ʻEletā James R. Rasband

Fitungofulu Taki Māʻolunga

Naʻe ongoʻi taʻemateuteu ʻa ʻEletā Sēmisi R. Lasipeni ʻi he taimi naʻe ui ai ia ki ha kau palesitenisī fakasiteiki ʻi he ngaahi taʻu kuohilí. Naʻá ne fakakaukau, “Ko ha fehālaaki ʻeni.”

Naʻá ne maʻu ʻa e ongo ʻikai taʻefeʻunga tatau ʻi heʻene kei taʻu 19 ʻi heʻene hū ki he Senitā Akoʻanga Fakafaifekau ʻi Polovó, ʻi heʻene teuteu ke ngāue faifekau taimi kakato ki Soulu, Kōlea Tongá. Naʻá ne fifili, “Te u fakahoko fēfē nai ʻeni?”

Naʻe tatau ʻa e talí ki he ongo tūkungá fakatouʻosi: “Nofo maʻu ai. ʻOku hoko mai ʻa e fiefiá.” Pe, ʻi he fakalea ʻa ʻene faʻeé, “ʻOku ʻikai ke maʻu ʻe he ʻEikí ha kakai haohaoa. ʻAlu pē ʻo ngāue.”

ʻOku ongoʻi ʻe ʻEletā Lasipeni ha konga ʻo e ongoʻi momou ko iá he taimí ni ʻi heʻene aʻusia ʻa hono uiuiʻi foʻou ko ha Fitungofulu Taki Māʻolungá, ka ʻokú ne ʻiloʻi ʻa e talí: “ʻOku fie maʻu pē ʻe he Tamai Hēvaní ke tau ʻalu ki he ngāué ʻo vahevahe ʻa e pōpoaki faifakamoʻui mo fakafiefia ʻa Hono ʻAló pea mo e feilaulau fakalelei ʻa Hono ʻAló.

Naʻe fāʻeleʻi ʻa Sēmisi Lisiate Lasipeni ʻi Siato, Uasingatoni, USA kia Sēmisi E. mo ʻEsitā Lasipeni ʻi he ʻaho 20 ʻo Māʻasi, 1963. Naʻá ne tupu hake ʻi Matātahi Makamaka (Pebble Beach), Kalefōnia, USA, ʻi ha ʻapi naʻe meimei mita ʻe 180 mei tahi.

Naʻe fetaulaki ʻa ʻEletā Lasipeni mo Mele Taiana Uiliami lolotonga ʻene taʻu ʻuluaki ʻi he ʻUnivēsiti Pilikihami ʻIongí. Naʻá na fetohiʻaki lolotonga ʻene [Sēmisi] ako ʻi ʻIsilelí pea mo e lolotonga ʻene ngāue ʻi he Misiona Korea Seoul. Naʻá na mali ʻi he Temipale Los Angeles California ʻi he ʻaho 11 ʻo ʻAokosi, 1984. Ko ha ongomātuʻa kinaua ki ha fānau ʻe toko fā.

Hili ʻene foki mai mei heʻene ngāue fakafaifekaú, naʻá ne fakakakato hono mataʻitohi BA ʻi he Lea Faka-Pilitāniá mo e ako ki he Hahake Lotolotó ʻi BYU ʻi he 1986, pea naʻá ne maʻu hono mataʻitohi toketā ʻi he Laó mei he ʻApiako Lao ʻo Hāvatí ʻi he 1989. Hili ʻene ako loea taʻu ʻe nima ʻi Siató, naʻá ne foki ki BYU ʻi he 1995 ʻo ne kau ʻi he kau faiako ʻa e ʻApiako Lao J. Lūpeni Kalaké. Naʻá ne hoko ko e pule ʻo e ʻapiako laó mei he 2009 ki he 2016, ʻi he taimi naʻá ne hoko ai ko e tokoni palesiteni ʻo BYU.

Kuo hoko ʻa ʻEletā Lasipeni ko ha Fitungofulu Fakaʻēlia, palesiteni fakasiteiki, tokoni ʻi ha kau palesitenisī fakasiteiki, aleaʻanga māʻolunga, pīsope, mo ha palesiteni Talavou fakauooti.