Fekafekau ki a Iehova ko e Haaku a Fiafia

Ne talahau e Fred Rusk

Ne iloa tuai e au he vahā tote e mooli he tau kupu ha Tavita ne moua ia Salamo 27:10: “Ha kua tiaki au he haku a matua tane mo e haku a matua fifine, ti talia ai e Iehova au.” To tala atu e au e puhala ne tupu moolioli e mena nei ki a au.

NE TUPU hake au he faama vavae he matua tupuna taane haaku he magamotu ko Georgia, i U.S.A., he magahala he Matematekelea Mahaki he atu tau 1930. Ne fakaatukehe lahi mahaki e matua taane haaku he mamate e matua fifine mo e tehina fanau foou haaku, ti toka hifo au mo e matua taane takape haana ti hiki ke he taone mamao ke gahua tupe. Fakamui, ne lali a ia ke uta au ke nofo mo ia, ka e nakai pihia.

Ne leveki he tau tama fifine lalahi he tupuna taane e kaina. Pete he nakai ko e tagata lotu a ia, ko e tau tama fifine haana kua malolō lahi ke he lotu Southern Baptist. He fakamatakutaku ke keli au, ne fakaohooho au ke fano he tapu he tau Aho Tapu oti. Ti tali mai he vahā tama, ne tote e fakalilifu haaku ke he lotu. Ka e fiafia au ke fano he aoga mo e ke he tau sipote.

Ko e Ahiahi ne Hiki e Moui Haaku

He taha pale laā he 1914, he 15 e tau haaku, ne hau e tagata taane motua mo e hoana haana ke he kaina ha mautolu. Ne fakafeleveia mai a ia ko e “agikolo haau ko Talmadge Rusk.” Nakaila logona ia au hagaao ki a ia ka e iloa fakamui ko e Tau Fakamoli a Iehova a ia mo e hoana haana. Ko e mena ne fakamaama e ia hagaao ke he finagalo he Atua ma e tau tagata ke moui tukulagi he lalolagi kua kehe lahi mai he mena ne logona e au he fale tapu. Laulahi he magafaoa ne fakaheu​—mo e fakavihia foki—​ke he tau mena ne talahau e laua. Ne nakai liu fakaatā a laua ke o mai ki fale. Pete ia, ko e anitī haaku ko Mary, ne tolu ni e tau ne fakamua ia au, ne talia e Tohi Tapu mo e tau tohi ne lagomatai ke fakamaama aki.

Ne mafiti a Mary ke talitonu kua moua e ia e kupu mooli he Tohi Tapu ti papatiso he 1942 ko e taha he Tau Fakamoli a Iehova. Tupu foki ki a ia e mena ne talahau tuai e Iesu, pehē: “Ke eke foki e tagata mo fi he faoa hana.” (Mata. 10:34-36) Ne totoko lahi mahaki e magafaoa. Ko e taokete ne talahaua ke he tau matafeua he motu, ne pulega mo e ekepule he maaga ti tapaki e Agikolo ko Talmadge. Ko e hokotaki kua fakafua koloa a ia ka e nakai fai fakaatāaga. Ne fakahala ai a ia.

Ne tohi he nusipepa he taone ha mautolu ko e ekepule ko e ikifakafili foki, ne pehē ki a lautolu he hopoaga he taone: “Ko e tau pepa ne tufa he tagata nei . . . kua hagahaga kelea tuga e vaikona.” Ne kautū e agikolo haaku he ole ke liu taute e fakafiliaga, ka kua tuku a ia mogonei he fale puipui ke hogofulu e aho.

Puhala ne Lagomatai Mai e Anitī ko Mary

Lafi ke he tutala ki a au hagaao ke he tau taofiaga foou haana, ne kamata foki a Mary ke fakamatala ke he tau tuutakaina. Ne fano au mo ia ke he fakaakoaga Tohi Tapu ne taute e ia mo e tagata taane ne talia e tohi The New World.a Ne talahau he hoana haana ne ala e taane haana he pō katoa ke totou ai. Pete he nakai manako au ke putoia mafiti ke he tau mena fakalotu, ne fiafia au ke he mena ne fakaako e au. Ka e nakai ni ko e tau fakaakoaga he Tohi Tapu ati talitonu au ko e Tau Fakamoli ko e tau tagata he Atua. Ko e puhala ne taute atu ki a lautolu.

Ma e fakatai, he o atu ki kaina mai he fakameā he ulu tomato he taha aho, ne kitia e maua mo Mary he pā tugi veve kua tugi tuai he tau taokete haana e tau tohi haana, pihia foki e kofe fakatagi mo e tau lapakofe ne ha ha ai e ogo he Tohi Tapu. Ne fakataupā e ita haaku mo e tali fakatokoluga mai he taha anitī, “To fakaaue a koe ki a mautolu he tau aho amui he moui ke he mena ha mautolu ne taute.”

Ne vega a Mary ke fano kehe mai he kaina he 1943 ha kua nakai mahalo a ia ke tiaki e tua moua foou haana mo e fakaoti e fakamatala ke he tau tuutakaina. He magaaho ia, kua fiafia lahi au ke iloa na fai higoa e Atua ko Iehova, ti ko ia foki ko e Atua mahani fakaalofa mo e hofihofi noa, nakai tugi e ia e tau tagata he afi tote. Iloa foki e au kua ha ha ia Iehova e fakatokatokaaga fakaalofa, pete kua nakaila fano ia au ke he feleveiaaga.

Mogo fakamui, he moa au he tau pupu, ne holo fakaeneene mai e motokā ne tokoua e tagata i loto ti hūhū mai taha, ko Fred nakai au. He iloa e au ko e Tau Fakamoli a laua, ne pehē au, “Toka au ke finatu ki loto ti o a tautolu ke he matakavi hagahaga mitaki ke tutala.” Ne taute e Mary e fakatokaaga ke ahiahi mai a laua ki a au. Taha ia laua ko Shield Toutjian, ko e fekafekau faifano ne foaki ki a au e fakamalolōaga mo e takitakiaga fakaagaaga he magaaho tonu. Kua hagaaki mai e totokoaga he magafaoa ki a au he lalago e au e tau taofiaga he Tau Fakamoli a Iehova.

Ne tohi mai a Mary ki a au i Virginia, matakavi ne hiki a ia ki ai, ti pehē ka eketaha au ke fekafekau ki a Iehova, maeke au ke fina age ke nofo mo ia. He mogo ia ni ne fifili au ke fano. He afiafi Faraile ia Oketopa 1943, ne fafao e au falu mena kua lata i loto he puha ti pipi ai he akau ne mamao mai he kaina. He Aho Faiumu, ne liu au tamai e puha, ti fano hala tua ke he fale he tuutakaina, ti moua e puhala ke finatu ke he taone. He fenoga atu ke he taone ko Roanoke, ne moua e au a Mary he kaina ha Edna Fowlkes.

Tupu Fakaagaaga, Papatiso, Peteli

Ko Edna ko e Fakamoli fakauku ne fakaalofa hofihofi noa​—ko Litia he vahā nei—​ne totogi e fale lahi ke nonofo ai e Anitī ko Mary, mo e hoana he tugaane ha Edna, pihia foki mo e tau tama fifine tokoua haana. Ko e tau tama fifine nei​—ko Gladys mo Grace Gregory—​ne eke fakamui mo tau misionare. Ko Gladys mogonei, kua 90 tumā e tau moui, ti fekafekau fakamooli agaia he la ofisa i Sapanī.

He nofo he kaina ha Edna, ne fano tumau au he tau feleveiaaga mo e moua e fakamahani ma e gahua he fonua. He moua e atāina ke fakaako e Kupu he Atua mo e fano he tau feleveiaaga Kerisiano ne fakamakona e manako fakaagaaga lahi haaku. Ia Iuni 14, 1944, ne papatiso au. Ko Mary mo e fanau fifine ko Gladys mo Grace Gregory, ne kamata ke paionia mo e talia e kotofaaga he faahi tokelau ha Virginia. Kua lagomatai lahi a lautolu ke fakatū e fakapotopotoaga i Leesburg. He mataulu he 1946, ne kamata au ke paionia he motu ne tata ki ai. He vahā mafana ia ne fenoga auloa a mautolu ke he fonoaga ofoofogia he lalolagi katoa ne fakahoko ki Cleveland, i Ohio, ia Aokuso 4-11.

He fonoaga ia, ko Nathan Knorr ne takitaki e fakatokatokaaga, ne talahau e tau palana ke fakalaulahi e Peteli i Brooklyn. Putoia ki ai ko e talaga he tau fale foou ke nonofo ai mo e fakalahi e lolomiaga he tau tohi. Ti tokologa e tau matakainaga taane fuata ne manako lahi ki ai. Ne fifili mogoia e au ko e matakavi haia kua manako au ke fekafekau ki a Iehova. Ti tuku e au e laupepa fakapuke haaku, mo e he tau mahina gahoa ia Tesemo 1, 1946, ne fano au ke he Peteli.

Kavi ke taha e tau he mole, ko e leveki he faahi taute pepa ko Max Larson, ne tū a ia i mua he laulau haaku he Faahi Gahua Meli. Ne talamai a ia ki a au kua kotofa tuai au ke he Faahi Gahua he Fekafekauaga. He kotofaaga ia, ne lahi e mena ne iloa e au hagaao ke he fakagahuaaga he tau matapatu fakaakoaga he Tohi Tapu mo e tau gahua he fakatokatokaaga he Atua, mua atu he gahua mo T. J. (Bud) Sullivan, ko e leveki he faahi gahua ia.

Ko e matua taane haaku ne ahiahi lagaloga mai ki a au he Peteli. Mogo fakamui he moui ne eke a ia mo tagata lotu. He ahiahi fakahiku mai haana he 1965, ne pehē a ia, “Maeke a koe ke hau ke ahiahi au, ka to nakai liu mai au ke kitia a koe hinei.” Ne ahiahi e au a ia he falu magaaho ato mate a ia. Ne mauokafua a ia to hake a ia ke he lagi. Ko e amaamanakiaga haaku ko ia he manamanatuaga ha Iehova, ti ka pihia, he magaaho ka liu fakatū mai a ia, nakai ke he mena ne manatu e ia, ka ke he lalolagi nei mo e amaamanakiaga ke moui tukulagi he Parataiso ka liu fakafoou.

Falu Fonoaga mo e Talagaaga Ofoofogia

Kua eke tumau e tau fonoaga mo tau lakaaga he tupuaga fakaagaaga. Ko e tau fonoaga he lalolagi katoa he New York Yankee Stadium he atu tau 1950 kua pihia mooli. He taha fakaholoaga he 1958 ne puke e Yankee Stadium mo e Polo Grounds ne 253,922 e tagata mai he 123 e motu. Taha e mena ne tupu he fonoaga ia, to nakai nimo ia au. He lagomatai au he ofisa he fonoaga, ne hau fakaave e Matakainaga ko Knorr ki a au. “Ma Fred,” he talahau e ia, “kua manimo ia au ke kotofa e matakainaga taane ke vagahau ke he tau paionia oti hane fakapotopoto mogonei he fale kai ne nō tata mai. Maeke nakai a koe ke fakamafiti atu la ke taute taha lauga mitaki ma lautolu ne fakavē ke he mena ka manatu e koe he finatu a koe he hala?” Ne liogi fakalahi au ato hoko ki ai, ti kua oti e manava.

He malikiti lahi e numera he tau fakapotopotoaga i New York City he tau atu tau 1950 mo e 1960, ne nakai loga e fale ke nō ma e tau Fale he Kautu. Ti mai he 1970 ke he 1990, tolu e fale ne fakatau ti liu fakafoou i Manhattan ke moua e tau matakavi feleveiaaga kua hagahaga mitaki. Ko au e tagata nofoa he tau komiti tafale ma e tau matagahua nei ti kua loga e tau mena ne manatu fiafia ke he puhala ne fakamonuina lahi e Iehova e tau fakapotopotoaga ne putoia ai ke gahua auloa ke fakatupe mo e ta ke mau e tau fale nei, ne matutaki ke eke mo tau matapatu he tapuakiaga mooli.

Tau Hikiaga he Moui

Taha aho he 1957, he finatu au ke gahua he hala he paaka he vahāloto he Kaina Peteli mo e lolomiaga he tau tohi, ne kamata ai ke uha. Ne kitia e au e tama fifine fulufuluola ulu polone ne foou ke he Peteli i mua haaku. Nakai fai piu a ia, ti foaki e au ke fakamalu tokoua. Puhala haia ne feleveia e au a Marjorie, ti tali mai he aho ne mau a maua he 1960, ne o hui tokoua a maua mo e fiafia he fekafekauaga ha Iehova, he uha po ke laā. Ne fakamanatu e maua e tau ke 50 aki he fakamauaga ha maua ia Sepetema 2010.

Nakaila leva he liliu mai a maua he honeymoon ne talamai e Matakainaga ko Knorr ki a au kua kotofa tuai au ke eke mo faiaoga he Aoga Kiliata. Ko e kotofaaga lilifu mooli a ia! Mai he 1961 ke he 1965, ne fakatū ai lima e vahega loloa ke lata mo e tau tagata leveki he la ne moua e fakamahani pauaki ke he levekiaga he la. He vahā mateafu he 1965, ne liu ai e tau vahega ke lima e mahina he loa, ti hagaaki foki ke fakamahani e tau misionare.

He 1972, ne hiki mai au he Aoga Kiliata ke he Faahi Gahua Tohitohi ti eke au mo leveki. He taute e tau kumikumiaga ke felauaki mo e tau hūhū mo e tau lekua kehekehe ne lagomatai au ke maama mitaki e tau fakaakoaga he Kupu he Atua mo e fakagahuaaga he tau matapatu fakaakoaga mua ue atu he ha tautolu a Atua ke lagomatai e falu.

He 1987 mogoia, ne kotofa au ke he faahi gahua foou ne fakahigoa ko e Fakatonuaga Fekau he Fale Gagao. Ne fakatokatoka ai e tau fono ke fakaako e tau motua he Tau Komiti Matutaki Fale Gagao ke he puhala ke matutaki mo e tau ekekafo, tau ikifakafili, mo e tau tagata gahua lagomatai ke fakatutala ke he ha tautolu a tuaga faka-Tohi Tapu ke he toto. Ko e lekua lahi he tau ekekafo ko e foaki pulenoa e fagai toto ke he tau fanau ha tautolu, ti fa moua e tau poakiaga he hopoaga fakafili ke taute pihia.

Magaaho ne tala age ke he tau ekekafo e tau puhala ne kehe mai he tau fagaiaga toto, ko e tali fa mahani kua nakai maeke ke moua ai po ke tauuka lahi. Ko e tali haaku ke he ekekafo iihi ne fa talahau pihia, ko e “Fakaloa mai la e lima haau, fakamolemole.” Ka taute pihia e ia, to pehē au, “Na iloa e koe, kua ha ha ia koe taha he tau puhala kehe kua mua ue atu ke he fagai toto.” Ko e nava nei ne fakamanatu ki a ia e mena kua fitā he iloa e ia—ko e fakaaoga fakamitaki he koloa iihi ke fakatote hifo e tafe he toto.

He ua e hogofulu tau kua mole, ne fakamonuina lahi e Iehova e tau laliaga nei ke fakaako e tau ekekafo mo e tau ikifakafili. Kua hiki lahi mahaki e tau aga ha lautolu ka maama mitaki e lautolu e tuaga ha tautolu. Ne iloa e lautolu ko e kumikumiaga fakaekekafo kua fakakite mooli ko e tau puhala kehe he fagai toto kua lauia mitaki ti tokologa e ekekafo kua kaufakalataha ki ai ti pihia foki e tau fale gagao ka hiki atu e tagata gagao ki ai.

Tali mai he 1996, ko Marjorie mo au kua fekafekau he Watchtower Educational Center i Patterson, New York, ne haia he kavi ke 110 e kilomita he faahi tokelau ha Brooklyn. Ne gahua fakakū au i ai he Faahi Gahua he Fekafekauaga ti fai magaaho foki ne fakalataha ke fakaako e tau tagata he la mo e tau leveki faifano. Ke he 12 e tau he mole, ne liu foki au fekafekau ko e leveki he Faahi Gahua Tohitohi, ne hiki mai i Brooklyn ki Patterson.

Tau Paleko he Vahā Fuakau

He taute e tau kotofaaga gahua haaku he Peteli kua uka lahi fakahaga he hoko au ke he 80 tumā e tau he moui haaku. Taufetului au mo e kanesā ke molea e hogofulu e tau. Ne logona hifo au tuga a Hesekia, ne lafilafi atu foki e Iehova e tau aho ke he moui haana. (Isaia 38:5) Ne nakai mitaki foki e malolō tino he hoana haaku, ti eketaha tokoua a maua ke fahia ke he gagao Alzheimer haana. Ko Marjorie ko e fekafekau hakahakau ha Iehova, ko e faiaoga ki a lautolu ne ikiiki, mo e ko e lagomatai mo e hoa fakamooli ki a au. Ko ia ko e tagata fakaako mitaki tumau he Tohi Tapu mo e faiaoga mitaki foki ki ai, ti tokologa e tama fakaagaaga ne matutaki tumau mo maua.

Ne mate e anitī haaku ko Mary ia Mati 2010 he 87 e tau he moui. Ne iloilo lahi a ia ko e faiaoga he Kupu he Atua ti lagomatai e falu ke lalago e tapuakiaga mooli. Loga e tau tau ne fakaaoga e ia ke he fekafekauaga mau. Kua loto fakaaue lahi au ki a ia ha ko e vala ne taute e ia ke lagomatai au ke fakaako e kupu mooli he Kupu he Atua mo e eke ke tuga a ia, ko e fekafekau he ha tautolu a Atua fakaalofa ko Iehova. Ne tanu a Mary he tapa he taane haana, ne fekafekau fakamua ai ko e misionare i Isaraela. Mauokafua au ko laua he manamanatuaga ha Iehova hane fakatali ke he liu tu mai.

He liu au onoono ki tua ke he 67 e tau he fekafekau ki a Iehova, kua fakaaue lahi au ma e tau monuina loga ne moua e au. Ko e fiafia haaku a ia ke taute e finagalo ha Iehova! He falanaki ke he fakaalofa noa Haana, kua amaamanaki lahi au ke fakalataha ke he maveheaga he Tama haana: “Kaeke ke toka e taha e tau fale, po ke tau matakainaga, po ke lafu mahakitaga, po ke matua tane, po ke matua fifine, po ke hoana, po ke tau fanau, po ke tau kaina, ha ko e haku a higoa, to moua e ia takiteau māna, to eke foki māna e moui tukulagi.”​—Mata. 19:29.

[Matahui Tala]

[Fakatino he lau 19]

Haia he faama vavae he matua tupuna taane haaku i Georgia, U.S.A., 1928

[Fakatino he lau 19]

Anitī ko Mary mo e Agikolo ko Talmadge

[Fakatino he lau 20]

Mary, Gladys, mo Grace

[Fakatino he lau 20]

Papatiso haaku, Iuni 14, 1944

[Fakatino he lau 20]

Faahi Gahua Fekafekau he Peteli

[Fakatino he lau 21]

Mo Mary he fonoaga he lalolagi katoa he Yankee Stadium he 1958

[Fakatino he lau 21]

Mo Marjorie he aho ne mau a maua

[Fakatino he lau 21]

Maua he 2008