Laef Story
Hard Waka and Hapi From Wei for Trainim Eitfala Pikinini Long Wei Bilong Jehovah
STORY BILONG JOYCELYN VALENTINE
Long 1989 hasband bilong mi go waka long nara kantri. Hem promis for sendem kam selen for mi and eitfala pikinini bilong mi. Plande week go pas, bat hem nating sendem eni nius. Nomata staka month go pas, mi still no herem eni samting from hem. Evritaem mi gohed for ting olsem: ‘Taem hem kasem samting wea hem go for hem, bae hem kam bak.’
MI WARI tumas from mi no garem selen for famili bilong mi. Mi no savve bilivim disfala samting wea happen. Staka naet wea mi no savve sleep, mi askem miseleva, ‘Why nao hem duim diswan long famili bilong hem?’ Gogo, mi luksavve hao hasband bilong mi hem lusim mifala nao. Kam kasem disfala taem hem no kam bak yet nomata samting olsem 16 year go pas finis. From hasband no stap, miseleva trainim olketa pikinini bilong mi. Nomata hem hard samting, taem mi lukim olketa pikinini bilong mi followim wei bilong Jehovah mi hapi tumas. Bat bifor mi storyim hao famili bilong mi kasem need bilong mifala, bae mi story abaotem taem mi smol.
Lukaotem Help From Bible
Mi born long 1938 long Jamaica, wanfala island long Caribbean. Nomata dadi nating joinim eni church, hem sei hem fraet long God. Plande naet hem savve askem mi for read for hem long buk bilong Psalms long Bible. Gogo, mi savve baeheartim staka psalm. Mami hem joinim wanfala church long area bilong mifala, and samfala taem hem savve tekem mi go long olketa church service bilong olketa.
Long olketa service hia, olketa talem hao God tekem olketa gud pipol go long heven and hem bonem wicked pipol for olowe long hellfire. Olketa talem tu Jesus hem God and hem lovem olketa pikinini. Datwan mekem mi konfius and fraetem God. Mi ting, ‘Sapos God lovem iumi, why nao hem savve mekem pipol safa long fire?’
Taem mi tingim hellfire hem mekem mi garem olketa dream wea mekem mi fraet. Gogo, mi duim wanfala Bible study course wea Seventh-Day Adventist Church nao sponsarem. Olketa teachim hao wicked pipol bae no safa olowe, bat, bae fire bonem olketa gogo olketa kamap asis. Diswan hem here stret, and mi start for go long olketa church service bilong olketa. Bat teaching bilong olketa mekem mi konfius, and samting wea mi lanem hem nating stretem tingting bilong mi saed long fasin.
Long datfala taem klosap evri pipol savve hao hem rong for duim fornication. Bat, mi and staka narawan tingse olketa wea sleep witim staka partner nao duim fornication. So, mifala tingse tufala wea stap tugeta and no marit no duim sin sapos olketa faithful long each other. (1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; Hebrews 13:4) Datfala biliv nao mekem mi garem sixfala pikinini nomata mi no marit.
Muv Ahed Long Spiritual Wei
Long 1965, Vaslyn Goodison and Ethel Chambers kam stap long Bath, wea hem wanfala community wea klosap long mifala. Tufala hia pioneer, wea minim olketa full-taem minister bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and wanday tufala story witim dadi bilong mi. Tufala askem hem sapos hem laek for studyim Bible and hem acceptim datwan. Sapos mi stap long haos long taem wea olketa kam, olketa savve story witim mi tu. Nomata mi barava no trustim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, mi disaed for studyim Bible witim olketa for pruvim olketa rong.
Long taem bilong study mi askem staka kwestin, and olketa Witness iusim Bible for ansarem evri kwestin hia. Thru long wei wea olketa helpem mi, mi faendemaot hao olketa wea dae finis no savve long eni samting and no safa insaed hell. (Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10) Mi lane tu abaotem hope for laef olowe insaed Paradaes long earth. (Psalm 37:11, 29; Revelation 21:3, 4) Nomata dadi stop for studyim Bible, mi start for go long meeting bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long kongregeson long area bilong mifala. Wei wea olketa meeting bilong olketa gohed long kwaetfala wei and followim order mekem mi lanem moa samting abaotem Jehovah. Mi attendim tu olketa circuit assembly and distrik convention, wea hem nao olketa bigfala meeting bilong olketa Witness. From mi lanem staka samting from Bible, diswan muvim mi for garem strongfala feeling for laek worshipim Jehovah long wei wea hem acceptim. Nomata olsem, mi garem wanfala problem.
Long datfala taem, mi garem sixfala pikinini and man wea mi stap witim hem dadi bilong thrifala long olketa pikinini hia. Mi lanem from Bible hao God no laekem wei for sleep witim man wea iu no maritim, and from datwan conscience bilong mi start for pokem mi. (Proverbs 5:15-20; Galatians 5:19) From love bilong mi for truth hem kamap moa big, mi barava laek for stretem laef bilong mi followim law bilong God. Gogo, mi mekem disison bilong mi nao. Mi talem man wea mi stap witim hao mitufala mas marit or sapos nomoa, mitufala mas finis for stap tugeta. Nomata hem no acceptim biliv bilong mi, mitufala marit long August 15, 1970, wea hem faevfala year bihaen olketa Witness story witim mi. Long December 1970, mi baptaes for showimaot dedication bilong mi long Jehovah.
Mi bae nating forgetim firstfala day wea mi go aot long ministry. Mi fraet and mi no savve hao for start for story abaotem Bible. For tok stret, mi hapi nomoa taem first man wea mi story witim hem finisim kwiktaem story bilong mifala. Nomata olsem, isisi mi start for no fraet nao. Long end bilong datfala day, mi hapi tumas from mi story long samfala pipol abaotem Bible and mi givim samfala Bible pablikeson bilong iumi long olketa.
Keepim Famili Strong Long Spiritual Wei
Kasem year 1977 mi garem eitfala pikinini. Mi duim barava best bilong mi for helpem famili bilong mi for servem Jehovah. (Joshua 24:15) So, evritaem mi waka hard for conductim famili Bible study. From mi savve taed tumas, samfala taem mi sleep taem wanfala pikinini readim wanfala paragraf, and olketa mas wekapem mi. Bat wei for taed long body nating stopem mifala for studyim Bible tugeta insaed famili.
Mi prea evritaem tu witim olketa pikinini bilong mi. Taem olketa big lelebet mi teachim olketa for prea seleva long Jehovah. Mi mek sure each wan long olketa hem prea seleva bifor hem sleep. Mi prea witim each wan long olketa wea smol wea no fit for prea seleva yet.
Firstaem hasband bilong mi no laekem mi for tekem olketa pikinini go long meeting. Bat gogo, hem letem mi tekem olketa from sapos nomoa, hemseleva nao mas lukaftarem olketa pikinini taem mi go long meeting. Hem savve laekem tumas for visitim olketa fren bilong hem long evening, bat for tekem eitfala pikinini witim hem, datwan tumas nao! Gogo, hem nao savve helpem mi for redyim olketa pikinini for go long Kingdom Hall.
Olketa pikinini start for getius for go long olketa kongregeson meeting and for share long ministry. Long taem bilong holiday, plande taem olketa go long preaching witim olketa pioneer long kongregeson. Thru long diswan, love bilong olketa pikinini bilong mi kamap moa big for olketa brata and sista, and for preaching waka.—Matthew 24:14
Taem Bilong Test
For helpem famili, hasband bilong mi start for go long olketa difren kantri for waka for selen. Hem savve go for longfala taem, bat evritaem hem kam bak. Bat, long 1989, hem go and hem nating kam bak. Olsem mi talem firstaem, wei wea hasband bilong mi lusim mifala hem mekem mi seke and sorre tumas. Plande naet mi krae and prea strong long Jehovah for comfortim mi and for helpem mi gohed strong, and mi savve hem ansarem olketa prea bilong mi. Olketa scripture olsem Isaiah 54:4 and 1 Corinthians 7:15 givim mi peace and strong for gohed. And tu, olketa relative and fren long Christian kongregeson sapotim mi saed long material samting and saed long feeling. Mi barava tinghae long help bilong Jehovah and pipol bilong hem.
Mifala kasem olketa nara test. Wantaem, olketa aotem wanfala gele bilong mi from kongregeson from hem brekem olketa Bible principle. Nomata mi lovem tumas olketa pikinini bilong mi, wei for loyal long Jehovah nao main important samting. So long datfala taem, mi and olketa nara pikinini bilong mi barava followim direction from Bible long hao for deal witim olketa wea disfellowship. (1 Corinthians 5:11, 13) Staka pipol wea no minim samting wea mifala duim tok spoelem mifala. Nomata olsem, bihaen gele bilong mi kam bak insaed kongregeson, hasband bilong hem talem mi hao hem barava tinghae long wei wea mifala strong for followim olketa Bible principle. Distaem hem servem Jehovah witim famili bilong hem.
Feisim Olketa Problem Saed Long Selen
Taem hasband bilong mi lusim mifala, mi no garem waka for selen, and hem no sendem eni selen for sapotim mifala. Diswan teachim mifala for satisfae for no garem staka samting and for tinghae long spiritual riches winim wei for aftarem olketa material samting. Taem olketa pikinini lane for lovem and helpem narawan, datwan mekem olketa klos long each other. Taem olketa big wan waka, olketa willing tumas for sapotim olketa smol wan. Big gele bilong mi, Marseree, helpem smol sista bilong hem, Nicole, for finisim education bilong hem long secondary skul. Witim datwan, mi mekem wanfala smol stoa. Smol selen wea mi kasem from datwan helpem mifala long samfala samting wea mifala needim long material saed.
No enitaem Jehovah forgetim mifala. Wantaem mi talem wanfala Christian sista hao hard for mifala go long distrik convention from mifala no garem selen wea fitim. Hem talem olsem long mi: “Sista Val, taem iu herem convention, iu mek-redi for go! Jehovah bae provaedem olketa need bilong iu.” Mi followim advaes bilong hem, and Jehovah provaedem need bilong mifala. And kam kasem distaem hem gohed for duim olsem. Famili bilong mifala nating letem wei for no garem selen for mekem mifala missim eni assembly.
Long 1988, Cyclone Gilbert barava spoelem Jamaica, and mifala lusim haos bilong mifala for go stap long ples wea sef lelebet. Taem cyclone katdaon, mi and son bilong mi go lukluk long haos bilong mifala wea nogud finis. Taem mi lukluk raon, mi lukim wanfala samting wea mi laek for keepim. Seknomoa, bigfala wind start moa, bat mi holem yet samting wea mi laek for sevem. Son bilong mi sei: “Mami, leavim datfala television. Waswe, iu waef bilong Lot?” (Luke 17:31, 32) Toktok bilong son bilong mi mekem mi kasem bak gudfala tingting. Mi lusim datfala television, and mitufala ran go long sef ples.
Taem mi ting bak mi sapraes long miseleva from mi putim laef bilong mi long danger for wanfala television. Bat mi hapi tumas long toktok wea son bilong mi talem long datfala taem wea showimaot hem tingim olketa samting wea moa important. From Bible training wea hem kasem long Christian kongregeson, datwan mekem hem fit for helpem mi for stap klia long samting wea savve barava spoelem mi long physical wei and maet long spiritual wei tu.
Datfala cyclone barava spoelem haos and olketa samting bilong mifala, and mekem mifala wikdaon tu. Then olketa Christian brata bilong mifala arrive. Olketa encouragem mifala for trust long Jehovah and for gohed strong long ministry, and tu, olketa helpem mifala for wakem bak haos bilong mifala. Wei wea olketa Witness from Jamaica and olketa nara kantri willing and showimaot love for helpem mifala, hem samting mifala barava tinghae tumas long hem.
Jehovah Kamap First Samting
Mek-tu pikinini bilong mi, Melaine, kamap wanfala pioneer bihaen hem finisim education bilong hem. Bihaen datwan, hem acceptim invitation for pioneer long nara kongregeson, wea minim hem mas finis from waka bilong hem for selen. Nomata datfala waka bilong hem sapotim famili long bigfala wei, mifala trustim hao Jehovah bae lukaftarem mifala sapos each wan long mifala putim Kingdom firstaem. (Matthew 6:33) Bihaen, son bilong mi Ewan, hem tu kasem invitation for kamap pioneer. Hem sapotim famili saed long selen, bat mifala encouragem hem for acceptim datfala invitation and talem hem hao bae Jehovah blessim hem. Mi evritaem encouragem olketa pikinini bilong mi for mekem service bilong olketa saed long Kingdom kamap moa big, and mifala wea stap mifala nating short long eni samting. Mifala hapi nomoa, and long samfala taem, mifala fit for helpem olketa narawan wea garem need.
Mi hapi tumas for lukim olketa pikinini bilong mi “wakabaot long truth.” (3 John 4) Distaem, Melaine, hem gogo witim hasband long circuit waka. Gele bilong mi Andrea and hasband bilong hem tufala spesol pioneer, and hem savve visitim olketa kongregeson witim hasband wea hem substitute circuit overseer. Son bilong mi, Ewan, and waef bilong hem, tufala spesol pioneer and hem elder long kongregeson. Nara gele bilong mi, Ava-Gay, waka witim hasband bilong hem long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Jamaica. Jennifer, Genieve, and Nicole serve witim olketa hasband and pikinini bilong olketa long olketa kongregeson olsem olketa strongfala pablisa. Marseree stap witim mi and mitufala attendim Port Morant Kongregeson. Mi kasem blessing wea big tumas, from eitfala pikinini bilong mi gohed for worshipim Jehovah.
From mi gogo for olo mi kasem olketa health problem. Mi mas deal witim disfala sik rheumatoid arthritis, bat mi hapi from mi still enjoyim wei for pioneer. Bat gogo, hem hard for mi wakabaot long olketa ples wea hem hill. Diswan mekem hem hard for go long ministry. Mi faendem hao wei for raedem baesikol hem moa isi for mi winim wei for wakabaot. So mi baem wanfala secondhand baesikol and mi start for iusim. Firstaem, olketa pikinini wari for lukim mami bilong olketa wea garem sik arthritis raedem baesikol. Nomata olsem, olketa barava hapi for lukim mi gohed long waka for preach, wea hem nao samting wea heart bilong mi laekem tumas.
Mi barava hapi for lukim pipol wea mi study witim olketa acceptim truth from Bible. Evritaem mi prea long Jehovah for helpem evriwan long famili bilong mi for gohed faithful long hem long disfala taem bilong end and for olowe. Evri praise and thankiu bilong mi hem go long Jehovah, datwan “wea herem prea,” from hem mekem mi fit for trainim eitfala pikinini bilong mi for followim wei bilong hem.—Psalm 65:2.
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Mi witim olketa pikinini bilong mi, olketa son and dota-in-law bilong mi, and olketa granpikinini
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Distaem mi iusim baesikol long ministry bilong mi