• Experiencing Jehovah’s Loving-Kindness and Care
    The Watchtower—2004 | February 1

    • So we corresponded for five months, and then I went to Hong Kong. We were married on October 5, 1965.

      We both wanted to be married and to stay in full-time service, and as we were getting older, we felt the need for companionship more than anything else. I grew to love Harold, and as I saw the kind and considerate manner in which he dealt with people and with problems that arose in connection with our service, he earned my deep respect. For 27 years we enjoyed a very happy marriage and received many blessings at Jehovah’s hand.

      The Chinese are an industrious people, and I like them very much. In Hong Kong the language spoken is Cantonese, a Chinese dialect that has many more tones, or inflections, than Mandarin and is therefore quite hard to learn. Harold and I started off in the missionary home at the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and then we served in assignments in various parts of the territory. Yes, we were very happy, but in 1976 my health presented a serious problem.

      Coping With Health Problems

      I had been hemorrhaging for a few months, and my blood count had dropped dramatically. I needed surgery, but the doctors at the hospital told me that they would not perform the operation without blood because if they did, I would probably die from shock. One day when the doctors were discussing my case, nurses tried to make me change my mind, saying that I had no right to throw my life away. There were 12 operations scheduled for that day, 10 of them abortions, but I noticed that not one word was spoken to the pregnant women about taking their babies’ life.

      Finally, Harold wrote a letter relieving the hospital of any responsibility should I die, and the doctors agreed to perform the necessary surgery. I was taken to the operating room and prepared for the anesthetic. At the last moment, however, the anesthetist refused to proceed, and the hospital had to discharge me.

      We then consulted an independent gynecologist. Realizing the seriousness of my condition, he offered to perform the operation at a low price​—as long as we did not tell anybody how much he charged us. He operated successfully​—and without the use of any blood at all. Jehovah’s loving-kindness and care were very evident to Harold and me at this particular time.

      In 1992, Harold became terminally ill. We moved to the branch office and were both lovingly cared for there. My dear husband finished his earthly course in 1993 at the age of 81.