"Let's work together to build the country," urges King Tupou VI
Thursday, February 15, 2018 - 23:05
King Tupou VI urged Tongans to work with a cooperative spirit to rebuild their country after Cyclone Gita, in an address to the nation this evening, particularly mentioning the people of the worst-hit islands of Tongatapu and 'Eua. The first assistance to any hardship that happens in our country should come from us, he said.
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Malo 'aupito Your Majesty in
Malo 'aupito Your Majesty in reminding everyone that God indeed is our refuge and strength in time of trouble. May this difficult time only result in our faith growing stronger and richer as it is tested and challenged. God bless His Majesty as He serves the Kingdom!
A great and timely message
A great and timely message which is extremely true in this situation of helplessness and hopelessness. Thank you very much your Majesty. Indeed, God is our refuge during the storm and more so, even now, after the storm. We are a nation with no material resources to rely upon but our hearts of loving kindness to each other.
While those of us in Tonga are tidying up the aftermath of the cyclone, may be those of us overseas who have families directly affected can take upon ourselves the responsibility for rebuilding and restoring our affected families in Tonga. This means that the PM and his government should unite and enable assistance from Tongans overseas to be shipped into the country without too much of a hindrance with revenue duties and so forth. I believe that we Tongans, in Tonga and abroad, have the right kind of resources to rebuild our beloved country - the love of God in our hearts.
This is a time in which these cultural and Christian values should shine forth from every aspect of our social order. We should continue to pray for our country upholding our motto: God and Tonga are my heritage. Our God is a good God, and his love endures forever. He is a God who has gone through suffering as well, in the suffering of Jesus. Upon the Cross, Jesus also prayed to the Father about his feeling of being abandoned in his suffering. He too receives no response from the Father. Yet, his resurrection, is the basis of our hope for personal restoration, and even the restoration of our beloved country after this disastrous cyclone. In sum, our God understands our suffering and is able to help us in our times of need, like this, for he has gone through it too, before we did.
Faka'apa'apa atu,
Rev Dr Ma'afu Palu