hill, then take a right at the red gas station that sometimes isn't open. Then you go till another gas stop and turn right, follow this road and take a left just after that china store (local 7/Eleven). When that comes to an end your in the village. Be sure to listen and follow the music to the building... You can imagine the challenge with this kind of directions plus with our little knowledge of the area. We tried to find the dance but decided to turn back before we became real lost... I was disappointed a little.

Tonga?

I received a call from my brother back in December of 09. He wanted to
share some exciting news and asked if I could help them out!
After making a pro and con list I agreed to go help. So I said good
bye to my life in Colorado springs Colorado. I was partly said for I
had come to love everything about it from the eclectic city life to the
beautiful out door adventures, to the friendships that are one of a
kind! Yet the excitement and the yearning for a new and fresh
adventure lessened the sting of leaving! To travel and helping my
family, seemed to give an opportunity to push the 'restart button' on
my life and settle back down into regular life somewhere new in the
states! Or the land of Oz! Australia has been a place I've felt drawn
to for the past 7 years! This excitement with open possibilities
carried me over to Tonga to help my brother and sister-in-law with
their loving and energetic boys while they await the completion of
adopting the most adorable girl who can still your heart with her
laughter!



I landed in the Kingdom of Tonga in early February. With-in the first
two weeks of being on the island we survived a cyclone and a threat of
a tsunami! Talk about no where to run and hide, one can only find the
safest refuge and put their trust in God!!