Laef Story
Mifala Testim Jehovah
STORY BILONG PAUL SCRIBNER
“Gud morning, Mrs. Stackhouse. Mi mekem order for Easter cake tuday, and mi sure iu bae laekem wanfala for famili bilong iu.” Hem start bilong spring season long 1938, long Atco, New Jersey, U.S.A., and mi story long wanfala best customer long waka bilong mi for General Baking Company. Mi sapraes fogud taem Mrs. Stackhouse rejectim offer bilong mi.
“MIFALA bae no interest,” hem sei. “Mifala no celebratem Easter.”
Mi barava no minim diswan. Hao nao olketa no celebratem Easter? Bat, important rul taem iu sellim samting hem wei wea customer nao stret. So wanem nao bae mi duim? Mi start for sei, “Hem barava teist naes tumas, and mi savve iu laekem olketa cake bilong mifala. Waswe, iu tingse famili bilong iu bae enjoyim, nomata iufala no celebratem Easter?”
“Mi no ting olsem,” hem sei moa, “bat mi bin ting for storyim wanfala samting long iu, Mr. Scribner, and maet distaem nao gudfala taem.” Datfala story hem samting wea gogo changem laef bilong mi evribit! Mrs. Stackhouse, wanfala member bilong Berlin, New Jersey, kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, explainim start bilong Easter celebration and hem givim mi thrifala buklet. Nem bilong olketa hem Safety, Uncovered, and Protection. Mi tekem olketa buklet hia and go bak long haos, witim feeling for laek savve bat lelebet fraet tu. Samfala samting wea Mrs. Stackhouse talem, mi herem finis, taem mi pikinini.
Firstaem Mi Meetim Olketa Bible Student
Mi born long January 31, 1907, and long 1915, taem mi eit year, dadi bilong mi dae from cancer. From diswan, mitufala Mami stap witim parents bilong hem long wanfala big haos long Malden, Massachusetts. Uncle bilong mi Benjamin Ransom and waef bilong hem stap long there tu, long mek-thri storey. Start kam from start bilong mek-20 century, Uncle Ben kaban witim International Bible Students, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Mi barava laekem Uncle Ben, bat evriwan long famili bilong Mami, wea olketa Methodist, tingse hem krangge. Planti year bihaen, bifor waef bilong hem divorcem hem, hem putim Uncle long wanfala mentol hospital for shortfala taem bikos long olketa samting wea hem bilivim saed long religion! From olketa doctor kwiktaem luksavve hem no garem eni sik long mind, olketa tok sorre and letem hem go aot.
Uncle Ben tekem mi witim hem long olketa meeting bilong International Bible Students long Boston, especially long taem bilong olketa spesol tok. Wantaem, man wea visit kam for givim tok hem Charles Taze Russell, wea lukaftarem preaching waka long datfala taem. Narataem, wanfala spesol hipap hem for lukim datfala “Photo-Drama of Creation.” Nomata datwan hem longtaem finis long 1915, mi rememberim klia piksa bilong Abraham taem hem tekem Isaac go ap long maunten for givim hem olsem sakrifaes. (Genesis, chapter 22) Mi rememberim tu piksa bilong Abraham and Isaac taem tufala klaemap hill witim lod timba, and Abraham trustim Jehovah evribit. From mi pikinini wea no garem dadi, datwan barava muvim mi.
Bihaen, Uncle Ben and waef bilong hem muv go long Maine, and Mami marit moa and muvim mifala go long New Jersey. So for longfala taem mi no lukim Uncle Ben. Taem mi teenager long New Jersey, mi meetim Marion Neff, wanfala long eitfala pikinini bilong wanfala Presbyterian famili wea mi enjoy for visitim olketa. From mi kaban witim datfala famili and church youth grup bilong olketa for planti Sunday evening, gogo mi tu kamap wanfala Presbyterian. Nomata olsem, mi no forgetim samfala samting wea mi lanem long olketa meeting bilong olketa Bible Student. Mitufala Marion marit long 1928, and tufala dota bilong mifala, Doris and Louise, born long 1935 and 1938. From mifala garem smol pikinini and baby, mitufala luksavve long need for kasem spiritual direction for bringimap famili bilong mifala.
Faendem Truth Long Olketa Buklet
Mitufala Marion lukaotem wanfala church for joinim so mifala mekem wanfala plan. Evri Sunday, wanfala long mitufala bae stap long haos witim olketa pikinini taem narawan visitim wanfala church. Wanfala Sunday hem tan bilong Marion for stap long haos, bat mi talem hao mi willing for lukaftarem olketa pikinini mekem mi savve readim datfala buklet Safety, first wan long thrifala wea Mrs. Stackhouse givim mi. Taem mi start for read, mi no savve stop! Mi barava feel sure mi faendem samting wea no eni church garem. Long week bihaen, sem samting hem happen, and mi willing tumas for lukaftarem olketa pikinini taem mi readim mek-tu buklet, Uncovered. Mi lelebet luksavve long samting wea mi readim. Waswe, diswan nao samting wea Uncle Ben bilivim? Famili bilong mifala tingse religion bilong hem krangge. Marion bae ting hao? Bat mi shud no wari abaotem diswan. Tu-thri day bihaen mi readim finis Uncovered, taem mi kasem haos bihaen waka, Marion mekem mi sapraes taem hem sei, “Mi readim olketa buklet wea iu tekem kam long haos. Olketa interesting fogud.” Mi feel gud nao!
Baksaed bilong wanfala buklet garem information abaotem wanfala niu buk Enemies, wea tok stret abaotem giaman religion. Mifala disaed for baem. Bat, bifor mifala sendem order, wanfala Witness nok long door and offerim datfala buk long mifala. Mifala disaed nao! Mifala finis for visitim olketa church and start for attendim olketa meeting bilong Camden, New Jersey, Kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Tu-thri month bihaen, long Sunday, July 31, 1938, wanfala grup wea samting olsem 50 hipap long area bilong Sista Stackhouse—long sem haos wea mi trae for sellim olketa Easter cake—and lisin long wanfala recording bilong tok wea Judge Rutherford givim long baptism. Then mifala changem kaleko, and 19 long mifala baptaes long wanfala smol river wea klosap.
Disaed Strong for Kamap Wanfala Pioneer
No longtaem bihaen mi baptaes, wanfala sista long kongregeson talem mi abaotem olketa pioneer, wea duim pablik ministry olsem main waka bilong olketa. Mi stretawe interest for savve and no longtaem bihaen mi savve long wanfala famili wea evriwan pioneer. Wanfala olo man, Brata Konig, waef, and full-grown dota bilong hem evriwan pioneer long wanfala kongregeson klosap. From mi dadi bilong wanfala young famili, hem barava muvim mi for lukim bigfala hapi wea Konig famili kasem long ministry. Planti taem mi visitim olketa, parkim bakery trak bilong mi, and go witim olketa long haos-tu-haos ministry. No longtaem bihaen mi laek for kamap pioneer. Bat hao? Mitufala Marion garem tufala smol pikinini and waka bilong mi hem busy fogud. For tok stret, taem World War II start long Europe and moa and moa young man joinim army long United States, planti waka stap for mifala narawan wea stap. Mi kasem hevi for duim moa waka, and mi savve bae mi nating savve pioneer witim schedule olsem.
Taem mi story witim Brata Konig hao mi laekem tumas for pioneer, hem sei: “Go ahed for waka hard long service bilong Jehovah, and evritaem prea abaotem goal bilong iu. Jehovah bae helpem iu for kasem.” For winim wanfala year, mi go ahed for duim olsem. Planti taem mi ting raonem olketa scripture olsem Matthew 6:8, wea promisim iumi hao Jehovah savve finis long olketa need bilong iumi bifor iumi askem hem. And mi trae evritaem for followim kaonsel bilong Matthew 6:33, for go ahed lukaotem Kingdom bilong God firstaem and raeteous fasin bilong hem. Mi kasem encouragement tu from Brata Melvin Winchester, wanfala zone servant (wea distaem olketa kolem circuit overseer).
Mi story witim Marion abaotem olketa goal bilong mi. Mitufala storyim Malachi 3:10, wea encouragem iumi for testim Jehovah and lukim sapos hem bae kapsaetem olketa blessing long iumi. Mi kasem encouragement from ansa bilong hem: “Sapos iu want for pioneer, no hol bak from iu wari abaotem mi. Mi savve lukaftarem olketa girl taem iu pioneer. Iumi no needim staka material samting.” Bihaen 12 year bilong marit, mi savve finis hao Marion hem wanfala mami wea savve tumas hao for careful witim selen. Insaed olketa year wea go pas, hem wanfala nambawan pioneer partner, and wanfala secret long wei for win long klosap 60 year bilong full-taem service, hem fasin bilong hem for satisfae witim lelebet samting nomoa and mekem datwan luk olsem planti samting.
Kasem hot season bilong 1941, bihaen planti month wea mifala plan and prea abaotem, mitufala Marion sevem finis samfala selen, and baem wanfala caravan wea 5.5 meter long for famili bilong mifala stap insaed. Mi finis from waka bilong mi and kamap wanfala regular pioneer long July 1941, and mi insaed full-taem service start from datfala taem kasem distaem. First assignment bilong mi hem for go long tenfala difren ples midolwan long New Jersey and St. Louis, Missouri, wea convention bilong mifala bae kamap long August. Mi kasem finis olketa nem and address bilong olketa brata long evri ples hia and mi raet long olketa firstaem, for talem date wea mi bae arrive. Taem mifala kasem datfala convention, mi mas go long pioneer department for kasem nara assignment.
“Mi Bae Testim Jehovah”
Mifala putim olketa literature long smol caravan bilong mifala and go long lastfala meeting long Camden for sei bye-bye long olketa brata. From mifala garem tufala barava smol girl for lukaftarem and no markem eni ples for stap bihaen long convention, olketa plan bilong mifala mas luk olsem dream nomoa long mind bilong samfala brata, and samfala sei: “No longtaem bihaen bae iu kam bak.” Mi remember hao mi sei: “Mi no sei bae mi no kam bak. Jehovah talem hao hem bae lukaftarem mi, and mi bae testim Jehovah.”
Bihaen mifala pioneer for sixti year finis long 20 taon from Massachusetts go kasem Mississippi, mifala savve talem hao Jehovah barava keepim promis bilong hem. Olketa blessing wea hem givim long Marion, mi, and tufala dota hem moabeta winim eni samting wea mi hope for hem long 1941. Insaed olketa blessing hia hem hao tufala dota bilong mifala serve olsem olketa faithful pioneer long olketa kongregeson klosap, and for garem (last taem mi kaontem) samting olsem wan handred spiritual son and dota evriwea long East Coast bilong United States. Mi study witim 52 pipol wea dedicatem laef bilong olketa long Jehovah God and Marion witim 48.
Long August 1941, mifala go long St. Louis, and long there mi meetim Brata T. J. Sullivan from Bethel. Hem garem leta wea talemaot hao mi baptaes finis, wea mi needim bikos war hem klosap for start and gavman sendem pipol for faet. Mi talem Brata Sullivan hao waef bilong mi iusim planti taem long ministry tu and hao hem laek for pioneer witim mi. Nomata olketa no redyim yet pioneer department long datfala convention, Brata Sullivan stretawe mekem application for Marion kamap pioneer and askem mifala: “Wea nao bae iufala pioneer bihaen long convention?” Mifala no savve. “Iufala no wari,” hem sei: “Bae iufala meetim samwan long convention wea kam from wanfala area wea needim olketa pioneer, and evriting bae olraet. Just raet long mifala and talem ples wea iufala stap, and mifala bae mekem datwan nao assignment bilong iufala.” Datwan nao happen. Brata Jack DeWitt, wea zone servant bifor, hem savve long samfala pipol long New Market, Virginia, wea garem pioneer haos wea needim tu-thri moa pioneer. So bihaen long convention, mifala go long New Market.
Long New Market mifala kasem spesol sapraes. Hu nao kam from Philadelphia for join witim mifala long pioneer waka? Benjamin Ransom. Yes, Uncle Ben. Mi barava hapi for waka witim hem long haos-tu-haos ministry winim 25 year bihaen hem plantim olketa seed bilong truth long heart bilong mi long Boston! Nomata for planti year hem deal witim wei wea olketa long famili no interest, tokspoelem, and persecutim hem, Uncle Ben nating lusim love bilong hem for Jehovah and ministry waka.
Mifala hapi long eitfala month wea mifala stap long pioneer haos long New Market. Long datfala taem mifala lanem, witim planti nara samting, wei for changem literature for kokorako and egg. Then Uncle Ben, Marion, and mi, witim thrifala narawan, kasem assignment olsem spesol pioneer long Hanover, Pennsylvania—first wan long sixfala assignment wea mifala kasem long Pennsylvania start kam long 1942 go kasem 1945.
Olketa Spesol Pioneer Midolwan Long World War II
Samfala taem midolwan long World War II, mifala mas deal witim wei wea pipol againstim mifala bikos mifala no teksaed, bat Jehovah nating fail for saportim mifala. Wantaem long Provincetown, Massachusetts, old trak bilong mifala hem brekdaon, and mi mas wakabaot for samfala kilometer thru long wanfala Catholic area wea pipol barava againstim mifala, for duim return visit. Mi go pas long wanfala grup bilong olketa raf young man wea luksavve long mi and start for singaot. Mi kwiktaem go taem olketa trae sutim mi witim ston, and mi hope olketa no followim mi. No eni samting kasem mi and mi kasem haos bilong man wea interest. Bat datfala haosholder, wea wanfala member bilong American Legion, hem tok sorre and sei: “Mi no savve spendem taem witim iu tunaet bikos mifala bae go long taon for lukim wanfala movie.” Mi fraet nao taem mi tingim grup wea sutim mi witim ston, wea weitim mi for kam bak. Bat, mi hapi moa taem man hia sei: “Waswe sapos iu wakabaot witim mifala? Iumi savve story taem iumi wakabaot.” So mi kasem chance for witness long hem, and long sef wei mi go pas long datfala trabol area.
Balancem Famili and Ministry
Bihaen long war, mifala kasem planti assignment long Virginia, insaed diswan hem eitfala year wea mifala serve olsem spesol and regular pioneer long Charlottesville. Kasem 1956 tufala girl big finis and marit and mitufala Marion muv moa for pioneer long Harrisonburg, Virginia, and olsem olketa spesol pioneer long Lincolnton, North Carolina.
Long 1966, mi kamap circuit overseer wea travel long olketa kongregeson and encouragem olketa brata, olsem Brata Winchester encouragem mi long New Jersey long olketa year bilong 1930. For tufala year mi duim circuit waka long Tennessee. Then mitufala Marion kasem assignment moa for duim samting wea mitufala barava lovem, hem nao spesol pioneer waka. From 1968 go kasem 1977, mifala spesol pioneer long south part bilong United States, long planti difren ples from Georgia go kasem Mississippi.
Long Eastman, Georgia, mi kamap kongregeson overseer (wea distaem olketa kolem presiding overseer) for changem Powell Kirkland, wanfala kaenfala, olo brata wea serve for planti year olsem circuit overseer bat wea health bilong hem nogud nao. Hem barava thankiu for help and hem showim saport. Wei wea hem showim saport hem barava important bikos samfala long kongregeson divaed and samfala wea lead nao insaed diswan. Disfala problem mekem raoa kamap, and mi iusim staka taem long prea long Jehovah. Mi tingim olketa scripture olsem Proverbs 3:5, 6: “Trust long Jehovah witim full heart bilong iu and no depend long savve bilong iuseleva. Long evri wei bilong iu, lisin long hem, and hemseleva nao bae stretem gogo bilong iu.” Long wei for waka hard for mekem evriwan feel hapi for story tugeta, mifala fit for helpem kongregeson for kasem wan mind and diswan givim gud samting for evriwan.
Kasem 1977 mitufala start for lelebet feelim wei for olo, and mifala kasem assignment long Charlottesville area, wea tufala dota bilong mifala stap witim famili bilong olketa. For 23 year, mifala bin hapi for waka long disfala area, for help startim Ruckersville, Virginia, kongregeson and lukim olketa pikinini and granpikinini bilong olketa firstfala Bible student bilong mifala kamap full-grown and serve olsem olketa kongregeson elder, pioneer, and Bethelite. Mitufala Marion still keepim gudfala schedule for field service, and mi garem privilege for serve olsem elder long East Kongregeson long Charlottesville, and conductim buk study and givim olketa pablik tok.
Long olketa year wea go pas, mifala kasem olketa problem, olsem evri nara man. Olsem example, nomata mifala trae hard, Doris hem wikdaon long spiritual wei taem hem klosap twenti year and hem maritim wanfala man wea no Witness. Bat hem nating lusim evribit love bilong hem for Jehovah, and son bilong hem Bill serve for 15 year finis long Bethel long Wallkill, New York. Doris and Louise tufala evriwan widow woman distaem, bat olketa hapi for serve olsem olketa regular pioneer klosap long mifala.
Olketa Leson wea Mifala Lanem Long Olketa Year wea Go Pas
Mi lanem tu-thri simpol rul for win for servem Jehovah: Keepim laef bilong iu simpol. Kamap olsem example long evri samting wea iu duim, and long laef bilong iuseleva. Followim instruction bilong “faithful and wise slave” long evri samting.—Matthew 24:45.
Marion mekem wanfala short bat gudfala list bilong olketa idea long hao for win for pioneer taem man bringimap olketa pikinini: Mekem and followim wanfala gud schedule. Mekem pioneer ministry bilong iu olsem laef waka. Kaikai long healthy wei. Kasem inaf rest. No ova tumas long hapitaem. Mekem truth, and tu evri part long ministry, wanfala hapi experience for olketa pikinini bilong iu. Evritaem mekem ministry interesting for olketa.
Distaem mitufala winim 90 year. Sixti-tu year go pas finis from taem wea mifala lisin long baptism tok bilong mifala long area bilong Stackhouse famili, and mifala duim full-taem service for winim 60 year. Mitufala Marion honest for talem hao mifala barava satisfae evribit witim living bilong mifala. Mi barava thankiu for encouragement wea mi kasem taem mi wanfala young dadi for putim olketa spiritual goal firstaem long laef and for go ahed waka for kasem olketa goal hia, and mi thankiu tu long loving waef bilong mi, Marion, and tufala girl for saport insaed olketa year wea go pas. Nomata mifala no rich long material wei, mi planti taem tingim hao Ecclesiastes 2:25 fitim mi: “Hu nao savve kaikai and drink moabeta winim mi?”
Hem tru, for mifala, Jehovah hem barava fulfillim evribit promis bilong hem long Malachi 3:10. Hem barava ‘kapsaetem blessing long mifala go kasem taem wea mifala no wantem eni samting moa’!
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OLKETA MEMORY FROM OLKETA YEAR BILONG WAR
Klosap 60 year bihaen datfala war, full famili garem olketa klia memory abaotem datfala taem.
Doris hem remember hao “Pennsylvania savve barava cold. Wanfala naet hem -35 degrees Celsius.” Louise hem sei moa, “Mitufala Doris bae sidaon antap long leg bilong each other insaed old trak bilong mifala for mekem leg bilong mifala no cold tumas.”
“Bat mifala nating tingim mifala poor or no garem samfala samting,” Doris hem talem. “Mifala savve mifala muv go long planti difren ples no olsem nara pipol, bat mifala evritaem kaikai gud, and mifala kasem gudfala kaleko wea klosap niu from samfala fren long Ohio, wea garem olketa girl wea lelebet big winim mifala.”
“Mifala evritaem feelim hao Mami and Dadi lovem and tingim mifala,” Louise talem, “and mifala spendem planti taem witim tufala long ministry. Diswan mekem mifala feel spesol and klos long olketa.”
Paul rememberim hao “trak wea mi garem hem wanfala 1936 Buick Special, and diskaen trak garem problem wea axle savve brek. Maet engine garem tumas paoa for datfala trak. Hem luk olsem diswan evritaem happen long naet wea barava cold, and then mi mas go lukaotem spare part from eni olo trak. Gogo mi kamap olsem savveman for changem axle.”
“No forget for storyim olketa ration card,” Marion hem sei. “Evriting mas sharem gud—meat, petrol, olketa tyre for trak, evri samting. Evritaem mifala arrive long niu assignment, mifala mas go long gavman office for mekem application for wanfala niu card. Mifala savve weit planti month for kasem card, and hem luk olsem evritaem mifala kasem, mifala go long niu assignment, and mas start moa. Bat Jehovah evritaem lukaftarem mifala.”
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Mitufala Marion witim Doris (left saed) and Louise, 2000
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Witim mami bilong mi long 1918, taem mi 11 year
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Witim Louise, Marion, and Doris long 1948 taem tufala girl baptaes
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Wedding foto bilong mifala, October 1928
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Tufala dota bilong mi (barava left and barava raet saed) and mi long Yankee Stadium, 1955