Laef Story

Mi Kasem ‘Samting wea Heart Bilong Mi Laekem’

STORY BILONG DOMINIQUE MORGOU

Long December 1998, mi kasem Africa! Samting wea mi laekem tumas start taem mi smol yet mi kasem nao. Taem mi tingim olketa big open area long Africa and staka difren kaen animal wea stap long there hem mekem mi interest tumas long Africa. Mi hapi tumas from mi kasem nao datfala ples! Long semtaem, mi kasem tu nara samting wea mi laekem tumas. Mi talemaot gud nius full taem long difren kantri. Staka maet tingse mi hard for duim diswan. Mi no savve lukluk gud, and mi iusim wanfala guide dog wea kasem training for savve long olketa road long olketa taon long Europe for leadim mi for wakabaot long olketa road long olketa vilij long Africa. Mi laek talem iu hao nao mi fit for serve long Africa and hao nao Jehovah givim ‘samting wea heart bilong mi laekem.’—Psalm 37:4.

MI BORN long June 9, 1966, long south France. Mi nao lastborn long sevenfala pikinini—tufala boy and faevfala gele, wea mifala garem loving mami and dadi wea kea tumas for mifala. Bat, long young laef bilong mi wanfala nogud samting hem kasem mi. Mi kasem wanfala sik wea followim laen bilong mifala, wea kasem granmami, mami bilong mi, and wanfala long olketa sista bilong mi. Disfala sik savve mekem man gogo hem kamap blind evribit.

Mi wanfala teenager nomoa and mi mas feisim wei wea pipol heitim olketa wea garem difren kala skin, daonem narawan, and hypocrite fasin, wea mekem mi no laek for followim standard bilong community. Long olketa hard taem hia mifala muv long datfala area long Hérault. Taem mifala stap long there, barava nambawan samting hem happen.

Long wanfala Sunday morning, tufala Jehovah’s Witness kam long haos bilong mifala. Mami bilong mi savve long olketa and talem olketa for kam insaed haos. Wanfala long tufala askem mami sapos hem tingim yet promis bilong hem for acceptim wanfala Bible study enitaem. Mami rememberim datfala promis and askem tufala, “Wanem taem nao iumi bae start for study?” Olketa agree for study evri Sunday morning, and hem nao hao mami start for lanem “truth bilong gud nius.”—Galatians 2:14.

Kasem Savve

Mami waka hard for minim and for rememberim samting wea hem lanem. From hem blind, hem mas baeheartim evri samting. Olketa Witness hia barava patient witim hem. Bat mi, evritaem olketa Witness hia kam, mi savve go haed long rum go kasem taem olketa go then mi savve kamaot. Bat long wanfala aftanun, Eugénie, wanfala long olketa Witness hia, hem meetim mi and story witim mi. Hem story long mi abaotem wei wea Kingdom bilong God bae finisim evri hypocrite fasin, fasin for heit, and wei for daonem nara pipol. Hem sei: “God nomoa savve stretem datwan.” Then, hem askem mi sapos mi laek for savve moa abaotem datwan. Long next day, mi start for studyim Bible.

Evri samting wea mi lanem hem niufala samting long mi. Mi start for savve hao God letem olketa barava nogud fasin for gohed long earth for lelebet taem bikos hem garem olketa important reason. (Genesis 3:15; John 3:16; Romans 9:17) Mi lanem tu hao Jehovah no letem olketa samting hia for kasem iumi and no givim iumi eni hope. Hem givim iumi nambawan hope for laef olowe long paradaes long earth. (Psalm 37:29; 96:11, 12; Isaiah 35:1, 2; 45:18) Long datfala Paradaes, eye bilong mi wea start for kamap blind, bae kamap gud moa.—Isaiah 35:5.

Startim Full-Taem Service

Long December 12, 1985, mi showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah taem mi baptaes long wata, and join witim sista bilong mi Marie-Claire, wea duim datwan finis. Bihaen, brata bilong mi, Jean-Pierre, and mami bilong mi tu baptaes.

Kongregeson bilong mi garem samfala regular pioneer, wea olketa nao duim preaching waka full taem. Hapi bilong olketa and wei wea olketa barava interest long ministry barava encouragem mi. Marie-Claire tu duim full-taem service, nomata eye bilong hem nogud and hem werem wanfala samting long leg bilong hem for helpem hem wakabaot. Example bilong hem gohed for encouragem mi long spiritual wei kam kasem distaem. Wei wea mi kaban witim olketa pioneer long kongregeson and long famili bilong mi, hem helpem mi for garem strongfala feeling for laek share long full-taem service. So, long November 1990, mi start for pioneer long Béziers.—Psalm 94:17-19.

Deal Witim Wei for Feel Wikdaon

Olketa nara pioneer barava lukaftarem mi long ministry. Nomata olsem, samfala taem mi savve feel wikdaon bikos sik bilong mi mekem mi no savve duim staka samting nomata mi barava laek duim. Bat, Jehovah barava strongim mi long olketa taem hia. Mi duim research long Watch Tower Publications Index for lukaotem olketa laef story bilong olketa pioneer wea safa from wei wea eye bilong olketa no mas gud. Mi sapraes hao staka nao kasem diswan! Samting wea mi lanem from olketa gudfala advaes and story hia, hem nao for tinghae long wanem mi fit for duim and for acceptim wanem mi no fit for duim.

For kasem samting wea mi needim mi duim klining waka witim olketa nara Witness long olketa ples wea staka stoa stap. Wanfala day mi lukim olketa wea mifala waka tugeta go klinim moa ples wea mi duim finis. From datwan hem klia hao staka ples wea mi klinim finis, dirty stap nomoa. Mi go story long Valérie, wanfala pioneer sista wea lukaftarem klining team bilong mifala, and mi talem hem for talem mi stret sapos waka bilong mi hem mekem olketa narawan hard waka. Long kaenfala wei hem letem mi for disaedem taem wea mi laek for finis from datfala waka. Long March 1994, mi stop for duim datfala klining waka.

Datwan mekem mi barava feel iusles go moa. Mi prea strong long Jehovah, and mi savve hem herem olketa prea bilong mi. And long disfala taem tu, wei for studyim Bible and olketa Christian pablikeson hem barava helpem mi. Nomata olsem, taem mi gogo for blind, feeling for servem Jehovah hem kamap strong tumas. Wanem nao bae mi duim?

Mi Disaedem Samting Kwiktaem, Nomata Mi Mas Weitim Nara Samting

Mi raet and ask for kasem training long Rehabilitation Center for the Blind and Visually Impaired long Nîmes and mi skul for thrifala month. Mi barava kasem gud samting from datwan. Mi start for minim gud sik bilong mi, and mi lane hao for deal witim. Wei wea mi stap midolwan pipol wea safa witim enikaen difren sik hem helpem mi for tinghae long nambawan Christian hope bilong mi for future from mi garem goal and mi duim gudfala waka. Witim datwan, mi lanem French Braille.

Taem mi kam bak long haos, famili bilong mi luksavve mi kasem gud samting from datfala training. Bat, wanfala samting wea mi barava no laekem hem datfala white stik wea olketa givim for mi. Mi les tumas for iusim. Really mi laekem wanfala guide dog.

Mi raet and ask for wanfala dog, bat olketa sei staka laekem tu, so mi mas weit. And tu, datfala department sei bae olketa lukluk gud firstaem long mi. Olketa no savve givim olobaot wanfala guide dog. Wanday wanfala woman wea duim waka for helpem olketa wea blind hem talem mi hao wanfala tennis club bae donatem wanfala guide dog long eniwan wea blind wea stap insaed area wea mifala stap. Hem sei taem hem herem datwan hem tingim mi. Waswe, bae mi tekem? Mi luksavve Jehovah nao mas duim diswan for mi and mi acceptim datwan. Nomata olsem, mi mas weit for kasem datfala dog.

Tingting Abaotem Africa Yet

Taem mi weit, mi tingim nara samting. Olsem mi storyim finis, from taem mi smol mi barava interest tumas long Africa. Nomata eye bilong mi gogo for blind, interest bilong mi for go long Africa hem strong go moa, especially taem mi herem hao staka pipol long Africa interest long Bible and for servem Jehovah. Mi storyim lelebet long Valérie hao mi laek for go visitim Africa, and mi askem hem sapos hem laek for kam witim mi. Hem laekem, and mitufala raet go long samfala difren branch bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Africa wea iusim French languis.

Olketa long Togo raet kam bak. Mi hapi tumas, and askem Valérie for readim datfala leta for mi herem. Datfala leta barava followim mind bilong mitufala, so Valérie sei long mi: “Iumi go!” Bihaen mi raet go moa long olketa brata long branch, olketa talem mi for raet long Sandra, wanfala pioneer wea stap long Lomé, wea hem nao kapitol taon. December 1, 1998 nao day wea mitufala markem for go.

Datfala ples hem barava difren, bat hem barava naes tumas! Bihaen mifala go daon from plane long Lomé, mifala feelim hem barava hot narawe. Sandra kam meetim mitufala. Mifala no savve long each other enitaem bifor, bat taem mifala lukim each other nomoa, hem olsem mifala savve long mifala longtaem finis. No longtaem bifor mitufala kam, Sandra and partner bilong hem, Christine, tufala kamap spesol pioneer long Tabligbo, wanfala smol taon wea stap barava long insaed long datfala kantri. Hem privilege for mitufala joinim tufala long datfala niu assignment. Mifala stap for tufala month, and bihaen, taem mitufala lusim olketa, mi savve bae mi kam bak.

Hapi for Stap Moa Long Togo

Long France, mi stretawe start for redi for go bak long Togo mek-tu taem. From famili bilong mi helpem mi, mi fit for stap long there for sixfala month. So long September 1999, mi tekem plane for go moa long Togo. Bat distaem miseleva nomoa. Tingim hao famili bilong mi feel taem olketa lukim mi go seleva nomata mi garem sik! Bat olketa no need for wari. Mi talem parents bilong mi hao olketa fren bilong mi, wea mi ting long olketa olsem famili, bae kam weitim mi long Lomé.

Hem hapi samting tumas for stap moa long territory wea staka pipol interest long Bible! For lukim pipol readim Bible long street hem normal samting. Long Tabligbo pipol savve kam askem iu for storyim Bible long olketa. And mi hapi for stap long olketa simpol haos witim tufala spesol pioneer sista! Mi start for savve long nara kastom and difren wei for ting long samting. Barava first samting wea mi lukim nao, hem wei wea olketa Christian brata and sista bilong iumi long Africa putim service bilong olketa for God first long laef bilong olketa. Olsem example, for go long Kingdom Hall olketa mas wakabaot for plande kilometer, bat datwan nating stopem olketa for attendim olketa meeting. Mi lanem staka samting from kaenfala fasin bilong olketa tu.

Wanday bihaen mi kam bak from field service, mi talem Sandra hao mi fraet for go bak long France. Eye bilong mi hem start for barava blind nao. Mi tingim staka pipol and noise followim olketa street long Béziers, olketa step bilong olketa apartment building, and staka nara samting wea savve mekem laef bilong man wea blind hem hard. Nomata olketa no wakem olketa road long Tabligbo long tar, hem kwaet, and no garem staka pipol and trak olsem Beziers. Hao nao bae mi go bak long France from distaem mi getius long laef long Tabligbo?

Mami ring kam tufala day bihaen for talem mi hao datfala skul for olketa guide dog hem weitim mi. Wanfala dog wea nem bilong hem Océane hem redi for kamap olsem eye bilong mi. Mi kasem moa olketa samting wea mi needim and datwan katem daon wari bilong mi. Mi hapi for serve long Tabligbo for six month, then mi go bak long France for meetim Océane.

Bihaen tu-thri month bilong training, olketa givim Océane long mi. Firstaem hem no isi. Mitufala need for lane for savve long each other. Nomata olsem, isisi mi start for luksavve mi barava needim Océane. Océane hem kamap part long mi nao. Wanem nao pipol long Béziers duim taem mi kam long haos bilong olketa witim wanfala dog? Olketa barava respectim and kaen tumas long mi. Full community barava laekem Océane. From staka pipol no savve wanem for duim or talem taem olketa stap witim man wea disable, wei wea mi garem disfala dog hem mekem isi for storyim sik bilong mi. Pipol savve feel isi and lisin long mi. Tru nao, best samting for startim story hem nao Océane.

Mi and Océane Long Africa

Mi nating forgetim Africa, and mi start for redi for go bak for mek-thri taem. Datfala taem Océane hem kam witim mi, and tu, wanfala young hasband and waef, Anthony and Aurore, and fren bilong mi Caroline, wea mifala evriwan pioneer. Mifala kasem Lomé long September 10, 2000.

Firstaem, staka fraetem Océane. Staka pipol long Lomé no lukim kaen big dog olsem, from olketa dog long Togo olketa smol nomoa. From hem garem spesol rope raonem hem for leadim mi, staka tingse hem raf dog. From diswan, Océane redi for protectim mi taem hem tingse mi stap long danger long eni samting. Gogo, Océane getius long datfala niu ples. Taem hem werem datfala spesol rope, hem duim waka—hem strict, duim gud responsibility bilong hem, stap long saed bilong mi. Taem hem no werem datfala spesol rope, hem savve plei and samfala taem hem noti. Mitufala barava stap gud tugeta.

Sandra and Christine invaetem mifala evriwan for stap witim olketa long Tabligbo. For helpem olketa brata and sista getius long Océane, mifala invaetem olketa for kam long haos and explainim long olketa waka bilong wanfala guide dog, why mi needim hem, and wanem olketa shud duim and no duim. Olketa elder agree hao mi shud tekem Océane go long Kingdom Hall. From hem niufala samting for olketa long Togo, olketa announcem and explainim long kongregeson. Bat long ministry, Océane savve kam witim mi long olketa return visit and olketa Bible study nomoa, taem pipol minim finis why nao mi tekem hem kam.

Hem barava hapi samting for preach long disfala territory. Mi barava tinghae long wei wea olketa pipol hia barava kaen. Olketa savve showimaot diswan thru long olketa samting wea olketa savve duim, olsem wei wea olketa givim mi chair for sidaon. Long October 2001, long mek-foa gogo bilong mi for Togo, mami nao kam witim mi. Bihaen thrifala week hem go bak long France and hem savve mi stap olraet and hapi.

Mi barava thankiu long Jehovah for wei wea mi fit for serve long Togo. Mi trust long Jehovah hao hem bae gohed for givim ‘samting wea heart bilong mi laekem’ taem mi gohed for duim wanem mi fit for duim long service bilong hem.a

[Footnote]

[Piksa long page 10]

Mi barava interest tumas long olketa open area bilong Africa and staka difren kaen animal long there

[Piksa long page 10]

Océane kam witim mi taem mi duim olketa return visit

[Piksa long page 11]

Olketa elder agree hao mi shud tekem Océane go long olketa meeting