‘Preach Abaotem Wei for Kamap Free Long Olketa Prisoner’
LONG start long ministry bilong Jesus, hem talemaot hao part long assignment bilong hem nao “for preach long olketa prisoner abaotem wei for kamap free.” (Luke 4:18) Olketa tru Christian followim example bilong Masta bilong olketa long wei for preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom long “evri difren kaen man,” wea datwan mekem olketa kamap free long spiritual wei, and hem mekem laef bilong olketa kamap moabeta.—1 Timothy 2:4.
Distaem, disfala preaching waka hem kasem olketa really prisoner—pipol wea stap long prison from olketa duim olketa difren criminal samting and wea laek for kamap free long spiritual wei. Iu bae hapi for readim disfala gud report abaotem preaching waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness insaed olketa prison long Ukraine and olketa nara ples long Europe.
Pipol wea Iusim Drug Change for Kamap Olketa Christian
Serhiia wea 38 year, hem stap long prison for 20 year. Hem finisim skul saed long education insaed prison. Hem sei: “Mi stap long prison for plande year finis from mi killim man dae, and mi garem staka year for stap long prison yet. Bifor, mi barava raf tumas long prison, and olketa nara prisoner barava fraetem mi.” Waswe, wei wea hem duim olsem mekem hem feel free? Nomoa. For plande year, main samting long laef bilong Serhii nao hem drug, alcohol, and tobacco.
Gogo hem lanem truth long Bible from wanfala prisoner. Datwan hem olsem laet wea shaen long dark ples. Insaed tu-thri month nomoa, Serhii finis for depend long drug, alcohol, and tobacco, hem kamap man for preachim gud nius, and bihaen hem baptaes. Distaem Serhii hem serve olsem wanfala full-taem minister bilong Jehovah wea datwan mekem hem barava busy long prison. Hem helpem sevenfala criminal for changem wei bilong olketa and kamap olketa spiritual brata bilong hem. Sixfala long olketa kamap free, bat Serhii stap long prison yet. Hem nating feel nogud long datwan bikos hem hapi for helpem olketa narawan for kamap free long spiritual wei.—Acts 20:35.
Wanfala student bilong Serhii long prison hem Victor, wea bifor hem salem and iusim drug. Bihaen hem kamap free from prison, Victor muv ahed long spiritual wei and gogo hem attendim Ministerial Training Skul long Ukraine. Distaem hem wanfala spesol pioneer long Moldova. Victor hem sei: “Mi start smoke taem mi 8 year, drinkim alcohol taem mi 12 year, and mi iusim drug taem mi 14 year. Mi laek for changem laef bilong mi, bat evritaem mi trae for duim datwan mi fail nomoa. Then, long 1995, taem mi and waef bilong mi plan for go stap long difren ples for lusim olketa nogud fren bilong mi, wanfala krangge man busarem dae waef bilong mi. Datwan mekem mi barava no garem hope and mi sorre narawe. Mi gohed for askem olketa kwestin olsem: ‘Waef bilong mi long wea distaem? Wanem nao happen taem man hem dae?’ Mi nating faendem ansa for olketa kwestin olsem. Mi tekem staka drug winim bifor for trae for deal witim diswan. Police arrestim mi from mi salem drug and olketa putim mi long prison for faevfala year. Taem mi stap long prison nao, Serhii helpem mi for faendem ansa for olketa kwestin bilong mi. Staka taem mi trae for stop for iusim drug, bat distaem nomoa mi win, from Bible helpem mi. Word bilong God garem paoa wea big tumas!”—Hebrews 4:12.
Olketa Barava Nogud Criminal Change
Nomata Vasyl no iusim drug, bat hem tu go long prison. Hem sei olsem: “Kickboxing nao hem samting wea mi interest tumas long hem. Mi trainim miseleva for hitim pipol bat no mekem eni mark stap long body bilong olketa.” Vasyl iusim raf wei bilong hem for steal from pipol. Hem sei olsem: “Olketa police putim mi long prison thrifala taem, and from datwan waef bilong mi divorcem mi. Insaed last faevfala year wea mi stap long prison, mi start for readim literature bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Datwan muvim mi for readim Bible, bat mi still duim samting wea mi lovem tumas—kickboxing.
“Nomata olsem, bihaen mi readim Bible for sixfala month, mi garem barava difren feeling. Mi no garem nao feeling for satisfae taem mi winim olketa faet olsem bifor. So witim help bilong Isaiah 2:4, mi start for lukluk long laef bilong mi, and mi luksavve hao sapos mi no changem tingting bilong mi, bae mi stap long prison for full laef bilong mi. So mi torowem evriting wea mi savve iusim for faet and start for stretem olketa wei bilong mi. Hem no isi, bat thru long wei for barava ting raonem samting and prea, mi isisi lusim olketa nogud wei bilong mi. Samfala taem, mi savve krae and begim Jehovah for givim mi strong for lusim evribit kickboxing. Gogo, mi win nao.
“Bihaen mi kamap free from prison, mifala famili stap tugeta moa. Distaem mi waka long wanfala coal mine. From diswan, mi garem inaf taem for share long preaching waka witim waef bilong mi and for fulfillim responsibility bilong mi long kongregeson.”
Mykola and olketa fren bilong hem steal long samfala bank long Ukraine. From diswan, olketa putim hem long prison for tenfala year. Bifor hem go long prison, wantaem nomoa hem go long church—mekem hem spae for steal from datfala church. Datfala plan hem fail, bat hem mekem Mykola tingim hao Bible mas fulap witim olketa boring story abaotem olketa priest bilong Orthodox church, olketa kandol, and olketa holiday bilong religion. Hem sei: “Mi no savve why, bat mi start for readim Bible. Mi sapraes for faendaot hao hem barava difren from wanem mi tingim!” Mykola ask for studyim Bible and long 1999 hem baptaes. Eniwan wea lukim disfala hambol ministerial servant distaem hard for tingim hao bifor hem wanfala man wea raf and wea holem gun for go steal long bank!
Kot hem judgem Vladimir for dae. Taem hem weitim datwan, hem prea long God and promis for servem Hem sapos hem no dae. Long semtaem, law hem change and hem bae no dae, bat hem bae stap long prison for full laef. For keepim promis bilong hem, Vladimir start for lukaotem tru religion. Hem duim wanfala correspondence course. From datwan, hem kasem diploma from wanfala Adventist church, bat hem nating satisfae.
Bat, bihaen hem readim olketa Wastaoa and Awake! magasin wea stap insaed library long prison, Vladimir raet go long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Ukraine, and ask for eniwan visitim hem. Taem olketa brata visitim hem, long tingting bilong hemseleva hem wanfala Witness finis and hem gohed for preach long prison. Olketa Witness helpem hem mekem hem kamap fit olsem wanfala Kingdom pablisa. Taem olketa preparem disfala article, Vladimir and nara sevenfala long datfala prison olketa redi for baptaes. Bat olketa garem problem. Olketa putim evri prisoner wea stap long prison for full laef and wea garem sem religion long wanfala cell nomoa. From diswan Vladimir and olketa wea stap long sem cell evriwan garem sem religion. From datwan, hu nao olketa savve preach long hem? Olketa talemaot gud nius long olketa gard long prison and thru long wei for raetem leta.
Nazar muv kam from Ukraine long Czech Republic, and long there hem joinim wanfala gang wea savve steal. Diswan mekem olketa putim hem long prison for thri and haf year. Taem hem long prison, hem lisin and lanem truth from Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea visit kam from Karlovy Vary, and hem change evribit. Wanfala security gard wea lukim wei wea Nazar hem change, hem sei olsem long olketa nara prisoner: “Sapos iufala evriwan kamap olsem datfala man from Ukraine, bae mi no need for waka long hia nao.” Narawan hem sei: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness olketa savve tumas. Taem wanfala man kam long prison hem wanfala criminal, taem hem go aot hem gudfala man nao.” Distaem Nazar kamap free. Hem lanem carpenter waka and hem marit, and hem and waef bilong hem insaed full-taem ministry. Hem barava thankiu long wei wea olketa Witness visit kam long prison!
Olketa Bigman Luksavve
Hem no olketa prisoner nomoa wea tinghae long waka wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness duim. Miroslaw Kowalski, wanfala man for toktok for wanfala prison long Poland, hem sei olsem: “Mifala barava tinghae tumas long visit bilong olketa. Samfala prisoner garem living wea barava sorre. Maet pipol deal witim olketa long barava nogud wei. . . . Help [bilong olketa Witness] hem barava important from olketa wakman and man for helpem olketa prisoner hem no staka.”
Bigman bilong nara prison long Poland hem raet long branch office and askem olketa Witness for mekem kamap moa big waka bilong olketa long prison bilong hem. Why nao olsem? Hem sei: “Wei wea olketa bilong Wastaoa visit olowe maet helpem olketa prisoner for garem gudfala wei for deal witim narawan, and daonem wei wea olketa savve raf midolwan long olketa seleva.”
Wanfala niuspepa long Ukraine storyim wei wea wanfala prisoner wea trae for suisaed kasem help from Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Niuspepa hia hem sei: “Distaem, man hia hem isisi winim nogud feeling wea hem garem. Hem barava followim schedule wea prison hem markem and hem showimaot gud example for olketa nara prisoner.”
Gud Samting Bihaen Olketa Lusim Prison
Gudfala waka wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness duim hem no insaed long olketa prison nomoa. Olketa prisoner still kasem gud samting from olketa Witness bihaen olketa kamap free. Tufala Christian sista, Brigitte and Renate, helpem olketa woman prisoner long disfala wei for samfala year finis. Wanfala niuspepa long Germany, Main-Echo Aschaffenburg, hem story olsem abaotem olketa: “Olketa lukaftarem olketa prisoner for thri go kasem faevfala month bihaen olketa prisoner kamap free from prison, and encouragem olketa for duim samting witim laef bilong olketa. . . . Olketa bigman luksavve long olketa olsem olketa wea helpem pipol wea kamaot from prison. . . . Olketa waka gud tumas tu witim olketa man wea waka long prison.” Plande woman prisoner dedicatem laef bilong olketa long Jehovah from olketa kasem help olsem.
Olketa gard long prison tu kasem gud samting from Bible education waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Olsem example, Roman hem wanfala bigman long army and doctor for studyim mind and fasin bilong man wea waka insaed wanfala prison long Ukraine. Taem olketa Witness kasem haos bilong hem, hem agree for studyim Bible. Then hem faendemaot hao long ples wea hem waka olketa stopem olketa Witness for visitim olketa prisoner. From datwan, hem askem gard bilong datfala prison for hem iusim Bible long waka bilong hem for olketa prisoner. Olketa letem hem for duim datwan, and samting olsem tenfala prisoner nao interest. Evritaem Roman sharem savve wea kakamap big wea hem kasem from Bible witim olketa prisoner hia, and olketa nambawan samting nao kamaot from hard waka bilong hem. Bihaen olketa kamap free, samfala muv ahed and kamap olketa Christian wea baptaes. Taem hem lukim Word bilong God garem paoa, Roman tingting moa strong long study bilong hem. Hem lusim army and gohed long waka bilong hem for teachim Bible. Distaem hem share long preaching waka witim wanfala man wea stap long prison bifor.
Wanfala prisoner hem raet olsem: “Olketa samting wea helpem mifala long hia, hem Bible, olketa Bible pablikeson, and Bible study.” Toktok hia barava showim stret hao long samfala prison olketa no garem inaf Bible literature. Wanfala kongregeson long Ukraine story olsem abaotem Bible education waka long wanfala prison: “Olketa bigman long prison barava thankiu for literature wea mifala givim. Mifala givim 60 copy bilong evri niu Wastaoa and Awake!” Nara kongregeson hem raet olsem: “Mifala lukaftarem wanfala prison wea garem 20 smol library. Mifala givim plande long olketa main pablikeson bilong iumi long olketa. Literature hia hem fulimap 20-fala box.” Long wanfala prison, olketa gard keepim wanfala file long olketa magasin bilong iumi long library mekem olketa prisoner readim evri magasin.
Long 2002, branch office long Ukraine startim wanfala department wea olketa kolem Prison Desk. Kam kasem distaem, olketa long datfala department mekem arrangement witim samting olsem 120 prison and assignim olketa kongregeson for lukaftarem olketa. Evri month olketa kasem samting olsem 50 leta from olketa prisoner, and klosap evriwan askem literature or wanfala Bible study. Branch sendem olketa buk, magasin, and brochure long olketa go kasem taem olketa brata go visitim olketa.
Aposol Paul raet olsem long olketa nara Christian: “Tingim olketa wea stap long prison.” (Hebrews 13:3) Long hia Paul story abaotem olketa wea stap long prison for faith bilong olketa. Distaem, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness tingim olketa wea stap long prison, visitim olketa prison, and “preach long olketa prisoner abaotem wei for kamap free.”—Luke 4:18.
[Footnote]
a Mifala changem samfala nem.
[Piksa long page 9]
Prison wall long L’viv, Ukraine
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Mykola
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Vasyl and waef bilong hem, Iryna
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Victor