Randall L. Ridd

Ko Lenitale L. Lití ko e foha ia ʻo ha tangata tufunga pea naʻá ne ako kei siʻi ki hono mahuʻinga ʻo e fakahoko ke tonu ha ngāué. Ne lahi ha ngaahi taimi naʻe fakahoko ai ʻe Lenitale ha ngāue, pea hili iá ne talaange ʻe heʻene tamaí ko Lioni Liti, “ʻOku teʻeki ai ke ʻosi.”

Naʻe ʻikai toe ngalo e faʻahinga fakapapauʻi ko iá ʻi he tangata ʻoku hoko he ʻahó ni ko e tokoni ua ʻi he kau palesitenisī lahi ʻo e Kau Talavoú. ʻOku aʻu ki he ʻahó ni ʻokú ne faʻa ongoʻi pē ʻa e lea ʻofa mo fakapapauʻi ʻene tamaí ʻi heʻene fakahoko hono ngaahi fatongia fakaengāue, fakafāmili mo fakalotú: “ʻOku teʻeki ai ʻosi hoʻo ngāué; ʻai ia ke tonu.”

Naʻe pehē ʻe Misa Liti, kuo hoko ʻa e tefitoʻi moʻoni fakaengāue hono fāmilí ko ha tāpuaki ʻi heʻene moʻuí. Kae pehē ki he kau faifaleʻi mo e kau taki lakanga fakataulaʻeiki ko ia kuo nau tokoniʻi ia ʻi he ongoongoleleí. Neongo ne maʻu ʻe ha tokolahi ʻo hono kaungā ako ʻi he ako māʻolungá ʻa honau uiuiʻi ke ngāue fakafaifekaú ʻi honau taʻu 19, naʻe fili ʻa Lenitale ia ke hū ki he ʻunivēsití pea kau atu ki he tafaʻaki fakakautaú. Naʻá ne ngāue ki mui ko ha tokotaha ngāue fakatekinikale ki he mīsini fakaʻatá (X-ray) pea hoko atu ʻene akó ʻi he ʻUnivēsiti ʻo ʻIutaá. Naʻe ʻi ai ha kau tangata poto ne nau lototoʻa ke fakahā ange kiate ia ko e feituʻu totonu moʻoná ko e malaʻe ʻo e ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻá ne muimui ki heʻenau fakahinohinó peá ne fakahū atu ai ʻene foomu ngāue fakafaifekaú. Ne ʻikai hano taimi kuó ne vahevahe atu ʻa e ongoongoleleí ʻi he Misiona Mekisikou Noaté. Naʻá ne pehē, “ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻiloʻi pe ko e hā ne mei hoko ki heʻeku moʻuí kapau naʻe ʻikai ke u ngāue fakafaifekau.”

Naʻá ne foki ki ʻapi, hoko atu ʻene akó peá ne mali mo Tamina Loake ʻi he Temipale Sōlekí ʻi he 1975. Naʻá na ʻohake ha fānau ʻe toko fā lolotonga e fakatupulaki ʻe Misa Liti ʻene taukei fakangāué ʻi he pisinisi fakatau ʻapí mo e ngaahi kautaha pisinisi kehe pē.

ʻOkú ne kei ʻofa pē he ngāue fakafaifekaú. Naʻá ne tokangaʻi ʻa e Misiona ʻEkuatoa Kaeakuila Noaté mei he 2005 ki he 2008 peá ne mātātonu ʻa e liliu ʻoku fai ʻe he ngāue fakafaifekau taimi kakató ʻi he moʻui ʻa ha talavou pe finemuí.

Naʻe lolotonga ngāue ʻa Misa Liti ʻi he poate lahi ʻa e Kau Talavoú ʻi he taimi naʻe ui ai ia ki he kau palesitenisī ʻo e Kau Talavoú ʻi Mē ʻo e 2013.