Laef Story
Jehovah Saportim Mi Long Full Laef Bilong Mi
STORY BILONG FORREST LEE
Olketa police just tekem olketa gramophone and Bible literature bilong mifala. World War II givim chance for olketa wea againstim mifala for switim wanfala niu governor-general bilong Canada for tambuim waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Diswan happen long July 4, 1940.
MIFALA no wikdaon from disfala samting, bat tekem kam moa literature from ples wea mifala keepim and go ahed for preach. Bae mi nating forgetim toktok bilong Dadi bilong mi long datfala taem: “Iumi no isi for givap. Jehovah komandim iumi for preach.” Long datfala taem, mi ten year old and fulap witim strong. Kam kasem distaem tu, wei wea Dadi bilong mi no givap and garem strong long ministry mekem mi rememberim evritaem hao God bilong iumi, Jehovah, saportim olketa loyal wan bilong hem.
Nextfala taem olketa police stopem mifala, olketa no tekem literature bilong mifala nomoa bat olketa tekem tu Dadi bilong mifala long prison, wea leavim Mami seleva witim fofala pikinini. Datwan happen long September 1940 long Saskatchewan. No longtaem bihaen olketa aotem mi from skul from mi followim conscience bilong mi wea Bible trainim for no salutim flag or singim national anthem. From mi go ahed witim skul thru long correspondence mi garem schedule wea mi isi for changem, and mi share long wei wea moa big long preaching waka.
Long 1948 wanfala need kamap for olketa pioneer, full-taem minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, for muv go long east saed bilong Canada. So mi go for pioneer long Halifax, Nova Scotia, and long Cape Wolfe, Prince Edward Island. Long year bihaen, mi acceptim invitation for waka for tufala week long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Toronto. Tufala week hia gogo hem kamap winim sixfala year bilong nambawan service. Gogo, mi meetim Myrna, wea lovem Jehovah olsem mi, and mitufala marit long December 1955. Mifala setol daon long Milton, Ontario, and no longtaem bihaen wanfala niu kongregeson start long there. Rum andanit long haos bilong mifala kamap Kingdom Hall.
Feeling for Laek Mekem Ministry Bilong Mifala Moa Big
Insaed olketa year bihaen, kwiktaem nomoa mitufala kamap mami and dadi bilong sixfala pikinini. First dota bilong mifala, hem Miriam. Then Charmaine, Mark, Annette, Grant, and last born hem Glen. Mi planti taem kam bak long haos bihaen long waka and lukim olketa smol wan hia sidaon long floor raonem fire, taem Myrna readim Bible long olketa, minim olketa Bible story, and putim really love for Jehovah long heart bilong olketa. From loving saport bilong hem, evri pikinini bilong mitufala kasem gudfala savve long Bible taem olketa young yet.
Strong bilong dadi bilong mi for ministry sheipim mind and heart bilong mi for olowe. (Proverbs 22:6) So, long 1968, taem olketa famili bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem invitation for muv long Central and South America for help witim preaching waka, famili bilong mifala laekem tumas for go. Long datfala taem olketa pikinini bilong mifala kasem age from 5 go kasem 13, and mifala nating savve nomata wanfala word long Spanish languis. Mi followim samting wea olketa brata talem and go long samfala kantri for lukluk gud long living long olketa ples olsem. Bihaen mi kam bak, mifala prea olsem wanfala famili abaotem hao for chus and then disaed for muv go long Nicaragua.
Serve long Nicaragua
Long October 1970 mifala kasem disfala niu ples, and insaed long thrifala week mi kasem assignment for duim smol part long kongregeson meeting. Mi stragol for givim disfala part long Spanish languis wea mi nating savve gud yet and long end mi invaetem full kongregeson long haos bilong mifala for cerveza long Saturday long 9:30 a.m. Mi min for sei servicio, datfala word for field service, bat disfala mistek minim mi invaetem evriwan for drinkim beer. Tru tumas hem wanfala challenge for lanem datfala languis!
Long start, mi raetem wanem mi laek for storyim long hand bilong mi and practicem taem mi wakabaot go long wanfala haos. Mi sei olsem: “Tugeta witim disfala buk hem wanfala free hom Bible study.” Wanfala man wea acceptim disfala offer talem bihaen hao hem mas kam long olketa meeting bilong mifala for faendemaot wanem nao mi trae for talem. Disfala man kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Hem klia tumas hao God nao man wea mekem olketa seed bilong truth grow long olketa hambol heart, olsem aposol Paul talem!—1 Corinthians 3:7.
Bihaen samting olsem tufala year long kapitol taon bilong Managua, olketa askem mifala for muv go long south saed bilong Nicaragua. Long there mifala waka witim kongregeson long Rivas and witim samfala isolated grup bilong olketa wea interest wea no stap farawe tumas. Pedro Peña, wanfala olo Witness wea faithful, go witim mi taem mifala visitim olketa grup hia. Wanfala hem stap long wanfala volcano island long Lake Nicaragua, wea wanfala famili bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nomoa stap.
Nomata disfala famili garem poor living, olketa trae hard tumas for showim hao olketa tinghae long visit bilong mifala. Naet wea mifala arrive, kaikai stap redy for mifala. Mifala stap for wan week, and planti long olketa kaenfala pipol long there wea lovem Bible sharem kaikai witim mifala. Mifala barava hapi for lukim 101 kam long pablik Bible tok long Sunday.
Mi feelim hao paoa bilong Jehovah for strongim man hem showaot klia long narataem wea mifala shud visitim wanfala grup bilong olketa wea interest long olketa maunten klosap long spialaen bilong Costa Rica. Long day wea mifala shud go, Pedro kam for pikim mi, bat mi leidaon long bed from mi malaria. Mi sei, “Mi kanduit go, Pedro.” Taem hem putim hand long hed bilong mi, hem sei: “Iu hot tumas, bat iu mas kam! Olketa brata weitim iumi.” Then hem talem wanfala barava naesfala prea from heart bilong hem wea barava here-gud long mi.
Bihaen, mi sei: “Go tekem wanfala fresco (frut drink) for iuseleva. Bae mi redy bihaen samting olsem tenfala minute.” Tufala Witness famili stap long area wea mifala visitim, and olketa barava lukaftarem mifala. Next day mifala go preaching witim olketa, nomata mi hot yet and feel wiki. Hem barava strongim mifala for lukim winim wan handred pipol kam for meeting bilong mifala long Sunday!
Muv Go Long Nara Ples Moa
Long 1975 mek-seven pikinini bilong mifala, Vaughn, hem born. Year bihaen, mifala mas go bak long Canada from samfala reason saed long selen. For lusim Nicaragua hem no isi bikos mifala barava feelim paoa bilong Jehovah for strongim man taem mifala stap long there. Kasem taem wea mifala go, winim 500 long territory bilong kongregeson bilong mifala attendim olketa meeting.
Bifor, taem mi and dota bilong mi Miriam kamap spesol pioneer long Nicaragua, Miriam askem mi: “Dadi, sapos iu enitaem mas go bak long Canada, bae iu letem mi stap long hia?” From mi no garem eni plan for go bak, mi sei: “Hem gud nomoa!” So taem mifala go, Miriam hem stap for go ahed witim full-taem ministry bilong hem. Bihaen, hem maritim Andrew Reed. Long 1984 tufala attendim mek-77 class bilong Gilead, datfala missionary skul bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, wea stap long Brooklyn, New York long datfala taem. Distaem, Miriam witim hasband bilong hem serve long Dominican Republic, wea fulfillim samting wea hem laek for duim start kam from taem hem lukim nambawan example bilong olketa missionary long Nicaragua.
Long semtaem, toktok bilong Dadi bilong mi, “iumi no isi for givap,” stap strong yet insaed long heart bilong mi. So long 1981, taem mifala garem inaf selen for go bak long Central America, mifala muv moa, distaem long Costa Rica. Taem mifala serve long there, mifala kasem invitation for help witim construction bilong niu branch building. Bat, long 1985, son bilong mifala, Grant needim medical treatment, so mifala go bak long Canada. Glen go ahed for stap long Costa Rica for waka long datfala branch construction project, and Annette and Charmaine serve olsem spesol pioneer. Mifala wea lusim Costa Rica long datfala taem no enitaem tingim bae mifala no go bak.
Deal Witim Hardfala Samting
Long September 17, 1993, day hem start braet and sun hem shaen. Firstborn son bilong mitufala, Mark, waka witim mi long wanfala timba ruf. Mitufala waka tugeta and go ahed storyim olketa spiritual samting, olsem mitufala duim evritaem. Seknomoa, mi no balance gud and mi foldaon from ruf. Taem mi wekap, mi lukim nomoa olketa braet laet and pipol werem whitefala kaleko. Hem emergency rum long hospital nao.
From wanem nao Bible talem, stretawe mi singaot: “No blood, no blood!” (Acts 15:28, 29) Hem barava encouragem mi for herem Charmaine sei: “Hem olraet, Dadi. Mifala evriwan long hia.” Bihaen, mi herem hao olketa doctor lukim finis medical card bilong mi, and no eni kwestin kamap saed long blood. Mi brekem nek bilong mi and mi paralyze evribit, nomata for breathe, mi no savve duim seleva tu.
From mi nating savve muvim body, mi needim Jehovah winim enitaem bifor for strongim mi. Operation for katem windpipe, wea doctor duim for putim tube for helpem mi breathe, blokem air for no go long voice bilong mi. Mi no savve toktok. Pipol mas luk followim mouth bilong mi for minim wanem nao mi trae for talem.
Kwiktaem bigfala kaon kamap. From waef and klosap evri pikinini bilong mi insaed long full-taem ministry, mi no sure sapos olketa bae need for lusim disfala service for lukaftarem olketa responsibility saed long selen. Bat Mark faendem wanfala waka wea, insaed long thrifala month nomoa, help for peim big haf long kaon hia. From diswan, evriwan fit for go ahed long full-taem ministry, mi witim waef bilong mi nomoa mas finis from diswan.
Planti handred leta from sixfala difren kantri stap long olketa wall long rum bilong mi long hospital. Jehovah hem barava strongim mi. And tu, from mi long intensive care sekson long hospital for winim faevfala month, kongregeson helpem famili bilong mi long wei for provaedem kaikai long samfala taem. Evriday, wanfala Christian elder stap witim mi long aftanun, readim Bible and olketa Bible pablikeson long mi, and talem tu olketa experience for encouragem mi. Tufala from famili bilong mi prepare for evri kongregeson meeting witim mi, so no enitaem mi missim eni barava important spiritual kaikai.
Taem mi stap yet long hospital, olketa provaedem wei for mi attendim wanfala spesol assembly day program. Hospital mekem arrangement for wanfala nurse and wanfala man for helpem mi breathe for kam witim mi for full day. Hem wanfala hapi samting for stap moa witim olketa Christian brata and sista bilong mi! Bae mi nating forgetim wei wea mi lukim planti handred standap long laen for talem hello long mi.
Keepim Spiritual Saed Strong
Samting olsem wanfala year bihaen long datfala accident, mi fit for muv bak long haos witim famili bilong mi, nomata mi needim nurse full day and naet for lukaftarem mi. Wanfala spesol trak tekem mi for go long olketa meeting, wea klosap evritaem mi attendim. Nomata olsem, for tok stret, mi mas disaed strong for go. Start kam from taem mi stap moa long haos, mi attendim evri distrik convention.
Gogo, long February 1997, mi lelebet kasem bak savve for toktok. Samfala nurse bilong mi tinghae and lisin taem mi sharem hope bilong mi from Bible witim olketa. Wanfala nurse readim finis full buk Jehovah’s Witnesses—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom long mi and olketa nara Watch Tower pablikeson tu. Mi iusim stik long computer for raetem leta long pipol. Nomata hem hard waka for raetem leta long wei olsem, hem mekem mi satisfae for go ahed tekpart long ministry.
Mi safa long bigfala wei from nerve pain. Bat hem luk olsem taem samwan readim Bible truth long mi or mi sharem witim narafala pipol, pain hem katdaon lelebet. Samfala taem, mi witness long street witim waef bilong mi, wea helpem mi long wei for minim long pipol wanem mi trae for talem, taem mi needim help. Planti taem mi bin fit for serve olsem auxiliary pioneer. For serve olsem wanfala Christian elder mekem mi hapi, especially taem olketa brata kam long mi long olketa meeting or visitim mi long haos and mi fit for helpem and encouragem olketa.
Mi mas talem hao hem isi for kasem barava sorre feeling. So enitaem mi feel nogud olsem, mi stretawe prea for kamap hapi moa. Mi prea long naet and day for Jehovah go ahed strongim mi. Wanfala leta or visit from samwan evritaem mekem mi feel hapi. Wei for readim Wastaoa or Wekap! magasin tu hem fulimap mind bilong mi witim gudfala samting for tingim. Samfala taem olketa nurse share for readim olketa magasin hia long mi. Start kam from accident bilong mi, mi lisin long full Bible reading long olketa kaset sevenfala taem. Olketa samting hia nao olketa difren wei wea Jehovah strongim mi.—Psalm 41:3.
Wei wea laef bilong mi change mekem mi garem staka taem for ting raonem hao Barava Nambawan Teacher bilong iumi, Jehovah, teachim iumi for laef. Hem givim iumi stretfala savve abaotem will and purpose bilong hem, wanfala ministry wea garem mining, kaonsel long secret for kasem hapi famili, and fasin for luksavve mekem iumi savve wanem for duim long taem bilong trabol. Jehovah blessim mi witim wanfala faithful and nambawan waef. Olketa pikinini bilong mi loyal tu for saportim mi, and hem hapi samting long mi for savve hao olketa evriwan bin share insaed long full-taem ministry. Tru nao, long March 11, 2000, son bilong mitufala, Mark, and waef bilong hem, Allyson, tufala graduate from mek-108 class bilong Gilead Skul and kasem assignment long Nicaragua. Mi witim waef bilong mi fit for attendim graduation bilong tufala. Mi tok tru taem mi sei hao trabol changem laef bilong mi bat no heart bilong mi.—Psalm 127:3, 4.
Mi thankiu long Jehovah for wisdom wea hem provaedem mekem mi fit for givim long famili bilong mi datfala spiritual present wea mi kasem. Mi kasem encouragement and strong taem mi lukim olketa pikinini bilong mi servem Creator witim wei for tingting wea semsem olsem dadi bilong mi, wea sei, “Iumi no isi for givap. Jehovah komandim iumi for preach.” Tru tumas, Jehovah hem strongim mi and famili bilong mi long full laef bilong mifala.
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Witim Dadi and olketa brata and sista bilong mi, klosap long haos car, wea mifala iusim taem mifala pioneer. Mi nao long raet saed
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Witim waef bilong mi, Myrna
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Piksa long famili bilong mi no longtaem go nomoa
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Mi go ahed raetem leta for givim witness