Laef Story
Jehovah Teachim Mifala Fasin for Stand Strong and No Givap
STORY BILONG ARISTOTELIS APOSTOLIDIS
Long north saed long botom bilong olketa Caucasus Maunten, taon bilong Russia wea olketa kolem Pyatigorsk hem stap wea planti pipol savve long hem from springwata and naesfala weather bilong hem. Mi born long there long 1929 long parents wea refugee from Greece. Tenfala year bihaen, bihaen barava nogud taem wea Stalin spoelem kantri, mekem pipol fraet, and killim dae pipol from olketa difren tribe, mifala kamap olketa refugee moa taem mifala mas muv go long Greece.
BIHAEN mifala muv go long Piraiévs, Greece, datfala word “refugee” garem barava niu mining for mifala. Mifala feel olsem stranger evribit. Nomata nem bilong mi and brata bilong mi followim tufala Greek savveman, Socrates and Aristotle, pipol no kolem mifala long olketa nem hia. Evriwan kolem mitufala olketa smolfala man bilong Russia.
No longtaem bihaen World War II hem start, mami wea mi lovem tumas hem dae. Hem barava main wan long laef bilong mifala, and hem barava hard tumas for lusim hem. From hem bin sik for longtaem lelebet, hem teachim mi for duim samfala waka long haos. Bihaen, disfala training barava helpem mi long laef.
War and Freedom
Datfala war, wei wea olketa Nazi tekovarem kantri, and olketa bomb wea Allied army sutim olowe mekem mifala feel olsem each day hem last wan. Poor living, wei for hangre and dae hem big tumas. From taem mi 11 year, mi mas barava waka hard witim dadi bilong mi for saportim mi thrifala. Mi no skul gud from mi no savve gud long Greek languis and from datfala war and samting wea kamaot from hem.
Wei wea Germany tekova and rulim Greece hem finis long October 1944. No longtaem bihaen, mi meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. From pipol safa and no garem eni hope long datfala taem, hope from Bible for wanfala braet future anda long Kingdom bilong God hem muvim heart bilong mi. (Psalm 37:29) Promis bilong God for laef olowe long peace long disfala earth hem olsem samting wea barava healim olketa kill bilong mi. (Isaiah 9:7) Long 1946 mi and dadi bilong mi baptaes, for showimaot dedication bilong mifala long Jehovah.
Long year bihaen, mi hapi for kasem first assignment bilong mi olsem magasin servant long mek-tu kongregeson wea kamap long Piraiévs. Territory bilong mifala hem from Piraiévs go kasem Eleusis, samting olsem 50 kilometer. Long datfala taem, planti anointed Christian serve long kongregeson. Mi kasem privilege for waka witim olketa and lane from olketa. Mi barava enjoy for kaban witim olketa bikos olketa storyim staka experience wea showimaot fasin for waka hard wea olketa needim for duim preaching waka. Laef bilong olketa showimaot klia hao man needim patient fasin and wei for no givap for servem Jehovah long faithful wei. (Acts 14:22) Mi hapi tumas from distaem winim 50 kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness stap long disfala area!
Challenge wea Mi No Expectim
Samfala taem bihaen, long taon bilong Patras mi meetim Eleni, wanfala young Christian woman wea hem barava naes tumas. Mitufala engage long end bilong 1952. Bat, tu-thri month bihaen, Eleni kasem bigfala sik. Olketa doctor faendaot hem garem cancer long brain, and sik bilong hem serious tumas. Hem mas kasem operation stretawe. Mifala trae hard and gogo faendem wanfala doctor long Athens wea willing for respectim biliv bilong mifala and no iusim blood taem hem operate. (Leviticus 17:10-14; Acts 15:28, 29) Bihaen datfala operation, olketa doctor tingse maet hem kamap gud, bat olketa no willing for sei disfala sik bae no kamap moa.
Wanem nao bae mi duim? From evri samting hem change, waswe, mi shud finisim wei for engage and mekem miseleva free? Nomoa! Taem mi engage, mi promis for maritim Eleni and mi laekem yes bilong mi for minim yes. (Matthew 5:37) Mi nating ting for duim eni difren samting. Eleni kamap gud lelebet taem sista bilong hem lukaftarem hem, and mitufala marit long December 1954.
Thrifala year bihaen, sik bilong Eleni hem kamap big moa, and datfala sem doctor duim nara operation. Distaem hem go moa deep insaed brain for aotem datfala tumor evribit. Diswan mekem waef bilong mi hem haf paralyze, and barava affectim toktok bilong hem. Long datfala taem planti niu hardfala challenge kamap for mitufala. Nomata for duim olketa simpol samting hem barava hard samting for waef bilong mi. Wei wea health bilong hem kamap moa worse hem minim mifala mas mekem samfala big change long evriday living bilong mifala. Winim evri samting, mifala barava needim fasin for stand strong and no givap.
Long datfala taem nao mi barava iusim training wea mi kasem from mami bilong mi. Early long morning, mi redyim kaikai for Eleni kukim. Planti taem mifala invaetem samfala visitor, olketa full-taem minister, pipol mifala studyim Bible witim, and olketa brata and sista long kongregeson wea garem need. Olketa hia agree hao datfala kaikai hem teist naes tumas! Eleni and mi waka tugeta tu for duim evri nara waka long haos, mekem haos bilong mifala klin and stret. Disfala hardfala challenge hem go ahed for 30 year.
Strong Nomata Sik
Hem barava muvim feeling bilong mi and olketa narawan for lukim hao no eni samting stopem wei wea waef bilong mi lovem Jehovah and strong for service. Gogo, witim hard waka, Eleni savve story lelebet. Hem laekem tumas for storyim gud nius from Bible witim pipol long street. Taem mi mas go eniwea for bisnis, mi tekem hem and mi parkim car long wanfala busy street. Thru long car window hem offerim olketa Wastaoa and Wekap! long pipol wea go pas. Wantaem, hem offerim 80-fala magasin insaed tufala hour. Planti taem hem finisim olketa old magasin wea stap long kongregeson. Eleni hem busy evritaem tu long olketa difren wei for duim preaching waka.
Long olketa year wea waef bilong mi hem disable, hem evritaem go witim mi long olketa meeting. No enitaem hem missim wanfala convention or assembly, nomata mifala mas travel long nara kantri bikos long persecution wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kasem long Greece. Nomata olketa health problem bilong hem, hem hapi for attendim olketa convention long Austria, Germany, Cyprus, and olketa nara kantri. No enitaem Eleni hem komplen or askem tumas samting, nomata taem olketa responsibility bilong mi long service bilong Jehovah mekem samfala samting hard for hem.
For saed bilong mi, diswan hem olsem bigfala education long fasin for stand strong and no givap. Planti taem mi feelim wei wea Jehovah hem helpem mi. Olketa brata and sista sakrifaesim seleva for helpem mifala, and olketa doctor kaen tumas for saportim mifala. Long olketa hardfala year hia, mifala evritaem garem samting mifala needim, nomata mi no savve waka full-taem. Mifala putim firstaem evri samting saed long service bilong Jehovah.—Matthew 6:33.
Planti askem mifala wanem samting nao keepim mifala strong long olketa hard taem hia. Taem mi ting go bak, mi luksavve hao study seleva, prea long God from heart, wei for attendim evritaem olketa Christian meeting, and strong for preaching waka helpem mifala for garem fasin for stand strong and no givap. Mifala evritaem tingim bigfala encouragement from olketa word long Psalm 37:3-5: “Trust long Jehovah and duim gud samting; . . . Kasem nambawan hapi long Jehovah . . . Putim gogo bilong iu long Jehovah, and depend long hem, and hem nao bae duim samting.” Nara verse wea barava helpem mifala hem Psalm 55:22: “Torowem hevi bilong iu long Jehovah, and hem nao bae strongim iu.” Olsem wanfala pikinini wea trustim evribit dadi bilong hem, mifala torowem hevi bilong mifala long Jehovah and leavim olketa long hand bilong hem.—James 1:6.
Long April 12, 1987, taem waef bilong mi hem preach front long haos bilong mifala, wanfala strong iron door bangam hem and pushim hem long saed road and hem barava garekil. From diswan, hem insaed coma, wea minim hem no savve long eniting for next thrifala year. Hem dae long start bilong 1990.
Duim Best Bilong Mi for Servem Jehovah
Long 1960, mi kasem appointment for serve olsem kongregeson servant long Nikaia, Piraiévs. Start kam from datfala taem, mi kasem privilege for serve long planti difren kongregeson long Piraiévs. Nomata mi no garem eni pikinini, mi kasem hapi for helpem planti spiritual pikinini kamap strong long truth. Distaem samfala serve olsem olketa kongregeson elder, ministerial servant, pioneer minister, and olketa member bilong Bethel famili.
Bihaen democratic rul kamap moa long Greece long 1975, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness free for garem olketa convention, no need for duim haed long bush. Savve wea samfala bilong mifala kasem from mifala bin organizem olketa convention long nara kantri, hem helpem mifala long datfala taem. From diswan, mi hapi for kasem privilege for serve long olketa convention komiti for planti year.
Then, long 1979, olketa plan kamap for buildim firstfala Assembly Hall long Greece, aotsaed long Athens. Mi kasem assignment for help for organizem and share insaed disfala bigfala construction project. Disfala waka tu barava needim fasin for stand strong and no givap. For waka for thrifala year tugeta witim olketa brata and sista wea sakrifaesim olketa seleva hem mekem mifala garem strongfala love for each other and wan mind. Olketa memory from disfala project stap olowe long heart bilong mi.
Satisfaem Spiritual Need Bilong Olketa Prisoner
Tu-thri year bihaen, niufala assignment hem kamap. Klosap long territory bilong kongregeson bilong mi, long Korydallos, wanfala bigfala prison bilong Greece hem stap. Start kam from April 1991, mi kasem assignment for visitim disfala prison evri week olsem wanfala minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Olketa long there letem mi conductim olketa Bible study and Christian meeting witim eni prisoner wea interest. Planti long olketa barava change, wea pruvim strongfala paoa bilong Word bilong God. (Hebrews 4:12) Diswan mekem olketa wakman long prison and olketa nara prisoner sapraes tumas. Samfala prisoner wea mi studyim Bible witim kamap free and distaem serve olsem olketa pablisa bilong gud nius.
For lelebet longtaem mi study witim thrifala wea garem bignem olsem olketa wea sellim drug. Taem olketa muv ahed long spiritual wei, olketa shave, komim hair, and werem shirt and nektie long taem bilong Bible study, nomata hem midol long August—wanfala barava hot month long Greece! Bigman bilong datfala prison, main gard and samfala nara wakman ran kam from office bilong olketa for lukim diswan. Olketa hard for bilivim nomata olketa lukim!
Narafala experience wea savve encouragem man happen long sekson bilong prison for olketa woman. Wanfala woman wea prisoner for laef from hem killim dae samwan, hem start for studyim Bible. Pipol savve long hem from bighed fasin bilong hem. Bat, no longtaem bihaen truth bilong Bible wea hem go ahed for lanem mekem kamap samfala change wea planti pipol sei hao hem olsem wanfala lion wea change for kamap pikinini sheep! (Isaiah 11:6, 7) From diswan, bigman bilong datfala prison start for respectim and trustim hem. Mi hapi tumas for lukim hem muv ahed gud long spiritual wei and hem dedicate long Jehovah..
Helpem Olketa wea Sik and Olketa Olo
From mi lukim wei wea waef bilong mi stragol for longfala taem witim sik, diswan mekem mi garem moa feeling for olketa wea sik and olo midolwan long iumi. Evritaem mi lukim olketa article long pablikeson bilong iumi wea encouragem iumi for givim loving help long olketa olsem, mi interest tumas. Mi keepim evri article hia olsem spesol samting. Bihaen samfala year, buk wea mi putim olketa article hia garem winim wan handred page—first article hem “Tingim Olketa wea Olo and Olketa wea Safa,” long July 15, 1962, Wastaoa. Planti long olketa showaot hao hem gud for each kongregeson for arrange for provaedem help for olketa wea sik and olo.—1 John 3:17, 18.
Olketa elder arrangem wanfala grup bilong olketa brata and sista wea willing for lukaftarem need bilong olketa sik wan and olketa olo long kongregeson bilong mifala. Mifala divaedem olketa volunteer hia long olketa team—samfala wea savve help long daytaem, olketa narawan long naet, olketa wea savve provaedem transport, and olketa wea stap redy for help enitaem long day or naet. Disfala last sekson redy for eni emergency wea maet kamap.
Olketa gud samting kamaot from diswan. Olsem example, from evriday olketa visitim wanfala sik sista wea stap seleva long haos, wantaem olketa faendem hem haf-dead long floor. Mifala talem wanfala sista klosap wea garem car. Hem kwiktaem tekem sista hia long hospital—insaed tenfala minute nomoa! Olketa doctor sei datwan nao sevem laef bilong hem.
Thankiu wea olketa wea sik and olo showaot for datfala grup hem givim bigfala feeling for satisfae. Hem mekem heart bilong mi hapi for tingim laef witim olketa brata and sista hia long niu system bilong God wea evriting bae difren. And for savve olketa kasem help for stand strong from saport olketa kasem taem olketa safa, hem narafala reward.
Wei for No Givap Givim Reward
Distaem mi serve olsem wanfala elder long wanfala kongregeson long Piraiévs. Nomata mi olo and garem samfala health problem, mi hapi for go ahed share long waka bilong kongregeson.
Insaed olketa year wea go pas, olketa hardfala taem, challenge, and samting mi no expectim needim bigfala strong and wei for no givap. Bat Jehovah evritaem givim mi strong wea mi needim for winim olketa problem hia. Evritaem mi lukim hao disfala toktok bilong man wea raetem psalm hem tru tumas: “Taem mi sei: ‘Leg bilong mi bae no strong for muv,’ loving-kaeness bilong iu, O Jehovah, hem go ahed for strongim mi. Taem planti tingting for wari kamap insaed long mi, olketa toktok bilong iu for givim comfort nao lukaftarem soul bilong mi.”—Psalm 94:18, 19.
[Piksa long page 25]
Witim waef bilong mi, Eleni, bihaen mek-tu operation bilong hem, long 1957
[Piksa long page 26]
Long wanfala convention long Nuremberg, Germany, long 1969
[Piksa long page 28]
Olketa brata and sista wea helpem olketa wea sik and olketa olo