I Come Be ‘Everything to Everybody’

BEFORE that time, I don dey like the truth wey I dey learn from Bible. My mama don already get some Jehovah Witness book. I come like the book dem well well, especially the pictures. My papa no want make my mama dey tell me wetin e dey learn from the book dem. But I want learn more. This one come make me dey ask my mama question. So my mama come dey study Bible with me anytime my papa comot for house. Na this one come make me sey I want give Jehovah my life. For 1943, I come baptize for one place wey dem dey call Blackpool, for England, when I dey ten years.

HOW I TAKE START TO SERVE JEHOVAH

After I baptize, me and my mama always dey go preaching together. We dey use one record wey dem dey call phonograph play wetin Bible talk to people. The phonograph big and e take style heavy. How you think sey e go be for small boy like me that time to carry that kind heavy thing dey waka?

When I reach 14 years, I come want pioneer. My mama tell me sey make I first tell the brother wey be the ‘servant to the brethren’ (we dey call am circuit overseer now). The brother tell me sey make I first learn handwork so that I fit use am dey take care of myself when I start to pioneer. Na wetin I come do be that. After I don work for two years, I come tell another circuit overseer sey I want pioneer. E talk sey, ‘No waste time!’

So, for April 1949, me and my mama dash people some things wey dey the house wey we rent and we sell some; we come travel go one place wey dem dey call Middleton, wey near Manchester. Na there our pioneer work start. After four month, I come choose one brother as my pioneer partner. The brothers wey dey the branch office, wey dey direct the preaching work for there come advise us sey make we go one new congregation for where dem dey call Irlam. My mama pioneer with one sister for another congregation.

Even though sey that time na just 17 years I dey, na me and my pioneer partner dey handle the different different part for meeting. Because na new congregation, brothers wey fit handle part no too dey. After, dem come carry me go another congregation wey publishers no too many and dem need help. The congregation name na Buxton Congregation. The things wey happen to me that time be like training wey go help me fit do other work wey Jehovah organization go give me.

For 1951, I fill form to go Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. But, for December 1952 dem tell me make I come do military service. I tell dem sey I no fit do am because I dey do full-time preaching work. The court no gree sey na that work I dey do; na so dem take put me for prison for six month. Na prison I dey when organization tell me sey I go dey the 22nd class of Gilead School. So e come happen sey, for July 1953, I enter one ship wey dey go New York. The name of the ship na Georgic.

When I reach there, I go the 1953 New World Society Assembly. After the assembly, I use train travel go where the school dey for South Lansing, New York. Because I just comot from prison, na small money dey my hand. When the train drop me, I want come enter bus wey go carry me go South Lansing, so I come borrow money from one person wey dey the bus with me.

I GO ANOTHER COUNTRY

Dem train us well well for Gilead School so that we go know how we fit ‘be everything to everybody’ for our missionary work. (1 Cor. 9:22) Dem send me, Paul Bruun, and Raymond Leach go preach for Philippines. Some month pass before we get our visa. After we don get am, we come enter ship and we dey on top water for 47 days! As we dey travel we pass different different place like, Rotterdam, the Mediterranean Sea, the Suez Canal, the Indian Ocean, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. For November 19, 1954, we come finally reach Manila, the place wey we dey go.

I come dey learn how to live with different people for new place, and dey learn new language. But, the three of us first dey one congregation wey dey use English, wey dey where dem dey call Quezon City. So, after six months we only sabi some word for Tagalog language. But the next work wey organization give us help us.

One day for May 1955, when we reach house after we don close for preaching, me and Brother Leach see envelope for our room. The message wey dey the envelope be sey, we don be circuit overseer. That time, na only 22 years I dey but this new assignment make me fit ‘be everything to everybody’ for different different way.

For Philippines if person want give public talk, e go be for open place no be for hall! For example, when I be circuit overseer I give my first public talk for open place for front of shop. As I dey visit different different congregation for the area, I give talk for gazebo (something wey be like canopy), for market, for town hall, for where dem dey play basketball, for open place where people dey relax, and plenty times for street. One time for one place wey dem dey call San Pablo City, the heavy rain wey fall come make me no fit give talk for one market. I come tell some of the brothers sey make we go use Kingdom Hall. Dem later ask me sey since we no give the talk for open place, whether we go count am as public talk!

We dey always stay for brothers house. Even though sey their house no too fine, e dey always clean. Many times, na mat wey dem put on top wood I dey sleep. I dey travel with bus or one motor wey dem dey call jeepney; sometimes I dey use boat, if na island we dey go. All the years wey I be circuit overseer, I no get motor.

As I dey go preaching every time and dey visit different different congregation, I come learn Tagalog language. I no go any school to learn the language. But na when I dey listen as brothers dey speak am for preaching and for meeting, I come fit learn am. The brothers want really help me learn am. I like how dem take dey sofri tell me whether I speak am well or I no speak am well.

As time dey go, new new work wey organization dey give me, come dey help me learn new things and na so I dey change follow am. For 1956, when Brother Nathan Knorr come the area where I dey, na me dem give the work to arrange convention for the country and to care for people wey go come. I never do that kind thing before, so other brothers use all their mind help me. E no reach one year, we do another convention and Brother Frederick Franz from world headquarter visit us. Na me be the convention overseer. That time, I learn from the way Brother Franz take blend with the people for the area. For example, when e want give the public talk e wear one dress wey the people for the area dey wear. Dem dey call the dress barong Tagalog and na people wey come from Filipino dey wear am. This one sweet the brothers.

When I come be district overseer, I come see sey I still need to learn some kind things. That time, we dey play the film wey be The Happiness of the New World Society almost every time for open place. Sometimes, insect dey disturb us. Na the light from the machine wey dem dey call projector wey we dey use show the film, dey draw the insect come. Dem go just gum the light! After we don finish, to clean the projector no be small work! E no easy to arrange this kind thing for people. But our bele dey sweet us to see how e dey touch people as dem dey learn about how Jehovah organization be for everywhere for the world.

Catholic priests do everything wey dem fit do so that government people for the area no go let us do assembly. Sometimes, if we dey give talk near their church, dem go dey ring their church bell loud well well so that people no go hear wetin we dey talk. Even as dem try put sand sand for our garri reach, Jehovah still bless the preaching work for the area. Now, many people don dey serve Jehovah for there.

MORE WORK WEY GO STILL HELP ME DEY LEARN

For 1959, organization send letter give me to tell me sey na branch office I go dey work. This one make me learn many things wey I no sabi before. Small time, dem tell me make I visit different different country to help Jehovah people. Na one of the place wey I travel go, I come jam one sister wey be missionary for Thailand. Im name na Janet Dumond. From there we come dey talk with each other for some time, we come sabi ourself, and later we come marry. Na 51 years we don work for Jehovah together as husband and wife, and we no regret am.

I don go 33 country go help Jehovah people. My mind sweet me! And I thank Jehovah sey the different different work wey organization sey make I do that time, really help me learn how to do things with different different kind of people wey I meet! I come see sey, the way people dey see things dey different and Jehovah get love for different different people, no matter where dem come from.​—⁠Acts 10:​34, 35.

I STILL DEY LEARN

We really happy to work with our brothers and sisters wey dey Philippines! Their publishers don plenty pass as e be before, and na about ten times e use plenty pass as e be when I first go there. Me and my wife still dey the branch office for Philippines wey dey where dem dey call Quezon City. Even as e don pass 60 years wey I dey another country, I still need to ready to learn new things and do anything wey Jehovah sey make I do. The way Jehovah organization dey change nowadays, don show sey all of us suppose ready to work for Jehovah and do things for our brothers anywhere.

We don try do anything wey we see sey na wetin Jehovah want, and we don see sey na this kind life sweet pass! We don still try to learn many new things wey we suppose learn and we don help our brothers well. Yes, anytime wey Jehovah want use us reach, we ready to do everything wey we fit do to ‘be everything to everybody.’