Naʻá ku tupu hake ʻi Puerto Limón, ko ha kolo taulanga ʻi he matāfanga fakahahake ʻo Kositā Liká. Naʻe toko valu ʻa e fānau ʻa ʻeku ongo mātuʻá, ʻa ia ko au naʻe fika fitú. Naʻe mate ʻa ʻeku tamaí ʻi heʻeku taʻu valú. ʻI he hili iá, naʻe tauhi hake ʻe heʻeku faʻeé ʻa kimautolu fānaú ʻi he tuʻunga ko ha mātuʻa taʻehoa.

Naʻe hoko maʻu pē ʻa e peisipoló ko e konga ia ʻo ʻeku moʻuí. Naʻá ku fiefia ʻi he sipotí ʻi heʻeku kei siʻí. ʻI hoku taʻu hongofulu tupu lahí, naʻá ku kau ai ki ha timi feʻauhi ʻamatua. Lolotonga ʻeku vaʻinga ʻi he feʻauhi ʻamatuá ʻi hoku taʻu 20 tupú, naʻe kole mai ai ʻe he tokotaha ʻokú ne fakasio ha kau vaʻinga ki he kahaʻú ke u vaʻinga maʻa ha timi fakapalōfesinale ʻi Nikalākuā. Kae kehe, koeʻuhi ko e mahamahaki ʻa ʻeku faʻeé ʻi he taimi ko iá pea ko au naʻá ku tokangaʻi iá, naʻe ʻikai te u loto ke nofo ʻi Nikalākuā. Ko ia naʻe ʻikai te u tali ʻa e kolé. Ki mui ai, naʻe fakaafeʻi au ʻe ha toe taha fakasio ʻo e kau vaʻingá ke u vaʻinga maʻá e timi peisipolo fakafonua ʻa Kositā Liká, naʻe kau ki ai ha kau vaʻinga feʻauhi ʻamatua naʻe filifili. ʻI he taimi ko ení naʻá ku tali ʻa e kolé. Naʻá ku ʻi he timi fakafonuá mei he 1949 ʻo aʻu ki he 1952, pea naʻá ku kau ʻi ha vaʻinga hokohoko ʻi Kiupa, Mekisikou, mo Nikalākuā. Naʻá ku vaʻinga malu-kolo pea naʻe lelei ʻaupito ʻeku vaʻingá, ʻo aʻu ki heʻeku vaʻinga hokohoko ʻi ha foʻi tau ʻe 17 ʻo ʻikai ʻi ai haʻaku foʻi fehālaaki ʻe taha. Naʻá ku saiʻia he fanongo ki hono kaikailaʻi hoku hingoá ʻe he fuʻu kakaí!

Ko e meʻa pangó, naʻá ku toe ʻi ha founga moʻui taʻetaau. Neongo naʻe taha pē ʻa hoku kaumeʻá, naʻe ʻi ai maʻu pē ʻeku kakai fefine kehe. Naʻá ku inu lahi foki. ʻI he ʻaho ʻe taha naʻá ku fuʻu konā ai pea ʻi he taimi naʻá ku ʻā hake ai ʻi hoku mohengá he ʻaho hono hokó, naʻe ʻikai te u manatuʻi pe naʻe anga-fēfē ʻeku aʻu ki ʻapí! Naʻá ku toe pelepaʻanga foki.

Lolotonga ʻa ʻeku ʻi ha founga moʻui peheé, naʻe hoko ai ʻeku faʻeé ko e taha ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Naʻá ne feinga ke ʻai au ke u mahuʻingaʻia ʻi heʻene tuí, ka naʻe ʻikai te ne lavameʻa ʻi he ʻuluaki taimí he naʻe mātuʻaki maʻunimā au ʻe he sipotí. Kapau naʻá ku ako vaʻinga he lolotonga ʻa e taimi kaí, naʻe ʻikai haʻaku ongoʻi fiekaia! Naʻe tokangataha pē hoku ʻatamaí ki he vaʻingá. Naʻá ku manako ʻi he peisipoló ʻo laka ia ʻi ha toe meʻa!

Kae kehe, ʻi hoku taʻu 29, naʻá ku lavea lahi ʻi heʻeku feinga ke hapo ha foʻi pulu lolotonga ha vaʻinga. Hili ʻeku fakaakeaké, naʻá ku mavahe mei he vaʻinga fakapalōfesinalé. Neongo ia, naʻá ku nofoʻaki kau ʻi hono fokotuʻutuʻu ʻo e peisipoló ʻaki hono akoʻi ʻa e kau vaʻingá ʻi ha timi feʻauhi ʻamatua ofi ki hoku ʻapí.

ʻI he 1957, naʻá ku tali ai ha fakaafe ke maʻu ha fakataha-lahi naʻe fai ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová ʻi ha sitētiume ʻa ia naʻá ku vaʻinga peisipolo ai. ʻI heʻeku tangutu ʻi he kau mamatá, naʻá ku mātuʻaki fakatokangaʻi ai ʻa e faikehekehe ʻi he anga-fakaʻapaʻapa naʻá ku sio ai ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoní mo e tōʻonga uatau naʻá ku sio ai ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e fuʻu kakai ʻi he ngaahi vaʻinga peisipoló. Ko e meʻa naʻá ku sio ai ʻi he fakataha-lahi ko iá naʻá ne ueʻi au ke u kamata ako Tohi Tapu mo e Kau Fakamoʻoní pea maʻu ʻa e ngaahi fakataha ʻenau fakatahaʻangá.

Naʻe maongo kiate au ʻa e ngaahi akonaki Fakatohitapu lahi naʻá ku akó. Ko e fakatātaá, naʻe tomuʻa tala ʻe Sīsū ʻi he ngaahi ʻaho fakaʻosí, ʻe malangaʻi ai ʻe heʻene kau ākongá ʻa e ongoongo lelei ʻo e Puleʻanga ʻo e ʻOtuá ʻi māmani lahi. (Mātiu 24:14) Naʻá ku toe ako ai ko e kau Kalisitiane moʻoní, ʻoku ʻikai te nau fakahoko ʻenau ngāue fakafaifekaú ke maʻu ai ha paʻanga. Naʻe pehē ʻe Sīsū: “Kuo mou maʻu taʻetotongi, foaki taʻetotongi.”—Mātiu 10:8.

ʻI heʻeku ako Tohi Tapú, naʻá ku fakahoa ʻa e meʻa ʻoku leaʻaki aí mo e meʻa naʻá ku sio ai ʻi he lotolotonga ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Naʻá ku mālieʻia ʻi heʻenau ngaahi feinga taʻehela ke fakamafola ʻa e ongoongo lelei ʻo e Puleʻanga ʻo e ʻOtuá ʻi māmani lahí. Naʻá ku mamata ʻiate kinautolu ki he laumālie ʻo e foaki naʻe fekauʻi ʻe Sīsū ki he kau Kalisitiané ke nau fakahāhaá. Ko ia ʻi heʻeku lau ʻa e Maʻake 10:21 pea sio ki he fakaafe ʻa Sīsū, “Haʻu ʻo muimui ʻiate au,” naʻá ku loto ai ke hoko ko ha Fakamoʻoni.

Kae kehe, naʻe fiemaʻu ha taimi ke u muimui mātuʻaki fakapapauʻi ki ai. Ko e fakatātaá, ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi naʻá ku ngāueʻaki ai ʻa hoku fika “monūʻiá” ʻi he uike taki taha ʻi he lulu fakafonuá. Neongo ia, naʻá ku ako mei he Tohi Tapú ʻoku fakahalaiaʻi ʻe he ʻOtuá ʻa e kau lotu ki he “ʻotua ʻo e Monuú,” pea pehē ki he faʻahinga ʻoku mānumanú. (ʻAisea 65:11; Kolose 3:5) Ko ia naʻá ku fakapapauʻi ke tuku ʻa e pelepaʻangá. ʻI he ʻuluaki Sāpate hili ʻeku liʻaki ʻa e lulú, naʻe ikuna ʻa hoku fika “monūʻiá”! Naʻe manukiʻi au ʻe he kakaí koeʻuhi ko e ʻikai te u kau ʻi he uike ko iá, pea naʻa nau tenge mālohi au ke u toe kau, ka naʻe ʻikai. Naʻe ʻikai ʻaupito te u toe foki ki he pelepaʻangá.

Naʻá ku fehangahangai mo ha toe ʻahiʻahi ʻo hoku “angaʻitangata foʻou” ʻi he ʻaho tofu pē naʻá ku papitaiso ai ʻi ha fakataha-lahi ʻa e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. (ʻEfesō 4:24) ʻI he efiafi ko iá, naʻá ku foki ki he hōtele naʻá ku nofo aí ʻo ʻiloʻi ʻa e taʻahine naʻá ma kaumeʻa ki muʻá ʻoku tatali mai ʻi he matapā ʻo hoku lokí. “Haʻu angé, Sammy,” ko ʻene fakaʻaiʻaí mai ia. “Ta kiʻi laka!” Ka naʻá ku tali ange ʻi he taimi pē ko iá, “ʻIkai!” Naʻá ku fakamanatu ange kiate ia ʻoku ou moʻui he taimí ni ʻo fakatatau ki he ngaahi tuʻunga fakaeʻulungaanga ʻa e Tohi Tapú. (1 Kolinitō 6:18) “Ko e hā?” ko ʻene kailá ia. Naʻá ne fakamaʻamaʻaʻi leva ʻa e vakai ʻa e Tohi Tapú ki he fehokotaki fakasino taʻetāú pea vilitaki mai ke hoko atu ʻa homa vā. Kae kehe, naʻá ku hū pē ki hoku lokí peá u lokaʻi ʻa e matapaá. ʻI he ʻahó ni, ʻoku ou fiefia ke pehē ko e talu ʻeku hoko ko ha Fakamoʻoni ʻi he 1958, mo ʻeku tauhi faitōnunga ki he ngaahi liliu naʻá ku fai ʻi heʻeku founga moʻuí.

ʻOku ou ongoʻi ʻe lava ke u hiki ha tohi fekauʻaki mo e ngaahi ʻaonga kuó u maʻu mei he muimui ki he tataki ʻa e Tohi Tapú! Ko e niʻihi ʻo e ngaahi ʻaonga ko iá ko ʻeku maʻu he taimí ni ha ngaahi kaumeʻa moʻoni tokolahi, ko ha moʻui mohu taumuʻa, mo e fiefia moʻoni.

ʻOku ou kei manako pē ʻi he peisipoló, ka kuó u feʻunuʻaki ʻa e ngaahi meʻa ʻoku ou mahuʻingaʻia aí. ʻI he peisipoló naʻá ku maʻu ai ʻa e ngeia mo e paʻanga, ka naʻe ʻikai ke tolonga ʻa e ongo meʻa ko iá. Kae kehe, ko hoku vahaʻangatae mo e ʻOtuá mo e fetokouaʻaki ʻoku ou kau ki aí ʻe tolonga ʻo taʻengata. ʻOku pehē ʻe he Tohi Tapú: “ʻOku fakaʻaʻau ke mole atu ʻa e māmaní pea pehē ki he holi ʻaʻaná, ka ko e tokotaha ʻokú ne fai ʻa e finangalo ʻo e ʻOtuá ʻokú ne nofo maʻu ʻo taʻengata.” (1 Sione 2:17) ʻOku ou ʻofa he taimí ni ʻia Sihova ko e ʻOtuá mo hono kakaí ʻo laka ange ia ʻi ha toe meʻa!