Laef Story
Serve Long Eni Ples wea Needim Mi
STORY BILONG JAMES B. BERRY
Hem 1939. Datfala Great Depression mekem laef hem hard long United States, and war klosap kasem full Europe. Smol brata bilong mi Bennett and mi lusim hom bilong mifala long Mississippi and kam long Houston, Texas, for lukaotem waka.
WANDAY klosap long end bilong summer, mifala herem wanfala big announcement long radio: Army bilong Hitler march insaed long Poland nao. “Armageddon hem start nao!” brata bilong mi singaot olsem. Stretawe, mitufala resign from waka bilong mifala. Mifala go long Kingdom Hall wea stap klosap and attendim first meeting bilong mifala. Why nao mifala go long Kingdom Hall? Mi laek for talem start bilong disfala story.
Mi born long Hebron, Mississippi, long 1915. Mifala stap long farm area. Olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem, savve kasem datfala area wantaem evri year and arrange for givim tok long haos bilong samwan. From diswan, Dadi and Mami garem planti Bible buk. Bennett and mi start for bilivim samting wea olketa buk hia teachim: Hell hem no hot, soul savve dae, raeteous pipol bae stap long earth olowe. Bat, staka samting stap yet for mifala lanem. Bihaen mi finis skul, brata bilong mi and mi go long Texas for lukaotem waka.
Taem mifala meetim olketa Witness long Kingdom Hall, olketa ask sapos mifala pioneer. Mifala nating savve pioneer hem wanfala full-taem minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Then olketa ask sapos mifala laek preach. “Yes!” mifala ansa. Mifala tingse olketa bae sendem samwan for showim mifala hao nao for duim. Bat nating, olketa givim nomoa wanfala map and talem mifala, “Waka long there!” Bennett and mi nating savve hao for preach, and mifala nating laek for luk krangge. Gogo, mitufala putim disfala territory card long mailbox and go bak long Mississippi!
Mekem Bible Truth Stap Long Mifala
Bihaen mifala go bak hom, mifala readim buk bilong olketa Witness evriday for klosap wan year. Haos bilong mifala no kasem paoa, so long naet mifala savve read klosap long fire. Long datfala taem, zone servant or traveling overseer, visitim kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and olketa Witness wea stap seleva for strongim olketa long spiritual wei. Wanfala long olketa servant hia, Ted Klein, visitim kongregeson bilong mifala and go witim Bennett and mi long haos-tu-haos preaching waka, wea planti taem hem tekem mitufala witim hem. Hem minim long mitufala wanem nao pioneer waka.
Wei wea mifala gogo witim hem mekem mifala tingting strong for duim moa samting for servem God. So long April 18, 1940, Brata Klein baptaesim Bennett, sista bilong mifala, Velva, and mi. Dadi and Mami lukim mifala baptaes, and tufala hapi long wanem mifala disaedem. Klosap tu year bihaen, tufala tu baptaes. Tufala evriwan stap faithful long God go kasem taem tufala dae—Dadi long 1956 and Mami long 1975.
Taem Brata Klein askem mi sapos mi fit for pioneer, mi talem hem mi laek, bat mi no garem selen, kaleko, or eni samting. “Hem olraet,” hem sei, “Mi bae stretem.” And hem duim datwan. Firstaem hem givim application bilong mi for pioneer. Then hem tekem mi go long New Orleans, klosap 300 kilometer, and showim samfala naes rum antap wanfala Kingdom Hall. Hem for olketa pioneer. Stretawe mi muv long there and start waka olsem pioneer. Olketa Witness long New Orleans help long wei for givim kaleko, selen, and kaikai for olketa pioneer. Insaed long day, olketa brata savve tekem kam kaikai and putim long front door or putim insaed long icebox tu for mifala. Wanfala brata wea ownim ples for kaikai savve invaetem mifala olowe for kam long taem for satem stoa for tekem fresh kaikai—olsem meat, bred, chili con carne, and sweet cake—leftova bilong datfala day.
Feisim Raf Sekson
Bihaen lelebet taem, mi kasem assignment for pioneer long Jackson, Mississippi. Young partner bilong mi and mi feisim samfala raf sekson long there, and hem luk olsem olketa bigman long gavman saportim olketa! Sem samting tu happen long next assignment bilong mifala—Columbus, Mississippi. From mifala preach long pipol bilong evri color skin and kantri, samfala whiteman heitim mifala. Planti tingse mifala guilty for againstim gavman. Post komanda bilong American Legion, organization wea barava mekhae long kantri, ting olsem tu. Samfala taem hem bihaenem samfala raf sekson for attakim mifala.
Long firstaem wea olketa attakim mifala long Columbus, wanfala sekson aftarem mifala taem mifala offerim magasin long street. Olketa pushim mifala againstim bigfala glass window bilong wanfala stoa. Staka pipol hipap for lukluk. No longtaem bihaen olketa police kam and tekem mifala go long kot. Datfala raf sekson, wea kam bihaenem mifala long kot, talemaot front long olketa bigman long there hao sapos mifala lusim taon bifor date wea olketa markem, mifala bae no dae. Sapos mifala go bihaen datfala date, bae olketa spoelem or killim mifala dae! Mifala ting hem best for lusim taon for lelebet taem. Bat tu-thri week bihaen, mifala kam bak and preach moa.
No longtaem bihaen, wanfala sekson bilong eit man attakim mifala and forcem mifala for go insaed tufala car bilong olketa. Olketa draevem mifala go long bush, aotem kaleko bilong mifala, and whipim mitufala evriwan 30 taem long belt bilong mi! Olketa holem gun and rope tu, mifala fraet fogud. Mi tingse olketa bae taemap mifala and torowem mifala insaed river. Olketa pisisim olketa buk bilong mifala and torowem olabaot and smasem tu phonograph bilong mifala long wanfala haf tree.
Bihaen olketa whipim mifala, olketa sei for mifala werem kaleko and wakabaot followim wanfala road long bush and no luk bihaen. Taem mifala wakabaot, mifala barava tingse sapos mifala tan raon, bae olketa sutim dae mifala—and no kasem panis tu from diswan! Bat bihaen tu-thri minute, mifala herem olketa draev go.
Long narataem, wanfala sekson wea kros ronem mifala, and mifala mas taemap kaleko bilong mifala raonem nek and akrosim river for ranawe. No longtaem bihaen datwan, olketa arrestim mifala from olketa sei mifala againstim gavman. Mifala stap thri week long prison bifor kotcase. Disfala nius kasem evriwea long Columbus. Olketa student long wanfala college klosap lusim class early tu for attend. Taem datfala day kam, kot hem fulap fogud—ples for standap nomoa garem spes! Olketa wea givim witness for Gavman nao tufala pastor, bigman bilong taon, and olketa police.
Wanfala Witness lawyer wea nem bilong hem G. C. Clarke and man wea waka witim hem kam for tok for mifala. Olketa ask for aotem disfala toktok wea sei mifala againstim gavman from no inaf pruv hem stap. Lawyer wea waka witim Brata Clarke, nomata hem no Jehovah’s Witness, talem strongfala toktok for saed bilong mifala. Wantaem hem talem judge, “Pipol sei Olketa Jehovah’s Witness krangge. Krangge? Thomas Edison hem krangge!” Then hem point go long wanfala laet and sei, “Bat lukim datfala laet bulb!” Edison, wea hem nao first wan for wakem laet bulb, maet samfala sei hem krangge, bat no eniwan fit for argue abaotem gud samting wea kamaot from waka bilong hem.
Bihaen hem herem pruv, presiding circuit kot judge talem lawyer wea againstim mifala: “Iu nating garem nomata smol pruv for sei olketa againstim gavman, and olketa garem raet for duim disfala waka. No tekem olketa kam bak long disfala kot and westem taem and selen bilong Gavman and taem bilong mi tu go kasem taem iu garem pruv!” Mifala win nao!
Bat bihaen, judge kolem mifala go long office bilong hem. Hem savve full taon againstim disison bilong hem. So hem warnim mifala: “Samting mi talem hem followim law, bat advaes bilong mi for iutufala hem: Lusim disfala ples, sapos nomoa olketa bae killim dae iufala!” Mifala savve hem tok tru, so mifala lusim taon.
Then mi go stap witim Bennett and Velva, wea spesol pioneer long Clarksville, Tennessee. Bihaen tu-thri month, mifala kasem assignment for go long Paris, Kentucky. Wan and haf year bihaen, taem mifala redy for startim wanfala kongregeson, Bennett and mi kasem barava spesol invitation.
Long Missionary Service
Taem mifala lukim invitation for attendim mek-tu class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead, mifala ting olsem, ‘Olketa mekem mistek! Why nao bae olketa invaetem tufala kwaet, young Mississippi boy for attendim datfala skul?’ Mifala tingse olketa laekem pipol wea skul gud, bat nomata olsem mifala go nomoa. Samting olsem 100 student nao long class, and course hem go ahed for faev month. Graduation hem long January 31, 1944, and mifala barava want for serve long nara kantri. Bat long datfala taem, hem savve tek longtaem for kasem passport and visa, so olketa student savve kasem assignment firstaem long United States. Bihaen mifala pioneer lelebet taem long Alabama and Georgia, mitufala Bennett kasem assignment bilong mifala—Barbados, West Indies.
World War II go ahed yet, and olketa tambuim waka and olketa buk bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long planti ples, and Barbados tu. Long customs long there, olketa security openem bag bilong mifala and chekim and faendem olketa buk wea mifala haedem insaed. Mifala ting, ‘Diswan nao end bilong mifala.’ Bat nomoa, wanfala long olketa security talem mifala: “Sorre nao for chekim bag bilong iufala; samfala buk hia olketa tambuim long Barbados.” Nomata olsem, hem letem mifala go nomoa witim evri buk wea mifala karem! Bihaen, taem mifala givim witness long samfala bigman bilong gavman, olketa sei olketa nating savve why nao olketa tambuim olketa buk. Bihaen samfala month, olketa aotem datfala tambu.
Planti gud samting kamaot from ministry bilong mifala long Barbados. Mitufala wanwan conductim winim 15 Bible study, and klosap evri student muv ahed gud long spiritual wei. Mifala hapi for lukim planti kam long olketa kongregeson meeting. Bat, from gavman tambuim olketa buk for longtaem lelebet, olketa brata no minim hao nao for conductim olketa meeting. Bat gogo, mifala trainim planti brata wea fit. Mifala hapi for helpem planti student bilong mifala for joinim Christian ministry and for lukim kongregeson kamap big.
Startim Famili
Bihaen klosap 18 month long Barbados, mi needim operation and mas go bak long United States. Taem mi long there, mi maritim wanfala Witness, Dorothy, wea mi bin raraet long hem. Then waef bilong mi and mi pioneer long Tallahassee, Florida, bat bihaen six month mifala muv go long Louisville, Kentucky, wea wanfala Witness givim mi waka. Brata bilong mi Bennett go ahed long service bilong hem long Barbados for planti year. Bihaen, hem maritim nara missionary and duim traveling waka long olketa island. Gogo, olketa go bak long United States for saed bilong health. Tufala go ahed servem olketa kongregeson bilong Spanish languis long traveling waka kasem taem Bennett hem dae long 1990 taem hem 73 year.
Long 1950, Dorothy bornem first pikinini bilong mitufala, baby girl wea mifala kolem Daryl. Gogo mitufala garem faev pikinini. Mek-tu pikinini, Derrick, hem dae from spinal meningitis taem hem tu and haf year nomoa. Bat Leslie hem born long 1956, and bihaen, Everett long 1958. Dorothy and mi trae for bringimap pikinini bilong mifala followim wei bilong Bible truth. Evritaem mifala trae for garem famili Bible study evri week and mekem evri pikinini interest long hem. Taem Daryl, Leslie, and Everett smol yet, mifala savve givim olketa samfala kwestin evri week for duim research and ansarem long week bihaen. Olketa savve actim wei for preach from haos tu haos. Wanfala bae stap insaed long cupboard bilong kaleko and act olsem haosholder. Narawan bae standap aotsaed and noknok. Olketa savve talem toktok for mekem narawan fraet, bat diswan helpem olketa for mekem grow love for preaching waka. Mifala tekem olketa preaching evritaem.
Taem smol son bilong mifala, Elton, born long 1973, Dorothy hem klosap 50 and mi klosap 60. Long kongregeson olketa kolem mitufala Abraham and Sarah! (Genesis 17:15-17) Olketa big boy savve tekem olowe Elton long ministry. Mifala ting diswan hem strongfala witness for pipol lukim olketa famili—brata and sista, dadi, mami, and pikinini—waka tugeta, sharem Bible truth witim pipol. Olketa big brata bilong Elton savve share for karem hem long shoulder bilong olketa and givim hem for holem wanfala Bible tract. Klosap evritaem pipol lisin taem olketa openem door and lukim disfala naes smol boy sidaon antap shoulder bilong big brata bilong hem. Olketa boy teachim Elton for givim tract long man taem story hem finis and for talem lelebet samting. Hem nao hao hem start preach.
Insaed long olketa year wea go pas, mifala helpem pipol for savve long Jehovah. Taem olketa year bilong 1970 klosap finis, mifala lusim Louisville and muv go long Shelbyville, Kentucky, for serve long wanfala kongregeson wea garem need. Long there, mifala lukim kongregeson kamap big and tu mifala help for faendem land and buildim Kingdom Hall. Bihaen olketa askem mifala for serve long nara kongregeson klosap.
Samfala Samting Long Famili Laef wea Mifala No Sure Long Hem
Mi laek for talem hao evri pikinini bilong mifala followim wei bilong Jehovah, bat datwan no tru. Bihaen olketa growap and lusim hom, thrifala long fofala pikinini bilong mifala wea laef yet lusim truth. Bat, son bilong mifala Everett followim example bilong mi and joinim full-taem ministry. Bihaen, hem waka long world headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long New York and long 1984 hem attendim mek-77 class bilong Gilead. Bihaen hem graduate hem go long assignment bilong hem long Sierra Leone, West Africa. Long 1988 hem maritim Marianne, wanfala pioneer from Belgium. Start long datfala taem tufala serve tugeta olsem missionary.
Olsem eni dadi and mami bae tingim, mifala sorre fogud for lukim thrifala pikinini bilong mifala lusim living wea mekem iumi satisfae distaem and wea promisim nambawan hope for laef olowe long paradaes earth long future. Samfala taem mi blamem miseleva. Bat mi kasem comfort for savve hao samfala spirit pikinini, or angel, bilong Jehovah tu lusim wei for servem hem—nomata Jehovah givim discipline witim love and kaeness and nating savve mekem mistek. (Deuteronomy 32:4; John 8:44; Revelation 12:4, 9) Diswan strongim long mi hao nomata dadi and mami trae hard fogud for bringimap pikinini followim wei bilong Jehovah, samfala maet les for acceptim truth.
Olsem wanfala tree wea strong wind hem blowim, iumi need for change for getius long olketa difren hard samting and problem wea kasem iumi. Insaed long olketa year wea go pas, mi lukim hao wei for studyim Bible evritaem and attendim meeting hem givim mi datfala strong for getius and for stap laef long spiritual wei. Taem mi kamap olo and lukim mistek wea mi mekem bifor, mi trae for tingim gud saed. Bikos, sapos iumi stap faithful, olketa experience olsem bae helpem iumi grow long spiritual wei. Sapos iumi lane from olketa, olketa nogud saed bilong laef savve garem samfala gud saed bilong hem.—James 1:2, 3.
Distaem Dorothy and mi no garem health or strong wea mekem mifala fit for duim wanem mifala laekem for servem Jehovah. Bat mifala thankiu long saport bilong olketa loving Christian brata and sista. Long klosap evri meeting, olketa brata talem mifala hao olketa tinghae tumas long wei wea mifala stap witim olketa. And olketa trae hard for helpem mifala long eni wei wea olketa fit for duim—fixim haos and car tu.
Samfala taem, mifala duim auxiliary pioneer service, and conductim study witim samfala wea interest. Wanfala spesol samting hem wei wea mifala evritaem hapi for herem nius from son bilong mifala wea serve long Africa. Mifala still garem famili Bible study, nomata hem for mitufala nomoa distaem. Mitufala hapi for iusim planti year for servem Jehovah. Hem promisim iumi hao hem bae no ‘forgetim waka bilong iumi and love wea iumi showimaot for nem bilong hem.’—Hebrews 6:10.
[Piksa long page 25]
Velva, Bennett, and mi taem Ted Klein baptaesim mifala long April 18, 1940
[Olketa Piksa long page 26]
Witim waef bilong mi, Dorothy, bihaen 1940 and long 1997
[Piksa long page 27]
Pablik tok, “Prince Bilong Peace,” wea olketa advertisem long wanfala bas long Barbados
[Piksa long page 27]
Brata bilong mi Bennett front long missionary hom