Laef Story
Wei for Acceptim Invitation From Jehovah Givim Reward
STORY BILONG MARIA DO CÉU ZANARDI
“Jehovah savve wanem hem duim. Sapos hem sendem iu invitation, iu shud hambol for acceptim.” Olketa toktok hia wea dadi bilong mi talem 45 year go finis, helpem mi for acceptim firstfala invitation wea mi kasem from organization bilong Jehovah, for serve olsem wanfala full-taem minister. Distaem, mi still thankiu for advaes bilong dadi bikos taem mi acceptim olketa invitation olsem, diswan givim olketa nambawan reward.
LONG 1928, Dadi garem subscription for Wastaoa magasin and hem start for interest long Bible. From hem stap long central Portugal, only wei for kaban witim kongregeson bilong God nao hem thru long olketa pablikeson wea olketa sendem kam, and wanfala Bible wea bifor hem bilong olketa grani bilong mi. Long 1949, taem mi 13 year, famili bilong mi muv go long Brazil, hom kantri bilong mami bilong mi, and setol daon long area aotsaed taon bilong Rio de Janeiro.
Olketa niu neiba bilong mifala invaetem mifala for go visitim church bilong olketa, and samfala taem mifala go. Dadi savve laek askem olketa abaotem hellfire, soul, and future bilong disfala earth—bat olketa no savve long ansa. Dadi savve sei: “Bae iumi mas weitim olketa tru Bible student.”
Wanday, wanfala blind man kam long haos bilong mifala and hem offerim Wastaoa and Wekap! Dadi askem olketa sem kwestin, and hem givim olketa gudfala ansa from Bible. Long week bihaen, wanfala nara Jehovah’s Witness visitim mifala. Bihaen hem ansarem samfala nara kwestin, hem sei hem mas go firstaem long “field.” Taem dadi sei hem sapraes for savve olketa Witness savve go plei sports, sista hia readim Matthew 13:38 for hem: “Field nao hem world.” Dadi ask: “Mi savve kam tu?” Sista hia ansa, “Iu kam.” Mifala barava hapi for faendem truth bilong Bible moa! Dadi baptaes long next convention, and mi baptaes no longtaem bihaen, long November 1955.
Acceptim First Invitation Bilong Mi
Wan and haf year bihaen, mi kasem wanfala big brown envelope from branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Rio de Janeiro, insaed hem wanfala invitation for duim full-taem preaching waka. Long datfala taem mami hem sik, so mi askem advaes long dadi. Hem sei long mi: “Jehovah savve wanem hem duim. Sapos hem sendem iu invitation, iu shud hambol for acceptim.” From olketa toktok hia encouragem mi, mi raetem datfala application pepa and start for duim full-taem service long July 1, 1957. First assignment bilong mi hem long Três Rios, wanfala taon long State bilong Rio de Janeiro.
Firstaem, pipol long Três Rios les for lisin long message bilong mifala bikos mifala no iusim Catholic Bible. Mifala kasem help taem mifala startim Bible study witim Geraldo Ramalho, wanfala Catholic. Hem helpem mifala kasem wanfala Bible wea priest bilong olketa saenem. Start long datfala taem, taem eniwan trae for stopem story, mi savve showim page wea priest saenem, and olketa no kwestinim mifala moa. Bihaen Geraldo hem baptaes.
Mi hapi tumas taem mifala garem circuit assembly barava midolwan long Três Rios long1959. Police chief, wea studyim Bible long datfala taem, arrange for putim olketa saen wea talemaot program evriwea long taon. Bihaen mi waka for thrifala year long Três Rios, olketa invaetem mi for go long wanfala niu assignment long Itu, wea klosap 110 km west from taon bilong São Paulo.
Olketa Red, Blue, and Yellow Buk
Mi and pioneer partner bilong mi lukaotem ples for stap, gogo mitufala faendem wanfala naes ples midolwan long taon long haos bilong Maria, wanfala kaenfala widow woman. Maria treatim mifala olsem olketa dota bilong hem. No longtaem bihaen, Roman Catholic bishop bilong Itu visitim hem and talem hem for raosem mifala, bat hem disaed strong finis: “Taem hasband bilong mi dae iu nating kam comfortim mi. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hia barava helpem mi nomata mi no member long religion bilong olketa.”
Long semtaem, wanfala woman talem mifala hao olketa Catholic priest stopem pipol for acceptim copy bilong datfala “red buk abaotem Devil.” Olketa minim disfala buk “Let God Be True,” hem nao Bible pablikeson wea mifala bin offerim long pipol insaed datfala week. So from olketa priest “tambuim” datfala red buk, mifala redyim story bilong mifala for offerim datfala blue buk (“New Heavens and a New Earth”). Bihaen, taem olketa bigman long church herem nius abaotem diswan, mifala offerim datfala yellow buk (What Has Religion Done for Mankind?), and so mifala go ahed olsem. Hem barava gud tumas hao mifala garem staka difren kaen buk wea garem difren kala!
Bihaen mi stap wan year long Itu, mi kasem wanfala telegram wea invaetem mi for go waka lelebet taem long Bethel, branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Rio de Janeiro, for help for prepare for national assembly. Mi hapi tumas for acceptim datwan.
Samfala Nara Privilege and Challenge
Long Bethel, staka waka stap, and mi hapi for help long eni wei. Wei for attendim text evri morning and famili Wastaoa study evri Monday evening hem barava helpem mi kamap moabeta! Olketa prea from heart bilong Otto Estelmann and olketa nara member bilong Bethel famili wea garem savve barava muvim mi.
Bihaen national assembly, mi redyim evri basket bilong mi for go bak long Itu, bat branch servant, Grant Miller, givim mi wanfala leta wea invaetem mi for kamap wanfala member bilong Bethel famili. Sista wea mitufala sharem rum hem Sista Hosa Yazedjian, wea still serve long Bethel long Brazil. Long datfala taem Bethel famili hem smol—mifala 28-fala nomoa—and mifala evriwan klos fren.
Long 1964, João Zanardi, wanfala young full-taem minister, kam long Bethel for kasem training. Then olketa givim hem assignment olsem circuit servant, or traveling overseer, long area wea klosap. Samfala taem mifala savve meet taem hem kam long Bethel for givim olketa report. Branch servant letem João for attendim famili study long Monday evening, so mifala savve spendem moa taem tugeta. Mitufala João marit long August 1965. Mi hapi for acceptim invitation for joinim hasband bilong mi long circuit waka.
Long datfala taem traveling waka long midol bilong Brazil hem no isi. Mi bae nating savve forgetim olketa visit bilong mifala long wanfala grup pablisa long taon bilong Aranha, long State bilong Minas Gerais. Mifala mas go long train and then wakabaot—and karem olketa suitcase, typewriter, slide projector, service basket, and literature. Mifala hapi tumas for evritaem lukim Lourival Chantal, wanfala olo brata wea savve weit long train station for helpem mitufala karem olketa basket.
Olketa long Aranha savve rentim wanfala haos for olketa meeting. Mitufala sleep insaed smol rum long bihaen. Long wansaed long rum, wanfala ples for fire stap, long there mifala savve kuki and hotem wata wea olketa brata savve tekem kam long baket for mifala. Wanfala hol long graon midolwan long bambu plantation nao toilet bilong mifala. Long naet mifala savve onem gas laet for raosem olketa barber beetle—kaen insect wea savve pasim Chagas’ disease. Long morning nose bilong mitufala evritaem blak from smoke. Hem wanfala interesting experience!
Taem mifala long circuit long State bilong Paraná, mifala kasem moa wanfala brown envelope from branch office. Hem narafala invitation from organization bilong Jehovah—distaem for serve long Portugal! Leta hia askem mitufala for ting raonem principle long Luke 14:28 and for kaontem kost bifor mifala acceptim disfala assignment bikos gavman bilong Portugal tambuim Christian waka bilong mifala, and arrestim finis planti brata.
Waswe, bae mifala go long wanfala ples wea mifala bae feisim persecution olsem? João hem sei: “Sapos olketa brata bilong iumi long Portugal savve stap long there and faithful for servem Jehovah, iumi tu savve olsem.” Taem mi tingim toktok bilong dadi bilong mi wea encouragem mi, mi agree: “Sapos Jehovah sendem iumi invitation, iumi shud acceptim and trustim hem.” No longtaem bihaen, mifala go long Bethel long São Paulo, and kasem samfala instruction and redyim olketa pepa bilong mifala for datfala gogo.
João Maria and Maria João
Ship wea mifala go long hem, Eugênio C, hem lusim Santos, long State bilong São Paulo, long September 6, 1969. Bihaen naenfala day, mifala arrive long Portugal. Firstaem, mifala iusim samfala month for waka witim olketa brata wea garem savve, long olketa smolfala road bilong Alfama and Mouraria, long old area bilong Lisbon. Olketa trainim mifala for lukaot gud mekem police no isi for kasem mifala.
Olketa kongregeson meeting kamap long olketa haos bilong olketa Witness. Taem olketa neiba start for luksavve long mifala, mifala kwiktaem muvim olketa meeting go long nara ples mekem police no kam long datfala haos or arrestim olketa brata. Mifala garem olketa assembly, wea mifala kolem olketa picnic, long Monsanto Park aotsaed long Lisbon, and long Costa da Caparica, wanfala area wea garem planti tree long saedsea. Mifala no werem meeting kaleko long datfala taem, and wanfala grup bilong olketa attendant standap long samfala ples wea olketa markem for lukaot gud. Sapos eniwan wea luk olsem mifala no savve trustim hem kam, mifala garem inaf taem for startim wanfala plei, mekem picnic, or start for singim wanfala lokol singsing.
For mekem hem hard for security police for luksavve long mifala, mifala no iusim really nem bilong mifala. Olketa brata kolem mitufala João Maria and Maria João. Olketa nem bilong mifala no stap insaed eni leta or record. Bat, olketa givim mifala olketa namba. Mi trae hard for no rememberim address bilong olketa brata. Mekem sapos olketa arrestim mi, bae hem hard for mi talem eni samting long olketa.
Nomata datfala tambu hem stap, mitufala João disaed strong for mekius long evri chance for givim witness, from mitufala savve hao maet mifala lusim freedom bilong mifala enitaem. Mifala lane for depend long Father bilong mifala long heven, Jehovah. Olsem Man for Protectim mifala, hem iusim olketa angel bilong hem long wei wea mekem mifala feel olsem mifala “lukim Datwan wea iumi no savve lukim.”—Hebrews 11:27.
Wanfala taem wea mifala preaching from haos tu haos long Porto, mifala meetim wanfala man wea laekem tumas for mifala kam insaed haos bilong hem. Datfala sista wea mitufala waka tugeta hem stretawe go insaed, and so mi mas go witim hem. Mi barava seksek taem mi lukim foto bilong wanfala man wea werem uniform bilong army. Wanem nao bae mifala duim distaem? Disfala man askem mifala for sidaon, and then hem askem mi: “Waswe, bae iu letem son bilong iu joinim army sapos olketa kolem hem?” Diswan hem wanfala danger kwestin. Long kwaet wei, bat bihaen mi talem prea long heart, mi ansa: “Mi no garem eni pikinini, and mi sure sapos mi nao askem iu kaen kwestin olsem, bae iu ansa long sem wei.” Hem no tok nao. So mi go ahed for story: “Bat sapos iu askem mi hao nao hem feel for lusim wanfala dadi or brata, datwan nao mi savve ansarem from dadi and brata bilong mi dae finis.” Taem mi tok olsem wata fulap long eye bilong mi, and mi lukim hao hem klosap krae tu. Hem talem mifala hao waef bilong hem dae no longtaem go nomoa. Hem barava lisin gud taem mi explainim hope bilong resurrection. Then mifala sei bye-bye and lusim datfala haos, and leavim datfala samting long hand bilong Jehovah.
Nomata datfala tambu go ahed, pipol wea garem honest heart kasem help for savve abaotem truth. Taem mifala long Porto, hasband bilong mi start for study witim Horácio, wanfala bisnisman, wea kwiktaem muv ahed. Bihaen, son bilong hem Emílio, wanfala nambawan doctor, hem tu stand strong for Jehovah and baptaes. Tru nao, no eni samting savve stopem holy spirit bilong Jehovah.
“Iumi No Savve Wanem Nao Jehovah bae Letem”
Long 1973, mitufala João kasem invitation for attendim “Divine Victory” International Assembly long Brussels, Belgium. Planti thousand brata from Spain and Belgium long there, and tu olketa wea visit kam from Mozambique, Angola, Cape Verde, Madeira, and Azores. Olketa last toktok bilong Brata Knorr, from headquarters long New York, encouragem man: “Go ahed for faithful for servem Jehovah. Iumi no savve wanem nao Jehovah bae letem. Iumi no savve, maet iu attendim next international convention long Portugal!”
Wan year bihaen datwan preaching waka long Portugal register long gavman. And toktok bilong Brata Knorr hem kamap tru, from 1978, mifala garem first international convention bilong mifala long Lisbon. Hem nambawan privilege for march long olketa road long Lisbon and givim witness witim olketa saen, magasin, and olketa invitation for pablik tok! Hem wanfala dream wea kamap tru.
Love bilong mifala for olketa brata long Portugal hem kamap barava strong. From olketa keepim Christian wei for no teksaed, planti long olketa kasem kill or go long prison. Mitufala laek tumas for go ahed for serve long Portugal. Bat, nomoa nao. Long 1982, João kasem wanfala serious heart problem, and branch office sei maet hem moabeta for go bak long Brazil.
Wanfala Hard Taem
Olketa brata long branch office long Brazil barava saportim mifala and givim assignment for mifala serve long Quiririm Kongregeson long taon bilong Taubaté, long State bilong São Paulo. Health bilong João hem gogo daon kwiktaem, and gogo hem no savve lusim haos nao. Olketa interest wan savve kam long haos bilong mitufala for studyim Bible, and olketa meeting for field service evriday and grup study evri week kamap long haos bilong mifala. Olketa arrangement olsem helpem mifala stap strong long spiritual wei.
João go ahed for duim samting wea hem fit for duim insaed service bilong Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long October 1, 1985. Mi sorre and lelebet feel wikdaon, bat mi disaed strong for go ahed long assignment bilong mi. Nara nogud samting happen long April 1986 taem olketa man for steal kam insaed haos bilong mi and stealim klosap evriting. Hem firstaem long laef bilong mi for feel lonely and fraet. Mi barava thankiu taem wanfala hasband and waef invaetem mi for stap witim olketa for lelebet taem.
Dae bilong João and wei wea olketa man kam steal affectim tu service bilong mi for Jehovah. Hem mekem mi no feel sure insaed ministry. Bihaen mi raet go long branch office abaotem problem bilong mi, olketa invaetem mi for go stap lelebet taem long Bethel for helpem mi for kasem moa wei for balancem feeling. Diswan barava strongim mi!
Taem mi feel moabeta, mi acceptim assignment for serve long Ipuã, wanfala taon long state bilong São Paulo. Mi busy insaed preaching waka, bat samfala taem mi savve feel wikdaon. Long olketa taem olsem, mi savve contactim olketa brata long Quiririm kongregeson, and wanfala famili savve kam visitim mi for tu-thri day. Olketa visit hia barava encouragem mi! Insaed first year bilong mi long Ipuã, 38 difren brata and sista travel kam farawe for visitim mi.
Long 1992, sixfala year bihaen dae bilong João, mi kasem nara invitation from organization bilong Jehovah for muv go long taon bilong Franca, long State bilong São Paulo, wea mi go ahed for serve olsem full-taem minister distaem. Territory long hia hem barava gud. Long 1994, mi startim Bible study witim mayor. Long datfala taem, hem go ahed for campaign for position insaed gavman bilong Brazil, bat nomata hem garem busy schedule, mifala study evri Monday aftanun. For mekem no eniwan disturbim study hem savve offem telephone. Mi barava hapi taem mi lukim hem isisi lusim politik and, witim help bilong truth, hem strongim moa marit bilong hem! Hem and waef bilong hem baptaes long 1998.
Taem mi ting bak, mi lukim hao laef bilong mi olsem full-taem minister hem fulap witim olketa nambawan blessing and privilege. Wei for acceptim olketa invitation wea Jehovah givim long mi thru long organization bilong hem, hem mekem mi kasem olketa nambawan reward. And nomata wanem invitation wea maet kamap long future, feeling bilong mi for willing for acceptim hem still strong yet.
[Olketa Piksa long page 25]
Long 1957, taem mi startim full-taem service, and distaem
[Piksa long page 26]
Witim Brazil Bethel famili long 1963
[Piksa long page 27]
Wedding bilong mitufala August 1965
[Piksa long page 27]
Wanfala assembly long Portugal taem olketa tambuim waka
[Piksa long page 28]
Street witnessing long Lisbon long taem bilong 1978 “Faith Wea Win” International Convention