ʻI HE taimi naʻá ku taʻu hiva aí, naʻe tuʻu ʻeku tupú. ʻI he ʻahó ni ʻi hoku taʻu 43, ko hoku lōloá ʻoku ou mita pē ʻe taha (fute ʻe tolu). ʻI he fakatokangaʻi ʻe heʻeku ongo mātuʻá heʻikai te u toe lōloa angé, naʻá na fakalototoʻaʻi au ke u ngāue mālohi koeʻuhí ke ʻoua te u fakakaukau maʻu pē ki hoku māʻolungá. Ke hanganaki femoʻuekiná, naʻá ku fokotuʻu ha tēpile fuaʻiʻakau ʻi muʻa ʻi homau ʻapí pea ke maau maʻu pē ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻi aí. Naʻe tohoakiʻi mai ai ha kakai tokolahi.

Ko e moʻoni, naʻe ʻikai ke liliu ʻa e meʻa kotoa ʻe he ngāue mālohí. Naʻá ku kei fuʻu nounou pē, pea naʻe pau ke u fāinga mo e fanga kiʻi meʻa iiki ʻi he moʻuí, hangē ko e māʻolunga ʻo e ngaahi funga laupapa ʻo e falekoloá. ʻOku hā ngali naʻe faʻu ʻa e meʻa kotoa pē ki he kakai ʻoku meimei liunga ua ʻi hoku māʻolungá. Naʻe fakamamahi ia kiate au, ka naʻe liliu ia ʻi he taimi naʻá ku taʻu 14 aí.

ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻe fakatau ʻe he ongo fefine Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihova ʻe toko ua ha fuaʻiʻakau peá na tuʻuaki mai ha ako Tohi Tapu. Naʻe vave ʻeku mahinoʻi ko hono ʻiloʻi ʻa Sihova mo ʻene taumuʻá naʻe mahuʻinga ange ia ʻi hoku māʻolungá. Naʻe tokoni lahi ia kiate au. Naʻá ku saiʻia ʻi he Saame 73:28. ʻOku pehē ʻi he konga ʻuluaki ʻo e veesi ko iá: “ʻOku lelei kiate au ke fakaofiofi ki he ʻOtua.”

Naʻe hiki fakafokifā homau fāmilí mei Kōtevuā ki Pēkina Faso, pea naʻe liliu lahi ai ʻeku moʻuí. ʻI homau feituʻu motuʻá, naʻe sio maʻu pē ʻa e kakaí ki heʻeku tangutu ʻi he veʻe tēpile fuaʻiʻakaú. Ka ʻi homau feituʻu foʻoú, naʻá ku hoko ai ko ha sola, pea ki he tokolahi, naʻá ku hā ngalikehe. Naʻe siofi au ʻe he kakaí, ko ia naʻá ku nofo fale ʻi ha ngaahi uike. Naʻá ku manatuʻi leva ʻa e lelei kiate au ke u fakaofiofi kia Sihová. Naʻá ku tohi ki he ʻōfisi vaʻa ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová, pea naʻa nau ʻomai ʻa e tokotaha totonú. Naʻe haʻu paiki ʻa Nani, ko ha misinale, ʻo ʻaʻahi mai kiate au.

Naʻe hekeheke maʻu pē ʻa e ngaahi hala touʻone ʻi homau feituʻú pea pelepela ʻi he faʻahitaʻu ʻuhoʻuhá. Naʻe tō ʻa Nani mei heʻene paikí ʻi he taimi lahi ʻi heʻene haʻu ke ma akó, ka naʻe ʻikai te ne foʻi. ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha, naʻá ne fakaafeʻi au ke ma ʻalu ki he fakatahá. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe ʻuhinga eni ko e mavahe mei hoku ʻapí mo kātekina hono siofi au ʻe he kakaí. Tānaki atu ki ai, ko e heka ʻi mui ʻi he paikí naʻe toe mamafa  ange pea faingataʻa ke lele ʻa e paikí. Neongo ia, naʻá ku tali, ʻi heʻeku manatuʻi ʻa e konga hono ua ʻo e konga Tohi Tapu naʻá ku saiʻia aí: “Kuo tuʻu ʻeku hufanga ʻia Atonai Sihova.”

ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi, naʻá ku faʻa tō mo Nani ʻi he pelepelá, ka koeʻuhí ko ʻema fakamahuʻingaʻi ʻa e ngaahi fakatahá, naʻe ʻikai te ma tokanga ki ai. He kehe ē ko e malimali anga-ʻofa naʻá ku sio ai ʻi he Fale Fakatahaʻangá mo hono siofi au ʻe he kakai ʻi tuʻá! ʻI he māhina ʻe hiva ki mui ai, naʻá ku papitaiso.

“Ke u aʻau hoʻo ngaue kotoa” ʻa e konga hono tolu ʻo e konga Tohi Tapu ʻoku ou saiʻia aí. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ko e ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻe hoko ko ʻeku pole lahi tahá ia. ʻOku ou kei manatuʻi ʻa e ʻuluaki taimi naʻá ku malanga fale ki he fale aí. Naʻe siofi, muimui, mo kataʻi ʻeku lué ʻe he fānaú mo e kakai lalahí. Naʻá ku loto-mamahi moʻoni, ka ʻi heʻeku manatuʻi ʻoku nau fiemaʻu ʻa e Palataisí ʻo hangē pē ko aú, naʻe malava ke u kātekina.

Ke ʻai ke faingofua ange ʻa e ngaahi meʻá, naʻe ʻi ai ʻeku kiʻi pasikala veʻe-tolu takai nima. Naʻe teke au ʻe hoku hoa ngāué ki he foʻi māʻolungá pea toki heka hake ki he pasikalá ʻo ma oma hifo ki lalo. Neongo naʻe faingataʻa ʻa e ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻi he ʻuluaki taimí, naʻe vave ke u fiefia ʻaupito ai, ko ia ʻi he 1998, naʻá ku hoko ai ko ha tāimuʻa tuʻumaʻu.

Naʻá ku fakahoko ʻa e ngaahi ako Tohi Tapu lahi, pea ko e toko fā ʻi he kau ako ko iá naʻa nau papitaiso. Tānaki atu ki ai, ko e taha hoku fanga tokoua fakakakanó naʻá ne toe tali ʻa e moʻoní! ʻI heʻeku fanongo ki he fakalakalaka ʻa e niʻihi kehé naʻe faʻa fakalototoʻaʻi ai au ʻi he taimi pē naʻá ku fiemaʻu ai iá. ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha lolotonga ʻeku puke ʻi he malēliá, naʻá ku maʻu ha tohi mei Kōtevuā. Naʻá ku kamata ako Tohi Tapu ʻi he matapaá mo ha tokotaha ako ʻunivēsiti ʻi Pēkina Faso pea naʻe tuku ia ki ha tokoua. Naʻe hiki ki mui ai ʻa e tokotaha akó ki Kōtevuā. Naʻá ku fiefia ʻi he fanongo naʻá ne hoko ko ha tokotaha malanga teʻeki papitaiso!

ʻE anga-fēfē ʻeku tauhi aú? Ko ha kautaha ʻoku nau tokoniʻi ʻa e kau faingataʻaʻiá naʻa nau tala mai te nau akoʻi au he tuituí. Naʻe fakatokangaʻi ʻe ha faiako ʻe taha ʻeku tōʻonga ngāué peá ne pehē, “ʻOku totonu ke mau akoʻi koe ki hono ngaohi ʻo e koá.” Pea naʻa nau akoʻi au. Kuó u ngaohi he taimí ni ʻa e koa fō mo e koa kaukau ʻi ʻapi. Naʻe saiʻia ʻa e kakaí ʻi heʻeku koá pea fakaongoongoleleiʻi ia ki he niʻihi kehé. Naʻá ku tiliva ia, ʻo ngāueʻaki ʻeku paiki veʻe-tolú.

Ko e meʻa fakamamahí, ʻi he 2004, naʻe tuku ʻeku tāimuʻá koeʻuhí naʻá ku langa tuʻa lahi. Ka ʻoku ou kei ʻalu maʻu pē ʻi he ngāue fakafaifekaú.

ʻOku pehē ʻe he kakaí ʻoku ʻiloa au ʻi heʻeku mata malimalí. Kuó u maʻu ʻa e ʻuhinga kotoa ke u fiefia ai koeʻuhí ʻoku lelei kiate au ke fakaofiofi ki he ʻOtuá.—Fakamatala fai ʻe Sarah Maiga.