LAEF STORY
Olketa Samting wea Mekem Mi Hapi Long Kingdom Waka
Long 1947, olketa Catholic priest long Santa Ana, long El Salvador, kosim trabol for olketa Witness. Taem olketa brata and sista duim Wastaoa Study long missionary hom, samfala boy sutim samfala big ston kam insaed long door bilong haos. Then samfala priest leadim kam wanfala big sekson. Samfala holem laet, and olketa narawan karem olketa image. For tufala hour olketa sutim datfala haos and gohed singaot and sei olketa laekem Virgin Mary for laef and Jehovah for dae. Olketa laek for mekem olketa missionary fraet and lusim datfala taon. Mi savve hem nao wanem olketa laek duim bikos mi wanfala missionary wea attendim datfala meeting 67 year go finis.a
TUFALA year bifor diswan, mi and Everlyn Trabert, wea hem tu wanfala missionary, mitufala graduate long mek-foa class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead. Long datfala taem olketa holem Gilead Skul klosap long Ithaca, long New York. Mitufala kasem assignment for duim missionary waka long Santa Ana, long El Salvador. Mi duim missionary waka long there for klosap 29 year. Bat bifor mi storyim datwan, mi laek storyim why nao mi disaed for kamap wanfala missionary.
MI LANEM TRUTH FROM DADI AND MAMI
Taem mi born long 1923, dadi and mami bilong mi, John and Eva Olson stap long Spokane, long Washington, U.S.A. Tufala bilong Lutheran religion bat tufala no agree witim teaching bilong church abaotem hellfire, bikos tufala sei God hem garem love. (1 John 4:8) Dadi waka long wanfala bakery, and wanfala naet, wanfala man wea tufala waka sei Bible no teachim hell hem ples wea man safa long hem. No longtaem bihaen, dadi and mami start for studyim Bible witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness and lanem tru samting wea Bible sei hem happen long man wea dae finis.
Nomata long datfala taem mi naen year nomoa, bat mi savve lisin taem parents bilong mi storyim wanem tufala lanem. Tufala hapi tumas taem tufala lanem nem bilong trufala God hem Jehovah, and Trinity teaching wea mekem staka pipol konfius hem no tru. Mi tu barava interest for lane abaotem olketa tru teaching hia wea kam from Bible, wea savve ‘mekem man free.’ (John 8:32) Kam kasem distaem, mi no ting long wei for studyim Bible olsem samting wea boring bat mi evritaem enjoyim wei for studyim Bible. Nomata mi gele for shame, mi savve go witim dadi and mami long preaching waka. Tufala baptaes long 1934. Then long 1939, mi tu baptaes taem mi 16 year.
Mi witim Dadi and Mami long 1941 long assembly long St. Louis, long Missouri
Long July 1940, dadi and mami salem haos bilong tufala, and mifala start for duim regular pioneer waka long Coeur d’Alene, long Idaho. Mifala rentim wanfala smol haos antap long wanfala workshop. Mifala savve holem olketa meeting tu long haos bilong mifala. Long datfala taem, staka kongregeson no garem Kingdom Hall, so olketa savve holem meeting long haos bilong eni brata, or long eni ples wea olketa rentim.
Long 1941, mifala attendim assembly long St. Louis, Missouri. Long Sunday, hem wanfala spesol day bilong olketa pikinini. Olketa invaetem olketa pikinini wea 5 go kasem 18 year for go sidaon long olketa chair long front. Long end bilong tok bilong brata Joseph Rutherford, hem sei olsem long mifala evri young wan: “Iufala evri . . . young wan . . . wea laek for obeyim God and King bilong hem, plis iufala standap!” Mifala evriwan standap. Then Brata Rutherford sei: “Lukim, iumi garem winim 15,000 niu wan wea bae preach abaotem Kingdom!” Datwan helpem mi for disaed for kamap wanfala pioneer for full laef bilong mi.
OLKETA ASSIGNMENT WEA MIFALA KASEM
Tu-thri month bihaen assembly long St. Louis, mifala muv go long south part bilong California. Mifala kasem assignment for startim wanfala kongregeson long wanfala taon long there, wea olketa kolem Oxnard. Mifala stap insaed wanfala caravan wea garem wanfala bed nomoa, (caravan hem smol haos wea trak savve pullim). Evri naet, mifala wakem bed bilong mi antap tebol for kaikai. Datwan hem barava difren from taem wea mifala garem haos and mi garem rum bilong miseleva!
Long December 7, 1941, Japan attakim Pearl Harbor long Hawaii. Long next day, United States hem joinim World War II. Diswan happen just bifor mifala kasem California. Gavman stopem pipol long California for onem eni laet long naet. Diswan hem for mekem olketa submarine bilong Japan wea patrol long sea long California for no lukim eni laet and sut kam long eni ples long there.
Long September 1942, mifala attendim New World Theocratic Assembly long Cleveland, long Ohio. Long datfala assembly, Brata Nathan Knorr givim wanfala tok wea hem story raonem Revelation chapter 17, wea storyim wanfala ‘wild animal wea hem stap long firstaem, then hem no stap, bat klosap bae hem kamaot from datfala hol wea deep tumas.’ (Rev. 17:8, 11) Brata Knorr storyim hao “datfala wild animal” hem piksarem League of Nations, “wea stap long firstaem” bat wea finis long 1939. Hem sei datfala scripture showimaot “datfala wild animal” bae kam bak and then peace bae kamap for lelebet taem. Datwan nao samting wea happen. Long 1945, World War II hem finis, and taem United Nations organization hem start, ‘datfala wild animal kamaot from datfala hol.’ Bihaen datwan, preaching waka wea Olketa Jehovah’s Witness duim hem barava kamap big!
Gilead certificate bilong mi
Datfala profesi helpem mi for luksavve bigfala waka for preach bae kamap long future. Then taem mi herem Gilead Skul bae start long 1943, mi disaed nao mi barava laek for kamap wanfala missionary. Mi kasem assignment for go pioneer long Portland, Oregon long 1943. Long datfala taem, mifala savve iusim phonograph for pleim olketa sermon for pipol wea mifala meetim long haos, and then mifala savve offerim olketa Bible pablikeson wea storyim Kingdom bilong God. Long datfala full year mi tingim nomoa missionary waka.
Long 1944, mi and gudfala fren bilong mi Evelyn Trabert kasem invitation for go long Gilead. Mi barava hapi tumas long datwan. Datfala skul hem gohed for faevfala month and hem helpem mifala for luksavve wei for studyim Bible hem barava gud samting wea man savve enjoyim. Olketa wea teachim mifala barava hambol, and mifala tinghae long datwan. Samfala taem olketa brata hia nao waiter for mifala taem mifala kaikai. Mifala graduate long January 22, 1945.
MISSIONARY ASSIGNMENT BILONG MI
Mi and Everlyn, witim Leo and Esther Mahan, kasem assignment for go long El Salvador, and mifala kasem long there long June 1946. Staka waka stap for mifala duim long ministry long there. (John 4:35) Bat olketa bigman bilong religion barava kros long mifala from preaching waka wea mifala duim. Samting wea mi storyim long start bilong disfala experience showimaot datwan. Wanfala week bifor olketa priest and datfala big sekson sutim missionary hom, mifala holem firstfala circuit assembly long Santa Ana. Mifala invaetem staka pipol for kam herem pablik tok long datfala assembly, and mifala hapi tumas bikos klosap 500 pipol nao kam. Datfala samting wea olketa priest duim long mifala hem nating mekem mifala fraet, bat mifala disaed strong for gohed stap long there and helpem pipol wea hambol for lanem truth. Olketa bigman bilong religion talem pipol for no readim Bible, and hem expensive tu for peim Bible. Nomata olsem, staka pipol laek for savve long truth. Staka pipol tinghae long wei wea mifala trae for lanem Spanish languis, mekem mifala savve teachim olketa abaotem trufala God Jehovah, and nambawan promis bilong Hem for paradaes kamap moa long earth.
Faevfala long Gilead class bilong mi wea go long El Salvador. Left go kasem raet: Evelyn Trabert, Millie Brashier, Esther Mahan, mi, and Leo Mahan
Wanfala long olketa first wan wea mi study witim hem Rosa Ascencio. Bihaen hem start for studyim Bible, hem separate from man wea hem stap witim. Then man hia tu start for studyim Bible.Then tufala marit, tufala baptaes, and barava gohed strong for worshipim Jehovah. Rosa nao first wan long Santa Ana for pioneer.b
Rosa ranem wanfala smol stoa. From hem trustim Jehovah bae givim hem wanem hem needim, hem savve satem stoa bilong hem taem hem go aot long ministry. Bihaen tu-thri hour, hem openem moa stoa bilong hem, and staka pipol nao savve kam for peim samting. Diswan mekem hem luksavve samting wea Jesus talem long Matthew 6:33 hem barava tru. Rosa faithful go kasem taem hem dae.
Wantaem wanfala priest hem go lukim man wea mi and nara faevfala missionary rentim haos bilong hem. Datfala priest sei sapos man hia no aotem mifala from datfala haos, bae olketa aotem hem and waef bilong hem from church. Datfala man hem wanfala bisnisman wea les long nogud wei bilong olketa bigman bilong religion. Hem talem datfala priest hem no wari nomoa sapos olketa aotem hem from church. Hem talem mifala hem hapi for mifala gohed rentim haos bilong hem.
MAN WEA STAKA RESPECTIM KAMAP WITNESS
Branch office wea olketa wakem long 1955
Long San Salvador, wea hem kapitol taon bilong El Salvador, narafala missionary sista study witim waef bilong wanfala engineer wea nem bilong hem, Baltasar Perla. Disfala kaenfala man hem les for go long church bikos hem lukim olketa bigman bilong religion savve laea tumas. Taem olketa brata redi for buildim branch office long El Salvador, nomata Baltasar no wanfala Witness yet, hem talem olketa hem laek for designim and buildim datwan, and bae hem duim datwan free nomoa.
Taem Baltasar waka witim pipol bilong Jehovah long datfala construction project, hem luksavve olketa nao garem tru religion. Hem baptaes long July 22, 1955, and no longtaem bihaen waef bilong hem Paulina tu hem baptaes. Tufala pikinini bilong tufala gohed faithful for worshipim Jehovah. Son bilong tufala, Baltasar, Jr, hem waka long Brooklyn Bethel for 49 year finis, and hem share for sapotim preaching waka wea gohed raonem world. Distaem hem wanfala member bilong United States Branch Komiti.c
Taem mifala start for holem olketa convention long San Salvador, Brata Perla nao helpem mifala for haerem wanfala big hall. Firstaem, mifala iusim samfala chair nomoa insaed long datfala hall, bat from Jehovah blessim waka bilong mifala, evri year namba hia hem grow and gogo mifala mas faendem nara ples for hipap insaed! Long olketa convention hia, mi savve meetim olketa wea mi studyim Bible witim olketa bifor. Mi hapi tumas taem mi lukim Bible study bilong olketa wea mi study witim olketa bifor, olketa baptaes!
Brata Frederick Franz givim tok for olketa missionary long wanfala convention
Long wanfala assembly, wanfala brata kam long mi and sei hem laek for talem mi wanfala rong samting wea hem duim bifor. Mi no luksavve long hem bat mi laek for savve wanem nao hem laek for talem. Hem sei: “Mi nao wanfala long olketa boy wea sutim iufala long Santa Ana.” Distaem hem tu worshipim Jehovah. Mi hapi fogud. Samting wea datfala boy talem hem mekem mi barava hapi mi disaed for duim full-taem service. Datwan nao hem best waka wea eniwan savve duim.
Firstfala circuit assembly wea mifala attendim long El Salvador
HAPI LONG WANEM MI DISAEDEM
Mi duim missionary waka long El Salvador for klosap 29 year. Firstaem assignment bilong mi hem long Santa Ana, then long Sonsonate, then Santa Tecla, and last ples hem long San Salvador. Gogo mi luksavve parents bilong mi wea olo needim mi for lukaftarem tufala. Mi prea abaotem datwan long Jehovah and long 1975, mi disaed for lusim missionary assignment bilong mi and go bak long Spokane, long Washington, U.S.A.
Bihaen dadi bilong mi dae long 1979, mi gohed lukaftarem mami bilong mi wea needim bigfala help. Mi lukaftarem hem for nara eitfala year go kasem taem hem dae, taem hem 94 year. Datwan hem barava hardfala taem wea kasem mi. From mi barava stress, mi kasem sik shingles, wea hem pain fogud. Bat mi gohed for prea and Jehovah strongim mi for no givap long disfala hard taem wea kasem mi. Mi luksavve samting wea Jehovah promisim hem barava tru taem hem sei: “Mi bae gohed sapotim iu go kasem taem iu garem gray hair. Mi bae karem iu, sapotim iu, and mekem iu kamap free.”—Isa. 46:4.
Long 1990, mi muv go long Omak, long Washington. Long there mi hapi tumas for helpem moa pipol wea story long Spanish languis, and tu-thri Bible study bilong mi baptaes. Mi stap long there go kasem taem mi no fit for lukaftarem haos wea mi stap long hem. So long November 2007, mi muv go long wanfala smol haos long Chelan, wanfala taon wea klosap long Omak. Mi joinim Spanish kongregeson, and mi tinghae long wei wea olketa barava lukaftarem mi gud kam kasem distaem. From mi nomoa olo sista long kongregeson, olketa brata and sista ting long mi olsem grani bilong olketa.
Mi disaed for no marit and garem famili mekem mi savve iusim singol laef bilong mi for duim moa samting for God. Nomata olsem mi garem staka spiritual pikinini. (1 Cor. 7:34, 35) Mi luksavve sapos mi garem famili bae mi no savve duim olketa nara samting wea mi laek for duim for Jehovah. Taem mi dedicate long Jehovah mi promis for worshipim hem long full heart bilong mi, and datwan nao wanem mi duim. Long niu world, bae mi garem taem for duim staka nara samting wea mi laek for duim. Scripture wea mi laekem tumas nao hem Psalm 145:16 wea sei Jehovah bae “givim long evri samting wea laef, evri samting wea olketa laekem.”
Pioneer waka mekem mi feel young
Distaem mi 91 year, and from health bilong mi hem lelebet gud yet, mi gohed for pioneer. Pioneer waka mekem mi feel young, and mekem mi hapi and satisfae. Taem mi arrive long El Salvador, truth hem just start nomoa. Nomata Satan hem gohed for againstim waka long there, distaem winim 39,000 pablisa nao stap long datfala kantri. Diswan barava strongim faith bilong mi, and showimaot Jehovah iusim holy spirit for sapotim pipol bilong hem!
a Lukim 1981 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses, page 45-46.
b 1981 Yearbook, page 41-42.
c 1981 Yearbook, page 66-67, 74-75.