Ngaahi Tefitoʻi Moʻoní mo e Ngaahi Talaʻofá
Fai ʻe Palesiteni Thomas S. Monson
ʻOfa te tau tokangaʻi hotau sinó mo ʻetau fakakaukaú ʻaki hono tauhi e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni kuo ʻomi ʻi he Lea ʻo e Potó, ko ha palani fakalangi kuo foaki mai.
ʻE kāinga, ʻoku ou lotua he pooni e fakahinohino ʻa ʻetau Tamai Hēvaní ʻi heʻeku vahevahe ʻeku pōpōakí mo kimoutolú.
Naʻe fakahā ʻe he ʻEikí ʻi he 1833 ki he Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá ha palani ki he moʻui leleí. ʻOku maʻu e palani ko iá ʻi he vahe 89 ʻo e Tokāteline mo e Ngaahi Fuakavá pea ʻoku ʻiloa ko e Lea ʻo e Potó. ʻOkú ne ʻomi ha fakahinohino pau fekauʻaki mo e meʻatokoni ʻoku tau maʻú, pea ʻokú ne taʻofi hono fakaʻaongaʻi e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku fakatuʻutāmaki ki hotau sinó.
ʻOku talaʻofa kiate kinautolu ʻoku nau talangofua ki he ngaahi fekau ʻa e ʻEikí mo tauhi faivelenga e Lea ʻo e Potó, ha ngaahi tāpuaki mahino, pea ʻoku kau ai ʻa e moʻui leleí mo ha ivi fakaesino lahi ange.1
Naʻá ku lau kimuí na ha fakamatala moʻoni ʻo ha fakafōtunga mahino fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi talaʻofa ko ʻení. Naʻe ngāue ha mēmipa faivelenga ʻo e Siasí ko Sione A. Lāseni, ʻi he lolotonga e Tau Lahi Hono II ʻa Māmaní ʻi he Vaʻa Leʻo ʻi Tahí (Coast Guard) ʻa e ʻIunaiteti Siteití ʻi he vaka ko e USS Cambria. Naʻe maʻu ha tala ʻi he lolotonga e tau ʻi Filipainí ʻoku haʻu ha ngaahi vakapuna laku pomu mo taonakita. Naʻe tuʻutuʻuni leva ke nau hola. Koeʻuhí naʻe ʻosi mavahe ʻa e USS Cambria, naʻe fakamaau leva ʻe Sione mo hano kaungā sōtia ʻe toko tolu ʻenau nāunaú pea nau hifo ki he matātahí, mo ʻamanaki ʻe ʻave kinautolu ki he ngaahi vaka ne mavahé Meʻamālie, naʻe fakaheka kinautolu ʻe ha vaka ʻo fakavaveʻi ki he vaka fakamuimui taha ne mavahe mei he taulangá. Naʻe femoʻuekina ʻa e kau tangata he funga vaká, ʻi heʻenau feinga ke mavahe vavé, ʻo nau lafo pē ha maea ki he kau tangatá ni ʻe toko fā, mo ʻamanaki, ʻofa pē te nau lava ʻo kaka hake ki he funga vaká.
Naʻe tāupe ʻa Sione mo ha letiō mamafa naʻe fakamaʻu ki hono tuʻá, ʻi ha muiʻi maea fute ʻe fāngofulu (mita ʻe 12), ʻi he tafaʻaki ʻo e vaka ne folau ki tuʻá. Naʻá ne kamata ke ne kaka māmālie hake ʻaki ʻene piki he maeá, mo ne ʻiloʻi, ka homo ʻene pikí, kuo pau ke mate. Naʻe kamata ke mamahi lahi hono nimá ʻi ha hili haʻane kaka ʻi ha vahe tolu pē ʻe taha. Kuo fakaʻau ke fuʻu vaivaia peá ne ongoʻi he ʻikai toe lava ʻo piki maʻu.
ʻI he hōloa hono iví, mo ne fakakaukau ki hono ikuʻangá, ne lotu loto pē ʻa Sione ki he ʻOtuá, ʻo fakahā ange kuó ne tauhi maʻu pē Lea ʻo e Potó mo moʻui maʻa—pea ʻokú ne fie maʻu moʻoni he taimí ni e ngaahi tāpuaki kuo talaʻofá.
Naʻe pehē kimui ʻe Sione, ko e taimi ne ʻosi ai ʻene lotú, naʻá ne ongoʻi ha ivi lahi ʻoku haʻu. Naʻe kamata leva ke toe kaka vave ange he maeá. Naʻe tau pē ʻene mānavá ʻi heʻene aʻu hake ki he funga vaká—ʻo ʻikai ke mānava tamaki. Naʻá ne maʻu e ngaahi tāpuaki ʻo e moʻui lelei mo e ivi lahi ne talaʻofa ʻi he Lea ʻo e Potó. Naʻe fakafetaʻi ai ki heʻene Tamai Hēvaní, pea ʻi he toenga ʻo ʻene moʻuí, ʻi he tali ʻo ʻene lotu vivili ki ha tokoní.2
ʻE ngaahi tokoua, ʻofa te tau tokangaʻi hotau sinó mo ʻetau fakakaukaú ʻaki hono tauhi e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni kuo ʻomi ʻi he Lea ʻo e Potó, ko ha palani fakalangi kuo foaki mai. ʻOku ou fakamoʻoni atu ʻaki hoku lotó mo e laumālié kotoa, ki he ngaahi tāpuaki nāunauʻia ʻoku fakatatali mai kapau te tau fai iá. Ko ʻeku lotú ia ʻi he huafa ʻo hotau ʻEiki mo e Fakamoʻui ko Sīsū Kalaisí, ʻēmeni.