THE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT – IN MEMORY OF MONIQUE ULLOA
BY: M. HUFFER (1/11/09)

“Some of you know me as Monique Hudgens; others know me as Monique Portusach-Cepeda. And now, I’m Monique Ulloa. Due to extraordinary health challenges and uncertainties surrounding my cancer. . .Nathaniel and I took our vows at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church. Thanks to our wonderful friends Jerry Herrera and Eugene Mesa, we were able to share in this special and holy sacrament on December 9th [2008]. As for the Guam wedding, we’re just waiting until we have everything under control and complete treatment. The slide show was completed by our good friend Judy. Thanks, Judy!” [Wedding slide show can be viewed in “Monique P.C. Ulloa’s MySpace.com” from where the above excerpt was taken.]

I did not know Monique Hudgens; I did not know Monique Portusach-Cepeda. I was, however, blessed with the privilege of knowing Monique Ulloa. [A year ago (Jan. 2008), Monique and Nathaniel (Momo & Nate), along with his parents, Manny and Rose Ulloa, came to California to begin Momo’s treatments at Stanford University Medical Center after having stayed with Nate’s sisters in Oregon for initial treatments at OHSU. During the course of the year up until three weeks prior to her death on January 3, 2009, the Ulloas lived with me in Redwood City in between stays with other family members and their Stanford apartment for a few months. After a weekend trip to Oregon, Monique called and asked if she and Nate could stay in my home while she resumed treatments at Stanford. They went back to Guam for a visit in September, and I picked them up at S.F. Airport when they returned on December 3rd. Upon being released after 3 days of chemotherapy, Momo decided to stay with her aunt in Milpitas as winter was upon us, and my house, built in 1935 with poor insulation, was a bit too cold for Momo. We also agreed for her health that she not be around pets (I have a cat and a dog). Because of her illness, she was easily bored being in any one place for any length of time, so she asked to keep my car and house keys for a get-away whenever she needed a change. I still feel her presence as I walk by her house slippers and sneakers in my porch every day.]

Family, friends and acquaintances who knew Momo have shared their thoughts, love and memories in numerous e-mails and posted comments on the web and her MySpace.com, and I trust countless more are on the way. I, however, would like to honor the memory of this beautiful and beloved soul with just a small tribute to whom she loved and called her significant other—her husband, Nathaniel Ulloa.

Despite what anyone has heard or what may have been said about him (by friend or foe, true or untrue), I’ve witnessed a certain power in Nate’s character that I have not seen in anyone I’ve ever known. We all have our weaknesses—and I confess I’ve had to deal with some of his—but as God had blessed Momo with all the graces she had, so had He blessed Nate with special graces JUST FOR MOMO, and nothing and nobody was ever able to break him or take that away from him.

One of Momo’s favorite Karaoke songs when she was feeling well enough to sing with us was Abba’s “Take a Chance on Me”, and Nate took that chance knowing the challenges ahead of him. Amidst all the tension between families that come with crises of one sort or another, he took all the beating and criticism that was thrown at him for doing things in certain ways that did not meet his or Momo’s family’s approval. With the love, untireing support and sacrifices of his family, he left his job behind and dedicated his life this past year-and-a-half to taking care of Momo, even before becoming her husband twice over, in civil court and again in Church. In spite of fear and frustration throughout this ordeal, Nate never succumbed to all the relentless hounding and harassment to “throw in the towel” and step aside. He was the ONE PERSON who NEVER left her side. Even when it would appear to some as though he was just lazing around with a computer game in hand or sitting in front of a television set, however misunderstood his actions might have been, it was his therapy between Momo’s resting periods. But Nate was her primary caregiver 24/7 through the surgeries, chemotherapies, radiation treatments and everything else in between, and his unconditional love was evident as he stood by and for her long after he accepted that he had “lost” his wife to the after-effects of whole brain radiation. He epitomized the famous marriage vows—for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, until death. Nate was the ONE PERSON who NEVER lost sight of what his priority was--Momo.

Below is another excerpt from Momo’s MySpace which she titled: Unconditional Love.

“In our darkest moments, the Lord carries us and sends us angels to guide us through our weakness and fears. I have been blessed with the unconditional love and support of a wonderful significant other. On his 30th birthday, I'd like to publicly acknowledge how appreciative I am to have him in my life. Lord knows, we'd rather be celebrating Nathaniel's 30th birthday in a different place, but he's been a wonderful sport through all of this, so for his selflessness and all the sacrifices he has made for me, thank you Nathaniel. The Lord has blessed me with a wonderful friend and partner on this journey. I hope the Holy Spirit blesses Nathaniel with a wonderful year.”

And so Nate, it matters not what anyone thinks, you did Momo and your parents proud! Hold your head up, even as Momo’s temple of the Holy Spirit still lies at the Chapel of the Chimes in Hayward, CA. Hold steadfast to those gifts of love, compassion and honesty that God has blessed you with, because when your day of judgment comes, you’ll hear the words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant. Now, enter into your Father’s house!”