“Olketa Island Bae Hapi”

MI BORN long 1955, long Queensland, long Australia. No longtaem bihaen, mami bilong mi, Estelle, start for studyim Bible witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and hem baptaes wan year bihaen. Dadi bilong mi, Ron, hem baptaes 13-fala year bihaen datwan. Mi baptaes long 1968, long wanfala rural area long Queensland.

Start taem mi pikinini, mi laek tumas for read and mi barava interest long olketa languis. Taem mifala savve go long car masbi dadi and mami no hapi bikos mi evritaem sidaon bihaen and readread, and no lukluk long olketa naes ples wea mifala go pasim. Bat from mi laek tumas for read, datwan helpem mi long skul. Taem mi long hae skul long Glenorchy, long Tasmania, mi tekem samfala award long skul.

Long datfala taem, mi mas disaed sapos mi bae acceptim scholarship for go long university or nomoa. Mi laek tumas for read and for lanem niu samting. Nomata olsem, mi hapi tumas from mami bilong mi teachim mi for lovem Jehovah winim eniwan or eni nara samting. (1 Cor. 3:18, 19) So mi disaed for start pioneer bihaen mi tekem skul certificate. Dadi and mami sapotim datfala disison. So taem mi 15 year, mi finis skul and mi start for pioneer long January 1971.

For eitfala year mi garem privilege for pioneer long Tasmania. Long datfala taem, mi maritim wanfala naesfala gele from Tasmania, wea nem bilong hem Jenny Alcock. Mitufala spesol pioneer for fofala year long Smithton and Queenstown, tufala taon long olketa rural area long Tasmania.

KAMAP MISSIONARY LONG PACIFIC

Long 1978, mitufala go long Port Moresby, long Papua New Guinea, for wanfala international convention. Mi tingim yet wanfala missionary wea givim tok long Hiri Motu languis. Nomata mi no minim wanem hem talem, bat datwan mekem mi tu laek for kamap missionary, lanem nara languis, and givim olketa tok for encouragem olketa brata and sista long languis bilong olketa. From mi barava interest long languis, mi luksavve mi savve iusim wanem mi interest long hem long worship bilong mi for Jehovah.

Taem mifala go bak long Australia, mifala sapraes for kasem invitation for kamap missionary. Mifala arrive long Funafuti, long Tuvalu, long January 1979. Long datfala taem, 3-fala baptaes pablisa nomoa stap long Tuvalu.

Hem no isi for lanem Tuvaluan languis. Wanfala buk nomoa olketa printim long datfala languis, and hem nao “New Testament.” No eni dictionary or languis course stap long Tuvaluan languis, so mifala disaed for lanem samting olsem 10 or 20-fala niu word evriday. Bat then mifala start for luksavve mifala no savve long stretfala mining bilong staka word hia. Olsem example, taem mifala laek talem pipol hem rong for duim spiritism, bat mifala talem olketa hem rong for iusim scale and walking stik! Nomata olsem, from mifala garem samfala Bible study, mifala mas gohed lanem datfala languis. Staka year bihaen, wanfala long olketa first Bible study hia sei: “Mifala hapi tumas bikos distaem iutufala savve gud long languis bilong mifala. Long firstaem, mifala nating minim wanem nao iutufala trae for storyim!”

Bat wanfala samting nao barava helpem mifala for lanem kwiktaem datfala languis. Mifala mas stap witim wanfala Witness famili long main vilij, bikos no eni ples for mifala rentim. So mifala iusim languis evritaem, nomata long haos tu. From mifala no story long English for plande year, gogo Tuvaluan languis nao main languis wea mitufala iusim.

No longtaem bihaen mifala arrive long Tuvalu, staka pipol start for interest long truth. Bat wanem buk nao bae mifala iusim for study witim olketa? No eni buk stap long Tuvaluan languis. Wanem buk nao bae olketa iusim for study seleva? Taem olketa start for kam long olketa meeting, hao nao bae olketa singim olketa Kingdom song, givim tok, or prepare for olketa meeting? Hao nao bae olketa kamap fit for baptaes? Olketa needim olketa buk long Tuvaluan languis mekem olketa savve lane abaotem Jehovah! (1 Cor. 14:9) From samting olsem 15,000 pipol nomoa iusim Tuvaluan languis, mifala tingse hard for mifala garem olketa buk long Tuvaluan languis. Nomata olsem, Jehovah helpem mifala for luksavve long tufala samting: (1) Hem laekem pipol long “olketa island wea stap farawe” for lane abaotem hem, and (2) hem laekem olketa wea pipol long world maet tingse olketa no important, for savve long hem and worshipim hem.—Jer. 31:10; Zeph. 3:12.

TRANSLEITIM SPIRITUAL KAIKAI

Long 1980, mifala kasem assignment from branch office for transleitim samfala buk long Tuvaluan languis. Nomata mifala feel olsem mifala no savve gud long datfala languis, bat mifala start for transleit nao. (1 Cor. 1:28, 29) Long firstaem mifala peim wanfala old machine from gavman for printim by hand olketa literature for olketa meeting bilong mifala. Bihaen, mifala transleitim tu datfala buk Truth Where Bringim Man Long Life All-the-Way go long Tuvaluan languis, and mifala printim long disfala smol machine tu. Mi still tingim strongfala smel bilong ink, and wei wea datfala waka hem no isi from ples hia hem barava hot. Long datfala taem mifala no garem electric paoa!

Hem no isi for transleitim olketa pablikeson go long Tuvaluan languis, bikos olketa no garem eni dictionary or nara buk olsem long datfala languis wea mifala savve duim research long hem. Bat samfala taem Jehovah helpem mifala long wei wea mifala no expectim. Olsem example, wanday mi forget and mi go long haos bilong wanfala olo man wea no laekem mifala for preach long hem. Man hia wea hem wanfala teacher bifor sei hem talem mifala finis for no go preach long haos bilong hem. Then hem sei: “Wanfala samting nao mi laek talem long iu. Hao iufala transleitim olketa buk bilong iufala hem no really hao mifala long Tuvalu savve story.” Then hem talem mi wanfala samting wea mifala shud changem long transleison bilong mifala. Mi askem olketa narawan abaotem datwan, and samting wea hem talem hem tru. So mifala changem samfala samting long transleison bilong mifala. Mi barava sapraes long wei wea Jehovah iusim datfala man, wea no interest long truth bat wea readim olketa pablikeson, for helpem mifala!

Firstfala pablikeson long Tuvaluan languis wea mifala offerim long pipol, hem wanfala Memorial invitation. Then mifala garem datfala tract, Kingdom News No. 30, wea mifala kasem long semtaem olsem English. Mifala hapi tumas for offerim long pipol olketa literature hia long languis bilong olketa! Bihaen, mifala garem samfala brochure and buk tu long Tuvaluan languis. Long 1983, branch office long Australia start for printim Wastaoa magasin long Tuvaluan languis. Magasin hia garem 24-fala page, and olketa printim evri thrifala month. Waswe, pipol long Tuvalu laekem olketa buk and magasin bilong iumi? Yes, olketa barava laekem bikos olketa pipol for read. Evritaem olketa niu pablikeson bilong iumi kamaot, olketa savve talemaot long nius long radio station. Samfala taem hem nao main nius long radio!a

Hao nao mifala duim transleison waka long datfala taem? Firstaem mifala iusim pen and pepa nomoa for transleit. Then mifala typem wanem mifala transleitim long pepa. Maet mifala mas typem staka taem for stretem olketa mistek bifor mifala savve sendem go long Australia branch. Tufala difren sista long branch long there typem long computer wanem mifala sendem, nomata tufala no savve long Tuvaluan languis. Then tufala comparem wanem tufala typem and datwan helpem tufala for faendem eni mistek and stretem datwan. Then olketa addim piksa long olketa article hia and postim kam bak long mifala for chekim. Bihaen mifala chekim, mifala sendem go bak long branch for printim.

Distaem, hao olketa duim transleison hem barava difren! Olketa transleison team typem long computer wanem olketa transleitim. Then narawan long transleison department addim piksa long olketa article hia. Taem datfala pablikeson hem redi, olketa iusim Internet for sendem go long branch wea bae printim for olketa. Distaem, no eniwan need for hariap go long post office for sendem olketa pablikeson go long branch for printim!

OLKETA NARA ASSIGNMENT

Long olketa year bihaen, mitufala Jenny kasem olketa nara assignment long Pacific. Long 1985, mifala kasem assignment for go long Samoa branch. Long Samoa mifala helpem olketa transleison team wea transleit long Samoan, Tongan, and Tokelauan languis. And mifala gohed duim transleison long Tuvaluan languis tu.b Then long 1996, mifala kasem assignment for waka long Transleison Department long Fiji branch for helpem olketa transleison team wea transleit long Fijian, Kiribati, Nauruan, Rotuman, and Tuvaluan languis.

Mi tinghae long wei wea olketa transleita waka hard, nomata datfala waka hem no isi and savve mekem olketa barava taed. Olketa faithful brata and sista hia garem sem tingting olsem Jehovah, wea laekem tumas for pipol herem gud nius long languis bilong olketa seleva. (Rev. 14:6) Olsem example, taem mifala redi for start transleitim Wastaoa long Tongan languis, mi story witim evri elder long Tonga and askem olketa hu nao savve kasem training for duim datfala waka. Wanfala elder wea hem mechanic, hem willing for lusim gudfala waka bilong hem, and kamap wanfala transleita long next day. Strongfala faith bilong hem barava encouragem mi. Hem garem famili and long datfala taem hem no savve yet hao nao bae hem kasem selen for lukaftarem famili bilong hem. Nomata olsem, Jehovah provaedem wanem hem and famili bilong hem needim, and hem duim transleison waka for staka year.

Olketa transleita garem sem tingting olsem olketa member bilong Governing Body wea laekem tumas for provaedem spiritual kaikai long evri languis, nomata long olketa languis wea no staka pipol iusim. Olsem example, wantaem samfala no sure sapos hem gud idea for transleitim olketa pablikeson long Tuvaluan languis, bikos no staka pipol iusim datfala languis. Mifala askem Governing Body abaotem diswan and ansa bilong olketa barava encouragem mi. Olketa sei: “Datwan hem no samting for iufala wari long hem, mifala laekem iufala for gohed transleitim olketa pablikeson long Tuvaluan languis. Nomata no staka pipol iusim Tuvaluan languis olsem olketa nara languis, pipol long there still need for herem gud nius long languis bilong olketa seleva.”

Long 2003, mitufala Jenny kasem assignment for go waka long Transleison Services Department long Patterson, long New York. Mitufala barava hapi for kasem datfala assignment! Disfala department hem sapotim waka for transleitim olketa pablikeson bilong iumi long staka languis raonem world. Insaed long tufala year wea mitufala waka long Transleison Services, mifala go long olketa difren kantri for trainim olketa transleison team.

SAMFALA IMPORTANT DISISON

Distaem bae mi storyim moa datfala meeting wea mifala garem witim Writing Komiti. Long year 2000, Governing Body luksavve olketa transleison team raonem world needim help for duim gud waka bilong olketa. Staka transleita no kasem eni training saed long transleison waka. Bihaen mifala meet witim Writing Komiti, Governing Body disaed for trainim evri transleita raonem world. Olketa transleita kasem training for minim English, olketa lanem olketa teknik for duim transleison, and olketa lanem niu arrangement for team nao duim transleison.

Wanem gud samting nao kamaot from datfala training? Waka wea olketa transleita duim hem kamap gud. And tu, distaem iumi transleitim olketa pablikeson bilong iumi long staka languis winim bifor. Long 1979, taem mifala kamap missionary, iumi transleitim Wastaoa magasin long 82 languis nomoa. And long staka languis hia, olketa kasem Wastaoa bilong olketa tu-thri month bihaen English magasin. Bat distaem, iumi transleitim Wastaoa magasin long winim 240 languis, and staka long olketa hia kamaot long semtaem olsem English magasin. Distaem spiritual kaikai hem stap long winim 700 languis. Diswan hem samting wea mifala no tingse bae hem happen.

Long 2004, Governing Body disaedem narafala important samting. Olketa luksavve bigfala need hem stap for kwiktaem transleitim New World Translation long staka nara languis moa. From datwan, staka pipol distaem savve readim New World Translation long languis bilong olketa seleva. Long 2014, iumi transleitim finis full Bible or samfala part bilong hem long 128 languis. Plande long olketa languis hia hem olketa languis bilong pipol long South Pacific.

Wanfala barava spesol samting long laef bilong mi hem taem mi go attendim convention long Tuvalu long 2011. Bifor datfala convention, hem no rain long full island for staka month. Olketa brata tingse maet olketa mas cancelim datfala convention. Bat long evening wea mi arrive, hem start for rain big. So convention hem gohed! Mi kasem bigfala privilege for releasem New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures long Tuvaluan languis! Nomata olketa pablisa wea iusim datfala languis olketa no staka, olketa tu kasem disfala nambawan present from Jehovah. Then taem convention hem finis, hem rain big moa. So evriwan garem staka spiritual wata and staka wata for drink tu!

Sorre samting, waef bilong mi Jenny no stap witim mi long datfala convention. Hem dae long 2009, bihaen hem sik for tenfala year witim cancer. Mitufala marit for 35 year. Taem hem resurrect, bae hem hapi tumas for herem pipol long Tuvalu kasem Bible long languis bilong olketa.

Jehovah givim mi nara naesfala waef, wea nem bilong hem Loraini Sikivou. Loraini and Jenny waka tugeta long Fiji Bethel, and Loraini tu hem wanfala transleita. So mi garem narafala waef wea faithful long Jehovah and hem barava interest long languis olsem mi!

Long olketa year wea go pas, mi lukim wei wea Jehovah provaedem spiritual kaikai for pipol long evri languis, nomata olketa languis wea tu-thri pipol nomoa iusim tu. (Ps. 49:1-3) Mi lukim pipol hapi tumas taem olketa kasem olketa pablikeson long languis bilong olketa, or taem olketa singim olketa Kingdom song long languis bilong olketa. Taem mi lukim diswan, mi tingim bigfala love wea Jehovah garem for iumi. (Acts 2:8, 11) Mi still tingim toktok bilong wanfala olo brata long Tuvalu wea nem bilong hem Saulo Teasi. Long firstaem wea hem singim wanfala Kingdom song long languis bilong hem, hem sei: “Ating iu shud talem Governing Body olketa song hia here naes long Tuvaluan languis winim long English languis.”

Long September 2005, mi sapraes for kasem privilege for kamap member bilong Governing Body bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Nomata mi no waka olsem wanfala transleita distaem, mi thankiu long Jehovah from mi savve sapotim transleison waka wea gohed evriwea long world. Mi barava hapi for savve Jehovah provaedem spiritual kaikai wea evri pipol bilong hem needim, nomata for pipol bilong hem wea stap long olketa farawe island long Pacific Ocean! Tru nao, olsem man wea raetem psalm hem talem: “Jehovah hem kamap king! Earth bae hapi! And olketa island bae hapi.”—Ps. 97:1.