How She Met a Tongan

Taniela 'Ainu'u 'Aho Pome'e served an LDS mission in the Las Vegas, Nevada West mission from 2009-2011. I graduated high school the summer of 2010 and January of 2011 started attending esthetics school in St. George, Utah at a place called The Skin Institute. I graduated from the first half of that program in May of 2011. Before I had officially moved home from Utah for the summer my brother had his farewell to report to the MTC so I traveled home for the weekend to attend and sing for my brothers mission farewell. That was the first time I ever met, at the time, Elder Pome'e. I moved home from Utah shortly after and Elder Pome'e served in my ward for about the next 5 months. (A funny question to ask him is if I was interested in him as a missionary, he quickly answers "NO" because I was dating someone else at the time). We had the missionaries over a couple times while I was home for the summer and due to my mom being the Relief Society president in the ward we often become relatively close to the missionaries. As summer continued I ended the relationship that I was in and began focusing on myself and really preparing to move to Provo at summers end. I was continuing school to finish the Master Aesthetics program at a BEAUTIFUL school called Elase Academy, now known as National Institute of Medical Aesthetics or NIMA.

As the summer came to an end and moving to Provo came creeping in on my calendar I was really excited. Elder Pome'e apparently had gained interest in me and had my phone number (from the elders phone) and asked me for my address and email. I started school again on September 1, 2012. I received my first letter and email from Elder Pome'e shortly after that. He was now transferred out of my home ward and serving his last 2 transfers in the Tule Springs Stake which was just over the highway. Regardless of how bad I wanted to see him again and talk to him when I came home I refrained from doing so. October 18, 2012 Elder Pome'es mom arrive in the states and he let me know via email that he was giving her my information so she could get a hold of me. She did so shortly after she touched down and I couldn't have been more excited. She gave me information on him so that I could proceed to do an application on his behalf for BYU in Provo. My heart was and still is stuck in Utah so that's why I applied there but we also put in for Idaho and Hawaii.

His mom gave me the first idea to go to Tonga and visit his family when he returned home from his mission. When I proposed the idea to him he seemed more than enthusiastic to have that happen. So as it came closer to Thanksgiving I told my parents about this relationship that had developed. I proposed to them as well the idea of going to Tonga and visiting. I had no idea why the idea went over so easy with my parents as they came to a conclusion of letting that be my Christmas present that year. I wanted it to be a surprise. So at first I didn't tell Elder Pome'e that I was planning to visit. I made flight plans for the day after Christmas as he returned home the weekend after Thanksgiving. He called me the day he got home and told me about his homecoming festivities which never really did make sense till I went there and experienced it myself. So here's where the fun part starts. The day after Christmas finally comes, I get dropped off at the airport by my mom and dad just to find out 3 hours later that my flight to San Fran has been delayed which threw everything off! So my dad picks me up and we go back home and book another flight for the next day. So the anticipation starts all over again for that night and the next morning!

Our first picture together! His grandma made me 3 different lei’s! Talk about a warm welcome! :]

There were 2 good things about not leaving that night, I got to spend time with my best friend and meet my newest niece for the first time! Anyway. The next day travels were a success. I flew into the LAX airport and then off the Aukland, New Zealand. My first time in the New Zealand airport was awesome! It is HUGE and beautiful. And of course all I can think is I only have one more flight until I get to hug and kiss this boy for the first time ever! So the last flight finally comes, a 3 hour flight to The Kingdom of Tonga and the island of Nuku'Alofa! What a beauty. When we were touching down in the plane I thought it looked a lot like Hawaii! Which was the case I came to find out :) so I get off the plane and I see a gate up above with a TON of people up waiting for their friends and family to arrive. I spot my man and his family waving at me and it all becomes real. I'm here. In TONGA! To possibly fall in love with the man of my dreams! What a dream! So I walk into the "airport" and I use quotations because it is one terminal and one gate! Not something I've ever really seen before. So I have to go through immigration which took FOREVER because I didn't know the address of where I was staying so they had to go out to Brother Pome'e and ask him. I finally get through and get to see my boo for the first time ever as a normal person and not a missionary! I was so excited! I ran and jumped on him and he caught me. We drove home and he held my hand the whole way there! His grandma made me 3 leis and both his sisters and a cousin had given them to me! :) I've never felt the love of people so strong that I'd never even met. What an awesome culture to be a part of!

It’s beautiful there. It reminds me a lot of Hawaii, without as much civilization.

I spent the next 2 weeks in tonga. I was supposed to be there for 3. I ended up coming home early due to thinking about and not being over my ex boyfriend, (or because it hit me that I could actually be getting married and it scared me to death). I came home and dated my ex boyfriend again for 2 1/2 months. Best and worst decision of my life. Best because it really showed me for the last time that he was not who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. Worst because it wasted that time with my boo and caused a couple issues with us for a while. Trust was lost and had to be regained. Ps. I keep calling him my boo because at this point all I ever called him was "babe" because I couldn't really pronounce his name. At least I didn't feel like I could. Come June/July of 2012 I sat down in a bishops interview expecting to ask about my ex boyfriend and what I should do and instead I said "I still love Pome'e and I want to marry him" and my bishop said "what?" And I kinda ran back through the words I had said and went "what?" It was just as much a shock to me as it was to my bishop! Haha so I went home and after not talking to Pome'e (what we called him as a missionary so that's all I knew) for over 2 months now I got on Skype, he was in New Zealand at the time and had much better access to Internet services, I let him know that I had dated Juan again and that it answered any question I would ever have if I was meant to be with him and the answer was no. That he was who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. He expressed his gratitude for my honest and assured me that we would be able to work it out. It wasn't easy.

This was our first official date. I was hooked. I just didn’t know yet how bad! ;)

Over the next couple months we went back and forth between giving up and getting married. Finally one day when I was in Hawaii on a family vacation I asked him a straight forward and simple question, "do you still wanna marry me?" And with no hesitation and enthusiasm in his voice he said "YEAH". So I said okay let's figure this out. We proceeded to "figure out" our relationship and what it was we had to do to bring him to the states to get married. In October, 2012 we put in an application for a general visa to come to the states on vacation as a normal visitor. It was not approved. We then had to look in to a fiancé visa. We put in the papers December 10, 2012 for a fiancé visa. We thought the visa was just going to take a week or 2 to process so in December I returned to Tonga to visit. We had been planning since about November to be married we just didn't know when it was going to happen. We set a date. Without being technically engaged we booked my endowment and  our sealing. The sealing was set for February 9, 2013. I found out 3 days before I left to Tonga that the processing time for his fiancé visa could take up to 5 1/2 months! We cancelled everything that was supposed to happen that day and continued with the uncertainty and anticipation.

My second trip felt much more normal and natural! We were both giddy and excited the entire time!

I arrived in Tonga on November 19, 2012. I had a return date of December 19, 2012! Yes a whole month! And it was fantastic! :) We got engaged officially while I was there. He proposed on a beach and used members of the youth in his ward and family to hold up papers to spell out "Will You Marry Me?" It was the cutest thing in the entire world! I had no idea that he went to that extent of planning. It was amazing. So anyway! I left on December 19 with really no idea of when the next I'd see him was gonna be, all I knew was whenever it was would be for our WEDDING! So surreal.

I was shocked at how much thought and plan went into his proposal! I didn’t expect it at all, and it’s still one of my very favorite days!

Anyway. The next 5 months is when it gets really insane. I'm engaged. I'm living at home. I'm working some but little. I wanted to be planning a wedding but I didn't know where to start. You usually start with the date. And that was the only, but biggest part, that wasn't decided! So every time I sat down and tried to do anything I just ended up discouraging myself. Never did I get upset though. Never did I get impatient. I would just worry about something else and continue to be patient and positive. Faith conquers all. And I've never exercised faith more than these months of waiting. Sometime in the beginning of April I finally had a real breakdown. A breakdown where I didn't leave my house all day, I didn't get out of bed, and I barely stayed awake. That was a Monday. Wednesday my dad called me to let me know him and my mom had been talking and thought I need to go back to Tonga again. It was a surprise and the best thing I'd ever heard! I let my fiancé know and booked a flight for MONDAY! One week after an absolute shutdown I am now traveling for the last time to see the love of my life! I spent 2 weeks there and while I did we decided to set a date. A for sure date. Wether it would happen in the states or in Tonga was up to fate. But we set the date for June 22, 2013. It eventually got moved back a week to June 29, 2013.

For the first time, I was smiling when preparing to leave the island. Every trip before this one, I never knew when I’d see him next. This time, I did.

Over the next 2 and half months I did everything to plan a wedding in Vegas. I based every single day, every single plan, and every single dollar off of pure faith. We planned. We paid. We booked. We got EVERYTHING done. Come mid May we were getting quite nervous. We contacted a State councilmen to put his name on the case and hopefully speed it up a little bit! On May 15 at 9:30 at night we got an email that the visa had been APPROVED! So what was next? He needed an interview in Fiji. He needed a medical and police clearance and he needed evidence of our ongoing relationship! We received another email that he had an interview set for June 28 at 8am in Suva, Fiji! NO!! I sent an email back to request an earlier interview date and it was granted! June 18, 2013 at 8 am! Interview set, passed and done! June 20, 2013 this boy FINALLY returned to the states! We took bridal photos June 21. I got my endowments out June 22. My 21st birthday and engagement photo session was June 26. We got married June 29 just to BEGIN our happily ever after! CHEERS!