Surprise Them That Make Me Happy and the Lessons I Learn From Serving Jehovah

My parents left from Estonia during World War II and went to Germany and that where I was born. After they born me, they move to Canada. The first place we were living was near Ottawa, Canada. We were living in one small building with the chicken them. We were very poor, but at least we use to eat eggs for breakfast.

One day Jehovah Witnesses preach to my ma and they read Revelation 21:​3, 4. The thing she learn from that scripture really touch her heart until she started to cry. My ma and my pa continue to study the Bible and after short time they were ready to get baptize.

Even though my parents never knew English good but they were having zeal to serve Jehovah. My pa use to work every night in one factory in Sudbury, Ontario. But he still use to carry me and my small sister Sylvia in field service almost every Saturday. And every week our family use to study The Watchtower together. My ma and pa help me to love God. So I decide to gave my life to Jehovah in 1956 when I was ten years old. When I think about the strong love my ma and pa get for Jehovah, it can encourage me to continue serving him.

After I finish with high school, I was not really focus on serving Jehovah. I was thinking that if I start pioneering, I will not make plenty money and I will not be able to travel to different-different country. I find work to one radio station and I was the DJ (disc jockey). I really use to love this work. But I use to work in the evening, so most of the time I use to miss meeting and be around people who not get love for God. But what I learn from the Bible help me to make some changes.

I move to Oshawa, Ontario. When I was there I met Ray Norman, his sister Lesli, and other pioneer them. All of them show interest in me. When I saw how they were happy, it help me to think about what I really wanted to do with my life. They encourage me to start pioneering, and I started in September 1966. I was happy and enjoying my life. But some thing them that will change my life was about to happen and I was not expecting it.

WHEN JEHOVAH TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING, TRY TO DO IT

When I was still in high school, I apply to Bethel in Toronto, Canada. Later on, when I was pioneering, they invite me to serve for four years in Bethel. But I really use to like Lesli, and I was thinking that if I accept this assignment, I will never see her again. After I really pray to Jehovah from my heart, I accept the assignment to go to Bethel but it was hard to say bye-bye to Lesli.

I use to work in the Bethel laundry and later on they make me the secretary. Also, they appoint Lesli to be special pioneer in Gatineau, Quebec. I always use to be thinking about what she was doing and whether I made the right decision. Then something happen that really surprise me. Lesli brother Ray, was invited to Bethel. He was my roommate! This one help me to start talking with Lesli again. We got marry on the day that made me four years in Bethel, on February 27, 1971.

They assign me and Lesli to one French congregation in Quebec. After some years, when I was 28 years old, I was surprise when they appoint me as Circuit Overseer. I was thinking that I was too young and I was not having plenty experience to be Circuit Overseer. But what Jeremiah 1:​7, 8 say encourage me. Lesli was in some car accidents before, so it use to be hard for her to sleep in the night. So we were thinking that it was going to be really hard for us to make it in the circuit work. But she said, “Jehovah telling us to do something, so we must try to do it.” We accept the assignment and enjoy it for 17 years.

When I was Circuit Overseer, I use to be very busy and I was not always having enough time to spend with Lesli. I learn another lesson. One soon Monday morning, somebody ring the doorbell. When I came outside nobody was there. I only saw one basket with tablecloth with different-different food like fruit, cheese, bread, one bottle of wine and glasses with one small paper. The paper say, “Carry your wife so yor can spend time together.” That day was fine because the sun was shining. But I tell Lesli that I was having talks to prepare and so we will not be able to go. She understand me but she was not too happy. When I start preparing, my conscience was beating me. I think about what Ephesians 5:​25, 28 say. I felt that what the Bible say was from Jehovah reminding me to take care of my wife feeling. After praying, I tell Lesli, “Let go,” and she was very happy. We went to the place near the river that we really love. We spread the tablecloth, and it was one of the days that we really enjoy ourselves together. And I was still able to prepare my talks.

We were having plenty assignments in the circuit work and we use to enjoy them. We use to visit congregations from British Columbia to Newfoundland. My dream to travel was happening now. I was thinking about applying for Gilead school but I never wanted to go to another country. The missionaries were looking like special people, so I was feeling that I was not qualify. Beside that one, I was scare for them to send me to Africa where they get plenty sickness and war. I was happy in Canada.

SURPRISE INVITATION TO GO TO ESTONIA AND THE COUNTRY THEM IN THE BALTICS

In 1992, Jehovah Witnesses were free to preach again in some of the country them that use to be part of the Soviet Union. So the brother them ask us whether we were willing to move to Estonia and be missionaries there. We were really surprise but we pray to Jehovah. Then we start thinking again, ‘Jehovah telling us to do something, so let try to do it.’ So we accept the assignment, and I said to myself, ‘at least we not going to Africa’.

Right away we start learning the Estonian language. After some months, the brother them ask us to do circuit work. We were having 46 congregations and some groups in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to visit. We also use to visit Kaliningrad in Russia. That mean we suppose to try and learn Latvian, Lithuanian, and the Russian language. It was really hard. But still, the brother and sister them were happy that we were fighting hard to learn their language and they help us. In 1999, they open one branch office in Estonia. Me, Toomas Edur, Lembit Reile, and Tommi Kauko was assign to serve on the branch committee.

We got to know plenty brother and sister who was in jail before, in Siberia. Even though the government treat them bad and they separate them from their family, but it never make them vex and discourage. They were always happy and having zeal for field service. Their example help us to see that we can go through any hard time and still be happy.

We work very hard for plenty years and we never take enough time to rest. So Lesli started feeling very tire. It take us some time before we get to know the cause of this problem. It was one sickness name fibromyalgia that was making her to feel very tire. We started thinking about going back to Canada. Then the brother them invited us to attend branch school in Patterson, New York, U.S.A., but I was not sure we were able to attend. After we pray to Jehovah from our heart, we accept the invitation. Jehovah bless our decision. When we were in the school, Lesli was finally able to get the right treatment for her sickness. Because of that, we start doing our normal thing them again.

ANOTHER SURPRISE ASSIGNMENT TO ANOTHER COUNTRY

One evening in 2008, when we were in Estonia, someone call me from world headquarters asking me if we will accept the assignment to go to Congo. I was really surprise, especially because I suppose to send my reply the next day. I not tell Lesli right away because I knew she was not coming sleep that night. But that me not sleep, because I was praying to Jehovah about my fear to go to Africa.

When I told Lesli the next day, two of us say, “That Jehovah telling us to go to Africa. How we know that we not able to do it and enjoy it unless we try it?” So after we spent 16 years in Estonia, we went by plane to Kinshasa in Congo. The branch office was having fine garden and the place was peaceful. One of the first things Lesli put in our room was one card that she was having from Canada. The writing on the card say “Anywhere you find yourself, be happy.” After meeting the brother them, conducting Bible studies, and seeing how it enjoyable to be missionaries, we were happy to continue doing more for Jehovah. After some time, we were having the privilege to make branch visits to 13 other African countries. It help us to learn interesting things about plenty different people. I was not worrying again to be in Africa. And we tell Jehovah thank you for sending us to serve in Africa.

In Congo, they gave us different-different kind na food like insects that we thought we will not want eat. But when we saw our brother them eating and enjoying it, we try it and we enjoy it.

We went to the east of the country to encourage our brother and sister them and give them some things they needed. In this part of the country, rebels use to attack the villages and do bad to the women and children them. Most of the brother them was not having plenty material things. But still, the brother them were having strong hope in the resurrection, they love Jehovah, and they were loyal to his organization. That one really touch our hearts. Their example make us to think about why we serving Jehovah and how we can make our faith more strong. Some of the brother them house and farm were destroy. This one help me to remember that material thing can’t last forever but our relationship with Jehovah more important. Even though the brother them were going through hard time, they never use to complain. Their attitude really encourage us to be brave and bear sickness and other problem them we were facing.

NEW ASSIGMENT IN ASIA

Then we got another surprise. They ask us to move to the branch in Hong Kong. We were never thinking about living in Asia! But the way Jehovah show us love and help us in our other assignment them, make us to accept the invitation. So in 2013, we were feeling bad to leave our good friend them and beautiful Africa. We went even though we never knew what was going to happen.

Hong Kong was different from where we coming from because that big city with plenty people from all over the world. The Chinese language was hard to learn. But the brother them welcome us, and we really enjoy their food. We were doing plenty work to the branch office but the property tax was getting too expensive. So the Governing Body make wise decision to sell most of the branch property them. It not stay long in 2015 they ask us to move to South Korea, where we continue to serve. Here we were having another hard language to learn. Even though we still fighting hard to learn the language, but the brother and sister them encourage us and told us that we were doing our best. And that one make us happy.

LESSON THEM THAT WE LEARN

It can’t always be easy to make new friends. But when we invite other people to come visit us, it can help us to know them quick. We na see that our brother and sister them get plenty things in common. And that Jehovah make each of us to be able to show love to all our friend them, even if they plenty.​—2 Cor. 6:11.

We na learn to accept people the same way Jehovah accept them. And also to be convince that Jehovah love us and giving us direction. Anytime we feel discourage or start thinking whether the brother and sister them like us, we can go over the letter and card them other people sent to us before. Jehovah na answer our prayers, na convince us that he love us and he na gave us the strength to continue serving him.

For plenty years now, me and Lesli na learn that it important for us to spend time together even if we busy. We also na understand that it important to laugh at each other when we make mistake, especially when we trying to learn new language. And every night we can think about something that we enjoy, then we can tell Jehovah thank you for it.

To talk the true, I use to think that I not able to be missionary or to live in other countries. But I na see for myself that with Jehovah help, anything can happen. It make me to think about what the prophet Jeremiah say. He say: “You have fooled me, O Jehovah.” (Jer. 20:7) Yes, he na gave us plenty surprise and blessings that we were not even thinking about. My plan to travel different-different place in airplane even na happen. We na travel by plane to plenty places that I not even think about when I was small. We na go for branch visits to plenty different-different countries. I also grateful that Lesli was able to support me in all our assignment them.

We can also remember that we doing all this thing them because we love Jehovah. The good-good thing them we enjoying today, show us that it will be too wonderful to live forever when Jehovah “open [his] hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.”​—Ps. 145:16.