ʻI he 1985, naʻá ku taʻu hongofulu ai. Naʻe aʻu mai ki hoku ʻapiakó ʻi Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. ʻa e fānau mei Kemipōtia. Ko e taha ʻo e tamaiki tangatá naʻá ne kiʻi ʻilo ki he lea faka-Pilitāniá. ʻI hono ngāueʻaki ʻa e ngaahi fakatātaá, naʻe kamata ke ne talanoa mai ha ngaahi talanoa fakalilifu fekauʻaki mo e fakamamahi mo e tāmate pea mo e kakaí naʻe pau ke nau hola ke hao. Naʻá ku tangi ʻi he poʻulí ʻi heʻeku fakakaukau ki he fānau ko ení. Naʻá ku loto ke tala ange kia kinautolu fekauʻaki mo e Palataisí mo e toetuʻú, ka naʻe ʻikai ke nau mahinoʻi ʻeku leá. Neongo naʻá ku kei tamasiʻi pē, naʻá ku fili ke ako ʻa e lea faka-Kemipōtiá koeʻuhí ke u lava ʻo talanoa ki hoku kaungākalasí fekauʻaki mo Sihova. Naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi ʻi he taimi ko iá ʻa e lahi ʻo e kaunga ʻa e fili ko ení ki hoku kahaʻú.

Naʻe faingataʻa ʻa e ako lea faka-Kemipōtiá. Naʻe tuʻo ua ʻeku fakakaukau ke tuku, ka naʻe ngāueʻaki ʻe Sihova ʻeku ongo mātuʻá ke na fakalototoʻaʻi au. Ki mui ai, ko ʻeku kau faiakó mo e kaungāakó naʻe kamata ke nau tenge au ke tali ha ngāue totongi lelei. Ka naʻá ku loto ke tāimuʻa, ko ia naʻá ku fili ʻa e ngaahi koosi ʻi he kolisí ʻa ia te ne tokoniʻi au ke maʻu ha ngāue konga-taimi. Hili ʻa e akó, naʻá ku ʻalu ʻo malanga mo e kau tāimuʻa ʻe niʻihi. Naʻá ku toe pole ke tokoniʻi ʻa e fānau akó ke ako ki he lea faka-Pilitāniá. Naʻe tokoniʻi au ki mui ange ʻe he fili ko ení.

ʻI heʻeku taʻu 16, naʻá ku fanongo ʻo kau ki ha kulupu Kemipōtia ʻi Long Beach, Kalefōnia, U.S.A. Naʻe fakaʻatā au ʻe heʻeku ongo mātuʻá ke ʻaʻahi ki he kulupú. Naʻe akoʻi au ʻe he fanga tokoua mo e fanga tuofāfine ko ení ki he founga ke lautohi faka-Kemipōtia aí. ʻI heʻeku ʻosi pē mei he kolisí, naʻá ku hoko ko ha tāimuʻa. Naʻá ku malanga ki he kakai Kemipōtia ofi ki hoku ʻapí. ʻI heʻeku aʻu ʻo taʻu 18, naʻá ku fakakaukau fekauʻaki mo e hiki ki Kemipōtiá. Naʻe kei fakatuʻutāmaki pē ʻa e feituʻú, ka naʻe ʻi ai ʻa e kakai ʻe toko hongofulu miliona ʻi Kemipōtia, ko e tokolahi taha ʻo kinautolu naʻe teʻeki ai ke nau fanongo ʻi he ongoongo leleí. ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe taha pē ʻa e fakatahaʻanga ʻi he fonuá fakakātoa mo e kau malanga ʻe toko 13. ʻI heʻeku taʻu 19, naʻá ku ʻaʻahi ki Kemipōtia ʻi he ʻuluaki taimí. ʻI he taʻu ʻe ua ki mui ai, naʻá ku fili ke hiki ki ai. Naʻá ku maʻu ha ngāue konga-taimi ko e liliu mo akoʻi ʻa e lea faka-Pilitāniá. Ki mui ai, naʻá ku maʻu ha uaifi ʻa ia naʻe tatau ʻema ngaahi taumuʻá. Kuó ma fiefia fakataha ʻi hono tokoniʻi ʻa e kakai Kemipōtia tokolahi ke nau hoko ko e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihova.

Kuo ʻomai ʻe Sihova kiate au ʻa e ngaahi holi ʻo hoku lotó. (Saame 37:4) Ko e malangá ko e meʻa fakafiemālie lahi taha ia ʻe lava ke fai ʻe ha taha. Lolotonga ʻa e taʻu ʻe 16 ʻo ʻeku ʻi Kemipōtiá, ko e kiʻi fakatahaʻanga ʻo e kau malanga ʻe toko 13 ko iá kuo tupu ʻo hoko ko e fakatahaʻanga ʻe 12 mo e kulupu ʻe 4!—Fakamatala fai ʻe Jason Blackwell.