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Mosese Hokafonu
MOSESE HOKAFONU 1927—1979
GRIEVED LEARN PASSING DEVOTED SERVANT BAHAULLAH MOSESE HOKAFONU HIS SERVICES FAITH OUTSTANDING ASSURE FAMILY FRIENDS ARDENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES PROGRESS HIS SOUL ABHA KINGDOM.
Universal House of Justice
It was in the early years of the Ten Year Crusade that Mosese Hokafonu, who lived on the island of Tongatapu in the Kingdom of Tonga, first heard of the Bahá’í Faith. He became deeply attracted, readily embraced it, and for the remainder of his life was one of its staunch supporters and outstanding teachers. The flame of love that was ignited in his heart never dimmed. He brought knowledge of the Revelation of Bahá’u’lláh to many hundreds
THE BAHA’
{WORLD
of people on tiny atolls and larger land masses scattered throughout the Pacific.
For many years Mosese served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Nuku’alofa and he travelled the length and breadth of Tonga in search of waiting souls.‘.He donated for the site of the national Ḥaẓíratu’l-Quds half of the small piece of land he owned in the centre of Nuku’alofa and lived with his family on the other portion. His home was always open to the local Bahá’í friends and to the many visitors from overseas: all found a warm welcome there.
In July 1968, when he was appointed to the Auxiliary Board, he wrote to the Continental Board of Counsellors: ‘I am very happy indeed to accept your call and I am praying that the Blessed Beauty will lead me and guide me to teach His Cause in this field and to win many victories for our glorious Faith.’ Mosese joined Gina and Russ Garcia on board their vessel Dawnbreaker for an extensive teaching trip which took them through the islands of Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. They visited a number of outer islands and called at many villages. Mosese was the first Pacific Islander to undertake teaching trips of long duration. His wife and children saw him but rarely as he journeyed, under the guidance of the Counsellors and various National Spiritual Assemblies, to Kiribati and Tuvalu; Niue; the Solomon Islands; New Guinea; the Marshall, Mariana and Caroline Islands; Nauru; Australia and New Zealand, to name but some of his destinations. His gentle and enthusiastic soul always attracted listeners, and to many a lonely and isolated believer he brought love and a renewed spirit. In New Zealand he spearheaded teaching among the Maoris, walking countless miles to meet them, staying on their maraes, and often working with them on their farms. He visited, as well, Hawaii, Alaska and the continental United States.
Mosese’s luminous spirit, happy personality
and enthusiastic manner of teaching endeared
him to friends and strangers alike. He had a
ready smile and a deep and natural sense of
hospitality. He was always positive in his
approach, respecting the views of others and
encouraging and supporting them. To him the
Faith was sublime and when the demands on
his time became too great he resigned his
[Page 687]
government job to devote the rest of his life to
serving the Cause. He moved with his family
from their home in town to a small house in
a village where they lived a simple life. He
developed a strong band of assistants who
aided him in his Auxiliary Board work.
Many of his co-workers learned of his last
illness only when they arrived in Tonga for
a meeting of the Auxiliary Board attended by
members from Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, all the
arrangements for which Mosese had undertaken in spite of ill health. At the end of
the meeting he was admitted to hospital. His
affliction had taken its toll and he passed to
the Abhá Kingdom on 28 August 1979. Baron
Vaea, a well—known Tongan noble, a relative
who greatly respected and admired Mosese,
conducted the funeral service which was attended by many hundreds of people. Mosese
is survived by his equally devoted wife, Ofa,
and five children. The feats achieved by this
devoted servant of Bahá’u’lláh in the Pacific
region bring to mind the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: 0 that I could travel, even though on
foot and in the utmost poverty, to these
regions, and, raising the call of ‘Yd Bahd’u’lAbhd’ in cities, villages, mountains, deserts
and oceans, promote the Divine teachings!
This, alas, I cannot do. How intensely I
deplore it! Please God, ye may achieve it.1
SUHAYL A. ‘ALA’f
