Laef Story
Kasem Help for Winim Fasin Bilong Mi for Shame
STORY BILONG RUTH L. ULRICH
Mi barava feel nogud and krae front long door bilong datfala priest. Hem just talemaot finis laea story againstim Charles T. Russell, wea serve olsem first president bilong Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society. Letem mi explainim hao nao mi, olsem wanfala young girl, gogo olsem long haos bilong pipol.
MI BORN long 1910, long wanfala farm long Nebraska, U.S.A., long wanfala famili wea strong tumas long lotu. Famili bilong mifala readim Bible tugeta evri morning and evening bihaen kaikai. Dadi hem Sunday-skul superintendent bilong Methodist church long smol taon bilong Winside, samting olsem six kilometer from farm bilong mifala. Mifala garem wanfala carriage wea horse savve pullim wea garem curtain long olketa window, mekem nomata wanem kaen weather, mifala savve go long church long Sunday morning.
Taem mi eit year, smol brata bilong mi hem paralyze, and Mami tekem hem go long wanfala hospital long Iowa. Nomata Mami barava kea gud long hem, brata bilong mi dae taem olketa stap long there. Long datfala taem tu, long Iowa, Mami meetim wanfala Bible Student, wea hem nao nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Tufala savve story olowe, and Mami go long samfala meeting bilong olketa Bible Student.
Taem Mami kam bak long hom, hem tekem kam tu-thri volume bilong Studies in the Scriptures, wea Watch Tower Society hem pablisim. No longtaem bihaen hem bilivim hao olketa Bible Student teachim truth and olketa teaching wea sei soul bilong man no savve dae and wicked pipol safa for olowe hem no tru.—Genesis 2:7; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Ezekiel 18:4.
Bat, Dadi hem kros, and hem againstim wei wea Mami hem trae for attendim olketa meeting bilong olketa Bible Student. Dadi go ahed for tekem mi and brata bilong mi, Clarence, long church. Bat taem Dadi no stap long haos, Mami studyim Bible witim mitufala. Gogo, mifala pikinini garem gud chance for markem olketa teaching bilong olketa Bible Student witim olketa teaching bilong church bilong mifala.
Clarence and mi go evritaem long Sunday skul long church, and hem savve askem samfala kwestin wea teacher no savve ansarem. Taem mifala go bak long haos, mitufala talem long mami, and diswan lead go long wei for story tugeta abaotem olketa subject hia. Bihaen, mi lusim church and start for attendim meeting bilong olketa Bible Student witim Mami, and no longtaem bihaen Clarence tu duim sem samting.
Deal Witim Fasin for Shame
Long September 1922, mitufala Mami attendim datfala nambawan convention bilong olketa Bible Student long Cedar Point, Ohio. Mi still tingim datfala big saen wea showaot taem Joseph F. Rutherford, president bilong Watch Tower Society long datfala taem, hem encouragem winim 18,000 wea attend witim olketa toktok wea stap long saen hia: “Talemaot datfala King and Kingdom.” Diswan muvim mi tumas and mi feelim strongfala need for talemaot gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God long nara pipol.—Matthew 6:9, 10; 24:14.
Long olketa convention wea olketa holem start long 1922 go kasem 1928, mifala kasem samfala resolution, and olketa raetem olketa message hia long tract wea olketa Bible Student givimaot planti million copy long pipol evriwea long world. Mi thin and tol—olketa kolem mi wanfala greyhound—and mi savve kwiktaem tumas long haos-tu-haos waka for givimaot olketa message hia. Mi barava enjoyim disfala waka. Nomata olsem, for story seleva long nara pipol abaotem Kingdom bilong God hem problem for mi.
Diswan hem from mi savve shame, gogo mi savve fraetem tu olketa taem wea Mami savve invaetem staka relative. Mi go insaed long rum bilong mi and stap long there. Wantaem, Mami want for tekem piksa bilong evriwan long famili, so hem talem mi for kamaot. Mi no want for kamaot, so mi barava krae big taem Mami pullim mi go aot from bedroom bilong mi.
Bat, wanday mi disaed strong for putim samfala Bible buk insaed bag. Mi go ahed for sei, “Mi hard for duim,” bat then mi talem miseleva olsem, “Mi mas duim.” So, mi go for preach nao. Bihaen, mi hapi tumas from mi no fraet for go. Samting wea barava mekem mi satisfae nao hem for finisim waka, no taem wea mi duim. Taem hia nao mi meetim datfala priest wea mi storyim firstaem. Mi go ahed krae taem mi go from hem. Gogo, witim help bilong Jehovah mi savve story long pipol long door bilong olketa, and hapi bilong mi kamap big. Then, long 1925, mi dedicate and baptaes long wata.
Startim Full-Taem Ministry
Taem mi 18 year, mi baem wanfala car long selen wea mi kasem from wanfala aunty bilong mi and start for pioneer, olsem olketa kolem full-taem ministry. Tufala year bihaen, long 1930, mi and wanfala partner acceptim wanfala preaching assignment. Datfala taem Clarence tu start for pioneer. No longtaem bihaen hem acceptim wanfala invitation for waka long Bethel, world headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn, New York.
Long datfala semtaem dadi and mami bilong mitufala separate, so mi and Mami bilong mi garem wanfala haos trailer and start for pioneer tugeta. Dat taem nao Bigfala Problem saed long selen hem kasem United States. For go ahed long pioneer waka hem kamap wanfala big challenge, bat mifala disaed strong for no stop. Mifala exchangem olketa Bible buk for kokorako, egg, and kaikai long garden, and olketa samting olsem olketa old battery and aluminum. Mifala sellim olketa old battery and aluminum hia mekem mifala fit for baem petrol for car and iusim for nara samting. Mi lanem tu hao for putim gris long car bilong mifala and for changem oil mekem mifala sevem selen. Mifala lukim hao Jehovah openem wei for mekem mifala winim olketa hard samting, olsem hem promisim finis.—Matthew 6:33.
Go Long Missionary Assignment
Long 1946, olketa invaetem mi for attendim mek-seven class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead, wea hem klosap long South Lansing, New York. Datfala taem mi and Mami bilong mi pioneer tugeta for winim 15 year finis, nomata olsem hem no trae for stopem mi for kasem disfala training for missionary waka. So hem encouragem mi for acceptim disfala privilege for attendim Gilead Skul. Bihaen long graduation, mi and Martha Hess bilong Peoria, Illinois, kamap partner. Olketa assignim mitufala, witim nara tufala moa, long Cleveland, Ohio, for wanfala year taem mifala weitim wanfala assignment long oversea.
Datfala assignment kam long 1947. Olketa assignim mi witim Martha long Hawaii. From hem isi for go long olketa island hia, Mami bilong mi kam for stap klosap long mifala long taon bilong Honolulu. Health bilong hem gogo daon, so witim olketa missionary waka bilong mi, mi helpem Mami tu. Mi lukaftarem hem gud go kasem taem hem dae long Hawaii long 1956, taem hem 77 year. Taem mifala arrive, samting olsem 130 Witness nao stap long Hawaii, bat long taem wea Mami bilong mi dae, namba bilong olketa hem winim wan thousand, and olketa no needim olketa missionary moa.
Then mi and Martha kasem leta from Watch Tower Society wea offerim mitufala wanfala assignment long Japan. First samting wea mitufala warim hem sapos mitufala fit for lanem languis bilong Japan long age bilong mitufala. Mi 48 year long datfala taem, and Martha hem 44 year. Bat mitufala leavim evri samting long hand bilong Jehovah and acceptim disfala assignment.
Stretawe bihaen datfala international convention long Yankee Stadium and Polo Grounds long New York City long 1958, mitufala lusim there for go long Tokyo long ship. Wanfala cyclone kasem mifala taem mifala klosap long port long Yokohama, ples wea Don and Mabel Haslett, Lloyd and Melba Barry, and olketa nara missionary kam for meetim mitufala. Long dat taem, 1,124 Witness nomoa stap long Japan.
Mitufala start stretawe for studyim languis bilong Japan and duim door-tu-door ministry. Mitufala iusim English alphabet for raetem story bilong mitufala long Japan languis, wea mitufala bae readim. For ansa bak, olketa haosholder savve sei, “Yoroshii desu” or, “Kekko desu,” wea mitufala faendemaot hem minim, “Hem olraet nomoa” or, “Hem gud nomoa.” Bat mitufala no savve sapos datfala haosholder hem really interest or nomoa, bikos olketa savve iusim toktok hia tu sapos olketa les. Wei for minim hem depend long hao nao olketa tiunim voice or hem savve showaot long feis bilong man. Hem tek-taem for mitufala lanem hao for minim olketa samting hia.
Olketa Experience wea Mekem Heart Bilong Mi Hapi
Wanday, taem mi still stragol witim disfala languis, mi go long dormitory bilong Mitsubishi Kampani and meetim wanfala woman wea hem 20 year. Hem muv ahed gud long savve bilong hem long Bible and baptaes long 1966. Wan year bihaen hem start for pioneer and no longtaem bihaen datwan olketa markem hem olsem spesol pioneer. Hem go ahed for serve olsem spesol pioneer start long datfala taem. Hem muvim mi evritaem for lukim hem iusim taem and strong bilong hem long full-taem ministry start from taem hem young.
For stand strong for Bible truth hem bigfala challenge especially for pipol wea stap long kantri wea no Christian. Nomata olsem, planti thousand winim disfala challenge, insaed diswan hem samfala wea mi studyim Bible witim olketa. Olketa aotem olketa expensive altar bilong Buddha and altar bilong Shinto wea pipol bilong Japan savve garem long haos bilong olketa. From olketa relative bae ting hao diswan no showimaot respect long olketa laen dadi wea dae finis, olketa niu wan needim strong for duim diswan. Wei wea olketa no fraet hem mekem mi ting abaotem olketa Christian bifor wea separatem olketa seleva evribit from olketa samting wea join witim giaman worship.—Acts 19:18-20.
Mi rememberim wanfala Bible student, wanfala haoswaef, wea plan for muv aot from Tokyo witim famili bilong hem. Hem laek for muv insaed wanfala haos wea free from enikaen samting wea join witim giaman worship. So hem talem hasband bilong hem wanem hem laekem, and hasband willing for saportim hem. Datfala haoswaef hapi for talem mi abaotem diswan bat then hem remember hao hem tekem wanfala bigfala stone dish wea barava expensive wea hem baem bikos olketa sei diswan savve bringim hapi long hom. From hem tingse maet diswan join witim giaman worship, hem brekem witim wanfala hammer and torowem.
For lukim disfala woman and olketa nara woman willing for torowem olketa expensive samting olsem wea join witim giaman worship and strong for startim wanfala niu laef long service bilong Jehovah hem wanfala barava nambawan experience. Mi thankiu long Jehovah evritaem from mi fit for enjoyim winim 40 year insaed missionary service long Japan.
Olketa “Mirakol” Bilong Distaem
Taem mi luk bak long winim 70 year bilong mi insaed full-taem ministry, mi sapraes tumas long samting wea luk olsem olketa mirakol bilong distaem. Olsem wanfala young girl wea savve shame tumas, mi no ting mi bae fit for iusim full laef bilong mi for story long pipol abaotem Kingdom wea planti pipol no laek for herem. No miseleva nomoa duim datwan bat mi lukim planti handred pipol, or planti thousand, duim sem samting. And from olketa go ahed gud tumas, namba bilong olketa Witness wea lelebet winim wan thousand taem mi arrive long Japan long 1958 hem grow winim 222,000 distaem!
Taem mi and Martha firstaem arrive long Japan, olketa assignim mitufala for stap long branch office long Tokyo. Long 1963, olketa buildim wanfala niu six-storey branch long datfala ples, and mifala stap there olowe start long dat taem. Long November 1963 mitufala stap witim 163 wea hipap long dedication tok wea branch overseer bilong mifala, Lloyd Barry hem givim. Long dat taem mifala kasem finis 3,000 Witness long Japan.
Hem wanfala hapi samting for lukim Kingdom-preaching waka hem grow kwiktaem, wea hem kasem winim 14,000 long 1972 taem olketa finisim niu branch long taon bilong Numazu. Bat kam kasem 1982 winim 68,000 pipol wea talemaot Kingdom stap long Japan, and olketa buildim wanfala branch wea moa big long taon bilong Ebina, samting olsem 80 kilometer from Tokyo.
Long semtaem, olketa mekem niu moa firstfala branch building midol long Tokyo. Gogo, hem kamap olsem wanfala missionary hom for winim 20 missionary wea serve long Japan for 40 or 50 year or winim datwan, wea mi and partner bilong mi, Martha Hess, insaed diswan. Wanfala doctor and waef bilong hem, wea hem wanfala nurse, stap tu long disfala missionary hom. Tufala lukaftarem mifala, and kea for need bilong mifala saed long health. No longtaem go nomoa, olketa sendem kam moa narafala nurse, and long daytaem olketa Christian sista kam for help olsem olketa nurse. Tufala member bilong Bethel famili long Ebina kam evritaem for redyim kaikai and klinim hom bilong mifala. Tru tumas, Jehovah hem duim barava gud samting for mifala.—Psalm 34:8, 10.
Wanfala haelaet long missionary laef bilong mi hem happen long November last year, 36 year bihaen olketa dedicatem datfala building wea planti long mifala wea missionary for longfala taem stap insaed long hem. Long November 13, 1999, mi stap witim winim 4,486, wea attendim dedication bilong Japan branch bilong Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society long Ebina, wea insaed diswan hem staka handred Witness from 37 kantri wea stap insaed truth for longtaem finis. Distaem, samting olsem 650 nao stap long datfala branch famili.
Jehovah barava strongim mi insaed klosap 80 year start from taem mi savve shame for go from haos-tu-haos for talemaot Bible message. Hem helpem mi for winim fasin bilong mi for shame. Mi barava bilivim hao Jehovah savve iusim eniwan wea putim trust long hem, nomata olketa wea savve shame tumas olsem mi. Mi barava satisfae witim laef bilong mi long wei for story long olketa stranger abaotem God bilong iumi, Jehovah!
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Witim Mami and Clarence, wea kam from Bethel for visitim mifala
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Olketa member bilong class bilong mifala study long grass aotsaed long Gilead Skul klosap long South Lansing, New York
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Left saed: Mi, Martha Hess, and mami bilong mi, long Hawaii
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Raet saed: Olketa member bilong missionary hom bilong mifala long Tokyo
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Long daon: Mi and partner bilong mi for longtaem, Martha Hess
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Olketa dedicatem branch long Ebina wea olketa mekem moa big long November last year