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  • Disabled Persons Who Are Able Preachers
  • The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1986
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The Watchtower Announcing Jehovah’s Kingdom—1986
w86 11/15 pp. 22-25

Disabled Persons Who Are Able Preachers

THE handsome young man in leg braces is a paraplegic. This woman with the happy eyes is a deaf-mute. The three smiling gentlemen are victims of muscular dystrophy. What do they have in common? Their disabilities? Perhaps. Their abilities? Definitely! They are all able preachers​—full-time pioneer ministers.

These individuals say that they owe their success as pioneer ministers to three things: (1) positive direction from Jehovah God through his loving organization; (2) unwavering help from their families and members of the Christian congregation; and (3) a heartfelt desire to enlarge their privileges of service. Let us see why and how these disabled persons prove to be able preachers.

A Paraplegic With a Full Life

Even without the use of his legs, 35-year-old Masashi Tokitsu has been a regular pioneer for five years. He grew up with dreams of becoming a gymnastics teacher. But those dreams were shattered at age 15 by a fall from the horizontal bar. When he had that bitter experience, he felt that the lights in his life had been turned off. But they started to come back on as he studied the Bible. Only, this time they were the lights of truth. (Compare John 1:5.) Within ten months, Masashi was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Listen as he tells us why and how he became a pioneer.

“Almost from the beginning, I felt that the purpose of my Bible study was that of preaching to others. So I seized the opportunity to talk to anyone who came to the house. To me, the pioneers were the most enviable of persons. How I longed to be out preaching to people every day! Paraplegics are predisposed to decubitus, or bed sores, and on my hip, I had a very bad one that emitted pus, fluid, and blood. Just changing the dressings many times a day was so time consuming! Thinking that I couldn’t be a pioneer in this system of things, I was moved to tears when I read in the Watch Tower publications the kind, warm words directed to those unable to pioneer.

“Because of sores on both hips, I ran a low fever. Strangely, this condition would clear up when I went to Christian meetings. Then at the discerning suggestion of a brother who is a physician, I underwent an operation on the sores. A second operation was a complete success, so that after five months of recuperation, I began to serve as an auxiliary pioneer. At the time, however, I thought that to take proper care of my responsibility as a congregation elder, regular pioneering might be too much for me. The congregation had just been formed, and I was the only elder.

“At the same time, I was interested in marrying a certain sister, but it was one-sided. Hurting deeply, I reasoned that this outcome must be Jehovah’s will, and there was no room to give way to emotions when there was so much to care for in the congregation. I felt that the best medicine for me was to become even more involved in theocratic work. Two months later, I enrolled as a regular pioneer. To pioneer as a paraplegic, personality adjustments are much more important than physical ones. You need so much help from others to accomplish what you want to do, so it is imperative to learn a pleasant way to get that cooperation. Since I can drive a car in the field service, where possible I stop near the entrance of the homes. I always work with another Kingdom publisher who sits in the passenger’s seat. My helper carries my briefcase and remembers what I need from it, and in what order.

“Since we travel narrow roads, sometimes I just stand at the gate and call into the entryway in a loud voice to get the householder’s attention. If there are stairs, my helper goes to the door to show the Bible to the householder while I do the talking from below. When there are easy-to-get-to houses in a row, or an occupied bottom floor in an apartment building, the friends kindly leave those for me. For magazine work, I lighten the load for my helper by just carrying a case containing magazines and brochures.

“As service overseer, I like to sit in on home Bible studies. So we have the studies in a Kingdom publisher’s home that is easily accessible, or they come to mine. So you can see that I need help from the brothers. It is important not only that the friends understand how to help me but also that I know how to accept their help graciously.

“When I first began to pioneer, I did a lot of witnessing through letter writing. Since I can now wear leg braces all day long without any ill effects, almost all my preaching is done with the other pioneers and publishers. One immediate benefit of a full day in service is a full night of sound sleep. Using the Bible each day deepens my own conviction that I have the truth. Taking a direct part in the everyday drama of life and seeing how much people need the truth deepens my love for them. Always working with someone also gives opportunities for shepherding work and helps me to get to know the flock even better.

“Of course, I look forward to the new system of things and service to Jehovah with a healthy body. But it isn’t necessary to wait until then. Serving him now, with or without limitations, is the finest opportunity for young and old alike.”

She Searches for a Hearing Ear

“My years of growing up were filled with crying,” says Katsuko Yamamoto. After a high fever combined with measles, Katsuko was left deaf at the age of two. She remembers the agonies of going to school and of enduring unkind treatment by other children. Happy to have been a pioneer since 1981, Katsuko tells us how she does it.

“Because I cannot communicate orally, for the field ministry I use notes and show them to the householder. I often ask a hearing sister to go along to make sure I am getting through. Sometimes I make the first return visit by myself and then ask a hearing sister to go with me on the second visit. I have been able to start Bible studies that way. It makes me very happy to show appreciation for Jehovah’s kindness in this way.”

Katsuko’s “crying days” are now past. Today, this lovely Christian woman finds real joy in her busy life as a pioneer minister.

Three Brothers Who Share

The three Tanizono brothers are in their 40’s and have the limb-girdle type of muscular dystrophy. Before learning the truth, they centered their lives around secular work, hoping to forget the gradual debilitation and premature death characteristic of this disease. Each of them began a separate study of the Bible and came to a knowledge of the truth. To show their appreciation to Jehovah, what could they do to enlarge their service? The younger brother, Toshimi, tells us:

“I lived with my oldest brother, Akimi, and his wife until 1979. No longer able to care for myself, I then joined my brother Yoshito in an institution. There I began to serve as an auxiliary pioneer and during the next five years studied the Bible with some 12 children in the ward. One of those children was forced to stop studying when he was opposed by his parents, but they relented when he begged them to let him study again. He died at age 16 with a sure hope of a resurrection. About a year later, I received a phone call from the formerly opposed parents. They were having some problems with their younger daughter and felt that a study would help her.

“My brother Yoshito and I wanted to be regular pioneers. But could we make the required yearly goal of 1,000 hours? True, it was a matter of increasing our time spent in the ministry by only 30 more hours each month. But would our bodies hold up? Then again, we thought, ‘If we don’t do it now, we will get to the point where we can’t.’ Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 9:16 repeatedly came up in our discussions. ‘Really, woe is me if I did not declare the good news!’ Certainly, we have the obligation to preach the good news whether we have good health or not. So we submitted our applications and began regular pioneering on September 1, 1984.”

Yoshito adds: “When I tried ‘temporary’ pioneering in January 1976, I damaged my health and had to be confined to bed for two months. My worst fear was that regular pioneering would cause me to get sick and force me to miss meetings. Happily, by August 1985 I was able to reach my goal in hours for the year, and I hadn’t missed one meeting because of my pioneering!”

Toshimi comments: “Our main means of accomplishing our ministry is through letter writing. We write to not-at-homes, friends, relatives, unbelieving family members of those in the congregation, and residents of a mountain territory covered in the house-to-house ministry only twice a year. We preach informally to doctors, nurses, student workers, and other patients. So far, six patients have learned the truth. Three of them became Kingdom publishers and were awaiting baptism when they died. We enjoy physical benefits from keeping busy, mental satisfaction from knowing we are doing the preaching work, and heartfelt joy from encouraging others.”

Yoshito adds: “As congregation elders, we can both speak from experience to those who are reaching out for pioneer service. When we submitted applications to become pioneers, two older sisters in the congregation were also moved to join the ranks. I am especially happy to say that in the spirit of Psalm 119:71, my former negative way of thinking has changed to Jehovah’s way. Yes, ‘It is good for me that I have been afflicted, in order that I might learn God’s regulations.’”

Now, the older brother speaks up. Akimi says: “It is through the kindness of the brothers and my loving, supportive wife that I can do what I do in a theocratic way. I cannot walk even one step. For 14 years now, the brothers have tirelessly helped me to every meeting and assembly. From the time I began to study, pioneer experiences were the center of conversation when the young folks got together for association. As suggested in Our Kingdom Ministry, I decided to try pioneering for one year. With some misgivings about my physical condition, I made the promise to Jehovah in prayer, and I have renewed that promise every year for five years. In field service, I use a three-wheeled bike designed for disabled persons. With it I can get close to the doorway of many houses. I often sit in areas where there are a lot of pedestrians. If only a few go by, I pray right there for someone to witness to, and along comes a person with a hearing ear. Bible students come to my home to study, and I have been able to help eight persons to advance to baptism.

“As presiding overseer and Theocratic Ministry School overseer, I arrive at the meetings early so that I am on hand to greet the brothers. Because I can’t call freely at their homes, effectively using time before and after meetings is vitally important. I also often use the telephone for shepherding work.

“In the last four or five years, my muscle power has significantly diminished. By nighttime, I literally can’t move a muscle, and the tension has built up to such an extent that I feel as if a great pressure is on me in bed. My wife gently shifts my limbs so that I can get some relief. It is at times like these that the brothers’ warm and loving words help me keep a smiling face that I hope reflects the condition of my heart and not my body.”

The progress of this disease cannot now be stopped. But the Tanizono brothers do feel that keeping their bodies busy in the field service, being aware of the householder and his needs, working closely with fellow believers, and experiencing the sense of fullness from service to God as pioneers have helped to keep the progress of the disease to a minimum. How thankful they are to Jehovah!

Disabled but Determined

Physical disabilities have not dampened the love and zeal that these able preachers have for the full-time ministry. Their determination is similar to that of the apostle Paul, who wrote: “We do not give up, but even if the man we are outside is wasting away, certainly the man we are inside is being renewed from day to day.”​—2 Corinthians 4:16.

Of course, not all disabled Kingdom proclaimers can be full-time preachers. Circumstances vary from one person to another. But whatever such individuals can do to praise the Most High and to help others spiritually will bring great joy, personal satisfaction, and the blessing of our loving God, Jehovah.

[Pictures on page 23]

Masashi Tokitsu

Katsuko Yamamoto

Akimi Tanizono

Toshimi Tanizono

Yoshito Tanizono

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