Jehovah Paid Attention to My Prayers

A LIFE-CHANGING VISIT

I was born on December 22, 1929, in Noville, a small hamlet of nine farms close to Bastogne, in the Belgian Ardennes. I have fond memories of my childhood on the farm with my parents. My younger brother, Raymond, and I milked our cows by hand each day and helped to bring in each harvest. There was a deep sense of solidarity in our little village, where we all pitched in to help one another.

My parents, Emile and Alice, were devout Catholics. They attended Mass every Sunday. However, about 1939, pioneers from England came to our village and offered my dad a subscription to the Consolation magazine (now called Awake!). My father quickly recognized the ring of truth and started reading the Bible. When he stopped attending Mass, our neighbors, who had been friendly, turned into fiery opposers. They pressured my father to remain Catholic, leading to many heated discussions.

It pained me a lot to see my father under severe pressure. That prompted me to seek God’s help in the heartfelt prayer mentioned at the beginning of this article. When the opposition of our neighbors ebbed away, my heart swelled with joy. I became convinced that Jehovah is the “Hearer of prayer.”

LIFE DURING THE WAR

Nazi Germany invaded Belgium on May 10, 1940, triggering an exodus of civilians. Our family fled to southern France. Along the way, we found ourselves caught in fierce battles between the German forces and the French forces.

When we returned to our farm, we discovered that it had been looted of most of our belongings. Only our dog, Bobbie, was there to welcome us. Such experiences led me to wonder, ‘Why do war and misery exist?’

Around that time, we benefited greatly from the visits of Brother Emile Schrantz,a a faithful pioneer elder. He clearly explained from the Bible why suffering exists and answered my other questions about life. I developed a deeper relationship with Jehovah and became convinced that he is a God of love.

Even before the war ended, our family enjoyed more regular contact with the brothers. In August 1943, Brother José-Nicolas Minet visited our farm to give a talk. He asked, “Who wants to get baptized?” My dad raised his hand, and so did I. We got baptized in a small river near our farm.

In December 1944 the German army launched its last major assault on its western front​—widely known as the Battle of the Bulge. We lived near where the battle was taking place, and we were confined to our cellar for about a month. One day when I stepped out to feed the animals, artillery shells struck the farm, blowing away the barn roof. An American soldier in the stable near me cried out, “Lie down!” I ran and lay down near him, and he placed his helmet on my head to protect me.

SPIRITUAL GROWTH

After the war, we managed to have regular contact with a congregation in Liège, some 90 kilometers (56 mi) north of us. In time, we were able to establish a small study group in Bastogne. I started to work in the tax administration and had the opportunity to study law. Later, I worked as a notary’s clerk. In 1951 we organized a small circuit assembly in Bastogne. About a hundred people were present, including a very zealous pioneer sister, Elly Reuter. She had cycled 50 kilometers (31 mi) to attend. Soon we fell in love and got engaged. Elly had received an invitation to attend Gilead School in the United States. She wrote to world headquarters to explain why she felt that she had to decline the invitation. Brother Knorr, who was then taking the lead among Jehovah’s people, kindly replied that perhaps one day she might attend Gilead with her husband. We got married in February 1953.

That same year, Elly and I attended the New World Society Assembly that was held at Yankee Stadium, New York. While there, I met a brother who offered me a good job and invited me to immigrate to the United States. After taking the matter to Jehovah in prayer, Elly and I decided to decline the offer and return to Belgium to support the small group of some ten publishers in Bastogne. The following year we were blessed with a little boy, Serge. Sadly, seven months later, Serge fell sick and died. We shared our grief with Jehovah in prayer, and we were strengthened by the sure hope of the resurrection.

FULL-TIME SERVICE

In October 1961, I was able to find part-time work that would allow me to pioneer. That same day, though, I received a phone call from the branch servant in Belgium. He asked me if I was available to start serving as a circuit servant (now called a circuit overseer). “Couldn’t we serve as pioneers first before accepting this assignment?” I asked. My request was granted. After serving as pioneers for eight months, we began circuit work in September 1962.

Two years into circuit work, we were invited to serve at Bethel in Brussels. We started serving there in October 1964. This new assignment brought us many blessings. Shortly after Brother Knorr visited our Bethel in 1965, I was surprised to be appointed as branch servant. Later, Elly and I were invited to attend the 41st class of Gilead School. Brother Knorr’s words spoken 13 years earlier had come true! After graduating, we returned to Belgium Bethel.

DEFENDING OUR LEGAL RIGHTS

Over the years I have had the privilege of using my legal background to help defend our freedom of worship in Europe and elsewhere. (Phil. 1:7) This brought me in contact with officials from more than 55 countries where our work was restricted or banned. Rather than emphasize my legal experience, I introduced myself as “a man of God.” I always looked for Jehovah’s guidance in prayer, acknowledging that “a king’s [or judge’s] heart is like streams of water in Jehovah’s hand. He directs it wherever He pleases.”​—Prov. 21:1.

One experience that left a particular impression on me was my interaction with a member of the European Parliament. I had made multiple requests to speak to him, and he finally agreed to meet. He said, “I’ll give you five minutes, and not one minute more.” I bowed my head and started praying. The parliamentarian nervously asked me what I was doing. Raising my head, I said, “I thanked God because you are one of his ministers.” He asked, “What do you mean?” I showed him Romans 13:4. He was a Protestant, so this Bible text caught his attention. The result? He gave me half an hour, and we had a most productive meeting. He even expressed his respect for our work.

Over the years Jehovah’s people have fought many legal battles in Europe regarding Christian neutrality, child custody, taxation, and more. It has been my privilege to share in many of them and to see firsthand how Jehovah gave us success and victory. Jehovah’s Witnesses have won more than 140 cases in the European Court of Human Rights!

CUBA OPENS UP

During the 1990’s, I worked along with Brother Philip Brumley, from world headquarters, and Brother Valter Farneti, from Italy, to secure greater religious freedom for our brothers in Cuba, where our Christian work was restricted. I wrote to the Cuban embassy in Belgium and then met with an official appointed to handle our request. During our first meetings, we made little progress toward resolving the misunderstandings that had led to the restrictions.

After seeking Jehovah’s direction in prayer, we asked for and received permission to ship 5,000 Bibles to Cuba. The Bibles arrived safely and were distributed to the brothers, so we concluded that Jehovah was blessing our efforts. We then sought permission to send 27,500 additional Bibles. This too was granted. Helping our dear brothers and sisters in Cuba to have a personal copy of the Bible gave me much joy.

I have visited Cuba on many occasions to help improve the legal situation of our work. In the process, I was able to establish good relationships with many government officials.

ASSISTING OUR BROTHERS IN RWANDA

In 1994 more than 1,000,000 people were slaughtered in a genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Tragically, some of our brothers and sisters were also killed. Soon a group of brothers were asked to arrange humanitarian relief for the country.

When our group arrived in Kigali, the capital, we found the translation office and literature depot riddled with bullets. We heard many tragic stories of brothers and sisters who had been murdered with machetes. But we also heard accounts of Christian love in action. For example, we met a Tutsi brother who had hidden in a hole under the ground for 28 days, protected by a family of Hutu Witnesses. During a meeting in Kigali, we provided spiritual comfort to over 900 brothers and sisters.

We next crossed the border into Zaire (now Democratic Republic of the Congo) to search for a large number of Rwandan Witnesses who had fled to refugee camps near the city of Goma. We could not find them, so we prayed, asking Jehovah to guide us to them. We then saw someone walking toward us, and we asked him if he knew any Jehovah’s Witnesses. “Yes, I’m a Witness,” he replied. “I would be glad to bring you to the relief committee.” After an upbuilding meeting with the relief committee, we met with some 1,600 refugees to provide them spiritual comfort and encouragement. We also shared the contents of a letter from the Governing Body. The brothers and sisters were deeply touched to hear the assurance: “You are constantly in our prayers. We know that Jehovah will not forsake you.” How true those words from the Governing Body proved to be. Today, over 30,000 Witnesses are thriving in Rwanda!

DETERMINED TO REMAIN FAITHFUL

After being married for almost 58 years, I lost my dear Elly in 2011. Jehovah comforted me as I shared my grief with him in prayer. I also drew comfort from sharing the Kingdom good news with my neighbors.

Though being in my 90’s, I still share in the Christian ministry each week. It is also a joy to assist the Legal Department here at the Belgium branch, to share my experience with others, and to shepherd young ones in the Bethel family.

Some 84 years ago, I said my first prayer to Jehovah. It was the start of a wonderful journey that has drawn me ever closer to him. How grateful I am that throughout my life Jehovah has paid attention to my prayers.​—Ps. 66:19.b