Mitufala Lanem Staka Leson From Nambawan Teacher blo Iumi lo Full Laef blo Mitufala

EXAMPLE BLO PARENTS BLO MI

Lo end blo 1950’s, parents blo mi muv from Italy go lo Kindersley, lo Saskatchewan, Canada. No longtaem bihaen, tufala lanem truth, and hem kamap main samting lo laef blo mifala. Mi remember taem mi smol, famili blo mi savve spendem full day lo ministry, so taem mi ting bak mi savve joke and sei mi “auxiliary pioneer” taem mi eit year nomoa!

Parents blo mi no garem staka samting, bat tufala showimaot gud example lo wei for mekem olketa sakrifaes for Jehovah. For example, lo 1963, tufala salem samfala tings wea tufala ownim mekem tufala garem inaf selen for attendim international convention lo Pasadena, California, U.S.A. Lo 1972, mifala muv samting olsem 1,000 kilometer go lo Trail, British Columbia, lo Canada, for help for preach lo olketa wea iusim Italian languis. Dadi blo mi hem wanfala cleaner. Nomata olketa laek for promotim hem, hem no acceptim bikos hem laek focus lo olketa spiritual samting.

Mi tinghae tumas lo example wea parents blo mi showim for mi and for tufala sista and brata blo mi. Example blo tufala trainim mi for duim service blo Jehovah, wea includim disfala leson wea mi no forgetim for full laef blo mi: If mi putim Kingdom first, Jehovah bae lukaftarem mi.—Matt. 6:33.

START BLO FULL-TAEM SERVICE

Lo 1980, mi maritim Debbie, wanfala beautiful sista wea focus lo olketa spiritual goal. Mitufala laek for duim full-taem service, so thri months afta mitufala marit, Debbie hem start pioneer. Insaed wan year wea mitufala marit, mitufala muv go lo wanfala smol kongregeson wea needim pablisa, and mi tu kamap wanfala pioneer.

Gogo, mitufala start for discourage and laek for muv from datfala kongregeson. Bat firstaem, mitufala story witim circuit overseer. Lo kaenfala wei, hem tok stret lo mitufala and sei: “Hao iutufala deal witim datfala situation hem part lo datfala problem. Iutufala focus tumas lo olketa negative samting lo situation blo iutufala. Bat, if iutufala luk lo positive saed, bae iutufala lukim staka gud samting.” Datwan hem kaonsel wea mitufala barava needim. (Ps. 141:5) Taem mitufala kwiktaem followim datwan, mitufala realizim staka positive samting stap. Samfala insaed kongregeson laek for duim moa samting for Jehovah, diswan includim olketa young wan and samfala wea marit partner blo olketa no Witness. Datwan hem wanfala important leson for mitufala. Mitufala lane for luk lo gud saed and for weit lo Jehovah for stretem eni situation wea maet hem hard for deal witim. (Mic. 7:7) Mitufala hapi bak moa, and situation blo mitufala kamap gud.

Olketa instructor lo first pioneer skul blo mifala bin serve lo olketa nara kantri. Taem olketa showim olketa slide and storyim olketa challenge and blessing wea olketa experiencem, datwan motivatim mitufala for laek kamap missionary. So mitufala disaed for garem goal for duim missionary waka.

For kasem datfala goal, lo 1984, mitufala muv lo Quebec wea olketa iusim French languis. Quebec hem winim 4,000 kilometer from British Columbia. Datwan minim mitufala mas lanem wanfala niu languis and culture. Nara challenge tu, staka taem mitufala no garem inaf selen. Wanfala taem, only samting wea helpem mitufala for survive, hem for kolektem olketa leftova potato lo garden blo wanfala farmer. From datwan, Debbie savve tumas hao for kukim potato lo olketa difren stael! Nomata mitufala feisim olketa challenge olsem, mitufala focus lo wei for gohed hapi. And mitufala barava lukim dat Jehovah hem lukaftarem mitufala.—Ps. 64:10.

Then wanday, mitufala kasem wanfala telephone kol wea mitufala no expectim. Olketa invaetem mitufala for serve lo Canada Bethel. Bat mitufala apply finis for Gilead Skul, nomata olsem, mitufala hapi for go lo Bethel nomata hem no really goal blo mitufala. Mitufala acceptim datfala invitation. Taem mitufala arrive, mitufala askem Brata Kenneth Little, wanfala member blo Branch Komiti, “Hao nao application blo mitufala for Gilead?” Hem sei, “If olketa acceptim application blo iutufala, then bae iumi lukluk lo datwan.”

Then wan week bihaen nomoa, mi and Debbie kasem invitation for attendim Gilead. So mitufala need for mekem disison. Brata Little sei: “Nomata which wan lo tufala assignment hia iutufala chusim, samfala taem, maet iutufala feel dat iutufala shud no chusim datfala assignment bat chusim narawan. Tufala assignment evriwan hem gud. Jehovah savve blessim tufala evriwan.” Mitufala acceptim invitation for go lo Gilead, and lo olketa year bihaen, mitufala lukim hao advaes blo Brata Little hem tru. So taem olketa narawan kasem tufala assignment and need for mekem wanfala disison, staka taem mitufala quotem toktok blo Brata Little lo olketa.

KAMAP MISSIONARY

Mitufala hapi tumas for kamap wanfala lo 24 student wea skul lo mek-83 class blo Gilead. Datwan hem lo April 1987, lo Brooklyn, New York. Brata Ulysses Glass and Brata Jack Redford nao main instructor blo mifala. Faev months go pas kwiktaem nomoa, and then mifala graduate lo September 6, 1987. Mitufala kasem assignment for go lo Haiti, witim John and Marie Goode.

No eni Gilead missionary go lo Haiti since 1962, bikos gavman lo Haiti aotem evri missionary from there. Thrifala week bihaen graduation, mitufala kasem Haiti and serve lo wanfala smol kongregeson wea garem nomoa 35 pablisa wea stap lo olketa maunten. Mitufala young and no experience tumas lo staka samting, and mitufala stap seleva lo missionary hom. Pipol lo there poor tumas, and staka lo olketa no savve read. Taem mitufala stap lo there, samfala samting wea mitufala mas deal witim hem civil unrest, pipol againstim gavman, raeot, and kasem olketa cyclone.

Mifala lanem staka samting from olketa brata and sista lo Haiti wea gohed strong and hapi. Staka go thru lo hard laef, bat olketa lovem Jehovah and ministry. Wanfala olo sista no savve read, nomata olsem, hem memorizim samting olsem 150 scripture. Situation blo pipol lo Haiti hem mekem mitufala barava laek for sharem Kingdom message witim olketa, from hem nomoa only samting wea bae solvem olketa problem blo evriwan. Mitufala hapi tumas for lukim samfala lo olketa Bible student blo mitufala lo there, kamap olketa regular pioneer, spesol pioneer, and elder.

Taem mitufala lo Haiti, mi meetim Trevor, wanfala young Mormon missionary, and mitufala savve storyim Bible samfala taem. Staka year bihaen, mi seke for kasem wanfala leta from hem. Hem raet kam and sei: “Mi bae baptaes lo next assembly! Mi laek go bak lo Haiti and serve olsem wanfala spesol pioneer, lo ples wea mi serve bifor olsem wanfala Mormon missionary.” And hem nao wat hem and waef blo hem duim for staka year.

EUROPE—THEN AFRICA

Mitufala kasem assignment for go serve lo wanfala ples lo Europe wea Kingdom waka hem just start for muv ahed. Lo 1992, mitufala arrive lo Ljubljana, lo Slovenia, klosap lo ples wea parents blo mi growap, bifor olketa muv go lo Italy. War hem still gohed lo samfala ples wea olketa kolem lo Yugoslavia bifor. Lo firstaem, branch office stap lo Vienna, lo Austria, and olketa office wea lukaftarem waka lo disfala area stap lo Zagreb, lo Croatia, and Belgrade, lo Serbia. Bat bihaen each ples kamap independent republic, olketa need for garem own Bethel blo olketa.

Diswan minim, mitufala mas lanem nara languis and culture moa. Olketa pipol lo there savve sei, “Jezik je težek,” wea minim “Disfala languis hem hard.” And tru nao, hem barava hard languis for lanem! Mitufala barava tinghae lo wei wea olketa brata and sista loyal and willing for acceptim olketa change wea kamap lo organization, and mitufala lukim hao Jehovah blessim olketa. Mitufala lukim moa hao Jehovah evritaem savve stretem olketa situation lo barava taem. During olketa year wea mitufala stap lo Slovenia mitufala rememberim staka leson wea mitufala bin lanem and mitufala lanem staka niu leson tu.

Bat staka change moa kamap. Lo 2000, mitufala kasem assignment for go lo Côte d’Ivoire, lo West Africa. Then bikos lo civil war, mitufala mas evacuate go lo Sierra Leone, lo November 2002. Lo Sierra Leone, wanfala civil war wea gohed for 11-years hem just finis tu. Nomata hem no isi for mitufala kwiktaem evacuate olsem from Côte d’Ivoire, olketa leson wea mitufala lanem helpem mitufala for gohed hapi.

Lo datfala territory, staka pipol interest so mitufala focus lo datwan and lo olketa brata and sista wea no givap nomata olketa deal witim war wea gohed for staka year. Nomata olketa brata and sista poor, olketa laek for sharem wat olketa garem. Wanfala sista laek givim Debbie samfala kaleko. Taem Debbie hol bak for acceptim, datfala sista sei: “During lo war, olketa brata and sista lo olketa nara kantri sapotim mifala. Distaem, hem taem blo mifala moa for help.” Datwan encouragem mitufala for laek followim example blo olketa.

Gogo, mitufala go bak moa lo Côte d’Ivoire, bat situation lo there still nogud yet, so olketa start for faet moa. Then lo November 2004, mitufala mas evacuate lo helicopter, mitufala mas ranawe witim tufala smol basket nomoa, wea samting olsem 10-kilo each. Mitufala sleep lo floor lo wanfala French army base for wan naet, and then lo next day mitufala flae go lo Switzerland. Taem mitufala arrive lo branch hem midolnaet, olketa lo Branch Committee and olketa instructor blo Ministerial Training Skul witim olketa waef blo olketa welkamim mitufala, hagem mitufala, givim kaikai, and staka Swiss chocolate. Mitufala barava feelim love blo olketa.

Mitufala kasem assignment for stap lo Ghana for lelebet taem, and then taem situation lo Côte d’Ivoire hem katdaon, mitufala go bak moa lo there. Kaeness blo olketa brata and sista hem barava helpem mitufala for deal witim olketa stressful situation, olsem for evacuate and for stap lo olketa assignment for lelebet taem. Mitufala Debbie ting dat nomata hem normal samting lo organization blo Jehovah for showim love olsem, mitufala laek for evritaem appreciatim datwan. So nomata olketa situation hia hem hard for deal witim, datwan hem important part lo training blo mitufala.

GO LO MIDDLE EAST

Lo 2006, mitufala kasem leta from world hedquarter for go lo wanfala niu assignment lo Middle East. So mitufala mas lanem moa niu languis, culture, feisim olketa niu situation and challenge. Mitufala need for lanem staka samting bikos pipol lo there garem strong tingting abaotem politik and saed lo religion. Mitufala hapi for herem olketa difren languis lo olketa kongregeson and lukim wei wea olketa brata and sista wan mind bikos olketa followim theocratic direction. Mitufala tinghae lo olketa brata and sista bikos olketa no fraet and gohed strong nomata olketa famili member, skulmate, workmate, and olketa neiba againstim olketa.

Mitufala attendim datfala 2012 spesol convention lo Tel Aviv, lo Israel. Disfala convention hem firstaem wea pipol blo Jehovah lo datfala area garem wanfala big hipap olsem since Pentecost 33 C.E. Datwan hem wanfala event wea hem hard for mitufala forgetim!

During lo olketa year wea mitufala stap lo there, olketa sendem mitufala for go visitim wanfala kantri wea gavman restrictim waka blo iumi. Mitufala tekem go samfala literature, go lo field ministry, and attendim olketa smol assembly. Lo there, hem garem olketa soldia wea karem olketa weapon, and olketa road blok evriwea. Nomata olsem, mitufala feel sef taem mitufala careful for go raon witim tu-thri pablisa.

GO BAK MOA LO AFRICA

Lo 2013, mitufala kasem wanfala difren assignment, hem nao for serve lo branch lo Kinshasa, Congo. Hem wanfala big kantri wea luk naes, bat pipol lo there barava poor and hem ples wea staka faet kamap. Firstaem mitufala sei, “Iumi tufala savve finis lo Africa; hem bae no hard.” Bat mitufala still need for lanem staka samting, especially taem mitufala mas travel lo olketa ples wea no garem olketa gud road and bridge. Mitufala lukim staka positive samting for focus lo hem, olsem wei wea olketa brata and sista gohed for hapi and no givap nomata olketa feisim hard taem saed lo selen, olketa lovem ministry, and olketa traem best for attendim olketa meeting and assembly. Mitufala barava lukim klia hao Kingdom waka hem gohed for grow only bikos lo sapot and blessing blo Jehovah. Mitufala no savve forgetim olketa year wea mitufala duim full-taem service lo Congo and mitufala garem staka brata and sista wea kamap olsem famili blo mitufala.

Lo end blo 2017, mitufala kasem nara assignment, hem nao for go lo South Africa branch. Diswan hem biggest branch wea mitufala serve lo hem. Olketa assignment wea mitufala kasem tu hem niu. So mitufala mas lanem moa olketa niu samting. Nomata olsem, olketa samting mitufala lanem bifor helpem mitufala. Mitufala lovem staka brata and sista wea no givap for servem Jehovah for staka year. And hem spesol samting for lukim hao Bethel famili waka tugeta witim wan mind nomata olketa kam from difren ples and culture. Peace wea Jehovah givim hem barava showaot klia, pipol blo hem changem wei blo olketa and followim olketa Bible principle.

Lo olketa year wea go pas, mi and Debbie kasem olketa interesting assignment, change for fitim olketa difren culture, and lanem olketa niu languis. Hem no evritaem isi, bat mitufala evritaem lukim loyal love blo Jehovah thru lo organization blo hem and lo olketa brata and sista. (Ps. 144:2) Mitufala barava bilivim dat full-taem service hem trainim mitufala for kamap olketa gud wakaman blo Jehovah.

Mi barava tinghae lo training wea mi kasem from parents blo mi, and tu, lo sapot blo dear waef blo mi, Debbie, and nambawan example blo olketa brata and sista wea part lo spiritual famili blo iumi evriwea lo world. Taem mitufala ting abaotem wat nao bae happen next lo laef, mitufala disaed strong for gohed lanem olketa leson from Nambawan Teacher blo iumi.