Urban Poly Princess

As my cousin Vai described today my uncle was an OG in Tonga. He had children all over the place and drank and caused a lot of trouble. He also went to jail in Tonga for something. My father used to tease my grandpa because he wanted his second son to work for the government. When he went to jail my father being the naughty boy he was told him so now your son is working for the government. My dad used to wait until he got drunk to beat him up because he certainly couldn't do that when and if he was sober. I didn't cry when I first found out my uncle passed away but today as I remembered him I couldn't stop the tears from falling. Two of my Uncle Kingi's daughters were raised by my Aunty Lini and her husband Inoke.

Noe and Mele have the best-looking children. There were so many impressive talks today. So many people had the spirit and shared it beautifully. So many strong priesthood holders. We had our fahu Peau and Sara Limihi's daughter. Peau and Limihai are Loloma's children. I am happy my Mateaki family has humbled themselves and let the pride go. They had Sara and Peau as our Fahu which is the traditional Tongan way to do things. For my dad's funeral they didn't do that and they are always reluctant to do that. Sione said something about none of Loloma's family is supposed to be Mateaki's Fahu in any way. I think there is something to why my grandpa changed the family name to Mateaki. I think it's all about pride and I appreciate that it is being avoided.

Tevita spearheaded our Toutai reunion and I told Noe how glad I was that Uncle Kingi was humble and supportive of the Toutai thing. Noe told me he never was until Tevita's dad Tomasi happened to die the weekend of our reunion. His heart was softened. Will definitely showed up this weekend at Kingi's house and helped them repair everything. He also attended all the services. It is sad to me the Toutai's try so hard to involve us in their family things and we don't necessarily reciprocate. We are the generation that's going to stop all the prideful Mateaki/Toutai thing.

George has to take some sort of online test for work and he just fell asleep so he's not as prepared as he needs to be. I would've slept here again BUT I can't miss the temple again and I need to be ready to spend my night there tomorrow.

This was the most spiritual funeral I've ever attended ALTHOUGH it was waaay too long.

We were there at 7am for the family viewing program that ended up going waaay too long and starting waaay AFTER 7am. It was time for the regular church service at 11:30 when we were supposed to start that at 11am. Well AFTER noon we went to the cemetery for the burial. Tongan funerals stay the ENTIRE time of the burial meaning not leaving until AFTER they've put sod and grass over the gravesite.

I was going to attend aqua Zumba with Alisa and George but I will do that the next time I'm prepared. I love my family so much. I was impressed with all of the talks given by my family and other leaders. I always think my Tongan is great when they discuss spiritual stuff because of the brief time I spent in a couple of Tongan wards on my mission BUUUT the latest Tongan Seventy was just called. His name is Elder Tukuafu and he uses formal Tongan which I can't relate to at all.

My Uncle Inoke gave my favorite talk there. It was stripped of the pride I was used to seeing in his talks. It was beautiful and humble at the same time. He quoted some scriptures and talked about how Kingi lived his life with 2 very different paths. This characterized him perfectly. His first encounter with my uncle Kingi he said was when he was 13 at Liahona High School and he was on a horse with a machete. He said it was fascinating to him although he knew it shouldn't be fascinating to him. He said my dad was there telling him the names of people, "who needed punishment." Not realizing he would one day be his brother-in-law he next found out when he was here in Provo getting his PhD that his wife wanted to take in Kingi's daughters Mele and Noelani. My uncle was never married to their mother. He has many children who were not raised by him but remained with their mother and her family.

Mele and Noelani were raised by my extended family and not their mother's. Specifically they were raised by my aunty Lini and uncle Inoke. Later he wanted to adopt them legally but my aunty Lini said that was not an option because she felt her father would return to the church someday. Many people found it extremely hard to believe that Kingi became active because of how he was for much of his life. Vai, my Aunty Lini's son gave a beautiful talk about how when he was attending Dixie he and his friends wanted to buy kava but some Tongan man wouldn't sell it to them. He told them he was Kingi's nephew and the man invited him in, fed him and then gave him kava. Vai's friends asked him how he managed to do what they couldn't and he told them because he was an OG.

The other awesome thing Vai said was he was very grateful for the 2 older sisters Uncle Kingi gave him namely Mele and Noelani. Inoke said it is not coincidental that Kingi left this world when he took the sacrament in church for the last time. He was taken to the hospital and George and other family were there when he passed. My old bishop Sentuli Kinikini was taken the same way during the sacrament hymn actually. They were both Christlike men who loved all people freely. Both were taken around Easter.

There is something sacred about being called home during the sacrament. It is significant to me. Two Stake presidents spoke namely President Paula Ika and President Semisi Makai. Both are very familiar with Kingi. President Ika married Uncle Inoke's sister Lupe and he is from Ha'akame. He is first cousins with Sione Ika who led the music and sings with the Mormon Tabernacle choir.

George gave an amazing talk about uncle too and related how we ALL need the atonement and not just people who have done things in their past like my uncle did. His talk was heartfelt and beautiful. I hope he has a sweet reunion with his other brothers and sisters who have passed on. There are just 2 left now Tai and Lini. They along with Tuimana are the ones I've had the most interaction with probably because they are around the same age.

I thought a lot about the amazing examples I've been blessed with all this time. Just talking to Jared on the way here reminded me of how faithful he is and committed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Lehua is similar. She has always been faithful. ALWAYS. I should've told Lua how great Saia is and how when he lived with us in Hawaii when he was in school at BYU-Hawaii he would fast once a week, "for his own spiritual strength." This is when he was 18. My brother was a veil worker and his testimony is rock-hard. George told the story about how uncle Kingi came over here and cried and told George to pay for his daughter's mission because if he didn't someone else would get the blessings. If George ever visited him without Alisa he would tell him to go home to his wife.

Even when he wasn't active in the church Kingi had a testimony of tithing and would pay it and often double it just because. He was not elitist and because he led a wild life he didn't judge people.

I love him and I miss him very much. His funeral was certainly fitting for the life he led.