Laef Story
Olo and Satisfae Witim Laef
STORY BILONG MURIEL SMITH
Laodfala noknok sekem door long haos. Mi just kasem bak haos for lunch bihaen wanfala busy morning long preaching waka. Olsem mi savve duim evritaem, mi boelem wata for kap tea and redy for restim leg bilong mi for haf hour. Noknok hem barava strong, and taem mi go for openem, mi no savve hu nao bae laek for lukim mi long taem olsem. Then mi faendaot. Tufala man long door sei tufala police. Tufala sei tufala kam for lukaotem olketa literature bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness—wanfala organization wea gavman tambuim.
Why nao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem tambu long Australia, and hao nao gogo mi kamap wanfala long olketa? Evriting start long taem mami givim mi wanfala present long year 1910, taem mi ten year.
FAMILI bilong mi stap insaed wanfala timba haos long Crows Nest, North Sydney. Mi kam bak from skul wanday and lukim mami story witim wanfala man front long haos. Mi barava laek savve hu nao man hia wea werem suit and karem basket wea fulap witim buk. Long kwaet wei mi excuse and go insaed haos. Bat, tu-thri minute bihaen, Mami kolem mi. Hem sei: “Disfala man garem samfala naes buk, wea storyim Bible. So, from birthday bilong iu hem klosap, iu savve chusim dress or olketa buk hia. Wanem nao iu laekem?”
“Oh, Mami, mi laekem olketa buk thankiu,” mi ansa.
So taem mi ten year, mi kasem nao first thrifala buk bilong Studies in the Scriptures, wea Charles Taze Russell raetem. Man hia explainim long mami hao hem bae need for helpem mi minim olketa buk hia, from maet bae mi hard for minim seleva. Mami sei bae hem hapi for duim olsem. Sorre tumas, no longtaem bihaen, Mami dae. Dadi waka hard for lukaftarem mi and brata and sista bilong mi. Bat mi kasem olketa extra responsibility and hem putim hevi long mi. Nomata olsem, nara trabol hem klosap for happen.
First world war kamap long 1914, and just wan year bihaen, dadi wea mifala lovem hem dae. From mifala no garem dadi or mami, olketa sendem brata and sista bilong mi go long olketa relative, and olketa sendem mi long wanfala Catholic boarding college. Samfala taem, mi feel nogud from mi lonely. Nomata olsem, mi thankiu for chance mi kasem for skulim music, especially piano. Olketa year go pas and mi graduate from datfala college. Long 1919, mi maritim Roy Smith, wea waka for sellim music instrument. Long 1920, mitufala garem pikinini and mi busy moa long evriday laef. Bat waswe long olketa buk bilong mi?
Wanfala Neiba Sharem Spiritual Truth
Insaed olketa year hia, mi tekem olketa “Bible buk” bilong mi witim mi evriwea. Nomata mi nating bin readim olketa, mi savve message bilong olketa hem important. Then, wanday long olketa year klosap long 1930, Lil Bimson, wanfala neiba, hem kam visitim mifala. Mifala go insaed haos, sidaon, and drink tea.
Seknomoa hem singaot: “Oh, iu garem olketa buk hia!”
Mi konfius and ask: “Olketa wanem buk?”
Hem point go long Studies in the Scriptures wea stap long shelf. Lil ask for readim and hem tekem long haos bilong hem long datfala day and stretawe readim olketa. Bigfala hapi bilong hem from wanem hem readim barava showaot bihaen. Lil kasem moa literature from olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Witim diswan, hem no hol bak for storyim long mifala evriting hem lanem. Wanfala buk hem kasem nao hem The Harp of God, and gogo buk hia kasem haos bilong mi. Laef bilong mi insaed service bilong Jehovah hem start taem mi readim datfala Bible pablikeson. Datfala taem nao mi just faendem ansa for olketa kwestin bilong mi wea church bilong mi no ansarem.
Mi hapi from Roy hem lisin gud long message bilong Bible, and mitufala evriwan kamap strong student bilong Bible. Roy hem member bilong olketa Freemason bifor. Distaem famili bilong mifala wan mind long tru worship, and tu taem evri week wanfala brata duim Bible study witim full famili. Mifala kasem moa encouragement taem mifala start attendim olketa meeting bilong olketa Bible Student. Olketa holem olketa meeting long Sydney long wanfala smol hall wea olketa rentim long Newtown. Long datfala taem, namba bilong olketa Witness long full kantri no kasem 400, so staka long olketa brata need for travel farawe for attendim olketa meeting.
For famili bilong mifala, mifala mas akrosim Sydney Harbour for kasem meeting. Bifor olketa buildim Sydney Harbour Bridge long 1932, boat nao mifala iusim for akros. Nomata hem tek taem and mifala mas peim pasis, mifala trae hard for no missim eni spiritual kaikai Jehovah hem provaedem. Hard waka wea mifala duim for strong long truth hem barava helpem mifala bihaen, bikos mek-tu world war hem kakamap, and problem saed long wei for no teksaed bae barava affectim famili bilong mifala.
Taem Bilong Olketa Test and Reward
Olketa year bihaen 1930 olketa barava nambawan taem for mi and famili bilong mi. Mi baptaes long 1930, and long 1931, mi stap long datfala spesol convention taem mifala evriwan standap and agree for kasem datfala nambawan nem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Roy and mi barava trae hard for live followim datfala nem thru long wei for duim evri wei for preach wea organization encouragem. Olsem example, long 1932 mifala tekpart long wanfala spesol waka for givimaot wanfala buklet, wea olketa mekem for kasem staka pipol wea kam for opening bilong Sydney Harbour Bridge. Spesol samting for mifala hem wei for iusim saond car, and mifala kasem privilege for garem saond system long car bilong famili bilong mifala. Witim diswan, mifala fulimap olketa street bilong Sydney witim saond bilong record bilong Bible tok bilong Brata Rutherford.
Nomata olsem, laef go ahed for change and kamap moa hard. Long 1932 datfala Great Depression kasem Australia, so Roy and mi disaed for mekem laef bilong mifala moa simpol. Wanfala wei mifala duim diswan hem for muv moa klos long kongregeson, and from diswan katem daon kost for travel. Bat hevi saed long selen kamap samting nating taem World War II spoelem full world.
Thru long wei for obeyim komand bilong Jesus for no part bilong world, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness evriwea long world kamap target bilong persecution, and Australia tu kasem. From strong feeling bilong war muvim olketa, samfala kolem mifala olketa Communist. Olketa hia wea againstim mifala laea for sei Olketa Jehovah’s Witness iusim fofala radio station olketa ownim long Australia for sendem olketa message go long army bilong Japan.
Olketa trae for brekem faith bilong olketa young brata wea olketa kolem for serve long army. Mi hapi for talem hao thrifala son bilong mitufala stand strong for wanem olketa bilivim and nating teksaed. First son bilong mitufala, Richard, kasem 18-month prison sentence. Mek-tu son, Kevin, hem register olsem wan wea no joinim army from saed long religion. Bat sorre tumas, mek-thri son, Stuart, hem dae long wanfala accident long motorbike taem hem gogo long kot for stretem wei wea hem no teksaed. Disfala accident hem givim mifala bigfala sorre. Nomata olsem, wei wea mifala luk strong go long Kingdom and promis bilong Jehovah for wanfala resurrection hem helpem mifala for deal witim diswan.
Olketa Missim Datfala Really Prize
Long January 1941, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Australia kasem tambu. Bat, olsem olketa aposol bilong Jesus, mitufala Roy obeyim God olsem ruler winim man, and for tu and haf year, mifala go ahed for duim waka haed. Long disfala taem nao tufala police wea iumi storyim finis, wea no werem uniform, tufala noknok long door. Wanem nao happen?
Mi invaetem tufala kam insaed. Taem tufala kam insaed haos, mi ask, “Hem olraet sapos mi just finisim kap tea bifor iu lukluk insaed haos?” Mi sapraes taem tufala agree, and mi go long kitchen for prea long Jehovah and for kliarem tingting bilong mi. Taem mi go bak, wanfala police go insaed ples for study and tekem evriting wea garem saen bilong Wastaoa, and olketa literature and Bible insaed witnessing bag bilong mi tu.
Then hem ask: “Waswe, iu no haedem samfala moa box bilong literature? Mifala savve iu savve attendim wanfala meeting evri week long wanfala hall long end bilong disfala road and iu tekem staka literature go long there.”
“Datwan hem tru,” mi ansa olsem, “bat hem no long there distaem.”
“Yes, mifala savve long datwan, Mrs. Smith,” hem sei. “Mifala savve tu hao olketa keepim literature long haos bilong olketa difren pipol raonem disfala distrik.”
Long bedroom bilong son bilong mifala, olketa faendem faevfala box wea garem buklet Freedom or Romanism.
“Waswe long ples for keepim trak?” hem ask.
“Nomoa, no eniting long there,” mi sei.
Hem openem cupboard long ples for kaikai. Hem faendem olketa kongregeson report pepa. Hem tekem olketa hia and then sei for hem mas lukluk long ples for keepim trak.
“Olsem iu followim mi,” mi sei long hem.
Tufala followim mi go long ples for keepim trak and bihaen tufala lukluk, tufala go.
Tufala police hia tingse tufala duim gudfala waka taem tufala kasholem faevfala box! Bat, barava main samting nao tufala missim. Long datfala taem, mi serve olsem kongregeson secretary, and mi garem list bilong olketa pablisa bilong kongregeson and olketa nara important information long haos. Gud nao olketa brata bin warnim mifala for redy for kaen sapraes chek olsem and mi barava haedem gud olketa information hia. Mi putim olketa insaed olketa envelope and putim insaed botom bilong olketa container bilong tea, sugar, and flour. Mi haedem samfala moa long cage bilong bird, wea stap klosap long ples for keepim trak. So tufala police hia wakabaot pasim information tufala laekem.
Joinim Full-Taem Service
Long 1947, samfala pikinini bilong mifala marit finis. Long datfala taem, mitufala Roy disaed mitufala fit nao for duim full-taem ministry. Bigfala need stap long South Australia, so mifala sellim haos and baem wanfala caravan, wea mifala nemem Mizpah, wea minim “Watchtower.” For stap insaed Caravan hem helpem mifala for preach long olketa farawe area. Staka taem, mifala duim olketa farawe territory long bush. Mi garem staka naes memory abaotem olketa taem hia. Mi study witim wanfala young woman wea nem bilong hem Beverly. Bifor hem kamap fit for baptaes, hem lusim area. Tingim hapi bilong mi planti year bihaen taem wanfala sista kam long mi long wanfala convention and talem mi hem nao Beverly! Mi kasem bigfala hapi for lukim hem servem Jehovah witim hasband and olketa pikinini bilong hem.
Long 1979, mi kasem privilege for attendim Pioneer Service Skul. Wanfala samting datfala skul mekhae long hem nao hem wei wea, for go ahed strong long pioneer, man need for garem wanfala gud study schedule. Mi faendem datwan hem barava tru. For study, attendim olketa meeting, and duim ministry hem bin laef bilong mi. Mi tingim olsem hem privilege bilong mi for serve olsem regular pioneer for winim 50 year.
Deal Witim Olketa Health Problem
Bat mi feisim samfala spesol challenge insaed samting olsem foti year wea go pas. Long 1962, mi kasem glaucoma. Long datfala taem, treatment for diswan hem no mas gud and eye bilong mi kwiktaem kamap nogud. Health bilong Roy kamap nogud tu, and long 1983 hem kasem bigfala stroke wea mekem hem paralyze and no fit for toktok. Hem dae long 1986. Hem givim mi bigfala saport taem mi duim full-taem service, and mi barava missim hem.
Nomata long olketa hard samting olsem, mi trae for go ahed long gudfala spiritual schedule. Mi baem wanfala car wea fitim field service long bush area, and go ahed long pioneer service bilong mi witim help bilong dota bilong mi Joyce. Eye bilong mi isisi kamap worse go kasem taem wanfala eye hem full blind. Olketa doctor changem witim glass eye. Nomata olsem, taem mi iusim magnifying glass and literature wea garem big raeting, mi fit for study for thri go kasem faev hour evriday witim wan eye.
Taem for study hem evritaem spesol long mi. So mi barava seke nogud taem, long wanfala aftanun, mi seknomoa hard for lukim eniting. Hem olsem samwan offem laet. Mi barava blind nao. Hao nao mi duim study? Well, nomata mi earpas tu distaem, mi depend long kaset and loving saport bilong famili bilong mi, for keepim mi strong long spiritual wei.
Strong Go Kasem End
Distaem, mi winim 100 year and tu-thri samting nao nogud saed long health, so mi barava katdaon long samting mi fit for duim. Samfala taem, mi feel konfius. Tru nao, from distaem mi blind, samfala taem mi no luksavve wea nao mi go! Mi barava laek for garem samfala Bible study moa, bat health bilong mi no letem mi gogo aot and faendem olketa. Firstaem, diswan mekem mi wikdaon. Mi lane for acceptim wei wea mi hard for duim samfala samting and for satisfae witim wanem mi fit for duim. Diswan hem no isi. Nomata olsem, hem wanfala privilege for evri month reportim taem wea mi iusim for story long pipol abaotem nambawan God bilong iumi, Jehovah. Taem mi kasem chance for story abaotem Bible long olketa wea savve kam long haos, olsem nurse, wakman, and nara pipol, mi mekius long olketa—long balance wei.
Wanfala blessing wea mi kasem hem for lukim fofala genereson long famili bilong mi olketa faithful for worshipim Jehovah. Samfala long olketa hia reach aot and serve olsem olketa pioneer minister long olketa ples wea need hem big, olsem olketa elder or ministerial servant, and long Bethel. Hem tru, olsem staka long genereson bilong mi, mi tingse end bilong disfala system bae happen longtaem bifor. Bat mi lukim maeti increase insaed seventi year bilong service bilong mi! Wei wea mi tekpart long disfala nambawan increase hem givim mi bigfala feeling for satisfae.
Olketa nurse wea visitim mi sei faith bilong mi nao keepim mi laef. Mi agree witim olketa. For busy long service bilong Jehovah hem best laef man savve kasem. Olsem King David, mi savve really sei mi olo and satisfae witim laef.—1 Chronicles 29:28.
(Sister Muriel Smith hem dae long April 1, 2002, taem olketa go ahed for raetem disfala laef story. Hem 101 year and showimaot gud example bilong faithful fasin and fasin for stand strong.)
[Olketa Piksa long page 24]
Taem mi samting olsem faev year and taem mi 19 year and meetim hasband bilong mi, Roy
[Piksa long page 26]
Car and caravan bilong mifala wea mifala nemem Mizpah
[Piksa long page 27]
Witim hasband bilong mi, Roy, long 1971