LAEF STORY
“No Enitaem Mi Stap Seleva”
STAKA situation lo laef savve mekem iumi for feel lonely, olsem taem iumi lusim wanfala loved wan, stap lo niu ples, and taem iumi stap seleva. Mi experiencem evri samting hia. Bat taem mi ting go bak, mi luksavve dat really no enitaem mi stap seleva. Distaem mi laek for storyim why mi feel olsem.
EXAMPLE BLO PARENTS BLO MI
Dadi and Mami blo mi tufala strong Catholic. Bat taem tufala lanem lo Bible dat nem blo God hem Jehovah, tufala disaed for kamap Jehovah’s Witness and tufala barava faithful. Dadi blo mi stop for karvem olketa image blo Jesus. Instead, hem iusim skill blo hem olsem carpenter for mekem daonstairs lo haos blo mifala for kamap first Kingdom Hall lo San Juan del Monte, lo Manila, wea hem kapitol blo Philippines.
Mi witim parents blo mi and samfala lo famili
Mi born lo 1952, and mi garem fofala brata and thrifala sista wea first lo mi, parents blo mi garem nambawan spiritual schedule for teachim mifala olketa pikinini. Taem mi growap, dadi encouragem mi for readim wanfala chapter lo Bible evriday, and hem iusim staka difren pablikeson blo iumi for study witim mi. Samfala taem, parents blo mi savve invaetem olketa traveling overseer and representative from branch office for stap lo haos blo mifala. Mifala evriwan lo famili hapi and kasem encouragement taem mifala herem olketa brata hia storyim olketa experience, and datwan motivatim mifala for mekem ministry hem kamap important samting lo laef blo mifala.
Parents blo mi garem strong faith and mi gohed for followim example blo tufala. Bihaen mami blo mi sik and dae, mi and dadi start for pioneer tugeta lo 1971. Bat then lo 1973 taem mi 20 years old, dadi blo mi hem dae. Taem parents blo mi dae, datwan mekem mi feel emti and feel olsem mi stap seleva. Bat datfala hope wea stap lo Bible hem olsem wanfala anka wea “strong and stedy,” so hem helpem mi for no sorre tumas and gohed strong lo spiritual wei. (Heb. 6:19) No longtaem bihaen dadi blo mi dae, mi acceptim assignment for kamap spesol pioneer lo wanfala isolate island wea nem blo hem Coron, lo province blo Palawan.
MI STAP SELEVA AND DEAL WITIM OLKETA CHALLENGING ASSIGNMENT
Mi 21 years old taem mi arrive lo Coron. From mi growap lo taon, mi sapraes for faendem hao lo datfala island samfala pipol nomoa garem electricity, wata supply, and vehicle. Tu-thri brata nomoa lo there, and mi no garem eni pioneer partner and samfala taem mi seleva nomoa go preaching. Lo first month, mi barava missim famili and frens blo mi. Lo naet, mi savve lukluk lo olketa star lo skae and tias rol daon lo feis blo mi. Mi feel olsem mi laek for givap lo assignment blo mi and go bak hom.
During lo olketa taem hia wea mi stap seleva, mi savve pourim aot heart blo mi lo Jehovah. Mi savve tingim olketa encouraging point wea mi readim lo Bible and olketa pablikeson blo iumi. Mi savve tingim evritaem Psalm 19:14. Mi luksavve bae Jehovah hem kamap “Rock blo mi and man wea sevem mi” if mi gohed for ting raonem olketa samting wea hem laekem mi for ting abaotem, olsem waka blo hem and olketa quality blo hem. Wanfala Watchtower article wea garem title “You Are Never Alone,”a hem barava helpem mi. Mi readim staka taem. Lo olketa taem hia, hem olsem mi stap seleva witim Jehovah and datwan mekem mi garem spesol chance for prea, study, and for meditate.
No longtaem afta mi arrive lo Coron, mi kasem appointment for kamap elder. From mi nomoa only elder lo there, evri week mi savve conductim Theocratic Ministry Skul, Service Meeting, Kongregeson Buk Study, and Wastaoa Study. And mi givim pablik tok tu evri week. From mi busy tumas, mi no garem taem for feel lonely!
Mi barava enjoyim ministry lo Coron, and gogo samfala Bible student blo mi baptaes. Bat, mi feisim samfala challenge tu. Samfala taem, mi mas wakabaot for haf day for kasem territory and mi no savve wea nao bae mi sleep taem mi kasem lo there. Territory blo kongregeson hem includim tu staka smol island. Staka taem mi have tu travel lo raf sea lo olketa smol boat for kasem olketa island hia, nomata mi no savve hao for swim! Nomata olketa situation hia hem challenging, Jehovah protectim and helpem mi. Bihaen, mi luksavve dat Jehovah hem redyim mi for staka niu challenge wea bae kamap lo next assignment.
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Lo 1978, mi kasem assignment for go lo Papua New Guinea, wea hem stap lo north saed blo Australia. Papua New Guinea hem kantri wea garem staka maunten and hem klosap sem size olsem Spain. Mi sapraes for savve population lo there hem samting olsem thri million pipol and hem garem winim 800 languis. Bat staka pipol savve story lo Melanesian Pidgin, wea olketa kolem lo Tok Pisin.
For lelebet taem mi kasem assignment for attendim English kongregeson lo kapitol taon, wea hem Port Moresby. Bat then mi muv lo Tok Pisin kongregeson and join insaed languis class for lanem Tok Pisin. Mi savve iusim wat mi lanem lo class taem mi go preaching. Datwan helpem mi for kwiktaem savve lo languis. No longtaem, mi fit for givim pablik tok lo Tok Pisin. Mi sapraes tumas bikos no kasem wan year bihaen mi arrive lo Papua New Guinea, olketa assignim mi for kamap circuit overseer for olketa Tok Pisin kongregeson lo staka province.
Bikos olketa kongregeson stap farawe from each other, mi have tu organizem staka circuit assembly and mas travel staka taem. Lo firstaem, mi feel olsem mi stap seleva bikos mi no getius lo staka samting, hem niu kantri, niu languis, and niu culture. Hem no isi for mi travel go lo olketa kongregeson bikos lo olketa hae maunten and valley. So klosap evri week, mi mas travel lo aeroplane. Samfala taem, mi nomoa only passenger insaed wanfala smol aeroplane. Taem mi travel lo kaen plane olsem, mi savve fraet tumas, semsem olsem taem mi go lo olketa smol boat!
Tu-thri pipol nomoa garem telephone, so mi savve raetem leta lo olketa kongregeson. Staka taem, mi arrive first bifor olketa leta blo mi kasem kongregeson, so mi mas askem pipol lo datfala ples for showim wea nao olketa brata stap. Bat each taem mi meetim olketa brata, olketa barava hapi for welkamim mi, and datwan remindim mi lo why mi duim disfala waka. Mi lukim Jehovah sapotim mi lo staka difren wei, and datwan strongim wei wea mi fren witim Jehovah.
Lo first meeting blo mi lo wanfala island wea olketa kolem lo Bougainville, wanfala couple smile and askem mi, “Iu rememberim mitufala tu?” Mi tingim hao mi preach lo datfala couple lo firstaem wea mi arrive lo Port Moresby. Mi startim Bible study witim tufala then mi givim datfala study lo wanfala brata. And then tufala baptaes! Diswan hem wanfala lo staka blessing wea mi kasem during lo thri years wea mi stap lo Papua New Guinea.
SMOL FAMILI WEA BARAVA WAKA HARD
Mi and Adel
Bifor mi lusim Coron lo 1978, mi meetim wanfala naes sista wea barava waka hard wea nem blo hem Adel. Hem regular pioneer and garem tufala pikinini, wea nem blo tufala hem Samuel and Shirley. And lo semtaem, hem lukaftarem tu mami blo hem wea olo. Lo May 1981, mi go bak lo Philippines for maritim Adel. Bihaen mitufala marit, mitufala gohed regular pioneer and lukaftarem famili tugeta.
Taem mifala lo Palawan—mi witim Adel, and tufala pikinini blo mitufala, Samuel and Shirley
Nomata mitufala garem famili, lo 1983, mi kasem appointment moa for kamap spesol pioneer and olketa assignim mi for go lo Linapacan Island, lo province blo Palawan. So full famili blo mitufala muv go lo datfala isolate ples wea no garem eni Witness. Wan year bihaen, mami blo Adel hem dae. Nomata olsem, mifala gohed busy lo ministry and datwan helpem mifala for deal witim sorre wea mifala kasem. Lo Linapacan, mifala startim staka Bible study wea gohed gud, gogo mifala needim wanfala smol Kingdom Hall. So mifala seleva buildim. Insaed thri years bihaen mifala arrive, mifala hapi tumas for lukim 110 pipol attendim Memorial, and gogo staka lo olketa hia baptaes bihaen mifala lusim datfala ples.
Lo 1986, mi kasem assignment for go lo island blo Culion, ples wea olketa keepim olketa leprosy patient. Bihaen, Adel tu kasem appointment for kamap spesol pioneer. Lo firstaem, mifala wari lelebet abaotem wei for preach lo pipol wea garem leprosy. Bat olketa brata and sista explainim lo mifala, dat pipol wea garem datfala sik kasem finis treatment, so hem lelebet hard for datfala sik spred. Samfala wea garem sik hia tu savve attendim meeting lo haos blo wanfala sista. Isisi mifala getius and hapi tumas for sharem hope blo iumi from Bible witim pipol hia wea feel dat God and pipol rejectim olketa. Hem hapi samting for lukim hao pipol hia wea safa from datfala sik, olketa hapi for lanem dat wanday olketa bae garem perfect health.—Luke 5:12, 13.
Hao nao olketa pikinini deal witim niu laef blo mifala lo Culion? Mi and Adel invaetem tufala young sista from Coron for kam stap witim mifala mekem olketa pikinini garem gud association. Samuel, and Shirley, witim tufala young sista hia barava enjoyim ministry, olketa savve study witim olketa pikinini taem mi and Adel study witim parents blo olketa. Gogo mifala study witim 11-fala famili. Bikos mifala garem staka Bible study wea gohed gud, mifala startim wanfala niu kongregeson!
Lo firstaem, mi nomoa only elder. So branch office askem mi for conductim olketa meeting evri week for eitfala pablisa lo Culion and then for conductim meeting for nara naenfala pablisa lo Marily vilij, wea hem tekem thri hour lo boat for kasem. Afta meeting lo there, mifala famili savve wakabaot for staka hour lo olketa maunten for conductim olketa Bible study lo wanfala vilij wea olketa kolem lo Halsey.
Gogo, mifala lukim hao staka nao interest lo Marily and lo Halsey, so mifala buildim Kingdom Hall lo tufala ples hia. Olsem lo Linapacan, olketa pablisa and olketa wea interest nao provaedem olketa material and buildim Kingdom Hall. Kingdom Hall lo Marily savve fitim 200 pipol and olketa savve extendim, so mifala savve iusim for olketa assembly tu.
SORRE, WEI FOR FEEL LONELY, AND KASEM BAK HAPI
Lo 1993, taem olketa pikinini big finis, mi and Adel start for duim circuit waka lo Philippines. Then lo 2000, mi attendim wanfala Ministerial Training Skul for kasem training for kamap instructor for datfala skul. Mi feel olsem mi no qualify for duim datfala assignment, bat Adel evritaem encouragem mi. Hem remindim mi dat Jehovah bae givim strong wea mi needim for duim disfala niu assignment. (Phil. 4:13) Adel fit for talem datwan bikos hem gohed for duim assignment blo hem nomata hem deal witim olketa health problem.
Lo 2006 mi wanfala instructor, and lo datfala taem olketa faendaot Adel garem sik wea olketa kolem lo Parkinson’s disease. Mifala barava seke for herem datwan! Mi ting for finis from assignment mekem mi savve lukaftarem hem, bat Adel sei: “Plis faendem wanfala doctor wea savve helpem mi witim sik blo mi, and mi savve Jehovah bae helpem iumi for gohed.” And for nara six years, Adel gohed lo service blo hem for Jehovah and hem nating komplen. Taem hem no savve wakabaot, hem iusim wheelchair for preach. Nomata sik blo hem kamap worse and hem faendem hard for toktok, hem still savve talem wan or tufala word for koment lo meeting. Evritaem Adel savve kasem olketa message from olketa brata and sista for sei thankiu for wei wea hem gohed faithful go kasem taem hem dae lo 2013. For winim 30 years, mi stap witim loving and faithful waef blo mi Adel, bat taem hem dae, datwan mekem mi barava sorre and feel lonely moa.
Taem Adel laef, hem laekem mi for mas gohed duim assignment blo mi, so hem nao wat mi duim. Mi barava busy, and diswan helpem mi for deal witim wei for lonely. From 2014 tu 2017, mi kasem assignment for visitim olketa Tagalog kongregeson lo olketa kantri wea waka blo iumi hem restricted. Bihaen, mi visitim olketa Tagalog kongregeson lo Taiwan, United States, and Canada. Lo 2019, mi wanfala English instructor for class blo Skul for Olketa Kingdom Evangelizer lo India and lo Thailand. Mi barava hapi for duim olketa assignment hia. Taem mi busy lo service blo Jehovah, hem nao taem wea mi barava hapi tumas.
HELP HEM EVRITAEM AVAILABLE
Mi barava lovem olketa brata and sista lo each niu assignment, so hem no isi for mi lusim olketa. Lo taem olsem, mi lane for barava trustim Jehovah. Mi evritaem experiencem sapot blo Jehovah, and diswan helpem mi for willing for acceptim eni change wea mi kasem. Distaem mi wanfala spesol pioneer lo Philippines. Mi stap lo wanfala niu kongregeson wea olketa brata and sista kamap famili blo mi wea sapotim and lukaftarem mi. Mi barava hapi tumas for lukim Samuel and Shirley gohed faithful olsem mami blo tufala.—3 John 4.
Kongregeson blo mi kamap famili blo mi wea lukaftarem mi
Yes, mi experiencem staka challenge lo laef blo mi, olsem taem mi lukim dear waef blo mi hem safa and dae from sik wea hem kasem. Mi mas lane tu for change for fitim olketa niu situation. Nomata olsem, mi lukim hao Jehovah hem no farawe from each wan lo iumi. (Acts 17:27) Hand blo Jehovah “hem no short” for sapotim and strongim olketa servant blo hem, nomata olketa stap lo olketa isolate territory. (Isa. 59:1) Jehovah, hem Rock blo mi, and hem stap witim mi lo full laef blo mi, and mi thankiu tumas lo hem. No enitaem mi stap seleva.