Laef Story
Hapi Nao Man wea God Bilong Hem Jehovah
STORY BILONG TOM DIDUR
Mifala rentim finis community hall. Mifala expectim samting olsem 300 for kam long assembly long taon bilong Porcupine Plain, Saskatchewan, Canada. Long Wednesday snow start for foldaon, and long Friday big wind wea blowim snow hem mekem man hard for lukim eniting. Temperature hem barava cold kasem minus 40 degrees Celsius. Twenti-eit nomoa attend, insaed diswan hem samfala pikinini tu. Diswan hem first assembly wea mi nao circuit overseer long hem. Mi 25 year nomoa and mi seksek fogud. Bifor mi talem iu wanem nao happen long datfala taem, mi bae storyim hao nao mi kasem disfala spesol privilege.
INSAED famili mifala eitfala pikinini, evriwan boy and mi nao mek-seven. First born hem nao Bill, bihaen hem Metro, John, Fred, Mike, and Alex. Mi born long 1925, and last born nao Wally. Mifala stap klosap long taon bilong Ukraina long Manitoba province. Parents bilong mifala, Michael and Anna Didur, garem wanfala smol farm. Dadi waka olsem man for fixim railroad track bilong olketa train. From olketa man wea duim disfala waka mas stap long olketa haos wea savve farawe from olketa taon and wea no fitim bigfala famili, mifala stap nomoa long farm. Dadi planti taem no stap witim mifala, so Mami nao mas waka hard for lukaftarem mifala. Samfala taem hem savve go stap witim dadi for tu-thri week, bat hem teachim mifala hao for kuki, beikem bred and nara kaikai, and duim olketa waka long haos. And from mifala olketa member bilong Greek Catholic Church, part long training wea mifala kasem from Mami hem wei for baeheartim olketa prea and duim olketa nara samting saed long worship.
Kasem Bible Truth
Feeling bilong mi for barava laek minim gud Bible hem start taem mi young. Wanfala neiba, wea hem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness, savve kam visitim famili bilong mifala evritaem and readim olketa part long Bible wea story abaotem Kingdom bilong God, Armageddon, and olketa nambawan promis abaotem niu world. Mami nating interest long story bilong man hia, bat Mike and Alex laekem datfala message. And samting tufala lanem gogo muvim tufala for no joinim army long taem bilong mek-tu world war. Mike hem go long prison for lelebet taem, and olketa sendem Alex go long wanfala labor camp long Ontario. Gogo, Fred and Wally tu acceptim truth. Bat, thrifala big brata bilong mi no acceptim truth. Mami againstim truth for samfala year bat bihaen hem mekem mifala sapraes taem hem chus for saed witim Jehovah. Hem baptaes taem hem 83 year. Mami hem kasem 96 year then hem dae. Dadi tu hem laekem truth bifor hem dae.
Taem mi 17 year, mi travel go long Winnipeg for luk aotem waka and for kaban witim olketa wea savve helpem mi studyim Bible. Long datfala taem gavman tambuim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, nomata olsem olketa meeting kamap evritaem. First meeting wea mi attendim hem long wanfala haos. From mi growap insaed Greek Catholic religion, samting wea mi firstaem herem hem difren tumas. Nomata olsem, isisi, mi start for minim why nao arrangement for garem olketa bigman long church hem no kam from Bible and reason why God no appruvim wei wea olketa bigman bilong church blessim war. (Isaiah 2:4; Matthew 23:8-10; Romans 12:17, 18) Taem mi lane abaotem laef olowe long Paradaes earth, long mi hem here moa stret winim wei for go long wanfala farawe ples for olowe.
From mi barava biliv hao diswan nao truth, mi dedicate long Jehovah and baptaes long 1942 long Winnipeg. Long 1943 gavman long Canada aotem tambu long Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and preaching waka hem kamap moa big. And tu Bible truth hem go ahed for kamap moa strong insaed heart bilong mi. Mi kasem privilege for serve olsem wanfala elder long kongregeson and tu for join insaed olketa spesol campaign for garem olketa pablik meeting long olketa difren ples insaed territory bilong kongregeson and tu for duim olketa farawe territory. Wei for attendim olketa bigfala convention long United States hem barava helpem mi for grow long spiritual wei.
Mekem Moa Big Service Long Jehovah
Long 1950, mi kamap wanfala pioneer minister, and long December long datfala year, mi kasem invitation for serve olsem wanfala circuit overseer. Mi garem privilege for kasem training long Toronto from Charlie Hepworth, wea hem wanfala loyal brata wea garem planti savve saed long traveling waka. Mi hapi tu, from brata bilong mi Alex wea hem duim circuit waka long Winnipeg hem kam waka witim mi long lastfala week bilong training bilong mi.
Bae mi hard for forgetim firstfala circuit assembly bilong mi wea hem nao mi storyim long start bilong disfala article. Mi lelebet wari abaotem wanem nao bae happen. Bat, distrik overseer bilong mifala, Brata Jack Nathan, hem mekem mifala evriwan busy and hapi. Mifala storyim olketa main point bilong assembly program witim olketa wea kam. Mifala share for talem olketa experience, practicem olketa difren wei for startim story long haos-tu-haos, hao for duim return visit, and duim demonstration long hao for conductim olketa Bible study. Mifala singim olketa Kingdom song. Planti kaikai stap tu. Klosap evri tu hour mifala drink coffee and kaikaim cake. Samfala sleep long olketa chair and long platform, and olketa narawan sleep long floor. Kasem Sunday datfala big wind and snow hem katdaon mekem 96 nao fit for kam long pablik tok. Datfala experience hem teachim mi for no givap nomata enikaen samting kamap.
Next circuit assignment bilong mi hem long northern Alberta, British Columbia, and long Yukon Territory, wea olketa kolem ples wea garem sun long midol naet. Man mas garem fasin for no givap and for careful taem hem travel and duim witnessing long Alaska Highway from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, go kasem Whitehorse, Yukon (farawe bilong hem 1,477 kilometer). Hem wanfala challenge from snow long saed maunten savve slide kam daon, maunten hem slippery, and wei wea wind blowim snow hem savve mekem hard for man lukluk gud.
Mi sapraes for lukim hao truth hem kasem area long Far North. Wantaem, mi witim Walter Lewkowicz go long wanfala smol haos klosap long wanfala vilij wea olketa kolem Lower Post, long British Columbia, long Alaska Highway klosap long border bilong Yukon Territory. Mifala savve samwan long haos from mifala lukim laet. Hem samting olsem naen klok long evening, and mifala noknok long door. Wanfala man shout kam and talem mifala for go insaed, so mifala go insaed. Mifala sapraes fogud for lukim wanfala olo man leidaon long bed and readim Wastaoa magasin! Hem garem wanfala niu magasin wea mifala bat no kasem yet. Hem explainim hao hem kasem thru long airmail. From mifala no kasem eni kongregeson for eitfala day finis, mitufala no kasem yet olketa niu magasin. Man hia talem mifala nem bilong hem Fred Berg, and nomata hem bin garem subscription for planti year, distaem nao firstaem for hem meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Fred talem mifala for stap witim hem long datfala naet. Mifala sharem planti Bible truth witim hem and mifala arrange for olketa nara Witness wea evritaem go pas long datfala ples for visitim hem.
For planti year mi duim thrifala smol circuit. Olketa start long Grande Prairie, Alberta, long east go kasem Kodiak, Alaska, long west, and disfala area hem kavarem winim 3,500 kilometer.
Mi hapi tumas for lukim hao nomata long olketa farawe ples tu, kaeness bilong Jehovah wea iumi no fit for kasem hem for evri pipol and hao spirit bilong God hem muvim mind and heart bilong olketa wea garem fasin wea fitim laef olowe. Wanfala man olsem nao hem Henry Lepine wea kam from Dawson City, Yukon, wea distaem olketa kolem Dawson. Henry hem stap long wanfala farawe area. Hem no go aot from datfala gold-mining area for winim 60 year. Bat, spirit bilong Jehovah muvim disfala olo wea 84 year for travel winim 1,600 kilometer go kasem Anchorage for attendim wanfala circuit assembly, nomata hem no attendim eni meeting bifor. Hem hapi tumas long program and hapi tu for kaban witim olketa brata. Taem hem go bak long Dawson City, Henry hem go ahed faithful go kasem taem hem dae. Planti wea savve long Henry no savve wanem nao muvim datfala olo man for travel farawe olsem. Feeling for laek savve long diswan hem gogo mekem samfala nara olo for acceptim truth. So thru long samting wea hem duim, Henry hem givim wanfala nambawan witness.
Kasem Kaeness Bilong Jehovah wea Iumi No Fit for Kasem
Long 1955, mi hapi for kasem invitation for attendim mek-26 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead. Disfala training hem strongim faith bilong mi and helpem mi kam moa klos long Jehovah. Taem mi finis training, mi kasem assignment for go ahed long circuit waka long Canada.
For samting olsem wan year, mi serve long province bilong Ontario. Then olketa assignim mi for go bak long Alaska, datfala ples wea luk naes tumas. Mi still savve lukim long mind bilong mi olketa main road wea go raonem olketa kliafala lake wea shaen and wea go ap long olketa hae maunten wea garem snow antap. Long hot season, olketa valley and field barava luk kalakala from olketa fulap witim olketa wild flaoa. Air long there hem fresh and wata hem klin. Olketa bear, wolf, moose, caribou, and olketa nara wild animal stap free insaed long bush.
Bat, Alaska hem garem olketa challenge—no just wei wea weather hem change evritaem bat tu from hem big area tumas. Circuit bilong mi hem 3,200 kilometer from east go kasem west. Long datfala taem, branch office hem no provaedem car for olketa circuit overseer. Olketa brata long datfala area nao savve draevem mi go long next kongregeson. Bat, samfala taem mi mas stopem olketa trak long road and ask for go witim olketa.
Wantaem, diswan happen long wanfala part long Alaska Highway midolwan Tok Junction, long Alaska, and Mile 1202, wea hem nao Scotty Creek area. Start long customs office long Tok Junction go kasem customs office long Mile 1202 hem 160 kilometer. Mi go pas long United States customs office long Tok Junction and go long wanfala trak for samting olsem 50 kilometer. Bihaen datwan no eni nara car hem kam pas, and mi mas wakabaot for winim 40 kilometer insaed samting olsem 10 hour. Bihaen nao mi just faendaot hao no longtaem bihaen mi lusim datfala customs office, olketa stopem evri traffic bikos snow hem slide kam daon and blokem datfala road. Kasem midol naet temperature hem go daon kasem minus 23 degrees Celsius, and mi still 80 kilometer farawe from eni ples for stap. Mi barava need for faendem wanfala ples for haed from cold mekem mi savve rest.
Taem mi isisi wakabaot, mi lukim wanfala car wea samwan lusim long saed road and wea snow hem kavarem lelebet. Mi tingse sapos mi savve go insaed and sleep long olketa chair, bae mi savve laef thru datfala coldfala naet. Mi fit for aotem inaf snow mekem mi savve openem door, bat taem mi luk insaed no eniting stap insaed, frame bilong car nomoa stap. Bat, no farawe long datfala road wanfala emti haos hem stap. Bihaen mi stragol for go insaed and laetem fire mi fit for rest for tu-thri hour. Long morning, mi meetim wanfala car wea tekem mi long wanfala rest haos, wea mi kaikai and bandagem olketa finger bilong mi wea garekil.
Jehovah Mekem Hem Grow Long North
First visit bilong mi long Fairbanks hem barava encouragem mi. Mifala kasem planti gud samting long ministry, and samting olsem 50 pipol attendim pablik tok long Sunday. Mifala hipap long smol missionary hom wea Vernor and Lorraine Davis stap. From staka pipol tumas kam samfala stap long kitchen, bedroom, and ples for wakabaot insaed datfala missionary hom for herem datfala tok. From planti pipol kam for herem tok, mifala luksavve hao sapos wanfala Kingdom Hall stap long there diswan bae helpem preaching long Fairbanks. So witim help bilong Jehovah, mifala peim wanfala bigfala building, wea bifor hem ples for dance, and muvim datwan go long pis land wea fitim. Mifala drillim wanfala well, wakem olketa bathroom and putim tu wanfala system for keepim datfala building hot. Insaed wanfala year, Fairbanks garem Kingdom Hall. Bihaen olketa buildim wanfala kitchen, olketa iusim datfala hall for wanfala distrik convention long 1958, wea 330 nao attendim.
Long hot season bilong 1960, mi travel farawe long car for go kasem world headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long New York for attendim wanfala training course for evri traveling overseer long United States and Canada. Taem mi long there, Brata Nathan Knorr and samfala nara brata storyim long mi hao olketa interest for putim wanfala branch office long Alaska. Tu-thri month bihaen, mifala hapi for herem hao start long September 1, 1961, Alaska bae garem wanfala branch office. Brata Andrew K. Wagner nao kasem assignment for luk aftarem waka long branch. Hem and waef bilong hem Vera, serve long Brooklyn for 20 year finis and olketa duim tu traveling waka bifor. Wei wea Alaska garem wanfala branch office hem barava gud tumas, from hem mekem olketa circuit overseer no need for travel farawe, wea mekem olketa savve duim moa samting saed long olketa need bilong olketa kongregeson and farawe territory.
Hot season bilong 1962 hem wanfala hapi taem long North. Dedication bilong branch long Alaska hem kamap, and wanfala distrik convention hem kamap long Juneau, Alaska. Olketa buildim olketa niu Kingdom Hall long Juneau and Whitehorse, Yukon, and samfala isolated grup hem kamap tu.
Go Bak Long Canada
For planti year, mi bin raet leta long Margareta Petras long Canada. Reta, wea hem nao nem wea olketa savve kolem hem, start insaed pioneer service long 1947, and hem graduate from Gilead long 1955, and hem pioneer long east Canada. Mi askem hem for maritim mi, and hem acceptim. Mifala marit long Whitehorse long February 1963. Long start bilong cold season long datfala year, mi kasem assignment for duim circuit waka long west Canada, and mitufala hapi for serve long there for 25 year.
From health hem start for nogud, long 1988 mitufala kasem assignment for duim spesol pioneer waka long Winnipeg, Manitoba. Insaed diswan mifala lukaftarem wanfala Assembly Hall for samting olsem faev year. Mitufala duim wanem hem fitim living bilong mitufala for still trae hard for tekpart insaed hapi waka for mek disaepol. Insaed circuit waka, mifala startim planti Bible study wea olketa narawan nao go ahed conductim. Bat distaem, from kaeness bilong Jehovah wea iumi no fit for kasem, mifala savve startim study and kasem moa hapi from mifala lukim olketa student muv ahed gud and dedicate and baptaes.
Mi barava sure hao wei for servem Jehovah hem nao best wei. Hem garem mining and mekem man satisfae, and hem mekem love bilong iumi for Jehovah kamap moa deep each day. Diswan nao samting wea bringim trufala hapi. Nomata wanem theocratic assignment iumi kasem, or wea long earth nao iumi stap, iumi agree witim man for raetem psalm wea sei: “Hapi nao olketa pipol wea God bilong olketa hem Jehovah!”—Psalm 144:15.
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Long circuit waka
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Taem mifala visitim Henry Lepine long Dawson City. Mi nao long left
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First Kingdom Hall long Anchorage
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Reta and mi, 1998