Laef Story

Mitufala Wanfala Team

STORY BILONG MELBA BARRY

Long July 2, 1999, mi and hasband bilong mi stap long big hipap bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olsem mitufala duim planti thousand taem insaed 57 year wea mifala marit. Long datfala Friday, Lloyd givim last tok long distrik convention long Hawaii. Seknomoa, hem foldaon. Nomata olketa duim planti samting for trae sevem hem, hem dae nao.a

MI BARAVA tinghae long olketa Christian brata and sista long Hawaii wea helpem mi long datfala taem for deal witim disfala barava nogud samting! Lloyd hem muvim laef bilong planti long olketa, and staka narawan raonem world tu.

Insaed long klosap tufala year from taem hem dae, mi ting raonem olketa spesol year wea mitufala stap tugeta—long wanfala missionary assignment long nara kantri and tu long world headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn, New York. Mi ting go bak tu abaotem young laef bilong mi long Sydney, Australia, and olketa challenge wea mitufala Lloyd feisim taem mitufala laek for marit long start bilong World War II. Bat firstaem, mi laek talem iu hao nao mi kamap wanfala Witness and hao mi meetim Lloyd long 1939.

Hao Mi Kamap Wanfala Witness

James and Henrietta Jones nao dadi and mami bilong mi wea kea long mi witim love. Taem mi finisim skul long 1932, mi 14 year nomoa. Long datfala taem world stap long midol bilong datfala Great Depression. Mi start for waka for helpem famili bilong mi, insaed diswan tufala sista wea young winim mi. Insaed tu-thri year, mi garem waka wea kasem gudfala pei and mi garem position olsem boss ovarem samfala young woman.

Long semtaem, long 1935, mami bilong mi acceptim samfala Bible literature from wanfala Jehovah’s Witness and no longtaem bihaen hem feel sure hao hem faendem truth. Mi witim olketa narawan long famili tingse hem krangge nao. Nomata olsem, wanday mi lukim smol buk wea garem title Where Are the Dead? and datfala title mekem mi interest tumas. So mi readim haed datfala smol buk. Datwan nao changem mi! Stretawe mi start for go witim mami bilong mi long wanfala meeting long midol week wea olketa kolem Model Study. Datfala smol buk wea garem title Model Study—gogo thrifala buk olsem stap—garem olketa kwestin and ansa and tu olketa scripture for saportim olketa ansa.

Long datfala taem, April 1938, Joseph F. Rutherford, from world headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, hem visitim Sydney. Pablik tok bilong hem nao first wan wea mi attendim. Diswan shud kamap long Sydney Taon Hall, bat samfala wea againstim win for stopem mifala for iusim datfala ples. For changem datwan, datfala tok hem kamap long Sydney Sports Graon wea moa big. From pipol herem hao datfala sekson againstim mifala hem mekem staka pipol savve long datfala tok, so namba wea attend hem kasem 10,000, wanfala bigfala namba taem iumi tingim hao long datfala taem, 1,300 Witness nomoa stap long Australia.

No longtaem bihaen, hem firstaem bilong mi for share long field ministry—and no eniwan trainim mi tu. Taem grup bilong mifala kasem territory for preach, brata wea leadim mifala sei long mi, “Haos bilong iu long there.” From mi barava seksek, taem woman hem openem door mi askem hem, “Iu savve talem mi taem plis?” Hem go insaed, luk long klok, and then hem kam bak and talem mi. Then, mi go bak long trak nao.

Nomata olsem, mi no givap, and no longtaem bihaen mi evritaem sharem Kingdom message witim nara pipol. (Matthew 24:14) Long March 1939, for showimaot mi dedicate long Jehovah mi baptaes long sink for swim long haos bilong neiba bilong mifala, Dorothy Hutchings. From no eni brata stap, no longtaem bihaen mi baptaes, mi kasem olketa responsibility long kongregeson wea olketa Christian brata shud lukaftarem.

Planti taem olketa meeting bilong mifala kamap long olketa haos, bat long samfala taem mifala rentim wanfala hall for pablik tok. Wanfala brata wea luk naes tumas from Bethel, branch office bilong mifala, hem kam long smol kongregeson bilong mifala for givim wanfala tok. Nomata mi no savve, hem garem nara reason tu for kam—for faendemaot moa samting abaotem mi. Yes, hem nao hao mi meetim Lloyd.

Meetim Famili Bilong Lloyd

No longtaem bihaen, mi garem feeling for want for servem Jehovah full-taem. Bat, taem mi givim application bilong mi for pioneer (duim preaching waka full-taem), olketa askem sapos mi laek for serve long Bethel. So long September 1939, long month wea World War II hem start, mi kamap wanfala member bilong Bethel famili long Strathfield, Sydney.

Long December 1939, mi go long New Zealand for wanfala convention. Bikos Lloyd hem from New Zealand, hem go long there tu. Mitufala gogo long sem ship, and start for savve moa long each other. Lloyd hem mek sure mi meetim mami and dadi and olketa sista bilong hem long convention long Wellington and bihaen long haos bilong olketa long Christchurch.

Tambuim Waka Bilong Mifala

Long Saturday, January 18, 1941, olketa bigman long Gavman draev kam long branch office long samting olsem sixfala blak stael car for tekem evriting. From mi waka long smol haos for gard long front long Bethel, mi nao first wan for lukim olketa. Olketa talem mifala abaotem disfala tambu long samting olsem 18 hour bifor, so klosap evri literature and file mifala aotem finis from branch. Long week bihaen, olketa putim faevfala member bilong Bethel famili, witim Lloyd tu, long prison.

Mi savve hao winim eni samting, olketa brata long prison needim spiritual kaikai. For encouragem Lloyd mi disaed for raetem hem olketa “love leta.” Mi start for raet long kaen wei bilong leta olsem, bat insaed, mi copyim olketa full Wastaoa article and then for endim leta mi saen olsem darling bilong hem. Winim fofala month bihaen Lloyd kamap free.

Marit and Go Ahed Long Full-taem Service

Long 1940, mami bilong Lloyd kam long Australia, and Lloyd talem hem hao mitufala ting for marit. Hem advaesem hem for no marit bikos luk olsem end bilong system hem enitaem nao. (Matthew 24:3-14) Hem talem olketa fren bilong hem tu hao hem laek for marit, bat evritaem olketa changem tingting bilong hem for no marit. Gogo, wanday long February 1942, long kwaet wei Lloyd tekem mi—and fofala Witness wea promis for no talem eniwan—long office for registerim marit, and mitufala marit long there. Long datfala taem long Australia gavman no letem olketa brata for duim marit.

Nomata bihaen mitufala marit olketa no letem mitufala for go ahed for serve long Bethel, olketa askem sapos mifala laek for duim spesol pioneer waka. Mifala hapi for acceptim wanfala assignment long wanfala taon long bush wea nem bilong hem Wagga Wagga. Preaching waka bilong mifala hem tambu yet, and mifala no garem eni help saed long selen, so mifala mas barava torowem hevi bilong mifala long Jehovah.—Psalm 55:22.

Mitufala iusim wanfala bicycle wea tufala savve raedem and raed go long territory long bush, meetim samfala naesfala pipol, and story longtaem lelebet witim olketa. Smol namba nomoa acceptim Bible study. Bat wanfala stoakeeper tinghae long waka wea mifala duim so hem provaedem olketa frut and vegetable for mifala evri week. Bihaen mifala stap for sixfala month long Wagga Wagga, mifala kasem invitation for kam bak long Bethel.

Bethel famili lusim finis datfala office long Strathfield long May 1942 and muv go long olketa haos. Olketa muv from wanfala haos go long narawan evri tu-thri week mekem hem hard for eniwan faendem olketa. Taem mitufala Lloyd kam bak long Bethel long August, mifala stap witim olketa long wanfala haos olsem. Long day, assignment bilong mitufala hem for duim printing waka long wanfala ples wea haed. Gogo, long June 1943, olketa aotem datfala tambu from waka bilong mifala.

Prepare for Missionary Service

Long April 1947 mitufala kasem olketa firstfala application for attendim Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead, long South Lansing, New York, U.S.A. Long semtaem mifala kasem assignment for visitim olketa kongregeson long Australia for strongim olketa long spiritual wei. Bihaen tu-thri month, mifala kasem invitation for attendim mek-11 class bilong Gilead. Mifala garem thrifala week for stretem and redyim olketa samting bilong mifala. Mifala lusim olketa famili and fren bilong mifala long December 1947 and go long New York witim 15 narafala brata and sista from Australia wea kasem invitation long sem class.

Tu-thri month bilong mifala long Gilead Skul hem go pas kwiktaem, and mifala kasem wanfala missionary assignment long Japan. Bikos mifala mas weit for kasem olketa pepa for go long Japan, Lloyd kasem assignment moa for serve olsem traveling overseer bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Olketa kongregeson insaed assignment bilong mifala start long taon bilong Los Angeles go kasem spialaen bilong Mexico. From mifala no garem trak, evri week olketa Witness kaen tumas for pikim mifala long wanfala kongregeson and lusim mifala long next wan. Distaem, area bilong datfala bigfala circuit hem garem olketa part bilong thrifala English and thrifala Spanish distrik, and evri distrik garem samting olsem tenfala circuit!

Seknomoa, hem October 1949, and mifala missionary startim gogo bilong mifala long Japan long wanfala ship wea warship bifor. Wansaed long ship olketa markem for olketa man and narasaed for olketa woman and pikinini. Wanfala day nomoa bifor mifala shud kasem Yokohama, mifala feisim wanfala cyclone. Luk olsem hem mekem skae hem klia fogud, bikos taem sun hem kamap long nextfala day, October 31, mifala savve lukim Mount Fuji wea luk naes tumas. Hem wanfala barava nambawan welkam long niu assignment bilong mifala!

Waka Witim Olketa Long Japan

Taem mifala kam klosap long olketa warf, mifala lukim planti handred pipol witim blak hair. Mifala ting ‘olketa mek-noise tumas!’ taem mifala herem bigfala saond. Evriwan werem olketa timba shoe wea mek-noise long olketa timba warf. Bihaen wanfala naet long Yokohama, mifala go long train for kasem missionary assignment bilong mifala long Kobe. Long there Don Haslett, wanfala skulfren long Gilead wea kasem Japan tu-thri month bifor mifala, hem rentim wanfala missionary hom. Hem wanfala barava naes bigfala tu-storey American haos—and no eni samting insaed!

For wakem samting olsem olketa mattress for sleep, mifala katem longfala grass raonem haos and putim long floor. Hem nao start bilong missionary laef bilong mifala, witim olketa samting long suitcase bilong mifala nomoa. Mifala kasem olketa smolfala charcoal stove, wea olketa kolem hibachi, for mekem mifala no cold and for kuki long hem. Wan naet, Lloyd faendem tufala nara missionary, Percy and Ilma Iszlaub, hafded. Hem fit for mekem olketa gud bak taem hem openem olketa window and letem klin, kol air kam insaed. Wantaem, mi tu hafded taem mi kuki long olketa charcoal stove hia. Samfala samting hem tek taem for mifala getius long hem!

For mifala missionary, first important samting hem for lanem languis, so mifala studyim Japanese languis for 11 hour evriday for wanfala month. Bihaen datwan, mifala go long ministry witim wan or tufala sentence long pepa for helpem mifala start for story. Long barava firstfala day wea mi go aot, mi meetim wanfala naesfala woman, Miyo Takagi, wea kaen for welkamim mi. Long olketa return visit, mitufala stragol for story tugeta witim help bilong wanfala Japanese-English dictionary, gogo wanfala gudfala Bible study kamap. Long 1999, taem mi attendim dedication bilong branch bilong Japan wea kamap moa big, mi lukim Miyo moa, and tu samfala nara spesol fren wea mi study witim bifor. Fifti year hem go pas finis, bat olketa go ahed strong for talemaot Kingdom and duim wanem olketa fit for duim for servem Jehovah.

Long Kobe long April 1, 1950, samting olsem 180 attendim Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ. Nextfala morning, mifala sapraes for lukim 35 pipol kam for share long field ministry. Evri missionary tekem tu or thrifala niu wan hia long service. Olketa haosholder no toktok long mi—man from difren kantri wea no minim languis gud—bat olketa tok witim olketa niu wan wea attendim Memorial wea kam witim mi. Olketa go ahed story story, bat mi nating minim wanem olketa story abaotem. Mi hapi for talem hao samfala long olketa niu wan hia muv ahed long savve and go ahed long preaching waka kam kasem distaem.

Planti Privilege and Assignment

Mitufala go ahed long missionary waka bilong mitufala long Kobe go kasem 1952, then mifala go long Tokyo, wea olketa assignim Lloyd for lukaftarem branch office olsem overseer. Gogo, from olketa assignment bilong hem, hem go raon long full Japan and olketa nara kantri tu. Bihaen, long wanfala visit bilong hem long Tokyo, Nathan H. Knorr from world headquarters hem sei long mi: “So waswe, iu savve wea nao hasband bilong iu bae go long nextfala zone visit bilong hem? Australia and New Zealand.” Hem sei moa: “Iu savve go tu, sapos iu peim pasis bilong iuseleva.” Mi hapi fogud! Kasem datfala taem, naenfala year go pas finis from taem mifala lusim hom.

Kwiktaem mifala raraet for story witim olketa famili bilong mitufala. Mami bilong mi help witim selen for pasis bilong mi. From mitufala Lloyd busy witim olketa assignment, mifala no garem selen for visitim famili bilong mifala. So diswan hem ansa for olketa prea bilong mi. Olsem iu savve finis, mami bilong mi hem barava hapi for lukim mi. Hem sei, “Bae mi sevem selen for mekem iu savve kam bak moa long thrifala year bihaen.” Hem nao tingting bilong mifala taem mifala go, bat sorre samting nao, hem dae long next July. Mi luk forward for welkamim hem long niu world!

Go kasem 1960 missionary waka nomoa hem assignment bilong mi, bat then mi kasem wanfala leta wea talem olsem: “Start from disfala date mifala arrange for iu wasim and ironim kaleko for full Bethel famili.” Bethel famili long datfala taem garem samting olsem twelvfala pipol nomoa, so mi fit for lukaftarem disfala waka and missionary assignment bilong mi tu.

Long 1962 olketa aotem Japanese-style haos bilong mifala and long year bihaen olketa buildim wanfala niu six-storey Bethel Hom long datfala sem land. Mi kasem assignment for helpem olketa young niufala brata long Bethel for keepim rum bilong olketa klin, wasim pleit wea olketa iusim and kaen waka olsem. Klosap evritaem long Japan, olketa boy no kasem training for duim eniting long haos. Olketa mekhae long education, so olketa mami duim evriting for olketa boy. Olketa lanem kwiktaem hao mi bae no duim evriting for olketa olsem mami bilong olketa. Gogo, planti muv ahed and kasem olketa niu assignment wea garem responsibility insaed long organization.

Long wanfala barava hotfala day, wanfala Bible student kam for tour and lukim mi waka hard for klinim olketa rum for swim. Hem sei, “Plis talem manager mi laek for peim wanfala haosgirl for kam and duim disfala waka for iu.” Mi minim long hem hao, nomata mi tinghae long kaenfala tingting bilong hem, mi barava willing for duim eni assignment wea mi kasem insaed long organization bilong Jehovah.

Klosap long sem taem, mitufala Lloyd kasem invitation for attendim mek-39 class bilong Gilead! Hem wanfala bigfala privilege long 1964, taem mi 46 year for go bak long skul moa! Datfala course hem especially for helpem olketa wea serve long olketa branch office for lukaftarem responsibility wea olketa garem. Bihaen datfala ten-month course, mifala kasem bak assignment long Japan. Long datfala taem winim 3,000 pipol share for talemaot Kingdom long datfala kantri.

From olketa increase wea kamap kwiktaem, long 1972 mifala garem winim 14,000 Witness, and olketa buildim wanfala niu faev-storey branch office long Numazu, south long Tokyo. From olketa building hia, wei wea mifala savve lukim Mount Fuji hem klia and spesol tumas. Long bigfala niu rotary printing press olketa start for printim winim wan million magasin evri month long Japanese languis. Bat wanfala change for mitufala hem klosap.

Long end long 1974, Lloyd kasem wanfala leta from headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn wea invaetem hem for serve long Governing Body. Firstaem mi ting: ‘So, end kam nao. From Lloyd garem hope for go long heven and mi hope for stap long earth, gogo bae mitufala mas lusim each other. Maet hem fitim sapos Lloyd seleva go long Brooklyn.’ Bat kwiktaem mi stretem tingting bilong mi and mi willing for go witim Lloyd long March 1975.

Olketa Blessing Long Headquarters

Nomata long Brooklyn, heart bilong Lloyd ting go bak long waka long Japan, and hem evritaem storyim olketa experience wea mitufala kasem long there. Nomata olsem mifala kasem chance for fren witim samfala moa. For last 24 year long laef bilong hem, olketa iusim Lloyd long bigfala wei long zone waka, wea minim hem travel raonem full world. Mi go witim hem raonem world planti taem.

For visitim olketa Christian brata bilong mifala long olketa nara kantri helpem mi for minim kaen living and waka wea olketa garem. Mi kanduit for forgetim feis bilong Entellia, wanfala girl wea ten year wea mi meetim long north Africa. Hem lovem nem bilong God and hem wakabaot for thri hour for go and kam bak long olketa Christian meeting. Nomata hem kasem strongfala persecution from famili bilong hem, Entellia dedicatem hemseleva long Jehovah. Taem mifala visitim kongregeson bilong hem wanfala smol laet nomoa hem hange ovarem olketa note bilong speaker—sapos nomoa ples for meeting hem full blak nao. Nomata hem barava dark, hem spesol samting for herem barava naesfala singsing bilong olketa brata and sista.

Wanfala spesol samting long laef bilong mitufala Lloyd hem long December 1998 taem mifala go long olketa “Live Followim Wei Bilong God” Distrik Convention wea kamap long Cuba. Mifala barava tinghae long hapi and thankiu wea olketa brata talemaot bikos samfala from Brooklyn headquarters visitim olketa! Mi garem planti naesfala memory from mi meetim olketa spesol fren olsem wea strong for singaotem bigfala praise long Jehovah.

Hapi Witim Pipol Bilong God

Nomata mi born kam long Australia, gogo mi lovem pipol long evri ples wea mi kasem assignment from organization bilong Jehovah. Hem tru taem mi long Japan, and distaem nomata mi stap long United States for winim 25 year, hem semsem long hia tu. Taem hasband bilong mi hem dae, tingting bilong mi, hem no for go bak long Australia bat for stap long Brooklyn Bethel, wea Jehovah nao givim assignment for mi.

Distaem mi winim 80 year. Bihaen 61 year long full-taem ministry, mi willing yet for servem Jehovah long eni ples wea hem markem. Hem tru tumas hao hem barava lukaftarem mi. Mi barava hapi long winim 57 year wea mi sharem witim spesol fren bilong mi wea lovem Jehovah. Mi barava feel sure blessing bilong Jehovah bae go ahed long mitufala, and mi savve Hem bae no forgetim waka bilong mifala and love wea mifala showimaot for nem bilong hem.—Hebrews 6:10.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 25]

Witim mami long 1956

[Piksa long page 26]

Witim Lloyd and grup bilong olketa Japanese pablisa long olketa first year bihaen 1950

[Olketa Piksa long page 26]

Witim first Bible student bilong mi long Japan, Miyo Takagi, bihaen long 1950 and long 1999

[Piksa long page 28]

Mitufala Lloyd long magasin waka long Japan