LOTUA IA

ʻĪmisi

Illustration depicting a bishop extending a calling to a woman.

Tā fakatātaaʻi ʻe Katie Payne

Naʻá ku talaange ki he pīsopé ko e tokotaha hala kuó ne maʻú.

Naʻá ku pehē atu, “ʻOku ʻikai te u saiʻia ʻi he fānau ʻa e kakai kehé, ʻoku teʻeki ke u akoʻi ha fānau, pea ʻoku ʻikai ke u lava ʻo hiva.”

Naʻá ne tali mai, “Sisitā Teila, ʻoku fakafeʻungaʻi ʻe he ʻEikí ha taha pē ʻokú Ne ui. Te ke sai ʻaupito koe.”

Naʻá ne kole mai ke u fakakaukau fekauʻaki mo e uiuiʻí pea fakahoko ange kiate ia ke ne ʻilo ʻi he Sāpate hono hokó pe te u tali ia.

Naʻá ku pehē atu, “ʻOku ou feinga ke ohi hake ha kiʻi taʻu ono, ha taʻu tolu, mo ha pēpē.” “Ko e mālō pē ka u ka ʻosiki e ʻahó heʻeku nofo mo ʻeku fānaú, pea ko ʻeni ʻokú ke loto ke tuku ke u tokangaʻi ʻo laka hake he toko 40 mo akoʻi kiate kinautolu ʻa e mūsiká?”

Naʻá ne tali mai, “Lotu ki ai.”

ʻI he hoʻatā ko iá, naʻá ku feinga ke fakamatalaʻi ki hoku husepānití, ko Maʻake, ʻa e ʻikai ko ia ke lelei ʻa hono ʻomi ʻo e uiuiʻí. ʻE lava fēfē ke u ngāue ʻi he Palaimelí lolotonga ko iá ʻoku ʻikai ke u aʻusia ʻa e faʻahinga faʻē ko ia ʻoku ou fie maʻu ki heʻeku fānaú? Naʻá ku tatūsia ʻi ha ngaahi māhina ʻi heʻeku manavasiʻi koeʻuhí ko ʻeku tōnounou fakaefaʻeé.

Naʻe vave e ʻalu ʻa e uiké, ka naʻe toutou foki ʻeku fakakaukaú ki he lea fakaʻosi mai ʻa e pīsopé. Ne iku pē, ʻo u tūʻulutui hifo ʻi hoku loki mohé ʻi he pongipongi Sāpaté, ʻo lotu. Naʻá ku loʻimataʻia, ka naʻe fakafonu ʻe ha ongoʻi nonga ʻa hoku lotó. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi leva ʻoku totonu ke u tali ʻa e uiuiʻí. ʻI heʻeku fakavaivai ki he finangalo ʻo e ʻEikí, naʻe matoʻo atu ʻa e manavasiʻí kotoa mei hoku lotó.

ʻI he taimi naʻá ku hū atu ai ki he loki Palaimelí ʻi he hili ʻa e sākalamēnití, naʻe fakafeʻiloaki au ʻe he palesiteni ʻo e Palaimelí, pea fai ʻe he fānaú ha hiva talitali kiate au. ʻI heʻeku vakai atu ki honau fofongá mo mamata ki he malimali mai hoku kiʻi foha taʻu onó, naʻá ku fakapapauʻi leva te u hoko ko e faihiva lelei taha ʻa e Palaimelí te u ala lavá.

Talu mei ai mo ʻeku fakamoleki ha taimi lahi ki hono ako ʻo e ngaahi hivá mo teuteu e ngaahi lēsoní. Naʻá ku fanongo ki he ngaahi hiva ʻa e Palaimelí ʻi ʻapi, ʻi he kaá, pea ʻi heʻeku luelué. Naʻá ku fekumi ki ha ngaahi founga fakafaiako kehekehe mo vaheʻi ha ngaahi houa ʻi he uike takitaha ke faʻu ai ha ngaahi pousitā mo ha fanga kiʻi vaʻinga.

ʻI heʻeku teuteuʻi ha lēsoni ki he taimi hivá ʻi ha hoʻatā ʻe taha ʻi he tēpile ʻi peitó, naʻá ku ngūnguuʻi ʻa e foʻi hiva ko ia ko e “Mālohi ʻo e Folofolá.” Naʻe tangutu ʻeku kiʻi tamasiʻi taʻu onó ʻi he funga kānitá ʻo kai haʻane foʻi sanuisi, pea tangutu ofi mai ʻeku kiʻi tamasiʻi taʻu tolú ʻi hoku tafaʻakí ʻo kosikosi ha fanga kiʻi laʻipepa. ʻI heʻeku ngūnguuʻi ʻa e taú, fakafokifā pē kuo hiva leʻo lahi mai ʻeku fānaú:

Ko e taimi ia naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ai ko e uiuiʻí ko ha tali ia ki heʻeku ngaahi lotú. Naʻá ku toutou kole ki he ʻEikí ke ne fakahā mai kiate au ʻa e founga ke u hoko ai ko ha faʻē lelei ange, peá Ne ʻomi ha uiuiuiʻi ke akoʻi mai kiate au ʻa e foungá ʻi heʻeku akoʻi ko ia ʻa e hivá ki heʻeku fānaú.

ʻOku ou houngaʻia ko e ueʻi fakalaumālie naʻe maʻu ʻe heʻeku pīsopé mo ʻene ngaahi lea ʻofá: “Lotu ki ai.”