STORY ABOUT PEOPLE
Even Though I Be Deaf, I No Stop to Preach
I dey 12 years when I baptize for 1941. But na for 1946 I come really understand wetin I dey learn from Bible. Why e be like that? Make I tell una my story.
AROUND 1910, my papa and mama pack from where dem dey call Tbilisi, for Georgia go one country wey dem dey call Canada. Their house near farm for one place wey dem dey call Pelly, for Saskatchewan wey dey western Canada. Dem born me for 1928; we be six children for our family and na me be last born. My papa die six month before dem born me, and na when I still be baby my mama die. E no too tey my senior sister, wey im name na Lucy, die when e dey 17 years. After, my uncle, wey im name na Nick, come carry me, my two brother and two sister go stay with am.
One day, when I dey around 2 years, my family come see me as I dey draw one horse tail for the farm. Dem come dey shout give me sey make I stop because dem dey fear sey the horse fit kick me. But even as dem shout reach, I still dey draw the horse tail. Na my back dem dey and I no hear dem. I thank God sey the horse no kick me. But, na that day my family come know sey I be deaf.
One of our family friend come talk sey e go better if I go school wey other deaf children dey. So my uncle come put me for one school for deaf people wey dey where dem dey call Saskatoon, for Saskatchewan. The school far from where my family dey. I come dey fear because na just five years I dey. Na only for public holiday and school holiday I dey go house. As time dey go, I come sabi sign language and e come dey sweet me to play with other children.
HOW I TAKE LEARN BIBLE
For 1939, my second senior sister wey dem dey call Marion, marry one man wey im name na Bill Danylchuck. Dem come carry me and my sister wey im name na Frances go their house. Na dem first start to study Bible with Jehovah Witness for my family. Anytime wey I come house for holiday, dem dey try teach me wetin dem don learn from Bible. To talk true, e no easy to follow dem talk because dem no sabi sign language. But dem see sey I really like the things wey I dey learn from Bible. Because I see sey the things wey dem dey do dey Bible, I come dey follow dem go preach. After small time, I come want baptize. For September 5, 1941, Bill come baptize me for one drum wey dem use steel make. Dem pump the water from one well, and e cold well well no be small!
Me and other deaf people for one convention for Cleveland, Ohio, for 1946
When I come holiday for 1946, I follow dem go one convention for where dem dey call Cleveland, wey dey Ohio, for U.S.A. The first day, my sisters write some things wey dem dey talk for the convention give me for paper; dem do am turn by turn. This one help me understand wetin dem dey talk for the convention. The second day, I happy to know sey sign language group dey the convention and na one sister dey sign the program for dem. So I enjoy the convention, and e sweet me sey I come fit understand wetin dey Bible well.
HOW I TAKE PREACH TO PEOPLE
Around that convention time, World War II just end and people want really show sey dem like their country. When I come back from the convention, I come tell myself sey I no go do wetin go vex Jehovah when I reach school. I stop to salute flag and sign national anthem. I still stop to do things like Christmas, and school fellowship. The teachers for the school no happy. Dem even threaten me and dey lie give me so that I go change my mind. My schoolmate dem see wetin dey happen and I come see am as chance to take preach to dem. Some of dem, like Larry Androsoff, Norman Dittrick, and Emil Schneider come be Jehovah Witness, and dem still dey serve Jehovah till today.
Anytime I travel go other city, I dey always try to preach to deaf people. For example, when I go one place wey deaf people dey gather, for where dem dey call Montreal, I preach to one young man wey im name na Eddie Taeger. E dey one group that time. Before e die last year, e dey sign-language congregation for where dem dey call Laval, for Quebec. I still preach to another young man wey im name na Juan Ardanez. E do research to make sure sey na the correct thing e dey learn from Bible, like people for Beroea wey Bible talk about. (Acts 17:10, 11) Till e die, e serve Jehovah well as elder for where dem dey call Ottawa, for Ontario.
When we dey preach for street around 1950
For 1950, I come travel go where dem dey call Vancouver. For there, I preach to one woman for street wey im name na Chris Spicer. Even though sey I dey like to preach to deaf people, I no go ever forget when I preach to this woman wey no be deaf. The woman sey e go like to get new magazine every month, and e want make I see im husband wey im name na Gary. I come go their house, and we use plenty time talk about Bible. Na biro and paper we use. I no come see dem again, until we come see after some years, for one convention for where dem dey call Toronto, for Ontario. I surprise sey na dem first see me even as people plenty reach. Na that day Gary want baptize. Wetin happen make me remember sey, e good make we no stop to preach because we no know whether the person go come serve Jehovah.
After, I come go back to Saskatoon. For there, I see one woman wey sey make I study Bible with im two girls wey be twins. Their name na Jean and Joan Rothenberger and dem be deaf. Two of dem dey go the school wey I first go. E no tey, two of dem start to preach to their classmate. As time dey go, five people from their class come be Jehovah Witness. One of dem name na Eunice Colin. I first know Eunice when I dey final year for the school. That time, after e give me sweet, e come ask me whether me and am fit be friend. Later, na Eunice I come marry.
Me and Eunice for 1960 and for 1989
When Eunice mama know sey Eunice dey study Bible, e come tell the school principal make e try stop am. The principal come seize the book dem wey e take dey study. But Eunice continue to study. The time wey e want baptize, im papa and mama tell am sey, ‘If you join Jehovah Witness, you go comot for this house!’ Na so Eunice take pack comot for house when e dey 17 years. E come dey stay with one Jehovah Witness family. E continue to study and e later baptize. For 1960, when we marry, Eunice mama and papa no come our wedding. But, after some years, dem no come dey worry us again because of how we take train our children and the truth wey we dey preach from Bible.
NA JEHOVAH DEY HELP ME
My pikin Nicholas with im wife, Deborah, dey work for London branch office
Na seven children we get and all of dem na boys. E no easy to train dem because we be deaf and dem no be deaf. So we make sure sey dem learn sign-language so that we fit follow dem talk well and teach dem wetin dey Bible. Brothers and sisters for congregation try for our body well well. For example, somebody write something for paper to tell us sey one of our pikin dey talk bad thing for Kingdom Hall. We no waste time handle the matter for Kingdom Hall there. Four of my children wey their name na James, Jerry, Nicholas, and Steven na elder and dem dey serve Jehovah well with their family. Nicholas and im wife, wey im name na Deborah, dey translate sign-language for branch office wey dey Britain. Steven and im wife, wey im name na Shannan, dey among people wey dey translate sign-language for United States branch office.
My other three pikin James, Jerry, and Steven with their wife dem, dey support the preaching work for sign language for different different way
One month before our marriage complete 40 years, Eunice die because of cancer. Even when e dey sick, e still get strong faith. E believe sey Jehovah go resurrect am. E dey hungry me to see Eunice when e go come life again.
Faye and James, Jerry and Evelyn, Shannan and Steven
For February 2012, I fall break waist. E come clear sey only me no fit stay house, so I come go stay with one of my pikin wey don marry. All of us dey Calgary Sign-Language Congregation now, and I still be elder for there. You no go believe sey na the first time wey I join sign-language congregation be this! So how I take continue to get strong faith when I dey English congregation since 1946? Na Jehovah help me. E do wetin e promise for Bible sey e go take care of children wey no get papa. (Ps. 10:14) Na brothers and sisters dey help me write wetin dem dey talk for platform. Dem learn sign language and dem try use am sign the different different part for meeting so that I go understand. I thank all of dem.
When I go American Sign Language (ASL) pioneer school, that time I dey 79 years
The truth be sey, e get sometimes wey things go just tire me and e be like sey make I stop. Na so because I no dey understand wetin dem dey talk for meeting, and e be like sey people no really know how to help deaf person. But anytime body do me like that, I dey remember wetin Peter tell Jesus. E sey: ‘Lord, na who we want go meet? Na you get word wey dey give life wey no go end.’ (John 6:66-68) Like many other deaf brothers and sisters wey don tey for Jehovah organization like me, I don learn to dey patient. I don learn to wait for Jehovah and im organization, and this one don help me no be small! Now, I don get plenty book for my language, and e dey sweet me to dey go meeting and convention for American Sign Language. I really happy, and I don gain many things from the way I take use my life serve Jehovah, the God wey get power pass.