I No Stop to Be Jesus Soldier

NA 1926 dem born me for one small village wey dem dey call Karítsa, for Greece. We be eight children for our family and na me be number seven. My papa and mama sabi work, dem no lazy.

The year before dem born me, one man wey im name na John Papparizos don first preach to my papa and mama. Im na Bible Student, the name wey dem dey call Jehovah Witness people before. E dey preach well well and e no dey tire to talk to person about Bible. Because my papa and mama like the way e dey explain Bible, dem come dey go Bible Students meeting for our village. My mama get strong faith for Jehovah. Even though sey e no go school, if e see any better chance, e dey preach to people. But, because na only people mistake my papa dey put for mind, small small e come stop to go meeting. This one pain me.

Me and my brothers and sisters like wetin dey Bible. But as we dey grow, we no come dey follow wetin dey Bible because wetin dey our mind pass na things wey young people like. As dem dey fight World War II for Europe for 1939, something happen for our village wey change us. E get one of our cousin wey dey stay near us wey im name na Nicolas Psarras. Dem want make e join Greece army. That time, e just baptize and e dey 20 years. But Nicholas gather mind tell the army dem sey, ‘I no fit fight war because I be Jesus soldier.’ After dem judge the matter for court, dem come sey Nicholas go stay prison for ten years. This thing wey dem do am surprise us!

For 1941, dem come release Nicholas from prison when the army wey dem dey call Allied army enter Greece. Nicholas come go back to Karítsa. For there, Ilias my senior brother come dey ask am many question about Bible. I put ear well well for wetin dem dey talk. Later, me, Ilias and my junior sister wey im name na Efmorfia, start to study Bible and we dey always go Jehovah Witness meeting. For 1942, three of us come give Jehovah our life and we baptize. After, two of my senior brother and two of my senior sister come dey serve Jehovah.

For that 1942, we come get nine young brothers and sisters wey dey between 15 and 25 years for Karítsa Congregation. And all of us know sey serious problem dey wait for us for front. So, to make our faith strong, we dey study Bible together any time wey we fit; we still dey sing and pray. Our faith come really strong!

WAR FOR GREECE

As World War II dey end, another strong war start for Greece. E get one group for Greece wey start to fight their government. The group go different different village dey force people to join dem. When dem enter our village, dem carry me, Ilias, and one young brother wey im name na Antonio Tsoukaris. We beg dem make dem leave us, sey we no dey put hand for war because we be Christian. Even with that one, dem force us to trek for around 12 hours from our village reach one place wey be Mount Olympus.

E no too tey, one of the oga for the group come tell us make we follow one of their group go different different village dey carry people. We explain to am sey we be Christian and we no dey put hand for war. This one vex am well well. E come carry us go meet their senior oga. Na the same thing we tell am, we no change mouth. So e sey make we use horse take dey carry people wey injure for the war go hospital.

We come tell the senior oga sey, ‘What if government soldier catch us? Dem no go talk sey we dey join fight dem?’ E come sey, ‘If na so, make una use am carry bread go give dem.’ But, we come tell am sey another oga for the group fit see us with the horse and e go tell us make we use am carry gun; wetin we go do if e happen like that. This one come make the senior oga think well well. E finally talk sey: ‘Una fit take care of sheep, no be so? Make una dey take care of sheep near the mountain.’

So the three of us come look am sey e no bad to take care of sheep as dem dey fight war. After one year, dem come allow my senior brother Ilias make e go house go take care of our mama since our papa don die. Dem still release Antonio because e dey sick. But dem no let me go.

As all this things dey happen, Greece soldier come dey near where the group dem dey. So the group wey carry me come run pass where mountain dey, dey go Albania one country wey near Greece. As we dey near the country, we come see sey Greece soldier don surround everywhere. The group dem no know wetin dem go do again na im dem run. I come hide for back of one tree wey fall. Na that time I take raise my white handkerchief as I don first talk.

I come tell the Greece soldier dem sey na the group use force carry me follow body. Dem come carry me go check if wetin I talk na true for their camp wey near Véroia, the place wey Bible call Beroea. For there, dem come tell me sey make I dig hole wey soldiers go dey hide as dem dey fight war. Because I no gree, their oga come send me go one island wey dem dey suffer person well well. The island name na Makrónisos (Makronisi).

ISLAND WEY PEOPLE DEY FEAR

Makrónisos island dry well well, water no dey there and stone full everywhere. E dey where dem dey call Attica coast and e dey around 30 miles (50 km) from Athens. The island long reach eight miles (13 km) and e wide reach 1.5 miles (2.5km). Even as the place be, dem carry 100,000 prisoner go there from 1947 go reach 1958. Among dem na people wey dey fight government, people wey dem suspect sey dem dey fight government, people wey dey fight government before, and many Jehovah Witness people.

When I reach the island for 1949, dem put us for different different camp. Dem put me and other people wey pass one hundred for camp wey dem no dey too guide. About 40 of us sleep for ground inside one tent wey 10 people suppose stay. Na dirty water we dey drink. The food wey we dey eat na garden egg and something wey be like beans. Life dey tire person for there because of the dust and too much breeze wey dey blow. But that one better pass to dey carry big big stone up and down. This punishment dey suffer person, e dey kill body and many prisoner no like am.

One day when I dey waka near water, I come see other Jehovah Witness from other camp. We really happy to see each other! We dey gather together any time wey we fit. But we dey hide make dem no see us. We still dey hide preach to other people for the island and some of dem come later be Jehovah Witness. Na this things and prayer help us fit continue to do wetin Jehovah like.

DEM REALLY SUFFER ME!

After I don stay the island for ten months, the people wey arrest me for there come tell me sey time don reach make I wear army uniform. When I no gree, dem come carry me go meet the main oga for the camp. I write something give am, wey sey, ‘I no want be anybody soldier. Na Jesus soldier I want be.’ After e threaten me, e take me go meet their second oga. The second oga na archbishop for Greek Orthodox church and e wear their archbishop cloth. I no fear; I use Bible answer all im question. So, e come vex, shout sey: ‘Carry am comot for here. E no fit change!’

When the next morning reach, the soldiers come tell me again make I wear the army uniform. Because I no gree, dem beat me and dem use their stick flog me. Dem come carry me go one hospital wey dey the camp to check whether my bone break. From there, dem drag me go my tent. Na so dem do me everyday for two months.

Because I still no want join dem, dem come try another way. Dem tie my two hand for back, dem come dey use all their power flog under my leg with rope. Even though I feel the pain reach bone, I still remember wetin Jesus talk. E sey: ‘Make una happy even when people curse una and suffer una. Make una happy and make belle sweet una, because una get plenty gain for heaven. Before una time, na so dem take suffer the prophet dem.’ (Matt. 5:​11, 12) Dem continue to suffer me like that until I faint.

When I wake, I see myself for one room wey cold well well; no bread, water, or cloth to cover body. Even with this one, I no worry; I just relax. True true, as the Bible talk, ‘the peace wey God dey give’ make my mind come down. (Phil. 4:​7, ftn.) The next day, one soldier give me bread, water and long sweater; e do well for my body. Another soldier come still give me im own food. This one and other things wey happen show sey Jehovah really take care of me.

The soldiers see me like bad person wey no fit change. So, dem carry me go military court for Athens. Na for there dem talk sey I go stay prison for three years for one island wey dem dey call Yíaros (Gyaros). E dey about 30 miles (50 km) from east of Makrónisos.

‘WE FIT TRUST UNA’

Na brick stone dem use build the prison for Yíaros and the building big. E pass 5,000 people wey dem arrest for there. Seven Jehovah Witness dey among this people wey dem arrest because dem no want put hand for war. Seven of us dey hide study Bible together, even though sey we fit enter trouble if dem catch us. Dem dey even hide bring Watchtower come for us. We dey use hand copy am so that we fit use am for our study.

E get one day wey one police catch us as we dey study together. E come seize our magazine and dem call us go the second oga office. We dey think sey wetin we do go make us stay the prison pass the three years wey dem first talk. But, e no happen like that. Instead, the oga sey: ‘We know who una be, and we no go force una change wetin una believe. We know sey we fit trust una. Make una go continue una work.’ E come even give some of us simple work. We over happy because our fine character dey make people know Jehovah, even for prison.

Other better things happen because of our good character. For example, e get one mathematics professor for the prison wey ask us about wetin we believe. When dem release seven of us wey be Jehovah Witness from the prison for 1951, dem still release the professor. After, e come baptize and e join full time preaching work.

I STILL BE SOLDIER

After dem release me, I go back to my family for Karítsa. Later, I come go where dem dey call Melbourne for Australia with other people wey come from my place. Na there I see Janette, one sister wey love Jehovah. We come marry and we born one boy and three girls. We train dem to fit serve Jehovah.

I don pass 90 years now but I still dey do my work well as elder for congregation. Because of wetin dem do me for prison, my body and leg dey pain me sometimes, especially after I don close for preaching. But, I no go ever stop to be ‘Jesus soldier.’—2 Tim. 2:3.