Laef Story

Jehovah Provaedem “Paoa wea Winim Wanem Iumi Garem”

STORY BILONG HELEN MARKS

Hem barava hot day long 1986. Miseleva nomoa weit insaed ples bilong customs long wanfala kwaet airport bilong Europe. Diswan hem Tiranë, kapitol taon bilong Albania, kantri wea sei hem “first kantri long world wea no biliv long God.”

ENIKAEN feeling kasem mi taem mi lukim police witim gun go ahed for lukluk insaed bag bilong mi. Sapos mi duim or talem eniting wea bae mekem hem daotem mi, diswan savve kosim olketa for aotem mi from kantri and olketa wea weitim mi aotsaed bae go long prison or labor camp. Gud nao mi fit for mekem police hia for relax taem mi offerim hem gum and swit bisket. Bat hao nao mi, wanfala woman wea winim 60 year, kasem kaen samting olsem? Why nao mi lusim isi living and stap long danger for trae and saportim Kingdom waka long ples wea communism strong long hem?

Girl wea Sik Evritaem wea Garem Staka Kwestin

Tufala year bihaen mi born long 1920 long Ierápetra, Crete, dadi bilong mi dae from pneumonia. Mami hem poor and no savve read or raet. Mi last born long fofala pikinini and from mi kasem sik jaundice, mi luk wiki. Olketa neiba talem mami for iusim strong and lelebet material samting bilong hem for thrifala pikinini and leavim mi dae. Mi hapi hem no followim datfala advaes.

For mek sure soul bilong Dadi rest long heven, Mami evritaem visitim beregraon and planti taem tekem priest for duim service. Bat olketa service hia no cheap. Mi still rememberim wanfala barava coldfala Christmas day taem mitufala mami kam bak from beregraon. Mifala givim go last selen bilong mifala long priest. Bihaen Mami kukim samfala green vegetable for mifala pikinini, hem go long nara rum witim emti bele and feis wea tuwet from hem sorre and krae. No longtaem bihaen, mi trae for no fraet and askem priest why nao Dadi hem dae and why nao mami mas peim priest. Long guilty wei hem ansa: “God tekem hem. Laef olsem nao. Bae iu olraet.”

Hem hard for mi acceptim disfala ansa taem mi tingim datfala Lord’s prea wea mi lanem long skul. Mi still rememberim olketa firstfala toktok bilong hem wea naes and garem mining: “Dadi bilong mifala wea stap long heven, letem nem bilong iu kamap holy. Letem kingdom bilong iu kam. Letem will bilong iu kamap long earth, olsem long heven.” (Matthew 6:9, 10) Sapos God min for duim will bilong hem long earth, why nao iumi mas safa tumas?

Mi klosap kasem ansa long disfala kwestin long 1929 taem Emmanuel Lionoudakis, wanfala Jehovah’s Witness wea preach full-taem, hem visitim haos bilong mifala.a Taem mami bilong mi askem hem wanem nao hem laekem, Emmanuel no talem eniting bat givim mami wanfala testimony card. Mami givim mi card hia for readim. From mi naen year nomoa, mi no mas minim. Mami tingse man wea kam preach hia no savve toktok, so hem sei: “Sorre tumas! Iu no savve tok, and mi no savve read.” Then long kaenfala wei mami leadim hem go long door.

Tu-thri year bihaen, mi kasem ansa nao. Brata bilong mi, Emmanuel Paterakis, kasem from datfala sem full-taem minister disfala buklet Where Are the Dead?, wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness pablisim.b Taem mi readim, mi hapi for lanem hao God no tekem dadi. Mi luksavve dae hem kamaot from sin and hao dadi hem weitim wanfala resurrection for laef long paradaes earth.

“Disfala Buk Hem Distroem Iu!”

Truth bilong Bible openem eye bilong mifala. Mifala faendem wanfala old Bible bilong Dadi and start for studyim, planti taem witim kandol raon long fire. From mi nomoa young girl long area wea interest long Bible, olketa no invaetem mi for waka witim smol grup bilong olketa Witness. Mi start for ting rong hao disfala religion hem for olketa man nomoa.

Strong bilong brata bilong mi for preaching waka hem strongim mi. No longtaem bihaen, olketa police start for lukluk long famili bilong mi, visitim mifala enitaem long day and naet for lukaotem Emmanuel and olketa literature. Mi remember klia yet taem wanfala priest kam for mekem mifala go bak long church. Taem Emmanuel showim hem from Bible hao nem bilong God hem Jehovah, disfala priest pullim datfala Bible, sekem front long feis bilong brata bilong mi and shout, “Disfala buk hem distroem iu!”

Long 1940, from Emmanuel nating willing for serve long army, olketa arrestim hem and sendem hem long ples olketa faet long hem long Albania. Mifala no herem eni nius abaotem hem and tingse hem dae. Bat, tufala year bihaen, mifala seknomoa kasem wanfala leta from hem long prison. Hem laef yet! Wanfala long olketa scripture wea hem raetem insaed leta hia hem nating lus from mind bilong mi: “Eye bilong Jehovah muv raonem full earth for showim strong bilong hem for olketa wea givim full heart long hem.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) Mifala barava needim datfala encouragement!

Long prison, Emmanuel fit for askem samfala brata for visitim mi. Stretawe, olketa arrangem olketa secret Christian meeting long wanfala haos long farm aotsaed taon. Mifala nating savve bat olketa police lukluk long mifala! Wan Sunday, olketa police raonem mifala. Olketa tekem mifala insaed wanfala trak and mekem evriwan long taon lukim mifala. Mi still remember hao pipol tokspoelem and mekfani long mifala, bat Jehovah thru long spirit bilong hem givim mifala peace.

Olketa muvim mifala go long nara taon and putim mifala insaed olketa cell wea dark and dirty tumas. Toilet bilong cell bilong mi hem wanfala baket wea olketa klinim aot wantaem evriday. Mi kasem panis bilong eit month long prison bikos olketa sei mi “teacher” bilong grup. Bat wanfala brata wea insaed prison arrange for lawyer bilong hem faetem case bilong mifala, and gogo hem mekem mifala kamap free.

Wanfala Niu Laef

Taem Emmanuel kamap free from prison, hem start for visitim olketa kongregeson long Athens olsem wanfala traveling overseer. Mi muv go long there long 1947. Hem firstaem for mi meetim big sekson bilong olketa Witness—no just olketa man, bat woman and pikinini tu. Gogo, long July 1947, mi showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah thru long wata baptism. Mi planti taem ting for kamap wanfala missionary and so mi start for attendim olketa naet skul for lanem English. Long 1950, mi kamap pioneer. Mami kam stap witim mi, and hem tu acceptim truth insaed Bible. Hem stap olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness go kasem taem hem dae 34 year bihaen.

Long datfala sem year, mi meetim John Marks (Markopoulos), wanfala spiritual man from United States wea staka tinghae long hem. John born long south Albania, and bihaen hem go long United States, hem kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Long 1950 hem stap long Greece and trae for kasem wanfala visa for Albania—wea long datfala taem hem wanfala strong Communist kantri wea no acceptim difren pipol or eni difren idea. Nomata John no lukim famili bilong hem start from 1936, olketa no letem hem go long Albania. Mi barava tinghae long bigfala strong bilong hem for service bilong Jehovah and deepfala love bilong hem for olketa brata. Mitufala marit long April 3, 1953. Then mi muv witim hem long niu hom bilong mitufala long New Jersey, U.S.A.

For saportim mitufala long full-taem preaching waka, mitufala garem smol bisnis long New Jersey for redyim kaikai for olketa fisherman. Mifala waka long summer season nomoa, start taem sun just kamap go kasem 9:00 a.m. Thru long wei for keepim laef simpol and olketa spiritual samting olsem main important samting, mitufala fit for iusim big haf long taem bilong mitufala for preach. Insaed olketa year bihaen, olketa askem mitufala for muv go long olketa difren taon wea barava needim pipol for preach. Long there, witim help bilong Jehovah, mitufala helpem olketa wea interest, startim olketa kongregeson, and help buildim olketa Kingdom Hall.

Helpem Olketa Brata wea Garem Need

Bat no longtaem bihaen, interesting samting kamap for mitufala. Olketa brata laek for savve hao nao olketa Christian brata long olketa Balkan kantri wea waka hem tambu. For staka year olketa Jehovah’s Witness long olketa kantri hia stap seleva, awe from olketa Christian brata bilong olketa, and planti taem no kasem eni spiritual kaikai, and feisim nogud persecution. Police spyim staka long olketa, and staka go long prison and olketa labor camp. Olketa barava needim olketa Bible pablikeson, direction, and encouragement. Olsem example, wanfala message wea mifala kasem from Albania, wea olketa raetem long secret toktok, hem sei: “Prea long Lord for mifala. Olketa kasholem literature long evri haos. Olketa no letem mifala for study. Thrifala insaed prison.”

So, long November 1960 mitufala startim six-month-long visit long samfala long olketa Balkan kantri hia. Hem klia hao, for duim assignment hia, mifala bae needim “paoa wea winim wanem iumi garem,” wei for no fraet wea kam from God, and gudfala tingting. (2 Corinthians 4:7) Firstfala ples mitufala bae kasem hem Albania. Mifala baem car long Paris and startim gogo. Bihaen mifala kasem Rome, John nomoa kasem visa for Albania. Mi mas go weitim hem long Athens, Greece.

John kasem Albania gogo for end bilong February 1961 and stap long there go kasem end bilong March. Long Tiranë hem meetim 30 brata. Olketa hapi tumas for kasem literature and encouragement wea olketa barava needim! For 24 year no eniwan visitim olketa.

Faithful fasin and fasin for go ahed strong bilong olketa brata hia muvim John. Hem herem hao staka lusim waka bilong olketa and go long prison from olketa no joinim olketa samting bilong Communist gavman. Samting wea barava muvim hem nao hem taem tufala brata wea winim 80 year givim hem donation bilong samting olsem 100 dollar (U.S.) for preaching waka. Tufala bin seven diswan for planti year from lelebet selen olketa kasem.

Lastfala day bilong John long Albania hem March 30, 1961—date bilong Memorial bilong dae bilong Jesus. John givim Memorial tok long 37 wea attend. Long end bilong tok, olketa brata kwiktaem tekem John aot thru long bak door and draevem hem go long Durrës, wea hem go insaed wanfala ship wea gogo for Piraiévs (Piraeus), Greece.

Mi hapi for kasem hem bak sef. Then mitufala go ahed moa long danger gogo hia. Disfala gogo hem kasem thrifala nara Balkan kantri wea tambuim waka bilong mifala—wanfala danger samting from mifala karem Bible literature, typewriter, and olketa nara samting. Mifala kasem privilege for meetim samfala loyal brata and sista wea redy for lusim waka, freedom, and nomata laef bilong olketa tu for Jehovah. Strong and trufala love bilong olketa hem barava strongim mifala. Mifala barava lukim hao Jehovah hem givim “paoa wea winim wanem iumi garem.”

Mifala go bak long United States bihaen long diswan. Insaed olketa year bihaen, mifala sendem literature go long Albania long olketa difren wei and kasem report abaotem waka bilong olketa brata.

Long Planti Gogo, Long Danger

Olketa year go pas and taem hem 76 year, John hem dae and leavim mi stap seleva. Start from datfala taem, long kaenfala wei dota bilong sista bilong mi, Evangelia, and hasband bilong hem, George Orphanides, lukaftarem mi saed long feeling and sapos mi needim help. Tufala seleva lukim saport bilong Jehovah taem tufala serve long Sudan anda long tambu.c

Gogo, niufala wei for kasem information abaotem olketa brata bilong iumi long Albania hem kamap. From olketa relative bilong hasband bilong mi stap long there, olketa askem mi sapos mi willing for go long datfala kantri. Mi willing tumas!

Bihaen mi trae hard for tu-thri month, long May 1986 mi kasem visa from embassy bilong Albania long Athens. Olketa bigman long there warnim mi hao sapos eniting go rong, bae mi no kasem eni help from eniwea. Taem mi go peim air ticket for go long Albania, man long there sapraes tumas. Mi nating letem diswan mekem mi fraet and no longtaem bihaen mi go insaed only plane wea go wantaem evri week from Athens go for Tiranë. Thrifala barava olo pipol bilong Albania nao insaed sem plane; olketa bin stap long Greece for medical treatment.

Stretawe bihaen plane hem land, olketa tekem mi go long wanfala emti customs office. Brata and sista bilong hasband bilong mi, nomata tufala no Jehovah’s Witness, willing for helpem mi faendem olketa brata. For followim law, olketa mas talem bigman bilong datfala ples wei wea mi arrive. From diswan, police barava lukluk long mi. So, olketa relative bilong mi sei for mi stap long haos bilong olketa taem olketa nao lukaotem tufala brata wea stap long Tiranë and tekem olketa kam long mi.

Long datfala taem, naenfala brata nomoa long full Albania. Planti year bilong tambu, persecution, and wei wea police spy evritaem mekem olketa barava careful. Wei wea olketa safa showaot long feis bilong olketa. Bihaen tufala brata hia trustim mi, first kwestin bilong tufala hem: “Wea nao olketa Wastaoa?” For staka year tufala garem tufala olo buk nomoa—nomoa eni Bible tu.

Tufala storyim nogud samting gavman duim againstim olketa and abaotem wanfala brata wea disaed strong for no teksaed long wanfala election. From gavman kontrolem evriting, diswan minim famili bilong hem bae no kasem ration kaikai. Olketa pikinini bilong hem wea marit and famili bilong olketa bae go long prison, nomata olketa no sem biliv witim hem. Report talem hao from olketa fraet, famili bilong brata hia killim hem dae long naet and torowem body bilong hem insaed well, and bihaen sei hem killim hemseleva dae from hem fraet.

Mi sorre tumas for lukim poor living bilong olketa Christian brata hia. Bat, taem mi trae for givim 20-dollar note long each wan long olketa, olketa no acceptim and sei, “Mifala laekem spiritual kaikai nomoa.” Olketa brata hia bin stap anda long hardfala rul wea win for mekem big haf long pipol for no biliv long god. Bat faith bilong olketa and strong bilong olketa hem olsem olketa Witness evriwea. Wei wea Jehovah savve provaedem “paoa wea winim wanem iumi garem,” nomata anda long barava hardfala living, hem barava showaot long mi taem mi lusim Albania tufala week bihaen.

Mi kasem privilege tu for visitim Albania long 1989 and 1991. Taem freedom for tokaot and religion kamap long kantri hia, namba bilong olketa wea worshipim Jehovah kwiktaem grow. Tu-thri Christian wea dedicate wea stap long 1986 distaem kamap winim 2,200 pablisa. Midolwan long olketa hem Melpo, sista bilong hasband bilong mi. No eni daot stap hao Jehovah blessim faithful grup hia.

Witim Paoa Bilong Jehovah, Wanfala Hapi Laef

Taem mi ting bak, mi sure waka bilong mitufala John hem no iusles. Mitufala iusim strong bilong young laef long barava gud wei. Waka bilong mitufala insaed full-taem ministry hem garem moa mining winim eni nara waka mitufala savve duim. Mi hapi long staka wea mitufala teachim Bible truth long olketa. Taem mi olo distaem, mi savve encouragem olketa young wan witim full heart for ‘rememberim Nambawan Creator bilong olketa taem olketa young yet.’—Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Nomata mi 81 year, mi still talemaot gud nius full-taem. Mi wekap early and witness long pipol long olketa bas stop, ples for parkim trak, street, stoa, or long olketa park. Olketa problem bilong old age mekem laef hard tumas, bat olketa loving spiritual brata and sista bilong mi—bigfala spiritual famili bilong mi—and tu dota bilong sista bilong mi, olketa barava saportim mi. Winim evri samting, mi lanem hao “paoa wea winim wanem iumi garem hem bilong God and no bilong iumiseleva.”—2 Corinthians 4:7.

[Olketa Footnote]

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Antap: John, (barava left saed), mi (midol), brata bilong mi Emmanuel long left bilong mi and mami left saed long hem, witim samfala Bethelite, Athens, 1950

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Left: Witim John long bisnis bilong mitufala long New Jersey, 1956

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Distrik convention long Tiranë, Albania, 1995

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Bethel, Tiranë, Albania. Finis buildim long 1996

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Antap: article from wanfala 1940 “Wastaoa” wea olketa transleitim haed go long languis bilong Albania

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Witim dota bilong sista bilong mi, Evangelia Orphanides (raet), and hasband bilong hem, George