Laef Story

Hapi Tumas for Olketa Spesol Memory!

STORY BILONG DRUSILLA CAINE

Year hem 1933, and mi just maritim Zanoah Caine, wea olsem mi, hem wanfala colporteur—wanfala wea talemaot gud nius full-taem. Witim bigfala hapi mi plan for joinim hasband bilong mi long assignment bilong hem. Bat for duim olsem, mi needim bicycle—samting mi no bin fit for peim, from living hem hard saed long selen long datfala taem. Wanem nao mi savve duim?

TAEM olketa brata-in-law bilong mi herem problem hia, olketa go lukluk long ples for torowe rabis, for trae faendem olketa old part for wakem bicycle for mi. Olketa duim and hem waka gud! Stretawe bihaen mi lane for raed long hem, mitufala Zanoah hapi for raed go long olketa ples long England olsem Worcester and Hereford and witness long evriwan mitufala meetim.

Mi nating savve disfala smol wei for showimaot faith bae lead go long laef wea fulap witim olketa spesol memory. Dadi and mami nao putim spiritual faondeson long laef bilong mi.

Olketa Hardfala Year Bilong World War I

Mi born long December 1909. No longtaem bihaen, mami kasem copy bilong The Divine Plan of the Ages, and long 1914 parents bilong mi tekem mi for lukim “Photo-Drama of Creation,” long Oldham, Lancashire. (Olketa wea distaem garem nem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nao wakem tufala samting hia.) Mi barava young bat mi tingim klia yet wei wea mi ran witim hapi go bak long haos! Then Frank Heeley startim wanfala Bible study grup long Rochdale, ples wea mifala stap. Wei wea mifala attendim diswan helpem famili for buildimap savve long Bible.

Living bilong mifala kamap nogud taem World War I hem start long sem year. Olketa chusim dadi for serve long army bat hem no tekpart. Olketa story abaotem hem long kot olsem “barava gud man,” and niuspepa report sei olketa leta kam from “olketa man wea sei olketa biliv hem honest long wei wea hem no willing for faet.”

Winim wei for olketa letem hem free evribit, olketa letem dadi free “from Wei For Faet nomoa.” Stretawe pipol tok spoelem hem, and mami and mi tu. Gogo, olketa markem hem for duim waka long agriculture, bat samfala farmer mekius long diswan and peim hem lelebet nomoa or no eniting nao. For saportim famili, mami duim waka—for smol selen nomoa—long ples for wasim kaleko wea diswan needim bigfala strong. Nomata olsem, mi lukim distaem hao, from mi feisim olketa hard living olsem long taem mi growap kam; hem helpem mi for tinghae long olketa spiritual samting wea moa important.

Wanfala Smol Start

Gogo mifala meetim Daniel Hughes, wanfala strongfala Bible Student. Hem waka long coal mine long Ruabon, vilij samting olsem 20 kilometer from Oswestry, ples wea mifala stap. Uncle Dan, olsem mi kolem hem, evritaem kam lukim mifala and story bilong hem evritaem abaotem Bible. Hem no savve story olabaot. Wanfala Bible study class start long Oswestry long 1920, and Uncle Dan givim mi copy bilong The Harp of God long 1921. Buk hia barava spesol long mi from hem mekem olketa Bible teaching moa isi for mi minim.

Then Pryce Hughesa tu kam, wea bihaen hem kamap presiding minister bilong branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long London. Hem stap witim famili bilong hem klosap long Bronygarth, long border bilong Wales, and sista bilong hem, Cissie, kamap gud fren bilong mami.

Mi rememberim bigfala hapi wea kamap long 1922 taem kol go aot for ‘talemaot King and kingdom bilong hem.’ Insaed olketa year bihaen, nomata mi skul yet, mi strong for givim aot olketa spesol tract, especially datfala tract Ecclesiastics Indicted long 1924. Taem mi ting go bak long datfala taem, mi kasem bigfala privilege for kaban witim staka faithful brata and sista—midolwan olketa hem Maud Clarkb and partner bilong hem Mary Grant,* Edgar Clay,* Robert Hadlington, Katy Roberts, Edwin Skinner,* witim Percy Chapman and Jack Nathan,* wea tufala evriwan go long Canada for help witim waka long there.

Datfala Bible tok “Planti Million Wea Stap Distaem Bae Nating Dae” kamap witness for bigfala territory bilong mifala wea barava needim. Long May 14, 1922, Stanley Rogers, relative bilong Pryce Hughes, kam from Liverpool for givim disfala tok long Chirk, vilij north long taon wea mifala stap, and long datfala sem evening long The Picture Playhouse long Oswestry. Mi garem yet handbill wea olketa printim for datfala meeting. Insaed full taem hia, smolfala grup bilong mifala kamap moa strong thru long visit bilong thrifala traveling overseer—wea bifor olketa garem nem pilgrim—Herbert Senior, Albert Lloyd, and John Blaney.

Wanfala Taem for Disaed

Long 1929, mi disaed for baptaes. Mi 19 year and feisim firstfala really test bilong mi. Mi meetim wanfala young man wea dadi bilong hem bigman long politik. Mitufala laekem each other, and hem askem mi for maritim hem. Year bifor diswan, mifala kasem buk Government, so mi givim hem wanfala. Bat gogo hem klia hao hem no interest long wanfala gavman long heven, wea hem theme bilong disfala buk. Mi lanem from Bible hao olketa Israelite bifor kasem komand for no maritim olketa wea no biliv and hao diswan hem for olketa Christian tu. So, nomata hem hard for duim olsem, mi sei no long hem.—Deuteronomy 7:3; 2 Corinthians 6:14.

Mi kasem strong from toktok bilong Paul: “Letem iumi no givap for duim wanem hem gud, bikos long barava taem iumi bae harvestim samting sapos iumi no kamap taed.” (Galatians 6:9) Uncle Dan tu helpem mi taem hem raet: “Long olketa smol test and big test, followim Romans 8, verse 28,” wea sei: “Iumi savve hao God hem mekem evri waka bilong hem waka gud tugeta for helpem olketa wea lovem God, olketa wea hem kolem for fitim purpose bilong hem.” Hem nating isi, bat mi savve mi disaedem stret samting. Datfala year mi kamap wanfala colporteur.

Feisim Challenge

Long 1931 mifala kasem niu nem, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and long sem year, mifala duim bigfala witnessing witim buklet The Kingdom, the Hope of the World. Olketa givim wanfala copy long evri man bilong politik, bigman bilong church, and bisnisman. Territory bilong mi start long Oswestry go kasem Wrexham, samting olsem 25 kilometer long north. For duim full area hem wanfala challenge.

Long wanfala convention long Birmingham long year bihaen, olketa ask for 24-fala volunteer. Witim bigfala interest, 24-fala long mifala putim nem for wanfala niu service wea mifala no savve wanem nao datwan. Tingim big sapraes bilong mifala taem mifala kasem assignment witim partner for offerim datfala sem buklet The Kingdom, the Hope of the World, and long semtaem werem saen wea talemaot Kingdom.

Taem mi witness long area raonem church building, mi feel shame, bat for mekem mi no fraet mi tingim hao no eniwan long datfala taon savve long mi. Bat, first wan for lukim mi hem skulfren bilong mi bifor, wea luk strong long mi and sei: “Wanem nao iu duim yah?” Diswan barava helpem mi for winim feeling for fraet long man!

Muv Farawe Go Moa

Long 1933, mi maritim Zanoah, wanfala widow man wea 25 year moa olo winim mi. First waef bilong hem bin wanfala faithful Bible Student, and bihaen woman hia hem dae, Zanoah go ahed faithful long assignment bilong hem. Mitufala muv from England go long niu territory long North Wales, samting olsem 150 kilometer awe. Olketa box, suitcase, and nara samting mitufala putim antap handlebar bilong bicycle, midolwan olketa crossbar, and long bihaen bilong bicycle, bat mitufala kasem there! Assignment hia barava needim bicycle—mifala raed evriwea, nomata kasem antap long Cader Idris, wanfala maunten long Wales wea samting olsem 900 meter hae. Hem naes feeling tumas for faendem pipol wea barava laek for herem “disfala gud nius bilong kingdom.”—Matthew 24:14.

No longtaem bihaen, pipol talem mifala abaotem wanfala man wea nem bilong hem Tom Pryce wea bin preach long olketa olsem mitufala duim. Gogo mitufala faendem Tom wea stap long Long Maunten, klosap long Welshpool—and mifala kasem big sapraes! Long taem wea mi just start for witness, hem kasem Bible study buk Reconciliation from mi. Hem studyim seleva, raet go long London for moa literature, and bin strong for sharem niu faith bilong hem from datfala taem. Mifala enjoyim staka hour for kaban tugeta, and planti taem mi thrifala study tugeta for encouragem each other.

Trabol Lead Go Long Olketa Blessing

Long 1934, olketa invaetem evri colporteur klosap long North Wales for go long taon bilong Wrexham for help givimaot buklet Righteous Ruler. Day bifor mifala shud startim spesol waka hia, wanfala trabol kamap. Gresford colliery (coal mine), wea stap 3.2 kilometer north bilong Wrexham, kasem wanfala nogud accident wea killim dae 266 wakman. Winim 200 pikinini lusim dadi, and 160 woman lusim hasband.

Mifala mas raetem nem bilong olketa wea needim comfort, visitim olketa wanwan, and leavim wanfala buklet. Wanfala nem wea olketa givim long mi hem Mrs. Chadwick wea lusim 19-year-old son. Taem mi kasem there, first son, Jack, nao visitim mami bilong hem for comfortim hem. Disfala young man luksavve long mi bat no talem. Bihaen, hem readim datfala buklet and then lukaotem nara buklet The Final War, wea hem tekem from mi samfala year bifor.

Jack and waef bilong hem, May, faendaot ples mi stap and kam for moa literature. Long 1936 tufala agree for meeting kamap long haos bilong tufala long Wrexham. Sixfala month bihaen, bihaen Albert Lloyd visitim mifala, wanfala kongregeson kamap, and Jack Chadwick hem presiding overseer. Distaem, Wrexham garem thrifala kongregeson.

Laef Long Wanfala Gypsy Caravan

Kam kasem datfala taem, mifala bin muv raon and stap long eni ples mifala savve faendem, bat Zanoah disaed hem taem nao for mitufala garem haos wea mitufala savve tekem long olketa difren ples. Hasband bilong mi hem wanfala carpenter wea kam from laen bilong olketa Gypsy, and hem buildim wanfala Gypsy caravan for mitufala. Mitufala kolem diswan Elizabeth, wanfala Bible nem wea minim “God bilong Planti.”

Mi tingim yet wanfala ples mitufala stap—hem long wanfala garden klosap wanfala stream. Long mi hem barava olsem Paradaes! No eniting spoelem olketa hapi year wea mitufala stap insaed datfala caravan, nomata hem no garem staka spes. Long cold weather, olketa kava planti taem kamap ice and pas long wall bilong caravan, and wei wea cold kosim olketa samting for tuwet hem problem evritaem. Wata tu mifala mas karem go long caravan, samfala taem from farawe ples, bat mifala winim olketa hard samting hia tugeta.

Long wanfala cold season, mi sik and mitufala short long kaikai and no garem selen. Zanoah sidaon long bed, holem hand bilong mi, and readim Psalm 37:25 long mi: “Long bifor, mi wanfala young man, and distaem mi kamap olo nao, bat mi nating lukim eniwan wea raeteous hem no garem eni samting, or pikinini bilong hem lukaotem bred.” Hem luk long mi and sei: “Klosap nao iumi bae no garem eni samting nao, and mi sure God bae no letem datwan happen!” Then hem go aot for witness long olketa neiba.

Taem Zanoah kam bak long twelve for wakem drink for mi, wanfala leta stap for hem. Insaed garem $390 from dadi bilong hem. Samfala year bifor, olketa accusim Zanoah long wei for stealim selen and olketa just faendaot hem nating duim. Disfala present hem for sei sorre. Barava long taem mifala needim!

Lanem Leson

Samfala taem iumi evriwan lanem olketa leson bihaen staka year. Olsem example: Bifor mi lusim skul long 1927, mi witness long evri student long class bilong mi and evri teacher bilong mi—Lavinia Fairclough nomoa mi missim. From no eniwan interest long wanem mi plan for duim, and mi no fren gud witim Miss Fairclough tu, mi disaed no for talem hem. Tingim sapraes—and hapi—bilong mi taem mami bilong mi talem mi 20 year bihaen hao datfala teacher hem go bak for visitim evri fren and student bilong hem for talem olketa hao hem distaem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness!

Taem mi meetim hem, mi minim long hem why nao mi no storyim faith bilong mi long hem and wanem mi bin plan for duim. Hem lisin and sei: “Mi lukaotem truth for longtaem. Hem bin goal long laef bilong mi!” Mi lanem leson from disfala experience—for no enitaem hol bak for witness long evriwan wea mi meetim and mas no judgem eniwan.

Narafala War—And Bihaen

War gogo for start moa insaed olketa year bifor 1940. Olketa letem Dennis, brata bilong mi wea ten year moa young winim mi, for no serve long army only sapos hem go ahed for duim waka wea hem duim. Hem no showimaot interest long truth so mitufala hasband bilong mi askem wanfala pioneer, Rupert Bradbury and brata bilong hem David sapos tufala savve visitim hem. Tufala duim, and tufala studyim Bible witim hem. Dennis hem baptaes long 1942, kamap pioneer, and then traveling overseer long 1957.

Dota bilong mitufala, Elizabeth, hem born long 1938, and for kea for need bilong famili, Zanoah mekem caravan moa big. Taem mek-tu dota, Eunice, hem born long 1942, mifala luksavve hem wise for faendem wanfala haos. From diswan, Zanoah finis pioneer for samfala year, and mifala muv insaed wanfala smol haos klosap Wrexham. Bihaen, mifala stap long Middlewich long area bilong Cheshire. Long there nao hasband bilong mi dae long 1956.

Tufala dota bilong mifala duim preaching waka full-taem, and tufala evriwan marit. Eunice and hasband bilong hem, wea wanfala elder, serve yet olsem spesol pioneer long London. Hasband bilong Elizabeth tu hem elder, and mi hapi for stap long Preston, Lancashire, klosap long tufala, olketa pikinini bilong tufala, and fofala great-grani bilong mi.

Mi thankiu from mi savve wakabaot from haos bilong mi go long Kingdom Hall wea stap akrosim road. Insaed olketa year wea just go pas, mi kaban witim grup wea iusim Gujarati languis, wea olketa tu garem olketa meeting long there. For lanem languis hia hem no bin isi bikos mi earpas lelebet distaem. Hem hard samfala taem for minim toktok, olsem olketa wea moa young savve duim. Bat hem interesting challenge.

Mi still savve preach from door tu door and conductim olketa Bible study long haos bilong mi. Taem olketa fren kam visitim mi, hem evritaem naes for storyim moa olketa experience bilong mi. Mi hapi tumas for olketa spesol memory bilong mi insaed klosap 90 year wea mi kaban witim pipol bilong Jehovah.

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 25]

Handbill wea talemaot Bible tok “Planti Million Wea Stap Distaem Bae Nating Dae,” wea mi herem long May 14, 1922

[Piksa long page 26]

Witim Zanoah no longtaem bihaen mitufala marit long 1933

[Piksa long page 26]

Standap saed long “Elizabeth,” caravan wea hasband bilong mi buildim