Jehovah Trainim Mi Start From Taem Mi Young

Bifor mi continue lo story, bae mi storyim firstaem hao mi kasem truth. Mi born during lo World War II lo Calgary, Canada. Lo late 1940’s, wanfala young pioneer wea nem blo hem Donald Fraser kam lo haos for preach, and mami blo mi acceptim Bible study. Mami laekem tumas truth wea hem lanem, bat from hem garem serious health problem samfala taem nomoa hem savve attendim olketa kongregeson meeting. Nomata olsem, hem progress and hem baptaes lo 1950. Bat no winim tu years bihaen, mami hem dae. Lo datfala taem dadi hem no wanfala Witness, bat hem agree for olketa Witness duim funeral service blo mami.

Tu-thri days afta funeral, wanfala old anointed sista wea nem blo hem Alice invaetem mi for attendim wanfala kongregeson meeting. Alice savve lo mi bikos mi savve attendim olketa weekend meeting witim mami blo mi taem health blo hem allowim hem for go. Mi askem dadi if mi savve go, and hem agree and disaed for go witim mi just wantaem nomoa for talem thankiu lo brata wea givim tok lo funeral blo mami. Lo datfala naet, Theocratic Ministry Skul and Service Meeting hem gohed. Hem first meeting wea dadi blo mi attendim and hem barava enjoyim. Hem bin tekem wanfala course abaotem pablik speaking and hem sapraes lo hao olketa presentim gud olketa part lo datfala meeting. So dadi disaed for attendim datfala meeting evri week. Gogo, hem start for attendim olketa nara meeting tu.

Lo datfala taem, afta meeting start Theocratic Ministry Skul servant bae readim aot nem blo olketa brata wea joinim skul, and each wan bae sei, “Present.” So wan naet, mi ask for olketa readim nem blo mi lo next meeting. Datfala brata praisem mi bat hem no ask if mi understandim wat nao involve insaed datwan.

Mi just laekem nomoa for olketa readim aot nem blo mi, bat mi no idea dat bae mi volunteer for givim olketa tok lo skul! Lo week bihaen, olketa kolem nem blo mi and mi ansa, “Present.” Afta datfala meeting, olketa brata and sista praisem mi. Then samfala week bihaen, mi kasem assignment for givim tok wea mi storyim lo start blo disfala article.

Mi barava fraet! Lo datfala taem, olketa student tok hem six tu eit minutes long. No eni assignment for duim Bible reading. Dadi blo mi helpem mi for preparem datfala tok and hem mekem mi for practicem datwan 20 taems bifor mi givim tok. Bihaen, mi kasem kaonsel wea barava helpem mi. Lo olketa year bihaen, Jehovah trainim mi thru lo dadi blo mi, olketa capable brata and sista, and organization blo Hem.

JEHOVAH GOHED TRAINIM MI

Alice, wea mi storyim finis, hem trainim mi taem mi start for duim ministry. Lo dat taem, mifala kasem encouragement for readim thrifala scripture lo haosholder and then offerim wanfala buk. Taem hem turn blo mi for story lo haosholder, Alice bae introducem hemseleva, startim story, and then askem mi for readim first scripture. Afta mi readim first scripture, mi nao bae continue lo story, then mi readim second and third scripture, and offerim pablikeson. Bat gogo, mi lane hao for introducem miseleva taem mi startim story. Afta dadi blo mi baptaes lo late 1954, hem moa continue for trainim mi lo ministry. From hem wanfala singol parent, hem duim wat hem fit for duim for helpem mi lovem Jehovah. Olketa theocratic activity hem barava important lo dadi. So mi savve dat no enitaem bae mitufala misstim meeting and preaching lo olketa weekend.

Taem mi skul, mi wanfala average student nomoa, bat staka samting wea mi lanem lo 12 years wea mi skul helpem mi lo laef blo mi. For example, mi lanem staka samting abaotem maths and English grammar. Datfala English course wea mi tekem and creative raeting class wea mi attendim hem barava helpem mi distaem lo assignment blo mi lo Raeting Department.

Staka taem samfala savve askem mi why mi interest lo music. Parents blo mi, tufala evriwan interest lo music. Taem mi seven years old, mi tekem olketa piano leson for lelebet taem, bat teacher blo mi tingse mi no garem potential for duim datwan. So hem talem dadi blo mi dat mi shud stop for tekem olketa leson hia. Mi minim why hem talem datwan, bikos lo dat taem mi no really interest for lane.

Afta samfala months, dadi blo mi faendem nara teacher. Then mi studyim piano and hao for singsing, and mi duim gud tufala evriwan. Mi garem naes voice and mi savve winim samfala competition. Goal blo mi for studyim music hem for garem degree mekem mi savve teachim music and sapotim mi lo full-taem ministry. Bat taem mi klosap for tekem degree, mi luksavve dat mi mas spendem staka taem for study for olketa exam abaotem harmony, music history, and hao for composim music. So mi stop for aftarem datfala goal and kamap wanfala regular pioneer. Datwan hem lo 1963.

PIONEER WAKA MEKEM MI HAPI TUMAS

Afta mi pioneer for wan year, mi kasem assignment for spesol pioneer lo Kapuskasing, Ontario. Pioneer partner blo mi hem Daniel Skinner and hem barava older winim mi. Hem teachim mi staka samting abaotem hao kongregeson hem organize. Mi kasem appointment for serve lo Kongregeson Service Komiti taem mi 20 years nomoa, so mi mas lanem staka samting. Mi hapi tumas taem mi lukim wei wea organization gohed for emphasizem wei for trainim olketa young brata. If olketa waka hard, Jehovah savve iusim olketa nomata olketa barava young!

Samfala taem laef lo Kapuskasing hem no isi. Lo winter, temperature savve go daon for minus 44 degree Celsius or samtaems hem savve go ap lelebet for minus 33 degree Celsius. Staka taem mitufala Dan savve wakabaot nomoa for kasem olketa ples. Bat, wanfala lo olketa hapi samting lo disfala assignment hem for meetim wanfala sista wea nem blo hem Linda Cole, wea afta hem kamap Linda Splane.

Linda hem wanfala strong pablisa and hem garem staka naes return visit. Hem kaen, and laek for spendem taem witim pipol. Mami blo hem Goldie, hem wanfala faithful sista. Lo firstaem dadi blo hem Allen, barava againstim truth. Nomata olsem, Goldie evritaem tekem Linda and tufala nara son blo hem, John and Gordon lo Kingdom Hall and hem trainim olketa for duim ministry. Gogo, Goldie, Linda, John, and Gordon olketa evriwan pioneer. Staka year bihaen, Allen acceptim truth and hem kamap wanfala active pablisa lo kongregeson.

Lo 1965, mi kasem invitation for attendim Kingdom Ministry Skul lo Canada Bethel for wan month, diswan hem for kasem moa training. Lo datfala skul, olketa encouragem mi for fillimap wanfala application form for Gilead. No enitaem mi tingim missionary waka, bikos mi tingse mi no fit for duim datwan, nomata olsem, mi fillimap datfala application. Mi kasem invitation for attendim mek-42 class. Taem mi lo Gilead, olketa instructor blo mifala savve evritaem givim report abaotem progress blo mifala lo skul. First report wea mi kasem encouragem mi for lanem staka samting abaotem organization taem mi lo skul. Datfala kaonsel hem barava fitim bikos lo dat taem mi 21 years old nomoa.

Wanfala lo olketa course lo Gilead hem instruction lo hao for deal witim media, olsem olketa radio station, TV station, and niuspepa. Mi barava enjoyim datfala course. Lo dat taem mi no realizim hao course hia bae barava helpem mi lo future, wea mi bae storyim bihaen.

GO LO SENEGAL

Tu-thri days afta graduation, mi and missionary partner blo mi, Michael Höhle, go for assignment blo mitufala lo Senegal, Africa. Lo datfala taem, samting olsem 100 pablisa nomoa lo datfala kantri.

Bihaen samfala months lo assignment, mi kasem invitation for waka lo branch office wanfala day lo week. Datfala branch office hem just wanfala rum insaed wanfala missionary hom. Nomata datfala branch office hem simpol nomoa, Emmanuel Paterakis wea hem branch servant, hem evritaem remindim mi dat branch hia hem representim organization blo Jehovah lo datfala kantri. Wantaem, Brata Paterakis disaedem dat mifala shud raetem wanfala leta for encouragem evri missionary. Lo datfala taem, hem no isi for mekem copy blo olketa leta hia, so man mas typem each leta lo typewriter. Datwan hem big waka, bikos if iu mekem mistek iu mas typem bak full wan!

Taem mi redi for go bak lo missionary hom lo evening, Brata Paterakis givim mi wanfala envelope. Hem sei, “David, Society sendem kam disfala leta for iu.” Taem mi openem datfala envelope, mi lukim wanfala leta wea mi typem hem insaed! Datfala samting wea happen teachim mi for respectim organization nomata wanfala lokol branch hem big or hem smol.

Mi fren klos witim staka pablisa lo kongregeson and mi spendem staka Saturday evening witim olketa famili. Mi barava enjoyim tumas olketa taem hia! Mifala savve contactim each other kam kasem distaem. And from mi savve lo French languis, mi savve iusim datwan taem mifala visitim olketa branch raonem world.

Lo 1968, mitufala Linda engage. Staka months bihaen, mi trae faendem part-taem waka mekem mitufala Linda savve pioneer tugeta lo Senegal, bat olketa employer lo there no laek haerem olketa foreigner, olketa laek haerem nomoa lokol pipol. So, afta mi go bak lo Canada, mitufala marit and kasem assignment for spesol pioneer lo Edmundston, New Brunswick, wanfala smol city lo border blo province blo Quebec.

PIONEER LO NEW BRUNSWICK AND QUEBEC

Lo datfala taon no eni pablisa and tu-thri Bible study nomoa stap. Catholic nao main religion wea influencim laef blo pipol lo there. Klosap evri haos garem disfala saen, Mifala No Laekem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Lo datfala taem, mifala no warim tumas olketa saen olsem, so mifala savve go lo evri haos nomata if hem garem saen or nomoa. Each week, Catholic church putim disfala notice lo lokol niuspepa: “Iumi lukaotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and finisim olketa.” Lo datfala taem fofala Witness nomoa lo taon, Victor and Velda Norberg and mitufala Linda, so mifala savve datfala nius hem abaotem mifala nomoa.

Mi no savve forgetim first visit blo circuit overseer. Afta hem spendem wan week witim mifala, hem sei, “Maet only samting iufala savve duim taem iufala lo hia hem for helpem pipol changem hao olketa ting abaotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.” So start from datfala taem, datwan nao goal blo mifala, and hem waka! Isisi pipol start for lukim difference between Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea hambol and olketa bigman lo Catholic religion wea praod. Distaem wanfala smol kongregeson hem stap lo datfala city.

Afta mitufala spendem samting olsem wan year lo datfala isolated assignment, mitufala kasem invitation for sapotim wanfala big kongregeson lo Quebec City. Mitufala hapi for spendem six months witim olketa kaenfala brata and sista lo there, then mitufala kasem invitation for duim traveling waka.

For 14 years mitufala duim circuit waka lo province lo Quebec. Mitufala enjoyim tumas olketa taem hia! Waka lo Quebec hem barava gohed gud, and hem normal for lukim tu-thri famili lo sem kongregeson olketa progress for baptism!

REMEMBERIM OLKETA WEA WAKA HARD

Olketa French-Canadian brata and sista garem olketa naesfala wei. Olketa honest, hapi and olketa willing for waka hard. Nomata olsem, hem no evritaem isi for olketa acceptim truth, and famili opposition tu hem big tumas. Samfala young witness pikinini kasem pressure from parents blo olketa wea no biliv, wea sei olsem lo olketa: “Stop for study witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, if nomoa iufala go aot from haos!” Nomata olsem, samfala gohed loyal, and Jehovah barava hapi lo olketa!

Mi laek storyim tu olketa faithful regular pioneer and olketa spesol pioneer wea serve lo Quebec lo datfala taem. Staka lo olketa kam from olketa nara part lo Canada. Olketa mas lanem French languis and semtaem lanem tu lokol culture and hao pipol lo there ting, wea main samting wea influencim pipol hia hem Catholic religion.

Staka taem olketa spesol pioneer kasem assignment for serve lo olketa isolated territory wea no garem eni pablisa. From pipol lo there no laekem olketa Witness, hem hard for faendem accommodation and hem hard go moa for faendem part-taem waka. Even olketa couple wea just marit nomoa mas stap tugeta lo wan haos witim fo, six, or eitfala pipol mekem olketa fit for peim rent. Olketa faithful pioneer hia barava waka hard. Taem olketa startim wanfala study, olketa duim evriting for helpem Bible student blo olketa. Then gogo, from Quebec garem staka pablisa, staka pioneer hia go lo olketa nara ples wea garem big need.

Taem mitufala visitim olketa kongregeson lo circuit, staka taem mitufala traem best for waka witim olketa teenager lo olketa Saturday morning. Diswan helpem mitufala for savve wat nao challenge wea olketa feisim. Samfala lo olketa teenager wea mitufala waka witim bifor, distaem olketa serve olsem missionary lo nara kantri or kasem olketa nara assignment.

Lo datfala taem, samfala kongregeson no fit for reimbursim olketa travel expense blo mitufala, so samfala taem mitufala short lo selen lo end blo month. Lo olketa taem olsem, mitufala mas barava depend lo Jehovah bikos hem nomoa only wan wea savve gud lo situation blo mitufala. No enitaem hem lusim mitufala, mitufala still savve travel from wanfala kongregeson go lo narawan.

LESON FROM OLKETA FAITHFUL BRATA

Olsem mi storyim lo start, mi kasem gud samting from wat mi lanem lo Gilead abaotem hao for deal witim pablik media. Lo datfala taem wea mi lo Quebec, mifala garem staka chance for givim gud witness lo radio, TV, and niuspepa. Staka taem mi kasem assignment for waka witim Léonce Crépeault, wanfala traveling overseer wea savve tumas hao for deal witim pablik media. Taem hem story witim olketa important pipol lo media, instead for hem act olsem hem savve lo evriting, hem savve sei: “Sir, mi and fren blo mi mitufala church minister nomoa. Mitufala no savve hao for story lo TV and radio. Bat organization blo mifala askem mitufala for informim pipol abaotem wanfala big convention blo Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Mitufala bae appreciatim eni advaes from iu.” Bikos lo hambol toktok blo hem datwan mekem staka lo media willing for helpem mitufala.

Then bihaen, mi kasem assignment from branch for waka witim Brata Glen How, wanfala lo olketa lawyer blo iumi wea savve deal witim olketa hard case wea media savve story abaotem. Mi benefit from trainim blo mi lo Gilead and from experience wea mi kasem from Léonce. Hem big privilege for waka witim Brata How. Hem nating fraet taem hem defendim organization lo legal saed, bat most important samting, hem barava lovem Jehovah.

Lo 1985, mitufala kasem assignment for serve lo wanfala circuit klosap lo ples blo dadi blo mi lo western Canada, wea datwan mekem hem isi for mitufala provaedem sapot wea hem needim. Afta thri months dadi blo mi dae. Mitufala gohed for serve lo circuit lo western Canada go kasem 1989 taem mitufala sapraes for kasem invitation for joinim United States Bethel famili. Datwan minim mitufala mas lusim traveling waka wea mitufala duim for klosap 19 years. Lo olketa year hia, mitufala stap lo staka handred haos, and kaikai tugeta witim olketa kaen brata and sista staka taem. Mitufala tinghae tumas lo wei wea olketa welkamim mitufala lo haos blo olketa and sharem kaikai wea olketa garem witim mitufala!

MITUFALA MUV GO LO UNITED STATES

Taem mitufala arrive lo Brooklyn, mi kasem assignment for waka lo Service Department. Mi no forgetim training wea mi kasem lo there. Wanfala leson wea mi lanem hem for evritaem mek sure lo olketa fact and no just guessim samting. Then lo 1998, mi assign lo Raeting Department, wea mi still gohed lanem hao for raet. For staka year mi garem privilege for assistim brata John Barr, wea lo datfala taem hem coordinator blo Raeting Komiti. Mi bae no forgetim training wea mi kasem and taem wea mi spendem witim hem. Hem garem olketa naes Christian quality.

Hem spesol privilege for waka witim olketa hambol brata and sista wea serve lo Raeting Department. Olketa evritaem askem Jehovah for helpem olketa lo assignment blo olketa and olketa luksavve eni gud samting olketa accomplishim hem bikos lo holy spirit blo Jehovah, and no bikos lo natural ability blo olketa.

And hem wanfala privilege tu for mitufala Linda visitim olketa faithful brata and sista lo 110 kantri. Mitufala lukim klia love blo olketa missionary, olketa Branch Komiti member, and olketa nara full-taem servant. Hem wanfala blessing for lukim tu wei wea olketa brata and sista faithful and no givap, and gohed putim Kingdom first nomata lo taem blo war, problem saed lo economy, and persecution. Jehovah barava lovem olketa!

Kam kasem distaem, Linda barava helpem mi taem mi trae for duim olketa assignment blo mi. Hem lovem pipol tumas and hem evritaem faendem wei for helpem olketa narawan. And tu, hem savve tumas hao for startim story lo ministry. Hem helpem staka pipol for kam lo truth, includim tu samfala wea inactive lo bifor. Linda hem wanfala spesol present wea Jehovah givim for mi! Mitufala tinghae tumas lo help wea mitufala kasem distaem from olketa younger brata and sista wea assistim mitufala saed lo travel and olketa nara need blo mitufala.—Mark 10:​29, 30.

Taem mi tingim bak 80 years wea go pas, mi hapi tumas. Mi agree witim toktok blo man wea raetem psalm wea sei: “O God, iu bin teachim mi from taem mi young, and kam kasem distaem mi gohed talemaot olketa nambawan waka blo iu.” (Ps. 71:17) Mi disaed strong for gohed duim sem samting for full laef blo mi.