Laef Story
Lusim Dark Prison Andanit Long Graon for Go Long Swiss Alps
STORY BILONG LOTHAR WALTHER
Bihaen mi stap for thrifala year insaed olketa dark Communist prison andanit long graon long East Germany, wea feel olsem hem longtaem tumas, mi barava luk forward for enjoyim wei for kamap free and for kaban witim famili bilong mi.
BAT MI no redy for lukim lukluk wea konfius long feis bilong son bilong mi, Johannes, wea six year. Hem nating lukim mi for thrifala year wea go pas finis. Hem luk long mi olsem wanfala stranger.
Taem mi smol pikinini mi enjoyim loving wei for fren witim parents bilong mi. Mifala garem naesfala feeling midolwan famili bilong mifala long Chemnitz, Germany, ples wea mi born long 1928. Dadi bilong mi no fraet for talemaot hao hem no laekem religion. Hem rememberim taem wea World War I go ahed, olketa “Christian” soldia long tufala saed talem toktok “Hapi Christmas” long December 25, bat long next day olketa start moa for killim dae each other. Hem ting long hypocrite fasin bilong religion olsem hem worse winim eni narakaen hypocrite fasin.
Faith Changem Wei for Feel Nogud
Mi hapi from mi no experiencem kaen wei for feel nogud olsem. World War II finis taem mi 17 year, so olketa no askem mi for joinim army. Nomata olsem, mi evritaem tingim olketa kaen kwestin olsem, ‘Why nao wei for killkill go ahed? Hu nomoa mi savve trustim? Wea nao mi savve faendem trufala sef living?’ Olketa Soviet tekova for kontrolem ples wea mifala stap long East Germany. Olketa goal bilong Communist olsem justice, evriwan semsem, wan mind, and stap long peace hem samting wea pipol wea taed long olketa nogud samting wea war duim barava laekem. Bat no longtaem bihaen staka long pipol hia wea garem honest heart bae barava feel nogud—no from religion, bat from politik.
Taem mi go ahed for luk aotem olketa stretfala ansa, aunty bilong mi wea hem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness storyim long mi olketa samting wea hem bilivim. Hem givim mi wanfala Bible pablikeson wea muvim mi for readim—for firstaem—full chapter bilong Matthew 24. Mi tinghae tumas hao buk hia explainim olketa samting long gudfala wei and hem klia tumas. Hem showim hao “taem bilong end bilong disfala system” hem start finis, and storyim tu samting wea kosim olketa problem bilong olketa man.—Matthew 24:3; Revelation 12:9.
No longtaem bihaen, mi kasem olketa nara pablikeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and taem mi readim witim wei for barava interest, mi luksavve mi faendem nao truth wea mi waka hard for luk aotem. Hem wanfala hapi samting for savve Jesus Christ king finis long heven long 1914 and hem bae klosap tekova long olketa gavman wea no followim God mekem hem blessim olketa man wea obey. Nara big samting moa wea mi faendem nao klia mining bilong ransom. Diswan helpem mi for prea long Jehovah God from heart, and askem hem for forgivim mi. Kaenfala invitation wea stap long James 4:8: “Kam klos long God, and hem bae kam klos long iufala” barava muvim mi long bigfala wei.
Nomata mi laekem tumas niufala faith bilong mi, long firstaem parents and sista bilong mi hol bak for acceptim wanem mi talem olketa. Bat diswan no daonem feeling wea mi garem for attendim olketa Christian meeting witim wanfala smol grup bilong olketa Witness klosap long Chemnitz. Mi sapraes fogud taem parents and sista bilong mi go witim mi taem mi attendim first meeting! Diswan hem long cold season bilong 1945/46. Bihaen, taem wanfala Bible study grup start long Harthau, long ples wea mifala stap, famili bilong mi start for attend evritaem.
“Mi Wanfala Boy Nomoa”
Taem mi lanem olketa important tru samting from Bible and evritaem kaban witim pipol bilong Jehovah diswan muvim mi for dedicatem laef bilong mi long Jehovah, and mi baptaes long May 25, 1946. Samting wea mekem mi hapi tumas nao hem hao olketa famili member bilong mi muv ahed long spiritual wei, and gogo thrifala evriwan kamap olketa faithful Witness. Sista bilong mi go ahed olsem wanfala active member long wanfala kongregeson long Chemnitz. Mami and dadi loyal for serve go kasem taem mami dae long 1965 and dadi long 1986.
Sixfala month bihaen mi baptaes, mi start olsem wanfala spesol pioneer. Diswan nao start bilong full laef bilong mi for servem Jehovah long ‘gudfala taem, and long hardfala taem.’ (2 Timothy 4:2) No longtaem bihaen, change kamap saed long service bilong mi. Need kamap long wanfala farawe ples long east part bilong Germany for olketa wea duim waka for preach full taem. Mi and wanfala brata volunteer for disfala assignment, bat mi ting mi no fit for garem bigfala responsibility olsem from mi no garem savve or wisdom wea fitim datwan. From mi 18 year nomoa, mi garem sem feeling wea Jeremiah garem: “O, . . . Jehovah! Mi no savve hao for toktok, from mi wanfala boy nomoa.” (Jeremiah 1:6) Nomata mi ting mi no fit for duim diswan, olketa brata wea garem responsibility askem mifala for trae go long datfala assignment. So, mifala go long Belzig, wanfala smol taon long province bilong Brandenburg.
Hem barava hard for preach long datfala territory, nomata olsem mi kasem nambawan training. Gogo, samfala important bisnis woman acceptim Kingdom message and kamap Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bat wei for olketa kamap olketa Witness hem againstim olketa strongfala kastom and tingting bilong datfala community. Olketa bigman bilong Catholic and Protestant strong for againstim mifala and talem olketa laea toktok againstim mifala bikos long preaching waka bilong mifala. Bat from mifala trustim Jehovah for directim and protectim mifala, mifala fit for helpem samfala pipol wea interest for acceptim truth.
Feeling for No Acceptim Mifala Start Kakamap
Long 1948 mi kasem olketa blessing and olketa hard samting wea mi no expectim. Mi kasem pioneer assignment long Rudolstadt, Thuringia. Long there mi savve long staka faithful brata and sista, and mi enjoyim wei for kaban witim olketa. Mi kasem nara important blessing long July bilong datfala year. Mi maritim Erika Ullmann, wanfala young Christian woman wea faithful and strong for preach wea mi savve long hem taem mi start attendim olketa meeting long Chemnitz Kongregeson. Mitufala startim pioneer service long Harthau, long homples bilong mi. Bat, gogo, Erika no fit for go ahed long full-taem service bikos long olketa problem saed long health and olketa nara reason tu.
Olketa taem hia hem hard taem for pipol bilong Jehovah. Labor Department long Chemnitz stopem card bilong mi for baem samfala kaen kaikai long price olketa markem for trae forcem mi for no preach and for waka full taem for selen. Olketa brata wea lead iusim disfala samting wea happen long mi for askem Gavman mekem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stret saed long law. Olketa no acceptim diswan, and long June 23, 1950, olketa sei mi mas peim fine or stap insaed prison for 30-fala day. Mifala tekem disfala case go long hae kot, bat hae kot rejectim, and mi go long prison.
Datwan hem start bilong bigfala wei for againstim mifala and trabol wea bae kamap long future. Hem nating kasem wan month nomoa, long September 1950, bihaen olketa laea toktok kamap long nius, Communist gavman tambuim waka bilong mifala. From mifala kamap staka kwiktaem and no teksaed, olketa sei mifala wanfala grup wea spae for olketa Western kantri, and wea “haedem wei for duim olketa samting wea no stret” long wei for sei datwan hem waka saed long lotu. Long sem day wea olketa tambuim waka, waef bilong mi bornem son bilong mitufala, Johannes, long haos taem mi stap long prison. Nomata woman wea help for bornem pikinini stopem olketa State Security officer for go insaed long haos, olketa forcem olketa seleva go insaed for faendem eniting wea bae pruvim samting olketa accusim mifala long hem. Bat, olketa nating faendem eniting. Nomata olsem, olketa garem samwan insaed kongregeson wea gogo bak for talem nius for olketa. From diswan olketa arrestim olketa brata wea lead, and mi tu, long October 1953.
Insaed Dark Prison Andanit Long Graon
Bihaen olketa judgem mifala guilty and talem mifala bae stap long prison for thri go kasem six year, mifala kamap prisoner witim olketa nara brata long barava nogud dirty ples long olketa dark prison andanit long graon long Osterstein Castle, long Zwickau. Nomata ples long there barava nogud, mi hapi tumas for kaban witim olketa mature brata. Wei wea mifala nating free nating minim mifala nating kasem eni spiritual kaikai. Nomata gavman les long Wastaoa and tambuim, mifala kasem Wastaoa long wei wea haed insaed long prison rum bilong mifala! Long wanem wei?
Samfala brata kasem assignment for waka long olketa coal mine, so diswan mekem olketa meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea no stap long prison wea savve givim olketa magasin long olketa. Then olketa brata tekem haed olketa magasin go insaed long prison long kleva wei and mifala evriwan fit for kasem spiritual kaikai wea mifala barava needim. Disfala wei wea Jehovah givim direction and kea, barava encouragem mi and mekem mi hapi!
Long end bilong 1954, olketa muvim mifala go long wanfala barava nogud prison long Torgau. Olketa Witness long there hapi for welkamim mifala. Go kasem datfala taem, olketa bin stap strong long spiritual wei long wei for talem moa long each other wanem olketa savve rememberim from olketa Wastaoa magasin bilong bifor. Olketa barava laekem tumas for kasem fresh spiritual kaikai! So mifala feelim responsibility wea mifala garem for sharem olketa important tru samting wea mifala studyim long Zwickau witim olketa. Bat hao nao mifala bae duim diswan from olketa stopem mifala for no tok long each other taem mifala go for wakabaot evriday? Olketa brata talem samfala nambawan idea long hao for duim, and Jehovah directim mifala. Diswan teachim mifala hao hem barava important for studyim Bible and ting raonem gud taem mifala free and garem chance for duim olsem.
Taem for Olketa Important Disison
Witim help bilong Jehovah, mifala go ahed for stand strong. Mifala sapraes fogud, taem olketa letem samfala long mifala go free long end bilong 1956. Hem hard for storyim hapi wea mifala garem taem olketa gate long prison open! Kam kasem disfala taem, son bilong mi hem six year nao, and mi hapi narawe for lukim moa waef bilong mi and for help for bringimap pikinini bilong mitufala. For lelebet taem Johannes act olsem mi wanfala stranger, bat no longtaem bihaen, mitufala kamap barava klos long each other.
Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long East Germany feisim wanfala barava hard taem. From wei for againstim Christian ministry bilong mifala hem kakamap moa big, and from mifala no teksaed, mifala no feel sef, and laef bilong mifala hem fulap witim danger, wari, and wei for feel taed. So, mi and Erika mas ting raonem gud diswan witim wei for prea, and mitufala ting for muv long ples wea gud lelebet mekem mifala no wari tumas. Mifala laek free for servem Jehovah and aftarem olketa spiritual goal.
Long spring season bilong 1957, wanfala wei kamap for mifala muv go long Stuttgart, West Germany. Olketa no tambuim waka for preach long there, and mifala savve free for kaban witim olketa brata. Loving sapot bilong olketa brata hem big tumas. Mifala joinim Hedelfingen Kongregeson for seven year. Insaed taem hia, son bilong mitufala start go long skul and muv ahed gud long spiritual wei. Long September 1962, mi kasem spesol privilege for attendim Kingdom Ministry Skul long Wiesbaden. Long there mi kasem encouragement for muv witim famili for serve long ples wea needim olketa teacher saed long Bible wea savve long German languis. Insaed diswan hem samfala area bilong Germany and Switzerland.
Go Long Swiss Alps
So, long 1963 mifala muv go long Switzerland. Mifala kasem assignment for waka witim wanfala smol kongregeson long Brunnen, diswan hem long Lake Lucerne wea luk naes, long midol part bilong Swiss Alps. Diswan hem olsem mifala stap insaed paradaes. Mifala mas getius long difren living and tingting bilong pipol long there, and tu, long difren wei wea olketa toktok long German languis. Nomata olsem, mifala enjoyim wei for waka and preach midolwan pipol wea lovem peace. Mifala stap long Brunnen for 14 year. Son bilong mifala growap long there.
Long 1977, taem mi klosap 50 year, mifala kasem invitation for serve long Swiss Bethel long Thun. Mifala ting long diswan olsem wanfala spesol assignment and acceptim witim hapi. Mi and waef serve long Bethel for naen year, and mitufala ting long datwan olsem wanfala barava important taem long Christian laef bilong mitufala wea mitufala muv ahed long spiritual wei. Mifala enjoyim tu wei for preach witim olketa pablisa long Thun and olketa area wea stap klosap, evritaem enjoyim olketa “nambawan waka,” bilong Jehovah long olketa nambawan maunten bilong Bernese Alps wea garem snow antap.—Psalm 9:1.
Nara Muv Moa
Mifala muv moa long start bilong 1986. Olketa askem mifala for serve olsem olketa spesol pioneer long wanfala big territory wea olketa assignim long Buchs Kongregeson long east part bilong Switzerland. Long there moa mifala mas lanem nara difren wei bilong laef. Bat, from wei for servem Jehovah nao muvim mifala for serve long eni ples hem laek iusim mifala, mifala duim disfala assignment, and kasem blessing from hem. Samfala taem, mi duim waka bilong traveling overseer, visitim and strongim olketa kongregeson. Eitin year go pas finis, and mifala garem staka hapi experience from taem mifala preach long disfala area. Kongregeson long Buchs hem kamap moa big, and mifala enjoyim meeting insaed Kingdom Hall wea luk naes, wea olketa dedicatem faevfala year bifor.
Jehovah lukaftarem mifala long bigfala wei. Mifala iusim big haf long laef bilong mifala long full-taem ministry, bat mifala no missim eniting. Mifala hapi and satisfae for lukim son bilong mifala, waef, and thrifala pikinini bilong tufala, and tu olketa pikinini bilong granpikinini bilong mifala, olketa faithful for wakabaot long wei bilong Jehovah.
Taem mi ting go bak, for sure mifala waka for Jehovah long ‘gudfala taem, and long hardfala taem.’ From mi waka hard for staka year insaed Christian ministry diswan tekem mi from dark Communist prison andanit long graon for go long olketa spesol maunten bilong Swiss Alps. Mi and famili no feel sorre from mifala aftarem Christian ministry.
[Box long page 28]
“Olketa wea Safa Tufala Taem” Stand Strong Long Persecution
Anda long gavman bilong German Democratic Republic (GDR), wea hem tu East Germany, olketa markem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness for kasem barava raf persecution. Olketa record showim hao winim 5,000 Witness stap long olketa labor camp and olketa ples for keepim pipol bikos olketa duim Christian ministry bilong olketa and nating teksaed.—Isaiah 2:4.
Olketa storyim olketa Witness hia olsem “olketa wea safa tufala taem.” Samting olsem 325 stap long olketa concentration camp and prison bilong olketa Nazi. Then long olketa year bilong 1950, olketa Stasi, State Security Service bilong GDR luk aotem and putim olketa long prison. And tu, samfala prison olketa Nazi and pipol bilong Stasi nao iusim—Nazi prison firstaem and then bihaen Stasi prison.
Insaed long first ten year bilong barava strong persecution, from 1950 go kasem 1961, 60-fala Witness—olketa man and woman—dae insaed long prison from olketa deal witim olketa long nogud wei, nating kaikai gud, sik, and olo. Twelvfala Witness olketa sei for olketa stap long prison for full laef bat bihaen olketa sei olketa bae stap long prison for 15 year nomoa.
Distaem, long headquarter bilong Stasi bifor long Berlin, hem garem olketa samting wea showim 40 year wea olketa man long gavman persecutim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long East Germany. Olketa piksa and story wea stap long there showimaot fasin for nating fraet and spiritual strong bilong olketa Witness hia wea stap faithful long taem bilong persecution.
[Map long page 24, 25]
(For formatted text, lukim pablikeson)
EAST GERMANY
Rudolstadt
Belzig
Torgau
Chemnitz
Zwickau
[Piksa long page 25]
Osterstein Castle, long Zwickau
[Credit Line]
Fotosammlung des Stadtarchiv Zwickau, Deutschland
[Piksa long page 26]
Witim waef bilong mi, Erika