Plande Moa Pipol Herem Message Bilong Jehovah Long “Land Bilong Eagle”
“LAND Bilong Eagle.” Datwan nao nem wea pipol long Albania kolem kantri bilong olketa. Disfala kantri wea stap long Balkan Peninsula hem feisim go Adriatic Sea, and hem stap midolwan Greece and kantri wea bifor hem Yugoslavia. Staka difren story stap abaotem wea nao pipol long Albania kam from, bat klosap evri man wea studyim history agree hao pipol hia and languis bilong olketa kam from pipol bilong Illyricum. The Encyclopædia Britannica, hem sei kastom bilong pipol bilong Illyricum start kam from 2000 B.C.E.
Albania hem wanfala kantri wea barava luk naes from hem garem olketa hae maunten long north and olketa white sandbis long Adriatic Sea long south. Bat samting wea barava naes hem pipol long datfala kantri. Olketa kaen, showimaot welkam, hapi, talemaot tingting, kwiktaem for lanem samting, and showimaot feeling taem olketa story.
Visit Bilong Wanfala Missionary
For sure, naesfala fasin bilong pipol hia and wei wea datfala kantri luk naes hem mekem wanfala man wea stap plande handred year go finis hem interest long datfala kantri. Datfala man hem aposol Paul wea travel long staka ples, and long samting olsem 56 C.E. hem sei olsem: “Mi preachim evribit disfala gud nius abaotem Christ . . . go kasem Illyricum.” (Romans 15:19) Central and north part bilong Albania distaem hem south part bilong Illyricum bifor. Paul raet from Corinth, long Greece, wea hem south long Illyricum. Wei wea hem sei hem preach evribit “go kasem Illyricum,” showimaot maet hem go kasem border or barava long Illyricum nao. Nomata wanem, hem preach long ples wea distaem hem south part bilong Albania. So Paul nao duim firstfala Kingdom-preaching waka long Albania.
Staka handred year go pas finis from datfala taem. Plande difren rul kamap and finis. Pipol from didifren kantri rulim disfala smol part long Europe go kasem taem Albania kamap independent state long 1912. Samting olsem tenfala year bihaen datwan, preaching waka abaotem Kingdom bilong Jehovah hem kamap moa long Albania.
Hao Hem Start Moa Distaem
Long olketa year bilong 1920, samfala from Albania wea stap long United States joinim Olketa International Bible Student, wea datwan hem nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor. Olketa hia go bak long Albania for talem nara pipol abaotem samting wea olketa lanem. Wanfala nao hem Nasho Idrizi. Samfala pipol acceptim truth. Long 1924, from staka pipol interest, office long Romania lukaftarem preaching waka bilong Albania.
Thanas Duli (Athan Doulis), hem wanfala wea lane abaotem Jehovah long Albania long olketa year hia. Hem sei: “Long 1925, Albania garem thrifala kongregeson, and long olketa nara area Olketa Bible Student and pipol wea interest stap. Love wea olketa garem for each other difren tumas from . . . pipol wea stap raonem olketa!”a
From no eni gudfala road, hem barava hard tumas for travel. Nomata olsem, olketa pablisa wea strong for truth willing for go and preach. Olsem example, long south coast long Vlorë, Areti Pina wea hem 18 year hem baptaes long 1928. Hem strong for wakabaot go ap long olketa hae maunten and iusim Bible for preach. Long olketa firstfala year bilong 1930, hem joinim wanfala kongregeson long Vlorë wea strong for duim ministry.
Long 1930, branch office long Athens, Greece, lukaftarem preaching waka long Albania. Long 1932, wanfala traveling overseer from Greece visitim Albania for encouragem and strongim olketa brata. Klosap evriwan wea lanem truth from Bible long datfala taem garem hope for go long heven. From olketa brata klin and garem gudfala fasin, pipol evriwea barava respectim olketa. Staka gud samting kamaot from waka bilong olketa faithful brata hia. Long 1935 and 1936, olketa givimaot samting olsem 13,000 Bible buk and magasin long Albania.
Wanday, long ples wea staka bisnis stap long Vlorë, Nasho Idrizi pleim long gramophone wanfala sermon bilong J. F. Rutherford. Pipol stop waka and satem stoa bilong olketa and kam lisin taem Brata Idrizi transleitim sermon hia long Albanian languis. Gud samting hem kamaot from strong wea olketa hia wea teachim Bible showimaot. Long 1940, Albania garem 50-fala Witness.
Kantri wea Tambuim Religion
Long 1939, Fascist rul bilong Italy kontrolem Albania. Gavman finis for acceptim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness olsem wanfala religion, and tambuim waka for preach. No longtaem bihaen, army bilong Germany attakim Albania. Taem World War II finis, wanfala leader long army wea savve tumas for muvim pipol, Enver Hoxha, hem start for leadim pipol. Long election long 1946, Communist Party bilong hem win and hem kamap prime minister. Olketa kolem olketa year bihaen 1946 taem bilong freedom, bat for pipol bilong Jehovah olketa nating free.
Gavman gogo start for les long evri religion. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Albania no joinim faet and politik from olketa followim Christian wei for no teksaed. (Isaiah 2:2-4; John 15:17-19) Gavman putim staka brata insaed prison and no givim kaikai or samting wea olketa needim. Staka taem olketa spiritual sista wea no insaed prison wasim kaleko and kuki for olketa.
Nating Fraet, Nomata Kasem Persecution
Long olketa firstfala year bilong 1940, Frosina Xheka, wea hem wanfala teenager, hem stap long wanfala vilij wea klosap long Përmet. Hem herem samting wea tufala really brata bilong hem lanem from Nasho Dori, wanfala Witness wea wakem shoe.b Long datfala taem gavman start for aftarem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and faith bilong Frosina gohed for grow strong nomata dadi and mami bilong hem no hapi long datwan. Frosina hem sei olsem: “Tufala savve haedem shoe bilong mi and killim mi sapos mi attendim olketa Christian meeting. Tufala trae forcem mi for maritim wanfala man wea no Witness. Taem mi les, tufala raosem mi from haos. Long datfala day hem snow tu. Nasho Dori askem Brata Gole Flloko wea stap long Gjirokastër for helpem mi. Olketa stretem for mi go stap witim famili bilong hem. From tufala really brata bilong mi no teksaed, tufala stap insaed prison for tufala year. Bihaen olketa kamaot from prison mi go stap witim olketa long Vlorë.
“Olketa police trae forcem mi for joinim olketa samting saed long politik. Mi les for duim datwan. Olketa arrestim and tekem mi go long wanfala rum, and evriwan standap raonem mi. Wanfala sei olsem for mekem mi fraet: ‘Waswe, iu savve wanem mifala savve duim long iu?’ Mi sei long hem: ‘Iu savve duim nomoa samting Jehovah letem iu for duim.’ Hem tok kros olsem long mi: ‘Iu krangge tumas! Iu go nao!’”
Insaed olketa year hia olketa brata long Albania showimaot semkaen loyal fasin. Long 1957, Albania garem 75 Kingdom pablisa. Long olketa firstfala year bilong 1960, headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness markem John Marks, man from Albania wea stap long United States for visitim Tiranë mekem hem help for organizem Christian waka.c Bat, no longtaem nomoa, gavman putim Luçi Xheka, Mihal Sveci, Leonidha Pope, and olketa nara brata wea lead insaed kongregeson, long olketa prison wea olketa forcem prisoner for waka hard.
Hardfala Taem Klosap Finis
Long Albania bifor year 1967, gavman barava les long evri religion. Then olketa tambuim evri religion. No eni priest long Catholic, Orthodox, or Muslim savve duim olketa ceremony. Olketa satem olketa church and mosque or mekem olketa kamap museum, market, or ples for duim exercise. No eniwan shud garem Bible. Man mas no storyim hao hem biliv long God.
Hem barava hard nao for preach and hipap tugeta for meeting. Nomata olketa Witness stap seleva, olketa wanwan traem best for servem Jehovah. Start long olketa year bilong 1960 go kasem olketa year bilong 1980, namba bilong olketa Witness hem barava katdaon. Nomata olsem, olketa strong long spiritual wei.
Klosap long end bilong olketa year bilong 1980, olketa samting long politik isisi change long Albania. Pipol no garem inaf kaikai and kaleko. Olketa nating hapi. Olketa bigfala change wea gohed long Eastern Europe kasem Albania tu long olketa firstfala year bilong 1990. Bihaen hardfala rul for 45 year, wanfala niu gavman aotem tambu from religion.
Olketa long branch office long Austria and Greece followim samting wea Governing Body Bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness talem and olketa go lukaotem olketa brata long Albania. Olketa Greek brata wea savve tok long Albanian languis tekem go long Tiranë and Berat samfala niu Bible pablikeson wea olketa just transleitim. Olketa brata wea stap separate from each other barava hapi tumas for meetim moa olketa Witness from difren kantri bihaen staka year.
Olketa Strongfala Pioneer From Difren Kantri Leadim Waka
Long start bilong 1992, Governing Body sendem Michael and Linda DiGregorio, wea missionary and wea mami bilong Michael hem from Albania, for go long Albania. Tufala meetim olketa olo wea faithful, and helpem olketa kamap part long organization bilong Jehovah moa. Wanfala grup bilong 16-fala spesol pioneer, wea minim olketa full-taem minister, arrive from Italy long November witim fofala pioneer from Greece. Olketa arrange for olketa pioneer lanem Albanian languis.
Laef no isi for olketa pioneer hia. Electric no kam olowe. Cold season hem barava cold tumas. Pipol mas laen ap for plande hour for kasem kaikai and olketa nara samting wea olketa needim. Bat, big problem wea olketa brata feisim hem nao for faendem eni building wea bae fitim staka pipol wea interest long truth for hipap insaed!
Olketa pioneer wea trae hard for lanem Albanian languis luksavve hao languis hem no main important samting. Wanfala brata sei long olketa: “Man no need for barava savve long languis for mekem hem smile or huggim olketa brata. Love bilong iufala bae affectim pipol long Albania, no wei for savve story gud long languis. No wari, olketa bae minim.”
Bihaen olketa pioneer lanem finis languis, olketa start preach long Berat, Durres, Gjirokastër, Shkodër, Tiranë, and Vlorë. Kwiktaem nomoa staka niu kongregeson kamap long olketa taon hia. Areti Pina, wea long datfala taem hem winim 80 year and health bilong hem no mas gud, stap yet long Vlorë. Tufala spesol pioneer go long there for preach witim hem. Pipol sapraes hao olketa from difren kantri iusim Albanian languis and olketa sei: “Olketa missionary from olketa nara religion mekem mifala lanem English or Italian languis sapos mifala laek lanem eni samting. Iufala mas barava lovem mifala and garem important message for talem dastawe iufala lanem Albanian languis!” Areti wea garem hope for go long heven hem stap faithful go kasem taem hem dae long January 1994. Hem gohed preach go kasem month wea hem dae. Strong wea hem and olketa nara pioneer showimaot mekem gud samting kamap. Wanfala kongregeson start bak moa long Vlorë long 1995. Distaem thrifala strong kongregeson busy for preach long datfala taon wea stap klosap long harbor.
Long evri ples long Albania pipol hangre long spiritual wei and nating againstim religion. Olketa hapi for acceptim and readim evri Bible pablikeson wea olketa kasem from olketa Witness. Staka young wan start for study and kwiktaem muv ahed long spiritual wei.
Winim 90 kongregeson and olketa grup gohed for “kamap strong long faith and kamap moa big evriday” evriwea long Albania. (Acts 16:5) Bigfala waka stap yet for 3,513 Witness long Albania for duim. Long March 2005, 10,144 attendim Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ. Taem olketa Witness preach long pipol wea showimaot welkam hem lead go long wei for conductim winim 6,000 Bible study. For sure, staka thousand pipol bae kasem gud samting from New World Translation wea olketa just finis for transleitim long Albanian languis. Tru nao, plande pipol herem message bilong Jehovah long “Land Bilong Eagle” and diswan givim praise long Jehovah.
[Olketa Footnote]
a For laef story bilong Thanas Duli, lukim The Watchtower, December 1, 1968.
b For laef story bilong Nasho Dori, lukim The Watchtower, January 1, 1996.
c For laef story bilong waef bilong John Marks, Helen, lukim Wastaoa, January 1, 2002.
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WEI FOR HEITIM NARA TRIBE FINIS NAO LONG KOSOVO!
Iumi herem nius abaotem Kosovo long olketa year klosap long end bilong 1990. Land dispute and wei for barava heitim nara tribe lead go long war, and olketa nara kantri mas help for stretem datwan.
Taem war gohed long olketa Balkan kantri, staka Witness mas ranawe go long olketa nara kantri wea stap klosap. Bihaen wei for faet hem katdaon, wanfala smol grup go bak long Kosovo and redi for duim waka for preach. Olketa spesol pioneer long Albania and Italy willing for go long Kosovo for helpem 2,350,000 pipol long there. Fofala kongregeson and sixfala grup wea garem 130 pablisa servem Jehovah long datfala territory.
Long spring season long 2003, long Priština, 252 attendim spesol assembly day. Olketa wea hipap kam from Albania, Germany, Italy, Serbia and olketa Gypsy. Long end bilong baptism tok, speaker askem tufala kwestin. Thrifala wea redi for baptaes standap for ansa and sei yes: wanfala from Albania, wanfala Gypsy, and narawan from Serbia.
Audience klap big fogud bihaen olketa herem thrifala wantaem sei: “Va!,” “Da!,” and “Po!” Thrifala hia huggim each other. Olketa savve nao long ansa for stretem problem for heitim nara tribe wea spoelem kantri bilong olketa.
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(For formatted text, lukim pablikeson)
Mediterranean Sea
ITALY
ALBANIA
GREECE
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Olketa young Witness followim example bilong olketa olo wea strong for duim ministry
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Areti Pina faithful for serve start long 1928 go kasem taem hem dae long 1994
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First grup bilong olketa pioneer from difren kantri wea lanem Albanian languis
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Eagle: © Brian K. Wheeler/VIREO