Soon after marrying, Sammy was deployed to Iraq and has been deployed 5 out of the 8 years he and January have been married. Needless to say, many trials and tribulations have affected their marriage. Sammy and January have a 5 year old son they call “Junior.” On October 21, 2013, January filed for divorce while Sammy was stationed in Korea. Sammy fought hard to get January to give him another chance. He sent flowers, called all of her friends and family, sent countless love letters, and text messages. Finally, January realized how deeply Sammy loves her, so she accepted his request to give their marriage another try. They are on the road of recovery and healing by the grace of God and His help.
Sammy was born in Jackson, Mississippi. January was born In Macabebe (Maca Beh beh), Pampanga, Philippines. Both Sammy and January were raised in a Catholic households. Sammy lived in Jackson, Mississippi until he was 21 years old. He had a strong desire to explore the world outside of Mississippi, so he enlisted in the Army and has moved up the rank several times throughout his career. He is now a Chief Warrant Officer stationed in Korea. January lived in Papua New Guinea until she was 10 years old. Her parents loved to travel and explore the world, so they moved to San Francisco, California. She graduated from University of California Berkeley, and is passionate about special education, videography, and photography. She is an entrepreneur who works for Easter Seals with adults who have disabilities and special needs, and is a photographer at Aulani. She was baptized on January 23, 2000, and became a Christian. January frequently traveled to Oahu since May 2000, and finally moved permanently in 2001.
Sammy enlisted for the Army in 2000 and requested every other place except for Hawaii. One August night in 2004, they met at the most unlikely place. Both had stopped going to nightclubs for several reasons, but that one fateful night, changed their lives forever. Amidst many trials and adversities, the two decided to elope. On August 20, 2005, they tied the knot.
Proverbs 10:8 “The wise in heart accept commands, but a chattering fool comes to ruin.”