Ko ʻEku Mana Faka-Kilisimasí

Joan Burton Stott, Kalefōnia, ʻAmelika

Lolotonga ʻa e faʻahitaʻu fakatōlau ʻo e 1968, ne kole ange ʻe heʻemau pīsopé ki heʻeku ongo mātuʻá pe te nau fie tukupā ke foaki ha paʻanga ki hono langa ʻo e Temipale Polovo ʻIutaá. ʻOku ʻikai ke toe fai ia ʻe he ngaahi uōtí ʻi he ʻahó ni, ka ko ha meʻa angamaheni ia ʻi he kuohilí. Naʻe tukupā ʻeku tangataʻeikí ke foaki ha paʻanga ʻAmelika ʻe $1,000. Hangē ʻoku ʻikai ko ha paʻanga lahi fēfeé, ka naʻe lahi ia kiate kimautolu. Naʻe ngāue ua ʻeku tamaí ke tokoni ki hono fua e ako ʻo ha foha ʻi he ʻunivēsití, ha foha ʻi he ngāue fakafaifekaú, mo e fānau ʻe toko nima ʻi ʻapi.

ʻI he taimi ne fakatangutu ai kimautolu ʻe heʻeku tamaí ke fakahoko ʻemau fakataha fakafāmilí mo talamai kuó ne tukupā ke foaki ha $1,000 ki he temipalé, ʻoku ou manatuʻi ʻeku fakakaukau, “Mahalo ʻoku tonu ke ke tukupā ā ke foaki ha $1 miliona he taumaiā ʻe lava ia ʻo maʻu fakatouʻosi.” Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻamanaki te ne tukupā ke foaki ha paʻanga lahi pehē, pea naʻe siʻi hifo ʻi he māhina ʻe faá ke mau tānaki ai ʻa e paʻangá.

Naʻa mau fili ha founga ʻe fā ke tokoni ai ki hono tānaki e paʻangá: ko hono fakatatafe atu ʻa e foaki meʻaʻofa ʻi he Kilisimasi ko iá pea foaki ʻa e paʻanga ne mau mei fakamoleki ʻi he ngaahi meʻaʻofá; te u foaki mo hoku ngaahi taʻoketé ʻemau paʻanga toʻotamá; ʻe fai ʻe hoku kiʻi tuongaʻane siʻisiʻí ha ngaahi ngāue kehekehe ke maʻu ha paʻanga; pea ʻe ʻalu homau fāmilí ki ha ngoueʻanga ʻi homau feituʻú, ʻo toli ʻāpele fakaʻaho ʻi ha ngaahi uike, pea foaki ʻa e paʻanga ʻe maʻu aí.

Naʻa mau kofukofu ha puha sū ke lava ʻo faʻo ai ʻemau paʻanga ʻe maʻú, pea tānaki atu ki ai ha fakatātā ʻo ha temipale mo ha fakatātā ʻo Sīsū Kalaisi, pea fokotuʻu ʻa e puhá ʻi ha kiʻi tēpile siʻisiʻi. Naʻe fakautuutu ʻemau fiefiá ʻi he tupulaki ʻemau ngaahi tokoní. Naʻe mafuli ʻemau taumuʻá mei he ngaahi meʻaʻofa ne mau fie maʻú ki heʻemau meʻaʻofa ki he Fakamoʻuí. Ne u houngaʻia ʻaupito ʻi he meʻaʻofa kuó Ne foaki maʻá e fānau ʻa e ʻOtuá—ʻEne moʻuí—ne u loto ai ke u foaki fakafoki ha meʻa Maʻana.

Ne hoko ʻa e toli ʻāpelé ko e founga faingataʻa mo fakafiemālie taha ke maʻu ai ha paʻanga. Naʻe fakaongosia, ka naʻe fakamālohia kimautolu mo tāpuekina ʻi heʻemau feohi fakataha ko ha fāmili. Naʻe kamata ke mau “taha ʻi he uouongataha mo e feʻofoʻofani” (Mōsaia 18:21).

ʻI he panaki mai ʻa e Kilisimasí, ne u fakasiosio ki he puha tātānakí, ka naʻá ku loto-mamahi maʻu pē. Neongo ʻemau tōtōiví, ka naʻe teʻeki ke vavea ʻemau taumuʻá.

Naʻá ku ongoʻi fiefia pē, ʻi heʻemau fili ke fakatatafe ʻa e ngaahi meʻaʻofá. Naʻá ku ʻilo naʻe siʻisiʻi ʻemau feilaulaú, ka naʻá ku maʻu ʻa e tui ʻe hōifua mai pē ʻa e Fakamoʻuí.

ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha ne fakahā mai ai ʻe heʻeku tangataʻeikí kuo mau ikunaʻi ʻemau taumuʻá pea kuó ne ʻosi foaki ʻa e paʻangá. Naʻe ʻikai te u ʻilo pe naʻe founga fēfē ʻemau tānaki vave ʻa e toengá.

Ko ha mana ia hono fakakakato e tukupā ʻeku tangataʻeikí ʻi he Kilisimasi ko iá. Ka kiate au, ko e mana moʻoní ʻa ʻeku toe ofi ange ki he Fakamoʻuí ʻi he foaki atú kae ʻikai ko e maʻu maí. Naʻe mahulu ange ia ʻi ha toe meʻaʻofa Kilisimasi kuó u maʻu. ʻI ha taʻu ʻe fitu mei ai naʻe toe fakafoki mai ʻa e meʻaʻofá kiate au ʻi heʻeku tūʻulutui ʻi he ʻōlitá ʻi he Temipale Polovó ʻo sila ki hoku husepānití ki taimi mo e kotoa ʻo e taʻengatá.