Laef Story
Kasem Reward From Fasin for Lovem God
STORY BILONG WILLIAM AIHINORIA
Mi wekap long midolnaet from mi herem dadi. Hem holem bele bilong hem and rola long floor. Mifala mami and big sista bilong mi go raonem hem. Taem pain katdaon lelebet, hem sidaon, tekwind big, and sei: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nomoa garem peace long disfala earth.” Toktok hia hem no mas klia, bat mi nating forgetim bikos mi nating bin herem abaotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor. Mi interest for savve.
DATFALA samting happen long 1953 taem mi six year. Mi kam from Ewossa, wanfala vilij wea duim farming long Nigeria. Dadi bilong mi gogo garem thrifala waef and mi mek-tu long 13-fala pikinini, bat firstfala son bilong famili. Mifala stap tugeta witim grandadi long mud haos bilong hem, wea garem fofala rum and ruf wea olketa wakem from leaf. Insaed disfala full famili tu hem Granmami and olketa famili bilong thrifala brata bilong Dadi.
Laef barava hard taem mi young. Samting wea mekem diswan worse hem health bilong Dadi. Hem garem sik long bele go kasem taem hem dae staka year bihaen. No eni treatment, nomata kastom medicine or wan wea doctor givim, savve healim sik bilong hem. Staka naet mifala krae saed long hem taem hem rola long floor go kasem morning from bele soa. For lukaotem medicine, Dadi staka taem gogo witim Mami and leavim mi and olketa brata and sista bilong mi witim Granmami.
Famili bilong mifala stap laef thru long wei for growim and marketem yam, kasava, and kola nut. Mifala lelebet harvestim rubber tu for saportim smol selen mifala kasem. Main kaikai bilong mifala hem yam. Mifala kaikaim yam long morning, hamarem and kaikaim long aftanun, and long naet moa. Samfala taem mifala change lelebet and kaikaim banana wea mifala beikem.
Wanfala important part long laef bilong mifala hem wei for worshipim laen dadi. Famili savve offerim kaikai front long olketa stik wea olketa taemap cowrie shell long olketa. Dadi hem worshipim tu wanfala idol for raosem olketa nogud spirit and kastom pipol.
Taem mi faev year, mifala muv for lelebet taem from vilij bilong mifala go long wanfala ples wea duim farming wea stap samting olsem 11 kilometer awe. Long there Dadi kasem sik guinea worm, wea mekem sik long bele bilong hem moa worse. Hem kanduit waka long daytaem and bele bilong hem givim bigfala pain long naet. Mi kasem sik jigger, or sandflea, wankaen typhus. From diswan, mifala laef nomoa from help bilong olketa relative. Winim wei for dae long poor living, mifala muv bak long vilij bilong mifala, Ewossa. Dadi laekem mi, first son bilong hem, for kasem waka wea moabeta winim wei for kamap farmer nomoa. Hem ting gud education bae mekem mi fit for mekem living bilong famili kamap moabeta and bae help lukaftarem olketa brata and sista bilong mi.
Savve Long Olketa Difren Religion
Taem mifala kasem bak vilij, mi start skul. Diswan hem firstaem for mi savve long olketa religion bilong Christendom. Long olketa year bihaen 1950, education hem barava join witim religion bilong gavman. From mi attendim wanfala Catholic primary skul, diswan minim mi mas wanfala Roman Catholic.
Long 1966, taem mi kamap 19 year, mi go long Pilgrim Baptist Secondary School long taon bilong Ewohinmi, samting olsem 8 kilometer from Ewossa. Long there, education bilong mi saed long religion hem change. From mi distaem attendim wanfala Protestant skul, olketa Catholic priest stopem mi for tekpart long Sunday Mass.
Disfala taem wea mi spendem long Baptist skul nao firstaem for mi readim Bible. Nomata mi go ahed for attendim Catholic church, mi readim Bible seleva evri Sunday bihaen Catholic church service. Olketa teaching bilong Jesus Christ kasholem interest bilong mi, wea muvim mi for laek tumas for garem living wea followim god and garem mining. Taem mi readim Bible mi start for heitim tumas hypocrite fasin bilong samfala bigman bilong religion and dirty living bilong staka wea attendim church. Wanem mi lukim midolwan olketa wea sei olketa Christian hem barava difren from wanem Jesus and olketa disaepol bilong hem teachim and duim.
Samfala samting nao barava mekem mi seke. Wantaem, taem mi go long smol stoa wea join witim church for peim wanfala rosary, mi lukim olketa hangem wanfala kastom samting long door wea olketa biliv bae protectim ples from badfala spirit. Narataem, principal bilong Baptist skul trae for spoelem mi saed long sex. Bihaen nao mi herem hem wanfala homosexual and bin spoelem olketa narawan. Mi ting raonem olketa samting hia and askem miseleva, ‘Waswe, God appruvim olketa religion wea olketa member bilong hem and nomata olketa bigman bilong hem tu, no kasem panis for olketa nogud sin?’
Changem Religion
Nomata olsem, mi lovem wanem mi readim insaed Bible and disaed for go ahed for readim. Datfala taem nao mi start for tingim moa toktok wea Dadi talem 15 year bifor: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nomoa garem peace long disfala earth.” Bat mi fraet lelebet bikos long skul, olketa savve mekfani long olketa Witness pikinini, and olketa samtaem kasem panis from olketa no joinim service long morning. And samfala biliv bilong olketa hem difren evribit. Olsem example, mi hard for biliv hao 144,000 nomoa bae go long heven. (Revelation 14:3) From mi laek for go long heven, mi tingting sapos disfala namba hem bin chus finis bifor mi born.
Man savve lukim klia wei wea olketa Witness difren long fasin and tingting. Olketa no duim dirty fasin and no raf olsem olketa nara young wan long skul. Long tingting bilong mi, olketa nao barava separate from world, wea fitim samting mi readim insaed Bible abaotem olketa wea followim tru religion.—John 17:14-16; James 1:27.
Mi disaed for savve moa abaotem olketa. Long September 1969, mi kasem buk “Truth Where Bringim Man Long Life All-the-way.” Long month bihaen, wanfala pioneer, wanfala full-taem minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, start for study witim mi. First study bilong mi muvim mi for readim datfala Truth buk long wanfala Saturday naet and mi finis readim long next aftanun. Stretawe, mi start for talem olketa nara student abaotem olketa nambawan samting mi read abaot. Olketa student and teacher tingse niu faith bilong mi mekem mi krangge. Bat mi savve mi no krangge.—Acts 26:24.
Nius abaotem niu religion bilong mi kasem dadi and mami bilong mi. Tufala askem mi for go bak stretawe from olketa laek savve wanem nao problem bilong mi. No eniwan stap for advaesem mi, from evri Witness go long distrik convention bilong olketa long Ilesha. Taem mi go bak hom, mami and olketa relative bilong mi askem staka kwestin and tokdaonem mi. Mi traem best bilong mi for defendim wanem mi lanem from Bible.—1 Peter 3:15.
Bihaen hem fail for pruvim hao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness olketa false teacher, uncle bilong mi traem difren wei. Witim feeling, hem sei: “Remember hao iu go long skul for kasem education. Sapos iu lusim skul and go preach, iu bae nating savve finisim education bilong iu. So hao sapos iu weit kasem taem iu finis skul bifor iu joinim disfala religion.” Long datfala taem, diswan here fitim so mi stop for study witim olketa Witness.
Long December 1970, stretawe bihaen graduation bilong mi, mi go long Kingdom Hall and start from datfala taem mi evritaem gogo long meeting bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Long August 30, 1971, mi baptaes for showim wei wea mi dedicate long God. Diswan mekem no just dadi and mami bilong mi, bat full community, for seke. Olketa sei olketa no hapi long mi from mi first wan long Ewossa for gavman laek sponsarem skul bilong hem. Staka putim hope long mi. Olketa bin hope mi bae iusim education bilong mi for mekem community kamap moabeta.
Wanem Kamaot From Mi Changem Religion
Famili and olketa olo bilong community sendem samfala for trae and changem tingting bilong mi abaotem faith bilong mi. Olketa cursim mi for trae and changem tingting bilong mi. Olketa sei: “Sapos iu no leavim disfala religion, future bilong iu bae fulap witim trabol. Iu bae no kasem eni waka. Iu bae no buildim wanfala haos for iuseleva. Iu bae no savve marit and bringimap wanfala famili.”
Long wei wea difren from wanem olketa talem, mi kasem waka olsem wanfala teacher tenfala month bihaen mi finis skul. Long October 1972, mi maritim waef bilong mi, Veronica. Bihaen, gavman trainim mi olsem wanfala agricultural extension agent. Mi baem first car bilong mi, and start buildim haos bilong mitufala. Long November 5, 1973, first dota bilong mitufala, Victory, hem born, and long olketa year bihaen mitufala garem Lydia, Wilfred, and Joan. Long 1986 lastfala pikinini, Micah, hem born. Olketa evriwan kamap pikinini wea mi lovem tumas, wanfala present from Jehovah.—Psalm 127:3.
Taem mi ting bak, mi savve sei evri trabol wea community cursim long mi hem kamap olketa blessing. Dastawe mi kolem first dota bilong mi Victory. No longtaem go nomoa, community raet kam long mi and sei: “Plis, mifala laekem iu for kam bak and tekpart long wei wea community bilong iumi hem grow, from distaem God hem blessim iu.”
Bringimap Olketa Pikinini for Lovem God
Mitufala waef bilong mi luksavve hao hem hard for mixim wei for aftarem riches witim responsibility bilong mitufala from God for bringimap pikinini. From diswan, mitufala lane for satisfae long simpol living. Mitufala laek for garem diskaen living winim wei for feisim wanem savve kamaot from living wea go difren from diswan.
Long kantri bilong mifala, planti difren famili savve live tugeta insaed wanfala haos wea sharem ples for swim, kitchen, and samfala samting moa. Mifala hapi from mifala fit for stap seleva olsem famili long evri taon gavman muvim mi for waka long hem. Hem tru, kaen haos olsem hem kost tumas, bat diswan daonem wei wea olketa pikinini kaban witim nogud pipol. Mi thankiu long Jehovah hao insaed olketa year wea go pas, mitufala fit for bringimap pikinini bilong mifala long gudfala spiritual living.
And tu, waef bilong mi stap long haos mekem hem savve lukaftarem gud olketa pikinini. Taem mi finis waka, mifala trae for duim samting tugeta olsem famili. Eniting mifala duim, mifala duim olsem wanfala famili. Insaed diswan hem famili Bible study, prepare for and attendim olketa kongregeson meeting, share long Christian ministry, and hapitaem tu.
Mifala trae for followim kaonsel long Deuteronomy 6:6, 7, wea encouragem dadi and mami for teachim pikinini bilong olketa no just long haos bat long evri chance. Diswan mekem olketa pikinini for faendem olketa witness fren and no fren witim pipol bilong world. Olketa lane thru long example bilong mifala for lukluk gud long hu olketa kaban witim, bikos mitufala Veronica no kaban tumas witim olketa wea no sem biliv witim mitufala.—Proverbs 13:20; 1 Corinthians 15:33.
Hem tru, hem no example and teaching bilong mifala nomoa wea affectim living bilong olketa pikinini. Haos bilong mifala hem evritaem open for olketa Christian, wea planti olketa traveling minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Taem wea olketa mature Christian hia spendem witim famili bilong mifala hem givim pikinini bilong mifala chance for lukim and lanem living for sakrifaesim seleva wea olketa hia garem. Diswan hem strongim teaching bilong mitufala, and olketa pikinini mekem Bible truth samting olketa seleva lovem.
Kasem Reward From Fasin for Lovem God
Distaem, mitufala waef bilong mi, witim fofala pikinini bilong mitufala insaed full-taem ministry. Mi start pioneer long 1973. Insaed olketa year wea go pas, mi mas finis from full-taem ministry for lelebet taem bikos long saed long selen. Samfala taem, hem bin privilege bilong mi tu for share for teach long Kingdom Ministry Skul, wea givim training for olketa Christian overseer bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Distaem mi enjoyim privilege for serve long Hospital Liaison Komiti and olsem taon overseer bilong Uhonmora tu.
Tufala first dota bilong mi, Victory and Lydia, maritim tufala gud Christian elder. Olketa serve olsem member bilong branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Igieduma, Nigeria. First son bilong mifala, Wilfred, serve olsem ministerial servant, and last born, Micah, savve auxiliary pioneer planti taem. Long 1997, Joan finis from hae skul and start duim regular pioneer.
Wanfala long olketa barava nambawan reward long living bilong mi hem for helpem olketa narawan for servem Jehovah God. Midolwan olketa hia hem samfala relative bilong mi. Dadi bilong mi trae for servem Jehovah, bat wei wea hem garem winim wanfala waef nao stopem hem. From taem mi young, mi lovem pipol. Taem mi lukim nara pipol safa, mi feel olsem olketa problem bilong mi no important nomoa. Ating pipol lukim hao mi really interest for helpem olketa, and diswan mekem hem moa isi for olketa story witim mi.
Wanfala long olketa wea mi helpem for kasem savve abaotem olketa purpose bilong God hem wanfala young wan wea lei long bed olowe. Hem paralyze from chest go daon from hem kasem electric shock taem hem waka long wanfala paoa company. Hem acceptim Bible study and gogo acceptim wanem hem lanem. Firstfala taem for hem muv from bed bilong hem insaed 15 year hem long October 14, 1995, taem hem baptaes long wanfala stream klosap haos bilong mifala. Hem sei datwan hem nambawan day long laef bilong hem. Distaem hem wanfala ministerial servant insaed kongregeson.
Mi nating sorre long disison wea mi mekem 30 year bifor for servem Jehovah witim pipol bilong hem wea dedicate and wan mind. Mi lukim trufala love midolwan olketa. Nomata sapos laef olowe hem no wanfala reward for olketa faithful servant bilong Jehovah, mi still laek for live long wei wea lovem God. (1 Timothy 6:6; Hebrews 11:6) Fasin for lovem God hem sheipim and mekem laef bilong mi stedy, and hem givim hapi and feeling for satisfae long mi and famili bilong mi.
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Witim waef and olketa pikinini long 1990
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Witim waef and olketa pikinini and tufala son-in-law