"Begin today and write in it your goings and comings, your deepest thoughts, your achievements and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. I promise you that if you will keep your journals and records, they will indeed be a source of great inspiration to you, each other, your children, your grand-children and others throughout the generations. Remember, the Savior chastised those who failed to record important events." --President Spencer W. Kimball

March 24, 2012

Misipou

My girls and I went and spent some time in Lake Shore with my parents this past week and it was so much fun.  We didn't do anything too spectacular, just hang out with G-ma & G-pa Makai and Leka and the boys.  Lautala was the princess, the highlight of the trip and she had so much fun teasing and playing with Misipou and Safi.....we had fun there and it was a nice break to get away from our house for a little bit!

Misipou is my cousin, but he's been living with my parent's for the past few years, so he's like my brother!  :)  (Same with Leka, Safi and Fanga)  Misipou has been preparing to go on his mission for sometime now and he handed in his papers a few weeks ago.  We knew the call was coming, and we were all anxiously waiting...checking the mail all the time.  Thankfully it came in last Wednesday, when we were down there!  We called everyone in the family to meet at mom and dad's that night so he could open it.....and my mom locked it in her room until everyone was there....haha....because if Misipou would have gotten his hands on it, he probably wouldn't have waited....haha.  My Dad is a stake president and Wednesdays are his meeting nights, so we planned not to open it until 9pm when he got home (him promising he would rush and hurry home).....Leka stayed with baby Katea and I ran with Lautala and my mom to the store to buy some cake and ice cream so we could celebrate after we opened it.  We came back home and slowly everyone started coming.  The kids were running around crazy and the adults were all talking....trying to put in their guesses of where he's going....as we were waiting for my dad to come home.  He finally got there at about 930pm, but we still had to wait for my sister Leslie and Patrick to come (she had night school)  Finally when everyone was there, we all got together in the family room and my dad just talked a little bit about how proud of Misipou he was and gave him a little advice....then he went around and had everyone guess where we thought he was going......not one person guessed it right......we all hovered around him as he opened his call and read it out loud.

Dear Elder Tukia,

You are hereby called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  You are assigned to labor in the...........................................................................................................

Panama, Panama City Mission

Everyone cheered so loud and us crybabies in the room shed a few tears.  Yay for another Spanish speaker in the family!   Misipou is going to be an awesome missionary!  He's that Uncle that LOVES all the kids and you can tell because he is ALWAYS on the floor rolling around with them.  I'm so proud of him and glad that we all made time to be there when he opened his call.  I'm glad that my brothers are such great examples to their neices and nephews. 

Misipou doesn't report to the MTC until June, but he's going back to Tonga first to spend some time with his parents and family before going out to serve the Lord.  When he comes back he'll be bilinugal speaking fluently Tongan, English and Spanish.....how awesome is that!  :)

Good job Misipou!  So proud of you....you'll be a great missionary....just lose yourself in the work and the Lord will lead you to the people you're supposed to teach!  We love you very much and we will write and keep in touch!  So proud of you!
Some of the kids hugging Uncle Misipou
Fanga and Lani
Me and my girls
Safi with Halle, Lautala & Amelia
Liki, Lua & Siope enjoying their cake and ice cream
Fanga, Safi, Leka & Misipou

Go Forth With Faith!

1 comment:

Melissa Snyder said...

That will be a great mission. My husband Lance served there and LOVED it! So happy for him! I love listening to people open their mission calls. There is just a sweet reverance that is present. Happy times!