Olketa Hapi Sapraes and Leson From Wei for Servem Jehovah

Lo World War II parents blo mi lusim Estonia and muv go lo Germany. And lo there nao mi born. Afta mi born, tufala disaed for muv go lo Canada. First ples wea mifala stap hem klosap lo Ottawa, Canada, and mifala stap insaed wanfala smol building wea olketa kokorako tu stap insaed. Mifala poor tumas, bat at least mifala kaikaim egg lo breakfast.

Wanday, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness readim Revelation 21:3, 4 lo mami blo mi. Datwan barava tasim heart blo hem and hem start for krae. Mami and dadi acceptim truth and gohed studyim Bible, and no longtaem nomoa tufala baptaes.

Parents blo mi no savve gud lo English, nomata olsem tufala strong for worshipim Jehovah. Klosap evri Saturday, nomata dadi waka lo full naet lo factory for meltim nickel lo Sudbury, Ontario, hem savve tekem mi and smol sista blo mi, Sylvia for go preaching. And each week, mifala famili studyim Wastaoa tugeta. Mami and dadi gohed teachim mi for lovem God. So mi disaed for dedicatem laef blo mi lo Jehovah lo 1956 taem mi ten years. From tufala barava lovem Jehovah, datwan encouragem mi for gohed worshipim hem.

Afta mi graduate from hae skul, mi distracted lelebet. Mi tingse if mi pioneer bae mi no garem inaf selen for flae lo plane for visitim olketa nara kantri, wea hem nao mi laekem tumas. Mi waka olsem DJ lo wanfala radio station and mi lovem tumas datfala waka. Bat mi savve waka lo olketa evening, so staka taem mi misstim olketa meeting and mi associate witim pipol wea no lovem God. Gogo, konsens blo mi pokem mi and mi mas mekem samfala change.

Mi muv lo Oshawa, Ontario. Lo there, mi meetim Ray Norman, sista blo hem Lesli, and olketa nara pioneer. Evriwan mekem mi feel welkam. Mi lukim olketa hapi tumas and datwan mekem mi tingting moa abaotem olketa goal blo mi. Olketa encouragem mi for pioneer, and mi duim datwan lo September 1966. Mi hapi and enjoyim laef. Bat gogo, samfala samting wea mi nating expectim hem happen wea changem laef blo mi.

TAEM JEHOVAH INVAETEM IU FOR DUIM SAMTING, IU SHUD TRAEM

Taem mi lo hae skul yet, mi apply for Bethel lo Toronto, Canada. Gogo taem mi pioneer, mi kasem invitation for serve lo Bethel for 4 years. Bat mi really laekem Lesli, and mi wari if mi acceptim datfala invitation maet bae mi no lukim hem moa. Bihaen mi prea strong lo Jehovah, mi disaed for go lo Bethel and mi sorre tumas for sei gudbae lo Lesli.

Mi waka lo Bethel laundry and bihaen mi waka olsem secretary. Lo datfala taem, Lesli hem spesol pioneer lo Gatineau, Quebec. Staka taem mi wonder wat nao hem duim, and if mi mekem raet disison. Then mi kasem wanfala barava naes sapraes. Ray, brata blo Lesli, hem kam waka lo Bethel tu, and mitufala roommate! So mitufala Lesli contactim each other moa. Mitufala marit lo last day lo foa year assignment blo mi, lo February 27, 1971.

Mitufala Lesli kasem assignment for serve lo wanfala French languis kongregeson lo Quebec. Bihaen tu-thri year taem mi 28 years, mi sapraes for kasem assignment for serve olsem circuit overseer. Mi ting mi young tumas and mi no fit for duim circuit waka, bat Jeremiah 1:7, 8 barava encouragem mi. And Lesli bin insaed samfala car accident tu and hem no savve sleep gud lo naet. So mitufala ting maet hem hard for mitufala duim circuit waka. Nomata olsem, Lesli sei lo mi: “If Jehovah invaetem iumi for duim samting, iumi shud traem, iaman?” So mifala acceptim assignment hia and enjoyim traveling waka for 17 years.

From mi busy tumas lo circuit waka, mi no garem inaf taem for spendem witim Lesli. So gogo, mi lanem nara important leson. Early lo wanfala Monday morning, samwan ringim doorbell. Taem mi openem door no eniwan lo there, bat mi lukim basket wea garem tebolcloth, frut, cheese, bred, wanfala botol wine, olketa glass, and note wea no garem nem wea sei: “Tekem waef blo iu for go picnic.” Hem barava naes sunny day. Bat mi sei lo Lesli, mi garem samfala tok for preparem, so iumi bae no go. Hem minim bat hem no luk hapi. Taem mi sidaon lo desk, konsens pokem mi nao. Mi tingim Ephesus 5:25, 28, wea Jehovah remindim mi for tingim feeling blo waef blo mi. Bihaen mi prea, mi sei lo Lesli, “Iumi tufala go.” Datwan mekem hem hapi tumas. Mifala draev lo wanfala naes ples lo saed river, and spredimaot datfala tebolcloth, and mitufala enjoyim datfala day. And mi still garem taem for redyim olketa tok blo mi.

Mitufala enjoyim staka circuit assignment start from British Columbia go kasem Newfoundland. Mi duim wanem mi laekem tumas, hem nao for travel. Mi ting abaotem Gilead Skul, bat mi no laek missionary lo nara kantri. Lo tingting blo mi, olketa missionary spesol pipol and mi feel olsem mi no qualify. Mi wari tu incase olketa sendem mitufala lo eni kantri lo Africa wea war gohed and garem staka sik. Mi hapi for stap nomoa lo Canada.

SAPRAES INVITATION FOR GO LO ESTONIA AND OLKETA BALTIC KANTRI

Lo 1992, taem waka blo iumi start for open lo olketa kantri wea bifor hem anda lo Soviet Union, olketa askem if mifala willing for go missionary lo Estonia. Mitufala barava sapraes, bat mifala prea abaotem. Then mifala tingim moa: ‘If Jehovah invaetem iumi for duim samting, iumi shud traem, iaman?’ Mitufala acceptim, and mi ting: ‘At least hem no Africa.’

Stretawe mitufala lanem Estonian languis. Bihaen tu-thri month, olketa askem mifala for duim circuit waka. Mifala visitim samting olsem 46 kongregeson and grup lo thrifala Baltic kantri, and tu, lo Kaliningrad, Russia. Datwan minim mitufala bae lanem Latvian, Lithuanian, and Russian languis. Hem no isi, bat olketa brata and sista hapi mitufala traem best and olketa helpem mitufala. Lo 1999, Estonia garem branch office and mi serve lo Branch Komiti witim Toomas Edur, Lembit Reile, and Tommi Kauko.

Mifala start for savve lo staka Witness wea olketa bin deportim olketa go lo Siberia. Nomata olketa kasem staka nogud samting lo prison and separate from famili blo olketa, olketa no gohed feel nogud and kros. Olketa hapi and strong for duim ministry. Example blo olketa teachim mitufala for no givap and for gohed hapi nomata mifala feisim samfala hard situation.

From mifala waka hard for staka years and no garem staka chance for rest, Lesli barava ova taed. Mifala no luksavve wei wea hem taed tumas hem bikos hem garem sik, fibromyalgia. So mifala tingting for go bak lo Canada nao. Then mifala kasem invitation for attendim branch skul lo Patterson, New York, U.S.A. Mitufala no sure if mitufala fit for attend. Bat bihaen mitufala prea strong abaotem, mifala acceptim datfala invitation. Jehovah blessim datfala disison. Taem mifala lo datfala skul nao Lesli kasem medical treatment wea hem needim. From datwan, mifala fit for gohed lo assignment blo mitufala.

NARA SAPRAES FOR GO LO NARA CONTINENT

Taem mifala stap lo Estonia lo 2008, lo wanfala evening mifala kasem phone kol from world hedquarter. Olketa askem mifala if mifala willing for acceptim assignment for go lo Congo. Mi seke tumas, especially bikos mi need for reply next day. Mi no talem Lesli kwiktaem bikos mi savve hem bae no sleep gud lo datfala naet. End ap mi nao no savve sleep, bikos mi storyim lo Jehovah evri wari blo mi abaotem Africa.

Next day mi talem Lesli, and mitufala ting olsem: “Jehovah invaetem iumi tufala for go lo Africa. Only wei for iumi savve if iumi fit for duim and bae enjoyim, hem sapos iumi traem.” So afta 16 years lo Estonia, mifala flae go lo Kinshasa, Congo. Branch office garem naes garden and barava peaceful. Wanfala lo olketa first samting wea Lesli putim lo rum hem card wea hem keepim since mifala lusim Canada, wea sei: “Grow gud lo ples wea olketa plantim iu.” Bihaen mifala meetim olketa brata and sista, conductim olketa Bible study, and enjoyim missionary waka, mitufala hapi tumas. Gogo, mifala kasem privilege for visitim olketa branch lo 13 nara kantri lo Africa. From datwan, mifala meetim staka difren type pipol wea barava interesting. Evri wari blo mi abaotem Africa hem finis nao, and mifala thankiu lo Jehovah for sendem mifala lo Africa.

Lo Congo, mitufala testim staka difren type kaikai olsem olketa insect, wea lo bifor mi tingse bae hem hard for mifala kaikaim. Bat taem mitufala lukim olketa brata enjoy for kaikaim, mitufala traem and enjoyim tu.

Lo east lo kantri, olketa rebol grup savve attakim olketa vilij and spoelem olketa woman and pikinini. Mifala travel go lo there for encouragem olketa brata and sista and tekem olketa relief supply. Staka lo olketa hia garem lelebet material samting nomoa. Nomata olsem, olketa garem strong hope lo resurrection, lovem Jehovah, and loyal lo organization blo hem, datwan barava tasim heart blo mifala. Example blo olketa mekem mifala ting raonem hao strong nao faith blo mifala. Samfala lo olketa brata and sista hia, haos and garden blo olketa distroe. Datwan remindim mi hao kwiktaem nomoa iumi savve lusim olketa material samting, and frenship blo iumi witim Jehovah nao hem important. And nomata olketa hia safa lo staka samting, olketa nating komplen. Datwan encouragem mitufala for no fraet for deal witim olketa problem saed lo health and olketa nara samting.

NIU ASSINGMENT LO ASIA

Then mifala kasem nara sapraes moa. Olketa askem mifala for go lo Hong Kong branch. Mifala nating imaginim bae mifala go stap lo Asia! Bat from mifala experiencem hao Jehovah sapotim mifala lo evri nara assignment, mifala acceptim datfala invitation. So lo 2013, mifala sorre tumas for lusim olketa gud frens and naes ples lo Africa, and mifala go moa lo next assignment.

Hem big change for stap lo Hong Kong bikos hem city wea garem staka difren pipol. Hem no isi for lanem Cantonese languis. Bat, olketa brata and sista welkamim mitufala, and mifala enjoyim tumas kaikai blo olketa. Waka blo iumi hem kamap big lo there, bat price blo olketa property hem sut ap. So Governing Body wise tumas taem olketa disaed for salem klosap evri property blo branch. No longtaem bihaen, lo 2015 mitufala muv lo South Korea, and mifala serve lo there kam kasem distaem. Mifala need for lanem tu Korean languis wea no isi, and nomata mifala no savve story gud yet lo datfala languis, mitufala hapi from olketa brata and sista sei mitufala impruv.

OLKETA LESON WEA MIFALA LANEM

Hem no isi for mekem olketa niu frens, bat mifala faendem hao taem mitufala invaetem olketa narawan, mitufala kwiktaem savve lo pipol. Mitufala lukim hao nomata iumi olketa brata and sista difren lo samfala samting, bat iumi semsem lo staka samting, and Jehovah designim iumi for lovem narawan and for garem staka difren frens.​—2 Cor. 6:11.

Mitufala luksavve mifala need for acceptim pipol olsem hao Jehovah acceptim olketa, and lukim olketa pruv lo hao Jehovah lovem mifala and givim mifala direction. Taem mitufala savve feel discourage or tingse maet olketa narawan no acceptim mifala, mifala readim moa olketa card or leta wea olketa frens givim. Mifala luksavve hao Jehovah ansarem olketa prea blo mifala. Datwan mekem mifala sure hao Jehovah lovem and strongim mifala for gohed.

Lo olketa year wea go pas, mi and Lesli lanem hao hem important for markem taem for spendem tugeta nomata mifala busy tumas. Mifala luksavve tu hao hem gud for laf lo mitufala seleva, especially taem mifala lanem wanfala niu languis. And evri naet, mifala trae for tingim eni samting wea mifala enjoyim lo datfala day mekem mifala thankiu lo Jehovah.

Firstaem mi tingse mi barava no fit for missionary or for stap lo olketa nara kantri. Bat mi hapi for lanem hao iumi savve duim eni samting witim help blo Jehovah. Mi tingim toktok blo profet Jeremiah wea sei: “Iu trikim mi, O Jehovah.” (Jer. 20:7) Tru nao, mitufala kasem staka naes sapraes and olketa blessing from Jehovah wea mifala no expectim, and mi kasem tu wat mi laekem tumas wea hem nao for travel lo plane. Mifala flae lo plane lo staka ples winim wanem mi tingim taem mi smol boy, taem mifala visitim olketa branch lo faevfala continent. Lo evri assignment blo mifala, mi appreciatim tumas hao Lesli willing for sapotim mi.

Mifala gohed for remindim mifala seleva abaotem why mifala duim disfala waka and for hu. Olketa blessing wea mifala enjoyim distaem hem showimaot hao laef bae hem gud tumas taem Jehovah “openem hand blo [hem] and givim lo evri samting wea laef wat olketa laekem.”​—Ps. 145:16.