I ENTERED this world the seventh of eight children born to hardworking parents in Karítsa, a small village in Greece. The year was 1926.

The year before, my parents had met John Papparizos, a zealous and talkative Bible Student, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called. Impressed by John’s sound Scriptural reasoning, they began attending meetings of the Bible Students in our village. My mother had an unshakable faith in Jehovah God, and even though she was illiterate, she shared it with others at every appropriate opportunity. Sadly, my father focused on people’s imperfections and gradually gave up attending Christian meetings.

My siblings and I respected the Bible but grew up distracted by youthful pleasures. Then, in 1939, as World War II engulfed Europe, an event in our village jolted us. Our neighbor and cousin, Nicolas Psarras, a newly baptized Witness, was conscripted into the Greek army. Nicolas, aged 20, boldly told the military authorities, “I cannot fight because I am a soldier of Christ.” He was tried by a military court and sentenced to ten years in jail. We were stunned!

Fortunately, early in 1941, the Allied army briefly entered Greece and Nicolas was released from jail. He made his way back to Karítsa, where my older brother, Ilias, bombarded him with questions about the Bible. I eagerly listened in. Afterward, Ilias and I and our youngest sister, Efmorfia, started to study the Bible, and we regularly attended meetings with the Witnesses. The following year, the three of us dedicated our lives to Jehovah and got baptized. Later, four more of our siblings also became faithful Witnesses.

In 1942, the Karítsa Congregation had nine young men and women between the ages of 15 and 25. We all knew that severe trials lay ahead. So to strengthen ourselves, we got together whenever we could to study the Bible, sing spiritual songs, and pray. As a result, our faith was strengthened.

CIVIL WAR

Just as World War II was ending, Greek communists rebelled against the Greek government, triggering a bitter civil war. Communist guerrillas roamed the countryside, forcing villagers to join their ranks. When they raided our village, they kidnapped three young Witnesses​—Antonio Tsoukaris, Ilias, and me. We pleaded that we were Christian neutrals; yet they forced us to march to Mount Olympus, about 12 hours from our village.