Ngaahi Sioʻata ʻo ʻItānití he Temipalé: Ko ha Fakamoʻoni ʻo e Fāmilí
Gerrit W. Gong
Of the First Quorum of the Seventy
‘Oku ou fakamoʻoni ʻi he loto houngaʻia, ʻe lava ʻe heʻetau maʻu ha vakai ʻoku taʻengata ki he ului ki he ongoongoleleí mo e ngaahi fuakava ʻo e temipalé, ʻo tokoniʻi kitautolu ke tau sio ki he ngaahi tāpuaki lahi ʻi he ngaahi toʻu tangata ʻi hotau fāmili taʻengatá.
ʻE kāinga, ko e taimi ne ʻi he Senitā Akoʻanga Fakafaifekaú ai ʻi Polovó homa fohá, ne ʻave ki ai mo hono hoá ʻe Sisitā Kongo ha mā ne toki taʻo. Ko e niʻihi ʻeni ʻo e ngaahi tohi fakamālō ne faʻa maʻu ʻe Sisitā Kongó: “Sisitā Kongo, ne tatau tofu pē ʻeni mo e mā ne u kai ʻi ʻapí.” “Sisitā Kongo, te u pehē pē tōtōatu. Ko e mā lelei taha eni kuó u kai ai makehe mei he taʻo meʻa ʻeku fineʻeikí.” Ka ko e tohi ʻeni ne u saiʻia aí: “Sisitā Kongo, tō atu e maá. Peá ne fakakata mai ʻi heʻene hoko atú, “Ka ʻi ai ha taimi kuó mo māvae ai mo Misa Kongo, fakakaukauʻi muʻa au.”
ʻOkú ma ʻofa ʻi heʻetau kau faifekaú—ʻa e ʻeletā, sisitā, mo e faifekau hoa mali kotoa pē. ʻOkú ma houngaʻia ʻo taʻengata ʻi he faifekau makehe naʻá ne fuofua ʻomi ki homau fāmilí e ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi kuo toe fakafoki maí. ‘Oku ou fakamoʻoni ʻi he loto houngaʻia ʻe lava ʻe heʻetau maʻu ha vakai ʻoku taʻengata ki he ului ki he ongoongoleleí mo e ngaahi fuakava ʻo e temipalé ʻo tokoniʻi kitautolu ke tau sio ki he ngaahi tāpuaki lahi ʻi he ngaahi toʻu tangata ʻi hotau fāmili taʻengatá.
Ko ʻeku faʻeé, ko Sini Kongo ʻa e fuofua ului he fāmili Kongó ki he Siasi ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi ʻo e Kau Māʻoniʻoni ʻi he Ngaahi ʻAho Kimui Ní. ʻI heʻene kei finemui ʻi Honolulu, Hauaiʻí, naʻá ne fanongo; ʻiloʻi; papitaiso mo hilifakinima; pea hokohoko atu he tuí. Ne tokoniʻi ʻeku faʻeé ʻe ha kāingalotu faivelenga ʻo e Siasí pea ʻi ai hono ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ʻi he ongoongoleleí, maʻu e fatongia he Siasí, pea fafanga ʻaki e folofola lelei ʻa e ʻOtuá. ʻI he ʻahó ni, ʻoku tāpuekina e ngaahi toʻu tangatá mo e niʻihi kehé, ʻe he kau ului foʻoú, tāutaha kei talavoú, mo kinautolu kuo toe foki ki he Siasí heʻenau hoko ko e kāinga māʻoniʻoni pea mo e fale ʻo e ʻOtuá.1
Ne tokoni ʻa Sēleti ti Siongi ko e Siʻí ki heʻeku faʻeé. Ko ha tangata fakatotolo lea ne manako he lea ʻo e lotó mo e Laumālié, ʻi heʻeku kei tamasiʻí ne fakatupu fifili e lea ʻa e kui tangata ti Siongí ʻi heʻene pehē, “ʻOku kei mata pē ʻa e Blackberries ʻi heʻene kei kulokulá.” ʻOku ou tala ki hoku kaungāmeʻa kei talavoú ʻo kau ki he ngaahi meʻa fakaʻilekitulōniká, “Ko e meʻa fakamamahi ki he pīsope foʻoú hoʻo fetohiʻaki holo he telefoni Blackverries ʻi ʻapi Siasí.”
Ko ʻeku ongo mātuʻá, Uata mo Sini Kongo, ne tuʻo tolu hono fai ʻena malí: kātoangaʻi faka-Siaina maʻá e fāmilí, kātoangaʻi faka-ʻAmelika maʻá e ngaahi kaungāmeá; pea ʻi he Fale ʻo e ʻEikí ki taimi mo ʻitāniti.
ʻOku hivaʻi ʻe he fānau Palaimelí: “ʻOku ou fie sio he temiplalé. ʻOku ou fie hū he temipalé ha ʻaho.”2 ʻOku tukupā hotau toʻu tupú ke “maʻu ʻa e ngaahi ouau ʻo e temipalé.”3
Ne u toki ʻi he Fale ʻo e ʻEikí mo ha ongo meʻa mali ne taau ke maʻu e tāpuakí ʻi he fuakavá. Ne u fakaafeʻi kinaua ke tolonga hono kātoangaʻi ʻena malí ke aʻu ʻo taʻu ʻe 50; pea, hili e taʻu ʻe 50, pea toe kātoangaʻi e konga hono uá.
Ne mau sio mo e ongo meʻa mali fakaʻofoʻofá ni ʻi he sioʻata ʻo e temipalé—sioʻata ʻe taha he tafaʻaki ko ʻení, pea taha he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá. Pea hanga ʻe he fetāpaaki e ongo sioʻata ʻo e temipalé ʻo ʻai e ʻatá ke hangē ʻoku aʻu atu ia ki ʻitānití.
ʻOku fakamanatu mai ʻe he sioʻata ʻo e temipalé ko e taha kotoa pē ʻokú ne maʻu “ha natula fakalangi pea mo ha ikuʻanga pau;” “ngaahi ouau mo e ngaahi fuakava toputapu ʻi he ngaahi temipale toputapú ki he tokotaha kotoa pē ke ne foki ki he ʻao ʻo e ʻOtuá pea mo e ngaahi fāmilí ke fakatahaʻi ʻo taʻengata”;4 pea tupulaki fakataha he ʻofá mo e faivelenga, ʻe langa ai ha fakavaʻe mālohi maʻa ʻetau fānaú.
ʻI he sioʻata taʻengata ʻo e temipalé, ʻoku ou fakakaukau ki he ʻUluaki Talākoni Kongó, naʻe faʻeleʻi ʻi he 837a.d. (puleʻanga fakatuʻi Tangí) he faka-Tonga ʻo Siainá mo e hokohoko ʻo e toʻu tangata he fāmili Kongó ʻo aʻu mai ki heʻeku tamaí, ʻa ia ko e toʻu tangata ia hono 32 homau fāmilí ne lekōtí. Ko au mo hoku tehiná mo hoku tuofefiné, ko e toʻu tangata ia hono 33; ko hoku ngaahi fohá mo honau kāingá, ko e toʻu tangata ia hono 34; ko hoku mokopuna tangatá, ko e toʻu tangata ia hono 35 kuo lekooti ʻi he fāmili Kongó. ʻI he sioʻata taʻengata ʻo e temipalé, ʻoku ʻikai te u ʻilo ai ha kamataʻanga pe ngataʻanga ʻo e ngaahi toʻu tangatá.
ʻOku ʻikai ngata pē he hokohoko ʻa e toʻu tangatá, kae pehē foki ki he hokohoko ʻa e feohi fakafāmilí. ʻI he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá, ʻoku ou hoko ko ha foha, mokopuna, mokopuna ua, ʻo aʻu ki he ʻUluaki Talākoni Kongó. ʻI he tafaʻaki leva ʻe taha ʻo e sioʻatá, ʻoku ou hoko ko e tamai, kui tangata, kui ua. ʻOku lava ke u mamata ki hoku uaifi ko Sūsaná, ko ha ʻofefine, mokopuna fefine, mokopuna ua pea ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻe tahá, ko ha faʻē, kui fefine, mo ha kui ua ia.
ʻI he sioʻata taʻengata ʻo e temipalé, ʻoku kamata ke mahino ko au mo hoku uaifí ko ha fānau ki heʻema mātuʻá, pea mātuʻa ki heʻema fānaú, ko ha makapuna ki heʻema kuí pea ko e kui ki homa makapuná. Ko e lēsoni mahuʻinga ʻo e moʻuí kuo fakamaʻu ia ki hotau lotó ʻi heʻetau ako mo faiako ʻi he fatongia taʻengatá ʻo kau ai e fānau mo ha mātuʻa, mātuʻa mo ha fānau.
ʻOku fakamatalaʻi ʻe he folofolá hotau Fakamoʻuí “ko e Tamaí mo e ʻAló.”5 Koeʻuhí naʻá ne hoko ʻo kakano pea fakamoʻulaloaʻi e kakanó ki he finangalo ʻo e Tamaí, ʻoku ʻiloʻi ʻe hotau Fakamoʻuí ʻa e founga ke tokoniʻi ʻaki kitautolu ko Hono kakaí, ʻi heʻetau mamahí, faingataʻaʻiá, ʻahiʻahí, mahamahakí pea aʻu pē ki he maté.6 Pea kuo “hāʻele hifo ki lalo ʻi he ngaahi meʻa kotoa pē,”7 pea lava e Fakamoʻuí ʻo fua hotau mamahí mo toʻo hotau ngaahi vaivaí. “Naʻe lavea ia koeʻuhi ko ʻetau maumau fonó, … pea fakavolu ko ʻetau ngaahi angahalá … pea ʻi he ngaahi tā [hotau Fakamoʻuí ] ʻoku tau moʻui ai.8
Talu mei he fakataha ʻi he langí, mo e feinga e Fakamoʻuí ke fai pē e finangalo ʻo ʻEne Tamaí. ʻOku fakamatalaʻi ʻe he sīpinga ko ʻeni ʻo e Tamaí mo e ʻAló ha lēsoni “ka ko ia ʻoku mole ʻene moʻuí koeʻuhi ko aú ʻe maʻu ʻe ia ia.” ʻOku fekumi e māmaní ki he meʻa pē ʻe lelei ki aí.9 Ka ʻoku ʻikai ke tau maʻu e mālohi ke fakahaofi kitautolu. Ka ʻokú Ne maʻu ia.ʻOku taʻefakangatangata pea taʻengata,10 ko e Fakalelei pē ʻa e Fakamoʻuí ʻoku fakalaka atu ia ʻi he taimí, ʻataá, ʻo folo hifo e maté, ʻitá, mamahí, taʻe totonú, taʻelatá, mo e loto kuo mafasiá.
ʻOku kei hoko pē ʻa e fehālākí neongo ne fai hotau lelei tahá. Ko ha lami haohaoa mo taʻe hano mele, ka naʻe mamahi e Fakamoʻuí maʻatautolu. ʻI he taimi ʻoku tau manatua maʻu pē Iá,11 te ne lava ke tuʻu mo kitautolu “ʻi he taimi kotoa pē pea ʻi he meʻa kotoa pē, pea ʻi he feituʻu kotoa pē te [tau] ʻi aí.”12 ʻOku mālohi ange ʻene “angatonú ʻi he afo ʻo e maté.”13 ʻI heʻene tohoakiʻi kitautolu ke tau ofi ange kiate Iá, ʻoku hanga ʻe he Fakamoʻuí ʻo ʻave kitautolu ki he Tamai ʻi Hēvaní. Neongo ʻoku ʻikai haohaoa e ngaahi meʻa ʻo e māmaní, ʻe lava ke tau falala ki heʻetau Tamai Hēvaní ke fakakakato e “ngāue mahuʻinga, ʻofa kuo motumānoa, kuo fakaʻotua!”14
Ko e mana ʻo e ʻīmisi ʻoku ʻasi he sioʻata taʻengata ʻo e temipalé ko ʻenau lava ko ia—mo kitautolu—ke liliú. ʻI he taimi ne fakahoko ai ʻe Sini mo Uata ʻa e fuakava foʻou mo taʻengatá, naʻá na fakaava ai e hala ki he ngaahi kuí, (hangē ko ʻUluaki Talākoni Kongo) ke silaʻi kinautolu pea ke fanauʻi mai hona hakó he fuakavá. Kātaki ʻo manatuʻi: ʻi heʻetau tokoniʻi e tokoua pe tuofefine ʻi he ongoongoleleí, ʻoku tau tāpuekina ai mo ha ngaahi toʻu tangata.
ʻOku moveuveu e māmaní,15 ka ʻi Hono “Siasi moʻoni mo moʻuí,”16 ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e tuí pea ʻikai ha ilifia. ʻOku ou toe fai atu ha fakamoʻoni molumalu ʻo hange ko e lea ʻa e ʻAposetolo ko Paulá:
“He ʻoku ou ʻilo pau, ʻe ʻikai ʻi he mate pe ʻi he moʻui, …
“Pe ʻi he māʻolunga, pe ʻi he māʻulalo, pe ʻi ha meʻa kehe ʻe taha kuo ngaohi, ʻe ʻikai mafai ia ke fakamāvae ʻa kitautolu mei he ʻofa ʻa e ʻOtuá, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻia Kalaisi Sīsū ko hotau ʻEikí.”17
ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ʻi he loto fakatōkilalo: ʻOku moʻui e ʻOtuá. Te Ne holoholoʻi ʻa e loʻimata kotoa pē mei [hotau] matá”18—tukukehe ʻa e loʻimata ʻo e fiefia ʻi heʻetau sio he sioʻata ʻo e temipalé ki he taʻengatá pea ʻilo ʻoku tau ʻi ʻapi, haohaoa mo maʻa, kuo silaʻi e toʻu tangata hotau fāmilí ʻaki e mafai ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí ʻi he ʻofa, ke nau kaila hosana, hosana, hosana. ʻI he huafa ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.