Ko hoku fāmilí mei Tonga, ko ha fonua ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e fanga kiʻi motu ʻe 170, ʻa ia ʻoku ʻi he tafaʻaki fakatonga hihifo ʻo e Pasifikí. Naʻe faingofua pē ʻemau moʻuí, ʻo ʻikai ha ʻuhila pe meʻalele. Ka naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e vai mo e fanga moa ʻi homau ʻapí. ʻI he lolotonga ʻa e tutuku ʻa e akó ko hoku ongo tokouá mo au naʻa mau tokoni ki heʻemau tamaí ke tokangaʻi ʻemau ngoué, ʻa ia naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e siaine, ʻufi, talo mo e manioke. Naʻe tokoni ʻa e ngoue ko ení ki he kiʻi paʻanga hū mai naʻe maʻu ʻe he tangataʻeikí mei he ngaahi ngāue kehekehe naʻá ne faí. Hangē pē ko e tokolahi taha ʻi he ʻotu motú, ko homau fāmilí naʻa mau fakaʻapaʻapaʻi lahi ʻa e Tohi Tapú pea maʻu lotu maʻu pē. Neongo ia, naʻa mau tui ko e founga pē ʻe taha ki ha moʻui leleí ko e hiki ki ha fonua tuʻumālie ange.

 ʻI heʻeku taʻu 16, naʻe fokotuʻutuʻu ʻe heʻeku faʻētangatá ke hiki ange homau fāmilí ki Kalefōnia, ʻAmelika. He faingataʻa ē kiate kimautolu ke feʻunuʻaki ki ha anga fakafonua foʻou! Neongo naʻe fakalakalaka ange homau tuʻunga fakaʻekonōmiká, naʻa mau nofo ʻi ha feituʻu masiva ʻa ia naʻe lahi ai ʻa e faihia fakamālohí mo e faitoʻo kona tapú. Naʻa mau faʻa fanongo ki he tau fana ʻi he poʻulí, pea ko e tokolahi taha ʻo homau kaungāʻapí naʻa nau ilifia ʻi he kau kengí. Ko e tokolahi ʻo e kakaí naʻa nau toʻo meʻafana ke maluʻi kinautolu pe ke fakaleleiʻi ʻa e ngaahi fekīhiakí. ʻOku ou kei maʻu pē ʻa e foʻi mahafu ʻi hoku fatafatá mei he taha ʻo e ngaahi fekīhiakí.

 ʻI he kolisí, naʻá ku loto ke hoko ʻo hangē ko e toʻutupu kehé. Naʻe faai atu pē ʻo u kau lahi ange ʻi he paati uataú, inu tōtuʻá, fakamālohí mo e ngāueʻaki taʻefakalao ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú. Naʻe faai atu pē ʻo maʻunimā au ʻe he kōkeini. Ke fakatau mai ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú, naʻá ku kamata kaihaʻa. Neongo ko e ngaahi mēmipa ʻo hoku fāmilí ko e kau maʻu lotu fefeka, naʻe ʻikai ke u maʻu ha tataki ke ne tokoniʻi au ke fakafepakiʻi ʻa e tenge mei he toʻumeʻá ke fai ʻa e meʻa ʻoku halá. Naʻe tuʻo lahi hono puke au ʻo fakahū koeʻuhi ko ʻeku tōʻonga fakamālohí. Naʻe taumuʻavalea ʻeku moʻuí! Faifai atu pē ʻo u iku ki pilīsone.

 ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha ʻi he 1997, lolotonga ʻeku ʻi pilīsoné, naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe ha pōpula ʻe taha ʻeku pukepuke ha Tohi Tapu. Ko e taimi Kilisimasí ia, ko ha taimi ʻoku vakai ki ai ʻa e kakai Tonga tokolahi tahá ʻoku mātuʻaki toputapu. Naʻá ne ʻeke mai pe ʻoku ou ʻilo ʻa e meʻa ʻoku leaʻaki moʻoni ʻe he Tohi Tapú fekauʻaki mo e ʻaloʻi ʻo Kalaisí, ka naʻe halaʻatā haʻaku ʻilo ki ai. Naʻá ne fakahaaʻi mai mei he Tohi Tapú ʻa e talanoa faingofua fekauʻaki mo e ʻaloʻi ʻo Sīsuú, pea naʻá ku sio ko e lahi ʻo e ngaahi talatukufakaholo ʻo e Kilisimasí ʻoku ʻikai ʻasi ia ai. (Mātiu 2:1-12; Luke 2:5-14) Naʻá ku ʻohovale lahi, peá u fifili pe ko e hā ha toe meʻa ʻoku leaʻaki ʻe he Tohi Tapú. Ko e tangatá naʻá ne maʻu tuʻumaʻu ʻa e fakataha fakauike ʻa e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová ʻi he pilīsoné, pea naʻá ku fili ke ʻalu mo ia ki ai. Naʻa nau ako ʻa e tohi Tohi Tapu ʻa Fakahā. Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke u fuʻu mahinoʻi ʻa e meʻa naʻe fai ki ai ʻa e lāuleá, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko e meʻa kotoa naʻa nau akoʻí ko e haʻu mei he Tohi Tapú.

 ʻI he taimi naʻe tuʻuaki mai ai ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoní ʻa e ako Tohi Tapú, naʻá ku tali fiefia ia. Ko e ʻuluaki taimi eni ke u ako ai fekauʻaki mo e talaʻofa ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki ha māmani palataisi ʻi he kahaʻú. (ʻAisea 35:5-8) Naʻe hā mahino kiate au ke malava ʻo fakahōifua ki he ʻOtuá, naʻe fiemaʻu ke u fai ʻa e ngaahi liliu lahi ʻi heʻeku moʻuí. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi heʻikai tali ʻe Sihova ko e ʻOtuá ʻeku ngaahi tōʻonga koví ʻi he Palataisi kuo talaʻofa maí. (1 Kolinitō 6:9, 10) Ko ia naʻá ku fakapapauʻi ke mapuleʻi ʻeku fakapoʻuli vavé, taʻofi ʻeku ifí, pea tuku ʻosi mo ʻeku inu tōtuʻá mo e ngāuekoviʻaki ʻa e faitoʻo kona tapú.

 ʻI he 1999, ki muʻa ke ʻosi hoku taimi ʻi he pilīsoné, naʻe fakahikiʻi au ki ha toe pilīsone ʻe taha. Naʻe laka hake ʻi he taʻu ʻe taha ʻa e ʻikai ke u toe fetuʻutaki mo e Kau Fakamoʻoní. Ka naʻá ku fakapapauʻi ke hokohoko atu ʻeku fai ʻa e ngaahi liliú. ʻI he 2000, naʻe toʻo ʻe he puleʻangá ʻeku ngofua ke nofo ʻi ʻAmeliká, pea naʻe fakafoki au ki Tonga.

 ʻI he aʻu ki Tongá, naʻá ku kumi loto-vēkeveke ki he Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová pea hoko atu ʻeku ako Tohi Tapú. Naʻá ku saiʻia ʻi he meʻa naʻá ku akó, pea naʻe maongo kiate au ʻeku sio naʻe poupouʻi ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻi Tongá ʻenau ngaahi akonakí kotoa ʻaki ʻa e Folofolá, ʻo hangē pē ko e meʻa naʻe fai ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻi ʻAmeliká.

 Naʻe ʻiloa ʻeku tamaí ʻi he koló koeʻuhi naʻá ne maʻu ha tuʻunga mahuʻinga ʻaupito ʻi hono siasí. Ko ia ʻi he ʻuluaki taimí naʻe puputuʻu mo ʻita ʻa hoku fāmilí ʻi heʻeku feohi mo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Kae kehe, ki mui aí, naʻe fiefia ʻeku ongo mātuʻá ʻi hono tokoniʻi au ʻe he ngaahi tefitoʻi moʻoni mei he Tohi Tapú ke fakamaʻa ʻeku moʻuí.

 Ko e taha ʻo e liliu faingataʻa taha kiate aú ko e maʻunimā ʻe he inu kava Tongá. Ko e kau tangata Tonga tokolahi ʻoku nau fakamoleki ʻa e ngaahi houa ʻi he uike kotoa ke inu kava. Naʻá ku ohi ʻa e tōʻonga ʻo e ʻalu maʻu pē ki he kalapu inu kavá ʻi he meimei pō kotoa ʻo inu kava pē ki he meimei puli ʻa māmani. Ko e toe palopalema ʻe taha ko ʻeku feohi mo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa naʻe ʻikai ke nau fakaʻapaʻapaʻi ʻa e ngaahi tuʻunga Fakatohitapú. Faifai atu pē, naʻe tokoniʻi au ke u ʻiloʻi ʻoku fehiʻa ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻi heʻeku ngaahi tōʻongá. Naʻá ku fai ʻa e ngaahi liliú koeʻuhi kae lava ke u maʻu ʻa e tāpuaki mo e hōifua ʻa e ʻOtuá.

 Naʻe kamata ke u maʻu ʻa e ngaahi fakataha kotoa ʻa e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Ko e feohi ko eni mo e faʻahinga naʻa nau feinga ke fakahōifuaʻi ʻa e ʻOtuá naʻe tokoniʻi ai au ke talitekeʻi ʻa e ngaahi fakatauelé. ʻI he 2002, naʻá ku papitaiso ai ʻo hoko ko e taha ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová.

 Kuó u maʻu ʻaonga mei he anga-kātaki ʻa e ʻOtuá ʻa ia ʻoku fakamatalaʻi ʻi he Tohi Tapú: “[Ko] Sihova . . . ʻokú ne anga-kātaki kiate kimoutolu koeʻuhi ʻoku ʻikai te ne finangalo ke fakaʻauha ha taha ka ʻokú ne finangalo ke aʻusia ʻe he tokotaha kotoa ʻa e fakatomalá.” (2 Pita 3:9) Naʻe mei malava ke ne fai mo fakangata ʻa e fokotuʻutuʻu kovi motuʻa ko ení fuoloa, ka kuó ne fakaʻatā ia ke hokohoko atu ʻo fuoloa feʻunga kae lava ke fakatupulekina ʻe he kakai hangē ko aú ha vahaʻangatae mo ia. ʻOku ou saiʻia ke fakakaukau ʻokú ne ngāueʻaki nai au ke tokoniʻi ʻa e niʻihi kehé ke nau fai ʻa e meʻa tatau.

 ʻI he tokoni ʻa Sihová naʻá ku lava ai ʻo fakatonutonu ʻeku moʻuí mei heʻene taumuʻavaleá. Kuo ʻikai ke u toe kaihaʻa mei he niʻihi kehé ke fakalato ʻa e maʻunimā fakalilifu naʻá ku maʻú. ʻI hono kehé, ʻoku ou feinga ke tokoniʻi hoku ngaahi kaungāʻapí ke nau hoko foki mo kinautolu ko e ngaahi kaumeʻa ʻo Sihova. Fakafou ʻi heʻeku feohi mo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová, naʻá ku fetaulaki ai mo hoku uaifi ʻofaʻangá, ko Tea. Fakataha mo homa kiʻi fohá, ʻoku mau maʻu ha moʻui fakafāmili fiefia ʻaupito. ʻOku mau akoʻi fakataha ki he niʻihi kehé ʻa e meʻa ʻoku leaʻaki ʻe he Tohi Tapú fekauʻaki mo e ʻamanaki ko ia ki he kahaʻú ke moʻui taʻengata ʻi ha palataisi melino.