Jehovah Support Me When I De Face Problem

THEM de call the books rainbow set. When I begin read them, I see fine-fine picture for inside. The picture really make me think, and the books get many things about Bible. Because of this one, e begin hungry me to learn more about Bible from when I dey small.

I begin get other problem for my life around the time wey Second World War want enter India. My papa and mama first separate, and after, they end the marriage. I no understand why two people wey I love go separate. I no happy at all and I feel say they don troway me. I be the only pikin, and I no get the support wey I really need.

That time, me and my mama de live for Karachi. This city na the capital of the province wey we dey. One day, one old man come our house. E name na Fred Hardaker. Na Jehovah Witness, and e be doctor. E dey the same religion with the missionary wey e give our family books that time. The man tell my mama if e go study Bible. My mama no gree, but e tell the man say maybe I go like-am. The next week, I start study with Brother Hardaker.

After some weeks, I begin go meeting for the place wey Brother Hardaker de use as clinic. Na around 12 old people de meet for there. This brothers and sisters comfort me and treat me fine like their pikin. I de still remember how they sit-down with me, de look me for eye, and talk with me like their friend. Na the thing wey I really need that time.

Small time, I begin follow Brother Hardaker go preaching. E teach me how to use phonograph so that we go fit play short Bible talk make people listen. Some of the talk de vex people because they no like wetin them de hear. But I enjoy the preaching work. I love the thing wey I de learn from Bible, and I like to tell other people about-am.

As the army for Japan begin ready to attack India, British government begin put eye for Jehovah Witness more-more. So, for July 1943, my school principal drive me from school. The man na leader for Anglican church. E tell my mama say I be bad example for other children for school because I de follow Jehovah Witness people. My mama vex, and tell me say e no want see me again with Jehovah Witness people. After, my mama send me make I go stay with my papa for Peshawar. The town dey about 850 miles (1,370 km) for the north side from the place wey my mama de stay. My friendship with God begin weak because I no de study and go meeting again.

MY FRIENDSHIP WITH JEHOVAH BEGIN STRONG AGAIN

For 1947, I go Karachi back go find work. As I dey there, I go meet Dr. Hardaker for e clinic. E welcome me with all e heart.

E ask me say: “So, you no well?” E think say I no well, na e make I come see doctor.

I answer say: “Doctor, I no de sick. Na Bible study I need.”

E ask me say: “When you go like make we start?”

I talk say: “We fit even start now.”

That evening, we enjoy as we study Bible together. This one give me peace of mind as I don dey among brothers again. My mama do everything make I no de follow Jehovah Witness people. But this time, I no gree make e stop me. I decide say na Jehovah I go serve. So, for August 31, 1947, I baptize as one of Jehovah Witness. After some short time, I come be regular pioneer when I dey 17 years.

I ENJOY PIONEER WORK

Na for the city of Quetta, I first work as pioneer. Before-before, British military people de stay this place. For 1947, they divide India in two, one side be India and the other side be Pakistan.a This change bring plenty fight among the people for different religion. Because of this one, plenty people comot from the place wey them de stay go settle for other place. About 14 million people leave their house. For history, this one na one of the time wey plenty people like this don leave their house at once. Muslim people for India comot go settle for Pakistan. Hindu and Sikh people for Pakistan comot go settle for India. Na this same time I enter one train from Karachi go Quetta. People for the train plenty sotey I hang for one iron for outside go reach Quetta, for almost all the journey.

For Quetta, I meet one special pioneer, e name na George Singh. This brother dey around 25 years, and e give me one old bicycle make I de use-am preach. The territory get hill. I de ride the bicycle and sometimes I de push-am. Just about six months, I get 17 Bible study and some of them come baptize. One of them na military man before, e name na Sadiq Masih. E help me and Brother George make we fit translate some of our books for Urdu language. Urdu na the main language for Pakistan. After some time, Sadiq begin preach the good news too, and e do-am with all e heart.

After, I go Karachi again and I work with Brother Henry Finch and Harry Forrest. They be new missionary for this area and they go Gilead School. I really value how they train me. One day, I follow Brother Finch go preach for north Pakistan. Around the mountains for there, we meet people wey them de speak Urdu language. The people really want hear the good news. After two years, I go Gilead School too. When I graduate, they send me go Pakistan, the place wey I dey before, make I serve as part-time circuit overseer. I stay for one missionary house for Lahore with three missionary brothers.

I GET MY JOY BACK AFTER THEY CORRECT ME

For 1954, the missionary for Lahore begin get small-small problem among theirself. E make the branch office change our assignment. The branch office give me strong correction because I support one side for the problem. The thing pain me reach my bone. For my mind, I don fail for the work wey they give me. So, I go back to Karachi. And after, I go London because I want start from square one.

For London, my congregation get plenty Bethelites. That time, the branch servant na Brother Pryce Hughes. E really train me well. One day, e tell me how e receive strong correction from Brother Joseph F. Rutherford. That time, na Brother Rutherford de direct our work for the whole world. When Brother Hughes want give excuse, Brother Rutherford give Brother Hughes strong correction. E surprise me say Brother Hughes de smile as e de tell me wetin happen. E talk say e first vex about the matter. But after, e see-am say na that correction e need and the correction show the love wey Jehovah get. (Heb. 12:6) The thing wey Brother Hughes talk touch my heart, and e help me serve Jehovah with joy again.

Around that same time, my mama come London and accept Bible study from Brother John E. Barr. After, brother John E. Barr serve as Governing Body member. My mama study sotey e come baptize for 1957. After, they tell me say before my papa die, e don de study Bible with Jehovah Witness.

For 1958, I marry Lene, one sister from Denmark but e de stay for London. After one year, we born our first pikin. E name na Jane. All our children wey we born na five. When I dey Fulham Congregation, they still give me work for the congregation. But as time de go, my wife begin sick. So, we pack go place wey e get warm weather pass the place wey we dey before. So for 1967, we pack go Adelaide for Australia.

SOMETHING HAPPEN WEY E PAIN REACH BONE

My congregation for Adelaide, get 12 anointed Christian wey they old pass me. They show us fine example for the preaching work. We settle for there quick-quick, and begin serve Jehovah as before.

For 1979, we born Daniel, after we don born four children. E get one kind sickness wey the name na Down syndrome.b And we know say e no go live long. Even now, e de hard me to explain the kind pain wey we feel. We do our best to care for our son, and we make sure say we still care for the other four children. Daniel get two hole for heart. So e no too de get oxygen for body. And because of this one, part of e body de turn blue sometimes. When e happen like this, we de carry Daniel run go hospital. But even with this sickness, Daniel really know book and e love people. E really love Jehovah too. When our family de pray before we chop, Daniel go join e hand, shake e head up and down, and talk say “Amen!” Na only after e do this one, e go chop.

When Daniel reach four years, e get one kind sickness wey them de call leukemia. This one really serious. And because we de work hard to care for Daniel, e make our body really tire. The condition worry us no be small. I even feel one time say I go sick. But one day, when we don really tire about the condition, our circuit overseer come our house. E name na Neville Bromwich. That night, as e de cry, e hold us and all of us cry together. The love wey e show us and the better things wey e tell us, really make our mind come down. E comot for our house around one o’clock for night. After some time, Daniel die. This one na the worse thing for our life wey e don make us feel pain. But we endure the pain. And we dey sure say nothing go make Jehovah forget Daniel, even death. (Rom. 8:38, 39) We de hungry to be with Daniel again for Paradise!​—John 5:28, 29.

I HAPPY AS I DE HELP PEOPLE

I don get stroke two times, but I still de serve as elder for congregation. The things wey I don face for life don help me de feel for people. I de want help them too, especially if them de struggle with problem. I de try make I no blame them. Instead, I de ask myself say: ‘How the things wey they don face for their life don affect the way them de think and feel? How I fit show them say I de feel for them? How I fit help them do wetin go make Jehovah happy?’ I really like to visit brothers and sisters for congregation and encourage them. The truth be say, when I de help and comfort people, I de feel say I de help and de comfort myself.

I de feel like the person wey e write Psalm 94:19. The verse talk say: “When something de worry me for heart, you comfort me and you reduce my pain.” Jehovah don support me when my family get problem, when people no want allow me serve Jehovah, when I feel bad about myself, and when I no happy. True-true, Jehovah take care of me as e pikin.