LAEF STORY

Wanfala Rich Laef Long Service Bilong Jehovah

STORY BILONG RUSSELL KURZEN

Mi born long September 22, 1907, sevenfala year bifor start bilong first world war changem full world. Famili bilong mifala hem rich long important wei. Bihaen iu herem samfala information saed long history bilong mifala, mi tingse bae iu agree.

TAEM hem smol girl, Granmami Kurzen hem bin lukaotem truth abaotem God. Bifor hem kamap teenager, hem go long planti difren church long homtaon bilong hem wea luk naes tumas long Spiez, Switzerland. Long 1887, samfala year bihaen hem marit, Kurzen famili muv go long United States.

Bihaen, famili bilong olketa setol daon long Ohio, wea long samting olsem year 1900, Granmami bilong mi faendem datfala riches wea hem bin lukaotem. Hem faendem insaed buk bilong Charles Taze Russell wea garem title The Time Is at Hand, long German languis. Hem kwiktaem luksavve long laet bilong Bible truth insaed samting wea hem readim. Nomata Granmami bilong mi savve readim lelebet English nomoa, hem tekem subscription for English Wastaoa magasin. Long wei olsem hem lanem moa tru samting from Bible and, long semtaem, hem lanem English. Grandadi bilong mi hem no garem sem interest long olketa spiritual samting olsem waef bilong hem.

Tufala son long 11-fala pikinini bilong Granmami Kurzen, John and Adolph, tinghae long spiritual riches wea hem faendem. John nao dadi bilong mi, and hem baptaes long 1904 long convention long St. Louis, Missouri, bilong Olketa Bible Student, nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Bikos planti Bible Student no garem tumas selen, olketa planim datfala convention for kamap long semtaem bilong World Fair long St. Louis mekem olketa go long train taem kost bilong pasis hem katdaon lelebet. Bihaen, long 1907, uncle bilong mi Adolph hem baptaes long wanfala convention long Niagara Falls, New York. Dadi bilong mi and uncle bilong mi strong for preachim samting olketa lanem from Bible, and gogo tufala evriwan kamap olketa full-taem minister (wea distaem mifala kolem pioneer).

Dastawe, taem mi born long 1907, famili bilong mi rich finis, long spiritual wei. (Proverbs 10:22) Mi baby nomoa long 1908 taem parents bilong mi, John and Ida, tekem mi long “On to Victory” convention long Put-in-Bay, Ohio. Long there Joseph F. Rutherford, wea hem traveling minister long datfala taem, hem nao convention chairman. Tu-thri week bifor, hem kam long Dalton, Ohio, wea hem visitim haos bilong mifala and givim olketa tok long olketa Bible Student wea stap klosap.

Hem tru, mi no rememberim olketa samting hia, bat mi rememberim datfala convention long Mountain Lake Park, Maryland, long 1911. Long there mi and smol sista bilong mi, Esther, meetim Charles Taze Russell, wea lukaftarem preaching waka bilong Olketa Bible Student long full world.

Long June 28, 1914, datfala day wea world war hem start bikos olketa killim dae Archduke Ferdinand and waef bilong hem long Sarajevo, mi attendim wanfala convention long Columbus, Ohio, witim famili bilong mi. Start kam from datfala taem, mi kasem privilege for attendim planti convention bilong pipol bilong Jehovah. Samfala hipap hem smol, olsem wan handred nomoa. Samfala narawan big fogud long samfala stadium wea big winim eni narawan long world.

Haos Bilong Mifala Long Wanfala Spesol Ples

From samting olsem 1908 go kasem 1918, haos bilong mifala long Dalton—midolwan long Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Cleveland, Ohio—hem ples bilong olketa meeting bilong wanfala smol kongregeson bilong Olketa Bible Student. Haos bilong mifala hem kamap ples for welkamim planti traveling speaker. Olketa taemap horse and wagon wea horse pullim and talem olketa interesting experience and spiritual story long olketa wea hipap. Olketa taem olsem barava encouragem mifala!

Dadi hem wanfala skulteacher, bat heart bilong hem laekem tumas datfala nambawan teaching waka, datfala Christian ministry. Hem mek sure hem teachim famili bilong hem abaotem Jehovah, and evri naet mifala prea tugeta olsem wanfala famili. Long spring season bilong 1919, Dadi sellim horse and wagon bilong mifala, and for $175 hem peim wanfala 1914 Ford trak mekem hem fit for kasem moa pipol long preaching waka. Long 1919 and 1922, mifala iusim datfala trak for kasem olketa important convention bilong Olketa Bible Student long Cedar Point, Ohio.

Full famili bilong mifala—Mami; Dadi; Esther; smol brata bilong mi, John; and mi—evriwan share long pablik preaching waka. Mi rememberim klia firstaem wea wanfala haosholder askem mi wanfala Bible kwestin. Mi samting olsem seven year. Man hem askem mi: “Smol boy, wanem nao Armageddon?” Witim lelebet help from dadi bilong mi, mi fit for talem hem ansa from Bible.

Startim Full-Taem Ministry

Long 1931 famili bilong mifala attendim convention long Columbus, Ohio, wea mifala hapi tumas for share for acceptim datfala niu nem, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. John hem barava hapi so hem disaed mitufala shud join insaed pioneer waka.a Mitufala duim olsem, and Mami, Dadi and Esther tu. Mifala kasem riches—wanfala famili wea wan mind long datfala hapi waka for preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God! Mi evritaem thankiu long Jehovah for disfala blessing. Bat, nomata mifala barava hapi, moa hapi bae kamap bihaen.

Long February 1934, mi start for serve long world headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness (wea olketa kolem Bethel) long Brooklyn, New York. John hem kam joinim mi long there tu-thri week bihaen. Mitufala sharem rum tugeta go kasem taem hem maritim waef bilong hem, Jessie, long 1953.

Bihaen mitufala John go long Bethel, parents bilong mifala acceptim olketa pioneer assignment long olketa difren part long kantri and Esther witim hasband bilong hem, George Read, go witim tufala. Parents bilong mifala go ahed for pioneer go kasem taem olketa finis for laef long earth long 1963. Esther witim hasband bilong hem bringimap wanfala gudfala famili, and mi kasem blessing for garem planti niece and nephew, wea mi lovem tumas.

Waka and Kaban Long Bethel

John iusim technical savve bilong hem long Bethel and hem waka witim olketa nara Bethelite long project for wakem olketa phonograph. Planti thousand Jehovah’s Witness iusim olketa long haos-tu-haos ministry. John hem help tu for planim and buildim olketa machine for pasolem and putim nem long olketa magasin for sendem long olketa wea garem subscription.

Mi startim Bethel service bilong mi long ples for wakem olketa buk. Olketa nara young man wea waka long factory long datfala taem still faithful for serve long Bethel. Hem nao Carey Barber and Robert Hatzfeld. Samfala narawan wea mi remember, bat wea dae finis hem Nathan Knorr, Karl Klein, Lyman Swingle, Klaus Jensen, Grant Suiter, George Gangas, Orin Hibbard, John Sioras, Robert Payne, Charles Fekel, Benno Burczyk, and John Perry. Olketa faithful for waka planti year, no enitaem komplen or tingse olketa shud kasem “position.” Nomata olsem, samfala long olketa loyal Christian hia wea spirit anointim kasem moa responsibility taem organization hem grow. Samfala serve long Governing Body bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

For waka witim olketa brata hia wea sakrifaesim seleva hem teachim mi wanfala important leson. Olketa wakman long world kasem selen for waka bilong olketa. Datwan nao reward bilong olketa. For serve long Bethel hem givim olketa rich spiritual blessing, and olketa spiritual man and woman nomoa minim and hapi long olketa reward olsem.—1 Corinthians 2:6-16.

Nathan Knorr, wea kam long Bethel taem hem 18 year long 1923, hem factory overseer start long 1932. Hem wakabaot long factory evriday and sei hello long evri wakman long there. Mifala wea niu long Bethel tinghae long kaenfala wei wea hem interest long mifala wanwan. Long 1936 mifala kasem niu printing press from Germany, and samfala young brata stragol for redyim datwan for startim printing. So Brata Knorr changem kaleko bilong hem and waka witim olketa young brata for winim wan month go kasem taem printing press hia hem waka.

Brata Knorr hem man for waka hard and planti long mifala no savve waka olsem hem. Bat hem savve tu hao for enjoyim hapitaem. Nomata bihaen hem kamap man for lukaftarem preaching waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness raonem world long January 1942, samfala taem hem pleim baseball witim olketa member bilong Bethel famili and olketa student bilong Gilead missionary skul long South Lansing, New York.

Long April 1950, mifala long Bethel famili muv long niu ten-story building long 124 Columbia Heights, Brooklyn, New York. Datfala niu dining rum minim mifala evriwan savve sidaon tugeta for kaikai. Insaed long thrifala year for wakem disfala niu building, mifala no savve garem eni program for duim morning worship. Hem wanfala hapi samting taem disfala program hem start moa! Mi kasem assignment from Brata Knorr for sidaon klosap long hem long tebol bilong chairman mekem mi savve helpem hem for rememberim olketa nem bilong olketa niu member bilong famili. For 50 year mi sidaon long sem ples for morning worship and kaikai. Then, long August 4, 2000, olketa klosim datfala dining rum, and mi kasem assignment long wanfala niu dining rum long building wea hem Towers Hotel bifor.

For lelebet taem long olketa year bilong 1950, mi waka long factory long wanfala Linotype machine, for redyim olketa samting saed long printing. Hem waka wea mi no laekem tumas, bat William Peterson, wea hem overseer long olketa machine, hem barava kaen long mi so mi enjoyim taem wea mi waka long there. Then, long 1960 olketa needim olketa volunteer for paintim niufala building long 107 Columbia Heights. Mi hapi tumas for volunteer for help redyim olketa niu building hia for Bethel famili bilong mifala wea go ahed for grow.

No longtaem bihaen mifala paintim finis building long 107 Columbia Heights, mi sapraes for kasem assignment for welkamim olketa visitor long Bethel. Foti year wea go finis wea mi serve long reception olketa barava gud olsem evri nara year wea mi stap long Bethel. Nomata mi welkamim olketa visitor or olketa niu member bilong Bethel famili, hem gud for ting raonem hao mifala evriwan waka tugeta for mekem samting bilong Kingdom kamap moa big.

Olketa Student wea Studyim Gud Bible

Bethel famili bilong mifala hem rich long spiritual wei bikos evri member lovem Bible. Taem mi first kam long Bethel, mi askem Emma Hamilton, wea waka olsem proofreader, haomas taem hem readim finis Bible. Hem sei “Thirti-faev taems, and then mi no kaontem.” Anton Koerber, narafala strong Christian wea serve long Bethel long semtaem, hem savve sei: “Evritaem keepim wanfala Bible klosap long iu.”

Bihaen Brata Russell hem dae long 1916, Joseph F. Rutherford start for lukaftarem olketa responsibility saed long organization wea Brata Russell bin duim. Brata Rutherford garem savve olsem speaker and hem toktok witim paoa, and olsem wanfala lawyer hem defendim olketa case for Olketa Jehovah’s Witness front long Supreme Kot bilong United States. Bihaen Brata Rutherford hem dae long 1942, Brata Knorr changem hem and hem waka hard for savve for givim tok long pablik. From mi stap long rum wea klosap long hem, mi planti taem herem hem practicem olketa tok evritaem. Gogo, from hard waka olsem, hem kamap wanfala gudfala pablik speaker.

Long February 1942, Brata Knorr hem help startim wanfala program for helpem mifala olketa brata long Bethel for kamap moabeta saed long teaching and for givim tok. Main samting wea datfala skul teachim hem Bible research and hao for givim tok long pablik. Long start, mifala evriwan kasem assignment for givim shortfala tok abaotem olketa man long Bible. First tok bilong mi hem abaotem Moses. Long 1943 kaen skul olsem hem kamap insaed olketa kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and hem go ahed kam kasem distaem. Long Bethel olketa go ahed for strongim wei for kasem savve long Bible and for lanem olketa gudfala teknik for teach.

Long February 1943 first class bilong Gilead missionary skul hem start. Distaem mek-111 class hem just graduate! Insaed winim 58 year wea disfala skul hem go ahed, hem provaedem training for winim 7,000 pipol for serve olsem olketa missionary raonem world. Interesting samting, long 1943 taem datfala skul hem start, lelebet winim 100,000 Jehovah’s Witness stap raonem full world. Distaem, winim 6,000,000 share for preachim gud nius bilong Kingdom bilong God!

Thankiu for Spiritual Present wea Mi Kasem

Just bifor Gilead hem start, mi witim nara tufala from Bethel kasem assignment for visitim olketa kongregeson evriwea long United States. Mifala stap for wanfala day, tu-thri day, or maet wanfala week for trae strongim olketa kongregeson hia long spiritual wei. Mifala kasem nem olketa servant bilong olketa brata, wea bihaen olketa changem for kamap circuit servant, or circuit overseer. Bat, no longtaem bihaen Gilead skul hem start, olketa askem mi for kam bak for teachim samfala course. Mi serve olsem wanfala instructor for class 2 go kasem class 5, and tu mi changem wanfala instructor long mek-14 class. From mi savve reviewim witim olketa student olketa spesol samting wea happen long history bilong organization bilong Jehovah bilong distaem—planti wea mi savve talem from experience bilong mi—hem mekem mi barava thankiu moa for richfala spiritual present wea mi kasem.

Narafala privilege wea mi kasem insaed olketa year wea go pas hem for attendim olketa international convention bilong pipol bilong Jehovah. Long 1963, mi travel raonem world witim winim 500 nara witness long olketa “Everlasting Good News” convention. Olketa nara convention wea important long history wea mi attendim hem olketa long Warsaw, Poland, long 1989; Berlin, Germany, long 1990; and Moscow, Russia, long 1993. Long each convention, mi kasem chance for meetim samfala brata and sista bilong iumi wea stand strong long planti year bilong persecution and long Nazi rul, Communist rul, or tufala evriwan. Olketa experience hia barava strongim faith!

Laef bilong mi long service bilong Jehovah hem barava rich! Olketa spiritual blessing hem nating finis. And, no olsem olketa material riches, taem iumi sharem olketa spesol samting hia, riches bilong iumiseleva hem kamap moa big. Samfala taem mi herem samfala sei maet hem moabeta sapos olketa no growap olsem Jehovah’s Witness. Olketa tingse olketa bae tinghae moa long olketa truth bilong Bible sapos olketa firstaem experiencem laef aotsaed long organization bilong God.

Mi wari taem mi herem olketa young wan talem toktok olsem bikos hem minim olketa really sei hem moabeta for no growap witim savve abaotem olketa wei bilong Jehovah. Bat, tingim evri badfala fasin and nogud tingting wea pipol mas lusim taem olketa faendem truth bihaen datwan. Mi evritaem barava thankiu from parents bilong mi bringimap thrifala pikinini bilong olketa long wei bilong raeteous fasin. John hem stap faithful olsem servant bilong Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long July 1980, and kam kasem distaem Esther hem wanfala faithful Witness.

Mi laekem tumas for ting bak long wei wea mi enjoyim wei for fren witim planti faithful brata and sista. Distaem mi stap for winim 67 nambawan year long Bethel. Nomata mi no marit, mi garem planti spiritual son and dota, and olketa spiritual granpikinini tu. And mi hapi tumas for tingim olketa niu member bilong spiritual famili bilong iumi raonem world wea mi no meetim yet, each wan hem spesol. Disfala toktok nao hem tru tumas: “Blessing bilong Jehovah—hem nao mekem man rich”!—Proverbs 10:22.

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 20]

From left go long raet: dadi wea holem brata bilong mi, John, Esther, mi, and mami

[Olketa Piksa long page 23]

Teachim wanfala Gilead class long 1945

Antap raet: Olketa Gilead Skul instructor Eduardo Keller, Fred Franz, mi, and Albert Schroeder

[Piksa long page 24]

Mi ting raonem rich laef bilong mi long service bilong Jehovah