Laef Story

Kasem Richfala Blessing From Wei for Tingim Olowe Missionary Waka

STORY BILONG TOM COOKE

Noise bilong gun wea bosta hem spoelem peace bilong datfala aftanun. Olketa bullet flae olobaot midolwan long olketa tree long garden bilong mifala. Wanem nao go ahed? No longtaem bihaen, mifala herem hao wanfala sekson tekova long gavman and General Idi Amin nao rul ovarem Uganda. Diswan happen long 1971.

WHY nao mi and waef bilong mi, Ann, muv from kwaet ples long England and kam long disfala danger part bilong Africa? Mi wanfala wea laek for traem samfala difren challenge, bat main samting wea encouragem mi for garem tingting for kamap missionary hem example bilong parents bilong mi for strong long Kingdom waka.

Mi tingim yet datfala hot day long August 1946, firstaem wea parents bilong mi meetim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Parents bilong mi standap long front door and story for longfala taem witim tufala visitor. Tufala hia, Fraser Bradbury and Mamie Shreve kam bak planti taem, and insaed olketa month bihaen, living bilong famili bilong mifala barava change.

Parents Bilong Mi Showimaot Example for No Fraet

Parents bilong mi tekpart insaed planti waka bilong community. Olsem example, lelebet taem bifor tufala start studyim Bible, haos bilong mifala garem staka piksa bilong Winston Churchill. Long taem bilong national election wea kamap bihaen long war, haos bilong mifala kamap ples wea olketa bilong Conservative Party Committee savve hipap long hem. And tu, famili bilong mifala savve long staka bigman bilong religion and community. Nomata mi naen year nomoa, mi feelim wei wea olketa wantok bilong mifala barava sapraes for savve mifala start for kamap Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.

Example bilong olketa Witness wea mifala kaban witim wea duim waka witim full soul and no fraet, muvim parents bilong mi for tekpart long preaching waka. No longtaem bihaen, dadi start for givim olketa tok long pablik thru long amplifier long main area bilong olketa stoa long Spondon, vilij bilong mifala, and mifala pikinini savve standap long ples wea pipol bae lukim mifala and holem olketa Wastaoa and Wekap! magasin. Mi mas talem hao taem olketa skulfren bilong mi meetim mi, mi laekem tumas for graon bae open and mi haed.

Example wea parents bilong mi showimaot encouragem big sista bilong mi, Daphne, for start for pioneer. Long 1955, hem attendim Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead and kasem assignment olsem wanfala missionary long Japan.a Bat, smol sista bilong mi, Zoe, lusim wei for servem Jehovah.

Long datfala taem mi go ahed finisim skul bilong mi for studyim graphic arts. Long datfala taem, wanfala important samting long olketa skulfren bilong mi nao hem wei wea law talem mifala for mas servem kantri. Taem mi talem olketa hao conscience bilong mi no letem mi, olketa tingse mi fani nomoa. Diswan givim mi chance for story planti taem abaotem Bible long samfala student. No longtaem bihaen datwan, mi go long prison for 12 month from mi no join insaed army. Wanfala student long skul bilong art wea showimaot interest long message bilong Bible hem kamap waef bilong mi. Bat bae mi letem Ann for storyim hao nao hem lanem truth.

Hao Ann Kasem Truth

“Famili bilong mi no tinghae long religion, and mi no baptaes long eni religion. Bat mi interest long olketa story abaotem religion and mi go long eni religion wea olketa fren bilong mi attendim. Interest bilong mi long Bible hem kamap taem mi savve herem Tom and narafala Witness tufala story witim olketa student long skul. Taem Tom and nara Witness hia go long prison from tufala no joinim army, mi seke tumas.

“Mi go ahed for raet long Tom taem hem stap long prison, and mi kamap moa interest long Bible. Taem mi muv go long London for go ahed witim skul bilong mi, mi agree for studyim Bible witim Muriel Albrecht. Muriel hem bin serve olsem missionary long Estonia, and hem and mami bilong hem barava encouragem mi. Insaed tu-thri week, mi attendim olketa meeting and standap aotsaed long Victoria Station for offerim Wastaoa and Wekap!

“Mi attendim Southwark Kongregeson long south London. Planti spiritual brata and sista long hia kam from planti difren kantri, and planti garem lelebet material samting nomoa. Nomata mi wanfala stranger, olketa treatim mi olsem famili bilong olketa. Love bilong kongregeson nao samting wea barava strongim long mi hao diswan nao truth, and mi baptaes long 1960.”

Olketa Sem Goal—Difren Living

Mitufala Ann marit long 1960, and mifala garem goal for duim missionary service. Bat living bilong mifala change taem mifala savve hao bae mifala garem baby. Bihaen dota bilong mifala Sara hem born, mitufala Ann still garem tingting for serve long wanfala kantri wea garem bigfala need saed long olketa Kingdom pablisa. Mi luk aotem waka long planti kantri, gogo, long May 1966, mi kasem leta for waka from Ministry bilong Education long Uganda. Bat, long datfala taem, Ann hem babule witim mek-tu pikinini bilong mifala. Samfala pipol ting hem no gudfala idea for mifala muv. Mifala lukim doctor bilong mifala, and hem sei: “Sapos iufala bae go, iufala mas flae bifor waef bilong iu hem seven month babule.” So kwiktaem mifala go for Uganda. From diswan, parents bilong mifala nating lukim mek-tu dota bilong mifala, Rachel, go kasem taem hem tu year. From mifala kamap olketa grani distaem, mifala barava minim and tinghae long wei wea loving parents bilong mi showimaot fasin for sakrifaesim seleva.

Taem mifala arrive long Uganda long 1966 mifala hapi and sorre. Taem mifala aot from aeroplane mifala barava sapraes hao disfala kantri garem enikaen kala. Hem barava braet. Firstfala haos bilong mifala hem long smolfala taon bilong Iganga, wea hem 50 kilometer from Jinja, wanfala taon wea stap long hed bilong Nile River. Olketa Witness wea stap klosap long mifala hem wanfala farawe grup long Jinja. Olketa missionary olsem Gilbert and Joan Walters and Stephen and Barbara Hardy nao lukaftarem disfala grup. Mi ask for kasem waka long Jinja mekem mifala fit for helpem disfala grup. Lelebet taem bihaen Rachel born, mifala muv long Jinja. Long there mifala kasem hapi for serve witim disfala smol grup bilong olketa faithful Witness wea gogo hem kamap mek-tu kongregeson long Uganda.

Serve Olsem Wanfala Famili Long Difren Ples

Mitufala Ann tingim hao hem barava gud for bringimap olketa pikinini long disfala ples. Mifala hapi for waka witim olketa missionary from difren kantri and for helpem niu kongregeson for grow. Mifala lovem wei for kaban witim olketa brata and sista bilong mifala long Uganda, wea planti taem visitim haos bilong mifala. Stanley and Esinala Makumba barava encouragem mifala.

Bat no olketa brata nomoa olketa wea visitim mifala, from raonem ples mifala stap planti animal tu stap. Olketa hippopotamus wea kamaot from Nile River long naet savve wakabaot kam klosap long haos bilong mifala. Hem still klia long mind bilong mi taem mifala lukim wanfala snek wea long bilong hem 6 meter insaed garden bilong mifala. Samfala taem, mifala savve go lukim olketa animal olsem lion and nara wild animal wea wakabaot free nomoa long olketa area wea gavman markem for olketa animal stap insaed.

Long ministry, pipol long there wea no lukim samting for pushim baby insaed savve lukluk strong long mifala. Taem mifala go long haos tu haos, planti taem bae big sekson bilong olketa pikinini followim mifala. Pipol lukluk long mifala long wei wea showimaot respect and then tasim disfala white baby. Mifala hapi tumas taem mifala duim preaching. Mifala tingse evriwan bae kam long truth, bikos hem barava isi for startim Bible study. Bat, staka faendem hard for lusim olketa fasin wea no followim Bible. Nomata olsem, planti change and followim hae mark bilong Bible, and kongregeson go ahed for grow. First circuit assembly bilong mifala long Jinja long 1968 hem important tumas. Baptism long Nile River bilong samfala wea mifala bin studyim Bible witim hem samting mifala bae hard for forgetim. Bat peace bilong mifala hem klosap for finis.

Gavman Tambuim Preaching—Test Bilong Faith and Gudfala Tingting

Long 1971, General Idi Amin kasem paoa for rul. Evriting long Jinja barava olobaot, and diswan happen taem mifala go ahed for kap tea long garden bilong mifala wea hem nao long start bilong disfala story. Insaed long next tufala year, olketa aotem bigfala sekson bilong pipol from Asia. Planti pipol from difren ples disaed for go, and olketa skul and hospital barava nogud. Then strongfala announcement hem kamap hao waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem tambu. From olketa warim danger wea mifala insaed, Office bilong Education muvim mifala go long kapitol, Kampala. Disfala wei wea mifala muv hem gud long tufala wei. Pipol long Kampala no barava savve long mifala so mifala free for muv raon. Bigfala waka stap tu for duim long kongregeson and field ministry.

Living bilong Brian and Marion Wallace witim tufala pikinini bilong olketa hem semsem olsem mifala, and olketa tu disaed for stap long Uganda. Mifala barava enjoyim wei for kaban witim olketa taem mifala serve tugeta long Kampala Kongregeson long datfala hard taem. Olketa story wea mifala bin readim abaot olketa brata wea waka anda long tambu long nara kantri barava encouragem mifala. Mifala savve hipap long olketa smol grup, and wan taem evri month, mifala garem olketa big meeting wea mifala mekem luk olsem wanfala party long Entebbe Botanical Gardens. Tufala girl bilong mifala tingim diswan olsem nambawan idea.

Mifala mas barava careful long wei wea mifala duim preaching waka. Bae hem isi tumas for lukim olketa white man sapos olketa go visitim haos bilong lokol pipol. Dastawe territory bilong mifala hem long olketa stoa, apartment wea pipol stap, and area bilong samfala skul. Wanfala wei mi savve iusim long olketa stoa nao for ask for wanfala samting wea mi savve hem no stap, olsem sugar or rice. Sapos stoakeeper showimaot hem sorre long samting wea go ahed for happen long kantri hia, mi savve storyim Kingdom message. Disfala wei barava waka. Samfala taem, mi lusim stoa no witim return visit nomoa bat witim lelebet samting wea hard for kasem.

Gogo, raf fasin start for kamap evriwea raonem mifala. From gavman bilong Uganda and Britain start for no waka gud tugeta, olketa boss bilong mi no mekem niu contract witim mi. So long 1974, bihaen mifala stap eit year long Uganda, hem taem for mifala sorre and sei gudbae long olketa brata. Bat, tingting bilong mifala for duim missionary waka hem no katdaon.

Muv Long New Guinea

Long January 1975, mifala go waka long Papua New Guinea. Diswan hem start long eitfala year bilong hapi service long disfala part bilong Pacific. Laef bilong mifala witim olketa brata and long ministry hem fulap witim mining and blessing.

Famili bilong mifala rememberim taem wea mifala stap long Papua New Guinea olsem taem bilong olketa drama—Bible drama. Evri year, mifala join insaed wei for redyim drama for distrik convention, and mifala barava kasem hapi! Mifala enjoyim wei for kaban witim planti famili wea tinghae long spiritual samting and diswan barava helpem olketa girl bilong mifala. First girl bilong mifala, Sara, maritim wanfala spesol pioneer, Ray Smith, and tufala waka tugeta olsem spesol pioneer klosap long border bilong Irian Jaya (distaem Papua, wanfala province bilong Indonesia). Haos bilong tufala hem wanfala leaf haos long vilij, and Sara talem hao taem wea hem spendem long datfala assignment barava trainim hem gud.

Change for Fitim Living wea No Semsem

Bihaen long diswan, parents bilong mi needim samwan for keepim olketa. Winim wei for mifala go bak long England, parents bilong mi agree for kam stap witim mifala, and mifala evriwan muv long Australia long 1983. Tufala stap lelebet taem tu witim sista bilong mi Daphne long Japan. Bihaen parents bilong mi dae, Ann and mi disaed for joinim regular pioneer waka tugeta, and diswan lead go long privilege wea olsem challenge.

Taem mifala just start pioneer tugeta mifala kasem invitation for serve long circuit waka. From taem mi pikinini, mi ting long visit bilong circuit overseer olsem wanfala spesol samting. Distaem mi kamap circuit overseer nao. Hem barava hardfala assignment wea mifala enjoyim kam kasem datfala taem long laef bilong mifala, bat evritaem Jehovah helpem mifala long wei wea mifala nating kasem bifor.

Long taem bilong zone visit bilong Brata Theodore Jaracz long Australia long 1990, mifala askem hem sapos hem ting mifala olo tumas for serve long full-taem waka long nara kantri. Hem sei: “Waswe long Solomon Islands?” So, taem mitufala Ann winim 50 year, mitufala go for firstfala missionary assignment bilong mitufala.

Serve Long “Happy Isles”

Pipol savve long Solomon Islands olsem Happy Isles, and waka bilong mifala long hia insaed tenfala year wea go pas finis hem wanfala hapi taem. Mitufala Ann meetim olketa kaenfala brata and sista long Solomon Islands taem mi waka olsem distrik overseer. Fasin bilong olketa for showimaot welkam long mifala barava encouragem mitufala, and evriwan acceptim nomoa wei wea mi talem rong olketa toktok long Solomon pijin, wanfala languis wea no garem staka word, nomata mi tingse mi talem stret.

No longtaem bihaen mifala arrive long Solomon Islands, olketa wea againstim waka trae for stopem wei for iusim Assembly Hall bilong mifala. Anglican church talemaot samting againstim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olketa sei niu Assembly Hall long Honiara hem stap long lelebet haf long land bilong olketa. Gavman saportim olketa, so mifala appeal long Hae Kot for diswan. Disison bilong kot bae talemaot sapos mifala mas aotem disfala Assembly Hall wea size bilong hem fitim 1,200 chair.

Disfala kot case go ahed for wan week. Lawyer bilong olketa hem act praod tumas taem hem talem olketa point againstim mifala. Then witim olketa strongfala point, lawyer bilong mifala Brata Warren Cathcart from New Zealand, hem showimaot klia hao evri point bilong sekson wea againstim mifala hem nating stret. Kasem long Friday, planti pipol herem nius bilong evriting wea happen long kot, and kot barava full witim olketa bigman bilong church, wakman long gavman, and olketa Christian brata. Mi tingim yet mistek wea olketa raetem long pepa wea storyim schedule bilong kot. Hem sei: “Gavman Bilong Solomon Islands and Church Bilong Melanesia againstim Jehovah.” Mifala nao win.

Bat, disfala living bilong peace long Happy Isles hem no stap for olowe. Mitufala Ann stap midolwan moa long nogud samting wea kamap from wei wea olketa militant tekova long gavman. Wei for heit midolwan pipol from difren island lead go long wanfala war. Long June 5, 2000, olketa militant tekova long kapitol taon and aotem gavman. For samfala week Assembly Hall bilong mifala kamap haos for olketa wea lusim ples bilong olketa. Olketa bigman sapraes for lukim olketa Christian brata bilong mifala from tufala island wea heitim each other stap long peace olsem wanfala famili long Assembly Hall. Datwan showimaot gudfala witness!

Olketa militant tu respectim wei wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness no teksaed. Diswan mekem wei kamap for mifala askem wanfala komanda for letem mifala draevem trak wea karem olketa literature and narafala samting for kasem wanfala smol grup bilong olketa brata wea stap long ples wea nara army kontrolem. Taem mifala kasem olketa famili wea bin separate from mifala for samfala month, mifala evriwan krae.

Staka Samting for Thankiu Long Hem

Taem mifala ting bak long laef bilong mifala insaed waka bilong Jehovah, mifala garem staka samting for thankiu long hem. Olsem dadi and mami, mifala kasem blessing for lukim tufala dota bilong mifala and hasband bilong olketa, Ray and John, go ahed servem Jehovah long faithful wei. Olketa barava saportim mifala long missionary assignment bilong mifala.

Insaed 12 year wea go pas, mitufala Ann kasem privilege for serve long branch office bilong Solomon Islands, and insaed taem hia, mifala lukim namba bilong olketa Kingdom pablisa long Solomon Islands hem kamap dabol, kasem winim 1,800. No longtaem go nomoa, mi kasem narafala privilege for attendim Skul for Olketa Branch Committee Member long Patterson, New York. Tru nao, mifala hapi long laef wea satisfae from planti blessing from wei for tingim olowe missionary waka.

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 23]

Long wedding day bilong mitufala, 1960

[Piksa long page 24]

Long Uganda, Stanley and Esinala Makumba barava encouragem famili bilong mifala

[Piksa long page 24]

Rachel hem wakabaot go long haos bilong neiba

[Piksa long page 25]

Mi drawim piksa for helpem mi teachim olketa long Solomon Islands

[Piksa long page 25]

Meeting witim wanfala farawe grup long Solomon Islands

[Piksa long page 26]

Famili bilong mifala distaem