ʻEletā Dale G. Renlund

Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo e Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá

Naʻe tūʻulutui ʻa ʻEletā Teili G. Lenilani mo hono uaifi ko Luté ʻo lotu, ʻi heʻena fekumi ki ha fakamoʻoni naʻe “tākiekina ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa e hala ko ʻení” hili e fakaʻohovale ʻo hono ui ki he Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá.

Kuo tuʻo lahi e fekumi ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani ki he fakahinohino ko iá—ʻi heʻene hoko ko ha Taki Fitungofulú, toketā mafu, pea mo ha husepāniti mo e tamai. Hangē ko ʻení, lolotonga ʻene ngāue ko ha tokotaha akoako fakafaitoʻo ʻi Melileni, USA, ne kamata puke hono uaifí ʻi he kanisā ʻo e taunga fanaú. Naʻe mahina 16 pē ʻena tama fefine ko ʻEsilií. Lolotonga e ngaahi ʻaho faingataʻa ko iá, naʻe fakafoki mai ʻa e ongoʻi vāofi ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani ki he ʻEikí ʻi he taimi ne lotu ai ʻa Lute ʻo fakamālō ki he ʻEikí ko ʻena sila ʻi he temipalé.

Naʻe hoko ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani ʻi heʻene ngāue maʻuʻanga moʻuí ko ha toketā mafu, ʻo faitoʻo e kakai mahaki mafú. Naʻá ne mamata ki he mate ʻa ha kau mahaki tokolahi. Ka ʻi he malōlō ha tokotaha mahaki ko Seti, ne ʻosi ai pē ʻa e ongo vā mamaʻo fakaeloto naʻá ne maʻu he ngaahi taimi ʻo e faingataʻá ʻi heʻene hoko ko e toketaá, ʻi he taimi ne kau fakataha ai e ongomātuʻa ʻa Setí mo ia ʻi he loki fakatupakē ʻo e falemahakí. Naʻá ne toki vakai ai he taimi ko iá kia Seti ʻi heʻena vakaí.

Mei he meʻa ko ʻeni naʻe hokó naʻe pehē ʻe ʻEletā Lenilani, “Kuó u ʻiloʻi he taimí ni ko e founga lelei taha ke tau tokoniʻi ai e niʻihi kehe, ko e pau koi a ke tau vakai kiate kinautolu ʻi he fofonga ʻenau mātuʻá pe ko e Tamai Hēvaní. Ko e toki taimi i ate tau lava ai ʻo maʻu ʻa e ʻilo ki he mahuʻinga moʻoni ʻo e laumālié” (peesi 94).

Kuo tokoni foki e tupu hake mo e ngaahi ngāue faka-Siasi ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani ʻi hono teuteuʻi ia ke vakai ki he niʻihi kehé ʻi he fofonga ʻo e ʻEikí mo mahino ki he kehekehe ʻo e kāingalotu ʻo e Siasí.

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa Teili Lenilani ʻi he ʻaho 13 ʻo Nōvema 1952, ki ha ongo hikifonua Suēteni ʻa ia ne omi ki ʻIutā ke sila ʻi he temipalé. ʻI he kei siʻi ʻa Teilí, naʻe hiki ʻa e fāmilí ki Finilani pea nau toe foki pē ki Suēteni. Hili ha taʻu ʻe tolu mei ai, naʻá ne foki ki ʻIutā mo hono fāmilí. Ne ui ia ʻi hono taʻu 19 ke ʻalu ʻo ngāue fakafaifekau taimi kakato ʻi Suēteni.

Naʻe uiuiʻi ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani ke hoko ko ha Taki Māʻolunga Fitungofulu ʻi he 2009. Naʻe fuofua uiuiʻi ia ki he Kau Palesitenisī ʻo e ʻĒlia ʻAfilika Tonga-hahaké. Naʻe fakaʻosi ʻe ʻEletā Lenilani ʻene ngāue maʻuʻanga moʻui ko ha toketā mo ha palōfesa, ka naʻá ne pehē, ko hono malí naʻá ne, “fakahoko e feilaulau lahi tahá.” Naʻe hoko ʻa Lute ko e Palesiteni ʻi heʻene kautaha fakafofonga laó ʻi he taimi ne ui ai ʻa ʻEletā Lenilaní peá ne mavahe foki mo ia mei heʻene ngāué. Ka ʻokú ne pehē ko e talu mei heʻena mali ʻi he 1977, naʻe “kau kakato” hono uaifí mo hoko ko e maʻuʻanga ivi lahi kiate ia.

Lolotonga e ʻi ʻAfilika ʻa ʻEletā mo Sistā Lenilaní naʻe “akoʻi kinaua ʻe he kāingalotú fekauʻaki mo e meʻa ʻoku mahuʻinga moʻoní.” Ne tuʻotaha hano ʻeke ʻe ʻEletā Lenilani ki he kau mēmipa ʻo e Temokalati Lepupelika ʻo Kongokoó pe ko e hā e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku nau faingataʻaʻia aí. Naʻá ne manatu ki ai ʻo pehē, “ʻne tuʻu hake ha tangateʻiki matuʻutuʻa ʻo pehē, ʻEletā Lenilani, ke mau faingataʻaʻia fēfē? ʻOku mau maʻu ʻa e ongoongolelei ʻo Sīsū Kalaisí.’” Naʻe fakakaukau ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani: “ʻOku ou fie maʻu mo hoku uaifí ke ma hangē ko e Kāingalotu Kanangá … ʻOku nau fotu masiva, ka ʻoku nau maʻu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē.”

Naʻe fakamoʻoni ʻa ʻEletā Lenilani, ʻi he fakaʻosinga ʻo ʻene fuofua lea ko e ʻAposetoló: “ʻOku ou fie hoko ko e muimui moʻoni ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi, ʻaki hoku lotó kotoa. ʻOku ou ʻofa kiate Ia. ʻOku ou fakaʻapaʻapa kiate Ia. ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ki he moʻoni ʻo ʻEne moʻuí. ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni ko Ia ʻa e Taha kuo Paní, ko e Mīsaiá” (peesi 94).