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.