Laef Story
Laef wea Fulap Witim Sapraes Insaed Service Bilong Jehovah
STORY BILONG ERIC AND HAZEL BEVERIDGE
“Mi judgem iu for stap long prison for sixfala month.” Olketa toktok here still stap long mind bilong mi taem olketa tekem mi go long Strangeways Prison long Manchester, England. Hem long December 1950, and mi kasem 19 year nomoa. Mi just feisim wanfala long olketa hardfala test insaed young laef bilong mi—mi no willing for go join army.—2 Corinthians 10:3-5.
MI WANFALA full-taem pioneer minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and diswan shud minim mi no need for joinim army, bat British law no acceptim mifala olsem minister. So end ap mi stap seleva insaed smol rum long prison. And mi tingim go dadi bilong mi. From long wan wei, hem nao mekem mi stap long prison.
Dadi, wanfala bigman long prison, hem man from Yorkshire wea garem strong biliv and principle. From olketa experience wea hem kasem insaed army and long prison service, hem barava les long teaching and idea bilong olketa Catholic. Hem first meetim olketa Witness insaed olketa firstfala year bilong 1930 taem hem go long door for raosem olketa—taem hem kam bak insaed haos hem holem kam samfala buk bilong olketa! Bihaen, hem kasem subscription for Consolation magasin (distaem Wekap!). Olketa Witness visitim hem evri year for encouragem hem for mekem niu subscription. Taem mi kasem 15 year, olketa kam and story moa witim Dadi, and mi go join insaed story and saedem olketa Witness. Long dat taem mi start for studyim Bible.
Taem mi kasem 17 year, mi showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah taem mi baptaes long March 1949. Insaed sem year mi meetim John and Michael Charuk, olketa just graduate from Gilead missionary skul and redy for go long Nigeria. Missionary spirit wea olketa showimaot hem barava affectim mi. Maet olketa no savve olketa duim, bat olketa putim datfala sem spirit insaed heart bilong mi.
Taem mi go ahed for studyim Bible, mi lus interest for aftarem wei for go long university. Insaed sem year wea mi lusim hom for go waka long Customs and Tax office long London, mi luksavve bae mi no savve fulfillim dedication bilong mi for God sapos mi go ahed for waka for gavman. Taem mi finis from waka bilong mi long office, wanfala man wea waka longtaem long there hem sei hem hapi mi lusim “wanfala waka wea savve spoelem feeling bilong man for go ahed.”
Bifor diswan mi feisim nara test—hao for talem dadi mi laek for lusim gudfala waka for kamap wanfala full-taem minister. Wan evening taem mi go holiday long hom, mi talem hem. Mi weit for herem kros toktok bilong hem. Bat hem mekem mi barava sapraes from hem sei: “Taem iu disaedem samting, iu mas live followim samting wea kamaot from datwan. Bat sapos iu fail, no ran kam bak long mi.” Toktok wea mi raetem insaed dairy bilong mi long January 1, 1950, hem olsem: “Mi talem Dadi bae mi pioneer. Hem mekem mi sapraes tumas from ansa bilong hem showimaot hem laek helpem mi lelebet. Mi krae from kaenfala fasin bilong hem.” Mi finis from waka bilong mi long gavman and acceptim assignment for kamap full-taem pioneer.
Wanfala Assignment wea Garem Wanfala “Smol Haos”
Then nara test long love bilong mi for God kamap. Olketa givim mi wanfala pioneer assignment for sharem wanfala “smol haos” long Lancashire witim Lloyd Griffiths, wanfala Christian from Wales. Mi fulap witim staka idea and plan abaotem datfala smol haos, mi arrive long datfala taon bilong Bacup insaed midol rain, evri samting nating luk interesting. Hem mekem mi seke taem mi faendaot hao disfala smol haos hem really wanfala smol rum anda long graon nomoa! Olketa smol rat and cockroach nao mitufala kaban witim long naet. Mi barava klosap tan raon and go bak hom. For winim datwan, mi prea long heart and askem strong for feisim disfala test. Seknomoa, mi feelim peace kam long mi, and mi start for lukluk long disfala problem long gudfala wei. Diswan hem assignment bilong mi from organization bilong Jehovah. Mi mas trustim Jehovah for helpem mi. Mi barava hapi from mi no givap, sapos mi finis bae hem changem laef bilong mi for olowe!—Isaiah 26:3, 4.
Mi preach long Rossendale Valley, ples wea kasem hard taem long saed bilong selen for klosap naen month and then olketa tekem mi go long prison bikos mi no willing for joinim army. Bihaen tufala week long Strangeways Prison, olketa muvim mi go long Lewes Prison long south saed bilong England. Gogo mifala faevfala Witness nao stap tugeta insaed, and mifala fit for celebratem Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ insaed long smol rum long prison.
Dadi kam lukim mi wantaem. Datwan hem testim praod fasin bilong hem—from hem wanfala bigman long prison bat hem visitim son bilong hem wea wanfala prisoner! Bae mi olowe tinghae long wei wea hem kam visitim mi. Gogo hem kasem day for mi go free long April bilong 1951.
Taem mi aot from Lewes, mi go long train for go long Cardiff, Wales, wea dadi bilong mi hem waka olsem bigman long prison. Mi nao firstborn long fofala pikinini—thrifala boy and wanfala girl. Mi mas faendem waka for saportim miseleva and still pioneer. Mi go waka long wanfala stoa for sellim kaleko, bat main purpose long laef bilong mi hem Christian ministry bilong mi. Long datfala semtaem mami bilong mifala lusim mifala. Hem wanfala hard samting for dadi and mifala olketa pikinini, wea age bilong mifala start from 8 go kasem 19. Sorre tumas from parents bilong mifala divorce.
Man wea Faendem Wanfala Gud Waef . . .
Insaed kongregeson samfala pioneer stap. Midolwan olketa hem wanfala sista wea savve kamdaon evriday from ples bilong coal-mining long Rhondda Valley for go waka and duim preaching. Nem bilong hem Hazel Green—wanfala nambawan pioneer. Hazel hem savve long truth longtaem winim mi—parents bilong hem savve attendim olketa meeting bilong olketa Bible Student (distaem olketa kolem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness) long olketa year bilong 1920. Bat letem hemseleva talem iu story bilong hem.
“Firstaem mi no really interest tumas long Bible bat long 1944 taem mi readim datfala buklet Religion Reaps the Whirlwind mi start for interest. Mami bilong mi talem mi for go long wanfala circuit assembly long Cardiff. Nomata mi no garem planti savve long Bible, seknomoa olketa talem mi for go long wanfala big stoa and werem wanfala saen wea talemaot pablik tok. Mi winim datfala experience nomata mi kasem hard taem from olketa bigman bilong church and olketa narawan. Long 1946 mi baptaes and start for pioneer long December bilong datfala sem year. Then long 1951 wanfala young pioneer kam long Cardiff, hem just kamaot from prison. Hem nao Eric.
“Mitufala savve go aot preaching tugeta. Mitufala barava fren gud. Mitufala garem sem goal long laef—for mekem olketa samting for Kingdom bilong God for muv ahed. So mitufala marit long December 1952. Nomata mitufala insaed long full-taem pioneer service and garem lelebet selen nomoa, mitufala no enitaem no garem samting wea mitufala needim. Samtaem mitufala savve kasem wanfala present from wanfala Witness wea maet orderim extra jam or soap from stoa—and diswan hem savve kam long barava taem wea mitufala needim! Mitufala savve barava tinghae long olketa gudfala samting wea olketa duim. Bat samfala nara samting wea moa big for mekem mifala sapraes hem stap yet.”
Wanfala Sapraes wea Changem Laef Bilong Mitufala
Long November 1954, mitufala Hazel kasem wanfala sapraes wea mitufala no expectim—wanfala application from branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long London for mi kamap wanfala traveling overseer, for go visitim wanfala difren kongregeson evri week. Mitufala tingse hem wanfala mistek, so mitufala no talem eniwan long kongregeson. Nomata olsem, mi raetem disfala pepa and sendem go bak, and then mitufala weit. Samfala day bihaen, ansa hem kam: “Kam long London for training”!
Long office long London, mi hard for biliv hao nomata mi 23 year nomoa, mi long there witim olketa nambawan brata wea luk olsem spiritual giant long mi—Pryce Hughes, Emlyn Wynes, Ernie Beavor, Ernie Guiver, Bob Gough, Glynn Parr, Stan and Martin Woodburn, and planti narawan, staka long olketa dae finis distaem. Olketa hia putim wanfala strongfala faondeson for strong and faithful fasin insaed Britain long olketa year bilong 1940 and 1950.
Circuit Waka Long England—Interesting Tumas
Taem mitufala start hem taem wea staka snow long winter bilong year 1954/55. Assignment hem long East Anglia, wanfala flat area wea barava cold wind from North Sea hem blow. Long datfala taem 31,000 Witness nomoa stap long Britain. Datfala first circuit hem wanfala barava hard experience wea teachim mitufala; and tu hem no isi evritaem for olketa brata wea mifala visitim. From mi no minim wei bilong olketa and wei bilong mifala from Yorkshire for tokaot stret, diswan samtaem mekem samfala brata feel no gud. Insaed olketa year wea go pas, mi mas lanem hao kaenfala fasin hem moa important winim wei for duim samting followim barava order and pipol hem moa important winim hao for duim samting. Mi still go ahed for trae hard, bat samtaem mi no win, for followim example bilong Jesus for strongim narawan.—Matthew 11:28-30.
Bihaen 18-fala month long East Anglia, mitufala kasem assignment for go long circuit bilong northeast long England, Newcastle long Tyne and Northumberland. Mi lovem olketa kaenfala pipol long datfala ples long England wea luk naes tumas. Wanfala samting wea barava helpem mi hem visit bilong distrik overseer, Don Ward, from Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. Hem wanfala graduate bilong mek-20 class bilong Gilead. Olsem man for givim tok, mi savve talem olketa information fast tumas. Hem teachim mi for slow daon, for stop lelebet, and for teach.
Nara Sapraes wea Changem Laef Bilong Mitufala
Long 1958 mitufala kasem wanfala leta wea changem laef bilong mifala. Olketa invaetem mitufala for go attendim skul bilong Gilead long South Lansing, New York, U.S.A. Mitufala sellim smol car bilong mifala wea olketa kolem 1935 Austin Seven and peim ticket for go long ship for New York. Firstaem mitufala attendim international convention bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long New York City. From there mitufala go long Peterborough, Ontario, for pioneer for six month bifor mitufala go south for skul bilong Gilead.
Olketa skul teacher hem Albert Schroeder, wea distaem hem member bilong Governing Body, and tu Maxwell Friend and Jack Redford, wea dae finis distaem. Wei for kaban witim 82 student from 14 difren kantri hem barava buildimap man. Mifala start for minim lelebet kastom bilong each wan. Wei for mix witim olketa student from nara kantri wea mas stragol for lanem English hem helpem mifala for feisim olketa problem wea bae kamap taem mifala lanem wanfala niu languis. Insaed faevfala month class bilong mifala finisim training and olketa assignim mifala for go long 27 kantri. Then taem bilong graduation kamap, and insaed tu-thri day nomoa mitufala go long New York City, for weitim ship, disfala Queen Elizabeth, for tekem mitufala go bak long Europe.
Firstfala Assignment Bilong Mitufala Long Nara Kantri
Wanem assignment nao mifala kasem? Portugal! Mitufala arrive long Lisbon long November 1959. Then test kamap long wei wea mifala mas lanem wanfala niu languis and kastom. Long 1959, 643 Witness nao stap long Portugal, midolwan population bilong 9 million. Bat law no luksavve long preaching waka bilong mifala. Nomata mifala garem olketa Kingdom Hall, no eni saen stap aotsaed.
Bihaen mitufala lanem languis bilong Portugal from wanfala missionary Elsa Piccone, mitufala Hazel visitim olketa kongregeson and grup long Lisbon, Faro, Evora, and Beja. Then long 1961 olketa samting start for change. Mi study witim wanfala young man wea nem bilong hem João Gonçalves Mateus. Hem disaed for stand strong olsem wanfala Christian wea no teksaed long wei for no joinim army. No longtaem bihaen, olketa invaetem mi go long police headquarters for olketa kwestinim mi. Nara sapraes moa! Samfala day bihaen, olketa talem mifala for mas lusim kantri insaed 30 day! Sem samting happen long olketa nara missionary Eric and Christina Britten and Domenick and Elsa Piccone.
Mi ask for olketa herem saed bilong mifala, so olketa letem mifala for go lukim chief bilong secret police. Hem tok strong long mifala and talem mifala long klia wei why olketa askem mifala for go and hem talem wanfala nem—João Gonçalves Mateus—disfala Bible student bilong mi! Hem sei long Portugal hem no olsem long Britain, long hia olketa no savve letem conscience bilong man for stopem hem duim samting. So mifala mas lusim Portugal, and mi no savve wanem nao happen long João. Then, 26 year bihaen, mi hapi tumas for lukim hem and waef and thrifala dota bilong hem long dedication bilong niu Bethel long Portugal! Ministry bilong mifala long Portugal hem no hard waka nating!—1 Corinthians 3:6-9.
Wanem nao next assignment bilong mitufala? Sapraes! Hem kantri wea stap klosap, Spain. Wata stap long eye bilong mitufala long February 1962 taem mifala go long train long Lisbon and go for Madrid.
Change for Fitim Nara Ples
Long Spain mitufala mas getius long secret wei for preach and garem olketa meeting. Taem preaching, mifala no savve kol long tufala haos wea stap klosap tugeta. Bihaen witnessing long wanfala haos, mifala bae go long nara road and go long nara building. Diswan mekem hard for olketa police—or olketa priest—for kasholem mifala. Iu mas tingim hao, mifala stap anda long Fascist rul wea Catholic, and preaching waka bilong mifala olketa tambuim. From mitufala pipol from difren kantri, mitufala mas tekem nem bilong olketa long Spain for protection mekem pipol no luksavve long mitufala. Mi kamap Pablo, and Hazel kamap Juana.
Bihaen samfala month long Madrid, olketa assignim mitufala for circuit waka long Barcelona. Mitufala visitim olketa difren kongregeson long taon, planti taem mitufala spendem tu or thri week long each ples. Olketa visit tek longtaem from mifala mas visitim each buk study grup olsem wanfala kongregeson, so diswan minim tufala grup insaed long wan week.
Wanfala Challenge wea Mifala No Expectim
Long 1963 olketa invaetem mitufala for duim distrik waka long Spain. For servem klosap 3,000 Witness, mitufala mas go raonem full kantri, for visitim naenfala circuit wea stap long datfala taem. Mifala holem samfala secret circuit assembly wea bae mi no savve forgetim insaed bush wea klosap long Seville, long wanfala farm klosap Gijon, and long saed olketa river klosap long Madrid, Barcelona, and Logroño.
Olsem wanfala protection taem mifala preach from haos tu haos, mi lukluk gud for olketa road wea stap klosap for faendem eni road for ranawe long hem nogud eni samting hem go rong. Wantaem, taem mifala preaching long Madrid, mitufala nara witness stap long top part bilong haos taem mifala seknomoa herem samfala singaot big long daon. Taem mitufala go daon long olketa step, mi tufala lukim wanfala grup bilong olketa teenage girl, wea member long wanfala Catholic grup wea olketa kolem Hijas de María (Olketa dota bilong Mary). Olketa go ahed for warnim olketa neiba abaotem mifala. Olketa hard for lisin long mifala, and mi savve hao mifala mas hariap go. Nogud bae olketa police kasholem mifala. So mifala ranawe—kwiktaem!
Hem wanfala barava spesol taem for stap long Spain. Mifala trae for encouragem olketa nambawan brata and sista long there, witim olketa spesol pioneer minister tu. Olketa feisim danger for go long prison and safa long wei for no garem need bilong living taem olketa stand strong mekem olketa savve go ahed for preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God and for startim and buildimap olketa kongregeson
Insaed long disfala taem mitufala kasem samfala sorre nius tu. Hazel talem: “Long 1964 mami bilong mi, wanfala faithful Witness, hem dae. Mi sorre tumas from mi no kasem chance for sei gud-bae long hem bifor hem dae. Datwan hem wanfala sakrifaes wea planti narawan wea duim missionary waka tu mas duim.”
Kamap Free Nao
Bihaen planti year bilong persecution, long July 1970 mifala kasem from Franco government wei wea law luksavve long waka bilong mifala. Mitufala Hazel barava hapi tumas taem olketa openem olketa niu Kingdom Hall, first wan hem long Madrid and mek tu long Lesseps, Barcelona. Olketa evriwan garem olketa bigfala saen wea laet shaen long hem. Mifala laekem evri pipol for savve hao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stret saed long law and bae stap olowe long Spain! Long datfala taem, 1972, klosap 17,000 Witness long Spain.
Long klosap semtaem, mi kasem samfala nius from England wea encouragem mi. Dadi bilong mi hem bin visitim mitufala long Spain long 1969. Hem barava tinghae long wei wea olketa Witness long Spain treatim hem so taem hem go bak long England, hem start for studyim Bible. Then long 1971, olketa talem mi Dadi bilong mi baptaes! Hem barava muvim mi taem mitufala visitim hom and hem, olsem Christian brata bilong mi, askem blessing for kaikai. Mi weit for winim 20 year for datfala day for kam. Brata bilong mi Bob and waef bilong hem, Iris, olketa kamap Witness long 1958. Son bilong tufala, Phillip, hem serve olsem wanfala circuit overseer distaem long Spain witim waef bilong hem, Jean. Hem mekem mitufala barava hapi for lukim tufala serve long datfala nambawan kantri.
Sapraes Bilong Mitufala No LongTaem Go Nomoa
Long February 1980, wanfala member bilong Governing Body visitim Spain olsem wanfala zone overseer. Mi sapraes taem hem laek for joinim mi long ministry. Mi nating savve hao really hem kam for lukluk long mi! Then long September mitufala kasem invitation for muv go long world headquarters long Brooklyn, New York! Mitufala sapraes fogud. Mitufala acceptim datfala invitation, nomata mitufala sorre tumas for lusim olketa brata bilong mitufala long Spain. Long datfala taem, 48,000 Witness nao stap!
Taem mitufala lusim there, wanfala brata givim wanfala pocket watch olsem present. Long antap hem raetem tufala scripture—“Luke 16:10; Luke 17:10.” Hem sei olketa hia olowe theme scripture bilong mi. Luke 16:10 strongim wei wea iumi mas faithful long olketa smol samting, and Luke 17:10 hem sei hao iumi “olketa iusles slave nomoa” and from datwan iumi no fit for bighed. Mi olowe luksavve hao nomata wanem nao iumi duim insaed service bilong Jehovah hem waka bilong iumi olsem olketa Christian wea dedicate nomoa.
Wanfala Sapraes Saed Long Health
Long 1990, mi start for garem problem witim heart bilong mi. Gogo, olketa mas putim wanfala stent insaed for openem wanfala artery wea blok. Insaed long datfala hard taem wea body no strong, Hazel hem saportim mi long staka wei, planti taem hem mas karem olketa basket and suitcase wea mi no fit for karem. Then long May 2000, olketa putim wanfala pacemaker insaed. Datwan hem barava helpem mi!
Insaed 50 year wea go pas, mitufala Hazel lukim hao hand bilong Jehovah nating short and hao olketa purpose bilong hem savve fulfill long barava taem bilong hem, no bilong iumi. (Isaiah 59:1; Habakkuk 2:3) Mitufala bin kasem planti hapi sapraes insaed laef bilong mitufala and samfala sorre wan tu, bat insaed evri samting hia Jehovah hem strongim mitufala. Hia long world headquarters bilong pipol bilong Jehovah, mitufala hapi from mitufala garem chance evriday for meetim olketa member bilong Governing Body. Samtaem mi savve askem miseleva, ‘Waswe mitufala really stap long hia?’ Hem wanfala kaeness wea man no fit for kasem. (2 Corinthians 12:9) Mitufala trustim hao Jehovah bae go ahed for protectim mitufala from evri trik bilong Satan and keepim mitufala mekem mitufala savve enjoyim datfala day bilong raeteous rul bilong hem ovarem disfala earth.—Ephesians 6:11-18; Revelation 21:1-4.
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Strangeways Prison, Manchester, wea mi first go long prison
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Witim Austin Seven car insaed circuit waka long England
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Wanfala secret assembly long Cercedilla, Madrid, Spain, long 1962
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Long tebol for showim literature long Brooklyn