Laef Story

Hapi for Tekpart Long Waka wea Kamap Evriwea Long World for Teachim Bible

STORY BILONG ANNA MATHEAKIS

Ship hem bone. Sapos disfala ship wea hem 171 meter long hem sink, bae hem pullim mi go daon and mekem mi draon. Mi stragol for swim long sea wea raf tumas. Only wei for mi no draon nao, hem for mi hol strong long life jacket wea wanfala woman werem. Mi prea long God for strongim mi and for no fraet. Hem nomoa samting wea mi savve duim.

DATFALA samting hem happen long 1971, taem mi gogo bak long mek-thri missionary assignment bilong mi long Italy. Long datfala ship wea sink, mi lusim klosap evri samting wea mi garem. Bat mi nating lusim olketa barava important samting—laef bilong mi, olketa Christian brata wea lovem mi, and privilege for servem Jehovah. Datfala privilege mekem mi kasem thrifala continent, and datfala samting wea happen, hem wanfala nomoa long olketa interesting samting wea happen long laef bilong mi.

Mi born long 1922. Famili bilong mi stap long Rām Allāh, wea hem samting olsem 16 kilometer north long Jerusalem. Dadi and mami kam from Crete, bat dadi hem growap long Nazareth. Mi nao lasbon long thrifala boy and tufala gele. Famili bilong mi barava sorre tumas long dae bilong mek-tu brata bilong mi wea draon taem skul bilong hem go long Jordan River. Bihaen diswan mami les nao for stap long Rām Allāh, so mifala muv go long Athens, Greece, taem mi thri year.

Famili Bilong Mi Herem Bible Truth

No longtaem bihaen mifala arrive long Greece, big brata bilong mi Nikos wea hem 22 year long datfala taem, meetim Olketa Bible Student wea bifor hem nao nem bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Savve wea hem kasem from Bible mekem hem hapi tumas and hem strong for duim Christian ministry. Diswan mekem dadi kros tumas so hem raosem Nikos from haos. Nomata olsem, taem dadi gogo long Palestine, mi, mami, and sista bilong mi, savve go witim Nikos long olketa Christian meeting. Mi savve still rememberim hao mami hapi tumas for storyim olketa samting wea hem herem long olketa meeting. Bat no longtaem bihaen, hem kasem sik cancer and dae taem hem 42 year. Long hard taem hia, sista bilong mi, Ariadne, lukaftarem famili bilong mifala. Nomata hem young yet, hem lukaftarem mi olsem wanfala mami for staka year.

Dadi evritaem tekem mi go long Orthodox Church taem hem long Athens, and bihaen hem dae, mi gohed for go long church, bat no evritaem. From mi lukim pipol wea go long church nating duim samting God laekem, gogo, mi stop for go long church.

Bihaen dadi dae, mi kasem gudfala waka long ministry bilong finance. Bat, brata bilong mi hem waka for preach abaotem Kingdom, and hem serve for plande year long Greece. Hem muv go long Cyprus long 1934. From no eni Jehovah’s Witness wea baptaes stap long island hia datfala taem, hem garem privilege for mekem preaching waka muv ahed long there. Bihaen hem marit, waef bilong hem Galatia tu start for duim full-taem ministry and hem gohed duim datwan for staka year.a Plande taem Nikos sendem kam olketa Bible buk and magasin, bat mifala nating readim. Hem stap long Cyprus go kasem taem hem dae.

Mekem Bible Truth Samting Bilong Miseleva

Long 1940, George Douras, wanfala Witness fren bilong Nikos long Athens wea strong for truth hem visitim mifala and hem invaetem mifala for joinim wanfala smol grup wea studyim Bible long haos bilong hem. Mifala hapi for go long datfala study. No longtaem bihaen, mifala start for storyim olketa samting wea mifala lanem long nara pipol. Wei for kasem savve from Bible muvim mi and sista bilong mi for dedicate long Jehovah. Ariadne baptaes long 1942, and mi long 1943.

Long end bilong World War II, Nikos invaetem mifala for go long Cyprus, so long 1945 mifala muv go long Nicosia. Olketa tambuim waka for preach long Greece, bat no long Cyprus. Long there mifala no duim haos-tu-haos waka nomoa bat street witnessing tu.

Bihaen tufala year, Ariadne mas go bak long Greece. Long there hem meetim wanfala man wea hem tu worshipim Jehovah, so hem disaed for stap long Athens and bihaen tufala marit. No longtaem bihaen, sista bilong mi and hasband bilong hem laekem mi for go bak long Greece for duim full-taem ministry long Athens. From goal bilong mi hem for pioneer, mi go bak long Athens wea needim staka for duim preaching waka.

Olketa Niu Chance Kamap for Duim Ministry

Mi start pioneer long November 1, 1947 and evri month mi duim 150 hour long preaching waka. Territory bilong kongregeson hem barava big wea mekem mi savve wakabaot tumas. Nomata olsem, mi kasem staka blessing. Plande taem police arrestim eni Witness wea preach or attendim olketa Christian meeting and no longtaem nomoa olketa arrestim mi.

Olketa accusim mi for sei mi pullim pipol for changem biliv bilong olketa, wea hem wanfala serious crime long datfala taem. Olketa putim mi long Averof Women’s Prison long Athens for tufala month. Mi and wanfala Witness sista wea stap long there finis, hapi for storyim olketa samting wea strongim mifala, nomata mifala stap long prison. Bihaen mi kamaot from prison, mi hapi for gohed pioneer. Staka wea mi studyim Bible witim olketa still faithful for servem Jehovah and diswan mekem mi barava hapi.

Long 1949, mi kasem invitation for attendim mek-16 class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead long United States, ples wea olketa full-taem servant kasem training for duim missionary waka. Mi and olketa relative bilong mi hapi tumas. Mi plan for attendim international convention long New York City long hot taem bilong year 1950, and bihaen mi go long Gilead.

Bihaen mi arrive long United States, mi garem privilege for duim waka for klinim olketa rum for tu-thri month long headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long New York City. Disfala ples hem klin, naesfala ples for stap, hem buildimap man, and mi stap witim olketa brata and sista wea hapi. Mi bae evritaem tingim witim hapi datfala six month wea mi stap long there. Then mi mas go long Gilead Skul for duim deep study and kasem instruction wea gohed for faevfala month wea kwiktaem nomoa hem finis. Gogo, mifala student luksavve hao savve from Bible hem barava spesol and naes tumas, and datwan mekem mifala barava hapi for storyim long nara pipol truth wea sevem laef.

First Missionary Assignment Bilong Mi

Long Gilead Skul, bifor mifala kasem missionary assignment, mifala savve chusim fastaem eniwan wea mifala laek for waka tugeta. Mi and wanfala naes sista, Ruth Hemmig (distaem hem Bosshard), mitufala serve tugeta. Mitufala barava hapi tumas taem mitufala kasem assignment for serve long Istanbul, Turkey—wea hem joinim Asia and Europe! Mifala savve gavman tambuim waka for preach long there, bat mifala sure Jehovah bae sapotim mifala.

Istanbul hem wanfala taon wea barava luk naes wea pipol from olketa difren kantri stap. Hem garem olketa busy market, nambawan kaikai from evriwea long world, olketa interesting museum, naesfala community, and olketa busy and interesting area long saed sea. And samting wea barava important, mifala faendem pipol wea garem honest heart wea laek for lane abaotem God. Smol grup bilong olketa Witness long Istanbul olketa kam from Armenia, Greece, and samfala olketa Jew. Bat staka pipol from olketa difren kantri stap tu, and hem gud for savve story long olketa didifren languis, wea wanfala nao hem Turkish. Mifala barava hapi for meetim pipol from olketa difren kantri wea thirsty for truth. Staka long olketa hia gohed faithful for servem Jehovah.

Bat sorre nao, Ruth no savve renewim permit bilong hem for stap, so hem mas lusim kantri. Hem gohed long full-taem service long Switzerland. Nomata staka year go pas finis, mi missim wei wea mitufala fren gud wea encouragem mi.

Muv Go Long Nara Part Long World

Long 1963, olketa no renewim permit bilong mi for stap long Turkey. Mi sorre tumas for lusim olketa Christian brata and sista wea mi lukim olketa muv ahed long spiritual wei, and long semtaem olketa trae hard for winim staka hard samting. For encouragem mi, olketa relative peim pasis for mi go long New York City for attendim wanfala convention. Mi no savve yet wea nao next assignment bilong mi.

Bihaen long convention, mi kasem assignment for go long Lima, Peru. Witim wanfala young sista wea mitufala bae serve tugeta, mi lusim New York for go stret long niu assignment bilong mi. Mi lanem Spanish languis and stap long missionary hom wea stap antap long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Hem naes tumas for preach and for savve long olketa brata and sista long there.

Nara Assignment, Nara Languis

Gogo, from olketa relative bilong mi long Greece kamap olo, health bilong olketa hem no mas gud. Olketa nating talem mi for stop long full-taem service for garem normal laef and helpem olketa. Nomata olsem, bihaen mi ting raonem gud and prea abaotem, mi luksavve bae hem gud for mi serve long ples wea klosap long famili bilong mi. Olketa brata long branch agree and askem mi for serve long Italy, and olketa relative bilong mi willing for peim pasis for mi muv. For tok stret, bigfala need stap for preachim gud nius long Italy.

Distaem moa, mi mas lanem wanfala niu languis—Italian. First assignment hem long taon bilong Foggia. Bihaen, mi muv go long Naples, wea garem bigfala need. Territory wea mi duim hem Posilipo, wanfala ples long Naples wea luk naes tumas. Hem big territory and hem garem wanfala Kingdom pablisa nomoa. Mi enjoyim tumas disfala waka, and Jehovah helpem mi for startim staka Bible study. Gogo, wanfala big kongregeson kamap long area hia.

Fasfala pipol long there wea mi studyim Bible witim olketa hem wanfala mami, and fofala pikinini bilong hem. Distaem, hem and tufala dota bilong hem gohed faithful for servem Jehovah. Mi study tu witim wanfala hasband and waef wea garem wanfala smol gele. Full famili hia muv ahed long truth and olketa dedicate and baptaes. Distaem dota hia maritim wanfala faithful servant bilong Jehovah, and tufala strong for servem God. Taem mi studyim Bible witim wanfala big famili, mi barava tinghae tumas long paoa bilong Word bilong God. Taem mifala readim samfala scripture wea showimaot God no acceptim wei for worshipim hem thru long olketa image, mami bilong olketa no weit moa for study hem finis. Hem stretawe aotem evri image from haos bilong hem!

Danger Long Sea

Mi evritaem travel long ship for go and kam long Italy and Greece. Staka taem hem naesfala gogo. Bat wanfala gogo long hot taem long year bilong 1971, hem difren. Mi travel long ship Heleanna for go bak long Italy. Long early morning long August 28, fire start long kitchen bilong datfala ship. Fire hia spred go long olketa nara part long ship and olketa passenger fraet and no tingting stret. Olketa woman haf dead, olketa pikinini krae, and olketa man komplen and shout olobaot. Pipol ran go long ples wea olketa lifeboat stap. Bat no inaf life jacket stap for evriwan, and samting for putim olketa lifeboat go daon long sea hem no waka gud. Mi no garem eni life jacket, bat fire hem kamap big and strong, so only wise samting for duim nomoa hem for jamp go long sea.

Taem mi long sea, mi lukim wanfala woman float klosap long mi wea hem werem life jacket. Luk olsem hem no savve swim, so mi holem hand bilong hem and pullim hem from ship wea gogo for sink. Sea kamap raf, and wei for stragol for float mekem mi barava taed. Luk olsem no eni wei nao, bat mi gohed ask strong long Jehovah for mi no fraet, and diswan strongim mi. Long datfala taem, mi tingim aposol Paul wea go long ship wea sink.—Acts, chapter 27.

Mi gohed hol strong long datfala woman, and mi stragol witim olketa wave for fofala hour. Mi swim taem mi strong for duim datwan and prea long Jehovah for help. Gogo, mi lukim wanfala smol boat hem kam for mi. Olketa tekem mi, bat nara woman hia hem dae finis. Taem olketa wea mifala laef kasem taon long Bari, Italy, olketa tekem mi go long hospital wea mi kasem treatment. Mi mas stap long hospital for tu-thri day, and staka Witness visitim mi, and provaedem evri samting wea mi needim. Olketa narawan wea stap long hospital barava tinghae long love wea olketa Christian brata hia showimaot.b

Bihaen mi kamap gud, mi kasem assignment for go long Rome. Mi duim bisnis territory wea stap midol long datfala taon, and mi duim diswan for faevfala year witim help bilong Jehovah. For 20-fala year mi enjoyim ministry long Italy, and mi lovem pipol long there.

Go Bak Long Ples wea Mi Start

Gogo, Ariadne and hasband bilong hem barava sik. Mi savve hao sapos mi stap klosap long tufala, mi bae savve duim samting for showimaot thankiu bilong mi for olketa samting wea tufala duim for mi. Mi barava sorre tumas for lusim Italy. Nomata olsem, olketa brata wea lead letem mi for go, and start long hot taem long year 1985, mi pioneer long Athens, ples wea mi startim full-taem service long 1947.

Mi preach long territory bilong kongregeson wea mi attendim, and mi askem olketa brata long branch office sapos mi savve preach long bisnis territory wea stap midol long taon. Mi duim diswan for thrifala year witim pioneer partner bilong mi. Diswan mekem mifala witness evribit long pipol wea hard tumas for meetim long haos bilong olketa.

Bat gogo, nomata feeling for serve hem kamap moa strong, body bilong mi hem wikdaon nao. Brata-in-law bilong mi hem dae. Ariadne wea olsem mami bilong mi hem kamap blind. Health bilong mi gud long olketa year wea mi duim full-taem service. Bat no longtaem go nomoa, mi foldaon long ladder and brekem raet hand bilong mi. Then bihaen moa mi foldaon and mi brekem pelvic bon bilong mi. Mi kasem operation and leidaon long bed for longfala taem. From datwan hem no isi for mi muv raon. Mi savve iusim stik for wakabaot and for go long eni ples, samwan mas go witim mi. Nomata olsem, mi duim best bilong mi and hope for mi kamap gud lelebet. Wei for tekpart long waka for teachim Bible nomata long smol wei nomoa, hem mekem mi hapi and satisfae.

Mi barava thankiu tumas long Jehovah, taem mi tingim bak witim hapi staka year wea mi duim full-taem ministry. Jehovah and organization bilong hem long earth evritaem provaedem best direction and nambawan help wea mekem mi fit for iusim evribit savve and laef bilong mi for servem hem. Mi barava laekem tumas for Jehovah strongim mi for gohed duim waka bilong hem. Mi hapi for smolfala wei wea mi tekpart long waka wea hem leadim evriwea long world for teachim Bible.—Malachi 3:10.

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 9]

Mi, Ariadne, and hasband bilong hem, Michalis, taem mi redi for go long Gilead

[Piksa long page 10]

Mi and Ruth Hemmig kasem assignment for serve long Istanbul, Turkey

[Piksa long page 11]

Long Italy, tu-thri year bihaen 1970

[Piksa long page 12]

Mi and sista bilong mi Ariadne, distaem