Waswe, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness lo New Zealand Garem Peace and Followim Bible?

Lo October 21, 1940, gavman lo New Zealand markem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness olsem wanfala organization wea spoelem pipol and againstim gavman. Nomata gavman duim datwan and hem kosim hard taem for Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, olketa no feel wikdaon. Olsem example, olketa gohed for hipap for worship nomata police savve kam and arrestim olketa.

Andy Clarke, wea hem no wanfala Witness bat waef blo hem Mary hem Witness, lukim Mary disaed strong for gohed attendim olketa meeting nomata hem danger for duim olsem. Andy wari nogud police arrestim Mary taem hem attendim olketa meeting. So Andy start for go lo olketa meeting witim Mary. Hem sei lo Mary: “Sapos olketa arrestim iu, bae olketa mas arrestim mi tu!” Start lo datfala taem, Andy gohed attendim evri meeting witim waef blo hem. Gogo hem baptaes and kamap wanfala Witness. Staka nara Witness lo New Zealand gohed strong tu olsem Mary, nomata olketa kasem persecution taem World War II gohed.

Gohed Strong lo Prison Camp

Wanday police stopem John Murray wea 78 years old, taem hem preach lo pipol abaotem Bible from haos tu haos. Kot sei hem guilty bikos hem join witim organization wea againstim gavman. Olketa arrestim plande nara Witness and kotem olketa tu. Samfala kasem fine, and samfala narawan mas go lo prison for samting olsem thrifala month.

Olketa Witness les for joinim army bikos konsens blo olketa wea followim Bible stopem olketa for duim datwan. (Aesaea 2:4) So taem war gohed, olketa kasem barava hard taem bikos gavman trae forcem staka for joinim army. From olketa no joinim army, samting olsem 80 Witness mas go lo prison camp go kasem taem war hem finis. Nomata olketa stap lo prison camp and kasem hard taem and hem barava cold fogud, olketa gohed hapi for worshipim Jehovah.

Olketa Witness lo prison camp kwiktaem arrangem olketa meeting and preaching waka. Olketa hipap olsem wanfala kongregeson for garem olketa meeting and for organizem wei for preach lo olketa narawan wea stap lo camp. Lo samfala prison camp, sapos wanfala prison gard hem stap, olketa savve letem olketa Witness for garem olketa assembly. Samfala lo camp lanem truth lo Bible and baptaes lo there tu.

Bruce, wea hem lastborn son blo Mary and Andy wea iumi storyim finis, hem ting lo taem wea hem stap lo prison camp olsem chance for hem lanem moa samting abaotem God and Bible. Hem sei: “For mi, hem olsem mi go lo skul and mi savve lanem staka samting from olketa brata wea garem bigfala experience. Mi lanem samting from evriwan.”

Lo 1944, gavman ting for releasem samfala wea stap lo olketa prison camp. Bat olketa bigman lo army les for letem datwan happen bikos olketa ting sapos olketa releasem olketa Witness, olketa bae gohed storyim biliv blo olketa lo olketa narawan. Datfala report sei: “Sapos olketa gohed stap lo prison camp maet iumi savve kontrolem olketa, bat hard for iumi changem olketa.”

Olketa No Spoelem Pipol

From staka pipol herem nius hao gavman stopem waka blo iumi, samfala laek savve moa abaotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Gogo plande pipol luksavve Olketa Jehovah’s Witness nating savve spoelem pipol. Olketa luksavve olketa Witness garem peace and showimaot Christian wei. Dastawe namba blo olketa Witness lo New Zealand hem grow. Lo 1939, hem garem 320 Witness, bat lo 1945, hem garem 536 Witness lo there!

Samfala bigman wea garem stretfala tingting luksavve hem no stret for gavman stopem waka blo Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Bihaen wanfala judge herem case blo wanfala brata wea police arrestim bikos hem go preaching, hem disaed for klosim datfala case. Hem sei: “From wanem mi bilivim and hao mi minim law, man hia no brekem law from hem givimaot olketa Bible lo pipol.”

Bihaen war hem finis, gavman letem olketa Witness for gohed preach lo pipol. Olketa Witness disaed strong for helpem olketa neiba for lane abaotem Kingdom blo God. Lo 1945, branch office sendem leta lo evri kongregeson lo New Zealand wea sei: “Hem gud for iumi evriwan kaen and story gud witim pipol. No argue witim pipol or raoa witim olketa. Iumi mas rememberim hao pipol wea iumi story witim olketa garem biliv blo olketa seleva and olketa trae for followim datwan. . . . Plande pipol hia, olketa ‘sheepsheep’ blo Lord and iumi mas leadim olketa lo Jehovah and kingdom blo hem.”

Distaem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness lo New Zealand gohed storyim message lo Bible witim olketa neiba and tourist. Lo wanfala day, 4-fala Witness lo Turangi story witim 67 visitor from 17 difren kantri insaed tu-thri hour nomoa!

So pipol lo New Zealand luksavve Olketa Jehovah’s Witness garem peace and showimaot Christian wei and tinghae lo wanem Bible teachim and trae for followim datwan. Evri year plande handred pipol baptaes for kamap Jehovah’s Witness. Lo 2019, winim 14,000 Witness worshipim Jehovah lo datfala kantri.