Laef Story
Education wea Go Ahed for Full Laef
STORY BILONG HAROLD GLUYAS
For winim 70 year, mi rememberim yet wanfala samting wea happen taem mi pikinini. Mi sidaon long kitchen, and lukluk long wanfala raeting “Ceylon Tea” wea stap long wanfala packet tea. Hem garem wanfala piksa tu bilong samfala woman wea harvestim tea leaf long olketa green field bilong Ceylon (wea distaem hem Sri Lanka). Disfala piksa wea showim ples wea farawe tumas from hom bilong mifala long South Australia wea drae fogud, hem muvim tingting bilong mi. Ceylon masbi wanfala kantri wea luk naes tumas and barava spesol! Long dat taem mi no savve bae mi stap for 54 year olsem wanfala missionary long datfala barava interesting island.
LONG April 1922, mi born long taem wea laef hem difren tumas from distaem. Famili bilong mi garem wanfala wheat farm klosap long taon bilong Kimba, long midol bilong Australia, long south saed bilong bigfala drae area long there. Laef bilong mifala fulap witim danger, bikos mifala garem drae season evritaem, attak bilong olketa insect, and hot maka hot weather. Mifala stap insaed wanfala smol kapa haos, wea mami waka hard for lukaftarem Dadi and mifala sixfala pikinini.
Nomata olsem, mi ting long bush ples hia olsem ples wea man free and hapi. Mi remember taem mi young and sapraes long olketa strongfala buluka wea kliarem bush, and saond bilong big wind wea mekem dust kavarem evriting. Really, education bilong mi abaotem laef hem happen bifor mi start for attendim smol skul wea mi mas wakabaot faev kilometer for kasem wea garem wanfala teacher nomoa.
Parents bilong mi tinghae long religion, bat bikos farm bilong mifala farawe tumas from taon, tufala no savve gogo long church. Nomata olsem, long olketa year bihaen 1930, Mami start for lisin long olketa Bible tok wea Judge Rutherford givim, wea kamap long wanfala radio station long Adelaide evri week. Mi tingse Judge Rutherford hem wanfala man for preach long Adelaide, and mi no interest tumas. Bat each week, Mami luk forward for olketa tok bilong Rutherford and lisin gud taem voice bilong hem kamaot from old radio bilong mifala wea ran long battery.
Wanfala hot aftanun, wanfala old pik-ap trak hem stop front long haos bilong mifala, and tufala man wea werem gud kaleko kamaot from trak. Tufala hia Jehovah’s Witness. Mami lisin gud long message bilong olketa and givim selen for baem samfala buk, and start for readim stretawe. Olketa buk hia affectim hem long bigfala wei, so no longtaem bihaen hem askem Dadi for draev go long olketa neiba mekem hem savve storyim wanem hem lanem.
Gud Samting wea Kamaot From Wei for Kaban Witim Spiritual Pipol
From laef hem hard, gogo mifala mas muv go long taon bilong Adelaide, wea hem 500 kilometer from ples mifala stap. Famili bilong mifala start for kaban witim Adelaide Kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and mifala start for go ahed gud long spiritual wei. Taem mifala muv kam, mi finis skul tu. Mi kasem 13 year nomoa and finis long class seven. From mi man for herehere nomoa long samting pipol talem, maet bae mi no aftarem olketa spiritual samting sapos samfala nambawan brata wea full-taem minister no showimaot interest long mi.
Gogo, example bilong olketa strong brata hia muvim feeling for laekem spiritual samting wea mi garem. Mi laek tumas for kaban witim olketa and tinghae long wei wea olketa waka hard. So taem olketa talem wanfala announcement wea encouragem wei for join insaed full-taem service long wanfala convention long Adelaide long 1940, mi seke nomoa mi givim go nem bilong mi. Mi no baptaes yet long datfala taem and no garem eni savve for witness. Bat, tu-thri day bihaen, wanfala smol grup bilong olketa pioneer long Warrnambool, wanfala taon long Victoria, wea stap planti handred kilometer from Adelaide, olketa invaetem mi for joinim olketa.
Nomata mi start olsem, mi mekem grow love for field ministry, and mi hapi for sei hao kam kasem distaem mi still lovem ministry long sem wei. For tok stret, datwan hem wanfala important change long laef bilong mi, and mi start for barava muv ahed long spiritual wei. Mi lanem gudfala samting wea kamaot from wei for fren klos witim olketa wea lovem spiritual samting. Mi faendaot hao gudfala fasin bilong olketa savve encouragem iumi for duim best, nomata wanem kaen education iumi kasem. And tu, samting wea iumi lanem from olketa savve helpem iumi for full laef.
Olketa Test Strongim Mi
Mi insaed long pioneer service for lelebet taem nomoa taem gavman tambuim waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Australia. From mi no really sure wanem for duim, mi askem advaes from olketa brata, wea talem mi hao no eni tambu stap saed long wei for story long pipol abaotem Bible. So, mi and olketa nara pioneer start for go from haos tu haos witim wanfala simpol message from Bible. Diswan strongim mi for olketa test wea mi klosap for kasem.
Fofala month bihaen, mi kasem 18 year and gavman askem mi for join insaed army. Diswan mekem chance kamap for mi talemaot wanem mi bilivim long samfala bigman bilong army and tu long wanfala judge. Long datfala taem, samting olsem 20 brata stap insaed prison long Adelaide bikos olketa no teksaed, and no longtaem bihaen mi go long there tu. Olketa markem mifala for waka hard, digim aot ston and fixim olketa road. Diswan helpem mi for mekem grow fasin for stand strong and wei for no givap. Gogo gudfala fasin and wei wea mifala stand strong hem mekem staka prison security for respectim mifala.
Taem olketa letem mi go free tu-thri month bihaen, mi start for kaikaim gud kaikai and stretawe start for pioneer moa. Nomata olsem, long dat taem hem hard for faendem olketa pioneer partner, so olketa askem mi for duim wanfala farawe farm area long South Australia. Mi agree and go long ship long Yorke Peninsula, and mi garem nomoa wanem mi needim for witnessing and wanfala bicycle. Taem mi arrive long there, wanfala famili wea interest olketa leadim mi go long wanfala resthaos wea wanfala kaen woman hem lukaftarem mi olsem pikinini bilong hem. Long daytaem, mi savve raed followim olketa dust road for preach long olketa smol taon wea stap long datfala point. For preach long olketa farawe ples, samfala taem mi sleep long olketa smol hotel or resthaos. Long wei olsem, mi raed for staka handred kilometer and kasem staka nambawan experience. Mi no wari tumas for waka seleva, and taem mi lukim hao Jehovah lukaftarem mi, mi kam moa klos long hem.
Deal Witim Feeling for Tingse Mi No Fit
Long 1946, mi kasem wanfala leta wea invaetem mi for duim traveling waka olsem wanfala servant for brethren (distaem hem garem nem circuit overseer). Diswan minim for visitim olketa kongregeson long wanfala circuit. For tok stret, mi faendem olketa responsibility bilong disfala assignment hem hard tumas. Wanday mi herem wanfala brata hem sei, “Harold hem no gudfala speaker long platform, bat hem barava gud man long field.” Datfala toktok barava encouragem mi. Miseleva luksavve mi no mas gud long wei for givim tok and organizem samting, bat mi biliv hao preaching waka nao main waka bilong olketa Christian.
Long 1947, evriwan luk forward tumas long visit bilong Brata Nathan Knorr and Milton Henschel from headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn. Diswan hem first visit moa bihaen Brata Rutherford hem visit kam long 1938. Wanfala bigfala convention hem kamap long Sydney long semtaem wea hem visit. Olsem staka nara young pioneer, mi interest tumas long missionary training wea just start long Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead long South Lansing, New York, United States. Staka long mifala wea attend no really sure sapos man mas garem bigfala education bifor hem fit for joinim skul hia. Bat, Brata Knorr explainim hao sapos mifala savve readim wanfala article insaed long Wastaoa magasin and rememberim olketa main point, bae mifala kasem gud samting long Gilead.
Mi tingse lelebet education wea mi kasem bae mekem mi no fit. Mi sapraes fogud taem tu-thri month bihaen, mi kasem invitation for apply for go long Gilead. Bihaen, olketa acceptim mi olsem wanfala student, and mi attendim mek-16 class, wea kamap long 1950. Disfala nambawan training hem muvim mi for no fraet. Hem mekem mi luksavve hao wei for win hem no depend long bigfala education. Bat, wei for waka hard and obey nao olketa main mark wea man mas kasem. Olketa teacher bilong mifala encouragem mifala for duim best. Taem mi followim advaes bilong olketa, mi muv ahed and fit for finisim datfala course.
From Australia Go Long Ceylon
Bihaen mifala finis skul, mi and tufala nara brata from Australia kasem assignment for go long Ceylon (wea distaem hem Sri Lanka). Mifala kasem main taon, Colombo, long September 1951. Hem hot fogud, and mifala lukim staka niu samting, niu saond and smel. Taem mifala go daon from ship, wanfala missionary brata wea serve finis long datfala kantri hem sei hello long mi and givim mi wanfala handbill wea invaetem pipol for kam herem wanfala pablik tok wea bae kamap long Sunday long taon. Mi sapraes tumas taem mi lukim nem bilong mi long datfala handbill—mi nao bae givim datfala tok! Mi fraet fogud. Bat mi lanem long olketa year wea mi pioneer long Australia for acceptim eni assignment wea mi kasem. So witim help bilong Jehovah, mi givim datfala pablik tok. Mifala thrifala join witim fofala singol brata wea stap finis long Colombo missionary hom for lanem Sinhala languis and for join insaed long field ministry. Staka taem mifala go seleva, and mifala hapi for faendem pipol long datfala ples olketa showimaot respect and welkamim mifala. No longtaem bihaen, namba bilong olketa wea attendim olketa meeting start for grow.
Gogo, mi start for tingim tumas wanfala naesbola pioneer sista, Sybil, wea mi meetim taem mi gogo long ship for attendim Gilead Skul. Hem go long datfala international convention long New York. Bihaen, hem attendim mek-21 class bilong Gilead and kasem assignment for go long Hong Kong long 1953. Mi disaed for raet go long hem, and mitufala raet long each other go kasem 1955 taem Sybil kam long Ceylon and mitufala marit.
First missionary assignment bilong mifala olsem hasband and waef hem long Jaffna, wanfala taon long barava north saed bilong Sri Lanka. Long olketa year bihaen 1950, olketa raoa saed long politik start for divaedem olketa Sinhala and Tamil community, wea hem startim wanfala civil war wea go ahed for staka year bihaen. Hem barava naes tumas for lukim olketa Sinhala and Tamil Witness protectim each other for staka month long olketa hard year hia! Olketa test hia strongim and mekem faith bilong olketa brata kamap moabeta.
Preach and Teach Long Sri Lanka
For getius long olketa Hindu and Muslim community hem needim patient fasin and wei for no givap. Nomata olsem, mifala start for minim tufala difren sekson hia and tinghae long gudfala fasin bilong olketa. Bikos olketa no evritaem lukim man from difren kantri gogo long bas, taem mifala go olketa savve lukluk strong. Sybil disaed for smile go long olketa. Hem naes tumas for lukim taem olketa smile kam bak!
Wantaem olketa stopem mifala long ples wea olketa blokem road. Bihaen security askem mifala wea nao hom bilong mifala and wea nao mifala gogo, hem askem samfala kwestin moa.
“Hu nao disfala woman?”
Mi sei: “Waef bilong mi.”
“Haomas year nao iutufala marit finis?”
“Eitfala year.”
“Waswe, iutufala garem eni pikinini?”
“Nomoa.”
“Mae krangge! Iufala go lukim doctor finis?”
Long firstaem diskaen wei for interest long man hem mekem mifala sapraes, bat gogo mifala luksavve pipol long there really interest long nara pipol. Tru nao, hem nao wanfala naesfala fasin bilong olketa. Only samting man need for duim hem for standap tu-thri minute long wan ples, and then samwan bae kam long hem for ask sapos hem needim eni help.
Olketa Change and Ting Go Bak
Insaed olketa year wea go pas, mifala hapi for duim olketa nara assignment witim wei for duim missionary waka long Sri Lanka. Mi kasem assignment for serve olsem wanfala circuit and distrik overseer, and tu, olsem member bilong Branch Komiti. Long 1996, mi winim 70 year nao. Kasem datfala taem mifala hapi for serve for 45 year finis long Sri Lanka olsem missionary. Long first meeting wea mi attendim long Colombo, samting olsem 20 pipol nao attend. Datfala namba hem grow for winim 3,500! Mitufala Sybil ting long staka hia olsem olketa spiritual pikinini and granpikinini. Nomata olsem, staka waka yet stap for duim long datfala full kantri—wea fitim olketa wea moa young winim mitufala olo. From mifala ting olsem, mifala acceptim wanfala invitation from Governing Body for go bak long Australia. Diswan mekem wei open for olketa wea moa young for go long Sri Lanka olsem missionary for changem mifala.
Distaem mi 82 year nao, and mi and Sybil hapi from mitufala healthy yet for go ahed long spesol pioneer waka long homples bilong mi long Adelaide. Ministry wea mitufala duim hem mekem mind bilong mifala waka gud and savve acceptim eni niu change. Hem helpem mifala for change for fitim difren kaen living long disfala kantri.
Jehovah hem go ahed for lukaftarem mifala saed long material wei, and olketa brata and sista long kongregeson wea mitufala stap insaed barava sapotim and showim bigfala love long mitufala. No longtaem go nomoa mi kasem wanfala niu assignment. Mi bae waka olsem secretary long kongregeson bilong mifala. Mi lukim hao taem mi traem best for servem Jehovah long faithful wei, training bilong mi hem no stop. Taem mi ting go bak long olketa year wea go pas, mi sapraes tumas from wei wea wanfala simpol man olsem mi wea kam from bush fit for kasem nambawan education olsem—education wea go ahed for full laef.
[Piksa long page 26]
Day wea mitufala marit, 1955
[Piksa long page 27]
Mitufala Rajan Kadirgamar, wanfala brata from Sri Lanka, long field service long 1957
[Piksa long page 28]
Mi and Sybil distaem