Sela Fienga retirement
Date
September 22, 2013
Area
Laie, Hawaii
Companion
Sisters Woods, Clark, Nance
Sela Fienga retirement
Sunday September 22, 2013
I want to continue my writing about the sweet little lady who retired last week. We had her retirement after the devotional, and then of course in typical polynesian style, there was lots of food. Boy do they know how to put on a party. So, about Sela Fienga, She is from the Tongan village. She is a sweet, humble cheerful, hard working woman. I only know her a little because I am so new, but her story is very sweet. She lived in Tonga and had been prearranged to marry a young man. She met this ruff Rugby player and fell in love. She told her parents that she would not marry the young man they had chosen for her, and she married her sweetheart instead. They joined the church and started their family. They were then called in and asked to go on a mission to one of the remote islands in Tonga. They took their five month old daughter and headed out. When they got close the people standing on the rocks told them to throw their baby to them and they would catch her. Sela said she was so scared because the rocks were so sharp and she didn't even know these men. All she could do was have faith and toss the baby and that is what she did. In 1969 she and her husband were counseled to leave Tonga and bring their family to Hawaii so their children could get a good education. They both worked really hard and when their youngest of six children was five years old her husband died. She had to quit her part time job and was hired by the PCC. She has worked for 27 years and raised all her children to be wonderful adults. They were all here for her retirement. The thing I am learning about the Tongans is the they are very humble and cheerful all the time. At these retirement parties all the villages come up and present the person retiring with gifts, and they always put a lei around their neck, before they were done, Sela's daughter had to start taking some of the lei's off to make room for more because they were getting way up over her face. I will try to see if I can post a picture, it didn't turn out very good. I will also try to post one of her sister and her and two of her grandsons. Last week two of our single sisters returned home and we had a new one come. Her name is also Sister Johnson, and they have assigned her to work with me in the Island Office. Her name is Janet. There are some beautiful wonderful people here.
I am feeling a little sad today because I missed hearing my grandson talk before leaving on his mission. My niece Sunny sent me a text and told me that he did a wonderful job, and it was one of the best Missionary Talks she has been too. She could be a little prejudiced, but then my son called me and told me that so many people came up to him and complimented him on how wonderful his talk was, so then I did start to cry knowing that I missed it, and all of my son's were there. So, I will look forward to hearing him talk when he returns home. I am where I should be at this time. I will tell you more about the PCC in a later post. Love and miss all of you.
Sharon
I want to continue my writing about the sweet little lady who retired last week. We had her retirement after the devotional, and then of course in typical polynesian style, there was lots of food. Boy do they know how to put on a party. So, about Sela Fienga, She is from the Tongan village. She is a sweet, humble cheerful, hard working woman. I only know her a little because I am so new, but her story is very sweet. She lived in Tonga and had been prearranged to marry a young man. She met this ruff Rugby player and fell in love. She told her parents that she would not marry the young man they had chosen for her, and she married her sweetheart instead. They joined the church and started their family. They were then called in and asked to go on a mission to one of the remote islands in Tonga. They took their five month old daughter and headed out. When they got close the people standing on the rocks told them to throw their baby to them and they would catch her. Sela said she was so scared because the rocks were so sharp and she didn't even know these men. All she could do was have faith and toss the baby and that is what she did. In 1969 she and her husband were counseled to leave Tonga and bring their family to Hawaii so their children could get a good education. They both worked really hard and when their youngest of six children was five years old her husband died. She had to quit her part time job and was hired by the PCC. She has worked for 27 years and raised all her children to be wonderful adults. They were all here for her retirement. The thing I am learning about the Tongans is the they are very humble and cheerful all the time. At these retirement parties all the villages come up and present the person retiring with gifts, and they always put a lei around their neck, before they were done, Sela's daughter had to start taking some of the lei's off to make room for more because they were getting way up over her face. I will try to see if I can post a picture, it didn't turn out very good. I will also try to post one of her sister and her and two of her grandsons. Last week two of our single sisters returned home and we had a new one come. Her name is also Sister Johnson, and they have assigned her to work with me in the Island Office. Her name is Janet. There are some beautiful wonderful people here.
I am feeling a little sad today because I missed hearing my grandson talk before leaving on his mission. My niece Sunny sent me a text and told me that he did a wonderful job, and it was one of the best Missionary Talks she has been too. She could be a little prejudiced, but then my son called me and told me that so many people came up to him and complimented him on how wonderful his talk was, so then I did start to cry knowing that I missed it, and all of my son's were there. So, I will look forward to hearing him talk when he returns home. I am where I should be at this time. I will tell you more about the PCC in a later post. Love and miss all of you.
Sharon
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