Laef Story
From Wakem Weapon Go for Sevem Laef
STORY BILONG ISIDOROS ISMAILIDIS
Mi nildaon taem mi go ahed for krae. “Oh, God, conscience bilong mi no letem mi go ahed for wakem weapon,” mi prea olsem. “Mi trae hard for faendem nara waka, bat mi no faendem. Tumoro, mi bae givim leta for finis waka. Plis, Jehovah, no letem fofala pikinini bilong mitufala for hangre.” Hao nao mi kasem diswan?
LAEF hem kwaet and simpol long Drama, north Greece, ples mi born long hem long 1932. Dadi bilong mi savve story long mi abaotem wanem hem laekem mi for duim. Hem encouragem mi for go long United States for kasem education. Bihaen World War II barava spoelem Greece, wanfala toktok wea big midolwan Greek pipol hem: “Iu savve stealim olketa samting bilong mifala, bat iu no savve stealim samting insaed mind bilong mifala.” Mi disaed strong for kasem hae education and for kasem samting wea no eniwan savve stealim.
From taem mi young, mi joinim olketa difren youth grup wea Greek Orthodox Church ranem. Long there olketa talem mifala for keakea long olketa danger sect. Mi barava rememberim wanfala grup wea olketa talem—Olketa Jehovah’s Witness—from pipol sei olketa stand for antichrist.
Bihaen mi finis from wanfala technical skul long Athens long 1953, mi go long Germany for lukim sapos mi savve waka and skul semtaem. Bat diswan no happen, so mi travel long olketa nara kantri. Bihaen samfala week, mi stap long wanfala wharf long Belgium and barava no garem selen nao. Mi remember mi wakabaot go insaed wanfala church, sidaon, and krae big gogo floor front long mi tuwet nao. Mi prea hao sapos God helpem mi for kasem United States, mi bae no aftarem material samting bat mi bae kasem education and waka hard for kamap gud Christian and gud citizen. Gogo long 1957, mi kasem there.
Niu Laef Long United States
Laef long United States hem hard tumas for pipol from difren kantri wea no savve long languis and no garem selen. Mi duim tufala waka long naet and stragol for skul long day. Mi attendim samfala college and kasem degree. Then mi go long University bilong California long Los Angeles and kasem bachelor of science degree long physics. Toktok bilong dadi bilong mi abaotem wei for kasem education hem strongim mi insaed olketa hard year hia.
Long taem hia nao mi meetim wanfala naesfala Greek girl, Ekaterini, and mitufala marit long 1964. First boy bilong mitufala hem born thrifala year bihaen, and insaed fofala year, mitufala garem tufala son moa and wanfala dota. Hem bigfala challenge for saportim famili and skul long university semtaem.
Mi waka for U.S. Air Force long wanfala missile and space kampani long Sunnyvale, California. Mi joinim samfala air and space project, wea insaed diswan hem Agena and Apollo program. Mi kasem samfala medal tu for waka wea mi duim for Apollo 8 and Apollo 11 mission. Bihaen diswan, mi go ahed long education bilong mi and join insaed olketa difren military space project. Long disfala taem, mi ting laef bilong mi set evribit—gudfala waef, fofala naes pikinini, gudfala waka, and wanfala naes haos.
Man wea Nating Givap
Long start bilong 1967, long waka ples, mi meetim Jim, wanfala barava hambol and kaen man. Jim evritaem garem smile long feis bilong hem, and hem evritaem agree taem mi askem hem for coffee witim mi long taem for spell. Hem iusim olketa chance hia for sharem information from Bible witim mi. Jim talem mi hao hem study witim olketa Jehovah’s Witness.
Mi seke tumas for savve Jim hem joinim disfala religion. Hao nao wanfala naes man olsem fit for bilivim sect bilong antichrist? Nomata olsem, mi hard for againstim wei wea Jim barava interest long mi and kaenfala fasin bilong hem. Luk olsem hem garem difren samting for mi readim evriday. Olsem example, wanday hem kam long office bilong mi and sei: “Isidoros, disfala article insaed Wastaoa hem storyim wei for strongim famili laef. Tekem long haos, and readim witim waef bilong iu.” Mi talem hem bae mi readim datfala magasin, bat mi savve go long toilet bihaen and pisisim datfala magasin and torowem insaed rabis.
For thrifala year, mi distroem evri buk and magasin Jim givim long mi. From mi garem finis rong tingting abaotem olketa Jehovah’s Witness, bat mi trae for keepim Jim olsem fren bilong mi, mi ting hem best samting for lisin long hem and then stretawe aotem from mind.
Bat olketa story bilong mitufala mekem mi lukim hao staka samting wea mi bilivim and followim olketa no kam from Bible. Mi luksavve hao olketa teaching bilong Trinity, hellfire, and wei wea soul kanduit dae no stap insaed olketa Scripture. (Ecclesiastes 9:10; Ezekiel 18:4; John 20:17) From mi wanfala praod Greek Orthodox, mi nating laek talemaot wei wea Jim hem stret. Bat from hem evritaem iusim Bible and nating talem tingting bilong hemseleva, gogo mi luksavve hao disfala man garem important message for mi from Bible.
Waef bilong mi feelim wei wea mi difren, and hem askem mi sapos mi bin story witim fren bilong mi wea kaban witim olketa Witness. Taem mi ansa yes, hem sei: “Letem iumi go long eni nara church bat no olketa Jehovah’s Witness.” Bat, no longtaem bihaen, waef bilong mi and mi, witim olketa pikinini bilong mitufala, attendim evritaem olketa meeting bilong olketa Witness.
Hardfala Disison
Taem mi studyim Bible, mi readim olketa toktok hia bilong profet Isaiah: “Olketa mas hammerim sword bilong olketa for kamap hou and spia bilong olketa for kamap naef for katem tree. Nation bae no iusim sword againstim narafala nation, and olketa bae no lanem war moa.” (Isaiah 2:4) Mi askem miseleva, ‘Hao nao wanfala servant bilong God wea lovem peace fit for planim and wakem weapon wea for distroe?’ (Psalm 46:9) Hem nating tek longtaem for mi luksavve mi mas changem waka bilong mi.
Hem tru, diswan hem bigfala challenge. Mi garem bigfala waka. Mi kasem diswan bihaen staka year bilong hard waka, education, and sakrifaes. Mi kasem nao position wea mi laekem, and distaem mi mas disaed for lusim. Nomata olsem, deep love bilong mi for Jehovah and strongfala wei wea mi want for duim will bilong hem nao win.—Matthew 7:21.
Mi disaed for waka for wanfala kampani long Seattle, Washington. Bat, sorre tumas, mi lukim hao mi barava insaed waka wea no agree witim Isaiah 2:4. Wei wea mi trae for waka for olketa nara project hem fail, and conscience bilong mi feel nogud moa. Mi lukim klia nao mi no savve keepim waka bilong mi and long semtaem go ahed for garem klinfala conscience.—1 Peter 3:21.
Hem kamap klia hao mifala mas mekem olketa important change. Sixfala month bihaen, mifala changem living bilong mifala and katdaon long selen wea famili spendem. Then mifala sellim bigfala haos bilong mifala and baem wanfala smol wan long Denver, Colorado. Distaem mi redy for bigfala change—for finis from waka bilong mi. Mi taepim leta bilong mi for finis waka, wea explainim biliv bilong mi. Datfala naet, bihaen olketa pikinini sleep, mi nildaon witim waef bilong mi and mitufala prea long Jehovah, olsem mi storyim finis long start bilong disfala article.
Insaed wan month nomoa, mifala muv go long Denver, and tufala week bihaen, waef bilong mi and mi baptaes. For sixfala month mi no savve faendem waka, and isisi mifala finisim selen wea mifala sevem. Kasem mek-seven month, selen long bank no fitim amount wea mifala mas peim evri month for loan bilong haos. Mi start for lukaotem eni waka mi savve duim, bat stretawe mi kasem waka olsem engineer. Selen wea mi kasem hem haf nomoa long selen wea mi kasem bifor; nomata olsem, hem barava big winim wanem mi askem from Jehovah. Mi hapi tumas from mi putim spiritual samting firstaem!—Matthew 6:33.
Bringimap Pikinini Bilong Mifala for Lovem Jehovah
Insaed taem hia Ekaterini and mi busy witim challenge for bringimap fofala pikinini bilong mitufala followim olketa principle bilong God. Mitufala hapi tumas for lukim olketa evriwan, witim help bilong Jehovah, kamap mature Christian wea givim full laef bilong olketa long important waka for preachim Kingdom. Thrifala son bilong mifala, Christos, Lakes, and Gregory olketa evriwan attendim datfala Ministerial Training Skul and distaem serve long olketa difren assignment, for visitim and strongim olketa kongregeson. Toula, dota bilong mitufala, waka olsem volunteer long headquarter bilong olketa Jehovah’s Witness long New York. Hem muvim heart bilong mitufala for lukim olketa evriwan sakrifaesim bigfala waka for selen for servem Jehovah.
Staka ask wanem nao secret bilong gudfala wei for bringimap pikinini olsem. No eni rul stap long hao for bringimap pikinini, bat mitufala nating givap for trae and putim wei for lovem Jehovah and neiba insaed heart bilong olketa. (Deuteronomy 6:6, 7; Matthew 22:37-39) Olketa pikinini lanem hao iumi kanduit talem Jehovah iumi lovem hem sapos samting iumi duim no showimaot datwan.
Wanday evri week, planti taem diswan hem long Saturday, mifala share long ministry olsem wanfala famili. Mifala duim famili Bible study long Monday naet bihaen kaikai, and mifala studyim Bible witim pikinini wanwan. Taem olketa pikinini moa young, mifala study witim olketa wanwan for shortfala taem samfala taem evri week, and taem olketa kamap moa big, mifala mekem study long lelebet wantaem evri week. Insaed olketa study hia, olketa pikinini bilong mitufala savve tokaot and feel free for storyim problem bilong olketa witim mitufala.
Mifala enjoyim gudfala hapitaem tugeta olsem famili tu. Mifala laek for pleim tugeta olketa music instrument, and each pikinini laek tumas for pleim favorite song bilong hem. Samfala weekend, mifala savve invaetem olketa nara famili for enjoyim gudfala wei for kaban tugeta wea buildim mifala. Mifala savve holiday tugeta olsem wanfala famili tu. Long wanfala gogo olsem, mifala spendem tufala week for lukluk raon long olketa maunten long Colorado and for waka witim kongregeson long there long field ministry. Olketa pikinini bilong mitufala savve hapi for tingim taem olketa waka insaed long olketa department long taem bilong olketa distrik convention and for help long Kingdom Hall construction long olketa difren ples. Taem mifala tekem olketa pikinini long Greece for lukim olketa relative bilong olketa, olketa savve meetim tu staka faithful Witness wea insaed prison bifor from faith bilong olketa. Diswan barava affectim tingting bilong olketa, wea helpem olketa for disaed strong for stap faithful and no fraet for truth.
Bat, samfala taem olketa pikinini noti or no chus gud saed long olketa fren. Samfala taem mifala nao mekem problem kamap from mifala strict tumas long samfala samting. Bat “tingting wea kam from Jehovah,” wea stap insaed Bible, nao help for stretem mifala evriwan long evri samting.—Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
Barava Hapi Taem Long Laef Bilong Mi
Bihaen olketa pikinini bilong mitufala start for duim full-taem ministry, Ekaterini and mi start for tinghevi abaotem wanem mifala savve duim for mekem big moa share bilong mifala long disfala waka for sevem laef. So, long 1994, bihaen mi retire early, mitufala start for serve olsem regular pioneer. Part long ministry bilong mitufala hem for visitim tu olketa college and university, wea mitufala witness long olketa student and conductim Bible study witim samfala long olketa. From mi savve minim hard taem olketa feisim—from mi student tu no longtaem go nomoa—mi barava win for helpem olketa for lane abaotem Jehovah. Hem hapi samting for study witim olketa student from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, Mexico, Thailand, and Turkey! Mi enjoyim tu wei for duim telephone witnessing, especially long pipol wea tok long languis bilong mi.
Nomata mi kasem planti problem from English bilong mi barava here olsem Greek languis and from mi olo, mi evritaem trae for stap redy witim feeling bilong Isaiah, wea sei: “Mi long hia! Sendem mi.” (Isaiah 6:8) Mifala kasem hapi from wei for helpem samfala for dedicatem laef bilong olketa long Jehovah. Distaem nao taem long laef bilong mitufala wea barava hapi.
Wantaem, full laef bilong mi hem for wakem olketa nogud weapon for killim man dae. Jehovah, thru long kaenfala fasin bilong hem wea man no fit for kasem, hem openem wei for mi and famili bilong mi for kamap olketa dedicate servant bilong hem and for iusim laef bilong mifala for tekem gud nius abaotem laef olowe insaed wanfala paradaes go long pipol. Taem mi ting go bak long olketa hardfala disison wea mi mas mekem, mi tingim toktok bilong Malachi 3:10: “‘Testim mi, plis, long disfala samting,’ Jehovah bilong olketa army hem sei, ‘for faendemaot sapos mi bae openem gate bilong heven and barava kapsaetem blessing long iufala go kasem taem wea no eniwan wantem eni samting moa.’” Hem barava duim olsem—long wei wea barava satisfaem heart bilong mifala!
[Box/Piksa long page 27]
Lakes: Dadi bilong mi heitim hypocrite fasin. Hem barava trae hard for no hypocrite, especially long wei for showim stret example for famili bilong hem. Planti taem hem savve talem mifala: “Sapos iu dedicatem laef bilong iu long Jehovah, datwan garem mining. Iu shud willing for mekem sakrifaes for Jehovah. Datwan nao mining bilong wei for kamap wanfala Christian.” Olketa toktok hia stap strong long mi and mekem mi fit for followim example bilong hem for mekem olketa sakrifaes for Jehovah.
[Box/Piksa long page 27]
Christos: Mi barava tinghae long wei wea parents bilong mi loyal long Jehovah witim full soul and wei wea tufala fulfillim responsibility bilong tufala olsem dadi and mami. Olsem wanfala famili, mifala duim evri samting tugeta—from service bilong mifala go kasem holiday tu. Nomata tufala fit for insaed staka nara samting, parents bilong mi keepim laef bilong tufala simpol and strong for mekhae long ministry. Distaem, no eni narataem mi moa hapi winim taem mi full-taem long service bilong Jehovah.
[Box/Piksa long page 28]
Gregory: Winim toktok bilong parents bilong mi for encouragem mi for mekem big moa ministry bilong mi, example bilong tufala and hapi bilong tufala long service bilong Jehovah nao muvim mi for ting raonem living bilong mi, aotem olketa wari abaotem wei for startim full-taem service, and fulfillim evribit waka bilong Jehovah. Mi thankiu long parents bilong mi for wei wea tufala helpem mi for faendem hapi wea kamaot from wei for barava givim best.
[Box/Piksa long page 28]
Toula: Parents bilong mi evritaem mekhae hao wei wea mifala fren witim Jehovah nao hem barava important samting mifala savve ownim and hao only wei mifala savve really hapi hem thru long wei for givim best bilong mifala long Jehovah. Olketa mekem Jehovah kamap tru long mifala. Dadi bilong mifala planti taem talem mifala hao hem wanfala spesol feeling for go sleep long naet witim klin conscience, witim wei for savve hao iu traem best bilong iu for mekem Jehovah hapi.
[Piksa long page 25]
Taem mi soldia long Greece, 1951
[Piksa long page 25]
Witim Ekaterini long 1966
[Piksa long page 26]
Famili bilong mi long 1996: (left saed go long raet saed, bihaen) Gregory, Christos, Toula; (front) Lakes, Ekaterini, and mi