Laef Story

Missionary Assignment Kamap Hom Bilong Mifala

STORY BILONG DICK WALDRON

Hem wanfala Sunday aftanun long September 1953. No longtaem go nomoa mifala arrive long South-West Africa (distaem Namibia). Hem first week bilong mifala long datfala kantri and mifala redy for conductim wanfala pablik meeting long kapitol taon, Windhoek. Wanem nao muvim mifala for lusim Australia and kam long disfala kantri long Africa? Mi witim waef bilong mi and thrifala young woman kam olsem olketa missionary bilong gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God.—Matthew 24:14.

MI BORN long farawe ples long earth, long Australia, long datfala important year, 1914. Mi teenager long taem bilong Great Depression, and mi mas duim part bilong mi for helpem famili kasem need bilong hem. Nomata no eni waka stap, staka wild rabbit stap long Australia and mi wakemaot wanfala wei for huntim olketa. So, wanfala main wei wea mi helpem famili hem for provaedem planti rabbit meat for mifala kaikaim.

Taem mek-tu world war start long 1939, mi waka long olketa tram and bas long taon bilong Melbourne. Samting olsem 700 man duim shift waka long olketa bas, and evritaem mi waka mi meetim difren draeva or conductor. Planti taem mi askem olketa, “Wanem nao lotu bilong iu?” and mi askem olketa for explainim biliv bilong olketa. Wanfala Jehovah’s Witness nomoa ansarem mi long wei wea mekem mi satisfae. Hem explainim message from Bible abaotem paradaes earth wea olketa man wea fraet long God savve stap for olowe.—Psalm 37:29.

Long semtaem, mami bilong mi tu meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Planti taem, taem mi kam bak from waka, hem putim kaikai bilong mi long tebol witim wanfala copy bilong Consolation magasin (distaem Wekap!). Samting wea mi readim hem here gud long mi. Gogo, mi luksavve diswan hem tru religion, and mi start for kaban witim kongregeson and kamap baptaes long May 1940.

Long Melbourne, samting olsem 25 full-taem minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stap long wanfala pioneer haos. Mi go stap witim olketa. Evriday mi lisin long olketa interesting experience wea olketa kasem long preaching waka, and long heart, mi start for garem feeling for laek kamap pioneer. Gogo, mi apply for pioneer service. Olketa acceptim application bilong mi and invaetem mi for serve long Australia branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. So mi kamap member bilong Bethel famili.

Stap Long Prison and Taem Waka hem Tambu

Wanfala assignment bilong mi long Bethel hem for waka long sawmill. Mifala katem timba for mekem charcoal for gas. Mifala iusim diswan for olketa trak long branch bikos war mekem no inaf petrol stap for pipol peim. Mifala 12-fala nao waka long sawmill, and mifala evriwan kasem age wea gavman fit for kolem mifala for joinim army. No longtaem bihaen, mifala go long prison for sixfala month from mifala followim Bible and no willing for joinim army. (Isaiah 2:4) Olketa sendem mifala long wanfala prison farm for duim hard waka. Wanem nao waka wea olketa givim for mifala duim? Mifala mas katem timba, barava sem waka wea mifala kasem training for duim long Bethel!

From mifala duim disfala waka gud, governor bilong prison letem mifala garem wanfala Bible and Bible literature bilong mifala, nomata wanfala strict rul stopem diswan. Long datfala taem mi lanem wanfala gudfala leson saed long wei for fren witim pipol. Taem mi waka long Bethel, mi no savve fren gud witim wanfala brata long there. Fasin bilong mitufala hem difren evribit. Bat, hu nao stap insaed sem prison cell witim mi? Datfala sem brata. Mifala garem staka taem for savve gud long each other, and long end, mifala kamap barava klos fren.

Gogo, waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Australia hem tambu. Gavman tekem evri selen, and olketa Bethel brata garem smol selen nomoa. Wantaem, wanfala brata sei long mi: “Dick, mi laek for go preaching long taon, bat mi no garem shoe, mi garem olketa waka boot nomoa.” Mi hapi for helpem hem and hem werem shoe bilong mi and go long taon.

Bihaen, mifala herem police arrestim hem for duim preaching waka and putim hem long prison. For mekem hem laf lelebet mi sendem hem wanfala smol note: “Mi sorre long samting wea kasem iu, bat mi hapi no mi nao werem datfala shoe.” Bat no longtaem bihaen, mi tu go long prison, and diswan hem mek-tu taem wea olketa putim mi long prison from mi no teksaed. Taem mi aot from prison, mi kasem assignment for lukaftarem farm wea provaedem kaikai for Bethel famili. Long datfala taem mifala win long kot, and datfala tambu long waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem finis.

Maritim Wanfala wea Strong for Talemaot Gud Nius

Taem mi waka long datfala farm, mi start for ting hao mi laek for marit and mi interest long wanfala young pioneer sista wea nem bilong hem, Coralie Clogan. Granmami bilong Coralie hem first wan long famili bilong hem for interest long message bilong Bible. Just bifor hem dae, hem talem mami bilong Coralie, Vera: “Bringimap olketa pikinini bilong iu for lovem and servem God, and wanday bae iumi meet moa long Paradaes long earth.” Bihaen, taem wanfala pioneer kam long haos bilong Vera witim datfala buklet Millions Now Living Will Never Die, hem just start for minim toktok bilong mami bilong hem. Datfala buklet mekem Vera biliv hao hem purpose bilong God for olketa man enjoyim laef long wanfala paradaes earth. (Revelation 21:4) Bihaen long 1930 hem baptaes, and olsem mami bilong hem encouragem hem for duim, hem helpem thrifala dota bilong hem—Lucy, Jean, and Coralie—for lovem God. Bat dadi bilong Coralie hem strong for againstim religion bilong famili bilong hem, olsem Jesus warnim maet happen insaed samfala famili.—Matthew 10:34-36.

Clogan famili savve tumas for pleim music; each pikinini pleim wanfala instrument. Coralie pleim violin, and long 1939, taem hem 15 year, hem kasem diploma long music. Taem World War II hem start, Coralie tingting strong abaotem future bilong hem. Hem taem for hem disaed hao nao bae hem iusim laef bilong hem. Long wansaed, hem garem chance for mekem music olsem laef waka bilong hem. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra invaetem hem finis for pleim violin witim olketa. Long narasaed, hem garem chance for iusim taem bilong hem for duim nambawan waka for talemaot Kingdom message. Bihaen hem barava ting raonem, Coralie and tufala sista bilong hem baptaes long 1940 and plan for duim preaching waka full-taem.

No longtaem bihaen Coralie hem disaed for duim full-taem ministry, Lloyd Barry, brata wea garem bigfala responsibility long Australia branch, and bihaen serve olsem member bilong Governing Body bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, kam story witim hem. Hem just givim wanfala tok long Melbourne and hem sei long Coralie: “Mi redy for go bak long Bethel. Waswe sapos iu kam witim mi long train and joinim Bethel famili?” Coralie willing for acceptim datfala invitation.

Coralie and olketa nara sista long Bethel famili duim big waka for mek sure olketa brata long Australia kasem olketa Bible pablikeson taem war hem go ahed and waka hem tambu. Anda long lead bilong Brata Malcolm Vale, olketa duim klosap evri printing waka. Olketa printim olketa buk olsem The New World and Children, and printim evri issue bilong Wastaoa magasin insaed winim tufala year wea waka hem tambu.

For haed from police, olketa muvim olketa printing machine samting olsem 15-fala taem. Wantaem, olketa printim Bible literature long rum andanit wanfala building and for keepim diswan secret, olketa printim samfala difren samting long main part long building hia. Sista wea stap long reception area savve pressim wanfala button wea mekem bell krae long rum wea olketa waka sapos eni danger kamap, mekem olketa sista kwiktaem haedem olketa pablikeson bifor eniwan kam for lukluk.

Long wanfala taem olsem, samfala sista seke for lukim copy bilong Wastaoa hem stap antap long tebol wea eniwan savve lukim. Policeman hem kam insaed, putim basket bilong hem antap long datfala Wastaoa, and start for lukluk raonem rum. Taem hem no faendem eni samting, hem tekem basket bilong hem and go nao!

Taem datfala tambu hem finis and olketa brata kasem bak branch property, planti long olketa kasem olketa spesol pioneer assignment. Long datfala taem, Coralie volunteer for go long Glen Innes. Mi go stap witim hem long there taem mitufala marit long January 1, 1948. Taem mifala lusim datfala assignment, wanfala kongregeson go ahed gud long there.

Next assignment bilong mitufala hem Rockhampton, bat mifala no savve faendem eni accommodation long there. So mifala stap insaed tent long farm bilong wanfala man wea interest. Hem nao haos bilong mitufala for next naenfala month. Maet mifala savve stap long hem winim naenfala month, bat taem rain season hem start, big wind and rain distroem datfala tent and bigfala rain tekem hem go.a

Assignment Bilong Mifala Long Difren Kantri

Taem mifala serve long Rockhampton, mifala kasem invitation for attendim mek-19 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul bilong Gilead for missionary training. So bihaen mifala graduate long 1952, olketa sendem mifala long kantri wea long datfala taem olketa kolem South-West Africa.

Stretawe, feeling bilong olketa bigman bilong Christendom abaotem missionary waka bilong mifala hem showaot klia. For sixfala Sunday olketa warnim kongregeson bilong olketa abaotem mifala. Olketa talem pipol for no openem door taem mifala kam and for no letem mifala readim Bible long olketa, from datwan bae mekem olketa konfius. Long wanfala area wea mifala offerim samfala pablikeson, wanfala minister followim mifala from haos tu haos and tekem olketa buk hia. Wanday mifala story witim datfala minister long office bilong hem and lukim hao hem garem staka buk bilong mifala.

No longtaem bihaen, gavman tu no trustim waka bilong mifala. For sure olketa bigman bilong religion nao bihaenem wei wea gavman tingse mifala maet olketa Communist. So olketa tekem finger print bilong mifala and kwestinim samfala pipol wea mifala visitim. Nomata olketa againstim mifala, namba wea attendim olketa meeting hem go ahed for grow.

Start kam from taem wea mifala arrive, mifala barava laek for talemaot message bilong Bible long olketa native pipol bilong Ovambo, Herero, and Nama tribe. Bat, hem no isi. Long datfala taem, apartheid gavman bilong South Africa rulim South-West Africa. From mifala white man, olketa no letem mifala witness long olketa blak community sapos mifala no garem pepa from gavman. Samfala taem mifala mekem application for kasem disfala pepa bat gavman no letem.

Bihaen tufala year long datfala assignment, mifala kasem wanfala sapraes. Coralie hem babule. Long October 1955, dota bilong mitufala, Charlotte, hem born. Nomata mifala no savve go ahed for duim missionary waka, mi kasem part-taem waka and go ahed olsem pioneer for lelebet taem.

Ansa for Prea Bilong Mifala

Long 1960 mifala feisim nara challenge. Coralie kasem wanfala leta wea sei mami bilong hem barava sik and sapos hem no go hom, maet hem no lukim hem moa. So mifala plan for lusim South-West Africa and go bak long Australia. Then long barava week wea mifala redy for go, mi kasem pepa from gavman for letem mifala go long Katutura, wanfala taon wea blak pipol stap. Wanem nao bae mifala duim? Waswe, bae mifala givim bak datfala pepa nomata mifala stragol for sevenfala year for kasem datwan? Hem isi for tingse olketa narawan savve finisim disfala waka wea mifala startim. Bat diswan hem wanfala blessing from Jehovah, ansa for olketa prea bilong mifala!

Kwiktaem nomoa mi disaed. Bae mi nao stap, nogud mifala evriwan go long Australia and then gavman rejectim application for mifala stap olowe long Africa. Nextfala day, mi cancelim ticket bilong mi long ship and sendem Coralie and Charlotte for longfala holiday long Australia.

Bihaen tufala go, mi start for witness long datfala taon wea blak pipol stap. Staka pipol long there interest. Taem Coralie and Charlotte kam bak, samfala from datfala area attendim olketa meeting bilong mifala.

Long datfala taem, mi garem wanfala old car wea mi savve iusim for pikim olketa wea interest for kam long olketa meeting. Mi go and kam samting olsem foa or faevfala taem for each meeting, and each taem mi garem seven, eit, or naenfala pipol insaed long car. Taem last wan hem go daon from car, Coralie hem mekfani and ask: “Haomas pipol moa iu garem andanit long chair?”

For barava helpem olketa native pipol long preaching waka, mifala needim literature long languis bilong olketa. So mi kasem privilege for organizem waka for transleitim datfala tract Life in a New World long fofala lokol languis: Herero, Nama, Ndonga, and Kwanyama. Olketa Bible student bilong mifala wea garem education duim disfala transleison waka, bat mi waka witim olketa for mek sure evri sentence hem transleit long stretfala wei. Nama hem wanfala languis wea no garem staka word. Olsem example, mi trae for explainim point: “Firstaem Adam hem wanfala perfect man.” Transleita hem tingting strong then hem sei hem no savve rememberim word wea minim “perfect.” Gogo hem sei, “Mi savve nao. Firstaem Adam hem olsem wanfala ripe peach.”

Satisfae Witim Assignment Bilong Mifala

Foti-naen year go pas finis from taem mifala arrive long disfala kantri, wea distaem olketa kolem Namibia. Distaem mifala no needim pepa from gavman for preach long olketa blak community. Niu gavman bilong Namibia garem constitution wea no daonem eniwan saed long kala skin. Distaem, long Windhoek mifala garem fofala big kongregeson wea hipap long olketa naesfala Kingdom Hall.

Planti taem mifala tingim toktok wea mifala herem long Gilead: “Mekem assignment bilong iu kamap hom bilong iu.” From wei wea Jehovah bihaenem evri samting, mifala feel sure hem will bilong hem for disfala kantri kamap hom bilong mifala. Mifala lovem olketa brata wea garem olketa difren kastom wea interesting. Mifala laf witim olketa taem olketa hapi and krae witim olketa long taem bilong sorre tu. Samfala wea mifala tekem long olketa meeting long car bilong mifala bifor, olketa distaem serve olsem olketa strong wan insaed long kongregeson. Taem mifala arrive long disfala bigfala kantri long 1953, namba bilong olketa pablisa wea preachim gud nius hem no kasem tenfala. From datfala smolfala sekson, namba bilong olketa pablisa hem grow kasem winim 1,200. Olsem hem promis for duim, Jehovah mekem grow samting wea mifala and olketa narawan ‘plantim and watarem.’—1 Corinthians 3:6.

Taem mifala ting bak long planti year wea mifala serve, firstaem long Australia and distaem long Namibia, mitufala Coralie barava feel satisfae. Mifala hope and prea for Jehovah go ahed for strongim mifala for duim will bilong hem distaem and for olowe.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 26]

Taem mifala muv go long assignment long Rockhampton, Australia

[Piksa long page 27]

Long wharf taem mifala gogo long Gilead Skul

[Piksa long page 28]

Witnessing long Namibia mekem mifala barava hapi