Laef Story
Example Bilong Parents Bilong Mi Strongim Mi
STORY BILONG JANEZ REKELJ
Year hem 1958. Mi and waef bilong mi Stanka, mitufala stap antap olketa maunten bilong Karawanken Alps long border bilong Yugoslavia and Austria. Mitufala trae for ranawe go long Austria. Diswan hem danger tumas bikos olketa security wea holem gun savve stopem eniwan wea trae for katkros long border. Mitufala kam kasem wanfala steep maunten. Hem firstaem for mi and Stanka lukim olketa maunten bilong Austria. Mitufala go for east and mifala kam kasem saed long wanfala steep hill wea garem olketa ston and gravol. Mitufala iusim wanfala kanvas wea mifala karem and ski go daon long datfala maunten. Mitufala no savve wanem nao bae happen long future.
MI LAEK storyim hao nao gogo mi kasem datfala ples wea mi storyim antap, and hao faithful example bilong parents bilong mi strongim mi for gohed faithful long Jehovah long olketa hardfala taem.
Mi growap long Slovenia, wea distaem hem wanfala smol kantri long Central Europe. Disfala kantri hem stap long European Alps, and Austria stap long north, Italy long west, Croatia long south, and Hungary long east saed long hem. Nomata olsem, parents bilong mi, Franc and Rozalija Rekelj, tufala born taem Slovenia stap anda long Rul bilong Austria and Hungary. Long end bilong World War I, Slovenia kamap part bilong wanfala niu kantri wea olketa kolem Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. Long 1929, olketa changem nem bilong hem for kamap Yugoslavia wea minim “South Slavia.” Mi born long January 9 long datfala sem year long wanfala vilij long Podhom wea stap klosap long Lake Bled wea barava luk naes tumas.
Mami growap insaed famili wea barava strong long Catholic. Wanfala uncle bilong hem, hem wanfala priest, and thrifala aunty bilong hem, olketa nun. Hem barava laek for kasem wanfala Bible and for readim and minim gud. Bat dadi nating laekem religion. Hem barava heitim wanem religion duim long World War I long 1914-18.
Lanem Truth
Bihaen long war wanfala kasin bilong mami, Janez Brajec and waef bilong hem Ančka, kamap olketa Bible Student, wea hem nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor. Tufala stap long Austria long datfala taem. Start long samting olsem 1936, plande taem Ančka savve kam visitim mami. Hem givim mami wanfala Bible, wea kwiktaem nomoa mami start for readim. Hem givim tu olketa Wastaoa and olketa nara Bible pablikeson wea stap long Slovenian languis. Gogo, bikos Hitler tekova long Austria long 1938, Janez and Ančka muv go bak long Slovenia. Mi remember hao tufala garem savve and wei for minim samting and barava lovem Jehovah. Evritaem tufala savve story long mami abaotem olketa truth from Bible, wea muvim mami for dedicate long Jehovah. Mami baptaes long 1938.
Wei wea mami stop for followim olketa kastom wea no followim Bible olsem wei for celebratem Christmas; kaikaim sausage wea garem blood; and especially taem hem bonem evri image bilong mifala, evri samting hia mekem pipol long datfala ples barava feel nogud. Kwiktaem nomoa hem kasem persecution. Olketa aunty bilong mami wea olketa nun, raet long hem for trae mekem mami go bak long Mary and long Catholic church. Bat taem mami raet long olketa and askem olketa Bible kwestin, olketa nating raet kam bak. Grandadi bilong mi tu barava strong for againstim mami. Hem gudfala man, bat olketa relative and pipol long community putim bigfala hevi long hem. From datwan, plande taem hem distroem olketa Bible literature, bat hem nating tasim Bible bilong mami. Hem barava ask strong for mami for go bak long church. Gogo, hem showim naef long mami. Bat dadi bilong mi barava talem stret long grandadi hao hem no acceptim for hem duim datwan long mami bilong mi.
Dadi gohed sapotim right bilong mami for readim Bible and disaedem seleva biliv bilong hem. Dadi tu baptaes long 1946. Taem mi lukim hao Jehovah strongim mami bilong mi for no fraet for saed bilong truth nomata taem persecution kamap, and Jehovah blessim hem from faith bilong hem, datwan muvim mi for mekem grow wei wea mi fren witim God. Mi kasem gud samting tu from wei bilong mami for read big long mi from Bible and olketa Bible pablikeson.
Mami story tu witim sista bilong hem, Marija Repe, and gogo mi and aunty Marija baptaes semtaem long midol long July 1942. Wanfala brata nao kam givim wanfala short tok, and mitufala baptaes long haos insaed wanfala samting for putim wata insaed wea olketa wakem long timba.
Hard Waka Long Prison Long World War II
Long World War II Germany and Italy tekovarem Slovenia long 1942 and divaedem datfala kantri for olketa seleva and Hungary. Parents bilong mi nating willing for joinim organization bilong olketa Nazi, wea olketa kolem Volksbund. And mi nating talem “Heil Hitler” long skul. Luk olsem teacher bilong mi go talem diswan long olketa wea waka for gavman.
Olketa putim mifala insaed wanfala train wea bae tekem mifala go long wanfala ples wea olketa forcem olketa prisoner for waka, klosap long vilij long Hüttenbach, Bavaria. Dadi mekem arrangement for mi waka and stap witim wanfala man for mekem bred and famili bilong hem. Taem mi stap witim olketa, mi lane for mekem bred and diswan barava helpem mi bihaen. Gogo, olketa tekem evriwan long famili bilong mi (insaed diswan hem Aunty Marija and famili bilong hem) go long prison long Gunzenhausen.
Taem war hem finis, mi ting for go witim wanfala grup for go long ples wea parents bilong mi stap. Long evening bifor mifala lusim ples, seke nomoa dadi bilong mi arrive. Mi no savve wanem nao bae kasem mi sapos mi go witim datfala grup, bikos olketa kaen pipol wea man no fit for trustim. Mi feelim moa loving kea bilong Jehovah taem hem iusim parents bilong mi for protectim and trainim mi. Mi and dadi wakabaot for thrifala day for kasem famili bilong mifala. Long June 1945 mifala evriwan kasem bak hom bilong mifala.
Bihaen long war, olketa Communist wea President Josip Broz Tito leadim, olketa rulim Yugoslavia. From diswan, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness gohed feisim barava hard taem.
Long 1948 wanfala brata kam from Austria and kam kaikai long haos bilong mifala. Evri ples hem go police followim hem and arrestim olketa brata wea hem visitim. Police arrestim dadi tu from hem invaetem hem kam long haos and from hem no reportim hem long police. From datwan, dadi stap long prison for tufala year. Long datfala taem hem barava hard for mami, no from dadi stap long prison nomoa, bat from hem savve mi and smol brata bilong mi klosap for feisim test for no joinim army.
Prison Long Macedonia
Long November 1949, hem firstaem for olketa askem mi for joinim army. Mi go explainim hao conscience bilong mi no letem mi for duim datwan. Olketa wea waka for gavman nating lisin long mi and olketa putim mi insaed wanfala train and sendem mi go witim olketa soldia long Macedonia, long narasaed long Yugoslavia.
For thrifala year mi hard for story long famili bilong mi and olketa brata and sista, and mi no garem eni literature or Bible. Laef hem hard tumas. Wei wea mi tingting evritaem abaotem Jehovah and example bilong Son bilong hem, Jesus Christ, hem barava strongim mi. Example bilong parents bilong mi tu strongim mi. Witim datwan, wei wea mi prea evritaem for Jehovah givim mi strong, hem helpem mi for no lus hope.
Gogo, olketa sendem mi go long wanfala prison long Idrizovo, klosap long Skopje. Long datfala prison, olketa prisoner savve duim olketa didifren kaen waka. Long firstaem, mi klinim olketa office and givimaot olketa leta long olketa office. Wanfala prisoner, wea hem member long secret police bifor, savve raf olowe long mi. Bat evri narawan, olketa security, olketa prisoner, and bigman wea lukaftarem factory bilong prison, mi waka gud nomoa witim olketa.
Bihaen, mi herem nius hao olketa needim wanfala man for beikem bred. No longtaem bihaen, datfala bigman kam long taem bilong roll call. Hem wakabaot kam followim laen, and stop front long mi, and askem mi, “Waswe, iu savve beikem bred?” Mi sei, “Yes sir.” Hem sei long mi: “Go long bakery tumoro morning.” Plande taem datfala prisoner wea savve raf long mi savve go pas long bakery, bat hem no savve duim eniting nao. Mi waka long there from February go kasem July long 1950.
Bihaen datwan olketa muvim mi go moa long olketa prison haos wea olketa kolem Volkoderi, long south long Macedonia, klosap long Lake Prespa. Long Otešovo, taon wea stap klosap, mi savve raet go long hom. Mi waka witim wanfala grup wea wakem road, bat staka taem, mi savve waka nao long bakery. Diswan mekem olketa samting isi for mi. Mi kamaot from prison long November 1952.
Taem mi long prison yet wanfala kongregeson kamap long Podhom. Firstaem, datfala kongregeson savve meet insaed wanfala hotel long Spodnje Gorje. Bihaen, dadi givim wanfala rum long haos bilong mifala for kongregeson meeting insaed. Mi hapi for kam bak from Macedonia and joinim olketa. Mi meetim bak Stanka tu, wea mi savve long hem bifor mi go long prison. Mitufala marit long April 24, 1954. Bat, mi free for shortfala taem nomoa.
Prison Long Maribor
Long September 1954, olketa askem mi moa for joinim army. Mi mas stap for winim thri and haf year long wanfala prison long Maribor, wea klosap long end long Slovenia long east saed. Taem mi garem chance, mi baem samfala pepa and pencil. Mi start for raetem evri samting wea mi savve rememberim—olketa scripture, toktok from Wastaoa, and olketa samting wea olketa nara Christian pablikeson talem. Mi readim evritaem olketa pepa hia wea mi putim tugeta olsem wanfala buk, and taem mi tingim samfala samting moa mi gohed for raetem. Taem mi kamap free, datfala buk hem fulap nao, and diswan helpem mi for ting strong long truth and spiritual saed bilong mi strong olowe. Samting wea helpem mi long datwan tu, hem wei for prea and for ting raonem samting, wea mekem mi no fraet for talemaot truth long narafala pipol.
Long datfala taem, olketa letem mi for kasem wanfala leta nomoa insaed wan month and visit wea 15 minute nomoa. For full naet Stanka travel kam long train mekem hem savve kasem mi early long morning, mekem hem fit for go bak long sem day. Wei wea hem visitim mi hem barava encouragem mi. Then mi mekem wanfala plan for kasem wanfala Bible. Mi and Stanka sidaon feisim each other and wanfala tebol stap midol long mitufala. Olketa markem wanfala gard for lukluk long mitufala. Taem datfala gard hem luk difren, mi putim wanfala leta insaed basket bilong Stanka, and insaed long datfala leta mi askem hem for putim kam wanfala Bible insaed basket bilong hem next taem hem kam.
Stanka and parents bilong mi tingim hao datwan hem danger tumas, so olketa brekem wanfala copy bilong Christian Greek Scriptures and putim olketa page hia insaed samfala bred wea olketa mekem kam for mi. Hem nao hao mi kasem datfala Bible wea mi needim. Olketa duim sem samting tu long olketa copy bilong Wastaoa wea Stanka raetem kam. Mi kwiktaem raetem nara copy and distroem datfala first copy mekem no eniwan bae savve wea nao mi tekem datwan from.
From mi gohed for witness, olketa nara prisoner sei bae mi kasem trabol. Wantaem, mi storyim Bible witim narafala prisoner. Mifala herem saond bilong key insaed lok, then wanfala security gard kam insaed. Semtaem mi tingse bae olketa putim mi stap seleva nao. Bat datfala security no tingim datwan. Hem herem story bilong mitufala and hem laek for joinim story. Taem hem satisfae long ansa for olketa kwestin bilong hem, hem lusim mitufala and lokim bak door bilong cell bilong mitufala.
Long lastfala month bilong mi long prison, bigman wea waka for helpem olketa prisoner for change, hem praisem mi for wei wea mi strong for truth. Long tingting bilong mi, diswan hem nambawan reward for wei wea mi waka hard for talemaot nem bilong Jehovah. Long May 1958, mi kamaot moa from prison.
Ranawe Long Austria, Then Australia
Mami bilong mi hem dae long August 1958. Hem sik for longtaem finis. Long September 1958, hem mek-thri taem wea olketa askem mi for joinim army. Long datfala evening mi and Stanka mekem wanfala serious disison wea hem nao mekem gogo mitufala katkros long border, wea mi story abaotem long start. Mitufala no talem eniwan wanem mifala disaed for duim. Mifala fulimap samfala basket and wanfala kanvas and klae thru long window, wea datwan leadim mifala for go stret for border bilong Austria wea hem stap long west saed long Maunt Stol. Hem luk olsem Jehovah mekem wei for mitufala taem hem lukim hao mitufala barava needim.
Gavman bilong Austria sendem mifala long wanfala refugee camp klosap long Salzburg. Long six month wea mifala stap long there, mifala kaban evritaem witim olketa Witness, so lelebet taem nomoa mifala savve stap long datfala camp. Nara pipol insaed long camp olketa sapraes long wei wea kwiktaem nomoa mifala garem olketa fren. Long olketa taem hia nao hem firstaem for mitufala attendim wanfala assembly. Hem firstaem tu for mitufala free for preach from haos tu haos. Taem mifala redi for go, mifala sorre tumas for lusim olketa naesfala fren hia.
Gavman bilong Austria givim mifala chance for go long Australia. Mifala nating tingim bae mifala go farawe olsem. Mifala travel insaed train for go kasem Genoa, Italy, then mifala go long ship for go long Australia. Mifala stap long Wollongong, wanfala taon long New South Wales. Long there son bilong mifala Philip, born long March 30, 1965.
Long Australia, mifala free for duim staka difren samting long service, wea insaed diswan hem chance for witness long pipol wea kam from olketa ples wea bifor olketa kolem Yugoslavia. Mifala thankiu for olketa blessing bilong Jehovah, and for servem hem olsem wanfala famili. Philip and waef bilong hem, Susie, kasem privilege for serve long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Australia, and tufala serve for tufala year tu long branch office long Slovenia.
Nomata mifala gogo for olo, and kasem problem saed long health, mi and waef bilong mi gohed for enjoyim service bilong mitufala long Jehovah. Mi barava tinghae long gudfala example bilong parents bilong mi! Hem gohed for strongim mi, and helpem mi for duim wanem aposol Paul talem: “Hapi long datfala hope. Gohed strong long taem bilong trabol. Gohed for prea.”—Romans 12:12.
[Piksa long page 16, 17]
Parents bilong mi long samting olsem 1927-29
[Piksa long page 17]
Mami bilong mi long raet saed, witim Ančka, wea teachim hem truth
[Piksa long page 18]
Witim waef bilong mi, Stanka, no longtaem bihaen mifala marit
[Piksa long page 19]
Kongregeson wea savve hipap long haos bilong mifala long 1955
[Piksa long page 20]
Mi witim waef bilong mi, son bilong mitufala Philip, and waef bilong hem, Susie