Laef Story

“Iufala No Savve Wanem Nao Bae Happen Tumoro”

STORY BILONG HERBERT JENNINGS

“Mi gogo bak for branch office bilong Watch Tower Society long Ghana from Tema, taon wea stap saedsea, and stop for pikimap wanfala young man wea want for go long taon. Mi iusim datfala chance for witness long hem. Mi tingse mi givim gudfala witness long hem! Bat, taem mitufala kasem ples wea young man hia go long hem, hem jamp aot from trak and kwiktaem ranawe.”

SAMTING wea happen antap showimaot long mi hao wanfala problem hem go ahed for happen long laef bilong mi. Bifor mi story abaotem wanem nao happen, letem mi storyim hao mi, wanfala man bilong Canada, stap long Ghana.

Hem midol long December 1949 long wanfala smol taon long north saed bilong Toronto, Canada. Mifala just finis digdig thru long samting olsem wan meter long graon wea strong from ice for mekem wata go long wanfala niu haos. From mifala cold and taed, mifala evriwan hipap raonem wanfala fire, and weit for trak pikimap mifala. Seknomoa, Arnold Lorton, wanfala long olketa wakman hia, start for talem samting abaotem “olketa war and olketa story bilong olketa war,” “end bilong disfala world,” and iusim olketa nara toktok moa wea barava niu long mi. Semtaem evriwan stop for story, olketa feel shame, and samfala kros long hem. Mi remember hao mi ting olsem, ‘Man hia no savve fraet! Nomata no eniwan want for lisin, hem go ahed nomoa.’ Bat samting wea hem talem barava kasholem interest bilong mi. Hem tu-thri year nomoa bihaen World War II, and mi nating herem eni samting olsem long Christadelphian religion wea famili bilong mi insaed for longtaem lelebet. Mi barava lisin gud, wei wea hem explainim samting kasholem tingting bilong mi.

No longtaem bihaen mi go for lukim Arnold for moa information. Taem mi ting go bak, mi luksavve hao Arnold and waef bilong hem, Jean, patient and kaen long mi, wanfala 19-year-old wea no garem savve. Mi go evritaem long haos bilong tufala for story witim tufala nomata mi no talem olketa firstaem and olketa no invaetem mi. Tufala stretem tingting bilong mi and helpem mi for luksavve long olketa mark and fasin wea kam insaed young mind bilong mi. Tenfala month bihaen mi kasem datfala experience witim datfala fire long saed road, mi baptaes long October 22, 1950, olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness and mi joinim Willowdale Kongregeson long North York, wea distaem hem part bilong Toronto.

Muv Ahed Witim Olketa Nara Worshiper

Laef long hom kamap hard tumas taem dadi bilong mi luksavve hao mi disaed strong for aftarem niu religion bilong mi. No longtaem go nomoa dadi bilong mi kasem accident long trak wea wanfala man wea drunk kosim and hem kamap man wea hard for deal witim planti taem. Laef hem hard tumas for mami bilong mi, tufala brata bilong mi, and tufala sista bilong mi. Datfala wei for no agree witim Bible truth kamap moa big. So luk olsem hem wise samting long mi for lusim hom for garem peace witim dadi and mami bilong mi and for strongim miseleva long “wei bilong truth.”—2 Peter 2:2.

Long summer bilong 1951, mi stap nao long wanfala smol kongregeson long Coleman, Alberta. Tufala young man, Ross Hunt and Keith Robbins, long there, tufala busy long full-taem pablik preaching, olsem olketa regular pioneer. Olketa helpem mi for kasem datfala sem volunteer ministry. Long March 1, 1952, mi joinim olketa olsem regular pioneer minister.

Mi rememberim encouragement wea mi kasem. Mi garem staka samting for lanem, and diswan nao testim mi. Bihaen mi iusim samting olsem wan year long pioneer service witim Lethbridge Kongregeson, Alberta, mi kasem wanfala invitation wea mi nating expectim for waka olsem traveling overseer. Mi bae servem olketa kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea stap evriwea long east saed bilong Canada start long Moncton, New Brunswick, go kasem Gaspé, Quebec.

From mi kasem 24 year nomoa and lelebet niu long truth, mi feel olsem mi no fit, especially taem mi markem miseleva witim olketa mature Witness wea mi bae servem. Mi barava traem best bilong mi insaed olketa month bihaen. Then narafala samting for sapraes long hem kamap.

Gilead Skul and Go Long Gold Coast

Long September 1955, olketa invaetem mi for joinim samting olsem wan handred nara student for mek-26 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead long South Lansing, New York. Faevfala month bilong bigfala training and study hem samting wea mi barava needim. Wei wea mi stap tugeta witim wanfala grup wea gudfala tingting muvim olketa barava strongim mi. Insaed disfala taem, nara samting tu kamap wea mekem laef bilong mi kamap moabeta kam kasem distaem.

Wanfala young sista, Aileen Stubbs, hem wanfala long olketa student wea redy for duim missionary waka. Mi lukim fasin for stedy long Aileen, hem garem gudfala tingting, no ova tumas, and garem hapi fasin. Mi ting mi mekem hem fraet taem mi talemaot tingting bilong mi for maritim hem. Bat, hem no les! Mitufala evriwan agree hao Aileen bae go long missionary assignment bilong hem long Costa Rica and mi long assignment bilong mi long Gold Coast (Ghana distaem), West Africa.

Wan morning long May 1956, mi long mek-ten floor long office bilong Brata Nathan Knorr long Brooklyn, New York. Hem nao president bilong Watch Tower Society long datfala taem. Mi kasem assignment olsem branch servant for luk aftarem preaching waka long Gold Coast, Togoland (Togo distaem), Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire distaem), Upper Volta (Burkina Faso distaem), and Gambia.

Mi rememberim olketa toktok bilong Brata Knorr olsem hem talem yesterday nomoa. “Iu no need for tekova stretawe,” hem sei. “No hariap; lane from olketa brata long there wea garem experience. Then taem iu redy, iu savve start for serve olsem branch servant. . . . Diswan nao leta for markem iu for disfala waka. Sevenfala day from taem wea iu kasem there, iu shud tekova long datfala waka.”

‘Sevenfala day nomoa,’ mi tingting. ‘Hao nao hem sei “no hariap”?’ Bihaen datfala interview, mi barava sapraes.

Next tu-thri day hem go pas kwiktaem tumas. No longtaem bihaen mi insaed wanfala ship nao, wea gogo followim East River and go pasim office bilong Society long Brooklyn, wea hem start bilong 21-day gogo bilong hem insaed open sea for go long Gold Coast.

Mitufala Aileen go ahed for raraet long each other. Mitufala meet moa long 1958 and marit long August 23 long datfala year. Mi nating fail for thankiu long Jehovah for nambawan partner olsem.

Mi tinghae tumas long privilege for waka tugeta witim olketa missionary and olketa brata and sista bilong mi from Africa for 19-fala year long branch office bilong Society long Africa. Bethel famili hem grow from tu-thri member nomoa go kasem samting olsem 25 insaed datfala taem. Datfala taem hem olsem wanfala challenge, wea planti samting happen long hem, and hem olketa nambawan taem for mifala. Bat, mi mas tok stret. Long miseleva, datfala hot weather hem wanfala challenge. Hem olsem mi swet evritaem, feel wet evritaem, and samfala taem, diswan mekem mi feel kros. Nomata olsem, hem bigfala hapi for serve, taem namba bilong olketa pablisa long Ghana hem grow from winim 6,000 Kingdom pablisa nomoa long 1956 go kasem 21,000 long 1975. And hem givim bigfala hapi moa for lukim winim 60,000 Witness olketa busy long there distaem.

Wanfala “Tumoro” wea Mifala No Expectim

Samwea long 1970, mi start for garem wanfala health problem wea hem hard for luksavve. Doctor lukluk long mi, bat hem sei mi “garem gudfala health.” Then why nao mi feel nogud tumas, mi feel taed tumas, and nating relax? Tufala samting nao givim ansa, and mi seke fogud long tufala. Tru nao, olsem James raetem finis: “Iufala no savve wanem nao bae happen tumoro.”—James 4:14.

First samting hem start for showaot long taem wea mi kasem datfala experience for witness long datfala young man wea mi tekem go long taon. Mi no luksavve hao mi toktok olabaot, mi toktok fast tumas and no savve stop. Taem mitufala kasem ples wea disfala young man laek for go long hem, mi sapraes taem hem jamp aot long trak and ranawe. Planti pipol long Ghana olketa kwaet pipol nomoa, olketa no savve kros kwiktaem. Bat samting wea hem duim hem barava difren. Mi sidaon there and ting raonem diswan. Mi luksavve mi garem wanfala problem. Bat mi no savve hem wanem kaen problem. Bat mi really garem wanfala problem.

Mek-tu samting, bihaen mi story gud witim Aileen, hem sei: “Well, sapos disfala problem hem no long body, then hem maet saed long mind.” So mi raetem daon evri problem wea mi garem and go lukim doctor bilong mind. Taem mi readim list bilong mi long hem, hem ansa olsem: “Diswan hem happen long planti pipol. Iu garem sik long mind.”

Mi barava seke fogud! Diswan go ahed for kamap worse taem mi trae stragol witim long samfala year bihaen. Mi go ahed for lukaotem ansa. Bat no eniwan really savve wanem for duim. Hem wanfala barava big stragol!

Hem plan bilong mitufala evritaem for hol strong long privilege bilong full-taem service olsem waka bilong mifala long laef, and staka samting for duim stap. Mi talem planti strongfala prea wea kam from heart: “Jehovah, sapos hem will bilong iu, mi bae stap laef and duim diswan.’” (James 4:15) Bat diswan no happen. So, from mifala acceptim samting wea tru, mifala arrange for lusim Ghana and olketa klos fren bilong mifala and go bak long Canada long June 1975.

Jehovah Givim Help Thru Long Pipol Bilong Hem

Kwiktaem mi lanem hao mi no iusles, and no miseleva nomoa garem disfala problem. Toktok bilong 1 Peter 5:9 garem bigfala mining long mi: “[Iufala mas savve] hao semkaen wei for safa hem kasem full sekson bilong olketa brata bilong iufala long world.” From mi luksavve long diswan, mi start for minim hao Jehovah barava saportim mifala nomata disfala nogud change kamap. Disfala “sekson bilong olketa brata” barava helpem mifala long planti nambawan wei!

Nomata mifala no garem staka material samting, Jehovah hem nating lusim mifala. Hem muvim olketa fren bilong mifala long Ghana for helpem mifala long material wei and long narafala wei tu. Witim difren kaen feeling, mifala lusim olketa wea mifala lovem tumas and wea mitufala tan go long olketa for deal witim disfala “tumoro” wea mifala no expectim.

Sista bilong Aileen, Lenora, and hasband bilong hem, Alvin Friesen, keepim mifala, and provaedem need bilong mifala for samfala month. Wanfala doctor bilong mind hem sei: “Iu bae kamap gud insaed sixfala month.” Maet hem talem datwan for strongim trust long mi, bat datfala toktok nating kamap tru bihaen sixfala year tu. Kam kasem disfala taem, mi deal witim wanem olketa kolem bipolar mood disorder. Disfala nem hem for mekem sik hia no saond olsem hem nogud tumas, bat olsem olketa wea safa from diswan olketa savve gud, wanfala nem olsem no savve daonem problem bilong disfala sik.

Long datfala taem, Brata Knorr hem garem wanfala sik wea lead go long dae bilong hem long June 1977. Nomata olsem, hem faendem taem and strong for raetem olketa longfala leta wea encouragem mi witim olketa toktok bilong comfort and kaonsel. Mi still keepim olketa leta hia. Olketa toktok bilong hem barava help for daonem olketa nogud feeling bilong wei for fail wea kamap evritaem.

Long end bilong 1975, mifala mas lusim nambawan privilege bilong full-taem service mekem mi savve keepim health bilong mi stedy. Laet from sun savve spoelem eye bilong mi. Olketa sharp saond wea seknomoa kamap hem barava saond olsem wanfala rifle wea bosta. Hem nogud tumas long mi tu for stap midolwan olketa pipol. Hem wanfala big stragol for attendim olketa Christian meeting. Nomata olsem, mi luksavve hao wei for kaban long spiritual wei hem barava important. For deal witim diswan, evritaem mi go insaed Kingdom Hall taem evriwan sidaon finis and go aot bifor olketa start for mek noise long end bilong program.

Wei for share long pablik ministry hem narafala bigfala challenge. Samfala taem, taem mi kasem wanfala haos, mi hard tumas for ringim bell bilong door. Bat bae mi no givap bikos mi luksavve hao ministry bilong iumi minim salvation for iumiseleva and for eniwan wea lisin and duim samting. (1 Timothy 4:16) Lelebet taem bihaen, mi bae fit nao for kontrolem tingting bilong mi, go long nextfala door, and traem moa. Taem mi go ahed for share long ministry, mi keepim spiritual health and datwan mekem mi moa fit for deal witim problem bilong mi.

From bipolar mood disorder hem bigfala sik, mi mas luksavve hao hem bae affectim mi for olowe insaed disfala system. Long 1981 samfala nambawan article kamaot insaed Wekap!a Thru long olketa magasin hia, mi start for minim gud wei bilong disfala sik and for lanem samfala gudfala wei for deal witim diswan.

Lane for Deal Witim Diswan

Waef bilong mi mekem olketa change and bigfala sakrifaes long planti samting. Sapos iu lukaftarem samwan wea garem sem problem, maet iu bae tinghae long disfala toktok bilong hem:

“Luk olsem mood disorder savve mekem change long fasin kamap kwiktaem. Insaed tu-thri hour nomoa, man wea garem sik hia savve change from wanfala strongfala man, wea encouragem narawan witim olketa plan and idea, and kamap wanfala man wea taed, tingim nogud saed and kros tu. Sapos nara pipol no minim hao diswan hem wanfala sik, olketa maet feel nogud or kros. So, olketa plan mas change kwiktaem, and wei for faet againstim olketa feeling for kros or feeling for man no laekem iu hem start.”

For mi, taem mi feel barava gud, mi start for wari. Mi savve hao samting wea kam bihaen “hae feeling” hem wei for go insaed deep “low feeling.” For mi, “low feeling” hem moabeta winim “hae feeling” bikos planti taem datfala low feeling mekem mi no fit for go eni ples for samfala day, so bae mi no duim eni samting wea no balance. Aileen helpem mi tumas long wei wea hem warnim mi taem mi ova tumas and hem comfortim and saportim mi taem nogud feeling kasem mi.

Wanfala really danger stap for no tingim or wari long nara pipol taem disfala sik kamap big. Man laek for stap seleva taem hem barava feel iusles or hem fail for luksavve long feeling bilong nara pipol taem diswan affectim hem. Bifor, hem hard tumas long mi for acceptim disfala problem bilong mind and feeling wea mi garem. Mi mas faet witim wei for tingse olketa samting long aotsaed, olsem wanfala waka hem fail or narafala man, hem nao problem. Evritaem mi need for remindim miseleva, ‘No eni samting raonem mi hem change. Disfala problem hem samting long insaed, no long aotsaed.’ Gogo, tingting bilong mi hem change.

Insaed olketa year, mitufala evriwan lane for showimaot gudfala tingting and honest long mifala seleva and nara pipol abaotem sik bilong mi. Mifala trae for keepim fasin for tingim gud saed and for no letem disfala sik bossim laef bilong mitufala.

“Tumoro” wea Moabeta

Thru long barava strongfala prea witim wei for stragol, mifala kasem gud samting from blessing and saport bilong Jehovah. Mitufala evriwan olo finis distaem. Mi chekap witim doctor evritaem and mi tekem medicine long wei wea balance, and health bilong mi stedy. Mifala tinghae long eni privilege bilong service wea mifala savve kasem. Mi go ahed for serve olsem elder long kongregeson. Evritaem mifala trae for saportim nara pipol insaed long faith.

Tru, olsem James 4:14 hem sei: “Iufala no savve wanem nao bae happen tumoro.” Hem bae go ahed for olsem taem disfala system hem still stap. Bat, olketa toktok long James 1:12 tru tu: “Hapi nao man wea go ahed for stand strong long test, bikos taem hem win hem bae kasem crown bilong laef, wea Jehovah hem promisim for olketa wea go ahed for lovem hem.” Letem iumi evriwan stand strong distaem and luksavve long olketa blessing wea Jehovah hem offerim for tumoro.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 26]

Taem mi laek for stap seleva insaed art studio bilong mi

[Piksa long page 26]

Witim waef bilong mi, Aileen

[Piksa long page 28]

Long “Everlasting Good News” Assembly long Tema, Ghana, long 1963