Laef Story
“Laef Distaem”—Enjoyim Evribit!
STORY BILONG TED BUCKINGHAM
For sixfala year finis mi wanfala full-taem minister and just marit for sixfala month nomoa, taem seknomoa disfala sik polio kasem mi. Diswan happen long 1950, taem mi 24 year nomoa. Taem mi stap long hospital for naenfala month, mi tingting strong abaotem laef bilong mi. From sik wea just kasem mi, future bilong mi and waef bilong mi Joyce, bae hao?
LONG 1938, dadi bilong mi wea nating interest long religion, hem tekem buk wea garem title, Government.a Luk olsem samting wea muvim hem for tekem datfala buk hem problem saed long politik and wei wea luk olsem war bae kamap. Mi no savve sapos hem readim or nomoa, bat mami wea barava interest long religion nao readim datfala buk. Taem hem readim nomoa, hem duim samting nao. Hem lusim Church of England and nomata dadi againstim hem, hem kamap wanfala faithful Witness bilong Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long 1990.
Fastaem wea mami tekem mi go long wanfala Christian meeting, mitufala go long Kingdom Hall long Epsom, south long London. Datfala kongregeson hipap long wanfala ples wea hem stoa bifor, and olketa pleim record bilong tok bilong J. F. Rutherford wea hem nao lukaftarem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Datwan barava affectim mi.
Wei wea Germany dropim staka bomb long London mekem bigfala danger kamap. From datwan, long 1940 dadi tekem famili bilong mifala long ples wea moa sef—long Maidenhead, wanfala smol taon wea stap 45 kilometer long west saed long London. Diswan barava gud, from mi kasem encouragement wea mi needim from 30 pablisa insaed kongregeson wea stap long there. Fred Smith, wanfala loyal Christian wea baptaes long 1917, hapi for helpem mi and trainim mi for kamap gud long wei for preach. Mi barava tinghae long example and loving help bilong hem.
Startim Full-Taem Service
Long March 1941, taem mi 15 year, mi baptaes long Thames River. Long datfala taem, big brata bilong mi Jim insaed long full-taem service finis. Hem and waef bilong hem Madge, servem Jehovah longfala taem long circuit and distrik waka evriwea insaed Britain. Distaem, tufala stap long Birmingham. Sista wea bihaen mi, Robina, and hasband bilong hem Frank, tufala tu gohed faithful for servem Jehovah.
Mi waka saed long accounts for wanfala company wea wakem kaleko. Wanday manager kolem mi kam long office bilong hem and storyim hao hem laek givim mi waka wea garem hae position for baem olketa samting for company. Bat, mi tingting finis for followim example bilong brata bilong mi, so mi talem hem hao bae mi no acceptim, and why mi duim olsem. Mi seke taem hem praisem wei wea mi laek for duim disfala important Christian waka. So bihaen wanfala distrik convention wea kamap long Northampton long 1944, mi kamap wanfala wea talemaot gud nius full taem.
Fasfala assignment bilong mi hem long Exeter, insaed area long Devon. Disfala taon hem isisi kamap gud moa from wei wea olketa bombim long taem bilong war. Mi stap witim tufala pioneer long wanfala haos, Frank and Ruth Middleton, wea tufala barava kaen tumas long mi. Mi 18 year nomoa, and mi no savve gud hao for kuki and wasim kaleko, bat mi lane and kamap moabeta.
Preaching partner bilong hem Victor Gurd, man from Ireland wea hem 50 year and wea start for duim disfala waka long olketa year bilong 1920. Hem teachim mi for wakem gudfala schedule, mekem grow deep interest long Bible reading, and for luksavve hao olketa difren Bible transleison savve helpem man. Long olketa year hia wea mi young yet, example bilong Victor barava helpem mi.
Hard Samting From Wei for No Teksaed
War hem gogo for finis, bat Gavman still tekem olketa young man for insaed army. Long 1943, long wanfala kot long Maidenhead, mi talem stret mi wanfala minister bilong Gospel and bae mi no insaed army. Nomata olketa no acceptim datwan, mi disaed for muv long Exeter for gohed long assignment bilong mi. Long Exeter nao olketa tekem mi long kot. Taem magistrate sendem mi long prison for sixfala month, hem talem hao, long tingting bilong hem, mi shud stap long prison longtaem winim datwan. Bihaen mi stap long prison for sixfala month finis, olketa mekem mi stap moa for fofala month.
From mi nomoa Witness wea stap long datfala prison, olketa prison gard kolem mi Jehovah. Hem feel difren tumas taem mi mas ansa long roll kol taem olketa kolem datfala nem, bat hem barava gud tumas for herem nem bilong Jehovah evriday! Hem mekem olketa nara prisoner savve wei wea mi wanfala Jehovah’s Witness nao mekem mi stap witim olketa. Bihaen, Norman Castro tu kam long sem prison and long datfala taem nao nem bilong mi hem change, olketa kolem mitufala Moses and Aaron.
Olketa muvim mi from Exeter go long Bristol and gogo long Winchester prison. Nomata laef hem hard, wei for mekfani samtaem savve helpem mifala deal witim datwan. Taem mi and Norman stap long Winchester, mitufala hapi for celebratem Memorial tugeta. Francis Cooke, wea visitim mitufala long prison, givim naesfala Memorial tok.
Change wea Kamap Long Olketa Year Bihaen War
Long convention wea kamap long Bristol long 1946, wea olketa releasem datfala buk “Let God Be True,” mi meetim wanfala naesbola, Joyce Moore, wea hem tu pioneer long Devon. Mitufala fren gud tumas, and fofala year bihaen, mitufala marit long Tiverton, ples mi stap long hem start kam long 1947. Haos bilong mitufala hem wanfala rum wea mifala rentim for 15 shillings ($8.00 SBD) for wan week. Laef bilong mitufala barava hapi!
Insaed fasfala year wea mitufala marit, mifala muv long south, long Brixham, wanfala naesfala taon wea olketa startim disfala fishing teknik wea olketa kolem trawling. No longtaem nomoa, mi kasem disfala sik polio taem mitufala gogo long wanfala convention long London. Mi haf dead. Olsem mi talem finis, mi stap long hospital for naenfala month then mi go aot. Raet hand bilong mi and tufala leg bilong mi nao barava kamap nogud, and mi mas iusim stik for wakabaot. Waef bilong mi wea gud tumas long mi hem nao stap witim mi and encouragem mi, especially taem hem gohed long full-taem ministry. Bat bae mitufala hao? Bihaen mi lanem hao hand bilong Jehovah nating short.
Long nextfala year, mitufala go long wanfala long assembly Wimbledon, London. Datfala taem mi no iusim nao stik for wakabaot. Long there mitufala meetim Pryce Hughes, wea lukaftarem waka long Britain. Taem hem meetim mi hem sei: “Sei! Mifala laekem iu duim circuit waka!” Datwan hem barava encouragem mi! Waswe, health bilong mi fitim? Mi and Joyce daot lelebet, bat bihaen mifala kasem training for wanfala week and mifala putim full trust long Jehovah, mifala go bak long southwest bilong England, ples wea mi kasem assignment for kamap circuit overseer. Long datfala taem mi 25 year nomoa, bat mi rememberim yet and tinghae tumas long kaen and patient fasin bilong olketa Witness wea barava helpem mi long datfala taem.
Assignment wea mekem mi and Joyce barava feel klos long olketa brata and sista, hem nao wei for visitim olketa kongregeson. Mifala no garem car, so mifala savve gogo long train or long bas. Nomata mi mas deal witim samfala hard samting saed long sik bilong mi, mitufala barava enjoyim olketa taem wea mifala insaed long datfala service kasem 1957. Datwan hem barava nambawan laef, bat nara samting moa kamap long datfala year.
Kamap Missionary
Mifala barava hapi for kasem invitation for go long mek-30 class bilong Gilead. From mi savve hao for deal witim datfala sik long gudfala wei, mi and Joyce hapi for acceptim datfala invitation. From samting mitufala kasem finis, mitufala luksavve hao sapos iumi trae for duim will bilong Jehovah, hem evritaem givim strong for duim datwan. Faevfala month wea mifala kasem training long Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead, long naesfala ples long South Lansing, New York, U.S.A., hem finis kwiktaem tumas. Klosap evri student hem olketa hasband and waef wea duim traveling waka. Taem olketa askem sapos eniwan long class laek volunteer for kamap missionary long difren kantri, mitufala insaed sekson wea laek duim datwan. Wea nao bae mitufala go? Long Uganda, East Africa!
From waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem tambu long Uganda long datfala taem, olketa talem mitufala for go stap and luk aotem waka for selen. Bihaen mitufala travel for longfala taem insaed train and boat, mitufala arrive long Kampala, Uganda. Olketa bigman long immigration no hapi long kakam bilong mitufala and olketa letem mitufala stap for tu-thri month nomoa. Then olketa orderim mitufala for lusim datfala ples. Olketa long headquarter talem mitufala for travel go long Northern Rhodesia (distaem Zambia). Mitufala barava hapi for meetim nara fofala classmate from Gilead—Frank and Carrie Lewis, and Hayes and Harriet Hoskins. No longtaem bihaen mitufala stap long there, mifala kasem assignment moa for go long Southern Rhodesia (distaem Zimbabwe).
Mitufala travel long train and hem fastaem for mitufala lukim watafol wea olketa kolem Victoria Falls wea barava luk naes tumas, bifor mitufala kasem Bulawayo. Mitufala stap lelebet taem witim McLuckie famili, wea olketa faswan for setol long there witim olketa nara Witness. Insaed next 16-fala year, mitufala garem privilege for savve gud long olketa.
Getius Long Olketa Change
Bihaen tufala week wea mi kasem training for getius long preaching waka long Africa, mi kamap distrik overseer. For duim witnessing long olketa bush area long Africa man mas tekem wata, kaikai, kaleko, mat, wanfala film projector and electric generator, bigfala screen, and olketa nara samting olsem. Evri samting hia mifala putim insaed wanfala strongfala trak wea fit for tekem mifala long olketa nogud road.
Mi waka witim olketa circuit overseer from Africa, and Joyce hapi tumas for helpem olketa waef and pikinini bilong olketa wea kam witim mifala tu. Man savve barava taed taem hem wakabaot long olketa grass area bilong Africa, especially long olketa hot taem long day, bat weather long there hem mekem moa isi for mi deal witim sik bilong mi, and from datwan mi hapi tumas.
Plande pipol long there olketa poor. Nomata plande long olketa garem winim wanfala waef and strong for followim kastom and magic, olketa barava respectim Bible. Long samfala area, kongregeson meeting savve kamap andanit shade bilong olketa big maeti tree and long olketa evening lamp nao mifala iusim for laet. Feeling for tinghae long Jehovah kamap moa big taem mifala studyim Word bilong hem aotsaed long naet and lukim olketa star, wea hem nambawan part long creation bilong hem.
Mifala no savve forgetim olketa taem wea mifala showim olketa movie bilong Watch Tower Society long olketa ples wea pipol bilong Africa nomoa stap. Wanfala kongregeson maet garem 30 Witness nomoa insaed, bat long olketa taem olsem mifala savve expectim 1,000 pipol or winim for kam!
Long olketa hot ples long Africa, man savve isi for kasem sik, bat, wei for tingim olowe gud saed hem important. Mi and Joyce lane for deal witim datwan—mi savve kasem malaria samfala taem, and Joyce kasem sik wea kamap from olketa amoeba.
Bihaen, mifala kasem assignment for waka long branch office long Salisbury (distaem Harare). Hem wanfala privilege for waka witim olketa nara faithful servant bilong Jehovah, olsem Lester Davey and George and Ruby Bradley. Gavman appointim mi for registerim olketa marit. From diswan mi fit for registerim olketa marit bilong olketa brata long Africa, wea strongim Christian standard saed long marit insaed olketa kongregeson. Samfala year bihaen, mi kasem nara privilege. Mi visitim evri kongregeson long datfala kantri wea no iusim olketa African languis. For winim tenfala year mitufala Joyce hapi for savve long olketa brata taem mifala duim traveling waka, and hapi tumas for lukim olketa muv ahed long spiritual wei. Long datfala taem mitufala visitim tu olketa brata long Botswana and Mozambique.
Gogo Moa
Bihaen plande year wea mitufala hapi for stap long south part bilong Africa, mitufala kasem assignment for go long Sierra Leone, West Africa, long 1975. Mitufala stap long branch office and hapi for enjoyim niufala assignment, bat diswan hem no for longfala taem. Mi kamap sik fogud and barava wik long malaria wea spoelem mi tumas and gogo mi mas go long London for kasem medicine. Long there olketa talem mi for no go bak long Africa. Mitufala barava sorre fogud, bat Bethel famili long London hapi for welkamim mitufala Joyce. Plande brata tu from Africa wea insaed long olketa kongregeson long London barava mekem mifala feel olsem mifala long hom. Taem mi kamap gud lelebet, mifala change go moa long nara waka, and mi kasem assignment for lukaftarem Purchasing Department. From waka bilong mifala hem kamap big tumas insaed olketa year wea go pas finis, waka bilong mi interesting fogud.
Long olketa year long start bilong 1990, Joyce, waef bilong mi wea mi lovem, kasem wanfala sik wea olketa kolem motor neuron disease and hem dae long 1994. Hem wanfala loving, loyal, and faithful waef, wea evritaem willing for change fitim evri samting wea mitufala feisim tugeta. For deal witim olketa sorre olsem, mi faendem hao wei for keepim spiritual tingting klia and gohed luk long future hem barava important. Wei for prea long Jehovah for helpem mi garem gudfala schedule saed long worship and preaching, hem helpem mi tu for no letem mind go difren.—Proverbs 3:5, 6.
Wei for serve long Bethel hem wanfala privilege and gudfala laef. Plande young wan stap for waka witim olketa and sharem hapi witim olketa. Wanfala blessing hem wei wea staka pipol visitim mifala hia long London. Samfala taem mi lukim olketa gud fren bilong mi wea mi savve long olketa taem mi long Africa, and hem mekem mi tingim bak hapi wea mi kasem taem mi stap long there. Evri samting helpem mi for enjoyim evribit “laef distaem” and for ting raonem datfala hope for laef “wea bae kam.”—1 Timothy 4:8.
[Footnotes]
a Olketa Jehovah’s Witness pablisim long 1928, bat no printim distaem.
[Piksa long page 25]
Mi and mami long 1946
[Piksa long page 26]
Mitufala Joyce long wedding day bilong mitufala long 1950
[Piksa long page 26]
Long wanfala convention long Bristol long 1953
[Olketa Piksa long page 27]
Visitim wanfala farawe grup (antap) and wanfala kongregeson (left) long Southern Rhodesia, distaem Zimbabwe