Fa'atuatua (2)

My middle name is one that isn't very common, at least not around here. I remember when I was younger and people would ask what my middle name was, I would hesitate to tell them. It's not necessarily that I didn't like my middle name, it's just that I didn't like feeling different. But obviously, things change and I grew up. Now I'm proud of my middle name and I've grown to love it for all that it is.

My middle name is Fa'atuatua. It's Samoan and when it's translated to English it means "faith." My mom was born in Pago Pago, American Samoa. She moved to the United States when she was young and once she and my dad had me, they decided to keep my mom's family tradition to name their children with Samoan middle names. Not only is my middle name Samoan, there is significance behind it meaning faith. My parents wanted to give me a middle name to remind me to always be who I am and to trust in Heavenly Father's plan for me. I love that I have this awesome reminder and that I am blessed to have parents that are great examples to me. I know that when I eventually have children of my own, I will also give them Samoan middle names.

2006

About two weeks ago, my Book of Mormon teacher assigned my class a paper to write to introduce ourselves. Naturally, I mentioned my middle name and the meaning behind it. When my paper was graded and returned to me I was interested by the comment that my professor left next to the description I wrote of my middle name. All that she wrote by it was "Helaman 5," so once I got home I read the chapter and I love what I found. In verse 6 it reads, "Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good." I find this scripture so amazing because I feel like it speaks directly to me. Even though I may have once felt embarrassed by middle name, I love it now and am grateful for it. I can't think of a better way to remember to have faith than to literally have it as my middle name! :)

Let Me Explain (1)

I've never been one to start a blog and maybe I'm still not. The reason behind this blog, or at least the reason I've started it, is because of a class assignment. But honestly, I do enjoy writing so why not start a blog and fill it with random stuff about myself or things that interest me? I've found that although I do love the idea of keeping a journal, I'm apparently not so great at setting aside the time to do so. Perhaps the concept of a blog will work well for me considering typing on a computer that I already find myself on frequently is easier than handwriting my thoughts. With that being said, you might be wondering what it is I'll be blogging about. That's a good question because I'm not too sure of that myself. What I do know, however, is the meaning behind the title of my blog. Since starting college, I've learned a lot more about myself, as many people do. Some of these include slowly figuring out what I want to major in, realizing I want to serve a LDS mission, and discovering that I may be more southern than I'd originally thought. I was born and lived my whole life up until this point in North Carolina. I once thought that I'd leave home and never look back. I was sure that adventure and entirely new experiences were the key to my happiness. But being on my own and two thousand miles away from home has taught me just how much I love everything about the south. Although I do love Provo, I think my heart belongs in a place much greener, humid, and with barbecue restaurants at just about every corner. I love and will continue to love every moment I have learning at BYU, but I think it's safe to say that home will always be the south for me. So that's where the title "Changing Perspective" comes from. I've learned that moving to Provo and even starting college takes some getting used to. At first, I struggled with the change and perhaps reflected too much on my easier years of high school. It wasn't until I heard this that I began to change my perspective, "Do you not believe that Heavenly Father loves you enough to give you a better future than your past?" This has resonated with me ever since and now I'm beginning to change my perspective on this new adventure. So to answer the question you may have had earlier, in this blog I will write about my journey of adapting and loving life here in Provo. I hope you enjoy reading my posts as much as I'm beginning to like writing them! :)