Tuakiapimahu

Maui and Anne Tuakiapimahu

Two weekends ago our friends were sealed in the Logan, Utah temple.  Their experience in the temple is definitely in my top 10 of spiritual moments.  It was beautiful to see them sealed to one another and their 5 children for time and all eternity.  They had so much support from their friends and family who traveled in for the occasion.  
For my friends who are not members of our faith, we believe that families are forever.  Literally.  When a couple is married to one another in the temple, they are sealed together, which means none of this death do you part stuff.  Their children who are already born can be sealed with them or those they have in the future will be born in the covenant.  There it is in a nutshell.  Jake and I were married in the Bountiful, Utah temple.   When you go to the temple for the first time you make covenants or promises with Heavenly Father, and sometimes that can seem quite scary.  This is why some people are married in the temple legally for the first time, and others wait.  You really want to feel ready for that kind of commitment to your spouse and your God.  but it in the long run, it is worth it.

  The after party was cool, but I had a hard time getting some really good pictures because of lighting and my flash issues.  

A lot of people were in attendance. 

The missionaries and younger boys got up for the Hakka. 

They had the older couples get up and dance.  It was beautiful to see them just do it without a care. 

Fortunately, this wasn't any normal occasion, it was a Polynesian affair.  So that means we partied.  They invited us to celebrate afterwards.  It wasn't what I expected.....Jake knew that it was going to be a big deal because of his experience in the Tongan Community on his mission.  There was a huge spread of Tongan food, a kids table that extended the entire gym with candy and coloring books to keep them busy,  a desert table with fruits and all sorts of sweet treats, and finally a show was put together. I couldn't finish even 1/3 of my food because there was so much of it.  They had family members serving people and when I got to the Woman who was doling out the roast pig, she looked at me and said I will only give you white meat, then she gave me a nice sized piece and told me that was all I could probably handle. In the end, she was right. 

 All the children had practiced for weeks choreographing dances from the different islands of Polynesia:  Tahiti, Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, and New Zealand.  The Elders even were invited on stage to learn the war dance called the Haka which Polynesians would do back in the day to intimidate their enemies.

It was not only a spiritual day, but an entertaining and educational one.  I find the Kingdom of Tonga fascinating and hopefully Jake and I will visit it in our lifetime.