Ko ho Misiona he Moʻuí ko e Taimí ni

Ko e ʻuluaki tefitoʻi moʻoní ʻoku fekau ʻaki ia mo hono mahuʻinga ʻo e lolotongá.

Kamata ʻi he 1831, ne fakamoleki ʻe ha tokolahi ʻo e fuofua Kāingalotú ha taʻu ʻe fitu ʻi Ketilani ʻi ʻŌhaiō. Ne nau liʻaki honau ngaahi ʻapí, pisinisí, mo ʻenau ngaahi faama ʻi Niu ʻIoke mo Penisilivēniá ka nau omi ki ha potu taʻe-ʻiloa. Pea naʻe folofola ange ʻa e ʻEikí kiate kinautolu ko e potu ko ʻení ʻe fakataimi pē:

“Pea ʻoku ou fakatapui maʻanautolu ʻa e fonua ko ʻení ʻo fuofuoloa siʻi, kae ʻoua ko au, ko e ʻEikí, te u foaki maʻanautolu ha meʻa kehe, pea fekauʻi ʻa kinautolu ke nau ʻalu mei heni;

“Pea ʻoku ʻikai ke fakahā kiate kinautolu ʻa e houá mo e ʻahó, ko ia tuku ke nau ngāue ʻi he fonuá ni ʻo hangē ko e fai ia ke laulau taʻu, pea ʻe liliu ʻeni kiate kinautolu ko e meʻa ke nau tuʻumālie ai” (T&F 51:16–17).

ʻOku ou saiʻia ke fakakaukau loto atu ki he kau fuofua Kāingalotu ko iá ʻi heʻenau fanongo ki he fakahinohino ʻa e ʻEikí mo ʻenau kamata ke ngāué. Ne nau palau ʻa e ngaahi ngoueʻanga naʻe ʻikai ke nau ʻilo pe te nau utu honau taʻú, tō ha ngaahi ʻuluʻakau mahalo he ʻikai ke nau teitei kai ʻi honau fuá, mo langa ha temipale fakaʻofoʻofa te nau iku liʻaki. ʻOku ou fakakaukau atu naʻa nau moʻui femoʻuekina, moʻumoʻua, kae ʻikai sio fakamamaʻu ki he taʻe-ʻiloá, mo fifili pe ko e fē te nau hiki ki aí mo e taimí. Naʻa nau ngāue “ ʻo hangē ka laui taʻú,” mo falala he ʻikai molenoa ʻenau ngāué.

ʻI heʻene aʻu ki he taimi naʻa nau mavahe ai mei ʻŌhaiō ʻi he 1838, kuo ʻosi tokoni ʻa e Kāingalotú ʻi hono fakatoka ha fakavaʻe mālohi ki he tupulaki ʻa e Siasí he kahaʻú. Fakakaukau ki he meʻa ne hoko ʻi he lolotonga ʻo e vahaʻa taimi mahuʻinga mo mahu ko iá:

• Naʻe fokotuʻu ʻe he Palōfita ko Siosefa Sāmitá ʻa e Akoʻanga ʻo e Kau Palōfitá, fakaʻosi ʻene liliu ʻi he tataki ʻa e Laumālié ʻa e Tohi Tapú, mo maʻu ha ngaahi fakahā mahuʻinga lahi.

• Naʻe fokotuʻu ʻa e Kau Palesitenisī ʻUluakí, Kōlomu ʻo e Kau ʻAposetolo ʻe Toko Hongofulu Mā Uá, mo e Kau Fitungofulú.

• Naʻe langa ʻa e Temipale Ketilaní mo fakatapui. Naʻe mamata ai ʻa Siosefa Sāmita mo ʻŌliva Kautele kia Sīsū Kalaisi mo maʻu ʻa e ngaahi kī ʻo e lakanga fakataulaʻeikí mei a Mōsese, ʻIlaiase, pea mo ʻIlaisiā.

• Ne ʻave ʻa e kau fuofua faifekaú ki ʻIngilani.

Ko hoku ngaahi taʻu ʻi he tāutaha kei talavoú ko ha “kiʻi vahaʻa taimi” mātuʻaki mahuʻinga ia ne foaki mai ʻe he ʻEikí kiate au. ʻI he lolotonga homou ngaahi taʻu ʻi he tāutaha kei talavoú, ko e taimi ia ʻoku māsila ai homou ivi fakaesinó mo fakaʻatamaí. Te tau lava ʻo fakaʻaongaʻi hano konga lahi ʻaki haʻatau fakapapau ke falala ki he ʻEikí mo ngāue “ʻo hangē ka laui taʻú.” Pea ʻe toki hoko leva ʻa e ngaahi taʻu ko ʻení ko ha vahaʻa taimi kuo fakatapui ʻo e ola, tupulekina, ako, pea mo e ngāue tokoni lahi fau.

Ko ha tefitoʻi moʻoni ʻaonga ʻe taha ʻoku maʻu ia mei hono fakatokangaʻi ʻi he mahinongofua. Ko hoku misiona ʻi he moʻuí naʻe ʻikai tatali mai ia kiate au mei he kahaʻu taʻe-pau mo mamaʻó. Naʻe fakaʻaho ia mo hokohoko.

Naʻe fakamatalaʻi ʻe Palesiteni Pilikihami ʻIongi (1801–77): “[ʻOku ʻikai ha tangata pe fefine ʻi he Siasí ni ʻoku taʻe-ʻi ai hano misiona. Ko e misiona ko iá ʻe lōloa fakatatau pē mo ʻenau moʻuí].”¹ Ko hono fakalea ʻe tahá, ko hoku misiona ʻi he moʻuí kuo ʻosi kamata. Naʻe ʻikai fuʻu fie maʻu fēfē ia ke u toe kumi ʻo tatau mo hono fie maʻu ke u ʻiloʻí.

Ne u maʻu ha founga ʻe taha ke ʻilo ai, ke mahino ʻa e ngaahi ʻelemēniti ʻe tolu kuo nau ʻosi hoko ko e konga ʻo ʻeku moʻuí:

• Ko ha ngaahi meʻafoaki fakafoʻituitui makehe.

• Ko ha ngaahi faingataʻaʻia fakafoʻituitui makehe.

• Ko ha ngaahi fie maʻu pau ʻi he māmaní ʻoku fie maʻu ʻe he ʻEikí ke u tokoni ai.

Ko hono moʻoní, ʻoku tau fakahoko hotau misioná ʻi ha taimi pē ʻoku fetuiaki ai ʻa e ngaahi ʻelemēnití ni ʻe tolu pea tau loto ke ngāue. Fakakaukau ki he anga ʻo e ngāue ʻa e meʻá ni ʻi he moʻui ʻa Siosefa ʻo e Fuakava Motuʻá (vakai, Sēnesi 37–47).

Naʻe maʻu ʻe Siosefa ha ngaahi meʻafoaki lahi. Naʻe ohi hake ia ʻi ha fāmili naʻe ʻilo ʻOtua, pea naʻe hoko ia ko ha ʻea ki he fuakava faka-ʻĒpalahamé. Naʻá ne maʻu ʻa e meʻafoaki fakalaumālie ʻo e fakaʻuhinga misí.

Naʻá ne fepaki foki mo ha ngaahi faingataʻa lahi. ʻOku hangē kiate au naʻe kau ʻi he ngaahi faingataʻaʻia ʻo Siosefá ha tamai naʻe hā mei ai ʻa e filifilimānakó, ngaahi tokoua naʻe meheka, pea mo e ʻikai ke mohu founga ʻi hono fakaleleiʻí. ʻI heʻene moʻui kei siʻí naʻe fakatau ia ke ngāue pōpula ʻi ha fonua muli, tukuakiʻi hala ia ki he ʻulungāanga ʻuli pea lī ki he fale fakapōpulá.

Naʻe loto foki mo Siosefa ke fai ha ngāue, ʻo fakaʻaongaʻi fakatouʻosi ki ai ʻene ngaahi meʻafoakí mo hono ngaahi faingataʻaʻiá ke tokoniʻi ʻa e ngaahi fie maʻu pau ʻi hono ʻātakí. “I ha ngaahi meʻa ʻe niʻihi, kau ai ʻi he fale fakapōpulá, naʻe fili ai ke ne fakaʻaongaʻi ʻene meʻafoaki fakalaumālié ke fakaʻuhingaʻi e misi ʻa e kakaí. Naʻe hanga ʻe he fili ko ʻení, ʻo fakaava ha faingamālie ke ngāue ai kia feló, ʻo tokonaki ha meʻakai maʻá e kakai ʻo ʻIsipité. Koeʻuhí naʻe faitotonu mo faivelenga ʻi heʻene ngāué, naʻe lava heni ʻa Siosefa ke fakahoko ha misiona fakahaofi moʻui, ʻo fakahaofi ha tokolahi, kau ai hono fāmilí, mei he fiekaiá.

Naʻe kau fakataha ʻa e ngaahi meʻafoaki mo e ngaahi faingataʻaʻia ʻo Siosefá ke fokotuʻu ia ʻi ha tuʻunga ke tokoni ai ʻi he taimi naʻe tō mai ai ʻa e hongé ki he fonuá. Naʻe fakahoko ʻe Siosefa ha misiona ʻo tokoni ki he ʻEikí, ki he kakai ʻo ʻIsipité, pea mo hono fāmilí, koeʻuhí he naʻe tauhi ʻe Siosefa hono tuʻungá mo ʻi he feituʻu totonu pea koeʻuhí he naʻe fili ke ngāue faitotonu mo talangofua.

Ka ko e ngaahi ʻelemēniti ko ʻení ʻe tolu ʻoku ʻikai ke nau fetuiaki pē ʻi he moʻui ʻa e kakai ʻoku tau laukonga kau ki ai ʻi he ngaahi peesi ʻo e folofolá. ʻOku nau fetuiaki ʻi he ʻaho kotoa pē ʻi heʻetau moʻuí takitaha.

Naʻe maʻu ʻe ha fiemui tāutaha kei talavou ʻe taha ha meʻafoaki ke faitohi pea mo ha taukei fakafoʻituitui ʻi he loto mafasiá. Ko e taimi naʻe fefaʻuhi ai hono kiʻi tokoua taʻu hongofulu tupú ʻi ha tūkunga faingataʻa he akó, naʻá ne lava ʻo fakatokangaʻi ʻoku fakaʻauʻauhifo hono kiʻi tokouá ke mamahi. ʻI heʻene talangofua ki he ueʻi ʻa e Laumālié, naʻá ne fai ai ha fanga kiʻi tohi lelei ki hono tokouá, ʻo fakahaaʻi ange ʻene ʻofá mo ʻene falalá, ʻi he ʻaho taki taha he lolotonga ʻo e vahaʻa taimi faingataʻá ʻi ha uike ʻe ua. ʻI he kiʻi foʻi fili ko ʻeni ke ne feau e fie maʻu ʻa hono tokouá, ne fakahoko ai ʻe he finemuí ni hono misioná.

Ko e taimi ʻoku fakahoko ai ʻa e fili ko ʻeni ke talangofua ki he Laumālié mo ngāue mei he ʻaho ki he ʻaho, mo e uike ki he uike, pea mei he taʻu ki he taʻú, ʻokú ne fakatupu ha founga māʻolunga ange te tau toki fakatokangaʻi ki mui ko e misiona ia mei he ʻEikí ke tau fakahokó.

Ko e ʻosi ʻeni ha ngaahi taʻu mei he hoko hoku taʻu 20, kuó u toki fakatokangaʻi kuo hoko ha ngaahi meʻa lahi heʻeku moʻuí ʻo tatau tofu pē mo ia ʻoku fakamatalaʻi ʻi hoku tāpuaki fakapēteliaké ʻi he ngaahi taʻu lahi kuo hilí. ʻOku mahino naʻe ʻikai tuʻunga ia koeʻuhí he naʻá ku ʻiloʻi pau ʻa e meʻa naʻá ku faí pea mo e huʻunga ʻo hoku kahaʻú. Naʻe ʻikai pehē ia.

Naʻe hoko ʻi heʻeku moʻuí ha ngaahi fehulunaki mo ha ngaahi meʻa fakamamahi naʻá ne ʻai ke u fifili pe kuó u hē mei he halá. Ka ko hono ikuʻangá, naʻe ʻikai fie maʻu ia ke u hohaʻa. Naʻe ʻafioʻi maʻu pē ʻe he ʻEikí ʻa e feituʻu naʻá ku ʻi aí mo ia ʻoku finangalo ke u ʻalu ki aí. Naʻá ku feinga maʻu pē ke fai hoku lelei tahá ke muimui ʻi Heʻene ngaahi fekaú, tauhi kiate Ia, mo fakafanongo ki he Laumālié. Neongo naʻe ʻikai ke u ʻilo he taimi ko iá, ka kuó u fakatokangaʻi ʻeni naʻe tataki maʻu pē ʻe Hono toʻukupú ʻeku moʻuí.

ʻOku fonu ʻa e ngaahi taʻu ʻi he tāutaha kei talavoú ʻi ha ngaahi fili mahuʻinga mo ha ngaahi meʻa taʻe-pau mo fakamafasia ʻoku anga maheni. Ka ʻoku maʻu ha loto fiemālie ange ʻi he taimi ʻoku tau feinga ai ke falala ki he malava ʻe he ʻEikí ke fakahoko ʻEne ngaahi taumuʻá maʻa ʻetau moʻuí—ʻi he ʻaho ki he ʻahó. Pea ʻoku tau lava lelei ange ai ke “longo pē pea ʻilo ko [Ia ʻa e] ʻOtuá” ( Saame 46:10). Pea ʻi heʻetau fai peheé, ʻoku tau maʻu leva ha nonga.