Poor Beginning But Rich Ending

THAT time, things no too de change for my town. For example, na the same people wey I start primary school with, I dey with until I finish school. In short, for our town, you know almost the name of everybody and they know your own.

Small-small farm plenty around our town, and na corn be the main thing wey people de plant. When they born me, my papa de work for one farmer. Before I reach 20 years, I don learn how to drive tractor and how to use other things for farm work.

I no meet my papa as young man. They born me when my papa dey 56 years and my mama dey 35 years. But my papa strong and like to work hard, and e teach us to work hard too. E no too get money, but e make sure say we get food, cloth, and place wey we go sleep. E de always spend time with us. Na 93 years my papa dey when e die, and my mama dey 86 years when e die. They no serve Jehovah. After 1970, when they arrange make body of elders de direct congregation, one of my small brothers don serve as elder since that time come reach now.

WHEN I STILL BE YOUNG BOY

My mama de always go church. E de carry us go Baptist church every Sunday. The first time wey l hear about Trinity na when I dey 12 years. So I ask my mama say: “How Jesus go be the Son and still be the Father?” I remember wetin my mama talk. E tell me say: “My pikin, nobody fit understand.” And true-true, I no really understand. Even with that one, when I reach 14 years, they baptize me. As sign for the Trinity, they put my body inside water three times!

When I reach secondary school, I get one friend and na boxer e be. E tell me make l join boxing. So l start training, and l join one boxing organization wey the name na Golden Gloves. After some time, I no continue again because I no really sabi the sport. After, they call me enter U.S. Army and they send me go Germany. As I dey there, my commanders send me go army school because they think say I get the gift to direct people. That time, they no want make I comot for army. But I no ever get plan for army work. So for 1956 when the two years wey I suppose to serve for army finish, they allow me go. Small time, I come join another kind of army.

MY LIFE CHANGE

Till this time for my life, people wey I see for film and for area wey I grow affect me. They harsh and them de show theirself because of their power. I think say na so real man suppose dey. So, to me any preacher na weak person. But my life change because of the things wey I start to learn. One day as I de drive my red car for town, two young Jehovah Witness girls greet me. I know them because my big sister marry their big brother. They don give me Watchtower and Awake! before, but for my mind Watchtower too get deep things. But this time they invite me for one small meeting wey the name na Congregation Book Study. Na for their house them de do this meeting. So I tell them say I go think about-am. They smile and ask me say: “You promise?” I tell them say: “I promise.”

I regret why I promise them. But I feel say I no fit change my promise. And that evening I go the meeting. Na the children surprise me pass. They sabi many things for Bible! E show say the things wey I learn for Bible when l de follow my mama go church every Sunday, no reach anything. This time I decide say I must learn more. So I accept Bible study. I learn say Jehovah na the name of God Almighty. And na one of the first thing wey I learn. I don ask my mama about Jehovah Witness people before. E answer me say, “Oh, them de worship one old man wey e name na Jehovah.” But, I just de feel say na now my eyes de open!

I change my life quick-quick because I know say the thing wey I de learn na the truth. I baptize for March 1957. This one happen nine months after I go meeting for my first time. My character come change. I happy say wetin I learn from Bible change the way I de behave. E help me understand who real man be. Jesus na good example. E no ever get sin, e strong and get power wey we no fit compare with any other man. Even with that one, e no fight, but “e allow e self suffer” just as Bible talk-am. (Isa. 53:2, 7) I learn say disciple of Christ go dey “gentle with everybody.”—2 Tim. 2:24.

The next year for 1958, I begin pioneer. But I stop for some time. The reason na because I want marry Gloria. Na Gloria and e sister invite me for meeting that time wey I go book study. I happy say I marry Gloria. That time e dey very special and e still dey special today. For me, e dey special pass any special diamond and I happy say I marry Gloria! Make e talk small about e own story:

“We dey 17 children for my family. My mama serve Jehovah till e die, and that time I dey 14 years. Na that time my papa start to study Bible. When our mama die, my big sister don already be senior for secondary school. So our papa arrange with school principal make me and my sister share the days wey we go de go school. Me and my sister go de change days so that one person fit remain for house. Before our papa come back from work, this person go care for our small brothers and sisters, and cook food for the family. The principal agree and we do like that until my big sister finish school. Na two Jehovah Witness family study Bible with us, and among all of us, 11 don baptize as Jehovah Witness. I really enjoy preaching, even as I de shame. But my husband don really help me make I no de shame.”

We marry for February 1959. We pioneer together and we enjoy-am. For July that year, we apply make them take us for Bethel because we really want work for our headquarter. One brother interview us, e name na Simon Kraker. E tell us say Bethel no de take married people that time. We no ever forget this our plan to go Bethel, but e no gree come quick!

We write letter give headquarter say we go like make they send us go area wey Jehovah Witness no plenty. They talk say na only one place we fit go. The name of the place na Pine Bluff, for Arkansas. That time, na only two congregation dey the place, one for white people, and the other one for black people. They send us go the congregation wey black people dey, and na around 14 publishers they get.

PROBLEMS WEY WE FACE FOR OUR PREACHING WORK

That time, some people among Jehovah Witness de separate theirself from each other. You fit de wonder why this kind thing de happen. They no fit change the condition. Law even talk say they no want see white and black people together. And people fit even do you bad if you no obey the law. For plenty areas, brothers de fear say if white and black meet together to worship, people fit come destroy their Kingdom Hall. That time, people de burn the place wey white and black de meet to worship. If black brothers and sisters go preach for area wey white people de stay, they go catch them and sometimes even beat them. We de obey law so that we go fit preach the good news, as we de hope say things go change one day.

Me and my wife preach for the area wey black people de stay, but we still de get some problems. Sometimes we go knock house wey white people de stay. So when this one happen, we go just talk small, or we go just say na mistake. Then we go the next door. But we go decide-am quick-quick. Na so the brothers de preach for some areas that time.

Me and my wife work hard so that we go fit support our pioneer work. Most of the work wey we do, na three dollars them de pay us for one day. Gloria de clean house for people. The people accept make I de help Gloria do part of the work so that e go finish quick. For afternoon, the people go give us food. Every week, Gloria de iron clothes for one family. I work for the garden, clean their windows, and do plenty other small-small things. For one house wey we de clean the windows, Gloria go clean from inside the house and I go clean from outside. When we start for morning, we go finish-am for evening. So for afternoon, they go give us food. Gloria go chop inside the house but no be with the people, and I go chop outside for car park. I no worry say we no de chop together. I enjoy the food. This white family na good people. But na the condition that time force them make them de think and do things like that. I remember one time wey we dey petrol station de put fuel for our car, I ask one man for the station if Gloria fit use their toilet. The man look me with bad eye and tell me say, “E dey lock.”

GOOD THINGS WEY WE NO GO FORGET

We really enjoy the time wey we spend with our brothers and sisters, and we like our preaching work! When we first reach Pine Bluff, one brother call us make we stay with them for their house. Na e be the congregation servant that time. Gloria study Bible with e wife because e never be Jehovah Witness that time. And I study Bible with e daughter and husband. The woman and e daughter come baptize.

Some white brothers and sisters na our friends. Them de invite us make we come chop with them for their house. But them de invite us for night so that people no go see us together. That time, one organization wey the name na Ku Klux Klan (KKK), no want catch black and white people together. I remember one night, I see one man sitdown for front of e house and e wear cloth of KKK people. Even with that one, the brothers still de do good for their brothers and sisters, whether black or white. One time wey we want go convention, we no get transport money. One brother accept say e go buy our car so that we go get money go convention. One day, we really tire as we waka for hot sun go study Bible with plenty people. But as we reach house, we see one big surprise. Our car dey for front of our house! I see note wey they write say: “I give wuna this car back as gift from me. I be wuna brother.” This one happen after one month wey we sell-am.

Another good thing wey the brothers do touch my heart, and I no fit forget-am. For 1962, they invite me to attend the Kingdom Ministry School, for one city wey the name na South Lansing, for New York. The school na for one month. They go train circuit overseers, district overseers, and other brothers for congregation. When they give me my invitation, I no get money, I just de struggle because I no get work. And one telephone company for Pine Bluff don interview me whether they go give me work. If they give me, I go be the first black person for that company. At last, they tell me say they go give me work. Wetin I go do now? I no get money to travel go the school for New York. I begin de worry, and de think whether I go take the work and no go the school again. But the time wey I don ready to write letter say I no go come the school again, something happen wey I no go ever forget.

One early morning, one sister for my congregation come our house and e give me envelope. Na plenty money dey inside. E husband no be Jehovah Witness. This sister and some of e children de wake up early morning go work for cotton farm. Them de remove the grass under the plants and they go pay them. They do this one so that I go fit get money travel go attend the School for New York. The sister tell me say, “Make you go school go learn plenty things so that you go come back come teach us!” After, I ask the telephone company if they go agree make I start work after five weeks. They talk say, “No!” But I no worry. I happy say I decide to attend the school and I no accept that work!

Make my wife talk the thing wey e de remember about our life for Pine Bluff: “I really like the place! I get 15 to 20 Bible student. For morning, we go preach from house to house and after, we go study Bible with our students. Sometimes we de study with people reach 11 o’clock for night. Preaching for that area really sweet! I for like make that work continue. Make I talk true, that time e no sweet me as they change our assignment to circuit work, but Jehovah get another thing for us.” And true-true, e really get another thing for us.

OUR LIFE FOR CIRCUIT WORK

When we dey Pine Bluff de pioneer, we write say we go like to serve as special pioneers. Our hope really high because our district overseer want make we go help one congregation for Texas. And e want make we go there as special pioneers. This change to be special pioneers sweet us. So we wait for long time, but answer no gree come from the Society. Everytime, we de check mail box but e dey empty. At last, one day for January 1965, letter come and they send us go circuit work! Na the same time they send we and Brother Leon Weaver go circuit work. Now e de serve as the coordinator of the United States Branch Committee.

Fear catch me when they change my assignment to circuit overseer. About one year before that time, our district overseer, James A. Thompson, Jr., check my record whether I qualify. E take time tell me somethings wey I still need to learn. E tell me things wey good circuit overseer need. When I dey circuit work, I come see say e advice help me. When I start to serve congregations, I work with Brother Thompson as my first district overseer. E teach me plenty things.

That time, they no de too train circuit overseer. For one week, I go watch another circuit overseer as e de visit one congregation. Then the next week, that circuit overseer go watch me as I go visit the next congregation. E give us some advice and after, e leave us make we continue the work. I remember when I tell my wife say, “Why e come be say na now e want leave us?” But I come learn one important lesson say: Good brothers go always dey to help you, if you gree make them help you. I still dey happy say good brothers help me. Some of them na J. R. Brown, that time e dey traveling work, and brother Fred Rusk for Bethel that time.

That time, people no want see black and white people together. One day the KKK people march for one town wey we de serve for Tennessee. I still remember one time for field service wey we stop to buy food for one restaurant. When I go use their toilet, I notice as one white man follow me. The man rough and e draw plenty tattoo for e body. But one huge white brother just follow us for back. The brother big pass the two of us. E come ask me say, “Brother Herd, everything dey fine?” As the man see the brother, e just waka comot, e no even use the toilet again. I don see say no be skin color de make people hate other people. Na because of the sin wey Adam give everybody. I don learn too say, your brother na your brother no matter the skin color, and e fit even die for you.

PLENTY BLESSING FOR THE END

For the 33 years wey we dey traveling work, we spend 21 years for district work. For all that years, we don learn plenty things and e make us strong. More blessing come. For August 1997, our dream come happen. They invite us make we come serve for Bethel, for United State. Around 38 years don pass since we first apply to go Bethel. The next month, we start our work. I think say they want make I just come serve for Bethel for some time. But, e no happen as I think.

Na for Service Department I first work. I learn plenty things for this assignment. The brothers for this Department de answer plenty serious and hard questions wey elders and circuit overseers for the whole country de ask. I happy as the brothers dey patient with me as them de train me. Even now, if they send me to work there again, I go need to learn plenty things again.

Me and my wife like Bethel life. We don always de wake up early before, and this one help us for Bethel. After about one year, I begin serve as helper to the Service Committee of the Governing Body of Jehovah Witness. Then for 1999, they appoint me as member of the Governing Body. This assignment don teach me plenty things. The number one thing wey I learn be say na Jesus be the head of the Christian congregation, no be any man.

When I look my life, sometimes I de feel like prophet Amos. Amos na shepherd and e dey humble. E work na to harvest sycamore fig, and people take this fruit as food for poor people. Even with that one, Jehovah choose Amos make e be prophet. True-true, Amos get plenty blessing from this work. (Amos 7:14, 15, ftn.) Na so Jehovah see me too, the son of one poor farmer for one small town wey the name na Liberty, for Indiana. E don bless me sotey I no fit count-am! (Prov. 10:22) True-true, my life get poor beginning, but for the ending, I don get plenty blessing. This one pass anything wey I fit ever think about!