Laef Story
Jehovah Pullim Hambol Pipol Long Truth
STORY BILONG ASANO KOSHINO
Long 1949, tu-thri year nomoa bihaen World War II, wanfala tol and kaenfala man from difren ples kam visitim famili wea mi waka for olketa long taon bilong Kobe. Hem firstfala missionary bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness for kasem Japan. Disfala visit bilong hem givim mi chance for herem Bible truth. Bat firstaem, mi laek story lelebet abaotem miseleva.
MI BORN long 1926 long smol vilij long Okayama. Mi mek-faev long eitfala pikinini. Dadi hem biliv strong long god wea olketa worshipim long Shinto temple. So mifala pikinini savve enjoyim olketa celebration and taem wea famili savve hipap for olketa festival bilong datfala religion wea kamap evri year.
Taem mi growap, mi garem staka kwestin abaotem laef, bat dae nao main samting mi ting raonem. Long kastom bilong mifala man mas dae long haos bilong hem and olketa pikinini mas stap saed long bed bilong man wea dae. Mi sorre tumas taem granmami bilong mi dae and taem brata bilong mi wea no wan year yet hem dae. Mi feel nogud tumas taem mi tingim taem wea dadi and mami bae dae. ‘Waswe, hem nomoa laef? Laef no garem eni moa mining?’ Mi laek tumas for savve.
Long 1937, taem mi class six, war midolwan China and Japan hem start. Olketa sendem olketa man go long war long China. Olketa skul pikinini wea go for lukim dadi or brata bilong olketa go, savve singaot “banzai!” (longfala laef) long emperor. Pipol feel sure Japan bae win, from olketa tingse god rulim nation and emperor bilong hem wanfala god wea laef.
No longtaem bihaen, olketa famili start for kasem message hao relative bilong olketa dae long war. Olketa famili hia sorre tumas. Heit kamap big long heart bilong olketa, and olketa hapi taem staka enemy dae. Bat mi ting, ‘Pipol wea enemy mas safa olsem mifala tu taem samwan olketa lovem hem dae.’ Taem mi finis primary skul, war kamap moa big long China.
Meetim Man From Difren Ples
From mifala farmer, famili bilong mifala poor, bat dadi letem mi for kasem moa education sapos datwan hem free. So, long 1941, mi go long wanfala skul for olketa girl nomoa long taon bilong Okayama, wea samting olsem 100 kilometer awe. Hem skul wea teachim olketa girl for kamap gudfala waef and mami, and savve sendem olketa student go long olketa rich famili long taon for kasem training long waka for klinim haos. Long morning olketa student lane for duim waka long olketa haos hia, and long aftanun olketa skul.
Bihaen wanfala ceremony for welkamim olketa niu student, teacher bilong mi wea werem kimono tekem mi go long wanfala big haos. Mi no savve why bat woman bilong datfala haos no acceptim mi. “Hao sapos iumi go long haos bilong Mrs. Koda?” teacher hem ask. Hem tekem mi go long kaen haos wea olketa European buildim and ringim bell long door. Bihaen lelebet taem, wanfala tol woman wea garem white hair kamaot. Mi sapraes fogud! Hem no Japanese, and mi no lukim European bifor. Teacher introducem mi long Mrs. Maud Koda and then hem kwiktaem go. Witim fraet, mi pullim basket bihaen long mi and go insaed haos. Mi faendaot bihaen hao Mrs. Maud Koda hem from America and hem maritim man bilong Japan wea hem go skul long America. Maud teachim English long olketa bisnis skul.
Next morning, mi stretawe startim busy laef. Hasband bilong Mrs. Koda garem sik epilepsy, and mi mas help for lukaftarem hem. From mi barava no savve English, mi wari lelebet. Mi hapi taem Mrs Koda iusim Japanese languis for story long mi. Evri day, mi herem tufala story long English, and gogo mi getius for herem datfala languis. Mi laekem naesfala feeling insaed datfala haos.
Mi tinghae long wei wea Maud lovem tumas hasband bilong hem wea sik. Hasband bilong hem laekem tumas for readim Bible. Mi faendaot bihaen hao hasband and waef hia kasem buk The Divine Plan of the Ages long Japanese languis from wanfala second-hand stoa and bin kasem English Wastaoa for planti year.
Wanday mi kasem Bible olsem present. Mi hapi from hem firstaem long laef bilong mi for garem Bible bilong miseleva. Mi readim taem mi go and kam bak from skul bat mi no mas minim gud. From mi growap insaed Shinto religion, mi hard for minim Jesus Christ. Long datfala taem mi no luksavve hao diswan nao start bilong wei wea gogo mi acceptim Bible truth, wea bae ansarem olketa kwestin bilong mi abaotem laef and dae.
Thrifala Sorre Samting
Tufala year bilong training bilong mi hem finis and mi sei gudbae long famili. Bihaen mi finis skul, mi joinim wanfala volunteer grup bilong olketa girl and help for wakem olketa uniform for navy. Olketa plane bilong America start for bombim Japan, and long August 6, 1945, olketa dropim atom bomb long Hiroshima. Tu-thri day bihaen, mi kasem leta wea sei Mami hem sik big. Mi insaed nextfala train wea go hom. Taem mi aot from train, wanfala relative wea kam for mi sei mami hem dae finis. Hem dae long August namba 11. Samting mi fraetem olowe hem happen nao! Mi bae no herem story or lukim smile bilong mami moa.
Long August 15, Japan lus long war. So insaed tenfala day nomoa mi feisim thrifala sorre samting: firstfala atom bomb bosta, dae bilong Mami, and wei wea Japan lus long war. Nomata olsem, mi kasem comfort for savve pipol bae no go ahed for dae long war. Witim bigfala sorre mi lusim waka bilong mi and go bak long vilij bilong mi.
Interest Long Truth
Wanday, mi seknomoa kasem leta from Maud Koda long Okayama. Hem ask sapos mi savve go helpem hem witim olketa waka long haos, from hem bae openem wanfala skul wea teachim English. Mi no sure wanem for duim, bat then mi agree for go. Tu-thri year bihaen, mi muv go long Kobe witim famili bilong Koda.
Long start bilong hot season long 1949, wanfala tol kaenfala man hem visitim famili bilong Koda. Nem bilong hem Donald Haslett, and hem kam from Tokyo for luk aotem wanfala haos long Kobe for olketa missionary stap insaed. Hem firstfala missionary bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness for kasem Japan. Hem faendem wanfala haos, and long November 1949, samfala moa missionary arrive long Kobe. Wanday, faevfala long olketa kam visitim famili hia. Tufala long olketa, Lloyd Barry and Percy Iszlaub, story long English for samting olsem tenfala minute long olketa wea hipap long haos. Olketa missionary ting long Maud olsem wanfala Christian sista and hem kasem strong from wei for kaban witim olketa. Long datfala taem nao mi laek for lanem English.
Witim help bilong olketa faithful missionary, mi gogo kasem savve long olketa main truth insaed Bible. Olketa kwestin wea mi garem taem mi pikinini yet kasem ansa. Tru nao, Bible talem hope bilong laef olowe long wanfala paradaes earth and promis bilong resurrection for “evriwan wea stap long olketa memory grev.” (John 5:28, 29; Revelation 21:1, 4) Mi thankiu long Jehovah for disfala hope wea hem mekem kamap thru long ransom sakrifaes bilong Son bilong Hem, Jesus Christ.
Hapi Theocratic Waka
Start long December 30, 1949, go kasem January 1, 1950, firstfala theocratic assembly long Japan hem kamap long Kobe missionary hom. Mi go witim Maud. Datfala bigfala haos hem bilong wanfala Nazi bifor, and from haos hia iu savve lukim bay and Awaji Island wea luk naes tumas. From mi no garem bigfala savve long Bible, mi no minim staka samting long datfala assembly. Bat, mi barava tinghae long olketa missionary, wea no hol bak for kaban witim Japanese pipol. Full attendance bilong datfala pablik tok hem 101.
No longtaem bihaen, mi disaed for share long field ministry. Mi need for strongim miseleva for go long olketa haos, bikos mi savve shame. Wanfala morning, Brata Lloyd Barry kam long haos bilong mifala for tekem mi go aot long ministry. Hem start long next haos from haos bilong Sista Koda. Mi klosap haed nomoa bihaen long hem taem hem story long man long haos. Long mek-tu taem mi go preaching, mi waka witim tufala nara missionary. Wanfala olo Japanese woman invaetem mifala go insaed haos bilong hem, hem lisin, and bihaen givim mifala milk for drinkim. Hem agree for studyim Bible and gogo kamap wanfala baptaes Christian. Wei wea hem muv ahed hem encouragem mi.
Long April 1951, Brata Nathan H. Knorr, from Brooklyn headquarter, visitim Japan for firstfala taem. Samting olsem 700 pipol kam long pablik tok wea hem givim long Kyoritsu Auditorium long Kanda, Tokyo. Long datfala spesol meeting, evriwan wea attend hapi for kasem for firstaem Wastaoa long Japanese languis. Long nextfala month, Brata Knorr visitim Kobe, and long spesol meeting long there, mi baptaes for showimaot wei wea mi dedicate long Jehovah.
Samting olsem wanfala year bihaen, mi kasem encouragement for serve olsem pioneer. Tu-thri pioneer nomoa long Japan long datfala taem, and mi no sure hao nao bae mi saportim miseleva. Mi tingting tu abaotem eni chance for mi marit long future. Bat, gogo mi luksavve hao wei for servem Jehovah shud first samting long laef, so mi kamap pioneer long 1952. Gud samting nao mi savve waka part-taem for Sista Koda taem mi pioneer.
Klosap long datfala taem, brata bilong mi, wea mi tingse hem dae long war, hem kam bak hom from Taiwan witim famili bilong hem. Famili bilong mi nating showim eni interest long Christian Wei, bat witim pioneer spirit, mi sendem olketa magasin and buklet long olketa. Bihaen, brata bilong mi muv go long Kobe witim famili bilong hem bikos long waka bilong hem. Mi askem sista-in-law bilong mi: “Waswe, iu readim olketa magasin?” Mi sapraes taem hem ansa, “Olketa interesting magasin.” Hem start for studyim Bible witim wanfala long olketa missionary, and sista bilong mi wea young winim mi wea stap witim olketa tu hem joinim datfala study. Gogo, tufala evriwan kamap baptaes Christian.
Tinghae Long Wei wea Olketa Brata Wan Mind Long Full World
No longtaem bihaen, mi barava sapraes for kasem invitation for attendim mek-22 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul bilong Gilead. Brata Tsutomu Fukase and mi first tufala from Japan for kasem invitation for go long datfala skul. Long 1953, bifor class hem start, mitufala attendim datfala New World Society Assembly wea kamap long Yankee Stadium, New York. Mi tinghae tumas long wei wea pipol bilong Jehovah raonem world olketa wanfala famili.
Long mek-faev day bilong datfala convention, olketa from Japan, wea staka long olketa missionary, bae werem kastom kaleko wea olketa kolem kimono. From kimono wea mi sendem firstaem kam long ship no arrive long taem mi needim, mi askem Sister Knorr for mi werem bilong hem. Long datfala session, hem start for rain, and mi wari nogud kimono tuwet. Then, samwan from bihaen kavarem mi witim raincoat. Sista wea standap witim mi hem ask: “Iu savve hu nao datfala man?” Bihaen nao mi faendaot hao man hia hem Brata Frederick W. Franz, member bilong Governing Body. Mi barava feelim loving kea bilong organization bilong Jehovah!
Datfala mek-22 class bilong Gilead hem barava international wan, wea garem 120 student from 37 kantri. Nomata saed long languis hem hard, mifala barava hapi for kaban tugeta olsem olketa brata. Long wanfala day wea hem snow long February 1954, mi graduate from skul and kasem assignment for go bak long Japan. Nara student long datfala class, Inger Brandt, sista from Sweden, hem kamap partner bilong mi long Nagoya City. Long there, mitufala joinim wanfala grup bilong olketa missionary wea olketa ranawe kam from Korea bikos long war. Olketa year wea mi duim missionary service hem barava spesol long mi.
Hapi Service Olsem Hasband and Waef
Long September 1957, olketa invaetem mi for serve long Tokyo Bethel. Wanfala tu-storey timba haos nao branch office long Japan. Fofala nomoa insaed branch long datfala taem, insaed diswan hem Brata Barry wea hem branch overseer. Evri narawan olketa missionary. Mi kasem waka for transleit and proofread, and tu for klining, wasim kaleko, kuki, and samfala samting moa.
Waka long Japan go ahed for grow, and samfala moa brata kam long Bethel. Wanfala long olketa kamap overseer long kongregeson mi insaed. Long 1966, mi maritim datfala brata, Junji Koshino. Bihaen mitufala marit, Junji kasem assignment for duim circuit waka. Hem hapi samting for savve long staka moa brata and sista taem mifala travel long olketa difren kongregeson. From mi kasem assignment for duim samfala transleison, mi duim long olketa difren haos wea mifala stap long hem each week. Witim suitcase and olketa nara bag, mitufala mas karem tu olketa hevi dictionary taem mitufala travel.
Mifala enjoyim circuit waka for winim fofala year and lukim organization go ahed for grow. Olketa muvim branch go long Numazu, and then klosap tenfala year bihaen, go long Ebina, ples wea hem stap long hem distaem. For longfala taem nao Junji and mi enjoyim Bethel service, wea distaem mitufala waka witim wanfala famili bilong samting olsem 600 member. Long May 2002, olketa fren long Bethel kaen tumas for celebratem mek-50 year wea mi insaed full-taem service.
Blessing for Lukim Increase
Taem mi start for servem Jehovah long 1950, olketa pablisa no staka long Japan. Distaem 210,000 Kingdom pablisa nao stap. Tru nao, olsem mi bifor, Jehovah pullim kam long hem staka pipol wea olsem sheep.
Fofala missionary brata and sista wea visitim mifala long haos bilong Sista Koda long 1949, and Sista Maud Koda tu, olketa evriwan dae faithful. Brata bilong mi wea hem ministerial servant, and sista-in-law bilong mi wea duim pioneer service for samting olsem 15 year, tufala tu dae faithful. Wanem nao future for parents bilong mi, wea mi savve warim tumas dae bilong tufala taem mi pikinini? Promis bilong Bible abaotem wanfala resurrection givim mi hope and comfort.—Acts 24:15.
Taem mi ting go bak, day wea mi meetim Maud long 1941 nao taem wea olketa change long laef bilong mi hem start. Sapos mi no meetim hem long datfala taem and sapos mi no acceptim invitation bilong hem for waka for hem moa bihaen war, maet mi stap nomoa long farm bilong mifala long vilij and no meetim olketa missionary. Mi thankiu tumas long Jehovah for wei wea hem pullim mi kam long truth thru long Maud and olketa firstfala missionary hia!
[Piksa long page 25]
Witim Maud Koda and hasband bilong hem. Mi long left saed long front
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Witim olketa missionary from Japan long Yankee Stadium long 1953. Mi long barava left saed
[Olketa Piksa long page 28]
Long Bethel witim hasband bilong mi, Junji