Laef Story

“O for Wanfala Faith wea Bae Nating Muv Bak”!

STORY BILONG HERBERT MÜLLER

Samfala month bihaen army bilong Hitler tekovarem Netherlands, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem tambu. No longtaem bihaen, olketa Nazi nemem mi olsem wanfala wea olketa barava want for kasholem, and olketa huntim mi olsem wanfala animal.

WANTAEM, from mi taed tumas for ranawe for haed, mi talem waef bilong mi hao maet bae hem moa isi for mi sapos army kasholem mi. Then mi tingim bak toktok bilong wanfala song: “O for wanfala faith wea bae nating muv bak, nomata olketa enemy putim hevi long mi.”a Wei for ting raonem datfala song hem strongim mi and mekem mi tingim parents bilong mi long Germany and long day olketa fren bilong mi singim datfala song for bye-bye long mi. Mi savve sharem samfala long olketa memory hia witim iu?

Example Bilong Parents Bilong Mi

Taem mi born long 1913 long taon bilong Copitz long Germany, parents bilong mi member bilong Evangelical Church.b Sevenfala year bihaen, long 1920, dadi lusim datfala church. Long April 6, hem ask for wanfala Kirchenaustrittsbescheinigung (Pepa for Talemaot Iu Lusim Church). Civil registration officer bilong taon raetem wanfala. Bat, wan week bihaen, dadi go bak for minim hao disfala pepa no garem nem bilong dota bilong hem. Datfala officer raetem mek-tu pepa wea sei hao Martha Margaretha Müller tu hem lusim church. Long datfala taem, Margaretha, sista bilong mi, hem wan and haf year. For saed bilong wei for servem Jehovah, dadi nating satisfae witim wei for hafhaf!

Datfala sem year, parents bilong mi baptaes long Olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bifor. Dadi bringimap mifala pikinini long strict wei, bat loyal fasin bilong hem long Jehovah mekem hem moa isi for mifala acceptim gaedens bilong hem. Loyal fasin muvim parents bilong mi for mekem olketa change tu. Olsem example, wanfala taem hem tambu for mifala plei aotsaed long olketa Sunday. Bat, wan Sunday long 1925, parents tekem mifala go wakabaot. Mifala tekem samfala kaikai and garem naes taem—barava bigfala change from wei for mas stap insaed haos for full day! Dadi sei hem lanem samfala point from wanfala convention wea stretem tingting bilong hem abaotem wei for duim samting long Sunday. Long olketa narataem tu hem showim sem willing wei for change.

Nomata health bilong parents bilong mi nogud, tufala nating hol bak long preaching waka. Olsem example, for givimaot disfala tract Ecclesiastics Indicted, mifala witim full kongregeson go wan evening long taon bilong Regensburg long train, samting olsem 300 kilometer from Dresden. Next day, mifala givimaot olketa tract long taon, and taem hem finis, mifala kasem train go bak. Taem mifala kasem bak haos, klosap 24 hour pas finis.

Lusim Hom

Wei wea mi kaban witim Jugendgruppe (Youth Grup) long kongregeson bilong mifala helpem mi for grow long spiritual wei tu. Evri week, olketa young wan wea winim 14 year savve meet witim samfala mature brata bilong kongregeson. Mifala pleim olketa game and olketa music instrument, studyim Bible, and storyim creation and science. Nomata olsem, long 1932, taem mi 19 year, wei wea mi kaban witim disfala grup hem end.

Long April bilong datfala sem year, Dadi kasem wanfala leta from office bilong Watch Tower Society long Magdeburg. Society hem lukaotem eniwan wea savve draev and wea laek for pioneer. Mi savve parents bilong mi laekem mi for pioneer, bat mi feel mi hard for duim. From parents bilong mi poor, mi fixim olketa bicycle and sewing machine, witim olketa typewriter and nara office equipment, taem mi 14 year. Hao nao mi savve go from famili bilong mi? Olketa needim saport bilong mi. And tu, mi no baptaes yet. Dadi sidaon witim mi and askem mi samfala kwestin for lukim sapos mi minim wanem nao insaed wei for baptaes. Taem olketa ansa bilong mi mekem hem biliv mi fit long spiritual wei for baptaes, hem sei: “Iu shud offerim iuseleva for disfala assignment.” Mi duim.

Wan week bihaen, mi kasem invitation for kam long Magdeburg. Taem mi talem olketa fren bilong mi insaed Youth Grup, olketa laek for singim wanfala hapi song for mi. Olketa sapraes long song mi chusim bikos long olketa, hem serious tumas. Nomata olsem, samfala holem violin, mandolin, and guitar bilong olketa and evriwan sing: “O for wanfala faith wea bae nating muv bak, nomata olketa enemy putim hevi long mi; wea bae nating seksek long taem bilong trabol.” Long datfala day, mi nating luksavve hao olketa toktok hia bae strongim mi insaed olketa year bihaen.

Hardfala Start

Bihaen olketa brata long Magdeburg testim draeving bilong mi, olketa givim mi and fofala nara pioneer wanfala car, and mifala go long Schneifel, wanfala province klosap long Belgium. No longtaem bihaen mifala luksavve mifala barava needim datfala car. Catholic Church long datfala area no laekem mifala, and pipol, from olketa priest strongim olketa, planti taem weit for raosem mifala. Staka taem, car hia helpem mifala missim hou and pitchfork bilong olketa.

Bihaen Memorial long 1933, regional overseer, Paul Grossmann, talem mifala hao waka bilong Society long Germany hem kasem tambu. No longtaem bihaen datwan, branch office askem mi for kam witim long Magdeburg, pikimap literature long there, and tekem go long taon bilong Saxony, samting olsem 100 kilometer from Magdeburg. Bat, taem mi kasem Magdeburg, Gestapo (Nazi secret police) klosim finis office bilong Society. Mi lusim car witim wanfala brata long Leipzig and go bak hom—bat for lelebet taem nomoa.

Office bilong Society long Switzerland invaetem mi for start pioneer long Netherlands. Mi plan for go wan or tu week bihaen. Bat, Dadi advaesem mi for go stretawe. Mi herem advaes bilong hem and lusim hom tu-thri hour bihaen. Long next day, police kam long haos bilong dadi bilong mi for arrestim mi from mi no joinim army. Olketa tu leit.

Start Long Netherlands

Long August 15, 1933, mi arrive long wanfala pioneer haos long Heemstede, wanfala taon 25 kilometer from Amsterdam. Next day mi go preach bat no savve long Dutch languis bilong olketa. Witim wanfala card wea garem sermon long languis, mi start preach. Hem barava encouragem mi taem wanfala Catholic woman acceptim datfala buk Reconciliation! Datfala sem day, mi offerim 27 buklet tu. Long end bilong first day, mi hapi tumas for savve preach free moa.

Long olketa taem hia, olketa pioneer no garem eni nara wei for kasem selen bat from literature wea pipol tekem nomoa. Datfala selen hem for baem kaikai and olketa nara need. Sapos lelebet selen leftova long end bilong month, olketa savve divaedem midolwan olketa pioneer. Mifala garem lelebet material samting, bat Jehovah hem provaed for mifala gud tumas, gogo, long 1934, mi fit for attendim wanfala convention long Switzerland.

Wanfala Faithful Fren

Long convention, mi lukim Erika Finke, wea hem 18 year. Mi savve long hem bifor from taem mi stap long hom. Hem fren bilong sista bilong mi, Margaretha, and mi evritaem tinghae long stand strong bilong hem for truth. No longtaem bihaen hem baptaes long 1932, samwan talem Gestapo hao Erika hem no willing for sei “Heil Hitler!” Gestapo lukaotem hem and laek savve why nao hem les. Erika readim Acts 17:3 long officer long police station and minim hao God hem appointim wanfala man olsem Savior, Jesus Christ. “Waswe, samfala moa biliv olsem iu?” datfala officer ask strong olsem. Erika no talem eni nem. Taem police warnim hem bae hem go long prison, Erika sei hem laekem dae winim wei for talem olketa nem. Police hia luk strong long hem and singaot: “Get aot. Go long haos. Heil Hitler!”

Bihaen long convention, mi go bak long Netherlands and Erika stap long Switzerland. Bat, mitufala feel olsem mitufala klos fren nao. Taem hem stap yet long Switzerland, Erika herem hao Gestapo lukaotem hem long homples bilong hem. Hem disaed for stap and pioneer long Switzerland. Tu-thri month bihaen, Society askem hem for go long Spain. Hem pioneer long Madrid, then Bilbao, and bihaen, long San Sebastián, wea persecution wea olketa bigman bilong religion startim lead go long wei wea hem and pioneer partner bilong hem go long prison. Long 1935 olketa orderim tufala for lusim Spain. Erika kam long Netherlands, and long datfala sem year mitufala marit.

War Redy for Happen

Bihaen marit bilong mitufala, mitufala pioneer long Heemstede, and then mitufala muv go long taon bilong Rotterdam. Long there, son bilong mitufala, Wolfgang, hem born long 1937. Wanfala year bihaen mitufala muv go long taon bilong Groningen, long north saed bilong Netherlands, wea mifala sharem wanfala haos witim tufala German pioneer Ferdinand and Helga Holtorf and dota bilong tufala. Long July 1938 Society talem mifala hao Dutch gavman givimaot warning hao olketa tambuim nao olketa German Witness for preach. Raon long semtaem, olketa appointim mi olsem zone servant (circuit overseer), and famili bilong mifala muv go long Lichtdrager (Lightbearer), boat bilong Society wea olsem base for olketa pioneer wea preach long north part bilong Netherlands. Staka taem, mi stap difren from famili, gogo long olketa difren kongregeson long bicycle for encouragem olketa brata for go ahed preach. And olketa brata duim olsem. Samfala duim moa waka tu. Wim Kettelarij hem gudfala example.

Taem mi meetim Wim, hem wanfala young man wea luksavve long truth bat wea busy tumas for waka long farm. “Sapos iu laek for garem taem for servem Jehovah,” mi advaesem hem, “iu shud faendem difren waka.” Hem duim. Bihaen, taem mi meetim hem moa, mi encouragem hem for pioneer. “Bat mi mas waka for kaikai,” hem ansa. “Iu bae kaikai,” mi promisim hem. “Jehovah bae lukaotem iu.” Wim start for pioneer. Bihaen, nomata long taem bilong World War II, hem serve olsem wanfala traveling overseer. Distaem, wea hem ova 80 year, Wim hem go ahed yet for witness strong. Jehovah barava lukaotem hem.

Kasem Tambu and Olketa Laek Kasholem Mi

Long May 1940, samting olsem wanfala year bihaen mek-tu pikinini bilong mitufala, Reina, hem born, Dutch army sarenda and olketa Nazi tekovarem Netherlands. Long July Gestapo tekem office and printery bilong Society. Long year bihaen, olketa arrestim staka Witness, and olketa kasholem mi. From mi wanfala Witness and wanfala German wea age fitim army, hem no hard for tingim wanem Gestapo bae duim long mi. Mi trae for acceptim wei wea mi bae nating lukim famili bilong mi moa.

Then long May 1941, Gestapo letem mi aot from prison and orderim mi for go and report for military service. Mi hard for bilivim. Datfala sem day mi waka haed, and datfala sem month mi duim moa circuit waka. Gestapo nemem mi olsem wanfala wea olketa barava want for kasholem.

Hao Famili Bilong Mi Deal Witim

Waef bilong mi and olketa pikinini muv go long vilij bilong Vorden long east part bilong kantri. For protectim olketa, mi mas barava katem daon haomas taem mi visitim haos. (Matthew 10:16) For security reason, olketa brata no iusim really nem bilong mi bat mekap nem bilong mi, Duitse Jan (German John). Nomata son bilong mi Wolfgang, wea hem foa year, hem tambu for story abaotem “Dadi” bat only abaotem “Ome Jan” (Uncle John). For hem, diswan hem hard tumas saed long feeling.

Taem mi haed olsem, Erika lukaftarem olketa pikinini and go ahed for preach. Taem Reina hem tu year, Erika putim hem long bicycle and tekem witim hem for preach long olketa bush area. Nomata kaikai kamap hard tumas, Erika nating short long kaikai for famili. (Matthew 6:33) Wanfala Catholic farmer, wea wantaem mi fixim sewing machine bilong hem, givim Erika potatoe. Hem pasim olketa message bilong mi go for Erika. Wantaem, Erika givim wan gulden [$8, S.I.] for peim samting long pharmacy. Owner, wea savve hem stap haed and kanduit kasem card for free kaikai, givim hem samting hem laekem and tu, tufala gulden [$16, S.I.]. Kaenfala fasin olsem nao helpem Erika stap laef.—Hebrews 13:5.

Waka Klos Tugeta Witim Olketa Brata wea No Fraet

Long semtaem, mi go ahed for visitim olketa kongregeson—nomata mi meetim nomoa olketa brata wea garem responsibility long kongregeson. From Gestapo olowe aftarem mi, mi nating savve stap wan ples for winim tu-thri hour. Staka long olketa brata and sista no savve meetim mi. Olketa savve long olketa Witness wea insaed Bible-study grup bilong olketa nomoa. From diswan, tufala really sista wea stap insaed sem taon bat long difren ples nating savve tufala evriwan kamap Witness kasem taem World War II finis.

Nara waka bilong mi hem for faendem ples for haedem literature bilong Society. Mifala haedem pepa, olketa printing machine, and olketa typewriter for wakem copy bilong Wastaoa, nogud mifala needim bihaen. Samtaem, mifala mas muvim olketa buk wea Society printim go long difren ples. Wantaem mi remember mi muvim 30 box wea fulap witim literature and semtaem trae for act normal—hard tumas!

And tu, mifala organizem wei for tekem kaikai from olketa farm long east Netherlands go for olketa taon long west, nomata diswan hem tambu. Mifala savve putim kaikai long olketa wagon wea horse pullim and go west. Taem mifala kasem wanfala river, mifala kanduit iusim olketa bridge from evriwan garem gard. Bat, mifala putim evri kago insaed olketa smol boat, akrosim river witim kaikai, and then loadim kago moa long nara wagon. Taem mifala kasem taon wea mifala gogo for hem, mifala weit kasem taem hem dark, mekem horse werem socks, and go long olketa secret ples bilong kongregeson for keepim kaikai. From there, olketa givimaot kaikai long olketa brata wea needim.

Sapos German army faendemaot secret ples olsem, samwan savve dae. Nomata olsem, tu-thri brata volunteer for help. Olsem example, Bloemink famili long taon bilong Amersfoort letem mifala iusim part long haos bilong olketa olsem stoahaos for kaikai, nomata haos bilong olketa hem klosap tumas long ples bilong German army! Olketa Witness olsem wea no fraet putim laef bilong olketa long danger for olketa brata bilong olketa.

Jehovah helpem waef bilong mi and mi for stap faithful insaed olketa year bilong tambu. Long May 1945 German army hem lus, and laef bilong mi for haed hem end nao. Society askem mi for go ahed for serve olsem wanfala traveling overseer go kasem taem olketa nara brata stap. Long 1947, Bertus van der Bijl hem changem mi.c Long dat taem, mek-thri pikinini bilong mitufala hem born, and mifala stap long east part bilong kantri.

Sorre and Hapi

Bihaen long war, mi faendaot hao olketa putim Dadi long prison wan year bihaen mi lusim haos for go long Netherlands. Olketa releasem hem tufala taem bikos long health bilong hem, bat evritaem olketa putim hem long prison moa. Long February 1938, olketa sendem hem long Buchenwald concentration camp and then long Dachau. There, long May 14, 1942, dadi bilong mi dae. Hem faithful and loyal go kasem end.

Olketa sendem Mami tu long Dachau camp. Hem stap there go kasem taem hem free long 1945. From faithful example bilong parents bilong mi nao barava bihaenem evri spiritual blessing wea mi kasem, hem wanfala privilege for mifala for Mami kam stap witim mifala long 1954. Sista bilong mi Margaretha—wea bin pioneer long Communist East Germany start from 1945—kam tu. Nomata mami hem sik and no savve long Dutch languis, hem go ahed for share long field service go kasem end long laef bilong hem long earth long October 1957.

Datfala 1955 convention long Nuremberg, Germany, kamap wanfala spesol samting. Bihaen mifala kasem there, olketa brata from Dresden talem Erika hao mami bilong hem long convention tu. From Dresden hem anda long East German rul, Erika no lukim mami bilong hem for 21 year. Olketa arrange for tufala meet, and mami and dota huggim each other. Hem wanfala barava hapi taem!

Gogo, famili bilong mifala garem eit pikinini. Sorre tumas, mifala lusim wanfala son long car accident. Nomata olsem, for lukim olketa nara pikinini servem Jehovah hem samting wea givim big hapi. Mifala hapi hao son bilong mitufala Wolfgang and waef bilong hem duim circuit waka and son bilong tufala tu serve olsem circuit overseer.

Mi thankiu for wei wea mi lukim waka bilong Jehovah hem muv ahed long Netherlands. Taem mi start pioneer long hia long 1933, samting olsem wan handred Witness nao stap. Distaem, winim 30,000 nao stap. Nomata strong bilong body bilong mifala gogo daon, Erika and mi disaed strong yet for live followim toktok bilong datfala song from staka year bifor: “O for wanfala faith wea bae nating muv bak.”

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 23]

Olketa insaed “Jugendgruppe” long taem for spell bihaen field service

[Piksa long page 24]

Olketa pioneer and mi duim territory bilong Schneifel. Mi 20 year

[Piksa long page 25]

Witim Erika and Wolfgang long 1940

[Piksa long page 26]

Left go raet: Granson bilong mi Jonathan and waef bilong hem, Mirjam; Erika, mi, son bilong mi Wolfgang and waef bilong hem, Julia

[Piksa long page 26]

Piksa bilong dadi wea wanfala brata wea insaed prison witim hem drawim long 1941