RUBAL’S STORY Āpotoro 9:15 - ‘Heoi ka mea te Ariki ki a ia, haere: nō te mea he kaupapa whiriwhiri ia nāku, hei mau i tōku ingoa ki te aroaro o ngā Tauiwi, o ngā kingi, o ngā tama hoki a Iharaira.’ Acts 9:15: ‘But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel.’
Rubal and his wife, Taumoana
This is my Chosen Instrument
David Rewi Rapana was born at Owairaka Marae, Ngāti Raukawa iwi on the 24 September, 1933. He was brought up largely by his grandparents, but after they had passed away he spent a considerable amount of time with different whanau. He attended Parawera Native school. At a young age, whilst playing ‘Cowboys and Indians’, he met with an accident which resulted in him spending a long period of time in hospital. Rubal and his friend had found a gun whilst exploring in a whanau barn. Rubal had a wooden gun and his friend had the real gun which they thought was empty. When his friend returned Rubal’s ‘fire’, he shot Rubal who, luckily, had made a slight movement which ended in him being shot in the chin and shoulder. It could have been fatal, but God certainly was watching over him. Rather than returning home after he was discharged from hospital he decided to go looking for his brother who lived in Tauwhare, and that is where he spent the rest of his life. As a teenager and a young man Rubal had a variety of jobs - driving for Davies Trucking firm, the Matangi dairy factory, various farming jobs and finally working for the Hamilton City Council as foreman laying cables. He also did a stint in the army. Rubal married Taumoana Aramete and had twelve children although, sadly, three of them died at a young age and two were adopted into close whanau.
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