Laef Story

Wei for Satisfae wea Kam From God Hem Strongim Mi

STORY BILONG BENJAMIN IKECHUKWU OSUEKE

No longtaem bihaen mi start long full-taem Christian ministry, mi visitim parents bilong mi. Taem dadi lukim mi, hem grabim shirt bilong mi and start for shout, “Man for steal!” Hem whipim mi witim naef bilong hem. From pipol long vilij herem big noise, olketa hipap kam long haos bilong mifala. Wanem nao mi stealim? Bae mi explainim.

MI BORN long 1930, long vilij bilong Umuariam long southeast bilong Nigeria, and mi nao firstborn long sevenfala pikinini. First sista bilong mi dae taem hem 13 year. Parents bilong mi Anglican. Dadi hem wanfala farmer, and Mami hem sellim olketa samting. Hem savve wakabaot go long olketa market wea stap 30 kilometer from vilij bilong mifala for baem wanfala tin bilong palm oil and kam bak long evening. Then, early long next morning, hem wakabaot for 40 kilometer for sellim datfala oil long wanfala taon wea train savve stop long hem. Sapos hem kasem lelebet profit, wea planti taem hem samting olsem 15 cents (U.S.), hem baem kaikai for famili and kam bak long sem day. Datwan nao samting hem duim for 15 year go kasem taem hem dae long 1950.

Mi start for kasem education long wanfala skul bilong Anglican Church long vilij bilong mi. Bat for finisim primary skul, mi mas go rentim wanfala rum long haos bilong wanfala famili wea stap 35 kilometer from hom. From parents bilong mi no garem eni selen for mi kasem moa education, mi start for luk aotem waka for selen. Firstaem mi waka olsem haosboy for wanfala security gard bilong train station long Lagos, long western part bilong Nigeria, and then mi waka for wanfala man wea waka for gavman long Kaduna, long north Nigeria. Long Benin City, wea stap long midol bilong west Nigeria, mi waka olsem wanfala clerk bilong wanfala lawyer, and bihaen mi labor long wanfala sawmill. From there mi go long Cameroon long 1953 for stap witim wanfala uncle, wea helpem mi for kasem waka long wanfala rubber plantation. Pei bilong mi evri month hem samting olsem naen dollar (U.S.). Mi duim olketa boring waka nomoa, bat mi satisfae from mi garem inaf samting for kaikaim.

Wanfala Barava Poor Man Givim Riches

Silvanus Okemiri, wanfala man wea waka witim mi hem wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Hem iusim evri chance for storyim Bible witim mi taem mifala katem grass and putim compost raonem olketa rubber tree. Nomata mi lisin long hem, mi nating duim eni samting for followim datwan long datfala taem. Bat, taem kasin bilong mi faendaot mi story witim olketa Witness, hem strong for stopem mi. Hem warnim mi olsem: “Benji, no visitim Mr. Okemiri. Hem wanfala Jehovah man and hem barava poor. Eniwan wea kaban witim hem bae kamap olsem hem.”

From waka long datfala company hem barava hard fogud, mi go bak hom long start bilong 1954. Long datfala taem Anglican Church followim hae standard saed long fasin. So taem mi growap mi heitim dirty fasin. Bat gogo, mi feel nogud tumas long hypocrite fasin midolwan long pipol wea go long sem church witim mi. Nomata olketa strong for sei olketa followim olketa mark bilong Bible, living bilong olketa difren from wanem olketa talem. (Matthew 15:8) Mi raoa evritaem witim dadi bilong mi, and datwan barava affectim wei wea mitufala fren. So wan naet mi lusim hom nao.

Mi muv go long Omoba, wanfala smol taon wea train savve stop long hem. Long there mi meetim moa Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Priscilla Isiocha, wea stap long vilij bilong mi bifor hem givim mi tufala buklet, “This Good News of the Kingdom” and After Armageddon—God’s New World.a Mi laek tumas for readim olketa, from mi sure mi faendem truth. Long church bilong mi, mifala no studyim Bible; mifala followim nomoa olketa teaching bilong olketa man. Bat, olketa pablikeson bilong olketa Witness talem toktok from Bible evritaem.

Tu-thri week bihaen, mi askem Brata and Sista Isiocha abaotem wanem taem nao tufala savve go long church bilong tufala. Long first meeting bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea mi attendim, mi no minim eni samting. Datfala Wastaoa article hem abaotem attak bilong ‘Gog bilong Magog,’ wea profesi buk bilong Ezekiel hem story abaotem. (Ezekiel 38:1, 2) Olketa iusim planti word wea mi no minim, bat mi tinghae tumas long bigfala welkam wea olketa showimaot long mi so mi disaed for go bak long next Sunday. Long mek-tu meeting, mi herem story abaotem preaching waka. So mi askem Priscilla wanem taem nao olketa go for preach. Long mek-thri Sunday, mi karem wanfala smol Bible and go witim olketa. Mi no garem eni preaching basket or Bible pablikeson. Nomata olsem, mi kamap wanfala pablisa for talemaot Kingdom and givim field service report long end bilong datfala month!

No eniwan studyim Bible witim mi, bat taem mi visitim Brata and Sista Isiocha, mi lanem olketa teaching bilong faith and encouragement from Bible and kasem Bible literature. Long December 11, 1954, long wanfala distrik convention long taon bilong Aba, mi showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah taem mi baptaes long wata. Kasin wea mi stap witim and wea teachim mi for duim kaen waka olsem hem les for givim mi kaikai and training nao and no peim mi tu for waka wea mi bin duim. Nomata olsem, mi no feel kros long hem; mi thankiu tumas long wei wea mi fren witim God. Diswan mekem mi kasem comfort and peace long mind. Olketa Witness long datfala area helpem mi long datwan. Brata and Sista Isiocha givim mi kaikai, and olketa narawan givim mi selen for startim smol bisnis for sellim samting. Long midol bilong 1955, mi baem wanfala second-hand bicycle, and long March 1956, mi start for duim regular pioneer waka. No longtaem bihaen datwan, mi peim bak olketa kaon bilong mi. Smol profit nomoa mi kasem, bat hem fitim mi for laef long hem. Wanem Jehovah provaedem hem inaf for mi.

“Stealim” Olketa Brata and Sista Bilong Mi

Taem mi stap seleva, first samting mi tingim nao for helpem olketa brata and sista bilong mi long spiritual wei. Dadi againstim tumas wei wea mi kamap wanfala Witness from hem garem rong tingting and nating trustim olketa. So, hao nao bae mi savve helpem olketa brata and sista bilong mi for lanem truth bilong Bible? Mi sei bae mi sapotim young brata bilong mi Ernest saed long selen, so Dadi letem hem for stap witim mi. Kwiktaem nomoa Ernest acceptim truth and hem baptaes long 1956. Diswan mekem wei wea dadi againstim mi kamap moa big. Nomata olsem, sista bilong mi and hasband bilong hem tu kam insaed long truth. Taem mi arrange for mek-tu sista bilong mi, Felicia, for kam holiday witim mi, Dadi bilong mi no hapi bat hem letem. No longtaem bihaen, Felicia tu baptaes olsem wanfala Jehovah Witness.

Long 1959, mi go long hom for tekem Bernice, mek-thri sista bilong mi, for go stap witim Ernest. Dat taem nao Dadi attakim mi and sei mi stealim olketa pikinini bilong hem. Hem no minim hao olketa wanwan nao disaed for servem Jehovah. Dadi talem hao hem bae nating letem Bernice for kam witim mi. Bat hand bilong Jehovah no short, bikos long year bihaen, Bernice kam for holiday witim Ernest. Olsem olketa sista bilong hem, Bernice acceptim truth and baptaes.

‘Lanem Datfala Secret’

Long September 1957, mi start for serve olsem wanfala spesol pioneer, and iusim samting olsem 150 hour evri month for duim preaching waka. Mitufala partner bilong mi, Sunday Irogbelachi, serve long bigfala area long Akpu-na-abuo, Etche. Long first circuit assembly wea mifala attendim taem mifala stap long there, 13-fala from grup bilong mifala baptaes. Mifala hapi tumas for lukim 20 kongregeson long datfala area distaem!

Long 1958, mi meetim Christiana Azuike, wanfala regular pioneer wea stap long Aba East Kongregeson. Mi tinghae long strong wea hem showimaot for ministry, and long December bilong datfala year, mitufala marit. Long start bilong 1959, mi kamap wanfala traveling overseer, and visitim and strongim olketa kongregeson bilong olketa spiritual brata. Start long dat taem go kasem 1972, mi and waef bilong mi visitim klosap evri kongregeson bilong pipol bilong Jehovah long east and midol bilong west Nigeria.

Olketa kongregeson stap farawe from each other, and main transport bilong mifala hem bicycle. Taem mifala servem olketa kongregeson insaed olketa big taon, olketa brata haerem wanfala taxi for tekem mifala go long next kongregeson. Samfala taem floor bilong rum wea mifala stap insaed hem graon nomoa and hem no garem eni ceiling. Mifala sleep long olketa bed wea olketa wakem from raffia palm. Samfala bed garem grass mattress wea olketa kavarem witim mat; olketa nara bed no garem eni mattress. Mifala no warim haomas kaikai or wanem kaikai mifala kasem. From mifala lane finis for satisfae witim smol samting nomoa, mifala enjoyim eni kaikai wea olketa provaedem, and olketa brata tinghae long diswan. Samfala taon no garem paoa long datfala taem, so mifala evritaem tekem kerosene lamp bilong mifala. Bat, nomata living olsem hem hard, mifala enjoyim planti hapitaem witim olketa kongregeson.

Long olketa year hia, mifala luksavve long wisdom bilong disfala kaonsel bilong aposol Paul: “Sapos iumi garem kaikai and ples for stap, iumi mas satisfae witim olketa samting hia.” (1 Timothy 6:8) Thru long hardfala taem, Paul lanem wanfala secret wea helpem hem for satisfae. Wanem nao datwan? Hem sei: “Mi savve hao nao for short long samting, mi savve hao nao for garem planti. Long evri samting and long evri wei mi lanem secret long hao for fulap and hao for hangre, hao for garem planti samting and hao for garem need.” Mifala lanem sem secret. Paul sei tu: “Long evri samting mi kasem strong from datwan [God] wea givim paoa long mi.” (Philippians 4:12, 13) Saed long mitufala, datwan hem barava tru! Mifala kasem wei for satisfae, bigfala Christian waka wea buildimap mifala, and mifala garem peace long mind.

Servem Olketa Kongregeson Olsem Famili

Klosap end bilong 1959, first son bilong mifala, Joel, hem born, and long 1962, mek-tu son, Samuel. Mi and Christiana go ahed long traveling waka, for visitim olketa kongregeson witim tufala boy. Long 1967, war midolwan pipol bilong Nigeria hem start. Olketa skul sat bikos olketa aeroplane attak evritaem. Waef bilong mi hem wanfala skulteacher bifor mitufala duim traveling waka, so long taem bilong war, hem teachim olketa pikinini long haos. Taem Samuel kasem six year, hem savve read and raet. Taem hem start skul bihaen long war, hem stap long class witim olketa wea tu year winim hem.

Long datfala taem, mifala no luksavve evribit long wei wea hem hard tumas for bringimap olketa pikinini taem mifala duim traveling waka. Bat, taem mifala kasem assignment for serve olsem spesol pioneer long 1972, diswan helpem mifala. Diswan mekem mifala fit for stap long wanfala ples mekem mifala lukaftarem spiritual saed bilong famili. From taem olketa smol, mifala teachim olketa son bilong mifala gud samting wea kamaot from wei for satisfae. Long 1973, Samuel hem baptaes, and Joel start for regular pioneer long datfala sem year. Tufala son bilong mifala maritim olketa naesfala Christian woman and distaem tufala bringimap famili bilong olketa insaed long truth.

Wei for Safa wea Kamaot From War

Taem datfala war hem start, mi serve olsem wanfala circuit overseer long wanfala kongregeson long Onitsha witim famili bilong mi. Datfala war hem mekem mifala barava luksavve long wei wea hem iusles for hipimap olketa material samting or trust long datwan. Mi lukim pipol ranawe for sevem laef bilong olketa—lusim olketa material samting bilong olketa long road.

Taem war kamap moa big, evri man mas joinim army. Olketa spoelem planti brata wea no willing for duim datwan. Mifala no free for wakabaot raon. Hangre hem mekem evriting olobaot. Price bilong haf kilogram cassava hem first taem 7 cents bat hem go ap for 14 dollar (U.S.) and wan kap salt from 8 dollar go kasem 42 dollar (U.S.). No eni ples garem milk, butter, and sugar. For stap laef, mifala smasem pawpaw wea no ripe and mixim witim lelebet flour wea olketa wakem from cassava. Mifala kaikaim tu olketa grashopa, skin bilong cassava, leaf bilong hibiscus, elephant grass—eni leaf wea mifala savve faendem. Hem hard tumas for kasem eni meat, so mi kasholem olketa lizard for olketa pikinini kaikaim. Bat, nomata hem hard tumas, Jehovah evritaem sapotim mifala.

Samting wea moa hard nao hem spiritual hangre wea kamap bikos long war. Planti brata ranawe from ples wea war kamap and go insaed long bush or long olketa nara vilij, and from datwan, olketa lusim klosap evri Bible pablikeson bilong olketa. For join witim datwan, olketa road blok wea army bilong gavman putim hem stopem wei for niu Bible pablikeson for kam insaed long Biafran area. Nomata planti kongregeson trae for duim olketa meeting, evri samting hia affectim spiritual saed bilong olketa brata bikos olketa no fit for kasem instruction from branch office.

Winim Spiritual Hangre

Olketa traveling overseer duim best bilong olketa for go ahed long arrangement for visitim each kongregeson. From planti brata ranawe from olketa taon, mi luk aotem olketa long evri ples. Long wantaem, mi lusim waef and olketa pikinini bilong mi long wanfala sef ples and gogo raon seleva for sixfala week, visitim olketa difren vilij and area long bush for luk aotem olketa brata.

Taem mi serve long wanfala kongregeson long Ogbunka, mi herem hao wanfala big sekson bilong olketa Witness stap long Isuochi area bilong Okigwe distrik. So mi askem samwan for talem wanfala message long olketa brata long datfala area for hipap long cashew plantation wea stap long Umuaku vilij. For kasem datfala plantation wanfala olo brata and mi go long bicycle bilong mifala for samting olsem 15 kilometer. Long there samting olsem 200 Witness, olketa woman and pikinini tu, olketa hipap. Wanfala pioneer sista helpem mi for faendem narafala grup bilong samting olsem wan handred Witness, wea haed long bush bilong Lomara.

Lawrence Ugwuegbu hem insaed wanfala grup bilong olketa brata wea no fraet wea stap long taon bilong Owerri wea war go ahed long there. Hem talem mi hao planti Witness stap long Ohaji area. Olketa no free for wakabaot raon, bikos olketa soldia nao tekova long datfala area. Mitufala go long bicycle long naet taem and meetim 120 Witness long area bilong wanfala brata. Mifala iusim datfala chance tu for visitim samfala nara Witness long ples wea olketa haed.

Brata Isaac Nwagwu putim laef bilong hem long danger for helpem mi for faendem olketa nara brata wea haed. Hem tekem mi insaed wanfala kanu akrosim Otamiri River for meetim winim 150 Witness wea hipap long Egbu-Etche. Wanfala brata long there sei: “Diswan hem best day long laef bilong mi! Mi nating tingse bae mi laef for lukim moa wanfala circuit overseer. Sapos mi dae distaem long disfala war, mi satisfae nomoa.”

Mi stap long danger from olketa talem mi for joinim army, bat mi feelim protection bilong Jehovah planti taem. Wanfala aftanun, taem mi go bak long ples wea mi stap bihaen mi meetim 250 brata, wanfala sekson bilong olketa army komanda stopem mi long wanfala road blok. Olketa ask olsem: “Why nao iu no joinim army?” Mi explainim dat mi wanfala missionary wea preach abaotem Kingdom bilong God. Mi luksavve olketa disaed strong for arrestim mi. Bihaen mi talem wanfala short kwaet prea, mi sei long captain bilong olketa, “Plis iufala letem mi go free.” Sapraesing samting, hem ansa, “Waswe, iu laekem mifala for letem iu go?” Mi ansa: “Yes, letem mi go free.” Hem sei: “Iu free for go.” No eni nara soldia talem moa eni nara toktok.—Psalm 65:1, 2.

Wei for Satisfae Mekem Mi Kasem Olketa Nara Blessing

Bihaen war hem finis long 1970, mi go ahed long circuit waka. Hem wanfala privilege for help for organizem moa olketa kongregeson. Then, mi and Christiana serve olsem spesol pioneer go kasem 1976, taem mi kasem appointment moa olsem wanfala circuit overseer. Long midol bilong datfala year, mi kasem assignment for duim distrik waka. Seven year bihaen, mi and waef bilong mi kasem invitation for serve long Nigeria branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, wea mifala still stap distaem. Hia long branch, mifala hapi evritaem for lukim moa olketa brata and sista wea mifala meetim long datfala war and long olketa narataem wea olketa go ahed yet for servem Jehovah long faithful wei.

Insaed olketa year hia, Christiana hem faithful for sapotim mi long nambawan wei. Wei wea hem garem gudfala tingting and nating givap, nomata hem planti taem garem problem saed long health start kam long 1978 hem helpem mi for go ahed. Mifala seleva feelim wei wea disfala toktok bilong man wea raetem psalm hem tru: “Jehovah nao bae strongim hem taem hem sik long bed.”—Psalm 41:3.

Taem mi ting bak long olketa year wea mi duim theocratic waka, mi thankiu tumas long Jehovah for olketa nambawan blessing bilong hem. From mi satisfae long olketa samting wea hem provaedem, mi barava kasem bigfala hapi. Wei for lukim olketa brata and sista bilong mi, olketa pikinini bilong mi, and famili bilong olketa evriwan servem Jehovah witim mi and waef bilong mi hem wanfala blessing wea winim evri narawan. Jehovah mekem mi satisfae witim wanfala laef wea fulap witim gud samting and garem mining. Hem givim mi evri samting wea mi wantem.

[Footnote]

[Box long page 27]

Arrangement wea Kam Long Barava Taem Hem Strongim Olketa Brata

Tu-thri year bihaen 1960, wei for heit hem kamap midolwan olketa tribe long north and east Nigeria wea lead go for raoa, wei for brekem law and againstim gavman and raf fasin. Olketa samting hia putim bigfala hevi long Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, wea disaed strong for no teksaed long datfala raoa. Samting olsem 20 Witness nao pipol killim dae. Klosap evriwan lusim evriting.

Long May 30, 1967, olketa state long east saed bilong Nigeria olketa aot from gavman, and startim Republic of Biafra. Gavman sendem go army bilong olketa, and olketa blokem evribit Biafra. Samting wea kamaot from diswan nao barava nogud war.

Wei wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Biafran area no teksaed hem mekem pipol attakim olketa. Olketa niuspepa printim olketa toktok wea mekem pipol againstim olketa. Nomata olsem, Jehovah mek sure olketa servant bilong hem kasem spiritual kaikai. Hao nao olsem?

Long start bilong 1968, wanfala man wea waka for gavman hem kasem wanfala waka long Europe and narawan hem waka long Biafran airport. Tufala evriwan Witness. From brata long Europe savve sendem samting and brata wea waka long airport savve kasem datwan, tufala nao only chance wea stap for samting savve kam long Biafra from nara kantri. Tufala Witness hia volunteer for duim danger waka for tekem kam spiritual kaikai long Biafra. Tufala help tu for givim relief supply for olketa brata bilong iumi wea insaed trabol. Tufala brata hia fit for followim disfala important arrangement long datfala full year wea end long 1970. Bihaen, wanfala long tufala sei, “Disfala arrangement hem samting wea winim eniting olketa man fit for planim.”

[Piksa long page 23]

Long 1956

[Piksa long page 25]

Long 1965, witim tufala son, Joel and Samuel

[Piksa long page 26]

Hem wanfala blessing for servem Jehovah olsem wanfala famili!

[Piksa long page 27]

Distaem, Christiana and mi serve long Nigeria branch