Laef Story

Kasem Strong From Bigfala Famili Bilong Olketa Brata

STORY BILONG THOMSON KANGALE

Long April 24, 1993, olketa invaetem mi for attendim dedication program bilong niu branch office, wea garem 13-fala building, long Lusaka, Zambia. From mi faendem hard for wakabaot, Christian sista wea tekem mifala long tour hem ask long kaenfala wei, “Waswe, iu laekem mi for karem wanfala chair mekem iu savve rest taem iu taed?” Mi blak man, and hem white, bat datwan nating important long hem. Diswan barava muvim mi and mi thankiu long hem from kaenfala fasin bilong hem wea mekem mi fit for luk insaed evri branch building.

INSAED olketa year wea go pas, olketa experience olsem muvim heart bilong mi, hem strongim biliv bilong mi hao Christian kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness garem love wea Christ talem bae hem mark bilong olketa tru follower bilong hem. (John 13:35; 1 Peter 2:​17) Bae mi storyim iu hao mi meetim olketa Christian hia long 1931, year wea olketa talemaot long pablik niufala nem wea olketa kasem from Bible, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.​—⁠Isaiah 43:⁠12.

Firstfala Ministry Long Africa

Long November 1931, mi 22 year and stap long Kitwe, long Copperbelt area, Northern Rhodesia (distaem Zambia). Wanfala fren wea mitufala savve plei soccer tugeta nao introducem mi long olketa Witness. Mi attendim samfala meeting bilong olketa and raet go long branch office long Cape Town, South Africa, for ask for datfala buk for studyim Bible The Harp of God.a Disfala buk hem long English and mi faendem hem hard for mi minim, from mi no savve gud long languis hia.

Datfala Copperbelt area hem stap samting olsem 240 kilometer southwest long Lake Bangweulu, klosap long ples mi growap long hem. Hem garem olketa copper mine wea staka pipol from olketa nara province go for waka long hem. Samfala grup bilong olketa Witness savve evritaem meet long there for Bible study. Bihaen lelebet taem, mi muv from Kitwe go long taon klosap, Ndola, and start for kaban witim wanfala grup bilong olketa Witness long there. Long datfala taem, mi captain bilong wanfala soccer team wea olketa kolem Prince of Wales. Mi start tu for waka olsem haos-boy for wanfala white man, boss bilong wanfala company wea ownim staka stoa long central Africa.

Mi skul lelebet nomoa and lanem lelebet English from olketa white man wea mi waka for olketa. Nomata olsem, mi laekem tumas for skul moa so mi apply for attendim wanfala skul long Plumtree, Southern Rhodesia (distaem Zimbabwe). Bat, long semtaem, mi raet go long Cape Town branch office for mek-tu taem. Mi talem olketa hao mi kasem finis datfala buk The Harp of God and laek for servem Jehovah full-taem.

Mi sapraes for kasem bak leta wea sei: “Mifala praisem iu for wei wea iu laek servem Jehovah. Mifala laek for encouragem iu for prea abaotem, and Jehovah bae helpem iu for minim gud truth, and hem bae faendem ples for iu servem hem.” Bihaen mi readim moa datfala leta staka taem, mi askem samfala Witness wanem nao mi shud duim. Olketa sei: “Sapos iu really laek servem Jehovah, go ahed and duim stretawe.”

For wanfala full week, mi prea abaotem diswan and gogo mi disaed for lusim skul and go ahed for studyim Bible witim olketa Witness. Long year bihaen, long January 1932, mi showimaot wei wea mi dedicate long Jehovah God taem mi baptaes long wata. Bihaen mi muv from Ndola go long taon klosap, Luanshya, mi meetim Jeanette, wanfala Witness, and mitufala marit long September 1934. Taem mitufala marit, Jeanette garem finis wanfala son and wanfala dota.

Gogo, mi grow long spiritual wei, and long 1937, mi joinim full-taem ministry. No longtaem bihaen mi kamap wanfala traveling minister, wea distaem garem nem circuit overseer. Olketa traveling overseer visitim olketa kongregeson bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness for strongim olketa long spiritual wei.

Preaching Long Olketa Year Bifor

Long January 1938, olketa talem mi for visitim wanfala chief bilong Africa, Sokontwe, wea bin ask for olketa Jehovah’s Witness visitim hem. Mi raed for thrifala day long bicycle for kasem area bilong hem. Taem mi talem hem kakam bilong mi hem ansa for leta bilong hem go long Cape Town office bilong mifala, hem barava showimaot thankiu.

Mi go long evri haos bilong pipol bilong hem and invaetem olketa for kam long insaka (pablik haos). Taem olketa hipap, mi givim tok. From diswan, staka Bible study kamap. Datfala chief and wakman bilong hem nao kamap firstfala overseer bilong olketa kongregeson long there. Distaem, winim 50 kongregeson nao stap long datfala area, wea distaem olketa kolem, Samfya distrik.

From 1942 go kasem 1947, mi serve long wanfala area raonem Lake Bangweulu. Mi spendem tenfala day long each kongregeson. From olketa wakman long spiritual harvest hem no staka, mifala feel olsem Lord bilong mifala, Jesus Christ, wea sei: “Tru nao, harvest hem big, bat olketa wakman no staka. Dastawe, askem Masta bilong harvest for sendem aot olketa wakman long harvest bilong hem.” (Matthew 9:​36-​38) Long olketa taem hia, for travel hem hard, so staka taem Jeanette stap long Luanshya witim olketa pikinini taem mi visitim olketa kongregeson. Long datfala taem, mitufala Jeanette garem tufala pikinini moa, bat wanfala dae taem hem ten month.

No staka trak stap long datfala taem so road tu no staka. Wanday, mi raed long bycycle bilong Jeanette long wanfala 200 kilometer gogo. Samfala taem, taem mi need for akrosim wanfala smol river, mi putim bicycle long shoulder bilong mi, holem witim wan hand, and iusim nara hand for swim. Namba bilong olketa Witness long Luanshya kwiktaem for grow, and long 1946, 1,850 attendim Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ.

Feisim Hard Taem Saed Long Waka

Wantaem long World War II, distrik commissioner long Kawambwa kolem mi and sei: “Mi laekem iu for no iusim moa olketa buk bilong Watch Tower Society bikos distaem olketa tambuim. Bat mi savve givim iu olketa tul wea iu savve iusim for raetem olketa buk for iusim long waka bilong iu.”

Mi sei: “Mi satisfae witim olketa literature mifala garem. Mi no needim eniting moa.”

“Iu no savve long olketa bilong America,” hem sei (olketa literature bilong mifala hem print long United States long datfala taem). “Olketa bae giamanim iu.”

Mi ansa: “Nomoa, olketa wea mi kaban witim olketa no olsem.”

Then hem ask: “Hao, iu savve encouragem kongregeson bilong iu for givim donation for help long war olsem olketa nara religion duim?”

“Datfala waka hem for olketa messenger bilong gavman,” mi ansa olsem.

“Hao sapos iu go long haos and ting raonem?” hem sei.

Mi talem hem: “Long Exodus 20:13 and 2 Timothy 2:​24, Bible komandim iumi for no kill-kill and no faet.”

Nomata hem letem mi go, bihaen, distrik commissioner long Fort Rosebery, wanfala taon wea distaem wea olketa kolem Mansa, hem kolem mi. “Mi kolem iu long hia for talem iu hao gavman hem tambuim nao olketa buk bilong iu,” hem sei.

“Yes. Mi herem,” mi sei.

“So iu shud go long evri kongregeson bilong iu and talem pipol wea iu worship witim for tekem kam olketa buk long hia. Iu herem?”

“Datwan hem no waka bilong mi,” mi ansa olsem. “Hem responsibility bilong olketa messenger bilong gavman.”

Wei for Meet wea Garem Frut

Bihaen long war, mifala go ahed for preach. Long 1947, mi just finis for serve long wanfala kongregeson long vilij bilong Mwanza and mi ask raon for ples for baem wanfala kap tea. Olketa leadim mi go long haos bilong Mr. Nkonde. Mr. Nkonde and waef bilong hem welkamim mi. Mi askem Mr. Nkonde sapos, taem mi drinkim tea, hem savve readim datfala chapter “Hell, a Place of Rest in Hope,” insaed buk “Let God Be True.”

“So wanem nao hell long iu?” mi askem hem bihaen mi finisim tea bilong mi. From hem sapraes long samting hem just readim, hem start for studyim Bible witim olketa Witness and bihaen hem and waef bilong hem baptaes. Nomata bihaen hem no wanfala Witness, waef bilong hem and samfala pikinini bilong hem stap faithful. Wanfala pikinini bilong hem, Pilney, hem still serve long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Zambia. And nomata mami bilong Pilney hem olo tumas distaem, hem still wanfala faithful Witness.

Stap Lelebet Long East Africa

Branch office bilong iumi long Northern Rhodesia, wea kamap long early 1948 long Lusaka, assignim mi go long Tanganyika (distaem Tanzania). Narafala Witness kam witim mitufala waef bilong mi taem mitufala wakabaot thru long olketa maunten. Disfala gogo tekem mifala thrifala day and barava mekem mifala taed. Mi karem olketa buk, waef bilong mi karem olketa kaleko, and nara Witness karem olketa samting for sleep.

Taem mifala arrive long Mbeya long March 1948, staka samting stap for duim for helpem olketa brata change followim olketa Bible teaching. Wan samting, pipol long datfala area savve long mifala olsem pipol bilong Watchtower. Nomata olketa brata acceptim finis datfala nem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olketa no talemaot long pablik. Witim diswan, samfala Witness need for lusim samfala kastom wea join long wei for honorim olketa wea dae finis. Bat maet barava hardfala change for staka duim nao hem for registerim marit bilong olketa mekem hem kasem honor front long evriwan.​—⁠Hebrews 13:⁠4.

Bihaen, mi kasem privilege for serve long olketa nara area bilong East Africa, wea insaed diswan hem Uganda. Mi spendem samting olsem six week long Entebbe and Kampala, wea staka kasem help for savve long Bible truth.

Invitation for Go Long New York City

Bihaen mi serve long Uganda, mi go long Dar es Salaam, kapitol bilong Tanganyika long early 1956. Long there wanfala leta from world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses weitim mi. Hem garem samfala instruction for mi mek-redy for go long New York for attendim wanfala international convention wea bae kamap from July 27 go kasem August 3, 1958. Tru nao, mi barava luk forward long diswan.

Mitufala nara traveling overseer, Luka Mwango, nao flae go tugeta from Ndola go long Salisbury (distaem Harare), Southern Rhodesia, then go long Nairobi, Kenya. From there mifala flae go long London, England, wea olketa barava welkamim mifala. Taem mifala arrive long England, mifala barava hapi and go ahed for storyim wei wea olketa white pipol barava welkamim mifala wea kam from Africa. Disfala experience barava strongim mifala.

Gogo, mifala kasem nao New York, ples bilong convention. Wanday, long taem bilong convention, mi givim wanfala report abaotem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Northern Rhodesia. Long datfala day klosap 200,000 nao hipap long Polo Grounds and Yankee Stadium long New York City. Mi hard for sleep long datfala naet from mi ting abaotem datfala nambawan privilege.

Kwiktaem nomoa datfala convention hem finis and mifala go bak hom. Long datfala gogo bak, mifala feelim moa bigfala love bilong olketa brata and sista long England. Wan mind bilong pipol bilong Jehovah, nomata wanem kala skin or kantri, hem showaot long wei wea barava hard for forgetim!

Moa Service and Test

Long 1967, olketa appointim mi olsem distrik servant​—⁠wanfala minister wea gogo long olketa circuit. Long datfala taem, olketa Witness long Zambia hem winim 35,000. Bihaen, from health bilong mi kamap nogud, olketa assignim mi olsem circuit overseer long Copperbelt. Gogo, Jeanette kasem samfala health problem and long December 1984 hem dae faithful long Jehovah.

Bihaen hem dae, mi barava feel nogud taem olketa famili member bilong Jeanette wea no biliv sei mi iusim kastom magic for killim dae Jeanette. Bat samfala wea savve long sik bilong Jeanette and wea story witim doctor bilong hem, explainim long olketa relative hia trufala samting wea happen. Then nara test kamap. Samfala relative laekem mi for followim kastom wea olketa kolem ukupyanika. Long ples mi kam from, disfala kastom hem wei for duim sex witim wanfala klos relative bilong marit partner wea dae. Mi nating duim diswan.

Gogo, olketa relative givap for trae and mekem mi followim diswan. Mi thankiu hao Jehovah hem helpem mi for stand strong. Wanfala month bihaen mi berem waef bilong mi, wanfala brata kam long mi and sei: “Brata Kangale, iu barava encouragem mifala long dae bilong waef bilong iu bikos iu nating followim eni kastom wea no followim God. Mifala laek for barava thankiu long iu.”

Nambawan Harvest

Hem 65 year finis from taem mi startim full-taem ministry olsem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Mi barava kasem bigfala hapi insaed olketa year hia for lukim staka handred kongregeson and Kingdom Hall kamap long ples wea mi serve olsem traveling overseer long hem bifor! From samting olsem 2,800 Witness long 1943, distaem mifala garem winim 122,000 wea talemaot Kingdom long Zambia. Tru nao, last year winim 514,000 attendim Memorial long disfala kantri, wea garem klosap 11 million pipol.

Kam kasem distaem, Jehovah hem lukaftarem mi gud. Taem mi needim medical treatment, wanfala Christian brata tekem mi long hospital. Olketa kongregeson still invaetem mi givim olketa pablik tok, and diswan barava encouragem mi. Kongregeson wea mi kaban witim arrange for olketa Christian sista savve kam klinim haos bilong mi, and olketa brata volunteer for tekem mi go long olketa meeting evri week. Mi savve mi hard for enjoyim diskaen loving kea sapos mi no servem Jehovah. Mi thankiu long hem for wei wea hem go ahed for iusim mi long full-taem ministry and for staka responsibility mi bin fit for duim kam kasem distaem.

Eye bilong mi kamap dark nao, and taem mi wakabaot go for Kingdom Hall, mi need for rest tu-thri taem bifor mi kasem there. Basket for karem buk hem hevi tumas distaem, so mi mekem hem no hevi long wei for aotem eni buk mi no needim for meeting. Main wei bilong mi for duim field ministry hem for duim Bible study witim olketa wea kam long haos bilong mi. Hem barava hapi samting for luk bak long olketa year wea go pas and for tingim bigfala increase wea kamap! Mi bin serve long wanfala field wea toktok bilong Jehovah long Isaiah 60:22 hem fulfill long bigfala wei. Long there hem sei: “Smol wan seleva bae kamap wan thousand, and wan wea no mas big bae kamap wanfala maeti nation. Mi nao, Jehovah, bae speedim diswan long taem bilong hem.” Tru nao, long laef bilong mi, mi lukim datwan hem barava happen, no just long Zambia bat evriwea long world.b

[Olketa Footnote]

[Olketa Piksa long page 24]

Thomson witim Zambia branch long bihaen

[Piksa long page 26]

Zambia branch distaem