Laef Story

Mifala Disaed Strong for Followim Rul Bilong God

STORY BILONG MICHAL ŽOBRÁK

Bihaen mi stap separate from olketa nara prisoner for wanfala month, olketa pullim mi go long man for kwestinim mi. Insaed shortfala taem nomoa, hem kros tumas and singaot big: “Iufala olketa spae! Olketa spae bilong America!” Wanem nao mekem hem kros tumas? Hem just askem mi nomoa wanem nao religion bilong mi, and mi sei: “Mi wanfala Jehovah’s Witness.”

DISWAN happen long mi long olketa year bilong 1950. Communist nao rulim kantri wea mi stap long hem long datfala taem. Bat, from Christian waka bilong mifala for teach mifala kasem barava strongfala persecution longfala taem bifor diswan.

War Barava Spoelem Mifala

Mi eit year taem World War I start long 1914. Long datfala taem, king bilong Austria-Hungary nao rulim vilij bilong mi, Zálužice. Datfala war changem samting wea happen long world and forcem mi tu for duim waka bilong big man. Insaed first year bilong datfala war, dadi bilong mi wea hem wanfala soldia hem dae. Diswan mekem mami, tufala sista bilong mi and mi barava poor. Mi duim staka waka long smol farm and haos bilong mifala from mi nao firstborn and only boy long famili. From taem mi smol boy mi strong long lotu. Long taem wea minister long Reformed (Calvinist) Church bilong mifala no stap, hem savve askem mi for changem hem for teachim olketa skulfren bilong mi.

Mifala hapi tumas taem World War I finis long 1918. Rul bilong Austria-Hungary foldaon, and mifala kamap pipol bilong Republic of Czechoslovakia. Staka pipol long ples bilong mifala wea muv go long America kam bak no longtaem bihaen datwan. Wanfala long olketa hia wea kam long vilij bilong mifala long 1922 hem Michal Petrík. Mi and mami kasem invitation tu for go long haos bilong wanfala famili wea hem visitim long area bilong mifala.

Rul Bilong God Kamap Tru Samting Long Mifala

Michal hem wanfala Bible Student, wea hem nao nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor. Hem savve story abaotem olketa subject from Bible wea mekem mi interest tumas. Subject wea mi interest tumas long hem nao Kingdom bilong Jehovah. (Daniel 2:44) Taem hem sei wanfala Christian meeting bae kamap long vilij bilong Záhor long next Sunday, mi disaed for attendim. Mi wekap long foa klok long morning and wakabaot eit kilometer for kasem kasin bilong mi for askem bicycle bilong hem. Bihaen mi changem flat tire, mi raed for 24 kilometer go long Záhor. Mi raed slow nomoa long wanfala street bikos mi no savve long ples for meeting. Then mi heresavve long Kingdom song long wanfala haos. Mi hapi tumas. Mi go long haos hia and explainim why nao mi kam. Olketa invaetem mi for kaikai witim olketa, and then mifala evriwan go long meeting. Nomata mi mas raedem bicycle and wakabaot 32 kilometer for kasem bak haos, mi nating taed nomoa.—Isaiah 40:31.

Mi interest tumas long wei wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness explainim Bible long kliafala wei. Hope for garem laef wea gud and mekem man satisfae barava affectim mi. (Psalm 104:28) Mi and mami disaed for raetem leta for aotem nem bilong mitufala from church. Diswan mekem bigfala story kamap long vilij. For lelebet taem samfala pipol no laek story witim mifala, nomata olsem mitufala fren gud witim olketa Witness long ples wea mifala stap. (Matthew 5:11, 12) No longtaem bihaen datwan, mi baptaes long Uh River.

Waka for Preach Kamap Main Samting Long Laef Bilong Mifala

Mifala preach abaotem Kingdom bilong Jehovah long evri chance wea kamap. (Matthew 24:14) Mifala ting strong for organize gud for preach long evri Sunday. Waka bilong mifala for preach savve start long barava early morning from hem wei bilong pipol long datfala ples for wekap early. Wanfala pablik meeting savve kamap bihaen insaed datfala day. Olketa wea teachim Bible savve story gud tumas. Olketa savve tingim haomas pipol nao interest, wanem nao lotu bilong olketa, and olketa samting wea olketa wari abaotem.

Truth from Bible wea mifala preach abaotem givim savve long staka pipol wea garem honest heart. No longtaem bihaen mi baptaes, mi preach long vilij bilong Trhovište. Long wanfala haos mi story witim Zuzana Moskal, wanfala woman wea kaen and story gud. Hem and famili bilong hem garem sem lotu olsem mi bifor, wea hem nao Calvinist. Nomata hem savve long Bible, hem no kasem ansa for olketa Bible kwestin bilong hem. Mifala story for wan hour, and mi givim hem buk The Harp of God.a

Famili bilong Moskal savve readim datfala Harp buk bihaen long taem wea olketa duim Bible reading. Long datfala vilij staka famili interest and start attendim olketa meeting. Minister bilong Calvinist religion talemaot strongfala warning againstim mifala and literature bilong mifala. Then samfala wea interest askem minister for kam long wanfala pablik meeting bilong mifala mekem hem savve pruvim sapos teaching bilong mifala hem no stret.

Nomata datfala minister kam, hem no savve talem eni samting for sapotim olketa teaching bilong hem from Bible. Hem sei: “Iumi no savve bilivim evriting insaed Bible. From olketa man nomoa raetem Bible, pipol savve explainim olketa kwestin abaotem religion long staka difren wei.” From diswan, staka mekem bigfala change. Samfala talem datfala minister sapos hem no bilivim Bible, bae olketa no lisin moa long olketa sermon bilong hem. Diswan muvim olketa for aotem nem from Calvinist Church, and samting olsem 30 pipol long datfala vilij stand strong for truth from Bible.

Mi laek for maritim girl from famili wea strong long spiritual wei bikos main samting long laef bilong mifala hem waka for preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom. Ján Petruška wea lanem truth long America, hem wanfala long olketa wea mi waka witim long ministry. Mi barava laekem Mária, dota bilong hem wea evritaem redi for preach olsem dadi bilong hem. Mitufala marit long 1936, and Mária kamap faithful waef bilong mi for 50 year go kasem taem hem dae long 1986. Only pikinini bilong mitufala, Eduard, hem born long 1938. Long datfala taem, luk olsem nara war klosap kamap long Europe. Hao nao diswan bae affectim waka for preach?

Christian Wei for No Teksaed Kasem Test

Olketa Nazi nao kontrolem Slovakia, wea hem wanfala separate kantri, taem World War II start. Nomata olsem, gavman no duim eniting againstim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bat, from olketa tambuim literature, mifala mas waka long wei wea haed and long wisefala wei.—Matthew 10:16.

Nomata mi winim 35 year, gavman chusim mi for joinim army from war kamap big. Mi nating willing for tekpart long war bikos long Christian fasin for no teksaed. (Isaiah 2:2-4) Gud samting nao, bifor gavman disaedem wanem for duim witim mi, mifala evriwan wea sem age kamap free.

Mifala luksavve hao laef bilong olketa Christian brata wea stap long taon hem moa hard winim mifala wea stap long vilij. Mifala laek sharem wanem mifala garem. (2 Corinthians 8:14) So, mifala tekem staka kaikai and travel for 500 kilometer for kasem Bratislava. Strongfala Christian wei for fren and love wea mifala garem long taem bilong war helpem mifala stand strong long olketa hardfala taem wea kamap bihaen.

Kasem Encouragement wea Mifala Needim

Slovakia kamap part moa bilong Czechoslovakia bihaen World War II. Olketa hipap bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kamap long Brno or Prague from 1946 go kasem 1948. Mifala wea from eastern Slovakia travel long olketa spesol train for go long ples bilong olketa hipap. From mifala singsing full-taem long disfala gogo iu savve kolem olketa train hia olketa train for singsing.—Acts 16:25.

Wanfala samting wea mekem mi rememberim hipap long Brno long 1947 hem taem thrifala Christian overseer from headquarter and Brata Nathan Knorr attendim disfala hipap. Staka long mifala wakabaot raon long datfala taon witim olketa saen for talemaot theme bilong datfala pablik tok. Eduard, son bilong mitufala wea naen year no hapi from hem no kasem wanfala saen. So olketa brata wakem olketa smol saen for hem and staka nara pikinini tu. Olketa pikinini hia duim gudfala waka for talem pipol abaotem disfala tok!

Communist gavman start for rul long February 1948. Mifala savve no longtaem bihaen, gavman bae duim samting for stopem waka bilong mifala for preach and teach. Long September 1948 wanfala hipap kamap long Prague. Mifala barava feel sorre from mifala luksavve hao bihaen thrifala year nomoa wea mifala free for hipap tugeta, gavman bae tambuim diswan. Bifor end bilong disfala hipap, mifala agree long disison wea part bilong hem sei: “Mifala Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea hipap tugeta long hia . . . disaed strong for duim moa samting long disfala hapi waka and thru long kaeness wea mifala no fit for kasem bilong Lord, mifala laek gohed strong long taem bilong olketa test, and strong moa for talemaot gospel bilong kingdom bilong God.”

Enemy Bilong Gavman

Bihaen tufala month nomoa bilong datfala hipap, police go insaed Bethel wea stap klosap long Prague. Olketa tekova long building, tekem eni literature olketa faendem, and arrestim evri Bethelite and samfala nara Christian brata. Bat samfala problem moa bae kamap.

Long naet bilong February 3 and 4, 1952, police go evriwea and arrestim winim 100 Witness. Olketa arrestim mi tu. Police wekapem famili bilong mi long samting olsem thri klok long morning. Olketa askem mi for go witim olketa and no explainim tu reason for diswan. Olketa chainim and satem eye bilong mi and torowem mi witim olketa nara brata insaed wanfala trak. Mi stap insaed prison cell wea separate from olketa nara prisoner.

No eniwan story witim mi for wanfala month. Man wea mi lukim nomoa hem gard wea pushim kam barava lelebet kaikai insaed long wanfala hol long door. Then man for kwestinim mi wea mi storyim firstaem talem mi for go lukim hem. Bihaen hem sei mi wanfala spae, hem sei tu: “Religion no savve helpem man. No eni God stap! Mifala bae no letem iu laea long olketa wakman bilong mifala. Tufala wei nomoa stap, bae mifala hangem iu or iu bae isisi dae insaed prison. And sapos God bilong iu kam long hia, mifala bae killim hem dae tu!”

From olketa luksavve hao waka bilong mifala hem stret nomoa followim law, olketa trae for sei mifala enemy bilong gavman and spae bilong nara kantri. For duim olsem, olketa trae for mekem mifala wikdaon and for trikim mifala for agree long olketa laea toktok. Bigman hia no letem mi sleep bihaen hem kwestinim mi. Insaed tu-thri hour nomoa hem kwestinim mi moa. Distaem hem laekem mi for saenem pepa wea garem disfala toktok: “From mi wanfala enemy bilong People’s Democratic Czechoslovakia mi no joinim farm bilong gavman bikos mi weitim pipol bilong America.” Taem mi les for saenem pepa hia wea talem laea toktok, olketa putim mi long prison cell.

Olketa stopem mi for sleep, leidaon, or sidaon tu. Mi standap and wakabaot raon nomoa. Taem mi taed tumas, mi leidaon long cement floor. Then olketa gard tekem mi go bak long office bilong man for kwestinim mi. Hem askem mi “Waswe, bae iu saen distaem?” Hem hitim feis bilong mi taem mi les for saen. Blood start kamaot from body bilong mi. Then hem singaot big long olketa gard: “Hem laek killim hemseleva dae. Lukluk gud long hem nogud hem suisaed!” Olketa tekem mi bak long prison wea mi stap separate from olketa nara prisoner. For sixfala month olketa iusim diskaen teknik for kwestinim mi staka taem. Nomata olketa trae forcem tingting bilong politik long mi and trae mekem mi sei mi enemy bilong Gavman, mi gohed strong long disison bilong mi for faithful long Jehovah.

Wanfala lawyer bilong gavman wea kam from Prague kwestinim each wan long mifala 12-fala brata bifor mifala go long kot. Hem askem mi: “Wanem nao bae iu duim sapos olketa nara kantri attakim kantri bilong iumi?” Mi ansarem hem olsem: “Mi no faet taem disfala kantri and Hitler attakim Russia, and bae mi no faet distaem tu from mi wanfala Christian and mi no teksaed.” Then hem sei long mi: “Mifala kanduit acceptim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Mifala needim olketa soldia nogud olketa nara kantri attakim mifala, and mifala needim olketa soldia for mekem free olketa wakman bilong mifala long olketa kantri wea no Communist.”

Long July 24, 1953, mifala go long kot. Twelvfala long mifala go wan bae wan front long olketa judge. Mifala iusim chance hia for witness abaotem faith bilong mifala. Bihaen mifala ansarem laea toktok wea olketa talem, wanfala lawyer standap and sei: “Mi stap staka taem insaed disfala kotrum. Planti taem man savve talemaot hao hem rong, hem repent, and maet krae tu. Bat, olketa man hia bae kamap moa strong bihaen olketa go aot from disfala kotrum.” Olketa talemaot mifala twelvfala evriwan guilty for plan for duim nogud samting againstim Gavman. Olketa markem mi for stap long prison for thrifala year and Gavman tekem evri material samting bilong mi.

Mi Gohed Nomata Mi Olo

Police still spaem mi bihaen mi go aot from prison. Nomata olsem, mi startim bak theocratic waka and mi kasem responsibility for lukaftarem kongregeson. Nomata olketa letem mifala for stap insaed haos bilong mifala, samting olsem 40 year bihaen, taem Communist gavman foldaon, mifala tekem bak long wei wea stret followim law.

Mi no last wan long famili for stap long prison. Olketa chusim Eduard for joinim army bihaen mi go bak long haos for thrifala year nomoa. From hem kasem training from Bible, hem nating willing and olketa putim hem insaed prison. Peter, granson bilong mi kasem sem samting samfala year bihaen nomata health bilong hem no mas gud.

Communist gavman bilong Czechoslovakia foldaon long year 1989. Mi hapi tumas from mi free for preach long haos tu haos bihaen olketa tambuim diswan for 40 year! (Acts 20:20) Mi enjoy for duim disfala waka followim wanem mi fit for duim. From distaem mi 98 year, health bilong mi no mas gud olsem bifor. Bat mi hapi mi savve still witness long pipol abaotem olketa nambawan promis bilong Jehovah for future.

Mi savve tingim go bak hao 12-fala leader bilong faevfala difren kantri nao rulim taon mi stap long hem. Insaed long olketa hia nao hem olketa dictator, president, and wanfala king. No eniwan long olketa finisim problem bilong pipol wea stap anda long rul bilong olketa. (Psalm 146:3, 4) Mi thankiu long Jehovah from taem mi smol yet hem mekem wei for mi savve long hem. Dastawe, mi luksavve hao Messiah Kingdom nomoa bae stretem evriting and for mi stap klia long wei for garem laef wea iusles wea no tingim God. From mi busy for preachim nambawan gud nius for winim 75 year, diswan mekem laef bilong mi garem mining, wei for satisfae, and nambawan hope for laef olowe long earth. Tru nao diswan hem barava gud nius.b

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 26]

No longtaem bihaen mitufala marit

[Piksa long page 26]

Mi and Eduard long olketa first year bilong 1940

[Piksa long page 27]

Olketa saen for talem pipol abaotem hipap long Brno, long 1947