Laef Story

Mi Disaed Strong for Gohed Servem Creator

STORY BILONG CONSTANCE BENANTI

Hem happen kwiktaem tumas! Insaed sixfala day nomoa, Camille, dota bilong mitufala wea 1 year 10 month, hem sik big and hem dae. From mi barava sorre tumas, mi laek dae tu. Why nao God letem diswan for happen? Mi barava konfius.

DADI and mami bilong mi kam from Castellammare del Golfo, wanfala taon long Sicily, Italy. Olketa muv go long New York City, and mi born long there long December 8, 1908. Famili bilong mifala garem faevfala boy and thrifala gele.a

Long 1927, dadi bilong mi, Santo Catanzaro hem start for attendim olketa meeting bilong wanfala smol grup bilong olketa Bible Student wea hem nem wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness iusim long datfala taem. Giovanni De Cecca, wanfala Christian brata from Italy wea serve long headquarter (wea olketa kolem Bethel) long Brooklyn, New York, hem savve conductim olketa meeting long ples wea mifala stap long New Jersey, wea hem klosap nomoa. Gogo, dadi start for preach and duim full-taem ministry and hem gohed for duim diswan go kasem taem hem dae long 1953.

Mami hem laek for kamap nun taem hem young, bat dadi and mami bilong hem no letem hem. Firstaem mi followim nomoa mami for no join witim dadi for studyim Bible. Bat no longtaem bihaen, mi lukim dadi hem change. Hem no savve kros tumas, hem barava kaen, and famili stap gud. Mi laekem datwan.

Gogo, mi meetim Charles, man wea sem age olsem mi wea born long Brooklyn. Famili bilong hem tu kam from Sicily. No longtaem nomoa mitufala engage, and bihaen dadi kam bak from wanfala convention bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Columbus, Ohio, long 1931, mi and Charles marit. Insaed wanfala year nomoa, dota bilong mitufala Camille hem born. Taem hem dae mi barava sorre tumas and no eniwan savve comfortim mi. Wanday, Charles hem krae and sei long mi: “Camille hem dota bilong iumi tufala evriwan. Iumi tufala stap for comfortim each other.”

Mifala Acceptim Truth From Bible

Charles remindim mi hao dadi story abaotem resurrection hope taem hem duim funeral tok for Camille. Mi askem hem: “Waswe, iu really bilivim resurrection?”

Hem sei: “Ia, hao sapos iumi faendaot moa samting abaotem wanem nao stap insaed long Bible?”

Datfala naet mi no savve sleep. Long six klok long morning bifor dadi go waka, mi talem hem mi and Charles laek for studyim Bible. Dadi hapi and huggim mi. Mami wea sleep yet hem herem story bilong mi and dadi. So hem askem mi sapos eni samting hem happen. Mi sei long hem: “No eni big samting. Mi and Charles disaed for studyim Bible. Hem nomoa.”

Mami sei: “Iumi evriwan need for studyim Bible.” So, mi and Charles, mami and olketa brata and sista bilong mi—⁠mifala evriwan hem 11—⁠start for study tugeta.

For studyim Bible hem comfortim mi and isisi feeling wea mi garem for konfius and sorre hem katdaon and mi start for garem hope. Long 1935, bihaen wanfala year nomoa, mitufala start for storyim truth from Bible long nara pipol. Long February 1937, bihaen mifala herem wanfala Bible tok long headquarter long Brooklyn wea explainim hao hem important for baptaes, mitufala and staka narawan baptaes long swimming pool long wanfala hotel. Mi duim diswan bikos mi hope for lukim moa dota bilong mi moa, and tu, bikos mi laekem tumas for servem Creator bilong iumi, wea mi savve gud long hem and lovem hem.

Startim Full-Taem Ministry

Hem interesting and mi kasem gud samting from wei for storyim olketa samting wea mi lanem long nara pipol, from staka acceptim message abaotem Kingdom long datfala taem, and olketa help tu for talemaot datfala message. (Matthew 9:37) Long 1941, mitufala kamap olketa pioneer, wea hem nao nem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness kolem full-taem minister bilong olketa. No longtaem bihaen, mitufala peim wanfala caravan and Charles finis for waka long bisnis bilong famili for sewim longkwi, and brata bilong mi Frank nao ranem datfala bisnis. Gogo, mitufala hapi for kasem wanfala leta for kamap spesol pioneer. Firstaem mitufala serve long New Jersey, and bihaen mitufala go long New York State.

Long 1946, taem mitufala attendim convention long Baltimore, Maryland, olketa askem mitufala for go lukim tufala Witness wea kam from headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Mifala meetim Nathan Knorr and Milton Henschel. Tufala story abaotem missionary waka and especially preaching waka long Italy. Tufala laek for savve sapos bae hem fitim mitufala for attendim Watchtower Bible Skul bilong Gilead.

Tufala sei: “Ting raonem firstaem and talem mifala sapos iutufala willing.” Bihaen mitufala lusim datfala office, Charles luk long mi and mi luk long hem then mitufala go bak moa insaed datfala office. Mitufala sei: “Mitufala ting raonem finis. Mitufala redi for go long Gilead.” Bihaen tenfala day mitufala attendim mek-seven class bilong Gilead.

Olketa month wea mifala kasem training hem barava spesol. Mifala tinghae long patient fasin and love wea olketa teacher showim for mifala long wei for redim mifala for deal witim olketa hard samting long olketa difren kantri. Bihaen mifala finisim skul long July 1946, mifala kasem assignment for stap lelebet taem for preach long New York City wea staka pipol from Italy stap. Then day wea mifala weitim hem kam nao! Long June 25, 1947, mifala go long Italy for missionary assignment bilong mifala.

Setol Daon Long Niu Assignment

Mifala go long Italy insaed wanfala ship wea bifor olketa army nao iusim. Mifala kasem harbor long Genoa bihaen mifala travel for 14-fala day. Long datfala ples, samfala samting wea spoelem datfala taon hem stap wea showimaot World War II wea just finis tufala year bifor. Olsem example, from olketa bomb wea bosta, train station no garem eni glass long window. From Genoa, mifala go insaed train for karem kago for go long Milan, ples wea branch office and wanfala missionary hom stap.

Bihaen war hem finis living long Italy barava nogud. Nomata olketa start for buildim bak datfala taon, barava staka pipol nao poor. No longtaem bihaen mifala stap long there, mi garem serious problem saed long health bilong mi. Wanfala doctor sei heart bilong mi barava nogud, so hem ting bae hem gud sapos mi go bak long United States. Mi hapi from wanem hem talem hem no tru. Bihaen 58 year, mi stap yet long assignment bilong mi long Italy.

Bihaen tu-thri year mitufala stap long Italy, olketa really brata bilong mi long United States laek givim wanfala car for mitufala. Bat Charles no acceptim datwan, wea hem wanfala disison wea mi barava tinghae long hem. Mitufala no savve long eni Witness long Italy long datfala taem wea garem car, and Charles ting hem gud for mitufala garem sem living olsem olketa Christian brata bilong mifala. Gogo, long 1961 nao mitufala garem wanfala smol car.

Firstfala Kingdom Hall bilong mifala long Milan hem wanfala rum andanit wanfala building wea floor bilong hem graon nomoa. Hem no garem toilet, and hem savve fulap witim wata taem hem rain. And tu, olketa smol rat ran olobaot insaed Kingdom Hall. Mifala iusim nomoa tufala smol laet for meeting. Nomata olsem, hem encouragem mifala for lukim pipol wea garem honest heart attendim olketa meeting and gogo olketa joinim mifala long ministry.

Olketa Experience Long Missionary Waka

Mifala givim long wanfala man datfala buklet, Peace—⁠Can It Last? Taem mifala redi for go, waef bilong datfala man, Santina, hem just arrive and hem karem kam staka samting wea hem peim long stoa. Hem kros lelebet and sei hem busy tumas from hem garem eitfala dota for lukaftarem. Taem mi go bak lukim Santina, hasband bilong hem no stap and hem busy for iusim wool for wakem kaleko. Hem sei: “Mi no garem taem for lisin. And tu, mi no savve read.”

Mi prea long Jehovah long kwaetfala wei and mi askem Santina sapos hem savve wakem wanfala wool kaleko for hasband bilong mi and bae mi peim hem. Bihaen tufala week mi tekem datfala wool kaleko, and mi and Santina iusim datfala buk, “The Truth Shall Make You Free” for studyim Bible. Santina lane for read and nomata hasband againstim hem, hem muv ahed and hem baptaes. Faevfala dota bilong hem kamap olketa Witness, and Santina helpem staka narawan tu for acceptim truth long Bible.

Long March 1951, mitufala and tufala nara missionary—Ruth Cannonb and Loyce Callahan, wea bihaen hem maritim Bill Wengert—mifala muv go long Brescia, ples wea no eni Witness stap. Mifala stap long wanfala smol haos wea garem evri samting insaed, bat bihaen tufala month nomoa, man wea ownim haos sei mifala bae stap for wanfala day moa and mifala mas muv aot. From no eni Witness stap long datfala ples, mifala mas go stap long hotel, wea mifala stap for klosap tufala month.

Only kaikai bilong mifala hem coffee, bred, cheese and frut. Nomata olsem, mifala barava hapi and kasem gud samting. Gogo, mifala go stap long wanfala smol haos, and 35 nao attendim Memorial bilong dae bilong Christ long 1952, wea mifala celebratem long wanfala smol rum wea mifala iusim olsem Kingdom Hall.

Deal Witim Olketa Hard Samting

Long datfala taem, olketa bigman bilong Roman Catholic barava kontrolem pipol. Olsem example, taem mifala preach long Brescia, wanfala priest talem samfala boy for sutim mifala witim ston. Bat gogo, mifala start for studyim Bible witim 16-fala pipol, and insaed shortfala taem nomoa olketa kamap Witness. And iu savve hu nao wanfala long olketa hia? Hem wanfala boy wea sei hem bae sutim mifala witim ston! Distaem hem elder long wanfala kongregeson long Brescia. Taem mifala lusim Brescia long 1955, 40 Kingdom pablisa share long preaching waka.

Bihaen datwan, mifala serve long Leghorn (Livorno) for thrifala year, wea klosap evri Witness long there hem olketa woman. From datwan, mifala olketa sista duim olketa waka insaed kongregeson wea olketa brata shud duim. Mifala muv go moa long Genoa, wea hem nao first ples wea mifala stap 11-fala year bifor. Long taem hia nao hem garem wanfala kongregeson. Kingdom Hall hem stap long first floor long building wea rum bilong mifala stap.

No longtaem bihaen mifala arrive long Genoa, mi startim study witim wanfala woman wea hasband bilong hem wanfala man wea joinim boxing bifor and hem manager long ples for kasem training for boxing. Disfala woman muv ahed long spiritual wei and no longtaem bihaen hem kamap wanfala Christian sista bilong iumi. Nomata olsem, hasband gohed for againstim hem for longfala taem. Then gogo, hem start for go witim waef bilong hem long olketa meeting. Hem no go insaed Kingdom Hall bat hem sidaon long aotsaed and lisin. Bihaen, taem mifala lusim Genoa, mifala herem hao hem ask for studyim Bible. Gogo, hem baptaes and kamap wanfala loving Christian overseer. Hem gohed faithful go kasem taem hem dae.

Mi studyim Bible tu witim wanfala woman wea engage for maritim wanfala policeman. Firstaem man hia showimaot hem interest, bat bihaen tufala marit hem changem tingting bilong hem. Hem againstim waef bilong hem so waef hem stop for study. Bihaen taem woman hia start moa for studyim Bible, hasband bilong hem sei sapos hem lukim mitufala study bae hem sutim mitufala dae. Bat, disfala woman muv ahed long spiritual wei and kamap Witness wea baptaes. Hasband bilong hem nating sutim mitufala. Bihaen staka year, taem mi attendim wanfala assembly long Genoa, samwan kam bihaen long mi, satem eye bilong mi and ask sapos mi savve talem hu nao hem. Mi krae taem mi lukim hasband bilong datfala woman. Bihaen hem huggim mi hem talem mi hao long datfala day nomoa hem baptaes for showimaot hem dedicate long Jehovah!

Start long 1964 go kasem 1972, mi garem privilege for go witim Charles taem hem visitim olketa kongregeson for strongim olketa long spiritual wei. Mifala serve long klosap evri ples long north part bilong Italy—Piedmont, Lombardy, and Liguria. Then mitufala start moa for pioneer klosap long Florence and bihaen long Vercelli. Long 1977, Vercelli garem wanfala kongregeson nomoa bat taem mifala lusim datfala ples long 1999, hem garem thrifala kongregeson. Mi 91 year long datfala year, and branch office encouragem mitufala for muv go long missionary hom long Rome, wea hem wanfala naes haos wea stap long wanfala kwaet area.

Narafala Sorre Samting

Long March 2002, Charles, wea evritaem garem gud health, hem kasem sik. Sik bilong hem kamap worse go kasem taem hem dae long May 11, 2002. For 71 year mitufala krae tugeta long taem for sorre and hapi tugeta taem mitufala kasem olketa blessing. Dae bilong hem wanfala big and sorre samting for mi.

Plande taem mi savve tingim Charles wea evritaem werem suit and kaen soft kaleko hat bilong bifor. Mi tingim smile and laf bilong hem. Wei wea Jehovah helpem mi and mi thankiu long love wea staka Christian brata and sista showimaot long mi, datwan helpem mi for deal witim taem hia wea mi sorre. Mi barava luk forward long taem wea bae mi lukim Charles moa.

Gohed Long Service Bilong Mi

Barava nambawan samting long laef bilong mi hem wei wea mi servem Creator. Insaed olketa year wea go pas, “mi teistim and lukim hao Jehovah hem gud.” (Psalm 34:⁠8) Mi lukim wei wea hem lovem mi and kea for mi. Nomata baby bilong mi dae, Jehovah givim mi staka spiritual son and dota wea stap long olketa difren ples long Italy and olketa mekem heart bilong mi hapi and Jehovah tu.

Mi evritaem laekem tumas for story abaotem Creator bilong mi long nara pipol. Datwan nao mekem mi gohed for preach and conductim olketa Bible study. Samfala taem mi sorre from mi no savve duim moa samting from health bilong mi hem no mas gud. Bat mi luksavve hao Jehovah savve long wanem mi no fit for duim bat hem tinghae long samting wea mi fit for duim and hem lovem mi. (Mark 12:42) Mi duim best for followim toktok hia from Psalm 146:2 wea sei: “Mi bae praisem Jehovah for full laef bilong mi. Mi bae singsing long God bilong mi taem mi laef yet.”c

[Olketa Footnote]

[Piksa long page 13]

Camille

[Piksa long page 14]

Day wea mitufala marit, 1931

[Piksa long page 14]

Nomata mami no interest firstaem, hem agree for mifala evriwan studyim Bible

[Piksa long page 15]

Witim Brata Knorr long Gilead graduation, 1946

[Piksa long page 17]

Mi and Charles no longtaem bifor hem dae