Laef Story

Mifala Lane for Barava Trust Long Jehovah

STORY BILONG NATALIE HOLTORF

Long wanfala day long June 1945, wanfala man wea luk sik hem kam long haos bilong mifala and standap kwaet aotsaed. Ruth, smol girl bilong mi hem seke and singaot kam: “Mami, wanfala man long aotsaed!” Ruth nating savve hao disfala man nao dadi bilong hem and hasband bilong mi, Ferdinand. Tufala year bifor, just thrifala day bihaen Ruth hem born, olketa Nazi arrestim Ferdinand and putim hem long wanfala raf prison. Bat distaem, hem firstaem for Ruth lukim dadi bilong hem and famili bilong mifala stap tugeta moa. Mitufala Ferdinand garem staka samting for story!

FERDINAND hem born long 1909 long taon bilong Kiel long Germany, and mi born long 1907 long taon bilong Dresden, long Germany tu. Firstaem wea famili bilong mi story witim Olketa Bible Student, wea hem nao nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor, hem taem mi 12 year. Taem mi 19 year, mi lusim Evangelical Church and dedicatem laef bilong mi long Jehovah.

Long semtaem, Ferdinand finisim skul bilong hem long college wea trainim man for kamap sailor. Long olketa taem wea hem waka long ship Ferdinand savve ting raonem olketa kwestin abaotem Creator. Taem Ferdinand kasem bak Germany hem savve go visitim brata bilong hem wea hem wanfala Bible Student. Datwan mekem Ferdinand for luksavve hao Bible garem olketa ansa for olketa kwestin wea hem tingting raonem. Hem lusim Lutheran Church, and tu hem disaed for lusim waka bilong hem olsem sailor. Bihaen firstaem wea hem share insaed waka for preach hem luksavve hao diswan nao waka wea hem laek duim for full laef bilong hem. Long datfala sem naet, Ferdinand dedicatem laef bilong hem long Jehovah. Hem baptaes long August 1931.

Waka Olsem Sailor and Man for Preach

Long November 1931, Ferdinand go long Netherlands for helpem waka for preach. Taem Ferdinand talem brata wea lukaftarem waka for preach long datfala kantri hao hem wanfala sailor, datfala brata sei: “Iu nao man wea mifala needim!” Olketa brata rentim wanfala smol ship mekem samfala pioneer (olketa wea preach evritaem) savve preach long pipol wea stap saedem wata long north part bilong disfala kantri. Disfala smol ship garem faevfala crew bat no eniwan long olketa savve duim waka bilong kapten. So Ferdinand nao kamap kapten.

Six-fala month bihaen, Ferdinand start waka olsem wanfala pioneer, long Tilburg, long south Netherlands. Long datfala taem mi tu arrive for pioneer long Tilburg, and mi meetim Ferdinand. Bat no longtaem bihaen mifala kasem assignment for muv go long province wea olketa kolem Groningen, wea stap long north bilong disfala kantri. Long October 1932 mitufala marit long there, and stap long sem haos witim olketa nara pioneer.

Long 1935, Esther, dota bilong mitufala hem born. Nomata mifala no garem staka selen, mitufala disaed strong for gohed pioneer. Mifala muv go long wanfala vilij and stap long wanfala smol haos. Long day wea mi keepim baby long haos, hasband bilong mi go preach for full day. Long next day bae hasband bilong mi keepim baby and mi moa go preach. Mitufala duim olsem gogo kasem taem wea Esther hem fit for go witim mitufala long ministry.

No longtaem bihaen, Europe start for garem problem saed long politik. Mifala herem hao olketa Witness long Germany kasem persecution and mifala luksavve hao mifala bae klosap for kasem datwan tu. Mifala ting raonem hao nao bae mifala feisim barava nogud persecution. Long 1938, gavman bilong Netherlands stopem pipol from nara kantri for preach. For helpem mifala gohed pioneer, olketa Witness givim mifala nem bilong samfala pipol wea interest long Bible, and mifala savve studyim Bible witim samfala long olketa.

Long datfala taem wanfala convention bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness klosap for kamap. Nomata mifala no garem selen for peim ticket bilong train, mifala laek for attendim convention hia. So mifala raedem baesikol for thrifala day. Mifala putim Esther for sidaon insaed smol chair long handol bilong baesikol. Long naet mifala sleep long haos bilong olketa Witness wea stap followim datfala road. Mifala barava hapi from diswan hem first convention bilong mifala! Program barava strongim mifala for olketa test wea mifala bae feisim. Mifala herem hao mifala mas putim trust bilong mifala long God. Olketa toktok bilong Psalm 31:6 barava comfortim mifala: “Long saed bilong miseleva, mi trust long Jehovah.”

Olketa Nazi Luk Aotem Mifala

Long May 1940 olketa Nazi attakim Netherlands. No longtaem bihaen secret police kam long haos bilong mifala taem mifala gohed stretem olketa box bilong Bible literature wea just arrive. Olketa tekem Ferdinand go long headquarter bilong olketa. Mitufala Esther savve go visitim hem long there and samfala taem bae olketa kwestinim hem and whipim hem front long mitufala. Long December, Ferdinand kamap free, bat hem stap free for shortfala taem nomoa. Wanfala evening taem mifala kakam bak long haos, mifala lukim wanfala car bilong secret police klosap long haos. Ferdinand hem ranawe and mitufala Esther go insaed long haos. Secret police weitim mifala. Olketa luk aotem Ferdinand. Long datfala sem naet bihaen olketa go, olketa police bilong Netherlands kam tekem mi and kwestinim mi. Next day, mitufala Esther go haed long haos bilong famili bilong Norder. Disfala hasband and waef wea just baptaes letem mifala stap witim olketa.

Gogo for end bilong January 1941, secret police arrestim wanfala hasband and waef wea pioneer, wea stap long wanfala smol ship. Long next day, circuit overseer (minister wea visitim olketa kongregeson) and hasband bilong mi go long disfala smol ship for tekem olketa samting bilong tufala pioneer hia. Bat seknomoa, olketa wea waka for secret police takolem tufala. Ferdinand hem fit for ranawe long baesikol bilong hem. Bat olketa tekem circuit overseer hia go long prison.

So, Ferdinand kasem appointment for waka olsem circuit overseer. Datwan minim insaed wan month bae thrifala day nomoa hem kam stap long haos. Diswan hem no isi for mifala, bat nomata olsem mi gohed pioneer. Secret police waka hard go moa for luk aotem olketa Witness, so evritaem mifala mas muv go long niu ples. Long 1942, thrifala taem nao mifala muv. Gogo, mifala go stap long taon bilong Rotterdam, wea diswan farawe from ples wea Ferdinand gohed for duim ministry long wei wea haed. Long datfala taem mi klosap bornem mek-tu pikinini bilong mi. Famili bilong Kamp wea olketa Nazi tekem tufala son bilong olketa long raf prison, invaetem mifala for stap witim olketa.

Secret Police Barava Aftarem Mifala

Ruth, mek-tu pikinini bilong mifala hem born long July 1943. Bihaen Ruth hem born, Ferdinand stap witim mifala for thrifala day, bat then hem mas go moa. Hem nao lastaem wea mifala lukim hem, and mifala no lukim hem moa for longtaem. Bihaen samting olsem thrifala week, olketa arrestim Ferdinand long Amsterdam. Olketa tekem hem go long station bilong secret police and olketa faendaot hu nao hem. Secret police barava kwestinim hem and trae forcem hem for talem moa samting abaotem waka bilong mifala for preach. Bat Ferdinand talem nomoa hao hem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness and hao hem no join insaed eniting saed long politik. Secret police barava kros for savve hao nomata Ferdinand hem man from Germany, hem nating joinim army, so olketa laek for killim hem dae from hem no sapotim gavman.

Ferdinand stap insaed prison for faevfala month. Long there olketa gohed talem hao bae olketa sutim hem dae. Nomata olsem, hem nating wikdaon, bat hem gohed loyal long Jehovah. Wanem nao helpem hem for gohed strong long spiritual wei? Word bilong God, Bible. From Ferdinand hem wanfala Witness, olketa no letem hem for garem Bible. Bat, olketa nara prisoner savve ask for Bible. Ferdinand askem prisoner wea tufala stap insaed sem cell for askem famili bilong hem for sendem kam Bible. So man hia duim datwan. Planti year bihaen, taem Ferdinand savve story abaotem datwan, feis bilong hem showimaot hem hapi and hem savve sei: “Datfala Bible barava comfortim mi!”

Seknomoa, long start bilong January 1944 olketa tekem Ferdinand go long wanfala raf prison long Vught, long Netherlands. Long disfala prison Ferdinand meetim 46-fala nara Witness. Taem mi herem hem muv, mi barava hapi for savve hem laef yet!

No Givap for Preach Long Raf Prison

Laef insaed prison barava nogud tumas. Olketa no kaikai gud, no garem kaleko long taem bilong cold, and ples barava cold tumas. Ferdinand kasem sik wea olketa kolem tonsillitis. Nomata datfala taem hem kol tumas hem standap aotsaed taem olketa roll kol. Then Ferdinand go long ples wea olketa keepim sik pipol. Sapos hot bilong body bilong olketa patient hem kasem 40 degrees Celsius or winim, olketa savve stap. Bat from hot bilong Ferdinand hem kasem nomoa 39 degrees Celsius, olketa no letem hem stap! Olketa talem hem for go bak waka. Bat samfala nara prisoner wea sorre long hem, helpem hem taem olketa haedem hem long wanfala ples wea hot lelebet for olketa shortfala taem. Sik bilong Ferdinand katdaon taem hot season hem start. And tu, taem samfala brata kasem kaikai wea olketa fren or relative sendem kam, olketa savve sharem witim hem, so Ferdinand kasem bak lelebet strong.

Wei for preach hem part long laef bilong hasband bilong mi nomata bifor hem go long prison. So taem hem stap insaed long prison hem gohed storyim wanem hem bilivim. Olketa bigman long prison savve mekfani long hem from purple triangle wea hem garem, diswan nao saen wea showimaot hem wanfala Witness. Bat Ferdinand savve iusim olketa taem olsem for startim story witim olketa. Long firstaem, olketa brata savve preach nomoa long olketa haos insaed prison wea staka long olketa Witness stap insaed long hem. Gogo olketa brata askem olketa seleva, ‘Hao nao bae iumi savve story long olketa nara prisoner?’ Olketa bigman bilong prison mekem wanfala wei kamap. Wanem nao ia?

Olketa brata garem olketa Bible literature and 12-fala Bible wea olketa haedem. Long wanfala day olketa prison gard faendem samfala buk, bat olketa no savve faendaot olketa buk hia bilong hu. So olketa bigman long prison disaed olketa mas separatem olketa Witness. For panisim olketa brata, olketa bigman hia muvim olketa brata go long olketa haos wea olketa prisoner wea no Witness stap long hem. Long taem bilong kaikai olketa brata mas sidaon saedem olketa wea no Witness. Diswan wanfala blessing. Hem openem wei for olketa brata duim samting wea olketa laek for duim, hem nao for preach long planti moa prisoner.

Miseleva Lukaftarem Tufala Girl

Long datfala taem mi witim tufala dota bilong mi stap long Rotterdam. Winter season long end bilong 1943 and start bilong 1944 hem barava nogud tumas. Bihaen long haos wea mifala stap hem wanfala ples bilong olketa soldia bilong Germany for keepim olketa weapon for sutim olketa aeroplane bilong enemy. Front long haos bilong mifala hem Waal Harbor, wea hem nao main target wea olketa enemy bilong Germany laek for bombim. Hem wanfala barava danger ples for haed. Nara samting tu, kaikai hem short. Winim eni narataem, diswan hem taem wea mifala barava lane for trust long Jehovah.—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

Esther wea hem eit year savve go standap long laen long ples for tekem free kaikai for mifala. Bat, staka taem hem no kasem eni kaikai, from kaikai hem finis. Wanfala taem wea Esther go for tekem kaikai, olketa army gohed for dropim bomb. Mi wari narawe taem mi herem olketa bomb bosta, bat mi krae from mi hapi taem Esther kam bak and no garekil, and hem holem kam lelebet kaikai tu. First samting mi sei long hem nao: “Wanem nao happen?” Hem sei: “Taem olketa bomb bosta, mi duim samting wea Dadi talem, ‘Leidaon long graon, gohed for leidaon, and prea.’ Hem nao mi duim and mi sef!”

From mi bilong Germany, hem moa sef for Esther nao go pei long stoa. Olketa soldia bilong Germany lukim diswan so olketa start for kwestinim Esther. Bat hem no talem eniting long olketa. Taem mifala stap long haos, mi savve lanem Esther olketa samting from Bible, and from hem no savve go skul, mi lanem hem for read and raet and samfala nara samting moa.

Esther savve helpem mi long ministry tu. Bifor mi go for studyim Bible witim eniwan, Esther savve go firstaem and chek sapos ples hem sef. Hem chek for olketa saen wea mi bin planim witim Bible student. Olsem example, woman wea bae mi go study witim bae putim wanfala pot flaoa long window bilong hem. Diswan minim hem olraet for mi go lukim hem. Taem mifala gohed study, Esther savve lukaftarem Ruth long aotsaed and long semtaem lukluk nogud eni danger kamap.

Go Long Sachsenhausen

Hao nao Ferdinand? Long September 1944, olketa bigman long prison forcem Ferdinand witim samfala narawan for go long wanfala train station. Long there olketa skwisim 80-fala prisoner insaed olketa bigfala box wea stap antap long train. Evri box hia garem wanfala baket wea olsem toilet and nara baket wea garem wata for drink. Olketa travel for thrifala day and naet. No eni ples for leidaon hem stap, olketa standap nomoa! No eni air savve kam insaed. Olketa box hia no garem eni ples wea open, olketa sismol hol nomoa stap long tu-thri ples. Wei wea olketa box hia hot and smel nogud, and pipol hangre and thirsty, hem barava narawe.

Train hem stop long datfala barava raf prison wea olketa kolem Sachsenhausen. Olketa stopem evri prisoner for tekem eniting bilong olketa. Bat, olketa Witness prisoner tekem haed 12-fala smol Bible wea olketa holem long disfala gogo.

Olketa sendem go Ferdinand and eitfala brata long wanfala smol prison long Rathenow for wakem olketa samting for war. Nomata staka taem olketa bigman talem hao bae olketa killim dae olketa brata hia, olketa brata strong for no duim disfala waka. Long olketa morning olketa brata savve encouragem olketa seleva for stand strong taem olketa readim wanfala verse from Bible wea bae olketa ting raonem long full day, wanfala nao Psalm 18:2. Diswan helpem olketa for ting raonem olketa spiritual samting.

Gogo, saond bilong olketa gun mekem evriwan savve hao enemy bilong Germany kakam klosap. Army bilong Russia arrive firstaem long prison wea Ferdinand and olketa fren bilong hem stap. Olketa givim kaikai long olketa prisoner then talem olketa for go. Long end bilong April 1945, army bilong Russia letem olketa for go bak long hom bilong olketa.

Stap Tugeta Olsem Famili Moa

Long June 15 Ferdinand arrive bak long Netherlands. Olketa brata long Groningen welkamim hem. Gogo hem herem hao mifala laef yet and stap long Netherlands. Mifala tu herem hao hem kam bak finis. Taem wea mifala gohed weitim hem for kam bak hem feel olsem longtaem tumas. Gogo, wanfala day Ruth hem singaot kam: “Mami, wanfala man long aotsaed!” Hasband and dadi wea mifala lovem hem standap long door!

Mifala garem staka problem wea mifala need for stretem mekem mifala stap gud moa. Mifala no garem eni ples for stap, and mifala need for stretem witim gavman for stap long there. For planti year gavman bilong Netherlands no acceptim mifala bikos mifala from Germany. Bat gogo, evriting kamap olraet and mifala duim samting wea mifala barava laek for duim, mifala famili wan mind for worshipim Jehovah.

“Mi Trust Long Jehovah”

Samfala year bihaen, taem mitufala Ferdinand savve sidaon and story witim samfala fren wea kasem hard taem olsem mifala, mifala savve tingim bak wei wea Jehovah leadim mifala long olketa hard taem olsem. (Psalm 7:1) Mifala hapi Jehovah letem mifala for talemaot Kingdom bilong hem insaed olketa year wea go pas. Planti taem mifala savve talem tu hao mifala hapi from mifala duim waka bilong Jehovah taem mifala young.—Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Mitufala Ferdinand gohed worshipim Jehovah tugeta for winim 50 year bihaen hard taem long rul bilong olketa Nazi. Gogo Ferdinand, wea garem hope for go long heven, dae long December 20, 1995. Mi klosap 98 year. Evriday mi savve thankiu long Jehovah for wei wea olketa pikinini bilong mifala barava helpem mifala long olketa hard taem and hao mi gohed fit for duim samting for givim praise long nem bilong hem. Mi thankiu long Jehovah for evriting wea hem duim for mi, and mi barava laek for gohed followim disfala toktok: “Long saed bilong miseleva, mi trust long Jehovah.”—Psalm 31:6.

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Mi and Ferdinand long October 1932

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Smol ship “Almina” wea olketa iusim for preach, witim crew bilong hem

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Mitufala Ferdinand witim olketa pikinini