Laef Story

Jehovah Teachim Mi From Taem Mi Smol Yet

STORY BILONG RICHARD ABRAHAMSON

“O God, iu teachim mi from taem mi smol yet, and kam kasem distaem mi go ahed for tok abaotem olketa nambawan waka bilong iu.” Letem mi explainim why toktok hia bilong Psalm 71:17 garem spesol mining for mi.

LONG 1924, olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor, visitim mami bilong mi Fannie Abrahamson. Mi wan year nomoa long datfala taem. Taem Mami lanem olketa truth from Bible, hem savve kwiktaem go long olketa neiba and storyim olketa samting hem lanem, and tu hem teachim mi and big brata and sista bilong mi. Bifor mi savve hao for read, Mami helpem mi for baeheartim staka scripture abaotem olketa blessing bilong Kingdom bilong God.

Samfala year bifor 1930, tu-thri woman and pikinini nomoa insaed Bible Student grup bilong mifala long La Grande, Oregon, U.S.A., ples mi born and growap long hem. Nomata mifala stap farawe, olketa traveling overseer savve visitim mifala wan or tufala taem evri year. Olketa savve givim tok wea barava encouragem mifala, go witim mifala long haos-tu-haos ministry, and kaen long olketa pikinini. Samfala long olketa hia hem Shield Toutjian, Gene Orrell, and John Booth.

Long 1931 no eniwan from grup bilong mifala savve attendim datfala convention long Columbus, Ohio, wea olketa Bible Student kasem datfala nem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bat olketa kongregeson and olketa farawe grup wea no go long datfala convention olketa meet tugeta long August for acceptim resolution for garem datfala niu nem. Smolfala grup bilong mifala long La Grande duim diswan. Then, long datfala campaign bilong 1933 for givimaot datfala buklet The Crisis, mi baeheartim wanfala story from Bible, and hem nao firstaem wea mi witness seleva from haos tu haos.

Long olketa year bihaen 1930, wei for pipol againstim waka bilong mifala kamap moa big. For deal witim diswan, olketa divaedem olketa kongregeson long olketa grup wea olketa kolem division, wea savve hipap tugeta long olketa smol assembly, and duim spesol preaching assignment wan or tufala taem evri year. Long olketa assembly hia mifala lanem olketa difren wei for preach and hao for deal witim olketa police long wei wea showimaot respect. From staka taem olketa tekem olketa Witness go long wanfala police judge or kot, mifala savve practicem information from wanfala pepa wea olketa kolem Order of Trial. Diswan redyim mifala for deal witim olketa wea againstim mifala.

Bible Truth Start for Grow

Mi go ahed for grow long wei for minim and tinghae long olketa Bible truth and hope from Bible for laef olowe long earth anda long Kingdom bilong God long heven. Long datfala taem, olketa no encouragem olketa wea no garem hope for rul long heven witim Christ for baptaes. (Revelation 5:10; 14:1, 3) Nomata olsem, olketa talem mi hao sapos mi disaed strong long heart for duim will bilong Jehovah, hem fitim for mi baptaes. Mi duim diswan long August 1933.

Taem mi 12 year, teacher bilong mi ting mi go ahed gud long wei for toktok long pablik, so hem encouragem Mami for arrangem moa training for mi. Mami ting diswan maet helpem mi for kamap moabeta long wei for servem Jehovah. So hem was kaleko for woman wea teachim mi olketa leson olsem pei for wan year. Datfala training helpem ministry bilong mi. Taem mi 14 year, mi kasem rheumatic fever, wea mekem mi missim skul for winim wan year.

Long 1939 wanfala full-taem minister wea nem bilong hem Warren Henschel visit kam.a Long spiritual wei, hem big brata bilong mi and hem savve tekem mi aot long field ministry for full day. Hem helpem mi for pioneer long taem bilong holiday. Long datfala hot season, olketa organizem grup bilong mifala olsem wanfala kongregeson. Olketa appointim Warren for kamap kongregeson servant, and mi Wastaoa Study conductor. Taem Warren go for serve long Bethel, wea hem international headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn, New York, mi kamap kongregeson servant.

Startim Full-Taem Ministry

Moa responsibility wea mi kasem taem mi serve olsem kongregeson servant hem strongim feeling bilong mi for laek duim full-taem ministry. Mi duim diswan taem mi 17 year, bihaen mi finisim mek-thri year bilong hae skul. Dadi no garem sem religion olsem mifala, bat hem provaed gud for mifala and hem man wea followim olketa hae principle. Hem laekem mi for go long college. Bat hem talem tu hao mi savve duim wanem mi laekem only sapos mi no depend long hem for ples for stap and kaikai. So mi start pioneer long September 1, 1940.

Taem mi lusim hom, mami askem mi for readim Proverbs 3:5, 6: “Trustim Jehovah witim full heart bilong iu and no depend long savve bilong iuseleva. Long evri samting iu duim, lisin long hem, and hemseleva nao bae stretem gogo bilong iu.” And tru nao, wei wea mi evritaem depend long Jehovah long evri samting mi duim hem barava helpem mi.

No longtaem bihaen, mi go witim Joe and Margaret Hart long ministry long north-central Washington State. Datfala territory garem olketa farm for buluka and sheep, ples bilong olketa American Indian, and staka smol taon and vilij. Long spring bilong 1941, mi kasem assignment for kamap kongregeson servant long kongregeson long Wenatchee, Washington.

Long wanfala assembly bilong mifala long Walla Walla, Washington, mi serve olsem attendant, for welkamim olketa wea kam insaed hall. Mi lukim wanfala young brata wea stragol for mekem laod-speaker waka bat hard. So mi askem hem for hem duim assignment bilong mi, and mi duim assignment bilong hem. Taem regional servant, Albert Hoffman, kam bak and lukim mi lusim assignment bilong mi, hem explainim long mi witim naes smile wei wea hem important for no lusim assignment go kasem taem iu kasem direction for duim olsem. Mi nating forgetim datfala kaonsel.

Long August 1941, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness planim wanfala big convention long St. Louis, Missouri. Joe and Margaret Hart putim kava ovarem trak bilong tufala and wakem olketa samting for sidaon long hem insaed. Naenfala long mifala olketa pioneer travel for 2,400 kilometer go long St. Louis insaed disfala trak. Datfala gogo hem tekem wan week for go and wan week for kam bak. Long convention, police sei peak attendance hem samting olsem 115,000. Nomata maet attendance no really kasem datfala namba, hem barava ovarem namba bilong Olketa Witness long United States long datfala taem wea hem samting olsem 65,000. Datfala convention hem barava strongim mi long spiritual wei.

Serve Long Brooklyn Bethel

Bihaen mi kam bak long Wenatchee, mi kasem leta wea askem mi for serve long Brooklyn Bethel. Taem mi kasem there long October 27, 1941, olketa tekem mi go long office bilong Nathan H. Knorr, overseer bilong factory. Long kaenfala wei hem explainim long mi living long Bethel and hem strongim long mi hao wei for stap klos long Jehovah hem important long wei for win for stap long Bethel. Then olketa tekem mi go long Shipping Department and mi kasem waka for taemap olketa box literature for shipping.

Long January 8, 1942, Joseph Rutherford, wea leadim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness evriwea long world, hem dae. Faevfala day bihaen, olketa director bilong Society chusim Brata Knorr for changem hem. Taem W. E. Van Amburgh, wea secretary-treasurer bilong Society for longfala taem hem announcem diswan long Bethel famili, hem sei: “Mi remember taem wea C. T. Russell hem dae [long 1916] and J. F. Rutherford changem hem. Lord hem go ahed for directim and blessim waka bilong Hem. Distaem, mi barava sure waka bae muv ahed witim Nathan H. Knorr olsem president, bikos diswan hem waka bilong Lord and no bilong man.”

Long February 1942, olketa announcem hao olketa bae startim wanfala “Advanced Course in Theocratic Ministry.” Disfala skul garem purpose for trainim olketa long Bethel for kamap moabeta long wei for duim research long olketa Bible subject, organizem gud information olketa kasem, and talemaot long gudfala wei. Training wea mi kasem finis saed long wei for tok long pablik helpem mi for muv ahed kwiktaem long disfala program.

No longtaem bihaen, mi kasem assignment for waka long Service Department, wea lukaftarem ministry bilong olketa Witness long United States. Insaed datfala sem year, olketa disaed for startim bak program for olketa minister visitim olketa kongregeson bilong olketa Witness. Olketa traveling minister hia, wea mifala kolem olketa servant bilong olketa brata, gogo olketa kasem nem circuit overseer. Long hot season bilong 1942, olketa arrangem wanfala skul long Bethel for trainim olketa brata for diskaen ministry, and mi kasem privilege for joinim olketa wea kasem training. Mi remember Brata Knorr, wanfala long olketa teacher, hem strongim disfala point long mifala: “No trae for mekem olketa man hapi. Bae no eniwan nomoa iu mekem hapi. Mekem Jehovah hapi, and iu bae mekem evriwan wea lovem Jehovah hapi.”

Olketa startim traveling waka long October 1942. Samfala long mifala long Bethel duim diswan long samfala weekend and visitim olketa kongregeson wea stap insaed area wea 400 kilometer raonem New York City. Mifala lukluk long olketa report bilong preaching waka bilong kongregeson and meeting attendance, meeting witim olketa wea garem responsibility insaed kongregeson, givim wan or tufala tok, and duim ministry witim olketa Witness long datfala area.

Long 1944, mi wanfala long olketa from Service Department wea serve long traveling waka for sixfala month long Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Bihaen, for tu-thri month, mi visitim olketa kongregeson long Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island. Taem mi kam bak long Bethel, mi waka part-taem long office witim Brata Knorr and secretary bilong hem Milton Henschel, wea mi kasem moa savve abaotem waka bilong iumi evriwea long world. Mi serve part-taem tu long Treasurer’s Office anda long W. E. Van Amburgh and assistant bilong hem, Grant Suiter. Then, long 1946, olketa appointim mi for overseer bilong samfala office long Bethel.

Olketa Big Change Long Laef Bilong Mi

Taem mi servem olketa kongregeson long 1945, mi meetim Julia Charnauskas long taon bilong Providence, Rhode Island. Long 1947 mitufala tingting for marit. Mi barava laekem Bethel service, bat long semtaem, no eni arrangement stap for marit partner serve witim iu long Bethel. So long January 1948, mi lusim Bethel, and mitufala Julia (Julie) marit. Mi kasem part-taem waka long wanfala big stoa long Providence, and mitufala startim pioneer ministry tugeta.

Long September 1949, olketa invaetem mi for duim circuit waka long northwest Wisconsin. Hem bigfala change for mitufala Julie for preach long olketa smol taon and farm bilong olketa buluka. Olketa cold season tek longtaem and cold tumas. Staka week temperature no savve winim -18 degrees Celsius and hem snow tumas. Mifala no garem car. Nomata olsem, samwan evritaem provaedem transport for mifala go long next kongregeson.

No longtaem bihaen mifala startim circuit waka, mifala garem wanfala circuit assembly. Mi remember hao mi mekem samfala fraet taem mi barava chek gud for mek sure olketa duim evri waka. So distrik overseer, Nicholas Kovalak, hem explainim long kaenfala wei hao olketa lokol brata getius for duim waka followim wei bilong olketa seleva and hao mi no need for stretem evri sismol samting. Datfala advaes barava helpem mi deal witim staka assignment wea mi kasem bihaen.

Long 1950, mi kasem wanfala assignment wea for lelebet taem nomoa—⁠for lukaftarem accommodation for olketa wea attendim firstfala big convention long Yankee Stadium long New York City. Datfala convention barava nambawan from start go kasem end, from evriwan wea attend kam from 67 difren kantri and peak attendance hem 123,707! Bihaen long convention, mitufala Julie go ahed moa long traveling ministry. Mifala enjoyim datfala circuit waka. Nomata olsem, mifala feel mifala shud go ahed for offerim mifala for eni full-taem service. So each year mitufala apply for Bethel and missionary service. Long 1952 mitufala hapi for kasem invitation for attendim mek-20 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead for kasem training for duim missionary waka.

Serve Long Difren Kantri

Bihaen mifala finis skul long 1953, olketa assignim mitufala go long Britain, wea mi duim distrik waka long south bilong England. Mitufala Julie barava enjoyim disfala waka bat insaed wan year mitufala sapraes for kasem assignment for go long Denmark. Branch office long Denmark needim wanfala niu overseer. From mi stap klosap and kasem training finis long Brooklyn for kaen waka olsem, olketa sendem mi for help. Mitufala go long ship for kasem Netherlands, and from there mitufala go long wanfala train for kasem Copenhagen, Denmark. Mitufala arrive long August 9, 1954.

Wanfala problem wea mifala need for deal witim hem wei wea samfala brata wea lead fail for acceptim direction from headquarters long Brooklyn. And tu, thrifala long fofala transleita wea transleitim olketa pablikeson bilong iumi go long Danish languis lusim Bethel and gogo no kaban moa witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bat Jehovah ansarem prea bilong mifala. Tufala pioneer, Jørgen and Anna Larsen, wea bin duim lelebet part-taem transleison waka willing for duim full-taem. So transleison bilong olketa magasin bilong iumi go long Danish languis go ahed and no eni magasin miss. Jørgen and Anna Larsen stap long Bethel long Denmark kam kasem distaem, and Jørgen hem coordinator bilong Branch Komiti.

Long olketa year hia, mifala kasem bigfala encouragement from olketa visit bilong Brata Knorr. Hem savve sidaon and storyim olketa tru laef story wea givim mifala savve long hao for deal witim olketa problem. Long wanfala visit long 1955, olketa disaed for buildim niu branch wea savve duim printing mekem mifala savve wakem olketa magasin for Denmark. Olketa kasem property long north part bilong Copenhagen, and long hot season bilong 1957, mifala muv go long wanfala niu building. Harry Johnson witim waef bilong hem, Karin, wea tufala just kasem Denmark bihaen tufala skul long mek-26 class bilong Gilead, help for startim waka long factory for printing.

Mifala kamap moabeta long wei for organizem olketa big convention long Denmark, and experience wea mi kasem saed long olketa convention long United States hem barava helpem mi. Long 1961, olketa brata from winim 30 kantri kam long big international convention long Copenhagen. Peak attendance hem 33,513. Long 1969, mifala lukaftarem wanfala convention wea no eni nara convention long Scandinavia hem big winim, wea peak attendance hem 42,073!

Long 1963, mi kasem invitation for attendim mek-38 class bilong Gilead. Diswan hem niufala ten-month course wea especially for trainim olketa wea waka long branch. Hem naes tumas for stap moa witim Brooklyn Bethel famili and for kasem gud samting from experience bilong olketa wea bin waka for staka year long headquarter.

Bihaen disfala training, mi go bak long Denmark for go ahed for duim olketa responsibility long there. And tu, mi kasem privilege for serve olsem zone overseer, wea mi savve visitim olketa branch long western and northern Europe for givim olketa brata wea waka long Bethel encouragement and help for fulfillim responsibility bilong olketa. Insaed olketa year wea just go pas, mi duim diswan long West Africa and long Caribbean.

Midolwan 1975 and 1980, olketa brata long Denmark start for luk aotem eni ples wea olketa savve buildim ples wea moa big for fitim transleison waka and printing waka wea kamap moa big. Olketa faendem wanfala naes pis land samting olsem 60 kilometer west long Copenhagen. Witim samfala narawan, mi waka witim olketa wea planim and designim disfala niu building, and mitufala Julie luk forward for stap witim Bethel famili insaed naesfala niu hom bilong mifala. Bat, hem no happen olsem.

Go Bak Long Brooklyn

Long November 1980, mitufala Julie kasem invitation for serve long Bethel long Brooklyn, and mifala kasem there early long January 1981. Long datfala taem mifala winim 50 year, and from mifala serve klosap haf long laef bilong mifala witim olketa brata and sista long Denmark, hem barava hard for go bak long United States. Bat, mifala no ting abaotem wea nao mifala laek for stap bat trae for tingim nomoa niu assignment and olketa challenge wea join witim diswan.

Mifala kasem Brooklyn and setol daon. Julie kasem assignment for waka long accounting office, klosap sem waka hem duim long Denmark. Mi kasem assignment for waka long Writing Department for help wakem schedule long taem for printim olketa pablikeson. Wei wea mifala waka long Brooklyn hem change tu-thri year bihaen 1980, from mifala lusim wei for iusim typewriter and typesetting and start for iusim computer and offset printing. Mi nating savve eniting abaotem computer bat garem lelebet savve long wei for organizem waka and for waka witim pipol.

Lelebet taem bihaen, need kamap for organizem gud Art Department bikos hem change for kamap full-kala offset printing and iusim olketa kala drawing and foto. Nomata mi no garem eni savve olsem wanfala artist, mi savve help witim wei for organizem waka. So mi garem privilege for waka olsem overseer bilong datfala department for naenfala year.

Long 1992 mi kasem assignment for helpem Publishing Komiti bilong Governing Body and olketa muvim mi go long Treasurer’s Office. Mi go ahed yet for serve saed long selen bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

Serve From Taem Mi Smol Yet

From taem mi barava smol yet and insaed 70 year bilong faithful service, long patient wei Jehovah hem teachim mi thru long Word bilong hem, Bible, and thru long olketa brata wea helpem mi insaed nambawan organization bilong hem. Mi enjoyim winim 63 year insaed full-taem ministry, winim 55 long olketa year hia hem witim loyal waef bilong mi, Julie. Tru nao, mi feel olsem Jehovah hem barava blessim mi.

Long 1940, taem mi lusim hom for startim pioneer service, dadi bilong mi mekfani long disison bilong mi and sei: “Son, taem iu lusim hom for duim diswan, no ting iu savve ran kam bak long mi for eni help.” Insaed olketa year wea go pas, mi nating need for duim datwan. Jehovah givim mi evriting mi needim, staka taem diswan hem thru long olketa nara Christian brata wea helpem mi. Bihaen nao Dadi bilong mi gogo respectim waka bilong iumi and hem lanem lelebet Bible truth bifor hem dae long 1972. Mami, wea garem hope for laef long heven, go ahed for faithful for servem Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long 1985, taem hem 102 year.

Nomata olketa problem savve kamap long full-taem ministry, mitufala Julie nating ting for lusim assignment. Jehovah evritaem saportim mifala long disfala disison. Nomata long taem parents bilong mi kamap olo and needim help, sista bilong mi, Victoria Marlin, offerim help and long kaenfala wei kea for tufala. Mitufala barava thankiu for help bilong hem, wea helpem mitufala for go ahed long full-taem ministry.

Long evri assignment bilong mitufala Julie hem loyal for saportim mi and hem ting long diswan olsem part long wei wea hemseleva dedicate long Jehovah. And nomata mi winim 80 year distaem and garem samfala health problem, mi feel olsem Jehovah barava blessim mifala. Mi kasem bigfala encouragement from man wea raetem psalm, wea bihaen hem talemaot wei wea God teachim hem from taem hem young, hem ask strong, ‘Nomata taem mi olo, O God, no lusim mi, go kasem taem wea mi savve tok abaotem strong bilong iu long evriwan wea bae kam.’—⁠Psalm 71:17, 18.

[Footnote]

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Witim Mami long 1940, taem mi start pioneer

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Witim Joe and Margaret Hart wea mi pioneer witim

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Wedding day bilong mitufala long January 1948

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Long 1953, witim olketa nara Gilead classmate. Left go kasem raet: Don and Virginia Ward, Geertruida Stegenga, mitufala Julie

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Witim Frederick W.Franz and Nathan H. Knorr long Copenhagen, Denmark, 1961

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Mitufala Julie distaem