Mi Lukim Waka Bilong Jehovah Kamap Big

STORY BILONG HARLEY HARRIS

Taem mifala long wanfala circuit assembly long September 2, 1950, long Kennet Missouri, America, wanfala raf grup kam raonem mifala. Bigman bilong taon leadim kam army for protectim mifala. Staka soldia wea holem olketa gun and naef standap long street. Nomata pipol tok spoelem mifala, mifala evriwan go long trak and go long Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for herem olketa last tok bilong assembly. Long there nao mi baptaes taem mi 14 year. Bae mi storyim wanem nao mekem mi for worshipim Jehovah long olketa hard taem olsem.

LONG olketa year start long 1930, tufala grani bilong mi witim eitfala pikinini bilong tufala herem recording bilong samfala tok bilong Brata Rutherford and olketa bilivim datwan nao truth. Long 1935, dadi and mami bilong mi, Bay and Mildred Harris, baptaes long convention long Washington, D.C. Olketa hapi tumas for savve olketa insaed long “big crowd” wea olketa storyim long datfala convention!​—⁠Rev. 7:​9, 14.

Long year bihaen datwan mi born. Taem mi wan year, mifala muv go long wanfala ples long Mississippi wea no eni brata stap. Taem mifala stap long there, mifala no garem traveling overseer tu for kam visitim mifala. Famili bilong mi savve raet long Bethel and attendim olketa assembly, bat hem nomoa taem wea mifala savve stap witim olketa brata.

Gohed Strong Nomata Pipol Spoelem Mifala

Long taem bilong World War II, pipol spoelem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness bikos olketa no joinim war. Mifala muv go long Mountain Home, Arkansas. Wantaem mi and dadi bilong mi duim street witnessing. Wanfala man tekem olketa magasin wea dadi bilong mi holem and bonem front long mifala. Hem tok spoelem mifala bikos mifala no joinim war. Mi faev year nomoa and mi start for krae. Dadi no talem eni samting bat hem lukluk nomoa long datfala man go kasem taem hem go.

Bat samfala pipol kaen long mifala. Wantaem, wanfala raf grup kam raonem car bilong mifala, bat long semtaem wanfala lawyer kam pas. Hem sei: “Wat nao happen long hia?” Wanfala man sei: “Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hia nating laek faet for kantri bilong olketa!” Semtaem nomoa lawyer hia standap saed long car bilong mifala and singaot olsem: “Mi faet long World War I, and bae mi faet tu long World War II! Letem olketa go. Olketa no duim eni samting for spoelem eniwan!” Datfala raf grup no talem eni samting and olketa go nao. Mifala barava tinghae long pipol wea kaen long mifala!​—⁠Acts 27:⁠3.

Olketa Convention Strongim Mifala

Convention wea kamap long St. Louis, Missouri long 1941 barava strongim mifala. Samting olsem 115,000 attendim convention and 3,903 baptaes! Mi nating forgetim tok wea Brata Rutherford givim wea garem title “Children of the King.” Hem story for evri young wan, and mifala evriwan kasem datfala buk Children wea garem blue kava. Datfala convention strongim mi for samting wea bae happen taem mi start for skul long primary long year bihaen. Olketa teacher aotem mi witim olketa kasin bilong mi bikos mifala no salutim flag. Mifala go long skul evriday for savve sapos olketa bigman changem tingting bilong olketa. Staka taem mifala wakabaot long forest for kasem skul, bat evritaem olketa talem mifala for go bak nomoa. Nomata olsem, mi ting long datwan olsem wei for sapotim Kingdom bilong God.

No longtaem bihaen, Supreme Kot bilong America sei olketa pikinini no need for salutim flag. So mifala start for skul moa. Teacher hem kaen long mifala and letem mifala for duim olketa subject wea mifala misstim. Olketa skul fren respectim mifala tu.

Mi tingim tu tok wea Brata Nathan Knorr givim long convention long Cleveland, Ohio, long 1942 wea garem title “Peace​—⁠Can It Last?” Hem storyim Revelation chapter 17 wea showimaot peace bae kamap for lelebet taem bihaen long World War II. Mifala luksavve staka pipol bae kam insaed long truth. So for redi for bigfala waka wea bae kamap, Gilead Skul hem start long 1943. Long datfala taem mi no savve skul hia bae changem laef bilong mi. Bihaen long World War II, peace hem kamap and pipol no spoelem mifala tumas. Bat taem war long Korea start long 1950, pipol start for againstim preaching waka, olsem mi storyim finis.

Duim Full-taem Service

Long 1954, mi graduate from hae skul, and wanfala month bihaen mi start for pioneer. Bihaen mi pioneer long Kennett, Missouri, wea hem nao ples wea datfala raf grup kam raonem mifala long 1950, mi kasem invitation long March 1955 for waka long Bethel. Kongregeson wea mi attendim long New York City garem assignment for preach long Times Square wea stap long midol long datfala taon. Laef long datfala ples hem barava difren from laef long bush! Pipol long New York barava busy, so mi startim story long wei for showim wanfala interesting article and askem olketa: “Waswe, enitaem iu tingim disfala kwestin?” Staka pipol tekem olketa magasin.

Wanfala samting wea mi barava enjoyim long Bethel hem morning worship wea Brata Knorr duim. Hem savve tumas for storyim olketa scripture long Bible and hao for mifala followim! Hem olsem dadi wea story long son bilong hem taem hem story witim mifala olketa young brata. Hem savve givim gudfala advaes long hao for ting long olketa sista. Long 1960, mi disaed for marit.

Mi givim 30-day notice for lusim Bethel, bat olketa no talem eni samting. Long end bilong 30 day hia, nomata mi fraet, mi askem olketa sapos olketa kasem notice bilong mi. Brata Robert Wallen ansarem telephone and then hem kam long ples wea mi waka. Hem askem wanem nao tingting bilong mi abaotem wei for spesol pioneer or duim circuit waka. Mi sei: “Bat Robert, mi 24 year nomoa and mi no savve hao for duim datwan.”

Circuit Waka

Long datfala naet olketa putim wanfala big envelope long rum bilong mi. Hem garem application for spesol pioneer and circuit waka. Mi barava sapraes! Mi kasem privilege for duim circuit waka for helpem olketa brata long south west Missouri and east Kansas. Bat bifor mi lusim Bethel, mi attendim meeting for olketa traveling overseer. Long end bilong tok bilong Brata Knorr, hem sei: “Nomata iufala circuit or distrik overseer, datwan no minim iufala savve long staka samting winim olketa brata wea stap long kongregeson. Samfala brata savve long staka samting winim iufala. Bat from olketa garem famili or nara samting, olketa no fit for garem privilege olsem iufala. Iufala savve lanem staka samting from olketa.”

Hem barava tok tru! Brata Fred Molohan and waef bilong hem, witim brata bilong Fred, Charley wea stap long Parsons, Kansas, olketa showimaot gudfala example. Olketa lanem truth long olketa year long 1900. Mi hapi tumas for herem olketa experience wea olketa garem bifor mi born! Nara brata hem John Wristen. Hem olo brata wea stap long Joplin, Missouri, and hem pioneer for staka year. Olketa brata hia barava tinghae long wei for followim wanem organization bilong Jehovah talem. Nomata mi young, olketa tinghae long waka wea mi duim olsem circuit overseer.

Long 1962 mi maritim Cloris Knoche, wanfala pioneer wea garem ginger hair. Mitufala gohed for duim circuit waka. Taem mifala stap witim olketa brata long haos bilong olketa, datwan mekem mifala for savve gud long olketa. Mifala encouragem olketa young wan for duim full-taem service. Tufala teenager long circuit bilong mifala, Jay Kosinski and JoAnn Kresyman, barava hapi for kasem encouragement olsem. Taem mifala preach witim tufala and storyim olketa gud samting wea man kasem taem hem duim full-taem service, datwan mekem tufala for markem olketa goal. JoAnn kamap spesol pioneer, and Jay waka long Bethel. Gogo tufala marit, and duim circuit waka for samting olsem 30 year.

Missionary Waka

Long 1966, Brata Knorr askem mifala sapos mifala laek for preach long nara kantri. Mifala sei: “Mifala hapi for stap long hia, bat sapos need hem kamap long nara ples, mifala savve go.” Wanfala week bihaen, mifala kasem invitation for go long Gilead Skul. Hem naes tumas for attendim skul and stap moa long Bethel witim staka wea mi lovem and respectim! Mifala fren gud tu witim olketa narawan wea mifala skul tugeta wea gohed faithful kam kasem distaem.

Mitufala Cloris kasem assignment for go long Ecuador long South America witim Dennis and Edwina Crist, Ana Rodríguez, and Delia Sánchez. Dennis and Edwina Crist go long main taon, Quito. Mitufala witim Ana and Delia go long Cuenca, mek-thri big taon long Ecuador. Tufala province nao hem territory bilong mifala. Firstfala kongregeson long Cuenca hem long haos bilong mifala. Mifala fofala witim nara tufala nao hipap tugeta. Mifala tingim hao nao bae mifala savve preach long full territory.

Staka church stap long Cuenca, and long olketa holy day bilong church, staka pipol savve march long taon. Bat pipol long Cuenca savve askem staka kwestin. Wanfala example hem Mario Polo, wanfala man long Cuenca wea savve tumas for raedem baesikol and wea winim staka medal. Long firstaem mi meetim hem, hem askem mi: “Hu nao datfala jury woman wea buk bilong Revelation storyim?”

Long narataem, Mario kam long haos bilong mifala long naet and luk wari tumas. Wanfala pastor givim hem samfala buk wea story againstim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Mi talem Mario hem gud sapos man wea olketa accusim shud defendim hemseleva. So long next day, Mario invaetem datfala pastor and mi for go long haos bilong hem for storyim wanem olketa accusim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long hem. Mi talem olketa hem gud for mifala storyim Trinity. Taem pastor hia readim John 1:​1, Mario nao explainim mining bilong datfala scripture. And hem duim sem samting tu long olketa nara scripture. Gogo datfala pastor hem go and hem nating pruvim Trinity hem tru. Diswan mekem Mario and waef bilong hem for bilivim truth, and gogo tufala savve tumas hao for ansarem kwestin bilong pipol abaotem olketa Bible teaching. Mifala hapi tumas for lukim 33 kongregeson hem stap long Cuenca distaem and nara 30 kongregeson long bigfala territory wea mifala preach long hem firstaem. Waka bilong Jehovah barava kamap big!

Mi Lukim Waka Kamap Big Taem Mi Stap Long Branch

Long 1970, olketa askem mi for go long branch long Guayaquil witim Al Schullo. Mitufala waka long office. Joe Sekerak waka samfala day long week for putim olketa buk long box for sendem go long 46 kongregeson wea stap long kantri. Cloris gohed duim preaching waka taem mi waka long Bethel. Cloris helpem 55 pipol for baptaes. Thri go kasem faevfala Bible study bilong hem baptaes long evri assembly.

Wanfala woman wea Cloris study witim, hem Lucresia, wea hasband bilong hem againstim hem. Nomata olsem, gogo Lucresia baptaes and start for regular pioneer. Hem lanem olketa pikinini bilong hem for followim olketa wei bilong Jehovah. Tufala son bilong hem elder, and wanfala hia hem spesol pioneer. Dota bilong hem tu pioneer. Pikinini bilong dota bilong hem maritim wanfala brata and tufala spesol pioneer tu. Famili hia helpem staka pipol for lanem truth.

Long 1980, samting olsem 5,000 pablisa stap long Ecuador. From staka waka long branch office, hem smol tumas nao. Wanfala brata laek givim 80 acres long land bilong hem wea stap no farawe tumas from Guayaquil. Long 1984, mifala wakem wanfala niu branch office and Assembly Hall wea mifala dedicatem long 1987.

Olketa Narawan Willing for Help

Long olketa year wea go pas, hem barava gud for lukim staka pablisa and pioneer from difren kantri kam long Ecuador for help long preaching waka. Wanfala wea mi tingim tumas nao hem Andy Kidd, wanfala skul teacher from Canada wea retire. Hem kam long Ecuador long 1985 taem hem 70 year and hem faithful for waka long there go kasem taem hem dae long 2008 taem hem 93 year. Long firstaem wea mi meetim hem long assignment bilong hem, hem nomoa elder long datfala smol kongregeson. Nomata hem no savve gud long Spanish languis, hem givim pablik tok and hem conductim Wastaoa Study. Hem conductim tu Theocratic Ministry Skul and duim klosap evri part long Service Meeting! Tufala kongregeson nao stap long datfala ples wea garem samting olsem 200 pablisa and staka elder.

Nara brata, Ernesto Diaz, from America hem kam long Ecuador witim famili bilong hem, and bihaen 8-fala month hem sei: “Thrifala pikinini bilong mitufala savve long datfala languis and olketa savve tumas hao for teachim pipol. From mi wanfala dadi, mi tingse hem hard tumas for mi kasem goal bilong mi for regular pioneer, bat mi gohed duim full-taem ministry witim famili bilong mi. Mifala conductim 25 Bible study. Diswan mekem famili bilong mifala waka gud tugeta and helpem mi for fren gud witim Jehovah winim bifor.” Mifala barava tinghae long olketa brata and sista hia!

Long 1994, olketa mekem branch office big moa. Long 2005, winim 50,000 pablisa stap long Ecuador, so mifala mas mekem big moa branch, Assembly Hall, wakem niu residence building, and olketa office for transleison. Olketa dedicatem olketa building hia long October 31, 2009.

Taem olketa teacher aotem mi from skul long 1942, samting olsem 60,000 Witness stap long America. Distaem winim 1 million pablisa nao long there. Taem mifala kam long Ecuador long 1966, hem garem 1,400 pablisa stap, bat distaem hem garem winim 68,000 pablisa. Staka moa bae kamap pablisa bikos winim 120,000 pipol studyim Bible and winim 232,000 kam long Memorial long 2009. Tru tumas, Jehovah barava blessim pipol bilong hem winim wanem mifala tingim. Hem privilege for stap long ples wea waka bilong Jehovah kamap big tumas!a

[Footnotes]

[Piksa long page 5]

Assembly wea pipol sidaon aotsaed (1981) and Assembly Hall long Guayaquil (2009) long sem ples