Laef Story

Willing Wei for Givim Seleva Mekem Mifala Satisfae and Hapi Long Laef

STORY BILONG MARIAN AND ROSA SZUMIGA

Psalm 54:6 hem sei: “Long willing wei bae mi givim sakrifaes long iu.” Disfala toktok kamap olsem main samting long full laef bilong Marian Szumiga and waef bilong hem, Rosa, wea stap long France. No longtaem go nomoa tufala storyim samfala nambawan samting wea tufala kasem insaed laef wea mekem tufala satisfae taem olketa servem Jehovah for longtaem.

MARIAN: Parents bilong mi wea muv kam from Poland, member bilong Roman Catholic church. Dadi nating garem chance for go long skul. Bat, hem lane for read and raet taem hem stap insaed olketa hol for haed long taem bilong first world war. Dadi hem man wea fraet long God, bat staka taem hem feel nogud long church.

Wanfala samting hem happen wea hard for hem forgetim. Taem war go ahed long wanfala day, wanfala priest visitim grup bilong olketa soldia wea Dadi tu insaed datfala grup. Taem wanfala bomb bosta klosap long olketa, disfala priest hem seke and hem ranawe. Hem whipim horse bilong hem witim wanfala cross for mekem horse hia ran fast. Dadi barava seke for lukim disfala priest wea hem tingse hem man bilong God, iusim wanfala samting wea hem tingim hem holy for ranawe kwiktaem. Nomata Dadi lukim olketa kaen samting olsem and olketa nogud samting wea happen long war, faith bilong hem long God nating wikdaon. Staka taem hem savve sei God nao keepim hem dastawe hem kam bak sef from war.

“Smolfala Poland”

Long 1911, dadi bilong mi maritim wanfala girl wea stap klosap long vilij bilong hem. Nem bilong hem nao Anna Cisowski. No longtaem bihaen long war, long 1919, Dadi and Mami lusim Poland and muv go long France, wea Dadi garem waka long coal mine. Mi born long March 1926 long Cagnac-les-Mines, wea diswan hem long southwest France. Bihaen datwan, parents bilong mi setol insaed wanfala community bilong pipol from Poland long Loos-en-Gohelle, klosap long Lens long north France. Man wea wakem bred hem from Poland, man wea sellim meat hem from Poland, and priest long church hem from Poland. Dastawe olketa kolem disfala ples Smolfala Poland. Parents bilong mi tekpart long waka saed long community. Dadi savve arrangem olketa show, wea insaed diswan hem wanfala drama, music, and singsing. And tu, planti taem hem savve story witim priest, bat hem nating satisfae taem priest savve sei, “Staka samting stap wea hard for iumi minim.”

Wanfala day long 1930, tufala woman noknok long door bilong mifala. Tufala hia olketa Bible Student, wea hem nao nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Dadi bilong mi tekem Bible from tufala, buk wea for longtaem hem laek for readim. Hem and Mami barava interest for readim olketa Bible pablikeson wea olketa woman hia givim. Samting wea tufala readim insaed olketa pablikeson hia barava muvim tufala. Nomata tufala busy, parents bilong mi start for attendim olketa meeting wea olketa Bible Student arrangem. Olketa story bilong dadi witim priest gogo kamap olsem wei for argue. Gogo, wantaem priest hia warnim dadi hao sapos dadi and mami go ahed for kaban witim olketa Bible Student bae hem aotem sista bilong mi, Stéphanie, from skul wea hem go ahed for lanem olketa teaching bilong church. “No wari abaotem datwan,” Dadi sei. “Start long distaem, dota bilong mi and olketa nara pikinini bae kam witim mifala long meeting bilong olketa Bible Student.” Dadi hem finis for member bilong church, and long start bilong 1932, parents bilong mi baptaes. Long datfala taem, samting olsem 800 Kingdom pablisa nomoa stap long France.

Rosa: Parents bilong mi kam from Hungary and olsem famili bilong Marian, olketa setol long north France for waka long olketa coal mine. Mi born long 1925. Long 1937, wanfala Witness bilong Jehovah, Auguste Beugin, or Papa Auguste wea hem nao mifala kolem hem, start for tekem kam olketa Wastaoa long languis bilong Hungary for parents bilong mi. Tufala interest long olketa magasin, bat tufala no kamap Jehovah’s Witness.

Nomata mi young, samting wea mi readim insaed Wastaoa hem muvim mi, and Suzanne Beugin, dota in law bilong Papa Auguste, hem savve story witim mi. Parents bilong mi letem hem for tekem mi go long olketa meeting. Bihaen, taem mi start for waka, dadi no hapi for mi attendim olketa meeting long Sunday. Nomata dadi garem gud fasin, hem start for komplen olsem, “Iu nating stap long hia insaed long week, and long olketa Sunday iu go long olketa meeting bilong iu!” Nomata olsem, mi go ahed for go. Long wanfala day dadi hem sei, “Redyim basket bilong iu and go!” Datfala taem hem big naet nao. Mi 17 year nomoa and mi nating savve wea nao bae mi go. Mi go kasem haos bilong Suzanne and mi givim big krae. Mi stap witim Suzanne for samting olsem wan week then Dadi talem big sista bilong mi for tekem mi go bak long haos. Mi savve shame tumas, bat samting wea 1 John 4:18 talem, helpem mi for stand strong. Datfala scripture talem hao “perfect love torowem fraet aotsaed.” Mi baptaes long 1942.

Wanfala Spesol Spiritual Present

Marian: Mi witim olketa sista bilong mi Stéphanie and Mélanie witim brata bilong mi Stéphane baptaes long 1942. Long haos, Bible nao main samting insaed famili. Taem mifala sidaon raonem tebol, Dadi savve readim Bible long mifala long Polish languis. Long olketa evening mifala savve herehere long parents bilong mifala taem tufala storyim olketa experience bilong tufala long Kingdom-preaching waka. Olketa taem hia wea encouragem mifala long spiritual wei teachim mifala for lovem Jehovah and trust long hem evritaem. From health bilong dadi hem no mas gud hem stop for waka, bat hem go ahed for keepim mifala long spiritual and material wei.

From Dadi no busy tumas, hem savve study wantaem long wan week witim olketa young wan insaed kongregeson wea kam from Poland. Mi lane for readim Polish languis long there. Evritaem dadi encouragem olketa young wan long olketa didifren wei. Wantaem taem Brata Gustave Zopfer, wea hem nao lukaftarem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long France long datfala taem, visitim kongregeson bilong mifala, Dadi hem arrangem wanfala choir and wanfala Bible drama abaotem feast bilong King Belshazzar and handraeting long wall. (Daniel 5:1-31) Louis Piéchota wea bihaen hem stand strong againstim olketa Nazi, hem nao actim Daniel.a Hem nao kaen laef wea mifala olketa pikinini growap long hem. Mifala lukim hao parents bilong mifala evritaem busy long olketa spiritual samting. Distaem, mi luksavve long spesol spiritual present wea parents bilong mi givim mifala.

Preaching waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long France hem kamap tambu taem World War II hem start long 1939. Long wanfala taem, olketa kam chekim vilij bilong mifala. Olketa soldia bilong Germany raonem evri haos. Dadi wakem wanfala hol long floor andanit long wanfala cupboard for putim kaleko, and mifala haedem olketa didifren Bible pablikeson andanit datfala floor. Bat, samfala copy bilong disfala buklet Fascism or Freedom stap insaed drawer bilong wanfala tebol. Dadi kwiktaem haedem olketa insaed poket bilong wanfala shirt wea hange long wall. Tufala soldia and wanfala policeman bilong France chekim haos bilong mifala. Mifala stap and wari. Wanfala long olketa soldia start chekim olketa kaleko wea hange long wall, and then hem kam insaed long kitchen, wea mifala stap, witim olketa buklet long hand bilong hem. Hem luk strong long mifala, putim olketa buklet antap long tebol and go ahed chek long nara ples moa. Mi kwiktaem tekem olketa buklet hia and putim insaed wanfala drawer wea olketa soldia chekim finis. Datfala soldia nating ask for olketa buklet hia—⁠luk olsem hem barava forgetim olketa!

Joinim Full-Taem Service

Long 1948, mi disaed for servem Jehovah insaed full-taem service olsem wanfala pioneer. Tu-thri day bihaen mi kasem wanfala leta from branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long France. Disfala leta storyim assignment for mi serve olsem wanfala pioneer long Sedan kongregeson, klosap long Belgium. Parents bilong mi barava hapi for lukim mi willing for waka for Jehovah long disfala wei. Nomata olsem, dadi talem mi hao wei for pioneer hem no taem for holiday. Mi mas waka hard. Bat, hem sei mi bae welkam for go bak enitaem long haos bilong hem and sapos mi kasem problem bae mi savve depend long hem. Nomata parents bilong mi no garem staka selen, tufala peim wanfala bicycle for mi. Mi keepim yet receipt bilong datfala bicycle, and taem mi lukim, eye bilong mi savve fulap witim wata. Dadi and Mami dae long 1961, bat mi evritaem tingim wise toktok bilong Dadi. Olketa toktok hia encouragem and comfortim mi long olketa year wea mi pioneer.

Narafala samting wea encouragem mi nao wanfala sista, Elise Motte wea hem 75 year and stap long Sedan kongregeson. Long taem bilong hot season, mi savve raedem bicycle go long olketa farawe vilij for preach, and Elise savve kam long train. Bat, wanday olketa engineer bilong train straek from waka, and Elise no fit for kasem bak haos bilong hem. Only samting wea mi savve ting for duim nao for hem sidaon antap iron wea mi putim basket bilong mi long bicycle and tekem hem go long haos bilong hem. Long nextfala morning mi tekem kam smol pillow and pikimap Elise long haos bilong hem. Hem stop for tekem train and witim selen wea hem keepim, hem fit for peim drink for mitufala long lunch. Disfala bicycle bilong mi kamap olsem pablik transport.

Samfala Moa Responsibility

Long 1950, olketa askem mi for kamap circuit overseer for north France. From mi 23 year nomoa, mi barava wari. Mi ting maet branch office mekem wanfala mistek! Enikaen kwestin kamap long tingting bilong mi: ‘Waswe, mi fit long spiritual and physical saed for duim disfala waka? Hao nao bae mi feisim wei for muv go long difren haos evri week? And tu, from taem wea mi six year, mi kasem wankaen sik long eye wea olketa kolem divergent strabismus. Disfala sik mekem wanfala eye bilong mi for tan difren. Mi evritaem luksavve mi garem disfala problem so mi savve wari long tingting bilong olketa narawan. Mi hapi tumas bikos long datfala taem mi kasem help from Stefan Behunick, wanfala brata wea attendim missionary skul bilong Gilead. From preaching waka wea Brata Behunick duim long Poland olketa long there raosem hem and hem kasem niu assignment long France. Wei wea hem nating fraet barava strongim mi. Hem garem bigfala respect for Jehovah and for truth. Samfala tingse hem bossim mi tumas, bat mi lanem planti samting from hem. Wei wea hem nating fraet helpem mi for no fraet.

Mi kasem samfala nambawan experience long field service taem mi duim circuit waka. Long 1953, samwan askem mi for go visitim Mr. Paoli. Man hia garem subscription for olketa Wastaoa and hem stap long south Paris. Mitufala meet and hem talem hao hem retire finis from army and hem interest tumas long Wastaoa. Hem storyim hao bihaen hem readim wanfala article abaotem Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ, hem celebratem datfala Memorial seleva and long datfala evening hem readim buk bilong Psalm. Mitufala story for klosap full aftanun. Bifor mi lusim hem, mitufala story lelebet abaotem wei for baptaes. Bihaen, mi sendem hem wanfala invitation for attendim circuit assembly bilong mifala wea bae kamap long 1954 and hem kam. Brata Paoli hem wanfala long 26 wea baptaes long datfala assembly. Olketa kaen experience olsem go ahed for mekem mi hapi distaem.

Rosa: Long October 1948, mi start for pioneer. Bihaen mi pioneer long Anor, klosap long Belgium, mi kasem assignment for go long Paris witim narafala pioneer, Irène Kolansk (distaem Leroy). Mifala stap long wanfala smol rum long Saint-Germain-des-Près long midol bilong disfala taon. From mi no growap long taon, mi barava sapraes long pipol long Paris. Mi tingse olketa evriwan nao garem bigfala savve. Bat bihaen mi preach long olketa mi luksavve hao olketa semsem olsem evri pipol nomoa. Planti taem security gard savve raosem mifala, gogo hem no isi for startim olketa Bible study. Nomata olsem, samfala pipol acceptim message bilong mifala.

Long wanfala circuit assembly long 1951, mitufala Irène garem interview abaotem pioneer service bilong mifala. Hu nao interviewim mifala? Wanfala young circuit overseer wea nem bilong hem nao Marian Szumiga. Mitufala meet wantaem bifor, bat bihaen long assembly, mitufala start for raet long each other. Mitufala Marian garem planti samting wea mitufala semsem long hem, wanfala samting nao mitufala baptaes long sem year and start pioneer long sem year. Bat important samting, mitufala evriwan laek for stap long full-taem service. So bihaen mifala prea abaotem, mitufala marit long July 31, 1956. Bihaen mi marit, mi startim barava niufala laef. Mi mas getius for duim waka olsem wanfala waef and tu for go witim Marian long circuit waka, wea minim mifala garem difren haos evri week. Long firstaem, hem nating isi, bat olketa nambawan hapi stap front long mifala.

Wanfala Nambawan Laef

Marian: Insaed olketa year wea go pas, mifala garem privilege for help redyim samfala convention. Mi tingim yet wanfala wea kamap long Bordeaux long 1966. Long datfala taem, olketa tambuim waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Portugal. So assembly program kamap long Portugal languis mekem olketa Witness wea fit for kasem France savve herehere. Planti handred long olketa Christian brata and sista arrive kam from Portugal, bat problem nao olketa no garem ples for stap. From olketa Witness long Bordeaux no garem inaf spes long haos bilong olketa, mifala rentim wanfala emti haos for lukluk movie for iusim olsem ples for sleep. Mifala aotem evri chair, and iusim wanfala curtain from stage for hafem disfala hall. Wansaed for olketa brata and narasaed for olketa sista. Mifala wakem tu olketa ples for swim and waswas, putim drae grass long cement floor, and kavarem datwan witim kanvas. Evriwan satisfae witim diswan.

Bihaen olketa session bilong convention, mifala visitim olketa brata and sista bilong mifala long ples wea olketa stap. Evriwan hapi. Olketa experience wea olketa kasem insaed long planti year bilong persecution encouragem mifala! Mifala evriwan krae taem olketa go bak long end bilong assembly.

Tufala year bifor datwan, long 1964, mi kasem privilege for kamap distrik overseer. Mi kwestinim miseleva moa sapos mi fit for duim disfala waka. Bat then mi sei long miseleva, sapos olketa wea garem responsibility askem mi for acceptim disfala assignment, then luk olsem olketa savve mi fit for duim. Mi barava hapi tumas for waka tugeta witim olketa nara traveling overseer. Mi lanem planti samting from olketa. Planti long olketa nao olketa fasin wea important long Jehovah olsem wei for patient and no givap. Mi luksavve hao sapos iumi lane for patient, Jehovah bae savve iusim iumi.

Long 1982 branch office askem mifala for lukaftarem smol grup bilong 12-fala pablisa from Poland long Boulogne-Billancourt, wea diswan long border bilong taon bilong Paris. Mi barava sapraes. Mi savve long olketa theocratic toktok long Polish languis, bat hem no isi for mi story stret. Bat, kaenfala fasin and wei wea olketa brata willing for helpem mi barava encouragem mi. Distaem, samting olsem 170 pablisa, wea insaed diswan hem klosap 60 pioneer, stap long datfala kongregeson. Bihaen, Rosa and mi visitim olketa grup and kongregeson long Austria, Denmark, and Germany wea iusim Polish languis.

Laef Hem Change

Wei for visitim olketa didifren kongregeson hem main samting wea mifala duim, bat taem health bilong mi kamap nogud mifala stop for duim traveling waka long 2001. Mifala faendem wanfala haos long taon bilong Pithiviers, wea sista bilong mi, Ruth hem stap. Branch office hem kaen tumas for appointim mifala olsem spesol pioneer wea garem goal long hour wea fitim mitufala.

Rosa: Mi faendem first year wea mitufala no duim circuit waka hem hard tumas for mi. Wei wea datfala change hem big tumas mekem mi feel iusles nao. Then mi garem disfala tingting, ‘Iu savve iusim gud taem and strong bilong iu yet long wei for serve olsem pioneer.’ Distaem, mi hapi for waka witim olketa nara pioneer long kongregeson bilong mifala.

Jehovah Kea for Mifala Evritaem

Marian: Mi barava thankiu long Jehovah long wei wea Rosa hem stap olsem partner bilong mi for 48 year finis. Insaed olketa year wea mifala duim traveling waka, hem barava sapotim mi long bigfala wei. No enitaem mi herem hem sei, ‘Mi laekem iumi stop and garem haos bilong iumiseleva.’

Rosa: Samfala taem samfala pipol savve sei long mi, “Iu no garem normal laef. Evritaem iu stap witim olketa narawan.” Bat wanem nao “normal laef”? Staka taem iumi mekem iumiseleva busy long staka samting gogo hem hard for iumi aftarem olketa spiritual samting. Samting wea iumi needim nomoa hem gudfala bed, wanfala tebol, and tu-thri samting wea iumi needim. From mifala pioneer, mifala no garem staka material samting, bat mifala garem evriting wea mifala needim for duim will bilong Jehovah. Samfala savve askem mi, “Wanem nao bae iu duim taem iu olo, iu no garem haos bilong iuseleva and no garem selen?” Mi savve talem toktok long Psalm 34:10: ‘Saed long olketa wea luk aotem Jehovah, bae olketa no missim eni gudfala samting.’ Evritaem Jehovah hem kea for mifala.

Marian: Datwan barava tru! For tok stret, Jehovah givim mifala staka samting. Olsem example, long 1958, olketa chusim mi for attendim international convention long New York. Bat, mifala no garem selen for peim ticket for Rosa. Long wanfala evening wanfala brata givim mifala envelope wea garem disfala toktok “New York” long hem. Disfala present mekem wei for Rosa savve kam witim mi!

Mitufala Rosa barava nating sorre long planti year wea mifala servem Jehovah. Mitufala no lusim eniting bat mifala kasem evriting—⁠laef wea satisfae and hapi insaed full-taem service. Jehovah hem wanfala nambawan God. Mifala lane for barava trust long Jehovah, and love bilong mifala for hem kamap moa deep. Samfala Christian brata bilong mifala dae from olketa stap faithful. Bat, mi luksavve hao samwan savve isisi sakrifaesim laef bilong hem tu long waka bilong Jehovah. Hem nao samting wea mitufala Rosa trae hard for duim kam kasem duim. And hem nao wanem mifala ting strong for duim long future.

[Footnote]

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François and Anna Szumiga and olketa pikinini bilong tufala, Stéphanie, Stéphane, Mélanie, and Marian, maet long 1930. Marian nao standap long stool

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Antap: Offerim olketa Bible pablikeson long wanfala market long Armentières, north France, long 1950

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Left: Stefan Behunick witim Marian long 1950

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Marian and Rosa long day bifor tufala marit

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Rosa (first wan long leftsaed) witim pioneer partner bilong hem Irène (mek-foa from leftsaed), talemaot wanfala assembly long 1951

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Long taem wea mitufala duim olketa circuit visit, main transport nao bicycle