Laef Story
For Go Ahed Long Wei Bilong Jehovah Hem Strong and Hapi Bilong Mifala
STORY BILONG LUIGGI D. VALENTINO
“Diswan nao wei. Wakabaot long hem,” Jehovah givim kaonsel hia. (Isaiah 30:21) From taem mi baptaes 60 year bifor, hem goal bilong mi for followim disfala kaonsel. Disfala goal hem stap for longfala taem from example bilong parents bilong mi, wea muv kam from Italy, for stap long Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., long 1921. Long there olketa bringimap thrifala pikinini—big brata bilong mi, Mike, smol sista bilong mi, Lydia, and mi.
PARENTS bilong mi chekim gud olketa difren religion bat givap for faendem eni gud samting. Then wanday long 1932, Dadi lisin long wanfala radio program long Italian languis. Hem wanfala program bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and Dadi laekem samting wea hem herem. Hem raet for askem moa information, and wanfala Italian Witness from headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Brooklyn, New York, visitim mifala. Bihaen olketa story full naet go kasem sun kamap, parents bilong mi barava biliv olketa faendem trufala religion.
Dadi and Mami start for attendim olketa Christian meeting and hapi for givim accommodation long olketa traveling overseer. Nomata mi boy nomoa, olketa man hia letem mi go witim olketa long preaching waka and mekem mi start for ting for servem Jehovah full-taem. Wanfala long olketa wea visit hem Carey W. Barber, wea distaem hem member bilong Governing Body bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. No longtaem bihaen, long February 1941, mi baptaes taem mi 14 year, and long 1944, mi start for serve olsem pioneer long Cleveland. Mike and Lydia start for followim wei bilong Bible truth tu. Mike servem Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae, and Lydia go witim hasband bilong hem, Harold Weidner, long traveling ministry waka for 28 year. Distaem, tufala serve olsem olketa spesol full-taem minister.
Prison Strongim Wei wea Mi Disaed for Go Ahed
Long start long 1945, mi stap long Chillicothe Federal Prison long Ohio bikos conscience bilong mi wea Bible trainim muvim mi for followim Isaiah 2:4, wea storyim wei for hammerim sword for kamap hou. Wantaem olketa bigman long prison letem olketa Witness prisoner for garem lelebet Bible literature nomoa wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness pablisim. Bat, olketa Witness from wanfala kongregeson wea stap klosap helpem olketa. Samfala taem, olketa dropim tu-thri pablikeson long land klosap long datfala prison. Nextfala morning, taem olketa tekem olketa prisoner long ples for waka, olketa lukaotem olketa pablikeson hia and win for tekem olketa insaed long prison. Kasem taem wea mi arrive long datfala prison, olketa letem mifala for garem moa literature. Nomata olsem, mi barava lane for tinghae winim bifor long spiritual kaikai wea Jehovah provaedem—wanfala leson wea nomata distaem mi evritaem tingim taem mi kasem wanfala niu copy bilong Wastaoa or Wekap!
Nomata olketa letem mifala garem olketa kongregeson meeting long prison, olketa no letem eniwan wea no Witness for attend. Nomata olsem, samfala bigman long prison and samfala prisoner kam haed, and tu-thri acceptim truth tu. (Acts 16:30-34) Olketa visit bilong Brata A. H. Macmillan givim barava spesol comfort. Hem evritaem remindim mifala hao taem mifala stap long prison hem no iusles bikos hem trainim mifala for olketa assignment long future. Datfala kaenfala olo brata muvim heart bilong mi and strongim wei wea mi disaed finis for wakabaot long wei bilong Jehovah.
Mi Kasem Wanfala Fren
World War II hem finis, olketa gate long prison open, and mi duim moa pioneer waka, datfala full-taem ministry. Bat long 1947 dadi bilong mi dae. For saportim famili, mi start for waka for selen and kasem training for givim olketa medical massage—wanfala waka wea helpem mi 30 year bihaen, taem mi witim waef bilong mi kasem wanfala hard taem. Bat mi no talem story hia gud. Firstaem, mi laek talem iu abaotem waef bilong mi.
Wanfala aftanun long 1949 taem mi long Kingdom Hall, telephone hem ring. Mi ansarem and herem wanfala naesfala voice sei: “Nem bilong mi hem Christine Genchur. Mi wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Mi muv kam long Cleveland for lukaotem waka, and mi want for join witim wanfala kongregeson.” Kingdom Hall bilong mifala hem farawe from area wea hem stap, bat from mi laekem voice bilong hem, mi talem hem hao for kasem hall and encouragem hem for kam long datfala Sunday—day wea mi nao givim pablik tok. Long Sunday, mi first wan for arrive long Kingdom Hall, bat no eni sista wea mi no luksavve long hem kam. Taem mi go ahed givim tok, mi go ahed for lukluk long door, bat no eniwan kam insaed. Nextfala day mi telephone long hem, and hem talem hao hem no savve yet long wanem bas for go long hem. So mi volunteer for meetim hem and explainim moa.
Mi lanem hao parents bilong hem, wea muv kam from Czechoslovakia, start for join witim olketa Bible Student bihaen olketa readim buklet Where Are the Dead? Parents bilong hem baptaes long 1935. Long1938, dadi bilong Christine kamap company servant (wea distaem mifala kolem presiding overseer) long kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Clymer, Pennsylvania, U.S.A., and long 1947, Christine hem baptaes taem hem 16 year. Hem no longtaem bifor mi lovem disfala sista wea luk naes tumas and garem spiritual tingting. Mitufala marit long June 24, 1950, and start kam from datfala taem Christine hem faithful partner bilong mi, wea evritaem willing for putim olketa samting bilong Kingdom bilong God firstaem. Mi thankiu long Jehovah hao disfala gudfala fren agree for joinim laef bilong hem witim laef bilong mi.—Proverbs 31:10.
Wanfala Bigfala Sapraes
Long November 1, 1951, mitufala start for pioneer tugeta. Tufala year bihaen, long wanfala convention long Toledo, Ohio, Brata Hugo Riemer and Brata Albert Schroeder story witim wanfala grup bilong olketa pioneer wea interest long missionary service. Mifala midolwan olketa. Mifala kasem encouragement for go ahed pioneer long Cleveland, bat long month bihaen nomoa, mifala kasem bigfala sapraes—invitation for attendim mek-23 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul bilong Gilead, wea bae start long February 1954!
Taem mifala draev go long Gilead Skul, wea long datfala taem stap long South Lansing, New York, Christine hem seksek so hem evritaem talem mi, “Go moa slow!” Mi sei, “Christine, sapos iumi draev moa slow, bae iumi no go eniwea.” Bat, bihaen mifala arrive, mifala feel moa isi. Brata Nathan Knorr welkamim grup bilong olketa student and tekem mifala for tour. Hem explainim tu hao mifala savve sevem wata and electric, and strongim hao wei for careful long olketa samting olsem hem fasin wea fitim man wea lukaftarem samting bilong Kingdom. Datfala advaes hem stap witim mitufala. Nomata distaem mifala live followim.
Flae Go Long Rio
No longtaem bihaen mifala graduate, and long December 10, 1954, mifala go insaed aeroplane long cold New York City, hapi tumas for flae go long niu assignment wea sun hem shaen long Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Peter and Billie Carrbello, olketa narafala missionary, travel witim mifala. Datfala gogo shud 24 hour, taem mifala stap lelebet long Puerto Rico, Venezuela, and Belém long north Brazil. Bat, from engine kasem problem, hem 36 hour bifor mifala lukim Rio de Janeiro. Bat hem barava nambawan samting for lukim! Olketa laet bilong taon shaen olsem olketa diamond long wanfala blak kaleko, and silver laet bilong moon hem shaen long wata bilong Guanabara Bay.
Samfala member bilong Bethel famili weitim mifala long airport. Bihaen olketa givim mifala naesfala welkam, olketa draevem mifala long branch office, and long samting olsem thri klok long morning, mifala sleep. Tu-thri hour bihaen, bell for wekapem mifala mekem mifala remember hao firstfala day for mifala olsem olketa missionary, hem start!
Wanfala Firstfala Leson
Kwiktaem mifala lanem wanfala important leson. Mifala bin stap wanfala evening long haos bilong wanfala Witness famili. Taem mifala laek for wakabaot go bak long branch, brata hem sei, “Nomoa, iu kanduit go; hem rain,” and hem trae for mekem mifala stap full naet. “Long hom bilong mifala hem rain tu,” mi sei, taem mi laf and ting smol long samting wea hem talem. And then mifala go.
Bikos olketa maunten stap raonem Rio, rainwata hem kwiktaem hipap and ran go long taon, planti taem kosim olketa flood. No longtaem nomoa and mifala wakabaot long wata wea kasem knee. Klosap long branch, olketa road kamap olketa maeti river and wata kasem chest bilong mifala. Taem mifala kasem Bethel mifala tuwet nao. Nextfala day, Christine hem feel nogud and hem kasem typhoid fever, wea mekem hem wiki for longfala taem. Hem tru hao, olsem olketa niu missionary, mifala shud lisin long advaes bilong olketa lokol Witness wea garem savve.
Olketa First Step Long Missionary and Traveling Waka
Bihaen disfala nogud start, witim barava interest mifala startim field ministry. Mifala readim wanfala story long Portuguese languis long eniwan wea mifala meetim, and luk olsem mitufala muv ahed semsem for lanem languis. Wanfala haosholder sei long Christine, “Mi minim iu, bat mi no minim hem,” taem hem point long mi. Narawan bae talem mi, “Mi minim iu bat no hem.” Nomata olsem, mifala barava hapi for kasem winim 100 subscription for Wastaoa magasin insaed long first tu-thri week. Tru nao, samfala Bible student bilong mifala baptaes long firstfala year wea mifala stap long Brazil, wea givim mifala lelebet idea hao gud nao disfala missionary assignment bae kamap.
Raonem 1955, planti long olketa kongregeson long Brazil no evritaem kasem olketa visit bilong circuit overseer bikos no inaf brata stap wea kasem mark for duim. So nomata mi go ahed for lanem languis and no givim eni pablik tok yet long Portuguese languis, mi kasem assignment for duim circuit waka long state bilong São Paulo long 1956.
From firstfala kongregeson wea mifala visitim no kasem circuit visit for winim tufala year, evriwan barava luk forward long pablik tok. For preparem datfala tok, mi katem olketa paragraf from olketa article bilong Wastaoa long Portuguese languis and stikim long olketa pepa. Datfala Sunday, Kingdom Hall hem fulap fogud. Nomata long stage, pipol sidaon long hem, evriwan weitim disfala spesol samting. Tok, or mi shud sei reading bilong mi, hem start. Samfala taem mi luk go ap and mi barava sapraes for lukim no eniwan muv, nomata olketa pikinini tu. Evriwan barava lukluk strong long mi. Tingting bilong mi hem olsem: ‘Sei, Valentino, Portuguese languis bilong iu barava kamap gud nao! Olketa pipol hia barava interest for lisin.’ Planti year bihaen, taem mi visitim datfala kongregeson moa, wanfala brata wea stap long datfala firstfala visit hem sei: “Waswe, iu rememberim datfala tok wea iu givim? Mifala no minim nomata wanfala word.” Mi talem stret hao mi tu no minim planti part long datfala tok.
Long datfala firstfala year long circuit waka, mi planti taem readim Zechariah 4:6. Olketa word, ‘No witim paoa, bat witim spirit bilong mi,’ mekem mi remember hao spirit bilong Jehovah nomoa reason why Kingdom waka hem muv ahed. And hem muv ahed, nomata hem tru hao mifala no fit for duim planti samting.
Olketa Challenge and Blessing wea Kam
Circuit waka minim mifala mas go raonem kantri and long semtaem karem typewriter, olketa box literature, olketa suitcase, and basket. For mekem no eniting lus taem mifala aot from wanfala bas and go insaed narawan, Christine garem gudfala tingting for nambarem kago bilong mifala. Planti taem mifala mas travel for 15 hour long bas long olketa gravel road for kasem nextfala ples. Samtaem, mifala fraet, especially taem tufala bas meet for go akros wanfala nogud bridge long semtaem, and tufala klosap tasim each other taem olketa go pas. Mifala travel tu long train, ship, and long horse.
Long 1961 mifala start for serve long distrik waka, travel from wanfala circuit go kasem nara circuit and no long olketa kongregeson. Samfala evening evri week, mifala showim olketa movie wea organization bilong Jehovah wakem—evri taem long difren ples. Planti taem mifala mas kwiktaem duim samting for trikim olketa bigman bilong church, wea trae for stopem olketa movie hia. Long wanfala taon, priest forcem man wea ownim wanfala hall for cancelim kontrak witim mifala. For samfala day mifala lukaotem nara ples, then mifala faendem, bat mifala no talem eniwan and go ahed invaetem evriwan for kam long firstfala ples. Bifor program hem start, Christine go long datfala hall and long kwaet wei leadim evriwan wea laek for lukim movie long niu ples. Datfala evening, 150 pipol lukim datfala movie, wea garem nem wea fitim The New World Society in Action.
Nomata for duim traveling waka long olketa farawe area hem hard samfala taem, wei wea olketa hambol brata wea stap long there barava tinghae long visit bilong mifala, kaen for welkamim mifala and sharem simpol haos, mifala evritaem thankiu long Jehovah for chance for stap witim olketa. Mifala kasem olketa barava hapi blessing from wei for fren witim olketa. (Proverbs 19:17; Haggai 2:7) So, mifala barava sorre hao, bihaen mifala serve for winim 21 year long Brazil, missionary waka bilong mifala hem finis!
Midolwan Long Trabol, Jehovah Showim Mifala Wanem for Duim
Long 1975, Christine kasem operation. Mifala start moa long traveling waka, bat health bilong Christine hem gogo for worse. Hem luk olsem best samting nao for hem go bak long United States for kasem medical treatment. Long April 1976, mifala arrive long Long Beach, California, and stap witim mami bilong mi. From mifala stap long nara kantri for 20 year, mifala no savve hao for deal witim samting wea kasem mifala. Mi start for waka for givim olketa massage, and selen from datwan keepim mifala. State bilong California provaedem ples for Christine long hospital, bat from olketa doctor nating willing for givim hem treatment wea no iusim blood, hem feel moa wiki evri day. From mifala no wei nao, mifala begim Jehovah for leadim mifala.
Wan aftanun taem mi long field service, mi lukim wanfala office bilong doctor, and mi no planim bat mi go insaed nao. Nomata datfala doctor hem redy for go bak long haos, hem letem mi kam long office bilong hem, and mifala story for tufala hour. Then hem sei: “Mi tinghae long missionary waka bilong iufala, and bae mi treatim waef bilong iu for no eni kost and no witim blood transfusion.” From diswan hem gud tumas mi hard for bilivim samting hem talem.
Disfala kaenfala doctor, wea wanfala savveman long medical wea pipol respectim, muvim Christine long wanfala hospital wea hem waka, and from kea bilong hem, Christine start for kamap moabeta. Mifala thankiu hao Jehovah showim wei long datfala hardfala taem!
Olketa Niu Assignment
Taem Christine kasem bak strong, mifala serve olsem olketa pioneer and hapi for helpem samfala pipol long Long Beach for kamap olketa worshiper bilong Jehovah. Long 1982 olketa askem mifala for duim circuit waka long United States. Mifala thankiu long Jehovah evriday for iusim mifala moa long traveling waka—wankaen ministry wea mifala lovem. Mifala serve long California and then long New England, wea insaed datfala circuit hem samfala Portuguese-languis kongregeson. Bihaen Bermuda hem insaed tu.
Bihaen fofala gudfala year, mifala kasem nara assignment. Mifala kasem invitation for serve olsem olketa spesol pioneer long eni ples wea mifala laekem. Nomata mifala sorre for lusim traveling waka, mifala disaed strong for go ahed long niu assignment bilong mifala. Bat long wea? Insaed long traveling waka, mi luksavve hao Portuguese kongregeson long New Bedford, Massachusetts, needim help—so mifala go long New Bedford.
Taem mifala arrive, kongregeson mekem bigfala party for welkamim mifala. Olketa mekem mifala feel olsem olketa needim mifala! Diswan muvim mifala for krae. Wanfala famili witim tufala smol pikinini kaen tumas for sharem haos witim mifala go kasem taem mifala faendem ples bilong mifala seleva. Jehovah barava blessim disfala spesol pioneer assignment winim wanem mifala expectim. Start kam from 1986 mifala helpem 40 pipol long disfala taon for kamap Witness. Olketa nao spiritual famili bilong mifala. And tu, mi kasem hapi for lukim faevfala lokol brata muv ahed for kamap olketa shepherd witim fasin for kea for olketa sheep. Hem olsem mifala serve long wanfala missionary assignment wea garem frut.
Taem mifala ting go bak, mifala hapi long wei wea mifala servem Jehovah from taem mifala young and mekem truth full laef bilong mifala. Hem tru, wei for olo and sik affectim mifala distaem, bat for go ahed long wei bilong Jehovah hem still strong and hapi bilong mifala.
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Mifala just arrive long Rio de Janeiro
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Spiritual famili bilong mifala long New Bedford, Massachusetts