Thrifala Convention Barava Helpem Mi
Story bilong George Warienchuck
WASWE, enitaem iu herem samting long convention wea barava mekem iu changem laef bilong iu? Hem nao samting wea happen long mi. Taem mi ting go bak, mi savve tingim thrifala convention wea barava helpem mi. Firstfala convention helpem mi for no fraet. Mek-tu convention helpem mi for hapi long wanem mi garem finis. And mek-thri convention helpem mi for duim samfala samting moa for helpem narawan. Bat bifor mi storyim olketa samting hia, bae mi storyim olketa samting wea happen staka year bifor olketa convention hia. Bae mi storyim olketa samting wea kasem mi taem mi smol.
Mi born long 1928, and mifala thrifala pikinini long famili. Mi nao lastborn long famili. Mi witim tufala sista bilong mi, Margie and Olga, mifala big kam long South Bound Brook, long New Jersey, America. Long datfala taem, samting olsem 2,000 pipol nomoa stap long datfala taon. Nomata mifala poor, Mami hem kaen tumas. Taem hem garem selen, hem savve kukim wanfala spesol kaikai for mifala, and hem savve sharem witim olketa neiba bilong mifala tu. Taem mi 9 year, wanfala Witness wea story long Hungarian languis, wea hem nao languis bilong mami bilong mi, hem story long Mami and Mami lisin long message from Bible. Bihaen, wanfala sista wea samting olsem 20 year nomoa wea nem bilong hem Bertha, hem gohed study witim Mami and helpem hem for kamap wanfala Witness.
Bat mi no olsem Mami. Mi savve fraet tumas and tingse mi no fit for duim samfala samting. Nogud samting tu, Mami savve tok daonem mi. Mi savve krae long hem and askem hem: “Why nao evritaem iu tok daonem mi?” Hem talem mi hem lovem mi bat hem no laekem mi for tingse mi gud winim olketa narawan. Mami tingse hem duim gud samting, bat from hem no savve praisem mi for olketa samting wea mi duim, mi savve feel iusles nomoa.
Long wanfala day, neiba bilong mifala wea savve tok kaen long mi, hem askem mi for go long Sunday skul long church bilong olketa witim olketa boy bilong hem. Mi savve Jehovah bae no hapi long mi, bat mi no laekem neiba bilong mi for feel nogud long mi. So mi go witim olketa long church for staka month nomata mi shame long wanem mi duim. From mi fraetem man, mi duim olketa samting long skul wea mi savve hem no stret. Principal long skul bilong mi hem strict tumas and hem talem olketa teacher hao olketa pikinini mas salutim flag. Mi tu salutim flag. Mi duim olsem for klosap wanfala year, bat then wanfala samting happen wea mekem mi change.
Mi Lane for No Fraet
Long 1939, mifala start for garem buk study long haos bilong mifala. Ben Mieszkalski, wanfala young pioneer brata nao tekem buk study. Mifala savve kolem hem Big Ben bikos hem tol tumas and hem big olsem front door long haos bilong mifala. Nomata hem big olsem, hem kaen tumas. Taem hem smile, mi no fraet nao. So taem Ben askem mi for preach witim hem, mi hapi tumas for go witim hem. Mifala fren gud. Taem mi feel sorre, hem savve story long mi olsem wanfala big brata savve story long smol brata bilong hem. Mi barava tinghae long datwan and mi barava lovem hem.
Long 1941, Ben askem famili bilong mi for go witim hem long car bilong hem long convention long Saint Louis, Missouri. Mi no savve weit for go nao! Mi kasem finis ples wea 80 kilometer from hom bilong mi, bat diswan nao firstaem for mi go long ples wea winim 1,500 kilometer from hom bilong mi! Bat samfala problem kamap long Saint Louis. Pipol long datfala taon promis for letem olketa Witness stap long haos bilong olketa, bat olketa bigman bilong religion talem olketa long church bilong olketa for no duim datwan. Staka no letem olketa Witness stap witim olketa. Famili wea mifala shud stap witim tu kasem hard taem from olketa bigman hia, bat famili hia no stopem mifala for no kam. Olketa sei olketa bae givim rum for mifala stap olsem olketa promisim finis. Mi barava tinghae long wei wea olketa no fraet.
Tufala sista bilong mi baptaes long datfala convention. Long datfala sem day, Brata Rutherford from Brooklyn Bethel givim wanfala tok. Hem askem evri pikinini wea laek for duim wanem God laekem for standap. Samting olsem 15,000 pikinini standap. Mi standap tu. Then hem askem mifala wea laek for waka hard long preaching waka for sei “Ia.” Mi witim olketa nara pikinini singaot big “Ia!” Evriwan klap big. Mi barava laek duim staka samting nao.
Bihaen long datfala convention, mifala go lukim wanfala brata long West Virginia. Brata hia storyim wanfala taem wea hem go preach, staka pipol kam killim hem and torowem tar and olketa feather long hem. Mi barava lisin gud long hem. Brata hem sei: “Nomata olketa duim olsem long mi, bae mi gohed preach.” Taem mifala baebae long brata hia, mi feel olsem David. Mi redi nao for feisim principal long skul olsem David no fraet taem hem feisim Goliath.
Taem mi go bak long skul, mi go lukim principal. Hem luk kros kam long mi nao. Mi prea long Jehovah for helpem mi. Then mi kwiktaem sei long hem: “Mi go long wanfala convention bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bae mi nating salutim flag!” Hem sidaon kwaet. Then hem isisi standap from desk bilong hem and kam long mi. Feis bilong hem luk kros fogud. Hem singaot big long mi: “Iu mas salutim flag. Sapos nomoa bae mi aotem iu from skul!” Mi no salutim flag, and mi barava hapi tumas.
Mi barava laek talem Ben wanem nao happen. Taem mi lukim hem long Kingdom Hall, mi singaot long hem: “Olketa aotem mi from skul nao! Mi nating salutim flag!” Ben huggim mi, smile long mi, and hem sei: “Mi savve Jehovah lovem iu.” (Deut. 31:6) Samting wea hem talem barava strongim mi! Long June 15, 1942, mi baptaes.
Mi Lane for Hapi Long Wanem Mi Garem Finis
Bihaen long World War II, selen long kantri hem barava gud, and staka pipol laek kasem staka material samting. Mi garem gudfala waka and mi savve baem olketa samting wea mi no fit for baem bifor. Samfala fren bilong mi peim motorbike. Olketa narawan staelem haos bilong olketa. Mi baem wanfala niu car. From mi laek tumas for baem olketa niu samting, mi start for no duim staka samting for worshipim Jehovah. Mi tingim nomoa olketa material samting wea mi laek kasem. Bat gud samting nao, wanfala convention long New York City long 1950 helpem mi for stretem tingting bilong mi and wanem mi duim.
Long datfala convention, evri brata wea tekem tok encouragem mifala for gohed strong for duim preaching waka. Wanfala brata wea tekem tok hem sei long mifala: “Garem nomoa olketa samting wea iufala needim, and ran long resis.” Hem olsem brata hia story long mi nomoa. Mi lukim tu graduation bilong wanfala Gilead class. Hem mekem mi for tingting olsem: ‘Sapos olketa Witness hia wea sem age olsem mi savve lusim material samting mekem olketa duim preaching waka long nara kantri, mi tu shud hapi for duim sem samting long hom bilong mi.’ Taem datfala convention hem finis, mi disaed nao for pioneer.
Long datfala taem, mi frenim wanfala sista, Evelyn Mondak, long kongregeson wea mi go long hem. Famili bilong Evelyn olketa sixfala pikinini and mami bilong Evelyn hem woman wea no fraetem eniwan. Hem laekem tumas for duim street witnessing front long wanfala big Roman Catholic Church. Nomata priest long datfala church kros tumas long hem and raosem hem staka taem, hem gohed standap nomoa front long church. Evelyn tu olsem mami bilong hem. Hem nating fraetem man.—Prov. 29:25.
Long 1951, mi maritim Evelyn. Mitufala lusim waka bilong mifala and start for pioneer. Wanfala circuit overseer encouragem mifala for muv long Amagansett, wanfala vilij long saed sea wea stap samting olsem 160 kilometer from New York City. From kongregeson long there talem mifala hao olketa no garem eni ples for mitufala stap, mitufala lukaotem wanfala caravan for mifala stap insaed. Bat mifala no savve faendem caravan wea no kostim staka selen. Gogo mifala faendem wanfala olo caravan. Man wea ownim sei kost bilong hem 900 dollar, and hem nao haomas selen wea mifala kasem olsem present taem mitufala marit. So mifala baem, fixim, and tekem long niu territory bilong mifala. Bat taem mifala kasem datfala ples, mifala no garem eni selen and no savve wanem nao bae mifala duim for kasem selen mekem mifala savve gohed pioneer.
Evelyn klinim olketa haos bilong pipol, and mi klinim wanfala ples for kaikai long naet taem ples hia hem sat. Man wea ownim datfala ples for kaikai hem sei long mi: “Iu tekem eni leftova kaikai for iu and waef bilong iu.” So taem mi finis waka long 2 klok long morning, caravan bilong mifala smel olsem pizza and pasta. Long olketa naet wea hem cold tumas, datfala kaikai hem naes tumas taem mifala hotem and kaikaim. Samfala taem olketa brata long kongregeson putim wanfala big fish long ladder bilong caravan. Taem mifala stap long Amagansett, mifala lane for hapi long wanem mifala garem finis. Mifala hapi tumas taem mifala stap long there.
Olketa Strongim Mifala for Duim Samfala Samting Moa
Long July 1953, mifala meetim staka handred missionary wea kam long international convention long New York City. Olketa storyim olketa interesting experience abaotem assignment bilong olketa. Samting wea olketa talem mekem mifala laek duim sem samting wea olketa duim. Wanfala brata storyim long tok bilong hem tu hao pipol long staka kantri nating herem yet message abaotem Kingdom. Mifala savve wanem nao mifala mas duim. Mifala need for duim samfala samting moa long ministry. So long datfala convention, mifala raetem application for go long Gilead Skul for kamap missionary. Long datfala year, mifala go long mek-23 class bilong Gilead Skul, wea hem start long February 1954. Hem nambawan privilege for mifala go long datfala skul!
Mifala hapi tumas olketa markem mifala for go long Brazil. Bifor mifala go long ship for 14-fala day for kasem Brazil, wanfala brata long Bethel sei long mi: “Naenfala singol sista wea missionary bae go witim iu and waef bilong iu long Brazil. Iu lukaftarem olketa gud!” Olketa man wea waka long ship sapraes tumas taem olketa lukim mi kam witim tenfala young woman long ship! Nomata olsem, olketa gele nating warim datwan nomoa. Mi hapi tumas taem mifala kasem Brazil and no eni nogud samting kasem mifala.
Bihaen mitufala lanem Portuguese languis, mitufala start for duim circuit waka long Rio Grande do Sul, wanfala province long south part long Brazil. Singol brata wea circuit overseer long datfala ples wea mi kam for changem, hem sei long mitufala: “Sei! Mi sapraes tumas olketa sendem wanfala hasband and waef long hia. Iumi stap long bush ia.” Olketa kongregeson stap long bush, and long samfala kongregeson mifala mas go long trak for kasem olketa. Sapos mifala tekem kaikai for draeva, hem savve letem mifala for klae go ap long trak bilong hem. Mifala sidaon antap long kago olsem man hem sidaon long horse. Mifala hol strong long olketa rope wea olketa taengem raonem kago. Taem trak hem kwiktaem tane, mifala barava hol strong taem kago hem muv go long wansaed and mifala luk go daon long olketa deep valley. Nomata olsem, olketa brata weitim mifala and hapi for lukim mifala. Datwan mekem mifala hapi tumas.
Mifala stap witim olketa brata taem mifala duim circuit waka. Nomata olketa barava poor, evritaem olketa givim samting long mifala. Long wanfala farawe ples long bush, evri brata waka long factory wea olketa pakim meat. Selen wea olketa kasem hem fitim nomoa kaikai for wanfala taem long day. Sapos olketa no waka, olketa no kasem selen nao for datfala day. Nomata olsem, taem mifala visitim kongregeson bilong olketa, olketa brata tekem tufala day for holiday mekem olketa savve sapotim preaching waka. Olketa barava trustim Jehovah for lukaftarem olketa. Mifala lanem staka samting from olketa hambol brata hia abaotem wei for duim olketa samting for sapotim Kingdom bilong God. Mifala bae nating forgetim samting wea olketa duim. Mifala lanem samting from olketa brata hia wea mifala no savve lanem long eni skul. Taem mi ting go bak, mi savve tingim olketa brata long there, and mi savve krae from mi hapi tumas.
Long 1976, mitufala go bak long America for lukaftarem mami bilong mi wea sik. Mifala nating laek for lusim Brazil, bat mifala hapi mifala lukim staka pablisa and staka kongregeson kamap long Brazil. Taem mifala kasem olketa leta from olketa brata and sista long Brazil, mifala savve tingim staka gud samting wea mifala kasem long there.
Mifala Lukim Moa Samfala Gud Fren Bilong Mifala
Taem mifala lukaftarem Mami, mifala pioneer and duim samfala klining waka. Mami bilong mi faithful long Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long 1980. Bihaen hem dae, mifala start for duim circuit waka long America. Long 1990, mitufala go long wanfala kongregeson long Connecticut. Mitufala meetim wanfala elder long there wea nem bilong hem Ben. Hem nao sem brata wea helpem mi 50 year go finis for disaed strong for worshipim Jehovah. Mifala huggim mifala and hapi tumas for lukim mifala.
Start long 1996, mitufala Evelyn waka olsem infirm spesol pioneer long Portuguese languis kongregeson long Elizabeth, New Jersey. Nomata mi sik distaem, Evelyn helpem mi for duim wanem mifala fit for duim long ministry. Evelyn helpem wanfala olo neiba bilong mitufala tu. Hu nao diswan? Bertha, hem nao sista wea helpem mami bilong mi 70 year go finis for worshipim Jehovah! Mitufala hapi tumas mifala savve helpem hem and thankiu long hem for big samting wea hem duim for helpem famili bilong mi kam insaed long truth.
Mi barava tinghae long olketa convention bifor wea barava helpem mi disaed strong for worshipim Jehovah, for hapi long wanem mi garem finis, and for duim samfala samting moa long ministry. Iaman, olketa convention wea mi storyim barava helpem mi.
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Mami bilong Evelyn (left saed) and mami bilong mi
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Fren bilong mi Ben
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Long Brazil
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Mi and Evelyn distaem