Prea Antap lo Wanfala Oak Tree

Rachel, wea stap lo Dominican Republic distaem, sei: Mi born lo wanfala famili wea worshipim Jehovah. Sorre samting nao, taem mi seven years old, dadi blo mi stop for associate witim pipol blo Jehovah and hem barava againstim mi. Datwan mekem hem hard for mi gohed worshipim Jehovah. For example, hem savve trae for mekem mi givap lo service blo mi for Jehovah, lo wei for trae givim mi mobile phone, go lo Disneyland, or even givim mi wanfala credit card! Samfala taem hem even trae for ‘punchim mi for stop for worshipim Jehovah.’ Hem savve sei, if mi no savve toktok or wakabaot, datwan nao bae mekem mi no fit for go lo olketa meeting. Bat datwan hem no waka. Mi evritaem disaed strong for go lo olketa meeting.

“Dadi blo mi mek sure mami no stap taem hem hitim mi. Hem talem dat mami bae feel nogud lo hem if mi talem hem dat hem punchim mi. Hem explainim lo mami dat olketa boela or garekil lo body blo mi, hem bikos lo martial art training wea hem forcem mi for lanem.

“From mi young tumas and fraetem dadi, mi no talem mami wat hem happen. Bat mi talem lo Jehovah. Mi savve wakabaot lo wanfala big forest bihaen haos blo mifala lo Maryland, U.S.A. Lo there, wanfala big oak tree stap, mi savve klae go ap lo wanfala naes comfortable branch, mi savve sidaon lo there and story lo Jehovah. Mi prea lo Jehovah abaotem olketa feeling blo mi and wat bae mi duim taem mi growap if Jehovah helpem mi survive go kasem taem mi big. Mi talem hem tu wat bae mi duim lo niu world, famili wea bae mi garem, and peace and hapi wea bae mi experiencem wea bae mi no feelim pain and fraet.

“Taem dadi iusim olketa tings for bribem mi and punchim mi for lusim God. Mi evritaem feelim hand blo Jehovah hem comfortim and strongim mi. God helpem mi for gohed strong and loyal lo hem.

“Mi baptaes taem mi ten years old, and tufala year bihaen mi start pioneer. Lo firstaem, dadi blo mi no savve lo olketa samting hia. Taem hem faendaot, hem punchim mi and from datwan jaw blo mi hem miss.

“Samfala talem mi dat mi young tumas for pioneer, and olketa wari dat mi no understandim nomoa hao serious nao disison wea mi mekem. Gogo, mi lukim staka young Witness lo area wea mi stap olketa drift away spiritually. Olketa busy witim olketa party and olketa enjoyim seleva. And wat olketa duim hem luk interesting! Hem kamap olsem temptation samfala taem. Mi wonder, ‘Mi shud no go preaching nomoa and just enjoyim laef blo mi witim olketa wea sem age olsem mi.’ Bat evritaem mi feel olsem, mi storyim lo Jehovah.

“Taem mi samting olsem 15 years old, samwan from wanfala well-known fashion modeling agency contactim mi. Olketa offerim big selen for mi waka witim office blo olketa lo Milan, Italy. Hem mekem mi feel gud abaotem miseleva, bikos bae mi kamap wanfala model, appear lo olketa magasin, and werem olketa expensive kaleko lo olketa fashion show. Mi regular pioneer for samting olsem thri years finis, and mi ting, ‘Disfala job bae sapotim mi financially and helpem mi for continue duim pioneering blo mi for longtaem!’ Dadi blo mi lusim mifala, so mi ting, selen hia bae helpem mami blo mi for meetim olketa expenses.

“Mi prea abaotem datfala situation. Mi story lo mami blo mi, wea pioneer for staka year finis, and mi story lo wanfala loving elder wea mi feel free for story witim. And olsem mi savve duim evritaem, mi go lo datfala oak tree and prea moa lo Jehovah. Hem ansarem prea blo mi thru lo olketa toktok from verse lo Bible wea wanfala elder sharem witim mi. Hem lo Ecclesiastes 5:4, wea sei: ‘Taem iu mekem wanfala promis lo God, duim wanem iu promisim.’ Mi promis for servem Jehovah witim full heart blo mi, and mi fraet incase disfala waka hem spoelem mi spiritually. So mi disaed for no acceptim datfala offer.

“Nomata mi feisim datfala challenge taem mi young, mi survive! Distaem mi garem wanfala hapi famili, hasband blo mi, Jaser, and son blo mitufala, Connor, wea hem naen years old. Jaser hem wanfala elder, and Connor hem anbaptaes pablisa. And mi duim full-taem service for klosap 27 years finis.

“Staka taem mi savve ting abaotem olketa long conversation wea mi savve duim witim Jehovah from datfala oak tree lo forest bihaen lo haos blo mifala. Mi begim Jehovah for helpem mi, and hem duim datwan lo wei wea mi no expectim. Hem strongim mi, comfortim mi, and leadim mi. Thru aot lo laef blo mi, staka taem nao mi lukim hao Jehovah hem kamap wanfala spesol dadi for mi. Mi hapi tumas dat mi chus for servem hem witim full heart blo mi. Hem barava wise choice wea mi mekem lo laef blo mi.”