Unimwane Gerrit W. Gong: Tangira te Uea ao Onimakinna

Iroun Unimwaane D. Todd Christofferson

Man te Kooram n Abotoro n te Tengaun ma Uoman

Taanga aika tibwa mareaki ae ataein te reirei aika tibwa anga bebwa n te England University i Oxford, Gerrit W. Gong e reiakinna ibon irouna bwa ngkana ti tangira te Uea ao n Onimakinna, E na buokira, ni kairira, ao ni kakorakoraira.

Gerrit bon ngaia ae anganaki te reirei ae arana Rhodes Scholar are e na mwakuri ni karekea uoua te rikuri iaon te rikuri ae te bachelor teuana mai iai bon te doctrate. N te tai naba anne, E mwakuri n te bitiobiriki n te Oxford Uoote. Teuaei ma buuna, a uringa te reirei are Unimwaane David B. Haight (1906–2004) n te Kooram n Abotoro n te Tengaun ma Uoman e anga ngke karaoa aia mare inanon te Salt Lake Tembora. “E tuangira bwa tina riai n iai nakoara n tainako,” E taku Unimwaane Gong. “Ti ataia ngkai ti onimakina te Atua ao ni karaoa ara kabanea n tamaroa, E na bon buokira.”

Gerrit ao Susan a karekea te “buoka ae raoiroi ao te nanoanga ae akoako,” e taku. Ngke waaki inanon te bitiobiriki, Gerrit e kabanei bwaai aika a tangiraki ibukin te reirei ni karekean te rikuri n taokita, ma bon ti korean ana beebwa ibukin ana anga beebwa. E butiia te bitiobi n te Uoote ae Oxford Alan Webster, ibukin ana kakabwaia te nakoanibonga. N te kakabwaia, Gerrit e karekea te berita aio: “Waakinako karaoa are ko kona, ao e na kakabwaiako te Uea.”

Uoman membwa n te uoote aika tataneiai n tia koroboki n te tautaeka a ibuobuoki n taibin bwaai ake katauraoi n te koroboki, ao Gerrit e a katabwanina ana kakae inanon tabeua namwakaina. Ni koauana, e kabobongai ni kauoua te mwatita ao te rikuri n te taokita n riaon teniua te ririki. N ana tai n angabebwa e a butimwaea kaainakin te rabwata are a tararua te reirei n te iuniwetiri. Rabakauna n te Oxford e kakorakora ana mwioko inanon te Uea, te mwioko are e reitinako ni karokoa te bong aio ao e na reitinako ni kakabwaia Gerrit W Gong ngkai e a mwakuri n te Kooram n Abotoro n te Tengaun ma Uoman.

Ti nimaua te Berena ao Uoman te Ika

“E akoi te Uea ao e tamaroa ao E kakabwaiaira,” E taku Unimwane Gong. “Ngkana ti karaoa ara kabanea n tamaroa, E na anganira te kona ni karaoa ae raka nakon are ti kona. N aekakin kamwaitakin te berena ao te ika. Te Uea e anaa are tauraoi ao e karakaa iaon are ti kona ni karaoia i bon iroura.”

E taku,Te reirei iaon taian berena ao taian ika bon te reirei ae koaua. “E bon ngae ngke te reirei ae kakawaki e aki tauraoi, ma tamnein te reirei bon ngaia ae irekereke, bukina bwa te reirei e reitinako. Ti kona ni bane ni kakaea te oota ao te koaua, n aki taraia bwa tera ae ti mena inanona. Ngkana ti karaoia, te Uea e na buokira ni karekea.”

Te Bwaibwai n te Berita

Ngke I mena i Oxford, Unimwaane Gong e reiakina teuana riki reirein te euangkerio, temanna ae e aranna “ae bwaibwai n te berita.”

“Ngkai kaniira nakon te Uea, ti bon kaniira naba iroura,” e taku. Iaon Oxford, Susan ao ngai a mamate nanora n te uoote n aiaron naba ae a mamate nanora n te reirei. A mwaiti raraora ni karokoa te bong aei aika kaain te Oxford Uoote.”

Mai buakoia raao akanne bon Tim ao Katherine Witts, are a uaia n nakon te tembora ma te Gongs. “E taekinna Titita Witts, I uringa raoi bwa te Tari Gong e buuta ana tai ni bai bwa e na aki katabeaki ke ni kairoroaki n te tai ngke e tabe ni iangoi iai bwaai n te maiu are aki toki. “Te mwakuri ae uarereke e a tia ni buokai bwa N na kakorakorai n au taromauri n te tembora.”

A aki toki taian Gong ni kaitibo ma raraoia ake a kinaia ibukin te euangkerio. “A na kangai aomata, ‘Ti mwakuri ma ngkoe ngke ko mena n te kauntira ae rietata,’ bwaai n aekakin anne,” Unimwane Gong ae taku, “ao ai arona ni kauoua. I rang kukurei ibukin te titeiki beretitenti ao te uoote kauntira ake a buokai ngke te bitiobi ngai ae I a tibwa waaki. Ti bane ni katabeaki nakoia kaaro, aia koraki buura,kaain rarikira, taian mition beretitenti, titita, ao taan kairiri n te nakoanibonga ake a akoi nakoira, a kairira, ao ni kaungaira n nakon Kristo.”

Rongorongon te utu

Rongorongon ana utu Unimwaane Gong e oki rikaki nakon te ka 34 n roro nakon Temoan Dragon Gong ae bungiaki inanon AD 837. Tibun Unimwaane Gong a mwananga mai Tiaina nakon te United States. Tinana, Jean, e kaaina te Ekaretia ngke tebwi tabun ana ririki i Hawaii, USA, imwiina e reirei i Brigham University i Provo, Utah, USA, ike e tiku iroun te utu ae Gerrit de Jong, te moan tia tararua te College of Fine Arts. “Te de Jongs a buokai ni kaotaai bwa aekakira te utu ae maiuakina te euangkerio,” e taku neiei.

Imwiin BYU, Jean e reirei i Stanford University in Palo Alto, California, USA, ike e kaitibo iai neiei ma Walter A. Gong. “E a kaman riki bwa te Kristian ao ni waetata n oota n te bwai ae anga te euangkerio ae kaokaki e taku Jean. E kaaina te ekaretia, ao teuana te ririki imwiina a mareaki inanon te Salt Lake Tembora. A uaia n riki bwa taan reirei aika a mwaatai ao a uaia ni kabanea 70 te ririki n anga reirei.

“Tamau e riki naba bwa te tamanuea,” e taku Unimwane Gong, “ao man kakabwaian te tamanuea ae mwakuriaki inanon ara tabo, ao mwengara ea kaonaki n te raoiroi ae korakora ibukin ana tangira te Atua ibukiia Natina nako.”

Inanon Ritembwa 23, 1953 n te kaawa ae Redwood City, California, e bungiaki aia moan nati Jean ao Walter mai buakoia natiia aika teniman. “Arana ae anganaki, Gerrit, bon Dutch, ni karinea Gerrit de Jong,” e kabwarabwara Jean. Ana nuka n ara bon Walter ni karinea tamana. Ao aran ara utu bon Chinese, ni karinea rikina.”

E taku Jean bwa e mwamwanano nakoia natinaa, Brian and Marguerite. “E tangiria ni buokiia, e taku neiei “ni bwaai aika uarereke n aekan reireiakiia ni kabaei aia kauniwae.” E uringa okina man te taromauri n te bong teuana ao e ongo aia taeka Gerrit ao Brian ni kangai a taku bwa taian taetae n botaki n toa a kabotu. “Ngaia are I kaewenakoia: ‘Ngkanne kam na roko ma ami taetae ae tamaroa riki.’ A butimwaea tuangakiia ao ni moanna ni kakauongo riki nakon taian taetae ni kabane,” e taku neiei.

Ngkai ai tebwitabun ana ririki, E tangiria Gerrit ni uota ana baeki ao n nakonako ma ataeinimwane n aia uoote. Wally Salbacka raona ae e a rang maan ma ngaia, e uringa mwanagaia ni kaembwa. “I mena ikekei ma Gerrit ao tarina, Tari Brian, ao te rao ae tiaki kaain ara Ekaretia. Ibukin bwaai tabeua, ti a waaki n anenei anene n taromauri. E anenea te katake Gerrit, Brian e anenea te tena, ao I anenea te beeti. I taku bwa ti anenei 10 ke 20 anene n taromauri, ti ibukin te anene ni kukurei. Bon te namakin ae tamaroa. Raora aika tiaki membwa a bon mimi.”

Tari Salbacka e uringa naba bwa n te reirei ae rietata, Gerrit e butia te tia kaira te kaunga bwa e na kaira te kaunga ae aki kakarongoa ibukiia taan takakaro. “E kamatataia bwa te boutoka ae tamaroa e tamaroa ibukira ni kabane,” e taku, “ao a bon roko raoi nakon te kabo!”

Man te maing: Majorie ao Gordon B.Hinckley a kamaura Gerrit ao Susan n aia tai ni mare te Gong. Ngke te mitinare i Taiwan, Unimwane Gong e reireinia ana utu ao ririki ake imwiina, ngke ai te Mataniwi ni Kabuta, e kaitibo ma te tibu te mwane mairoun temanna te naati aine n te utu. I Vietnam, Unimwane ao Titita Gong a beniia te oo bwa te kawai ni uota te kukurei nakoia ataei aika kaitara ma kanganga. Kaain te utu ae Gong a iria taan buobuoki ni beniakin te oo i Vietnam.

Imwin te Reirei ae rietata, Unimwane Gong e reirei n te Brigham University. Man 1973 nakon 1975, e mwakuri n te Taiwan Taipei Mition, ao ngkanne e oki nakon BYU, ike n te ririki 1977 e karekea ana bachelor’s degree n te Asian studies ao university studies.

Te Kareke tangira ao Te Mare

Imwin ana mition, Unimwane Gong e anganano ni katauraoa te Baeatiaite n tairikin te Taabati n aia Tienta ni Kataneiai Mitinare. Te bwaeatiaite e buobuoki ni kaotaia mitinare ake a na nako Taiwan ma aomata, te katei ao maiuia aomata ikekei. Temanna mai buakoia mitinare bon Titita Susan Lindsay mai Taylosville, Utah, natiia te aine Richard P. ao Marian B. Lindsay. Tari Lindsay bon te membwa n te Kauoua ni Kooram n te Itingaun. “I namakina Susan bwa temanna ae I ataia n taainako, Unimwane Gong ae taku.

Uoua te ririki imwina, tabeua namwakaina imwin tian okin Susan nakon BYU imwin ana mitinare, Gerrit e mena i Provo ma ana utu. Tamana e angareirei n te uniwetiri, ao Gerrit e baireia bwa e na tiku irouia uoua te wiiki. E a manga kananauaki tikuna nakon aua te wiiki, bwa teuanne ma Susan a kakaitibo ni katoabong. E a nako ngkanne Gerrit nako Hawaii ibukin ana kataneiai imwain okina nako Oxford.

Ti a reireitaki man iteran aonnaba aika kakaokoro e ururing rikaaki Unimwane Gong. “I kataia ni kamatebwai i England ngke I reiakini bwaai ni kabane aika I konai ibukin neiei man iteran te Marawa ae Atlantic.”

“Ti a kabaeaki iaon te tareboon,” e taku Titita Gong. “E a manga oki nakon mwengana n tain te Bong ni Kakaitau, ao ti mareaki ni moan ukin tembora n te ririki ae boou.” Uoua te wiki imwiina, a kiba nako England ni moana maiuia ae boou ni ikotaki.

“Ngke a mareaki aomata, a taekina aron uoua utu n riki bwa teuana,” e taku Unimwane Gong. “Ao anne raoi ae bon riki nakoiu. I namakinai bwa kaain te Lindsay utu, n aron ae kaain te Gong utu.”

Te Mwakuri ae Rianako

Imwin te tai ae kimototo bwa taan mwakuri i Oxford, ana mwakuri Gerrit e kamwaeaki nakon te tautaeka i Washington DC, USA. Inanon 1984 e mwakuri iibuakoia ana tia mwakuri Reagan-Bush n anainano ibukin te manga rinerine, ike e a uaia n aobiti iai ma Mike Leavitt, are i mwiina e a riki bwa te kowana i Utah. “Gerrit e taratara raoi ao ni iangoraoi,” Tari Leavitt ae taku, “ma e rianako man ana akoi ae rianako.”

N 1985 Gerrit e mwakuri bwa te tia ibuobuoki ae onoti nakon te Tia koroboki are boutoka te Tautaeka. Inanon 1987 e riki bwa te tia buobuoki ae onoti nakon te ambaetita i Beijing Tiaina. Ao man 1989 nakon 2001 e kanoai tabeua nakoa n te Tienta ibukin Bwairean Mwakuri ao Kamatebwai ibukin te botannaomata i Washington, D.C . E a manga oki nakon reirein te aonnaba ngke a butimwaea te tabo ae te tia buobuoki nakon te beretitenti ibukin bairean Kakoroan bukin te babaire n te BYU. E kabanea ruaiua te ririki n te nakoa anne.

Carri Jenkins, te tia buobuoki nakon te beretitenti ibukin university communication i BYU e mena n te aobiti ni kaan nakoina. E uringa katein Gerrit Gong ni kaungaia ake i rarikina. “Ngkana akea iroum onimakinam ni karaoa te mwakuri ae kanganga, iai iroun teuaei te onimaki anne ibukim,” e taku neiei. “E karaoi bwaai ni kabane ni mwaakana n reireiniko, anganiko te kantaninga, ao n anganniko bwa kona waaki nako bwa kona bon kakoaua ibon iroum”

Tia Moti Thomas Griffith, are kina Unimwane Gong i Washington ao n BYU, e kabwarabwara aroia ni mwakuri n te aro aei: “Ni banen te kakarabakau, ko ataia bwa te taratara bon iaom. Bon te tia ongora ni koaua. Ao e anganiko titiraki are e kamwakura am iango.”

Cecil O. Samuelson, e a tibwa motirawa man tabena ae anganaki Mataniwi ni Kabuta ao te beretitenti ngkoa n te BYU e taku Unimwane Gong e “rangi n rau, ma e rang kakamwakuri ana iango.”

Maiun te Utu

Gerrit ao Susan Gong a riki bwa kaaro irouia naatia-mwane aika aman—Abraham, Samuel, Christopher, ao Matthew—ake a ikawairake n te tabo aika a kakaokoro.

“Ngke ti mena i Beijing, e reke te kakabwaia irouia natira n reke raraoia aika moan te tamaroa,” Unimwane Gong e taku.

“N arona teuana, e reke aia tai n noora taraan te aonnaba ae rababa,” Titita Gong e raonna. Ni kaitaraana, e buokira n riki bwa te utu ae kabaeaaki ni kamatoaki. Ara ataeinimwane a bon kamatoa n atonga te bwai ae rangi n tamaroa are ti karaoia ngaira kaaro bon karekaia tariia.”

N te tai are ti kamanena kantokara, e taku Unimwane Gong. “Ti anganiiia n tatabemaniia bwa a na rinea kawaiia. Ti moanna mai, D.C., ike ti maeka iai, ngkanne ti nako England, te Czech Republic, Greece, Turkey, India, China, ao Japan.

“Iai ara tua teuana ae matoa inanon te mwananga,” Susan ae taku. “Ike ti nako iai, ti kani amwarake are a kanna kain te tabo.” N tokina, i Japan ni banen te mwananga, Unimwane Gong e tuangiia natina mwaane bwa e na kairia nakon te tabo n amwarake ae ataaki n te aonnaba ibukin te irikomaeu. N te McDonald, naati mwane aika aman ma aia karo aika uoman aika a baki a kani 17 te hamburger!

“Tinau ao Tamau a noora boonganan te reiakinaki man te taneiai,” Abraham e taku. “Tamau e iangoa korakoran reiakinaia aomata man aia taneiai, n airi ma te katei ae bwanin.” Abraham e ataia naba bwa tamana “e taratara raoi n taetae bukina bwa e nanonna ni koaua te bwai are taekinna.”

Sam e uringa bwa ngkai “n aron n tatabetabe ngke e mena ngkoa n te State Department, Tamana e reke ana tai ni katoa tairiki n reiakinai ao ni kataneiaai ibukin te katen-koraki ni kabotoa n te maeti are I kan iria, ae aranaki bwa ‘Challenge 24.’ E taku bwa ngkana I tokanikai, ti na amwarake n te ice cream ae 24 bwain aona.” Sam e roko n te kabanea ni kaboo ma e aki tokanikai. Te utu ae te Gong a kana te ice cream e ngae ngke e aki tokanikai. Ma e aki bebete bebete kanakin bwaai ake a toka iaona ake 24-aekakina bon teuana te irikomaeu ae tawaaki.

Christopher ao Matthew a taekina kukureia ae bati “ni kakaitau ibukin te onimakinaki, tangira, ao te motinnano ae a kaotia tamara ao tinara.” Bon te tangira ae a tibwauaia Unimwane ao Titita Gong imarenaia ao ai arona naba ma natiia mwane n tatabemaniia ao ma te utu man aia itera aika uoua.

“Ngkai te karo ae babane nanona, Gerrit te nati ao tari ae babane naba nanona,” e taku Susan. “Tibwanga akanne a rang kakaawaki irouna. E buokira n ataia bwa te reitaki n te utu bon moan te bongana.”

Rabakaun te Ekaretia

E ngae ngke katabeana n ana mwakuri ao ana utu, Unimwane Gong e reitinako ni motin nano ni beku ibukin te Ekaretia, ni kakoroi nanon wetean ba te kauntira ae rietata, te tia kairiri n te kurubu irouia ibonga aika rietata, te beretitenti n te Reirei n Taabati, tia reirei n te tieminari, bitiobi, te beretitenti n te titeiki mition, te beretitenti n te titeiki ao te Itingaun n Aono.

Wewete ake e weteaki nako iai bwa e na karaoia, ao ni maiuna n ana utu, e teimatoa ni kaota te onimakinaki ni kaoti katei aika a kakaokoro. “E nooria aomata nako bwa natin Tamara are i Karawa mwaane ao aine,” e taku Titita Gong. “Ma are e kakaawaki iaoia ni kabane. e tangira te Uea. E tangiria raoi ma nanona ni koaua ni katea te abanuea ibukiia natin Tamara are i Karawa.”

Ao e babane nanona iroun kaain abana. “Ni bwai nako are I butiaki bwa N na karaoia,” e taku, “Susan e memena irarikiu. “E mwengaraoi ma aomata ni kabane ao ni kan kinaia aomata nako. E aki toki ni kan nakon taabo aika boou ao ni katai baika a boou, are I bon rang kakaitau iai.”

Mwakuri ma te Itingaun

Inanon Eberi 3, 2010, Unimwane Gerrit W. Gong e kamatoaki bwa te Mataniwi ni Kabuta n te Itingaun. E kamwakuraki nakon te Beretitentii n Aonon Asia, are aobitina e mena i Hong Kong. E riki imwina bwa te Beretitenti n Aonon Asia. N okitobwa 6, 2015, Unimwane Gong e kamatoaki nakon te Beretitentii n te Itingaun, ike rabakauna ae taabangaki e reitinako, n raonaki ma rinanoan tabo aika kakaokoro n te aonnaba n aron Africa ao Central America.

“Kam na kaitibo ao kam na tangiria aomata aika itiaki n taabo aikai ni kabane,” e taekinna. “Kam na namakina te kakabwaiaki irouia aomata n aia onimaki, bukina bwa bwaai ake a rinanona iroun te Atua a mwakuri inanon maiuia n riki bwa mwakoron aia atatai bwa antai te Atua ao arona n tangirira n tatabemaniira.”

“Ngkana ti kanakoa Unimwane Gong nakon bwaai ake a riki, naake a rekereke iai a namakinna bwa a kunea te rao,” e taku Beretitenti Russell M.Nelson. Iai wanawanana ae rietata, ma e nanorinano. E kabotaua ma aomata n aekaia nako ao e tauraoi n taainako ao e bwaati n anainano.”

Man te mang: i Thailand, Unimwane Gong e kaitibo ma Eminence Francis Xavier Karetinare Kriensak Kovithavanij, te Akebikobo n te Katorika mai Bangkok. Unimwaane Gong e tatangira te mwananga ae tii temanna ma natina mwaane n aekan te mananga i Canada ma natina te maane Sam. Unimwane Gong e tibwaua ana iango n aron te Berena ni Kamaiu ma taan reirei n te tieminari ao te intitute n 2017. Titita Gong e kamauri ni mwengan te membwa i Cambodia.

Weteaki bwa te Abotoro

Ngke Beretitenti Nelson e anga te wewete nakon Unimwane Gong bwa e na riki bwa te membwa n Aia Kooram Abotoro ake Tengaun ma Uoman, te burabeti “ma te tangira e anai baiu ni baina, [ma] au tangira Susan i rarikiu, ao e anga te wewete ae tabu aio mairoun te Uea are kabua ikeu” (“Kristo te Uea E a uti n te Bong aei,” Riaona, Meei 2018, 97). Ma te nanorinano, ma ana tangira ni koaua ibukin ana onimaki inanon te Uea, Unimwane Gong e butimwaea te wewete. E kamatoaki ni Maati 31, 2018. E a tia ni karauaki ni katauraoaki iroun te Uea, e nang mwakuri ngkai bwa te “tia [kakoaua] ae onoti n aran Kristo n te aonnaba ni kabuta” (R&B 107:23).