Ko e Kau Paionia ʻi he Fonua Kotoa Pē

ʻOku ʻIlo ʻe Filipe ʻa e Halá

Fai ʻe Megan Roxas

(Makatuʻunga ʻi ha talanoa moʻoni)

Naʻe lotu ʻa Filipe ʻo pehē, “Kātaki ʻo tokoni mai ke ma ʻilo homa halá.”

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.

Naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Filipe kuo mei poʻuli. Kuo ʻikai ke toe tangi ʻa e fanga manupuná, pea naʻe kīkī leʻolahi e kakalú. Naʻe laka hake he houa ʻe uá ʻene lue mo ʻene faʻeé ʻi he vaotaá. Ka naʻe hangē naʻá na felueʻaki pē ʻi he foʻi hala tatau. Naʻá na mātuʻaki hē.

Naʻe fakaʻau ke fuʻu ilifia ʻaupito ʻa Filipe. Ko e hā hono fuoloa haʻana moʻui ʻi he vaotaá ni? Naʻá ne kei taʻu 10 pē. Naʻe ʻikai ke ne lahi feʻunga ke fepaki mo ha ngata pe ko ha fuʻu puaka kaivao! Pea ko e hā mo ha toe faʻahinga monumanu fakailifia ʻe takai holo hili e tō ʻa e laʻaá? Naʻá ne tuʻutuʻukina ʻi he fakakaukau ki aí.

Naʻá ne pehē loto, loto-toʻa pē. Naʻe pau ke ne fakahoko ia.

Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻa Filipe ke ʻi ai ʻene tamaí. Ka naʻá ne pekia ʻi he māhina ʻe ono kuohilí. Naʻe faingataʻaʻia ʻa Filipe mo ʻene faʻeé ʻi he ʻikai ke ne ʻi aí. Naʻe ʻikai ke ʻi ai haʻana paʻanga mo ha meʻakai.

Naʻe fakaʻamu ʻa Filipe ʻe vave pē haʻana aʻu ki he ʻapi hono tuofefiné ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻe taha ʻo e moʻungá. Te ne lava ʻo ʻoange ha paʻanga ke fakatau ʻaki ha laise.

Naʻá ne fai ha kiʻi lotu ʻi hono lotó. “Tamai Hēvani, kātaki ʻo tokoni mai ke ma ʻilo homa halá. Fakamolemole.”

Naʻá ne maʻu leva ha fakakaukau: Fakasio ʻa e ʻulu niú. Naʻe sio ʻa Filipe ki ʻolunga. Naʻá ne sio atu ki he mamaʻó ki ha ʻulu niu. Naʻá ne lava ʻo sio ki ai naʻe māʻolunga ange ia ʻi he toenga ʻo e vaotaá. Naʻe ngaungaue ʻa e lauʻi niú ʻi he havilí. Ko e fuofua taimi ia hili ha ngaahi houa lahi naʻe ongoʻi ai ʻe Filipe ha ʻamanaki lelei.

“Sio!” Naʻá ne tuhu ki he ʻuluʻakaú.

Naʻe mahino ki heʻene faʻeé. Naʻe ʻuhinga ʻa e ʻulu niú naʻe ofi mai ha kolo. Kuo tali ʻe he ʻOtuá e lotu ʻa Filipé. Naʻe puke ʻe Filipe e nima ʻo ʻene faʻeé. Naʻá na lue fakataha ki he malú ʻi he tō hifo ʻa e laʻaá.

Naʻe manatuʻi maʻu pē ʻe Filipe ʻa hono tali ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻene lotú. Naʻá ne fakaʻamu he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻe lava ke ne fanongo lelei ange ki he leʻo ʻo e ʻOtuá ʻo hangē ko e pō ko ia ʻi he vaotaá.

ʻI ha ʻaho leva ʻe taha, hili ha taʻu ʻe valu mei ai, naʻe fetaulaki ʻa Filipe mo ha ongo faifekau. Naʻá na haʻu mei he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. Naʻá na akoʻi ia fekauʻaki mo e kau palōfita moʻuí, ʻa ia ne nau lea ʻaki e folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá. Ko e meʻa pē ʻeni naʻe fakaʻamu ki ai ʻa Filipé!

Naʻe fiefia ʻa Filipe ke kau ki he Siasí. Naʻá ne hoko ko e taha ʻo e kau fuofua faifekau mei he ʻOtu Filipainí ke vahevahe ʻa e ongoongoleleí ʻi ai. Naʻe toe fakahā pē ʻe he ʻOtuá kia Filipe ʻa e feituʻu ke ʻalu ki aí—pea naʻe ʻiloʻi ʻe Filipe ʻe fakahoko maʻu pē ia ʻe he ʻOtuá.

ʻOku ʻi ai ha ʻotu motu ʻe 7,600 tupu ʻi he ʻOtu Filipainí!

Ko e fonuá ʻoku ʻi ai e 70% ʻo e ʻakaú mo e fanga monumanu kehekehe ʻo e māmaní.

ʻE vavé ni pē ha ʻi ai ha temipale ʻe valu ʻi he ʻOtu Filipainí.

Naʻe fakahū ʻe Filipe mo hono uaifí ha paʻanga ʻi ha taʻu ʻe taha koeʻuhí ke na lava ʻo fononga ki he temipalé ke sila ai.

ʻOku saiʻia ʻa Filipe ʻi he toutaí.

ʻOku ʻi ai ha fānau ʻe toko 4 mo e makapuna ʻe toko 10 ʻo Filipe mo hono uaifi ko Koulá.