Naʻá ku tupu hake ʻi ha feituʻu masivesiva ʻi he kolo ko Montreal. ʻI heʻeku māhina onó, naʻe mate ʻeku tangataʻeikí, naʻe fua leva ʻe heʻeku fineʻeikí ʻa e kotoa ʻo e ngaahi fatongia fakaʻapí. Ko e siʻi taha au ʻi ha fānau ʻe toko valu.

ʻI heʻeku tupu haké, naʻe nōfoʻi pē ʻeku moʻuí ʻi he faitoʻo kona tapú, pelepaʻangá, fakamālohí mo e feohi mo e kau faihiá. ʻI heʻeku taʻu hongofulú, naʻá ku kamata ngāue ai ki he kau paʻumutú mo ha kautaha nō kākā. Naʻá ku faʻa loi mo saiʻia ʻi hono puleʻi ʻa e kakaí ʻi ha founga kākā pē naʻá ku ala lava. Naʻe hāngē ia ha faitoʻo kiate aú.

ʻI heʻeku taʻu 14, naʻá ku pōtoʻi ʻi hono kākaʻi ʻa e kakaí. Ko e fakatātaá, naʻá ku fakatau mai ha ngaahi uasi, vesa mo e mama lanu koula, ʻo taaʻi ai ʻa e kalati ʻe 14 mo e hingoa ʻo e tokotaha ngaohí pea fakatau atu ia ʻi he halá mo e tauʻanga meʻalele ʻi he ngaahi falekoloa lalahí. Naʻe fakamānako kiate au hono maʻu vave ʻa e paʻangá ʻi ha founga kākā. ʻI he taimi ʻe taha, naʻá ku maʻu ʻa e $10,000 ʻi he foʻi ʻaho pē ʻe taha!

Hili hono tuli au mei he ʻapiako ki he kau faihia kei taʻu siʻí ʻi hoku taʻu 15, naʻe ʻikai ha feituʻu ke u nofo ai. Naʻá ku mohe ʻi he halá, paʻaké pe ʻi he ʻapi ʻo e ngaahi kaungāmeʻa naʻa nau tali au.

Koeʻuhi ko ʻeku ngaahi ngāue kākaá, naʻe faʻa fakaʻeke au ʻe he kau polisí. Koeʻuhi naʻe ʻikai ke u fakatau atu ʻa e ngaahi koloa kaihaʻá, naʻe teʻeki ʻaupito tuku pilīsone au. Kae kehe, naʻá ku totongi ha ngaahi moʻua lahi ko ʻeku kākaá, fakafofonga loi mo e fakatau atu ʻa e ngaahi meʻa taʻemaʻu ha ngofua. ʻI he ʻikai ke u ilifia ki ha tahá, naʻe aʻu ʻo u tānaki paʻanga ki he kautaha nō kākaá. Naʻe fakatuʻutāmaki ia pea ʻi he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ku ʻalu mo ha meʻafana. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi naʻá ku ngāue fakataha mo ha kau faihia.

Naʻá ku fuofua ʻiloʻi ʻa e Tohi Tapú ʻi heʻeku taʻu 17. Naʻá ku nonofo mo hoku kaumeʻa ʻi he taimi naʻá ne kamata ako Tohi Tapu ai mo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Kae kehe, naʻá ku fakafepakiʻi ʻa e ngaahi fakangatangata fakaeʻulungaanga Fakatohitapú, ko ia naʻá ku liʻaki ia pea toe nonofo mo ha fefine ʻe taha, ʻa ia naʻá ku ʻosi faialea mo ia.

 Naʻe kamata ke u liliu ʻi he taimi naʻe kamata ai ke toe ako hoku kaumeʻa hono uá mo e Kau Fakamoʻoní! Naʻá ne fai ha ngaahi liliu ʻi heʻene moʻuí pea naʻe maongo kiate au ʻene hoko ʻo anga-malū mo anga-kātaki angé. Naʻá ku tali ha fakaafe ki ha fakataha ʻi he Fale Fakatahaʻanga ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová. Naʻe talitali lelei au ʻe he kakai naʻa nau anga-fakakaumeʻa mo anga-lelei. He kehe lahi ē mei he māmani naʻá ku ʻi aí! Naʻe teʻeki ai ʻaupito ke u ongoʻi naʻe ʻofaʻi au ʻe hoku fāmilí; naʻe ʻikai ke u ongoʻi ha ʻofa mo ha tokanga ʻi heʻeku tupu haké. Ko e māfana naʻá ku maʻu ʻi he haʻohaʻonga ʻo e Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihová ʻa e meʻa tofu pē naʻá ku fakaʻamuá. ʻI he taimi naʻe tuʻuaki mai ai ʻe he Kau Fakamoʻoní ʻa e ako Tohi Tapú, naʻá ku tali fiefia ia.

Ko e meʻa naʻá ku ako mei he Tohi Tapú naʻe lava ke fakahaofi ai ʻeku moʻuí. Naʻá ku palaniʻi mo ha ongo tama kehe ha kaihaʻa ke totongi ai hoku ngaahi moʻua pelepaʻangá, ʻa ia naʻe feʻunga mo e $50,000 tupu. He fiefia ē ko au ʻi heʻeku holomuí! Naʻe fakahoko pē ʻe he ongo tamá ia ʻa e kaihaʻá. Naʻe puke ai ʻa e tokotaha pea mate ʻa e tokotaha.

ʻI he hokohoko atu ʻeku ako Tohi Tapú, naʻá ku ʻiloʻi ai ʻa e lahi ʻo e ngahi liliu naʻe pau ke u faí. Ko e fakatātaá, naʻá ku ako ʻa e meʻa ʻoku leaʻaki ʻe he Tohi Tapú ʻi he 1 Kolinitō 6:10: “ʻOku ʻikai ha . . . kau kaihaʻa, pe kau mānumanu, pe kau faʻa konā, pe kau lea kovi, pe kau maʻu koloa fakamālohi ʻe ʻi ai hanau tofiʻa ʻi he Puleʻanga ʻo e ʻOtuá.” ʻI heʻeku lau ʻa e veesi ko iá, ko e mafatukituki hoku tuʻungá naʻe ʻai ai ke u tangi. Naʻá ku ʻiloʻi naʻe fiemaʻu ke liliu fakaʻaufuli ʻeku moʻuí. (Loma 12:2) Naʻá ku anga-fakamālohi mo fakaaoao pea ko e kotoa ʻeku moʻuí ko e koto loi.

Kae kehe, naʻá ku toe ako mei he Tohi Tapú ko Sihova ʻoku mohu meesi mo faʻa fakamolemole. (ʻAisea 1:18) Naʻá ku lotu fakamātoato, ʻo kole kia Sihova ke ne tokoniʻi au ke u ʻatā mei heʻeku tōʻonga moʻui ki muʻá. ʻI heʻene tokoní, naʻe malava ai ke faai atu pē ʻo u fakaleleiʻi hoku angaʻitangatá. Ko e meʻa mahuʻingá ko e taimi naʻe lēsisita ai ʻeku mali mo hoku kaumeʻá.

Naʻá ku taʻu 24, ʻosi mali pea ʻi ai mo e fānau ʻe toko tolu. Naʻe pau he taimí ni ke u kumi ha ngāue ʻoku fakalao. Ka naʻe ʻikai fuʻu sai ʻeku akó pea ʻikai ha tohi fakaongoongo lelei. Naʻá ku toe lotu tōtōivi kia Sihova. Naʻá ku ʻalu leva ʻo kumi ngāue. Naʻá ku tala ange ki he kau pule ngāué naʻá ku loto ke liliu ʻeku moʻuí pea faitotonu ʻi he taimi ngāué. ʻI he taimi ʻe niʻihi, naʻá ku tala ange naʻá ku ako ʻa e Tohi Tapú pea ʻoku ou loto ke hoko ko ha tangataʻifonua lelei ange. Naʻe fakafisi ʻa e kau pule ngāue tokolahi ke fakangāueʻi au. Fakaʻosí, hili ʻeku fakahaaʻi kotoa ʻeku ngaahi ngāue fakatupu maumau ʻi he kuohilí ʻi ha fakaʻekeʻeke ʻe taha, naʻe tala mai ʻe he tokotaha fakaʻekeʻeké: “ʻOku ʻikai ke u ʻilo ʻa e ʻuhinga ʻoku ou tali ai koé, ka ʻoku ou ongoʻi ʻoku totonu ke u fakangāueʻi koe.” Naʻá ku tui ko e tali eni ʻeku ngaahi lotú. Faai atu pē, naʻá ku papitaiso mo hoku uaifí ko ha Kau Fakamoʻoni ʻa Sihova.

Ko ʻeku moʻui ʻi he ʻaho ní koeʻuhi ko ʻeku ngāueʻaki ʻa e tefitoʻi moʻoni Fakatohitapú pea moʻui ʻi ha founga faka-Kalisitiane. ʻOku ou maʻu ha fāmili lelei. ʻI he ʻiloʻi pau kuo fakamolemoleʻi au ʻe Sihová, ʻoku ou maʻu ai ha konisēnisi maʻa.

ʻI he taʻu ʻe 14 kuohilí, kuó u ngāue fakafaifekau taimi-kakato, ʻo tokoniʻi ʻa e niʻihi kehé ke ʻilo ki he meʻa ʻoku akoʻi ʻe he Tohi Tapú pea ki muí ni mai kuo kau mai hoku uaifí mo au ʻi he ngāue fakafaifekau taimi-kakató. ʻI he taʻu ʻe 30 tupu kuohilí, kuó u fiefia ʻi hono tokoniʻi hoku kaungāngāue ʻe toko 22 ke nau tauhi kia Sihova. ʻOku ou kei ʻalu pē ki he ngaahi falekoloa lalahí—kae ʻikai kākaaʻi ʻa e kakaí hangē ko ia naʻá ku fai ki muʻá. ʻI heʻeku ʻalu ki ai he taimi ní ʻoku ou faʻa vahevahe ai ʻeku tuí mo e niʻihi kehé. ʻOku ou loto ke ʻoange kiate kinautolu ha meʻa: ko e ʻamanaki ʻo e moʻui ʻi ha māmani foʻou ʻi he kahaʻú ʻa ia ʻe ʻatā mei he anga-kākaá.—Saame 37:10, 11.