A fɔ mi ngɛ jeha 1927 ɔ mi ngɛ U.S.A. ngɛ ma nyafii ko nɛ ngɛ Chicago ngɛ Illinois kasa nya a mi. A fɔ wɔ nihi enuɔ—Jetha, Don, imi, Karl, kɛ Joy. Wɔ tsuo wa fia wa pɛɛ si kaa waa kɛ wa tsui tsuo ma sɔmɔ Yehowa. Jetha ya Gilead Sukuu nɛ to nɔ enyɔ ɔ ngɛ jeha 1943 ɔ mi. Don ya Betel ngɛ jeha 1944 ɔ mi, Karl hu ya Betel ngɛ jeha 1947 ɔ mi, nɛ Joy hu ya Betel ngɛ jeha 1951 ɔ mi. Mɛ tsuo a sɔmɔ ngɛ Brooklyn Betel nɛ ngɛ New York ɔ. Ye fɔli ɔmɛ kɛ ye nyɛmimɛ ɔmɛ a nɔ hyɛmi nɔ́ kpakpa a wo mi he wami nɛ i fia ye pɛɛ si kaa ma pee babauu ngɛ Yehowa sɔmɔmi.

Ye mami kɛ ye papaa kaneɔ Baiblo ɔ wawɛɛ, nɛ a suɔ Mawu. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, a tsɔɔ wɔ Mawu he ní. Se benɛ ye papaa ya tsu tabuli a ní tsumi ngɛ Yuropa ngɛ kekleekle je mi ta a mi ɔ, bumi nɛ e ngɛ kɛ ha sɔlemi ɔmɛ ɔ nɔ gbɔ kulaa. Ye mami na Mawu si kaa ye papaa ngɛ wami mi loloolo, nɛ e kpale kɛ ba we mi. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, ye mami de lɛ ke: “Ye huno Karl, ha nɛ waa ho sɔlemi ya kaa bɔ nɛ wa peeɔ daa a.” Ye papaa ha lɛ heto ke: “Ma ya sɛ mo, se i be sɔlemi tsu ɔ mi sɛe.” Ye mami bi lɛ ke: “Mɛni he je?” Ye papaa ha lɛ heto ke: “Ngɛ ta a mi ɔ, osɔfo ɔmɛ nɛ a ngɛ jami kake mi ɔ sɔle ha tabuli a kuu ekpaekpahi konɛ a kɛ a sibi nɛ ya hwu ta. Ke jã a, lɛɛ mɛnɔ tue lɛ Mawu maa bu?”

Pee se benɛ ye yayo ho sɔlemi ya a, Yehowa Odasefohi enyɔ ba wa we ɔ mi. A ha ye papaa womihi enyɔ nɛ a tsɛɛ ke Light ɔ eko. Womi nɛ ɔmɛ tu Kpo Jemi womi ɔ he munyu. Ye papaa bua jɔ wawɛɛ, enɛ ɔ he ɔ, e sɔle womi ɔmɛ nɛ a kɛ ha lɛ ɔ. Benɛ ye mami ba na womi ɔmɛ ɔ, oya nɔuu nɛ e bɔni kanemi. Kɛkɛ nɛ ligbi ko ɔ, e na ngɛ adafi fiami womi ko mi kaa a ngɛ nihi nɛ a ngɛ kpɔ ɔ mi nɛ a bua jɔ munyu ɔ he ɔ nine fɔe konɛ a ba kase Light womi ɔmɛ. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, ye mami ma e juɛmi nya si kaa e maa ya. Benɛ e ya su lejɛ ɔ nɛ e si sinya a, yo nɔkɔtɔma ko lɛ bli sinya a. Ye mami hɛɛ Light womi ɔ kake ngɛ e dɛ mi, enɛ ɔ he ɔ, benɛ yo ɔ bli sinya a, ye mami bi lɛ ke, “Hiɛ ɔ nɛ a kaseɔ womi nɛ ɔ ngɛ lo?” Yo ɔ ha lɛ heto ke: “Ee, ye bi, moo ba mi.” E we otsi ɔ, wa mami ha nɛ wa piɛɛ e he kɛ ya lejɛ ɔ, nɛ kɛ je jamɛ a ligbi ɔ kɛ yaa a, wa nane pui ngɛ lejɛ ɔ.

Ligbi ko nɛ wa ya kpe ɔ, nɔ nɛ ngɛ ní kasemi ɔ nɔ hyɛe ɔ de mi kaa ma kane La 144:15 ɔ. Lejɛ ɔ tsɔɔ kaa nihi nɛ a sɔmɔɔ Yehowa a ngɛ bua jɔmi. Ye bua  jɔ ngmami nɛ ɔ kɛ ngmami nɛ ngɛ 1 Timoteo 1:11 kɛ Efeso Bi 5:1 ɔ nɛ wa kane ɔ he wawɛɛ. 1 Timoteo 1:11 ɔ tsɔɔ kaa Yehowa ji “bua jɔmi Mawu,” nɛ Efeso Bi 5:1 ɔ hu woɔ wɔ he wami kaa waa “pee nihi nɛ a kaseɔ Mawu.” I yɔse kaa e sa nɛ ye bua nɛ jɔ he kaa ma sɔmɔ ye Bɔlɔ ɔ, nɛ ma na lɛ si ngɛ he blɔ nɛ i ná nɛ ɔ he. Enɛ ɔ ji ní enyɔ komɛ nɛ i fia ye pɛɛ si kaa ma pee ye wami be tsuo.

Asafo nɛ e kɛ wa he kɛ we ɔ ngɛ Chicago, nɛ e kɛmi maa su si tomi 20. Se kɛ̃ ɔ, wa yaa asafo mi kpe, nɛ enɛ ɔ ha nɛ i kase níhi fuu ngɛ Baiblo ɔ mi. I kai kaa ligbi ko ɔ, nɔ nɛ e ngɛ ní kasemi ɔ nɔ hyɛe ɔ tsɛ Jetha konɛ e ha sane heto. Benɛ Jetha ha sane ɔ heto ta a, i de ngɛ ye yi mi ke: ‘Enɛ ɔ lɛɛ tse i le. E sa nɛ i ko wo ye nine nɔ nɛ i ko ha heto.’ Bɔɔbɔɔbɔɔ ɔ, i bɔni ye he dlami kɛ ha hetohi nɛ i suɔ nɛ ma ha a. Nɔ́ nɛ pe kulaa a, i ha nɛ huɛ bɔmi kpakpa ba hi i kɛ Yehowa wa kpɛti kaa bɔ nɛ ye nyɛmimɛ ɔmɛ pee ɔ, nɛ a baptisi mi ngɛ jeha 1941 ɔ mi.

A pee kpe ko ngɛ jeha 1942 ɔ mi ngɛ Cleveland ngɛ Ohio. Ye hɛ ji kpe nɛ ɔ nɔ gblee. Wa weku ɔ kɛ weku kpahi hi bo tsuhi a mi ngɛ he ko nɛ e kɛ kpe peemi he ɔ he kɛ we ɔ. Jehanɛ hu ɔ, nyɛmimɛ nɛ a je hehi nɛ hyɛ pe 50 ngɛ United States ɔ bu kpe ɔ tue ngɛ fon nɔ. Jamɛ a be ɔ mi ɔ, a ngɛ je mi ta enyɔne ɔ hwue, nɛ a ngɛ Yehowa Odasefo ɔmɛ yi mi wae wawɛɛ. Gbɔkuɛ ɔ, i na nyɛminyumu komɛ nɛ a ngɔ lɔle kɛ ba ma wa kasa nya, nɛ a su a kane ɔmɛ kɛ tsɔɔ blɔ ɔ mi. Mɛ tsuo a kplɛɛ nɔ kaa a kpɛti nɔ fɛɛ nɔ maa hi lɔle ɔmɛ nɛ a maa si ɔ eko fɛɛ eko mi konɛ a kɛ hwɔɔ nyɔ ɔ mi tsuo. A de nyɛmimɛ ɔmɛ nɛ a ngɛ hwɔɔe ɔ kaa ke a na okadi ko nɛ tsɔɔ kaa nihi ngɛ hlae nɛ a ba tua mɛ ɔ, a su lɔle ɔ kane ɔ kɛ pue nihi nɛ a ngɛ hlae nɛ a ba tua mɛ ɔ a nɔ, nɛ a kpã lɔle ɔ bɛ ɔ hulɔ. Jã nɛ a maa pee ɔ ma ha nɛ nyɛmimɛ kpa amɛ maa tu fo kɛ ba konɛ a ba ye bua mɛ. Enɛ ɔ ha nɛ i de ke: ‘Yehowa we bi dla a he saminya kɛ ha nɔ́ fɛɛ nɔ́!’ Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, i hwɔ mahe saminya, nɛ nyagba ko hu bɛ.

Pee se nɛ i susu nɔ́ nɛ ya nɔ ngɛ jamɛ a kpe ɔ sisi ɔ he ɔ, i na kaa ye mami tsui pui nɛ e yi gbeye kulaa. E ngɔ e hɛ kɛ fɔ Yehowa kɛ e we asafo ɔ nɔ kulaa, nɛ ye hɛ be nɔ hyɛmi nɔ́ nɛ e pee ɔ nɔ jee kɔkɔɔkɔ.

Ye mami bɔni blɔ gbami ní tsumi ɔ tsumi pɛ nɛ wa ya kpe nɛ ɔ. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, benɛ a ngɛ munyuhi nɛ kɔɔ be tsuo sɔmɔmi ní tsumi ɔ he ɔ tue ɔ, e kadi ní pɔtɛɛ komɛ. Benɛ wa kpale kɛ yaa we mi ɔ, e de ke: “I suɔ nɛ ma ya nɔ nɛ ma tsu blɔ gbami ní tsumi ɔ, se kɛ̃ ɔ, i be nyɛe ma tsu blɔ gbami ní tsumi ɔ, nɛ ngɛ jamɛ a be ɔ mi nɔuu ɔ, ma tsu we ɔ mi ní tsumihi tsuo hulɔ.” Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, e bi wɔ kaa wa ma nyɛ maa ye bua lɛ lo? Wa ha lɛ heto ke ee. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, e ha wa kpɛti nɔ fɛɛ nɔ tsu kake loo enyɔ ngɛ we ɔ mi nɛ wa ma dla mi loko waa ye mɔtu ní. Ke wa je kɛ ho sukuu ya a, e hyɛɛ kaa wa pee nɔ́ fɛɛ nɔ́ saminya, nɛ we ɔ mi tsɔ lo. Kɛkɛ lɔ ɔ se ɔ, e je kɛ ho fiɛɛmi ya. E ngɛ mi kaa wa mami be deka mohu lɛɛ, se e ngmɛɛ we wa he kɛ fɔ si. Ke wa ba we mi piani kɛ ha ní yemi loo wa kpa sukuu ɔ, e dlaa wa se, nɛ e náa be kɛ haa wɔ. Be komɛ ɔ, ke wa kpa sukuu ɔ, waa kɛ lɛ yaa fiɛɛmi. Jã nɛ wa pee ɔ ye bua wɔ nɛ wa na bɔ nɛ blɔ gbami ní tsumi ɔ ngɛ ha.

Benɛ i ye jeha 16, i je blɔ gbami ní tsumi ɔ sisi. E ngɛ mi kaa papaa ba pee we Odasefono lolo mohu lɛɛ, se e bua jɔ bɔ nɛ i tsuɔ fiɛɛmi ní tsumi ɔ ha a he. Gbɔkuɛ ko ɔ, i de ye papaa kaa i ya fiɛɛmi  hluu, se i nɛ nɔ ko nɛ e suɔ kaa i kɛ lɛ nɛ kase Baiblo ɔ. Kɛkɛ nɛ i mlɛ bɔɔ, nɛ i bi ye papaa ke, “O maa suɔ nɛ i kɛ mo nɛ kase Baiblo ɔ lo?” Ye papaa susu he bɔɔ, nɛ e kplɛɛ nɔ kaa i kɛ lɛ nɛ kase Baiblo ɔ. Ye papaa ji kekleekle nɔ nɛ i kɛ lɛ je Baiblo ɔ kasemi sisi. Enɛ ɔ ji he blɔ nɛ se be nɛ i ná!

Womi nɛ i kɛ lɛ kase ji, “The Truth Shall Make You Free” ɔ. Benɛ ní kasemi ɔ ngɛ nɔ yae ɔ, i ba yɔse kaa ye papaa ngɛ mi ye buae konɛ ma kase Baiblo ɔ saminya, nɛ ma pee tsɔɔlɔ kpakpa. Kaa nɔ hyɛmi nɔ́ ɔ, gbɔkuɛ ko benɛ wa ngɛ ní kasee nɛ wa kane kuku ko ta a, e de mi ke: “I na nɔ́ nɛ womi ɔ ngɛ tsɔɔe ɔ. Se kɛ o plɛ kɛ le kaa nɔ́ nɛ womi ɔ de ɔ ji anɔkuale.” I dla we ye he kɛ ha sane bimi nɛ ɔ, lɔ ɔ he ɔ, i de lɛ ke: “I be nyɛe ma ha mo heto amlɔ nɛ ɔ, se pee se ke wa ba ngɛ ní ɔ kasee ɔ ma ha mo heto.” Nɛ i pee jã hulɔ. I na ngmami kpahi nɛ fĩ nɔ́ nɛ wa ngɛ kasee ɔ se. Lɔ ɔ se ɔ, i hla níhi a mi, nɛ i nyɛ nɛ i dla ye he saminya kɛ ha ní kasemi ɔ. Jã nɛ i pee ɔ ye bua i kɛ ye papaa tsuo nɛ wa ya wa hɛ mi ngɛ asafo ɔ mi. Ye papaa ngɔ nɔ́ nɛ e ngɛ kase ɔ kɛ tsu ní, nɛ e ha nɛ a baptisi lɛ ngɛ jeha 1952 ɔ mi.

Benɛ i ye jeha 17 ɔ, i je we mi. Jamɛ a be ɔ, Jetha a ba pee ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛlɔ, nɛ Don hu ya ngɛ sɔmɔe ngɛ Betel. Mɛ tsuo a bua jɔ ní tsumi nɛ a ngɛ tsue ɔ he, nɛ enɛ ɔ wo mi he wami wawɛɛ. Lɔ ɔ he ɔ, i ngma Betel kɛ Gilead Sukuu ɔ blɔ bimi womi ɔmɛ a nɔ ní, nɛ i si nɔ́ nɛ piɛ ɔ kɛ ha Yehowa. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, ngɛ jeha 1946 mi ɔ, a de mi kaa ma ba sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel.

I kɛ jehahi babauu tsu ní tsumi slɔɔtoslɔɔtohi ngɛ Betel. Enɛ ɔ ha nɛ i kase ní hehi fuu. Benɛ i kɛ jeha 75 sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel ɔ, i kase bɔ nɛ a print ɔ womihi, kɛ bɔ nɛ a toɔ sika he blɔ nya ha. I kase bɔ nɛ a heɔ ní kɛ baa Betel, kɛ bɔ nɛ a maneɔ níhi kɛ yaa ma kpahi a nɔ ha. Nɔ́ nɛ pe kulaa a, ye bua jɔ mumi mi níhi nɛ a to he blɔ nya ngɛ Betel ɔ a he. Ní nɛ ɔmɛ ekomɛ ji mɔtu Mawu jami, kɛ munyu kpahi nɛ a tuɔ kɛ woɔ Betel weku ɔ he wami ɔ.

Jehanɛ hu ɔ, benɛ ye senɔ Karl ba Betel ngɛ jeha 1947 ɔ mi ɔ, i kase níhi fuu ngɛ e ngɔ. Karl he be ngɛ ní kasemi kɛ ní tsɔɔmi mi wawɛɛ. I kai kaa ligbi ko ɔ, i bi lɛ nɛ e ye bua mi konɛ ma nyɛ ma dla ye he kɛ ha ní peemi ko nɛ a kɛ wo ye dɛ ɔ. I de Karl kaa i hla níhi a mi wawɛɛ, se i li bɔ nɛ ma kɛ tsu ní ngɛ ye munyu ɔ mi ha. Ngɛ anɔkuale mi ɔ, sane kake pɛ nɛ Karl bi mi, nɛ e ye bua mi nɛ i na nɔ́ nɛ e sa nɛ ma pee. E bi mi ke: “Joel, mɛni ji o munyuyi ɔ?” Oya nɔuu nɛ i na oti ɔ. I na kaa e sa nɛ ma ngɔ níhi a mi hlami nɛ kɔɔ ye munyuyi ɔ he pɛ kɛ tsu ní, nɛ maa ngmɛɛ nɔ́ nɛ piɛ ɔ he. Ye hɛ ji nɔ́ nɛ ɔ nɔ kɔkɔɔkɔ.

 Bɔ nɛ pee nɛ wa ná bua jɔmi ngɛ Betel ɔ, e ma bi nɛ waa to blɔ nya konɛ waa kɛ wa he nɛ wo fiɛɛmi ní tsumi ɔ mi kɛ pi si. Jã nɛ wa maa pee ɔ ma ha nɛ wa ná níhi a si kpamihi nɛ ngɛ bua jɔmi. Níhi a si kpami ko nɛ wa ná gbɔkuɛ ko ngɛ Bronx ngɛ New York City ɔ ji nɔ́ ko nɛ ye hɛ ji nɔ kulaa. I kɛ nyɛminyumu ko ya slaa yo ko nɛ́ a ha lɛ Hwɔɔmi Mɔ kɛ Awake! ɔ eko hyɛ ɔ. Wa de yo ɔ ke: “Gbɔkuɛ nɛ ɔ, waa kɛ nihi ngɛ munyu ko nɛ woɔ nɔ he wami nɛ ngɛ Baiblo ɔ mi ɔ he susue.” Yo ɔ de ke: “Ke Baiblo ɔ he munyu lɛ nyɛ ngɛ tue ɔ, lɛɛ nyɛɛ ba mi.” Waa kɛ lɛ susu ngmamihi fuu nɛ kɔɔ Mawu Matsɛ Yemi ɔ kɛ je ehe ɔ nɛ maa ba a he, nɛ e ta e tsui he wawɛɛ. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, e we otsi ɔ nɛ wa ya e ngɔ ɔ, e fɔ e huɛmɛ fuu nine kaa a ba bu munyu ɔ tue. Pee se ɔ, e kɛ e huno ɔ tsuo ba ngɛ Yehowa sɔmɔe ngɛ anɔkuale mi.

Benɛ i ma ye juɛmi nya si kaa ma sɛ gba si himi mi ɔ, jeha nyɔngma se loko i na nyɛmiyo ko nɛ sa nɛ i kɛ lɛ sɛ gba si himi mi. Mɛni lɛ ye bua mi nɛ i ná yo kpakpa a? I sɔle kɛ ha Yehowa nɛ i susu sane bimi nɛ ɔ he wawɛɛ, ‘Ke wa sɛ gba si himi mi se ɔ, mɛni ma suɔ nɛ ma pee?’

Benɛ wa ya kpokpa nɔ kpe ko nɛ a pee ngɛ 1953 ɔ ngɛ Yankee Stadium ɔ, i kɛ nyɛmiyo ko nɛ a tsɛɛ lɛ ke Mary Aniol kpe. E kɛ Jetha lɛ ya Gilead Sukuu nɛ to nɔ enyɔne ɔ nɛ. Jehanɛ hu ɔ, Mary kɛ ye nyɛmiyo ɔ sɔmɔ ngɛ ma kake mi kaa ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛli. Mary kɛ bua jɔmi de mi níhi nɛ ya nɔ benɛ a ji ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛli ngɛ Caribbean ɔ, kɛ Baiblo mi ní kasemi nɛ a pee jeha babauu nɛ be ɔ. Benɛ wa ngɛ wa sibi lee ɔ, wa ba yɔse kaa mumi mi otihi nɛ wɔ ni enyɔ ɔmɛ tsuo waa kɛ ma wa hɛ mi ɔ kɔ. Enɛ ɔ ha nɛ suɔmi nɛ wa ngɛ ha wa sibi ɔ mi ba wa. Lɔ ɔ he ɔ, wa sɛ gba si himi mi ngɛ April 1955 ɔ mi. Mary ngɛ kaa nike ní ko nɛ he jua wa nɛ Yehowa kɛ ha mi, nɛ i bɔ mɔde kaa ma kase lɛ. E bua jɔ ní tsumi fɛɛ ní tsumi nɛ a kɛ wo e dɛ ɔ he. E kɛ hɛdɔ tsuɔ ní, nɛ e susuɔ nɔ he saminya. Be fɛɛ be ɔ, e ngɔɔ Matsɛ Yemi ɔ kɛ peeɔ nɔ́ titli ngɛ e si himi mi. (Mat. 6:33) Wa tsu kpɔ mi nɔ hyɛmi ní tsumi ɔ jeha etɛ, nɛ ngɛ jeha 1958 ɔ mi ɔ, a fɔ wɔ nine kaa waa ba Betel.

I kase níhi fuu ngɛ Mary he. Kaa nɔ hyɛmi nɔ́ ɔ, benɛ wa sɛ gba si himi mi pɛ ɔ, wa ma wa juɛmi nya si kaa wa maa kane Baiblo ɔ kɛ bla, nɛ wa kaneɔ maa pee kuku 15 daa ligbi. Ke wa kpɛti nɔ kake kane kɛ su he ko ɔ, wa susuɔ he, nɛ wa tsɔɔ bɔ nɛ waa kɛ nɔ́ nɛ wa kase ngɛ mi ɔ ma tsu ní ngɛ wa si himi mi ha. Behi fuu ɔ, Mary deɔ mi níhi nɛ e kase ngɛ Gilead kɛ níhi nɛ e kase benɛ e ji ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛlɔ ɔ. Níhi nɛ wa susuɔ he ɔ ye bua mi nɛ ye he be ngɛ magbɛ nɔ munyu tumi mi. Jehanɛ hu ɔ, e ye bua mi nɛ i le bɔ nɛ ma wo nyɛmimɛ yihi he wami ha saminya.—Abɛ 25:11.

Ngɛ jeha 2013 ɔ mi ɔ, ye yo Mary nɛ i suɔ lɛ wawɛɛ ɔ gbo. I ngɛ blɔ hyɛe kaa ma na lɛ ngɛ je ehe ɔ mi ekohu. Se kɛ̃ ɔ, i fia ye pɛɛ si kaa ma ya nɔ ma kase Yehowa he ní, nɛ ma ngɔ ye hɛ kɛ fɔ e nɔ kɛ ye tsui tsuo. (Abɛ 3:​5, 6) Ke i susu níhi nɛ Yehowa we bi maa pee ngɛ je ehe ɔ mi ɔ he ɔ, e woɔ ye bua nɛ ye bua jɔɔ wawɛɛ. Ngɛ anɔkuale mi ɔ, wa maa kase ní ehehi fuu kɛ je wa Tsɔɔlɔ Kpanaa a ngɔ! Se kɛ̃ ɔ, amlɔ nɛ ɔ, nɔ́ ko nɔ́ ko be nɛ ma kɛ na Yehowa si ngɛ níhi fuu nɛ e tsɔɔ mi ɔ he. Ngɛ anɔkuale mi ɔ, e dloomi ɔ hiɛ babauu ngɛ ye nɔ!