Kua haga hake haku tau mata ke he tau mouga, ke hoko mai ai haku a lagomatai. Ko e haku a lagomatai, mai ia Iehova ia, ko ia ne eke e lagi katoa mo e lalolagi.
Aofia ai ke he lilifu he fakapotopotoaga mai he tau maaga takitokotaha ne hogofulumaua ha Niue Fekai, fakaalofa lahi atu ke he Higoa fakalilifu mo e tapu ko e ha tautolu a fakamoui ko Iesu Keriso. A to lali au ke fakamatafeiga atu mo e fakakuku atu ke he moui mo e tau tala tupu fakaholo ke he haaku a matua taane ko Afele Paea. Lahi e momoko mo e fakaatukehe kae to lali ke fakamalolo ke totou e haana a moui aoga.
Ko
Afele Roma Paea – fanau he aho 23 Ianuali tau 1930. he maaga ko Hakupu-Atua, I
Niue Fekai. Ko e haana a tau mamatua ko Nainipene Iona mo Fataaiki Pasione – ko
Fataaiki Pasione ne tupu mai ia Togia
Siaosi (ko e tagata Niue) mo Luseane Filimoehala mai he maaga ko Maufanga he motu
ko
Ko e hoana ke ua ha Afele ko Makelina Jackson, toko fitu e tama ha laua – taha e tama taane mo e toko ono e tama fifine – ko Texas, Maureen, Patricia (Kiddy), tau la mahaga ko Marian mo Frances, Sandra, mo Rachel. Taha foki e tama fifine ha Afele, ko Sipeli. Fakaaue kia koe ma Si ke he tau fiti fulufuluola haau ne taage ke fakamanaia aki e haana a puha. Okioki e matua fifine ko Makelina he aho 24 ia Tesemo tau 1987
Liu a Afele fai hoana kia Patiliva Tauta Tuhega (hanai mo tautolu). Ne kamata e aoga ha Afele I Tufukia I Alofi he magahala ne nonofo e haana a tau mamatua he maaga ko Vailahi ko e tau tau 1934 – 1940. Liliu a lautolu ki Hakupu ti matutaki e aoga haana I Tuatea ato tu e haana a tau ke 16. Ne fakaako foki a ia ke he agoa Liolau I Avatele mo e aoga Kofekofe I Liku. Ko e tau 1954 ne hau ki Niu Silani he vakatoga ne fakahigoa ai ko e Tofua – ko ia mo e haana a tokoua ko Makelina mo e tama muke ko Texas (3 la ia e mahina). Ne nonofo a lautolu I Devonport. Ne kamata gahua a Afele he fale Post Office - ko e haana a gahua ko e Paymaster he taone I Okalana . Ko e tau 1960 ne fakatau e kaina nofo haana I Magele ti hiki e gahuaaga ke he Ministry of Works. Fakaoti e gahua haana ki Ministry of Works to gahua ki Peach Products Hellaby I Otahuhu - ko e haana a gahua ko e Payroll Master.
Ko e tau 1960 ke he 1968 ne kamata gahua atiaga tupe e tau tagata Niue, tau Samoa mo e tau Rarotonga ke lata mo e talaga e fale tapu ke lata mae tau tagata aelani. Kua kautu ai e tau gahua ti kua maeke ke talaga ai e Fale Tapuaki ke lata mo lautolu ia.. Ko e aho 7 ia Sepetema tau 1968 ne fakauku e Fale Tapu foou ke eke mo e fale tapuaki ma e tau tagata aelani – ko e higoa e fale tapu nei ko e – Pacific Islanders Congregational Church Otara - PIC Otara. Kua fakauku foki a ia ke eke mo e Tohi Kupu fakamua ke lata moe matakau he tau Niue.. Ko e tau akoako he magahala ia ko Rev. Sio, Rev. Ned Ripley mo Rev. Challis.
Nakai oti e naia e haana a tau gahua – kumikumi e ia e puhala ke lagomatai e tau tagata aelani ne nonofo I Magele – liu kamata atiaga tupe ke lata mo e talaga e fale tapu foou ki Magele – kamata fakafetui mo e falu a tau Niue, Samoa mo e atu Kuki Aelani ke he fale tapu I St Marks Presbyterian Church I Massey Road, Magele, Loga e tau tau ne kavakava moe tuku liogi ke moua e lautolu e taha fale tapu mo tapuaki. Kua kautu e tau gahua ke moua e fale tapu I Magele ko e higoa he Fale tapu nei ko e Pacific Islanders Congregational Church Magele – PIC Magele .
Ko e tau 1975 e kamata haana a tau fakaakoaga Akoako ke he aoga St Johns Theological College I Meadowbank, Okalana ke he taha e tau. Ko e tau 1976 ne fakamatutaki ai e tau fakaakoaga haana ke he maaga ko Tanini, South Island - ko e aoga Knox Theological College. Ko e aoga nei ke lata ma e tau tagata he Presbyterian Church of New Zealand - ko Afele Paea e tagata Niue fakamua ne fakaako ai ke he aoga ia. Tolu e tau ne fakaako ai a ia I Knox College. Kautu e tau fakaakoaga haana ke he fakamailoga Licenciate in Theology. Ko e aho 13 mahina a Me tau 1978 ne fakauku a Ia ke eke mo akoako he fale Tapu Presbyterian church of the Good Shepherd I Otala. Ko e falu Lotu ne lagomatai a ia ke tamata ko e Avondale Reformed Church moe Manurewa PIC. Ko e aho 29 Sepetema tau 1981 ne fakaoti e gahua haana Good Shepherd. Ko e aho 24 Novema tau 1981 ne tukufenoga ai ke Niue ke kamata e gahua I lalo he fakamaluaga he matakau South Auckland Presbytery. Ko e kotofaaga foou haana I Niue ko e Director for Christian Education mae Ekalesia Niue. Lagomatai a ia ke he faahi Sunday School, mo e Youth, Fakakite e tau ata kifaga ke he tau maaga takitaha, Fakapuloa e liogi hafagi ke he Radio Sunshine, ko e leo taogo ha Niue, liu ati hake e pepa Talahau Niue,
Ne lagomatai atu a ia ke ati hake e Carols by Candlelight he magahala Kerisimasi – tolo e motu ki loto taone I Alofi fakatu e tau kanela moe uhu e tau fakahekeaga
Kerisimasi. Taha e fonua kemu ne talaga e Afele ke lata moe matakau Girls Brigade moe Boys Brigade. Ko lautolu e tau mamatua faifeau ne lagomatai ke ha haana atau gahua he magahala ia koe matua faifeau Malaetolu mo Asemaveta Salatielu, Taoa mo Manogihaofia Folekene, Taihia mo Kapuna Hasini, Liva Tukutama, Fokolene Liuvaie, Matagi Vilitama, Kon Tiki Makani, Pahe mo Vai Faitala .
Ko e aho 24 Tesemo 1987 (Xmas Eve) ne okioki ai e tokoua ha Afele ko Makelina. Liu a Afele fai hoana kia Patiliva Tauta Tuhega fakama u a laua he aho 28 Ianuali tau 1989. ko e aho 29 Iuni 1989 ne oatu a laua ke gahua he Atua ke he Presbyterian Church of NZ ki KihiKihi I Hamilton. Fakaoti e gahua ha laua I Kihikiihi ti liliu atu a laua ki Niue ha kua talia tuai e uiina mai he maaga ko Alofi. Tuku e gahua akoako I Alofi ti o hake akoako ki Vaiea. Oti e gahua I Vaiea ti liliu mai ki Niu Silani.
Ko Afele e taha Foundation Member he Ekalesia nei. Lagomatai e ia e Matua ko Mose Alano ke fakatu e Ekalesia nei. Fakauku foki e ia a Mose Alano ke eke mo e Faifeau ke leveki e Ekalesia nei. Ko e aho 10 Tesemo 2011 ne okioki tuai a Afele moe mouiaga nei. Lahi e aoga moe monuina e moui ha Afele. Oue tulou ki mua he Atua ha koe ,moui aoga ne foaki age mae haana a fekafekau, mo e tau monuina loga ne fakafoufou aki haana a moui.
Afele Paea was born on 23 January 1930. He died peacefully on Saturday 10th December at 5:15am. He married 3 times, has 11 children, 25 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great-grandchild. During his 81 years of life, his legacy was very long and fruitful.
He helped start the very first Citizens Advice Bureau in Ponsonby, Auckland in 1970. He studied at Knox Theological College in Dunedin and gained a Diploma in Theology from there he became an ordained Minister for the Presbyterian Church of NZ.
He was a foundation member for the Otara PIC – Pacific Islanders Church
He was a foundation member for the Mangere PIC – Pacific Islanders Church
He was a foundation member for the Ekalesia Niue – this church
He was a founding member of Avondale Reformed Church for the Niuean community
He was a founding member for the Manurewa PIC
He worked in Niue holding the title of Director of Christian Education and worked tirelessley and effortlessly as a humble servant of God.
He was a founding member of the Niue Advisory Council NAC and was the very first president for that organisation.
He managed to write 2 books about the Christian Church of Niue – one is published and one is incomplete.
He loved his family and he collected all the genealogy which enabled us to compile it into a book.
He was also a Religious columnist for the Niue Star Newspaper for many years.
He lived a good life and made use of every single opportunity he had. He served God well and God blessed him abundantly.
The family would like to take this opportunity to offer our heartfelt thanks to all the staff at Park Haven hospital for all their care of Dad during his time there.
We would also like to offer grateful thanks to Ekalesia Niue Mangere especially to Rev. Mose and Rev Mahele Alano for their prayers and care of Afele.
To our family and friends and work colleagues, thank you for being here and sharing in our time of sorrow – we are all so very grateful. To those who have travelled far and wide to be here - we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. A great man has gone to Heaven but he will forever be in our hearts. Kia tutagaloa e fakaalofanoa he Iki he lagi ki luga ia tautolu oti ato mavehevehe ke he haana a higoa Tapu.
Oue Tulou – Kuenaia.
Kia tutagaloa e fakaalofanoa he Iki he lagi ki luga ia tautolu oti ato mavehevehe ke he haana a higoa Tapu.
Oue Tulou – Kuenaia.