Laef Story

Gohed Strong Olsem Soldia Bilong Christ

STORY BILONG YURII KAPTOLA

“Distaem mi no daotem hao iu barava garem faith!” Toktok hia kam from samwan wea mi no expectim for talem datwan—wanfala officer bilong Soviet army—and datwan encouragem mi long taem wea mi barava needim. Olketa bae putim mi insaed prison for plande year, so mi prea strong long Jehovah for helpem mi. Mi feisim wanfala hard taem wea bae gohed for longfala taem wea bae needim mi for gohed strong and no givap.

MI BORN long October 19, 1962, and growap long west part bilong Ukraine. Long sem year hia, dadi wea nem bilong hem Yurii tu, story witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. No longtaem bihaen nomoa, dadi kamap faswan for worshipim Jehovah long vilij bilong mifala. Olketa police wea againstim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness luksavve long waka wea hem duim.

Nomata olsem, olketa narawan wea mifala stap long sem area tinghae long wei wea dadi and mami showimaot olketa Christian fasin and tingim nara pipol. Dadi and mami mekius long evri chance for strongim love for God insaed heart bilong mi and thrifala sista taem mifala smol yet, and diswan helpem mi for feisim olketa hard taem wea mi kasem long skul. Wanfala nao kamap taem evri student mas werem badge for showimaot olketa member bilong Lenin’s October Children. From mi followim Christian wei for no teksaed, mi no werem datfala badge, wea mekem evriwan luksavve hao mi difren from olketa nara student.—John 6:15; 17:16.

Bihaen moa, taem mi standard thri, evri student mas joinim wanfala Communist organization for young pipol wea olketa kolem Young Pioneers. Wanday mifala evriwan long class go aotsaed for wanfala ceremony for registerim mifala. Mi fraet tumas bikos mi savve olketa bae mekfani and kros long mi. Mi nomoa no tekem kam red Pioneer scarf, and evri student standap long stret laen front long principal, olketa teacher, and olketa student long big class. Taem olketa talem olketa student long big class for taemap scarf raonem nek bilong mifala, mi bendim hed and luk daon, and hope no eniwan bae lukim mi.

Go Long Olketa Prison Farawe

Taem mi 18 year, mi kasem panis for stap insaed prison for thrifala year from Christian wei for no teksaed. (Isaiah 2:4) Fasfala year mi stap long Trudovoye, wanfala taon long Vinnitskaya Distrik bilong Ukraine. Long there, mi meetim samting olsem 30-fala Witness bilong Jehovah. For stopem wei for mifala kaban tugeta, olketa markem tu-tu each for waka long olketa difren ples.

Long August 1982, olketa putim mi and Eduard wea hem wanfala Witness tu, witim wanfala grup bilong olketa prisoner insaed train for olketa prisoner and sendem mifala go long northern Ural Mountains. For eitfala day mifala gogo insaed train hia wea full tumas and barava hot, go kasem taem mifala arrive long Solikamsk Prison, long Permskaya Distrik. Olketa putim mi and Eduard long tufala difren cell. Bihaen tufala week, olketa tekem mi go moa long Vels, long Krasnovishersky region.

Mifala arrive long midolnaet and hem barava dark. Nomata olsem, wanfala officer orderim grup wea mi insaed for go long boat and go narasaed long river. Mifala no savve lukim datfala river or datfala boat! Mifala hol olobaot long dark gogo mifala faendem datfala boat and, nomata mifala fraet, mifala win for akrosim datfala river. Taem mifala kasem narasaed, mifala wakabaot go for wanfala laet wea shaen long hill, and long there, mifala lukim tu-thri tent. Long hia nao bae hem niu ples for mifala stap. Mi and samting olsem 30 nara prisoner stap insaed wanfala big tent. Long cold season, samfala taem hem minus 40 degrees Celsius, and datfala tent nating protectim mifala from cold. Main waka bilong olketa prisoner hem for katem olketa tree, bat mi waka for buildim olketa smol haos for olketa prisoner.

Spiritual Kaikai Kasem Camp wea Stap Farawe

Mi nomoa Witness long datfala camp; nomata olsem Jehovah nating lusim mi. Wanday mi kasem wanfala pasol from mami bilong mi, wea stap yet long west part bilong Ukraine. Fasfala samting wea gard lukim taem hem openem pasol nao hem wanfala smol Bible. Hem tekem and lukluk insaed. Mi trae for tingim eni samting for talem mekem hem no tekem datwan from mi. Datfala gard kwiktaem ask olsem: “Wanem nao diswan?” Mi trae tingim wanem nao for talem bat seke nomoa wanfala inspector wea standap klosap hem sei: “Oh! Datwan hem wanfala dictionary.” Mi stap kwaet nomoa. (Ecclesiastes 3:7) Datfala inspector lukluk gud insaed pasol hia and then givim kam long mi witim datfala Bible. From mi hapi tumas mi givim hem samfala nat wea mami sendem kam for mi. Taem mi kasem datfala pasol, mi savve hao Jehovah nating forgetim mi. Hem helpem mi and givim olketa spiritual samting wea mi needim.—Hebrews 13:5.

No Stop for Preach

Tu-thri month bihaen, mi no expectim, bat mi kasem leta from wanfala Christian brata wea stap long nara prison wea hem samting olsem 400 kilometer from prison wea mi stap. Hem laekem mi for luk aotem wanfala man wea interest long truth wea maet hem stap long camp wea mi stap. Hem no wise for raetem leta olsem bikos olketa savve openem and readim. From datwan, wanfala officer kolem mi kam long office bilong hem and hem tok strong long mi for no preach. Then hem talem mi for saenem wanfala pepa wea sei bae mi stop for storyim olketa samting mi bilivim long olketa narawan. Mi talem hem hao no eni reason stap for mi saenem datfala pepa, from evriwan savve finis mi wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Mi talem hao olketa nara prisoner laek for savve why nao mi stap long prison. Wanem nao bae mi talem olketa? (Acts 4:20) Datfala officer luksavve hao hem hard for hem duim eni samting wea bae mekem mi fraet, so hem no laekem for mi stap long there. Olketa sendem mi go long nara camp.

Olketa muvim mi go long Vaya vilij wea hem 200 kilometer from datfala camp. Olketa boss long there respectim Christian wei bilong mi for no teksaed and olketa markem mi for duim waka wea no join witim army—fastaem mi waka olsem carpenter and bihaen electrician. Bat mi kasem olketa test long olketa waka hia tu. Wantaem olketa talem mi for tekem olketa tul and go long club bilong vilij. Taem mi kasem long there olketa soldia hapi for lukim mi. Olketa no savve fixim olketa laet wea decoratem saen bilong army. Olketa laekem for mi helpem olketa for duim datwan bikos olketa reredi for celebratem Red Army Day. Bihaen mi prea and ting raonem diswan, mi talem olketa hao mi no savve duim datfala waka. Mi givim olketa tul long olketa and mi go. Olketa reportim diswan long deputy director, and hem talem samting wea mi no expectim hem for talem. Hem herem samting wea olketa talem abaotem mi and hem sei: “Mi respectim samting wea hem duim. Hem man wea followim olketa principle bilong hem evritaem.”

Samwan wea Mi No Expectim Encouragem Mi

Mi kamap free long June 8, 1984, bihaen mi stap insaed prison for thrifala year. Taem mi go bak long Ukraine, mi mas register witim army olsem man wea stap long prison bifor. Olketa talem mi hao olketa bae kotem mi moa bihaen sixfala month, so hem bae gud sapos mi lusim datfala ples. So mi lusim Ukraine and gogo mi faendem waka long Latvia. For lelebet taem mi savve preach and kaban witim smol grup bilong olketa Witness wea stap long area bilong Riga, wea hem kapitol bilong Latvia. Bat, bihaen wan year nomoa, olketa talem for mi mas joinim army. Long office for joinim army, mi talem officer hao bifor tu mi no joinim army. Hem singaot big olsem: “Iu hao ia? Sapos iu tok olsem long lieutenant colonel bae iu no wei nao!”

Hem tekem mi go long wanfala rum long mek-tu story bilong building wea lieutenant colonel sidaon long wanfala long tebol. Hem lisin gud taem mi explainim hao mi no teksaed and hem sei mi garem taem for ting raonem moa bifor mi go lukim komiti for registerim man long army. Taem mifala lusim office bilong lieutenant colonel, datfala officer wea tok raf long mi fastaem hem sei: “Distaem mi no daotem hao iu barava garem faith!” Taem mi go long komiti bilong army, mi talem moa hao mi no teksaed, and olketa letem mi go.

Long taem hia mi stap long wanfala hostel. Wanfala evening, mi herem smolfala noknok long door. Mi openem door and wanfala man wea werem gudfala kaleko and holem wanfala basket hem standap long there. Hem sei: “Mi man bilong State Security. Mi savve iu kasem hard taem and olketa bae kotem iu.” Mi ansarem hem olsem: “Ia, hem tru.” Hem sei moa: “Mifala savve helpem iu sapos iu willing for waka tugeta witim mifala.” Mi sei long hem: “Nomoa, mi hard for duim datwan. Mi bae loyal nomoa long olketa biliv bilong mi olsem wanfala Christian.” Hem no trae moa for changem tingting bilong mi and hem go.

Go Bak Long Prison, Gohed Moa for Preach

Long August 26, 1986, National Court bilong Riga talem for mi mas waka hard for fofala year, and olketa tekem mi long Riga Central Prison. Olketa putim mi insaed wanfala big cell witim 40 nara prisoner, and mi trae for preach long evriwan hia. Samfala sei olketa biliv long God; olketa narawan mekfani nomoa abaotem diswan. Mi lukim olketa hipap long olketa didifren grup, and bihaen tufala week olketa leader bilong olketa grup hia talem mi for no preach, from mi no followim law bilong olketa. Mi talem hao from datwan nao mi stap long prison—Mi followim olketa difren law.

Mi gohed for preach bat mi duim long careful wei. Mi faendem samfala wea interest long spiritual samting, and gogo, mi study witim fofala man. Long olketa taem mifala story tugeta, olketa raetem olketa main teaching bilong Bible insaed wanfala smol buk. Bihaen tu-thri month, olketa sendem mi go long wanfala hae security prison long Valmiera wea mi duim waka bilong electrician. Long there mi fit for studyim Bible witim wanfala electrician, and bihaen fofala year, hem kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness.

Long March 24, 1988, olketa muvim mi go long wanfala prison camp wea no farawe nomoa from datfala hae security camp. Diswan hem wanfala nambawan blessing bikos mi free for muv raon. Olketa givim waka for mi duim long olketa difren ples wea olketa duim construction, and mi evritaem luk aotem chance for preach. Plande taem mi no stap long prison, and mi savve preach go kasem big naet, bat taem mi arrive bak long camp mi no kasem eni problem.

Jehovah blessim hard waka bilong mi. Tu-thri Witness stap long datfala area, bat Vilma Krūmin̗a, wanfala olo sista nomoa stap long taon. Mi and Sista Krūmin̗a start for conductim staka Bible study witim young pipol. Samfala taem olketa brata and sista long Riga and samfala regular pioneer long Leningrad (wea distaem hem St. Petersburg) kam for share long ministry witim mifala. From Jehovah helpem mifala, mifala startim samfala Bible study, and no longtaem nomoa, mi kamap regular pioneer and spendem 90 hour for preach evri month.

Long April 7, 1990, olketa reviewim case bilong mi long People’s Court long Valmiera. Taem kot start, mi luksavve long lawyer bilong army. Hem wanfala young man wea wantaem bifor mi story witim hem abaotem Bible! Hem luksavve long mi and smile bat nating talem eni samting. Mi no savve forgetim wanem judge talem datfala day: “Yurii, wei wea olketa panisim iu for stap long prison for fofala year wea go finis hem againstim law. Iu nating guilty long eni samting.” Mi no expectim bat mi free nao!

Wanfala Soldia Bilong Christ

Long June 1990, mi mas register moa long office for joinim army mekem mi savve kasem pepa wea sei mi fit for stap long Riga. Mi go long sem office wea garem longfala tebol wea fofala year bifor, mi talem lieutenant colonel bae mi no joinim army. Taem mi kasem hem, hem standap for sei hello, sekhand witim mi and sei: “Barava nogud samting nao kasem iu. Mi feel nogud long datwan.”

Mi sei long hem: “Mi wanfala soldia bilong Christ, and mi mas duim waka bilong mi. Bible savve helpem iu tu for enjoyim samting wea Christ promisim long olketa follower bilong hem—wanfala hapi laef for olowe long future.” (2 Timothy 2:3, 4) Datfala colonel sei: “No longtaem go nomoa mi peim wanfala Bible, and distaem mi gohed for readim.” Mi garem witim mi datfala buk You Savvy Stop All-The-Way Long Paradise Long Earth.a Mi openem long chapter wea storyim saen bilong olketa last day and talem hao Bible profesi hem storyim olketa samting wea happen distaem. Datfala colonel tinghae tumas long diswan, mitufala sekhand moa and hem sei hem hope evri samting bae gohed gud long waka wea mi duim.

Kam kasem taem hia, field long Latvia redi nao for harvestim. (John 4:35) Long 1991, mi kamap elder long kongregeson. Tufala elder nomoa serve long Latvia! Bihaen wanfala year, datfala only kongregeson long Latvia kamap tufala—wanfala iusim Latvian languis and narawan Russian languis. Mi garem privilege for serve long Russian kongregeson. From barava staka kam insaed truth, year bihaen nomoa, kongregeson bilong mifala kamap thrifala! Taem mi ting raonem diswan, hem klia hao Jehovah nao leadim olketa sheep go long organization bilong hem.

Long 1998, mi kamap spesol pioneer long Jelgava, wanfala taon wea hem 40 kilometer southwest long Riga. Insaed datfala sem year, mi nao faswan long Latvia for attendim Ministerial Training Skul wea olketa conductim long Russian languis long Solnechnoye, wea hem klosap long St. Petersburg, Russia. Taem mi attendim disfala skul, mi luksavve hao for win long ministry hem important for lovem pipol. Samting wea barava muvim mi winim olketa samting mi lanem long skul, hem wei wea Bethel famili and olketa teacher lovem and interest long mifala.

Nara important samting long laef bilong mi hem happen long year 2001 taem mi maritim Karina, wanfala naes Christian woman. Karina kamap spesol pioneer witim mi, and evriday, taem mi lukim waef bilong mi kam bak from field service and hem hapi tumas, diswan encouragem mi. Tru nao, wei for servem Jehovah hem givim bigfala hapi. Olketa nogud samting wea mi kasem from rul bilong Communist teachim mi for trustim Jehovah evribit. No eni sakrifaes hem big tumas for man wea laek for keepim wei wea hem fren witim Jehovah and sapotim wei wea hem nomoa fit for rul. Wei for helpem nara pipol lane abaotem Jehovah mekem mi garem nambawan samting for duim long laef bilong mi. Hem nambawan and spesol samting for servem Jehovah ‘olsem gudfala soldia bilong Christ.’—2 Timothy 2:3.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 11]

Olketa forcem mi for waka hard for fofala year and olketa putim mi long Riga Central Prison

[Piksa long page 12]

Mi and Karina long ministry