Ko e kakai ʻe niʻihi te nau toki ako pē mei heʻenau ngaahi hokosia fakamamahí ʻi he hili ha vahaʻa taimi loloa. Naʻá ku kau ʻi he faʻahinga ko iá. Naʻe fāʻeleʻi pea ʻohake au ʻi Barcelona, ko e kolo lahi taha hono ua ia ʻi Sipeiní. Naʻe nofo hoku fāmilí ʻi ha feituʻu naʻe ui ko Somorrostro, ʻa ia ko e konga lahi taha ʻo e koló naʻa nau nofo ʻi he matātahí. Naʻe ʻiloa ʻa Somorrostro ki he faihiá mo e tila faitoʻo kona tapú.

 Naʻe toko hiva ʻa e fānau ʻa ʻeku ongo mātuʻá pea ko au ʻa e lahi tahá. Koeʻuhí naʻa mau masiva ʻangoʻango, naʻe ʻave au ʻe heʻeku tamaí ke u ngāue ko ha tokotaha tufi pulu ʻi ha kalapu tenisi fakalotofonua. Naʻá ku taʻu hongofulu pea naʻá ku ngāue ʻi he houa ʻe hongofulu ʻi he ʻaho taki taha. Ko hono olá, naʻe ʻikai lava ke u ʻalu ki he akó ʻo hangē ko e tokolahi taha hoku toʻumeʻá. ʻI heʻeku taʻu 14, naʻá ku kamata ngāue fakaʻenisinia ʻi ha falekoloa mētale.

 ʻI he 1975, naʻe ui au ki he ngāue fakakautaú, ʻa ia ko ha fiemaʻu pau ia ʻi Sipeini. Naʻá ku loto ke ʻahiʻahiʻi ha meʻa foʻou, ko ia naʻá ku pole ke kau ki he Kau Tau Muli Sipeini ʻi Melilla, ʻa ia ko ha feituʻu naʻe nofoʻi ʻe he kau Sipeiní ʻi ʻAfilika Tokelau. Lolotonga ʻa e taimi ko iá, naʻá ku tūʻulu atu ki ha māmani taʻetaau ʻa ia naʻá ku ngāuekoviʻaki ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú mo e ʻolokaholó.

 ʻI heʻeku mavahe mei he kau taú, naʻá ku foki ki Barcelona pea fokotuʻu ha kau kengi. Naʻa mau kaihaʻasi ha meʻa pē naʻa mau sio ki ai. Naʻa mau fakatau atu leva ʻa e koloa kaihaʻá ke fakalatoʻaki ʻemau holi ki he faitoʻo kona tapú. Naʻá ku kamata ngāueʻaki ʻa e LSD, ngaahi ʻemifetaminí, pea naʻá ku tōʻongaʻaki ʻa e feʻauakí, inu ʻolokaholó mo e pele paʻangá. Ko e founga moʻui fakatupu maumau ko ení naʻe ʻai heni au ke u hoko ʻo toe anga-fakamālohi ange. Naʻá ku toʻotoʻo maʻu pē ha hele, ko ha toki, pe ko ha hele pelu, pea naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito ke u ilifia ʻi hono ngāueʻaki ha taha ʻo kinautolu ʻo kapau ʻe fiemaʻu.

 ʻI he taimi ʻe taha, naʻá ku kaihaʻasi mo ʻeku kau kengí ha kā pea naʻe tuli kimautolu ʻe he kau polisí. Naʻe hangē ia ha foʻi faivá. Naʻa mau lele ʻi he kā naʻa mau kaihaʻasí ʻi ha kilomita nai ʻe 30, pea naʻe kamata fana mai ʻa e kau polisí. Faai atu pē, naʻa mau fepaki ʻi he kaá pea naʻa mau hola kotoa mei ai. ʻI hono ʻiloʻi ia ʻe heʻeku tamaí, naʻá ne tuli au mei ʻapi.

 ʻI he taʻu ʻe nima hokó, naʻe hoko ʻa e halá ko hoku ʻapi. Naʻá ku mohe ʻi he ngaahi veʻe matapā hūʻangá, ʻi he ngaahi lolí, ko e ngaahi sea ʻi he paʻaké pea ʻi he ngaahi faʻitoká. Naʻe aʻu ki ha taimi naʻá ku nofo ʻi ha ʻana. Naʻe ʻikai pē ke ʻi ai ha taumuʻa ʻeku moʻuí pea naʻe ʻikai mahuʻinga ia kiate au pe te u moʻui pe mate. ʻOku ou manatuʻi ʻeku hifihifi hoku kiaʻi-nimá mo e nimá ʻi he lolotonga ʻeku ngāueʻaki ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú. ʻOku kei ʻasi pē ʻa e ngaahi piki ko iá ʻo aʻu mai ki he ʻahó ni.

 ʻI heʻeku taʻu 28, naʻe haʻu ʻeku faʻeé ʻo kumi au pea kole mai ke u foki ange ki ʻapi. Naʻá ku loto ki ai pea naʻá ku palōmesi ange te u fakatonutonu ʻeku moʻuí, ka naʻe fiemaʻu ha vahaʻa taimi ke u fai ki he palōmesi ko iá.

 ʻI ha efiafi ʻe taha, naʻe ʻaʻahi mai ha ongo Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihova ki homau ʻapí. Lolotonga ʻena lea maí, naʻe kaikaila mai ʻeku tamaí mei loto ke tāpuniʻi e matapaá. Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai ke u saiʻia ʻi he faituʻutuʻuni mai ha taha, ko ia naʻá ku tukunoaʻi ʻene kaikailá. Naʻá na tuʻuaki mai ha tohi iiki ʻe tolu, pea naʻá ku tali fiefia ia. Naʻá ku ʻeke ange ʻenau feituʻu faiʻanga lotú pea hili ha laui ʻaho mei ai, naʻá ku ʻalu atu ki he Fale Fakatahaʻangá.

 Ko e ʻuluaki meʻa naʻá ku fakatokangaʻí ko e teuteu maau ʻa e tokotaha kotoa. Neongo ia, naʻe loloa hoku ʻulú, palakū mo e kavá, pea mahaehae mo hoku valá. Naʻe hā mahino naʻe ʻikai ke u taau ke hū ki loto ko ia naʻá ku nofo pē ʻi tuʻa. Ka naʻá ku ʻohovale, ʻi heʻeku fakatokangaʻi ha kaungātangata ki muʻa pea ko ha mēmipa ia ʻo ha kau kengi ko hono hingoá ko Juan, naʻá ne tui suti. Naʻá ku ʻilo ki mui ai, naʻá ne hoko ko ha taha ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová ʻi ha taʻu ki muʻa ai. ʻI he sio kiate iá, naʻá ne ʻomai ʻa e loto-maʻu ke u hū ki loto pea maʻu ʻa e fakatahá. Ko e kamataʻanga eni ʻa ʻeku fai ʻa e ngaahi liliú.

 Naʻá ku tali ha ako Tohi Tapu pea naʻe vave ʻeku ʻiloʻi ke maʻu ʻa e hōifua ʻa e ʻOtuá naʻe fiemaʻu ke u liliu ʻeku tōʻonga anga-fefeká mo e founga moʻui taʻetāú. Ko hono fai ʻa e ngaahi liliu ko iá naʻe ʻikai ke faingofua. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ke hoko ʻo fakahōifua ki he ʻOtua ko Sihová, naʻe fiemaʻu ke u “fai [hoku] liliú ʻaki hono fakafoʻou [hoku] ʻatamaí.” (Loma 12:2) Naʻe maongo moʻoni kiate au ʻa e faimeesi ʻa e ʻOtuá. Neongo ʻa e kotoa ʻeku ngaahi fehālaakí, naʻá ku ongoʻi naʻá ne ʻomai ʻa e faingamālie ke u liliu fakaʻaufuli ʻeku founga moʻuí. Ko e meʻa naʻá ku ako fekauʻaki mo Sihova ko e ʻOtuá naʻe maongo loloto ia ki hoku lotó. Naʻe hā mahino kiate au ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e Tokotaha-Fakatupu ʻokú ne tokanga mai kiate au.​​—1 Pita 5:6, 7.

 Naʻe ueʻi heni au ke u kamata fai ha ngaahi liliu. Ko e fakatātaá, ʻi heʻene aʻu ʻeku akó ki he kaveinga ʻo e tapaká, naʻá ku pehē hifo kiate au, ‘Kapau ʻoku finangalo mai ʻa Sihova ke u nofoʻaki maʻa pea taʻeʻuliʻi ʻi he tafaʻaki kotoa pē, tā ʻoku totonu ke u liʻaki ʻa e ngaahi sikaleti ko ení!’ (2 Kolinitō 7:1) Pea ko ʻene hangatonu ai pē ia ki he kapa vevé!

 Naʻe fiemaʻu foki ke u taʻofi hono ngāueʻaki mo fakatau atu ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú. Naʻe fiemaʻu ki heni ʻa e vahaʻa taimi mo e feinga lahi. Ke aʻusia ʻa e taumuʻa ko iá, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe fiemaʻu ke u fakangata ʻeku feohi mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ki muʻá. Ko ʻenau tākiekiná naʻe ʻikai tokoni ia ki heʻeku fakalakalaka fakalaumālié. Kae kehe, ʻi he faai atu ʻa e taimí, naʻe kamata ke u falala lahi ange ki he ʻOtuá pea naʻe tokoni ʻa hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻa foʻou ʻi he fakatahaʻangá. Ko ʻenau ʻofa mo e fakahāhā ʻa e mahuʻingaʻia ʻiate aú ko ha meʻa ia naʻe teʻeki ke u hokosia ki muʻa. ʻI he ʻosi atu ha ngaahi māhina, naʻe faai atu pē ʻou tuku ʻosi hono ngāueʻaki ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú pea “kofuʻaki ʻa e angaʻitangata foʻou,” ʻa ia naʻá ne tokoniʻi au ke maʻu ʻa e hōifua ʻa e ʻOtuá. (ʻEfesō 4:​24) ʻI ʻAokosi 1985, naʻá ku papitaiso ai ko e taha ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová.

 Naʻe tokoniʻi au ʻe he Tohi Tapú ke u hoko ʻo lavameʻa. Naʻe fakatauʻatāinaʻi heni au mei he founga moʻui fakatupu maumau ʻa ia naʻá ne uesia hoku sinó mo hoku ngeiá. Ko hono moʻoní, ko hoku ngaahi kaungāmeʻa ki muʻá naʻe laka hake ʻi he toko 30 naʻa nau mate kei talavou pē mei he ʻEITISÍ pe mei he ngaahi mahaki kehe tupu mei he faitoʻo kona tapú. Naʻá ku houngaʻia ʻi hono ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni Fakatohitapú, naʻe malava ai ke u fakaʻehiʻehi mei hono fuesia ʻa e ngaahi nunuʻa fakamamahi peheé.

 Ko e ngaahi hele mo e toki naʻá ku faʻa toʻo holo ʻi heʻeku kei talavou mo anga-fakamālohí ko e ngaahi meʻa ia ʻo e kuohilí. Naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito haʻaku fakakaukau ʻe ʻi ai ha ʻaho te u toʻo ai ha Tohi Tapu ʻo ngāueʻaki ke tokoniʻi ʻa e kakaí. ʻI he ʻahó ni, ko au mo hoku uaifí ʻokú ma ngāue ko ha ongo faifekau ngāue taimi-kakato ʻa e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová.

 Naʻe ʻikai pē hoko ʻeku ongo mātuʻá ko ha Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihova, ka naʻá na houngaʻia ʻi he ngaahi ʻaonga naʻá ku maʻu ʻi heʻeku ako Tohi Tapú. Ko hono moʻoní, naʻe aʻu ʻo taukapoʻi ʻe heʻeku tamaí ʻa e kau Fakamoʻoní ʻi muʻa ʻi he kotoa ʻo ʻene kaungāngāué. Naʻá ne mahinoʻi ko ʻeku tui foʻoú naʻá ne ʻomai ha liliu fakaofo ki ha tuʻunga lelei ange. Naʻe faʻa pehē ʻe heʻeku faʻeé naʻe ʻosi fuoloa pē totonu ke u ako ʻa e Tohi Tapú. Naʻe ʻikai ke u fakahalaki ia!

 Ko ʻeku ngaahi hokosia ʻi he moʻuí kuó u ako mei ai ko ha meʻa fakavalevale ia ke kumi ki ha fakafiemālie mei he faitoʻo kona tapú mo e ngaahi tōʻonga kovi kehé. ʻI he taimí ni ʻoku ou maʻu ʻa e fakafiemālie moʻoni ʻi hono fakahaaʻi ki he niʻihi kehé ʻa e ngaahi faleʻi mei he Folofola ʻa e ʻOtuá​—ko e ngaahi faleʻi tofu pē ia naʻá ne fakahaofi ʻeku moʻuí.