ʻI Sepitema 7, 1950, naʻá ku hoko ai ko ha mēmipa ʻo e fāmili Pēteli ʻi Brooklyn. ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe faʻuʻaki ʻa e fāmili Pētelí ʻa e fanga tokoua mo e fanga tuofāfine ʻe toko 355 mei he matakali mo e toʻu kehekehe mei he taʻu 19 ki he taʻu 80. Ko e tokolahi ʻo kinautolu ko e kau Kalisitiane pani.

Naʻá ku ako ke tauhi ki hotau “ʻOtua fiefiá” mei heʻeku faʻeé. (1 Tīm. 1:11) Naʻá ku kamata tauhi kia Sihova ʻi heʻeku kei siʻí. ʻI Siulai 1, 1939, ʻi hoku taʻu hongofulú, naʻá ku papitaiso ai ʻi ha ʻasemipilī sone (ʻoku ui he taimí ni ko e ʻasemipilī fakasēketí) ʻi Columbus, Nebraska, U.S.A. Ko e toko 100 nai ʻo kimautolu naʻa mau fakataha ʻi ha fale totongi ke fanongo ki ha malanga hiki-leʻo ko e “Fascism or Freedom,” naʻe fai ʻe Joseph Rutherford. ʻI he vaeua ʻo e malangá, naʻe fakatahataha ha fuʻu kakai ʻi tuʻa ʻi he kiʻi holo naʻa mau fakataha aí. Naʻa nau hū fakamālohi mai ki loto, ʻo veuki ʻemau fakatahá, pea tuli kimautolu mei he koló. Naʻa mau fakatahataha ʻi ha faama ʻa ha tokoua ʻo ʻikai mamaʻo mei he koló pea fanongo ai ki he toenga ʻo e polokalamá. Hangē ko ia ʻe lava ke ke sioloto atu ki aí, kuo ʻikai ʻaupito ngalo ʻiate au hoku ʻaho papitaisó!

Naʻe feinga tōtōivi ʻeku faʻeé ke ʻohake au ʻi he moʻoní. Neongo ko ʻeku tangataʻeikí ko ha tangata lelei mo ha tamai lelei, naʻe ʻikai ke ne fuʻu mahuʻingaʻia ʻi he lotú pe ko ʻeku lelei fakalaumālié. Ko e fineʻeikí, fakataha mo ha Kau Fakamoʻoni kehe ʻi he Fakatahaʻanga Omaha, naʻa nau ʻomai ʻa e fakalototoʻa lahi naʻá ku fiemaʻú.

ʻI he ʻamanaki ke u ʻosi mei he kolisí, naʻe pau ke u fai ha fili fekauʻaki mo e meʻa te u faiʻaki ʻeku moʻuí. Lolotonga ʻa e tutuku taki taha ʻa e akó ʻi he faʻahitaʻu māfaná, naʻá ku ngāue ko ha tāimuʻa fakataimi (ʻoku ui he taimí ni ko e tāimuʻa tokoní), fakataha mo e niʻihi kehe ʻi hoku toʻú.

Ko e tokoua taʻemali kei siʻi ʻe toko ua naʻá na toki ʻosi mei he kalasi hono fitu ʻo e Akoʻanga Kiliatí—ko John Chimiklis mo Ted Jaracz—naʻe vaheʻi kinaua ke ngāue fefonongaʻaki ʻi homau feituʻú. Naʻá ku ʻohovale ke ʻilo naʻá na taʻu 20 tupu siʻi pē. Naʻá ku taʻu 18 pē ʻi he taimi ko iá pea naʻá ku mei ʻosi mei he kolisí. ʻOku lava ke u kei manatuʻi ʻa e taimi naʻe ʻeke mai ai ʻe Tokoua Chimiklis pe ko e hā te u faiʻaki ʻeku moʻuí. ʻI he taimi naʻá ku  tala ange ai kiate iá, naʻá ne fakaʻaiʻai au: “Ko ia, hū leva ki he ngāue fakafaifekau taimi-kakató. Heʻikai ʻaupito te ke ʻilo ʻa e feituʻu ʻe taki atu nai koe ki aí.” Ko e faleʻi ko iá, fakataha mo e faʻifaʻitakiʻanga ʻa e ongo tokoua ko iá, naʻe maongo loloto ia kiate au. Ko ia hili ʻeku ʻosi mei he akó, naʻá ku kamata tāimuʻa ʻi he 1948.

ʻI Siulai 1950, naʻá ku fononga ai mo ʻeku ongo mātuʻá ki ha fakataha-lahi fakavahaʻapuleʻanga ʻi he Yankee Stadium ʻi he Kolo Niu ʻIoké. Lolotonga ʻa e ʻi he fakataha-lahí, naʻá ku kau ai ki he fakataha maʻá e faʻahinga ʻoku nau mahuʻingaʻia ʻi he ngāue he Pētelí. Naʻá ku fakahū ha tohi, ʻo pehē ai te u fiefia ke ngāue ʻi ai.

Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke fakafepakiʻi ʻe heʻeku tangataʻeikí ʻeku tāimuʻá mo ʻeku nofo ʻi ʻapí, naʻá ne ongoʻi naʻe totonu ke u ʻoange ha kiʻi paʻanga ki heʻeku nofó mo e meʻakaí. ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha ʻi he konga ki muʻa ʻo ʻAokosí, lolotonga ʻeku ʻalu ke kumi ngāué, naʻá ku ʻuluaki vakaiʻi ʻemau puha meilí. ʻI aí naʻá ku maʻu ai haʻaku tohi mei Brooklyn. Naʻe fakamoʻoni ai ʻa Nathan H. Knorr, ʻa ia naʻá ne tohi ai: “Kuo maʻu hoʻo tohi kole ke ngāue ʻi Pētelí. ʻOku ou mahinoʻi ʻokú ke loto ke nofo ai pē ʻi Pēteli ʻi he toenga hoʻo moʻuí. Ko ia ai ʻoku ou loto ke ke haʻu ki Pēteli ʻi he tuʻasila ko ení, 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, Niu ʻIoke, ʻi Sepitema 7, 1950.”

ʻI he taimi naʻe foki mai ai ʻeku tangataʻeikí mei he ngāué ʻi he ʻaho ko iá, naʻá ku tala ange ki ai kuó u maʻu ha ngāue. Naʻá ne pehē, “Lelei, te ke ngāue ʻi fē?” Naʻá ku tali ange, “ʻI he Pēteli ʻi Brooklyn, ko e $10.00 he māhina.” Naʻe kiʻi fakaʻohovale ia kiate ia, ka naʻá ne pehē kapau ko e meʻa ia naʻá ku fili ki aí, ʻoku totonu ke u feinga mālohi ke hoko ʻo lavameʻa ai. ʻIkai fuoloa mei ai, ʻi he fakataha-lahi ʻi he Yankee Stadium ʻi he 1953, naʻá ne papitaiso ai!

Ko e meʻa fakafiefiá, ko hoku hoa tāimuʻá, ʻa Alfred Nussrallah, naʻe fakaafeʻi ki Pēteli ʻi he taimi tatau, pea naʻá ma fononga fakataha ki ai. Ki mui ai naʻá ne mali pea ko ia mo hono uaifí, ʻa Joan, naʻá na ʻalu ki Kiliati, ngāue fakamisinale ʻi Lepanoni, pea foki ki he ʻIunaite Seteté ʻo hoko atu leva ʻi he ngāue fefonongaʻakí.

Ko ʻeku ʻuluaki ngāue ʻi Pētelí ko e Takafi-tohi, ko hono tuitui fakataha ʻa e ʻū tohí. Ko e ʻuluaki tohi naʻá ku ngāue ki aí ko e tohi What Has Religion Done for Mankind? Hili ʻa e māhina ʻe valu nai ʻi he Takafi-tohí, naʻe vaheʻi au ki he Potungāue Ngāué ke ngāue ʻi he malumalu ʻo e tataki ʻa Tokoua Thomas J. Sullivan. Ko ha meʻa fakafiefia ia ke ngāue fakataha mo ia pea maʻu ʻaonga mei he poto mo e ʻiloʻilo fakalaumālie naʻá ne maʻu ʻi he ngaahi taʻu naʻá ne ʻi he kautahá ai.

Hili ʻeku fakamoleki ʻa e meimei taʻu ʻe tolu ʻi he Potungāue Ngāué, ko Max Larson, ʻa e ʻovasia ʻi he fale ngāué, naʻá ne tala mai ʻoku loto ʻa Tokoua Knorr ke sio mai kiate au. Naʻá ku fifili pe naʻá ku fai ha meʻa hala. Naʻe fakafiemālie ʻa e taimi naʻe pehē ai ʻe Tokoua Knorr naʻá ne loto ke ʻilo pe naʻá ku palani ke mavahe mei Pēteli ʻi he kahaʻu vave maí. Naʻá ne fiemaʻu ha taha ke ngāue fakataimi ʻi hono ʻōfisí pea loto ke sio pe te u malava ke fai ʻa e ngāué. Naʻá ku tala ange naʻe ʻikai haʻaku ngaahi palani ke mavahe mei Pēteli. Hangē ko ia naʻe hokó, naʻá ku maʻu ʻa e monū ke ngāue ʻi hono ʻōfisí ʻi he taʻu ʻe 20 hoko maí.

Kuó u faʻa pehē heʻikai ʻaupito lava ke u totongi ʻa e ako naʻá ku maʻu ʻi he ngāue fakataha mo Tokoua Sullivan mo Knorr, pea pehē ki he niʻihi kehe ʻi Pēteli, hangē ko Milton Henschel, Klaus Jensen, Max Larson, Hugo Riemer, mo Grant Suiter. a

Ko e fanga tokoua kuó u ngāue mo iá naʻa nau  fokotuʻutuʻu lelei ʻaupito ki he ngāue naʻa nau fakahoko maʻá e kautahá. Ko Tokoua Knorr ko ha tokotaha ngāue mālohi ʻa ia naʻá ne loto ke sio ʻoku fakalakalaka ʻa e ngāue ʻo e Puleʻangá ki he tuʻunga lahi taha ʻe ala lavá. Ko e faʻahinga ʻoku ngāue ʻi hono ʻōfisí naʻa nau faingofuaʻia ke talanoa ki ai. Neongo kapau naʻe kehe ʻemau fakakaukau fekauʻaki mo ha meʻa, ʻe lava ke mau fakamatalaʻi tauʻatāina ia pea kei maʻu pē ʻene falalá.

ʻI he taimi ʻe taha, naʻe lea mai ai kiate au ʻa Tokoua Knorr fekauʻaki mo e fiemaʻu ke tokanga ki he meʻa ʻoku lau nai ko e fanga kiʻi meʻa iiki. Ke fakatātaaʻi, naʻá ne tala mai kiate au ko e taimi naʻá ne ʻovasia ai ʻi he fale ngāué, naʻe telefoni ange ʻa Tokoua Rutherford ʻo pehē: “Tokoua Knorr, ʻi he taimi te ke haʻu ai mei he fale ngāué ki he kai hoʻataá, ʻomai ha ngaahi foʻi lapa. ʻOku ou fiemaʻu ia ke ʻi hoku tesí.” Naʻe pehē ʻe Tokoua Knorr ko e ʻuluaki meʻa naʻá ne faí ko e ʻalu ki he loki ʻoku ʻi ai ʻa e ngaahi foʻi lapá ʻo ʻomai ia, ʻo faʻo ʻi hono kató. Pea ʻi he hoʻataá te ne ʻave ia ki he ʻōfisi ʻo Tokoua Rutherford. Ko ha kiʻi meʻa siʻisiʻi pē ia, ka naʻe ʻaonga ia kia Tokoua Rutherford. Naʻe tala mai leva ʻe Tokoua Knorr kiate au: “ʻOku ou loto ke ʻi hoku tesí ha peni vahevahe kuo ʻosi fakamata. Ko ia kātaki ʻo tuku ia ki ai ʻi he pongipongi taki taha.” ʻI he ngaahi taʻu lahi, naʻá ku fakapapauʻi naʻe fakamata ʻene peni vahevahé.

Naʻe faʻa lave ʻa Tokoua Knorr fekauʻaki mo e fiemaʻu ke fanongo lelei ʻi he taimi ʻoku kole mai ai ke mau fai ha ngāue pau. ʻI he taimi ʻe taha, naʻá ne ʻomai ha fakahinohino māʻalaʻala ki he founga ke fai ai ha meʻa pau, ka naʻe ʻikai ke u fanongo lelei. Ko hono olá, naʻá ku ʻai ia ke ne ngalivale ʻaupito. Naʻá ku ongoʻi loto-mamahi ʻaupito, ko ia naʻá ne fai ha kiʻi tohi nounou ʻo pehē ai naʻá ku fakaʻiseʻisa lahi ʻi he meʻa naʻá ku faí pea ongoʻi ʻe lelei ange ke fakahikiʻi au mei hono ʻōfisí. Ki mui ai ʻi he pongipongi ko iá, naʻe haʻu ʻa Tokoua Knorr ki hoku tesí. “Robert,” ko ʻene leá ia, “Kuó u maʻu hoʻo tohí. Naʻá ke fai ha fehālaaki. Naʻá ku ʻosi lea atu fekauʻaki mo ia, pea ʻoku ou fakapapauʻi te ke toe tokanga ange ʻi he kahaʻú. Ta hoko atu ā ʻeta ngāué.” Naʻá ku houngaʻia lahi ʻi heʻene tokanga anga-ʻofá.

Hili ʻa e ngāue ʻi Pēteli ʻi he taʻu ʻe valu, naʻe ʻikai haʻaku toe ngaahi palani kehe ka ko e hokohoko atu pē ʻa e ngāue ʻi Pētelí. Kae kehe, naʻe liliu ia. ʻI he aʻu ki he taimi ʻo e fakataha-lahi fakavahe ʻi he Yankee Stadium mo e Polo Grounds ʻi he 1958, naʻá ku sio kia Lorraine Brookes, ʻa ia naʻá ku fetaulaki mo ia he 1955 ʻi he taimi naʻá ne tāimuʻa ai ʻi Montreal, Kānata. Naʻe maongo kiate au ʻa e anga ʻene vakai ki he ngāue taimi-kakató mo ʻene loto-lelei ke ʻalu ki ha feituʻu pē ʻe vaheʻi nai ia ki ai ʻe he kautaha ʻa Sihová. Ko e taumuʻa ʻa Lorraine ke ʻalu ki he Akoʻanga Kiliatí. ʻI hono taʻu 22, naʻe tali ia ke ne kau ki he kalasi hono 27, ʻi he 1956. Hili ʻa e maʻu tohi fakamoʻoni akó naʻe vaheʻi ia ki Pelēsila ko ha misinale. Ko Lorraine mo aú naʻá ma fakafoʻou ʻema kaumeʻá ʻi he 1958, pea naʻá ne tali ʻeku kole malí. Naʻá ma palani ke mali ʻi he taʻu hono hokó pea ʻamanekina ke ma hū fakataha ki he ngāue fakamisinalé.

ʻI he taimi naʻá ku tala ange ai kia Tokoua Knorr fekauʻaki mo ʻeku taumuʻá, naʻá ne fokotuʻu mai ke ma tatali ʻi he taʻu ʻe tolu, pea toki mali leva, pea ngāue  ʻi he Pēteli ʻi Brooklyn. ʻI he taimi ko iá, ki ha ongo meʻa mali ke na nofo ai pē ʻi Pēteli hili ʻena malí, ko e taha ʻo kinaua naʻe pau ke ne ngāue ʻi Pēteli ʻi he taʻu ʻe hongofulu pe lahi ange pea ko e tokotaha ʻe tahá ko e taʻu ʻe tolu pe lahi ange. Ko ia naʻe loto ki ai ʻa Lorraine ke ngāue ʻi he taʻu ʻe ua ʻi he Pēteli ʻi Pelēsilá pea taʻu leva ʻe taha ʻi he Pēteli ʻi Brooklyn ki muʻa ke ma malí.

Ko e founga pē taha ʻema fetuʻutaki he lolotonga ʻa e ʻuluaki taʻu ʻe ua ʻo ʻema fakamaʻú ko e faitohi. Naʻe fuʻu mamafa ʻa e telefoní, pea naʻe ʻikai ha ʻīmeili ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho ko iá! ʻI he taimi naʻá ma mali ai ʻi Sepitema 16, 1961, naʻá ma maʻu ʻa e monū ko hono fai ʻe Tokoua Knorr ʻema malanga malí. Ko e moʻoni, ko e ngaahi taʻu siʻi ko ia ʻo e tatalí naʻe hā ngali ko ha taimi lōloa. Ka ʻi he taimi ní, ʻi heʻema sio atu ki mui ki he fiemālie mo e fiefia lahi ʻi he taʻu ʻe 50 tupu ʻema malí, ʻokú ma loto-tatau ko e tatalí naʻe tuha moʻoni ia!

ʻI he 1964, naʻá ku maʻu ai ʻa e monū ke ʻaʻahi ki he ngaahi fonua kehe ko ha ʻovasia sone. ʻI he taimi ko iá, naʻe ʻikai vaheʻi ʻa e ngaahi uaifí ke ʻalu fakataha mo honau husepānití ʻi he ngaahi ʻaʻahi ko iá. ʻI he 1977 naʻe liliu ia, pea naʻe kamata fononga fakataha ʻa e ngaahi uaifí mo honau husepānití. ʻI he taʻu ko iá ko au mo Lorraine naʻá ma kau fakataha mo Grant mo Edith Suiter ʻi he ʻaʻahi ki he ngaahi ʻōfisi vaʻa ʻi Siamane, ʻAositulia, Kalisi, Saipalo, Toake, mo ʻIsileli. Ko hono fakakātoá, kuó u ʻaʻahi ki he fonua ʻe 70 nai takatakai ʻi he māmaní.

ʻI he taha ʻo e ʻaʻahi pehē ki Pelēsila ʻi he 1980, ko ʻema taimi-tēpile folaú naʻe ʻai ai ke ma fou atu ki Belém, ko ha kolo ʻi he ʻekuetá ʻa ia naʻe ngāue fakamisinale ai ʻa Lorraine. Naʻá ma afe foki ai ke ʻaʻahi ki he fanga tokoua ʻi Manaus. ʻI ha malanga naʻe fai ʻi ha sitētiume, naʻá ma sio ai ki he kulupu ʻoku nau tangutu fakataha ʻa ia naʻe ʻikai te nau muimui ʻi he anga fakafonua anga-maheni ʻo e kau Pelēsilá ʻa ia ko e kakai fefiné ʻoku nau ʻuma ʻi he kouʻahé pea ʻoku lulululu ʻa e fanga tokouá. Ko e hā hono ʻuhingá?

Ko kinautolú ko siʻoma kaungā-Fakamoʻoni mei ha feituʻu ʻo e kau kilia ʻoku tuʻu ʻi he uhouhonga ʻo e vaotā ʻAmasoní. ʻI ha ngaahi ʻuhinga fekauʻaki mo e malú, ʻoku nau fakaʻehiʻehi mei he feʻiloaki mo e niʻihi kehe ʻi he kau fanongó. Kae kehe, naʻe maongo moʻoni ia ki homa lotó, pea ʻe ʻikai ʻaupito ngalo ʻia kimaua ʻa e fiefia naʻe tapua mai mei honau matá! ʻOku moʻoni ʻa e ngaahi lea ʻa ʻAiseá: “Ko ʻeku kau sevaniti te nau mavava ʻi he fiefia honau loto.”—ʻAi. 65:14.

ʻOku ou faʻa fakakaukauloto mo Lorraine ki he taʻu laka hake he 60 ʻo ʻema ngāue ʻaufuatō kia Sihová. ʻOkú ma fiefia ʻaupito ʻi he ngaahi founga kuo tāpuakiʻi ai kimaua ʻi hono fakaʻatā ʻa Sihova ke ne tataki kimaua fakafou ʻi heʻene kautahá. Neongo ʻoku ʻikai malava ke u fononga holo ʻi he māmaní hangē ko ia ʻi he ngaahi taʻu ki muʻá, ʻoku ou kei malava pē ke fai ʻeku ngāue fakaʻahó ko ha tokotaha tokoni ki he Kulupu Pulé, ʻo ngāue fakataha mo e Kōmiti Kouʻotineitá mo e Kōmiti Ngāué. ʻOku ou houngaʻia lahi ʻi hono maʻu ʻa e monū ʻi he kau atu ki ha kiʻi konga ʻi hono poupouʻi ʻi he foungá ni ʻa e fetokouaʻaki ʻi māmani lahí. ʻOku hokohoko atu ʻema fakaofoʻia ʻi he sio ki he fuʻu tokolahi ʻo e kakai tangata mo e kakai fefine kei siʻi kuo nau kau ʻi he ngāue taimi-kakató fakataha mo e fakakaukau ʻa ʻAiseá, ʻa ia naʻá ne pehē: “Ko au eni; fekau au.” (ʻAi. 6:9 [6:8, PM]) Ko e faʻahinga tokolahi ko ení ʻoku nau fakaongo mai ʻa e moʻoni ʻo e lea ʻa e ʻovasia sēketi ʻa ia naʻá ne tala mai fuoloa kiate au: “Hū leva ki he ngāue fakafaifekau taimi-kakató. Heʻikai ʻaupito te ke ʻilo ʻa e feituʻu ʻe taki atu nai koe ki aí.”