Laef Story
Rememberim Creator Bilong Iumi From Taem Iumi Young
STORY BILONG DAVID Z. HIBSHMAN
“Sapos mi mas kasem end long laef bilong mi, mi barava hope mi faithful long Jehovah. Mi barava askem hem for lukaftarem David bilong mi. Thankiu Jehovah, for hem, and for marit bilong mitufala. Barava nambawan, barava hapi!”
TINGIM feeling bilong mi bihaen mi berem waef bilong mi long March 1992, mi faendem disfala last toktok long buk bilong hem. Faevfala month bifor, mifala celebratem mek-60 anniversary bilong Helen long full-taem ministry.
Mi tingim klia tumas datfala day long 1931 taem Helen and mi sidaon tugeta long convention long Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A. Helen hem no kasem 14 year yet, bat hem tinghae long datfala important samting winim mi. Strong bilong Helen for ministry hem showaot klia no longtaem bihaen taem hem and mami bilong hem wea widow woman kamap pioneer, olsem Olketa Witness Bilong Jehovah kolem long olketa wea go preach full taem. Tufala lusim naesfala haos for go preaching long olketa bush area long south United States.
Christian Start Bilong Mi
Long 1910 dadi and mami bilong mi muv witim tufala smol pikinini from east Pennsylvania go long Grove City, long west part bilong datfala province. Olketa putim deposit long smolfala haos and kamap member bilong Reformed Church. No longtaem bihaen William Evans, wanfala Bible Student, wea hem nao nem bilong Olketa Witness Bilong Jehovah long datfala taem, visitim tufala. Dadi, wea hem lelebet winim 20 year nomoa, and Mami, wea faevfala year bihaenem hem, lisin long disfala kaenfala man from Wales and invaetem hem for kaikai witim olketa. No longtaem bihaen tufala acceptim olketa Bible truth wea tufala lanem.
For stap klosap long kongregeson, Dadi muvim famili for go samting olsem 40 kilometer long taon bilong Sharon. Samfala month bihaen, long 1911 or 1912, Dadi and Mami baptaes. Charles Taze Russell, wea first president bilong Watch Tower Society, givim baptism tok. Mi born long December 4, 1916, taem dadi and mami garem fofala pikinini finis. Taem mi born, olketa sei: “Narafala brata for lovem.” Dastawe nem bilong mi, David, wea minim “Samwan iu lovem.”
Taem mi fofala week nomoa, olketa tekem mi long firstfala convention bilong mi. Long datfala taem, dadi and olketa brata bilong mi wea moa big wakabaot samfala kilometer for go long olketa kongregeson meeting taem Mami tekem sista bilong mi and mi long bas. Olketa meeting garem program long morning and aftanun. Long haos, planti taem olketa story abaotem olketa article long Wastaoa and The Golden Age, wea hem nem bilong Wekap! bifor.
Kasem Gud Samting From Olketa Nambawan Example
Planti pilgrim, wea hem nem bilong olketa traveling speaker bifor, visitim kongregeson bilong mifala. Olketa savve stap wan or tufala day witim mifala. Wanfala speaker wea mi barava tingim klia hem Walter J. Thorn, wea rememberim Barava Nambawan Creator long ‘taem hem young yet.’ (Ecclesiastes 12:1) Taem mi wanfala boy, mi go witim Dadi for showim long pablik disfala “Photo-Drama of Creation,” wanfala movie wea garem fofala part and olketa recordim toktok abaotem history bilong man.
Nomata Brata Evans and waef bilong hem, Miriam, no garem eni pikinini, tufala kamap spiritual dadi and mami, and grani long famili bilong mifala. William evritaem kolem Dadi “Son,” and hem and Miriam putim insaed famili bilong mi disfala feeling for duim preaching. Long firstfala part bilong mek-20 century, Brata Evans samfala taem go bak long Wales for talemaot Bible truth long area raonem Swansea. Olketa savve long hem olsem datfala man wea preach from America.
Long 1928, Brata Evans finis from waka for selen and start for preach long olketa maunten area bilong West Virginia. Tufala big brata bilong mi, Clarence wea 21 year and Carl wea 19 year, joinim hem. Mifala fofala boy insaed full-taem ministry for planti year. Tru nao, mifala evriwan serve olsem olketa traveling overseer bilong Olketa Witness Bilong Jehovah taem mifala young. No longtaem go nomoa lastborn sista bilong Mami bilong mi, Mary, wea winim 90 year distaem, raet olsem long mi: “Iumi evriwan thankiu long Brata Evans from hem garem strong for ministry and visitim Grove City!” Aunty Mary hem wanfala wea rememberim tu Creator bilong hem from taem hem young.
Attendim Olketa Convention
Dadi and Clarence nomoa fit for attendim Cedar Point, Ohio, convention long 1922. Bat, long 1924 mifala garem wanfala trak, and full famili go long convention long Columbus, Ohio. Mifala pikinini mas iusim selen bilong mifala seleva for peim kaikai bilong mifala long datfala eit-day convention. Dadi and mami garem tingting for evri member bilong famili mas lane for saportim olketa seleva. So mifala keepim olketa kokorako and rabbit and lukaftarem olketa honeybee, and mifala boy sellim olketa niuspepa.
Taem convention long Toronto, Canada, long 1927 hem kamap, mifala garem baby brata wea six month nomoa, wea nem bilong hem Paul. Mi kasem waka for stap long haos and lukaftarem Paul witim help bilong wanfala aunty taem dadi and mami go long Toronto witim olketa nara pikinini. Mi kasem ten dollar olsem reward, wea mi iusim for peim wanfala niu kaleko. Mifala kasem training evritaem for werem gud kaleko long olketa meeting and for lukaftarem kaleko bilong mifala.
Kasem taem bilong convention long 1931 long Columbus, Ohio, Clarence and Carl tufala marit and pioneer witim olketa waef bilong tufala. Tufala stap long olketa smol haos wea tufala buildim. Carl hem maritim Claire Houston bilong Wheeling, West Virginia, and dastawe mi sidaon klosap long young sista bilong Claire, Helen, long datfala Columbus convention.
Full-Taem Ministry
Mi graduate from secondary skul long 1932 taem mi 15 year, and long year bihaen mi tekem wanfala secondhand trak long brata bilong mi Clarence, wea pioneer long South Carolina. Mi ask for kamap pioneer and start waka witim Clarence and waef bilong hem. Long datfala taem, Helen hem pioneer long Hopkinsville, Kentucky, and hem firstaem for mi raet long hem. Taem hem raet kam, hem ask: “Waswe, iu wanfala pioneer?”
Long leta bilong mi—wea Helen keepim go kasem taem hem dae long 60 year bihaen—mi ansa: “Yes, and mi hope for olsem olowe.” Long datfala leta, mi talem Helen hao mi givimaot buklet The Kingdom, the Hope of the World long olketa bigman long religion and long olketa bigman long kot long preaching assignment bilong mi.
Long 1933, Dadi wakem wanfala tent wea garem wheel for mi—long bilong hem 2.4 meter, hem 2 meter waed witim kaleko walling wea raonem olketa thin stik and wanfala window long front and long bak. Hem nao hambol haos bilong mi for next fofala year bilong pioneer waka.
Long March 1934, Clarence and Carl, witim waef bilong tufala, Helen and mami bilong hem, sista-in-law bilong Clarence and mi—eitfala long mifala—go long west for attendim convention long Los Angeles, California. Samfala stap and sleep insaed haos bilong mi. Mi sleep long trak, and olketa narawan stap long hotel. From mifala garem problem witim trak, mifala kasem Los Angeles long mek-tu day bilong disfala six-day convention. Long there, long March 26, Helen and mi showimaot dedication bilong mifala long Jehovah thru long baptaes long wata.
Long datfala convention Joseph F. Rutherford, wea president bilong Watch Tower Society, meetim evri pioneer wanwan. Hem encouragem evriwan, and talem hao mifala olketa strongfala man for faet for Bible truth. Long datfala taem, olketa givim lelebet selen for helpem olketa pioneer mekem olketa savve go ahed witim ministry bilong olketa.
Education for Laef
Taem mifala kam bak from disfala convention long Los Angeles, mifala evriwan sharem Kingdom message witim pipol long olketa full province bilong South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky. Planti year bihaen Helen raet abaotem datfala taem: “No eni kongregeson stap for mifala depend long hem, no eni fren for helpem mifala, from mifala stranger long ples wea difren evribit. Bat distaem mi savve mi kasem wanfala education. Mi start for kamap rich.”
Hem askem: “Wanem nao wanfala young girl bae duim taem hem no stap klosap long olketa fren and hom bilong hem? Hem no hard tumas. Mi no savve tingim enitaem wea hem boring. Mi savve readim planti samting. Mifala nating fail for readim olketa Bible pablikeson bilong mifala and study. Mi klos long mami bilong mi, lane for iusim selen wea mifala garem long gud wei, for duim shopping, changem olketa tyre wea flat, kuki, sew, and duim preaching. Mi no sorre and bae hapi for duim sem samting moa.”
Helen and mami bilong hem hapi for stap long smol haos for planti year, nomata mami bilong hem garem naesfala haos. Bihaenem convention long 1937, long Columbus, Ohio, health bilong mami bilong Helen kamap moa worse, and hem mas admit long hospital. Hem dae long assignment bilong hem long Philippi, West Virginia, long November 1937.
Marit and Service wea Go Ahed
Long June 10, 1938, mi maritim Helen long simpol wedding long haos wea hem born long Elm Grove, klosap long Wheeling, West Virginia. Man wea mifala barava lovem, Brata Evans, wea lanem truth long famili bilong mi samfala year bifor mi born, givim tok long wedding. Bihaenem wedding, mi and Helen plan for go bak long pioneer waka long east Kentucky, bat mifala sapraes tumas, olketa invaetem mifala for duim zone waka. Disfala waka minim mifala mas visitim olketa grup bilong Olketa Witness Bilong Jehovah long west Kentucky and samfala part long Tennessee for helpem olketa long ministry bilong olketa. Datfala taem 75 pipol nomoa talemaot Kingdom long evri ples wea mifala visitim.
Long datfala taem, wei for mekhae long kantri spoelem tingting bilong planti pipol, and mi expectim klosap mi bae go long prison from Christian wei for no teksaed. (Isaiah 2:4) Bat, from record bilong mi long preaching waka, olketa wea garem paoa for sendem mi for faet disaed for letem mi go ahed witim full-taem ministry bilong mi.
Taem mifala start long traveling ministry, klosap evriwan sei mifala luk young tumas. Long Hopkinsville, Kentucky, wanfala Christian sista holem Helen taem hem tok hello and askem: “Waswe, iu rememberim mi?” Long 1933, Helen hem witness long disfala woman long stoa bilong hasband bilong hem. Hem Sunday-skul teacher, bat bihaen hem readim buk wea Helen givim hem, hem standap front long class bilong hem and tok sorre for teachim olketa samting wea no stap long Bible. Bihaen hem resign from church, hem start for talemaot olketa Bible truth long area bilong hem. Helen and mi serve long west Kentucky for thrifala year, and haos bilong datfala sista and hasband bilong hem kamap olsem haos bilong mifala.
Long datfala taem mifala garem olketa smol assembly, and A. H. Macmillan kam long wanfala. Wantaem hem stap long haos bilong dadi and mami bilong Helen taem Helen hem pikinini, so long datfala convention, hem chus for stap witim mifala long haos bilong mifala wea 5 meter, wea wanfala extra bed hem stap. Hem tu rememberim Nambawan Creator bilong hem long taem hem young boy, from hem dedicatem laef bilong hem long Jehovah long 1900, taem hem 23 year.
For lelebet taem olketa stopem waka bilong olketa traveling brata long November 1941, and mi kasem assignment olsem pioneer long Hazard, Kentucky. Mifala waka moa witim brata bilong mi Carl and waef bilong hem, Claire. Long hia Joseph Houston, nephew bilong Helen, joinim mifala and start for pioneer. Hem go ahed long full-taem ministry for klosap 50 year, bat seke hem dae from heart attak long 1992 taem hem serve long faithful wei long world headquarters bilong Olketa Witness Bilong Jehovah long Brooklyn, New York.
Long 1943 mifala kasem assignment for go long Rockville, Connecticut. Diswan olsem barava difren ples for Helen and mi from mifala getius for preach long south. Long Rockville, Helen evritaem conductim winim 20 hom Bible study evri week. Gogo, mifala rentim wanfala smol rum for kamap Kingdom Hall, and organizem start bilong wanfala smol kongregeson.
Taem mifala serve long Rockville, mifala kasem invitation for attendim mek-faev class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead long South Lansing, New York. Mifala hapi for savve hao Aubrey and Bertha Bivens, tufala fren from taem mifala pioneer tugeta long Kentucky, bae insaed datfala class tu.
Skul and Niu Assignment Bilong Mifala
Nomata mifala young yet, planti insaed long class bilong mifala moa young winim mifala. Tru tumas, olketa go ahed for tingim Nambawan Creator bilong olketa taem olketa young. Graduation bilong mifala hem long July 1945, taem World War II hem klosap for finis. Taem mifala weitim missionary assignment, mifala waka witim Flatbush Kongregeson long Brooklyn, New York. Long October 21, 1946, witim nara sixfala class fren, and insaed diswan brata and sista Bivens, mifala go long niu hom long Guatemala City, Guatemala. Long datfala taem, olketa Witness no kasem 50 long full kantri long Central America.
Long April 1949 samfala long mifala missionary muv long Quetzaltenango, mek-tu taon saed long size and important long datfala kantri. Disfala taon stap 2,300 meter hae winim sea, and air long olketa maunten hem klin and naes. Helen hem storyim waka bilong mifala olsem, taem hem raet: “Hem privilege bilong mifala for preach long planti taon and vilij. Mifala savve wekap foa klok long morning and gogo long bas (wea garem canvas wea iu savve rollim for olketa window) long taon wea farawe. Long there mifala savve preach for samting olsem eit hour bifor mifala go bak long evening.” Distaem planti kongregeson stap long olketa ples hia, insaed diswan sixfala from Quetzaltenango.
No longtaem bihaen olketa needim olketa missionary for serve long Puerto Barrios long Caribbean Coast, wea mek-thri bigfala taon long Guatemala. Tufala fren wea mifala lovem, brata and sista Bivens, wea mifala waka witim for faevfala year long Guatemala, tufala midolwan long olketa wea muv go long disfala niu assignment. Mifala barava sorre tumas taem tufala go, mekem mifala barava missim tufala. From Helen and mi nomoa stap long missionary hom, mifala muv go long wanfala smol haos. Long 1955, Helen and mi acceptim wanfala niu assignment long taon bilong Mazatenango wea moa hot. Lastborn brata bilong mi, Paul, and waef bilong hem, Dolores, wea graduate from Gilead long 1953, serve long datfala ples lelebet taem bifor mifala kam.
Kasem 1958 mifala garem winim 700 Witness, 20 kongregeson, and thrifala circuit long Guatemala. Helen and mi start for duim traveling waka moa, visitim olketa smol grup bilong olketa Witness and samfala kongregeson, and Quetzaltenango hem insaed olketa tu. Then, long August long 1959, mifala kasem invitation for go bak long Guatemala City, wea mifala stap long branch office. Mi kasem assignment for waka long branch, taem Helen go ahed long missionary service for nara 16 year. Then hem tu waka long branch office.
Moa Blessing
Planti year bifor hem luk olsem mi evritaem wan wea moa young winim olketa wea servem Jehovah. Distaem mi nao wan wea moa olo, olsem taem mi attendim branch skul long Patterson, New York, long 1996. Olsem mi kasem staka help from olketa wea moa olo taem mi young, hem privilege bilong mi distaem for helpem planti young wan wea want for rememberim Creator bilong olketa from taem olketa young.
Jehovah hem go ahed for givim planti blessing long pipol bilong hem long Guatemala. Long 1999 winim 60 kongregeson stap long Guatemala City. And long north, south, east, and west, planti moa kongregeson stap and staka thousand talemaot gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God. Taem mifala kam no kasem 50 Kingdom preacher stap, bat 53 year bihaen, hem winim 19,000!
Planti Reason for Hapi
No eniwan savve go thru long laef and no garem eni problem, bat mifala evritaem savve torowem ‘hevi bilong mifala long Jehovah.’ (Psalm 55:22) Planti taem hem saportim mifala thru long olketa loving fren wea savve help. Olsem example, samfala year bifor hem dae, Helen givim wanfala present long mi witim smol frame wea garem toktok from Bible verse long Hebrews 6:10: “God hem no wicked mekem hem forgetim waka bilong iufala and love wea iufala showimaot for Hemseleva long wei wea iufala givim service long pipol bilong Hem and go ahed for servem olketa.”—Weymouth.
Part long leta bilong hem wea witim datfala present hem sei: “Spesol wan bilong mi, mi no savve givim staka samting long iu, bat EVRI LOVE BILONG MI . . . Disfala toktok barava fitim iu, and mi askem iu for putim diswan long desk bilong iu, no from mi givim long iu, bat from hem fitim iu from olketa planti year long service.” Kam kasem distaem, disfala frame stap long office desk bilong mi long branch long Guatemala.
Mi servem Jehovah from taem mi young, and distaem mi olo mi thankiu long Jehovah for gudfala health bilong mi wea letem mi duim olketa waka bilong mi. Taem mi duim Bible reading evritaem, mi planti taem faendem olketa scripture wea mi tingim Helen wea mi lovem tumas hem savve markem insaed Bible bilong hem. Mi tingim diswan taem mi readim moa Psalm 48:14: “Disfala God hem God bilong iumi for olowe, barava olowe. Hemseleva bae gaedem iumi go kasem taem iumi dae.”
Hem hapi bilong mi for sharem witim nara pipol disfala hope bilong resurrection taem pipol bilong evri nation from bifor bae welkamim bak olketa from dae insaed wanfala niu world. Hem nambawan hope! Planti krae bilong hapi bae kamap datfala taem from iumi tingim hao Jehovah hem datfala God wea barava “comfortim olketa wea feel sorre”!—2 Corinthians 7:6.
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Start antap long left go daon: Mami, Dadi, Aunty Eva, and Carl and Clarence tufala brata bilong mi, long 1910
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Witim Helen long 1947 and long 1992