Pionie i te mau fenua ato’a

’Ua ’itehia ia Felipe te ’ē’a

Nā Megan Roxas

(Nō roto mai i te hōʼē ʼāʼamu mau)

« ’A tauturu mai ia māua ’ia ’itehia mai tō māua ’ē’a », ’ua pure Felipe.

Spread illustration of Felipe (age 10) and his mom walking through a jungle, late in the day. Felipe is pointing to palm trees above the jungle in the distance. The jungle scene continues across the whole spread. Seven spot illustrations: 1. Map of Philippines 2. A tarsier, an animal found in the Philippines 3. An Latter-Day Saint temple illustration 4. Felipe and his wife on their wedding day. Just the figures from waist-up, no background needed 5. Felipe as he holds up a fish that he has caught 6. Simple family chart showing Felipe and his wife, four children (2 boys, 2 girls), and 10 grandchildren (5 boys, 5 girls). 7. Felipe at about age 19 as a missionary.

’Ua ’ite Felipe, tē pō atu ra. ’Ua fa’aea te mau manu i te vivivivi, ’e te mau pereta’i i te ta’ita’i pūai. ’Ua hau i te piti hora rāua tōna māmā i te haerera’a nā roto i te uru rā’au. Terā rā, te ’ē’a tāta’itahi tā rāua i rave, e au ra ïa mai te pūrumu ’o tā rāua i rave nā mua atu. ’Ua mo’e roa rāua.

’Ua ha’amata mau Felipe i te ri’ari’a. E aha te maorora’a rāua e ora ai i roto i teie uru ’aihere ’ātia ? 10 noa ho’i matahiti tōna. E ’ere i te mea pa’ari roa nō te ’aro i te hō’ē ’ōphi ’aore rā i te pua’a ’ōviri ! E aha atu ā te tahi mau ’ānimara ri’ari’a e nehenehe e fāura mai, i muri a’e i te topara’a mahana ? I ni’a noa i te ferurira’a, ’ua taratara-roa-hia ’oia.

’A fa’a’itoito, ’ua parau ’oia iāna iho. ’Ua ’ite ’oia ’o te reira te mea e rave.

’Ua feruri Felipe, ’āhani pa’i tei reira tōna pāpā. ’Ua pohe rā ’oia ’a ono ’āva’e i teienei. Nō te mea ’ua mo’e ’oia, e mea fifi roa te orara’a nō Felipe ’e tōna māmā. ’Aita tā rāua e moni ’e te mā’a.

’Ua ti’aturi Felipe ē, ’āhani rāua e tae atu i te fare o tōna tuahine i terā pae mai o te mou’a. E nehenehe ïa i tōna tuahine e hōro’a mai i te tahi moni nā rāua nō te ho’o mai i te raiti.

’Ua fa’ahiti Felipe i te hō’ē pure i roto i tōna ’ā’au. « E te Metua i te ao ē, ’a tauturu mai ia māua ’ia ’itehia mai tō māua ’ē’a. Tauturu mai na. »

Tae mai nei te hō’ē mana’o : ’A ’imi i te mau tumu ha’ari. Hi’o atu ra Felipe i ni’a. I’ō, i te ātea, tē vai ra hō’ē uru ha’ari. E nehenehe ’oia e ’ite i te reira nā ni’a a’e i te toe’a o te uru ’aihere ’ātia. Tē tāhiri ra te mau rauere ni’au i roto i te mata’i. Nō te taime mātāmua e rave rahi hora, ’ua noa’a ia Felipe te tīa’ira’a.

« ’A hi’o na ! » ’Ua fa’atoro ’oia i ni’a i te mau tumu rā’au.

’Ua ta’a roa i tōna māmā. Tē fa’a’ite nei te uru ha’ari ē, ’ua fātata mai te hō’ē ’oire. ’Ua pāhono te Atua i te pure a Felipe. ’Ua rave mai Felipe i te rima o tōna māmā. ’Ua haere atu rāua i te vāhi pāpū, ’a topa ai te mahana i raro a’e i te tumu rā’au.

’Ua ha’amana’o noa Felipe, e mea nāhea te Atua i te pāhonora’a i tāna pure. I te tahi taime, e hina’aro roa ’oia e fa’aro’o maita’i i te reo o te Atua, mai tāna i nā reira i taua pō ra i roto i te uru ’aihere ’ātia.

I te hō’ē mahana, e va’u matahiti i muri mai, ’ua fārerei atu Felipe i te tahi mau misiōnare. Nō Te ’Ēkālesia a Iesu Mesia i te Feiā Mo’a i te mau Mahana Hope’a nei, rātou. ’Ua ha’api’i rātou iāna nō ni’a i te mau peropheta ora e parau nei i te mau parau a te Atua. ’O te mea iho ā ’o tā Felipe e tīa’i nei !

’Ua ’ana’anatae roa Felipe i te tomo mai i roto i te ’Ēkālesia. ’O ’oia hō’ē o te mau misiōnare mātāmua nō Firipino, tei fa’a’ite i te ’evanelia i reira. Fa’ahou ā, ’ua fa’a’ite te Atua ia Felipe i hea e haere ai—’e ’ua ’ite Felipe ē, e nā reira noa te Atua.

’Ua hau i te 7 600 motu i te fenua Firipino !

Tē vai ra 70% o te mau rā’au tupu ’e te mau ’ānimara o te ao nei, i terā fenua.

’Aita e maoro roa, e tai’ohia i te fenua Firipino e va’u hiero.

’Ua ha’aputu Felipe ’e tōna hoa fa’aipoipo i te moni hō’ē matahiti te maoro, nō te haere atu i te hiero, ’ia tā’atihia rāua.

Mea au roa nā Felipe te i’a.

E 4 tamari’i ’e e 10 mo’otua tā Felipe ’e tāna vahine ’o Cora.