Eito tak M̧ool ilo Marshall Islands
Ilo ad jerakrōk ilo dān ko repijpij rōdekāke an mour, kajjojo iaad jej jeram̧m̧an jān tōl an membōr ro retiljek n̄an jipan̄ kōj kōm̧m̧ani iaļ ko ad ļo̧k n̄an ijo jikin ilan̄.
Rijerakrōk ro etto raar ito itak ilo lojet ko kar tōl jān ijōko al eo, allōn̄ eo, im iju ko rej pād ie. Ilo bon̄ rej kalimjōk wōt Iju in Ean̄ eo, ej kwaļo̧k ia eo kōkaļļe ko rej pād ie n̄an rijerakrōkro, jipan̄ er jerak ilo juon iaļ eo ejim̧we n̄an ijo rej jipadōkļo̧k.
Ilo Marshall Islands ilo Pacific Ocean, rijerakrōk ro raar lo bar juon kilen ejerakrōk. Ijōņ, bun̄to-bun̄tak ko an ņo, ak bun̄to-bun̄tak in n̄ōl, ettōr ikōtaan āne ko im aelōn̄ ko ilo juon jon̄ak eo ejjab oktak. Juon rijerakrōk eo ejejjet an kar kaminene emaron̄ ito-itak buki m̧aiļ ko jān an ļoor n̄ōl ko rōkaibokbok—kajjojo iaer rej āinwōt juon iaļ—jān juon āne n̄an ak aelōn̄ n̄an bar juon. Ro me rejeļā erri n̄ōl ko im ia eo rej itok jāne emaron̄ tōl ritotak ro ro jet ilo ejjeļo̧k jorrāān n̄an ijoko rej jipadōkļo̧k.
N̄an membōr ro an Kabun̄ in, Jisōs Kraist ej waanjon̄ak eo ad eweppān, eo meram eo an em̧ool ej tōl kōj. Kien ko im kain̄i ko An, āinwōt n̄ōl ko ilo lom̧aļo, remron̄ tōl kōj ilo ejjeļo̧k jorrāān n̄an ijo jikin ilan̄. Kiiō n̄an kōj aolep, ewōr ro jet me jerbal in jiipan̄ ko aer im jerbal in rejtak eo aer ej kajion̄ juon wōt ippān jerbal eo an M̧aajta Kapen eo. Ilo bwebwenato kein, jilu membōr in M̧ajōļ ro rej kwaļo̧k ekōjkan an ro jet kar jipan̄ er jōbwebwe ilo dān ko repijpij rōdekāke im lan̄ ko an mour n̄an tōl er n̄an Kraist.
Kareel eo an juon Kōrā Ejim̧we
Hirobo Obeketang ej jijet likļo̧k ilo kauuj eo an im ettōn̄. E im lio pālen, Linda, ej kab m̧ōj aer kōm̧m̧ane nokin in jota an baam̧le eo ippān ajri ro nejierro emen im mijenede jejtōr ro. Raar barāinwōt naajdik mijenede ro in jota eek, likieo in juon eek— juon m̧atin Majuro, kiapitōl eo an Marshall Islands. Ke Hirobo kōmeļeļeik mour eo an, ej kwaļo̧k ewi jon̄an an kam̧oolol kōn Kabun̄ in, ko̧jpeļ eo, im baam̧le eo an, eļaptata lio pālen.
Ej Juun 2009. Juon raan m̧okta ļo̧k Majuro Marshall Islands Stake eo eaar ejaak, im Hirobo kar kūri n̄an jerbal āinwōt rijeje eo eutiej kein kajuon an stake eo. Hirobo, āinwōt an stake būreejtōn eo ekāāl Arlington Tibon kōmeļeļe e, “lukkuun, lukkuun kajoor,” juon iaan ritōl ro retiljek an aelōn̄ eo.
Bōtaab Hirobo ej e eo jinoin tata n̄an kwaļo̧k bwe ejjab kar āindein m̧ae juon tōre eo ejjab ettoļo̧k. Ilo ej leļo̧k kam̧oolol n̄an lio pālen āinwōt e eo eaar kajoor—e eo eaaar kōm̧m̧an oktak ilo mour eo an. Eaar kōmeļeļeik, “Iaar peptaij ke Iaar ke eaar ralitōk iiō detta, bōtaab ke Iaar 16, Iaar jino jeniknik ļo̧k.”
Jet iiō ko tok ālik e im Linda raar jino mour ippān doon, men̄e rejjan̄in kar m̧are. Linda eaar jab juon membōr in Kabun̄ in. Ilo 2000, ālkin wōt an Linda kar jeļā bwe Hirobo em̧ōj an kar peptaij āinwōt juon ajri, eaar jino an itolimo in ilo Kabun̄ in im jino bwebwenato ippān jejtōr mijenede ro.
“Eaar ekkatak ium̧win ruo iiō ko im kar jokālōt eaar kōņaan peptaij,” Hirobo ej kememej. “Kōm kar aikuj in kar m̧are m̧okta, bōtaab Iaar jab itoklimou ilo m̧are. Iaar pok; Iaar lukkuun in deļo̧n̄ ilo kapo ko an laļ in. Iaar jb meļeļe aorōk eo an baam̧le, im Iaar jab lukkuun kea ak ron̄jake jabdewōt.”
Linda, men̄e eaar jab peptaij, eaar karūttoļo̧k ajri ro nejierro ilo Kabun̄ in. Aolep iiō eaar kajjitōk ippān Hirobo n̄an m̧areiki bwe en maron̄ kar peptaij; kajjojo iien eaar ba jab. Ium̧win iiō ko ruo iaan leddik ro nejierro raar peptaij, bōtaab Hirobo eaar jab pād ilo iien peptaij ko aer.
Innām, ilo 2006, ļaddik eo nejier ratimjuon iiō dettan, Takao, eaar mej jān jabjab menwan im ļap an piba. Enan̄in 300 membōr ro jān Majuro distict raar etal n̄an ilomej eo n̄an rejtake baam̧le eo.
“Rejtak eo aer eaar juon men eo elukkuun kar n̄an n̄a,” Hirobo ej ba. “Iaar jino ļōmņak bwe Anij eaar bōlen jiron̄ tok eō juon men.”
Eaar jino ļōmņak kōn ekōjkan an un eo lio pālen eaar jab maron̄ peptaij, em̧ool men̄e eaar juon membōr an Kabun̄ in. “Eaar kajoorļo̧k im kajoorļo̧k wōt. Eaar lukkuun im̧we eō,” ej kememej.
“Kōn mein Iaar jijet im ļōmņak kōn ekōjkan Aō kar pād ilo jimettan in mour eo aō. Iaar kajjitōk ippa make, ‘Inaaj ke wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt ilo kōm̧m̧aen ta eo Ij kōm̧m̧an? Ewōr ke Aō juon iien n̄an jerbal n̄an Anij ilo jimettan in mour eo aō?” Iaar jino kōm̧m̧ani jar ko aō im ļōmņak kōn bar rooltok n̄an jar n̄an jino jerbal n̄an Anij.”
Hirobo eaar jino ekkatak ippān mijenede ro im bar katak katak ko. Būreejtōn Nelson Bleak an Marshall Islands Majuro Mijen eaar m̧ōttāik e, āinwōt membōr ro jet, ekoba district būreejtōn eo Arlington Tibon. Āliktata, Hirobo eaar kalim̧m̧ur n̄an bar rooltok, im ejjab to, eaar pād ejjab ilo kweilo̧k in kwojkwoj eo bōtaab barāinwōt Jabōt Jikuuļ eo im kweilo̧k eo an priesthood.
Ilo jem̧ļo̧kin, Hirobo eaar jōk ilo ļōmņak eo an. “N̄e Iaar bar rooltok, Iaar ba, ‘En̄in ej jokālōt eo aō. En̄in̄ ej ta eo Inaaj kōm̧m̧ane.’ Im eaar lukkuun in ukōt mour eo aō.”
Hirobo im Linda raar m̧are ilo Okwōj 30, 2008. Ejjab to eaar bōk Aaronic Priesthood eo im kar peptaiji lio pālen. Ruo allōn̄ tok ālik Hirobo eaar bōk Melkisede Priesthood eo im kar kūr āinwōt rijeje eo eutiej an district eo.
Hirobo ej reilo̧k n̄an lio pālen im ettōn̄. “Eaar jab tōmak n̄a eo Iaar peptaiji e,” ej ba. “Ļōmņak—eaar bōk n̄an e ralitōk iiō ko, jān 2000 n̄an 2008. Liin ekabwilōn̄lōn̄.”
Waanjon̄ak eo an juon Jemen eo Ejim̧we
Jet iien tōl eo ad, āinwōt juon rijerakrōk, ej lukkuun jerbal epaake kōj, katakin kōj ta eo jej aikuj n̄an jeļā bwe jen maron̄ wejepedik ilo kōjbwebweik mour. Ilo elōn̄ jekjek ko rijerakrōk ro rej tōpar menin ilo aer kōm̧m̧an waanjon̄ak n̄an ad ļoore. Ejja āindein wōt ippān jemen Patricia Horiuchi, Frank.
Ālkin an ioon mijenede ro, Frank eaar jino an karuwaineneik ļo̧k er iien otemjeje n̄an kōjota. Ejjab to eaar jino bōk katak ko. Bōtaab ejjeļo̧k bar juon ilo baam̧le eo an raar kōņaan jeļā jabdewōt kōn Kabun̄ in. “N̄e kōmij lo mijenede ro rej itok,” Patricia ej ba, “kōm kar aolep ko—n̄a im ļaddik ro im leddik ro jatū.”
Innām Frank eaar peptaij ilo Juļae 2007 jān mijen būreejtōn eo, Nelson Bleak. Eaar juon iien eo aorōk n̄an Patricia im ro jatin.
“Iaar lo an jema kar jino in oktak,” ej ba. “Iaar jeļā bwe eļan̄n̄e ko̧jpeļ eo emaron̄ in un̄ur būruwōn jema, emaron̄ in un̄ur būruwō im ukōt mour eo aō. Kōn menin Iaar jokālōt n̄an ekkatak ippān jejtōr mijenede ro, im raar kipel eō n̄an ekkatak kōn Bok in Mormon im Baibōļ eo. Ļaddik eo jatū im N̄a kōmro kar ire m̧okta ļo̧k, im Ijjan̄in kar joļo̧k an bōd. Innān Iaar riit ilo jeje ko rekwojarjar bwe eļan̄n̄e kwoj joļo̧k an ro jet bōd, Anij enaaj joļo̧k am̧ bōd.” (Lale 3 Nipai 13:14–15.)
Patricia eaar kile bwe ej aikuj in kar joļo̧k an ļaddik eo jatin bōd n̄an an jino ukōt mour eo an, erom erreo, im wōr aenōm̧m̧an. Kōn menin eaar.
“Ālkin Aō julo̧k m̧wil nana ko aō im kar oktak n̄an juon armej ekāāl eo eaar kejparok kien ko, Iaar lukkuun in m̧ōņōņō. Iaar jeļā Ij aikuj in kar peptiaj bwe In maron̄ pād ilo Kabun̄ eo em̧ool,” ej ba. “Kabun̄ in eaar likūt eō ilo iaļ eo ejim̧we. Ej kōjeno̧lo̧k eō jān kareel ko renanan. Eaar katakin eō n̄an jeļā ņae ro jinō im jema, n̄an pād ilo jikuuļ, im n̄an pād wōt ilo iaļ eo ejim̧we.”
Kareel eo an juon Em̧m̧aan Ejim̧we
Lydia Kaminaga, āinwōt Hirobo Obeketang, eaar ļotak ilo Kabun̄ in bōtaab eaar erom jeniknik ilo tōre eo eaar jodikdik. Bōtaab bwebwenato in iaļ eo an n̄an an bar rooltok ekabwilōn̄lōn̄ ejja āinwōt an aorōk.
Lydia im ļeo pālen, Kaminaga Kaminaga, raar jim̧or rūttoļo̧k ilo Kabun̄ in. “Ejjan̄in kar wōr jabdewōt pere kōn katak ko an Kabun̄ in ippa,” Kaminaga ej ba. “Iaar iien otemjej tōmaki.”
Bōtaab mour eaar pen n̄an Lydia. Ke eaar pād ilo kūlaj jimjuon, ej ba, “Kar N̄a wōt Mormon ilo jikuuļ eo aō, im Iaar en̄jake bwe Iaar jab m̧ōttaer. Iaar kōm̧m̧ani men ko ro m̧ōtta raar kōm̧m̧ani. Eaar bōd aō karōk men ko raorōk ippa.”
Ro jinen im jemen Lydia raar jilkinļo̧k n̄an Provo, Utah, USA, n̄an mour ippān juon baam̧le, kōjatdikdik kareel ko aer remaron̄ in im̧we Lydia n̄an mour kōn ko̧jpeļ eo. Men̄e eaar katak men ko me raar jipan̄ eo ilo mour eo an tok ālik, ilo tōre eo eaar jab itoklimo in ilo m̧akūtkūt an Kabun̄ in.
Lydia eaar bar jepļaakļo̧k n̄an Marshall Islands ilo Jānwōde 2002, juon allōn̄ ālkin an Kaminaga kar rool jān jerbale juon mijen ilo Japan. Raar ioon doon jet iien tok ālik. Men̄e Lydia eaar jab mour kōn jon̄ak ko an Kabun̄ in, Kaminaga eaar jab bōjrak an etal n̄an m̧weo im̧ōn etan wōt ke ke eaar kōņaan loļo̧k ļaddik eo man̄den, Gary Zackious.
Āliktaa, Kaminaga eaar jōk ilo ļōmņak eo an n̄an kōnono ippān ro jinen im jemen kōn an bōk e n̄an bwebwenato—m̧akūtkūt ko rerreo, em̧m̧an—ippān Lydia. Men̄e raar kajion̄ in kabbwer e, Kaminaga ej ba “āliktata eaar jiron̄ er, ‘Ej wōr wōt iien n̄an e n̄an an oktak. ’ Ke Iaar ba menin, en̄jake eo ilo aolepen ruum̧ eo eaar oktak. Jemen eaar jan̄ im kar ba, ‘Iien otemjej Iaar kōņaan bwe en bar jepļaaktok n̄an Kabun̄ in. Komaron̄ kajion̄.
Ilo jinoin Lydia eaar jab lukkuun leļo̧k an n̄an Kaminaga. Ālkin men otemjej, eaar juon mijened eo ej kab rool ekōjaiij, im e eaar jab niknik.
“Bōtaab eaar lo juon men Iaar jab loe,” Lydia ej kōmeļeļeik. Kōn an jab jerāik juon, eaar errā n̄an etal ippān. “Eaab kōrooltok eō. Āinwōt juon jeran leddik, Iaar aikuj in kajim̧we jon̄ak ko aō. Eaar kakememej eō kōn bujen ko aō iaar kōm̧m̧an ilo peptaij. Eaar kakememej eō kōn aolep men ko Iaar jerwaani rellōn̄, āinwōt riiti jeje ko rekwojarjar im nokin in jotan an baam̧le. Kaminaga im N̄a kar kōm̧m̧ani būrojāak ko ippān doon. Kōm kar riiti Bok in Mormon. Kōm kar etal n̄an nokin in jotak ko. Eaar kwaļo̧k n̄an eō ekōjkan mour juon mour oktak. Etal n̄an jar eaar jab etal wōt n̄an kweilo̧k in kwojkwoj eo bōtaab barāinwōt Jabōt Jikuuļ im Doulul eo an Kōrā barāinwōt.”
Ilo aer joļo̧k iien ippān doon ilo iien bwebwenato ko me raar em̧m̧an im kōbōkakkak, mour eo an Lydia eaar jino oktak im naan in kam̧ool eo an eaar eddōkļo̧k. Eaar aikuj in kar kajim̧we jet men, ijowōt ke.
“Eaar pen n̄an bar rooltok,” ej kwaļo̧k. “Ukweļo̧k ejjab pidodo, bōtaab Iaar eaar wōr juon aō naan in kam̧ool elukkuun pen kōn ukweļo̧k. Ilo elōn̄ wāween ko, bwebwenato eo am eaar kōn ļapļo̧k am jeļā kajien doon im kōn kōrooltok eō n̄an jar, n̄an lo men ko ilo juon jekjek eoktak.”
“Ej kōn jemjerā ko,” Kaminaga ej kakobaba.
Lydia im Kaminaga raar m̧are ilo Nobōm̧ba 28, 2002. Juon iiō tok ālik raar liāp ilo Laie Hawaii Tampeļ eo im etal n̄an Brigham Young University–Hawaii. Kiiō rej jokwe ilo Marshall Islands ippān ajri ro jilu nejierro. Lydia ej jerbal āinwōt rūkaki an Jabōt Jikuuļ n̄an likao im jiron̄ ro ilo ward eo aer, im Kaminaga ej jerbal āinwōt būreejtōn an Doulul eo an Likao ro.
Āinwōt an Hirobo, Patricia, im Lydia kwaļo̧k kam̧ool, n̄e jej kōjerbal kijenmej im kije im pukōt kōjeram̧m̧an ko an Irooj, elōn̄ men repidodo. Ro me rej ļool Rilo̧mo̧o̧r eo im ron̄jake im̧we ko an Jetōb Kwojarjar remaron̄, āinwōt rijerakrōk ro etto rej tōl rito-itak ro n̄an ijo jikier, kōm̧m̧an aolep oktak ko ilo mour an armej rojet.
Itulōn̄ iaanmiin̄: Hirobo obeketang (kar bar waļo̧k ippān baam̧le eo an ilo peij ko im̧aanļo̧k) ej jerbal āinwōt juon hotel manager. Itulaļ: Patricia Horiuchi eaar juon ritōl n̄an kweilo̧k eo eļap an young single adult jinoin tata an Marshall Islands ilo Juun 2009 (itulaļ iaanbwijmaron̄).
“Ewōr aō naan in kam̧ool epen kōn ukweļo̧k,” Lydia Kaminaga ej ba, waļo̧k ijin ippān ļeo pālen, Kaminaga, im leddik eo nejierro, Wellisa.
Pija jān Joshua J. Perkey, ijjeļo̧kin āinwōt kar kwaļo̧k; pija in wa wōjļā eo © Getty Images