Mi baan pan Disemba 22, 1929, iina wan likl dischrik we niem Naavil, we av nain plies we dem faam, we de nier Bastoun iina Beljom. Wen mi tingk bout dem taim de wen mi weehn a pikni wid mi mada an faada wen wi did liv pan di faam, mi did api bad. Mi an mi likl breda Raymond yuus tu yuuz wi an fi milk di kou dem, an wi elp fi riip di sitn dem aafa di faam, an evribadi iina di dischrik yuus tu wok tugeda fi elp dem wan aneda pan dem faam.

Mi faada did niem Emile an mi mada did niem Alice, an di tuu a dem a did Kyatalik, an dem yuus tu go choch evri Sonde. Bot iina 1939, som paiyanier kom iina wi dischrik fram Ingglan an elp mi faada fi sain op fi get di Consolation magaziin evri mont (we dem kaal Awake! nou). Iina no taim, mi faada si se we im staat fi lorn soun laik di chuut, so im staat fi riid di Baibl an im tap go a di Kyatalik choch. An kaaz a dat, wi nieba dem we wi an dem did a fren ton gens im, an a nof taim dem aagyu wid im an chrai fi presha im fi no lef di Kyatalik choch.

Di fos taim wen mi did taak bout wen mi did prie tu Gad a kaa it did ort mi fi si wa dem did a du tu mi faada, so mi prie tu Jeuova an mek im nuo ou mi did fiil. An it did mek mi fiil gud wen dem tap presha mi faada, an dat mek mi did nuo fi shuor se Jeuova a “di Wan we ier wi wen wi prie.”

Pan Mie 10 iina 1940, di Natsi suoja dem fram Jormani go iina Beljom fi go waar gens dem, so dis mek wol iip a piipl afi ron we fram de. Fi wi fambili did ron we go a di sout paat a Frans. An wen wi a go de, wi en op a som plies we di suoja dem fram Jormani an di wan dem fram Frans did a fait gens dem wan aneda.

 Wen wi go baka wi yaad pan di faam, wi fain se dem mash op wi sitn dem an tiif we nof a wi sitn dem tu. Onggl wi daag, we niem Bobbie, did di de. Kaaz a wa wi did go chuu, it mek mi wanda se, ‘Wa mek so moch waar an sofarin a gwaan iina di worl?’

Wan elda we did niem Emile Schrantz, a we a did wan paiyanier, did riili elp mi iina dem taim de. Im yuuz di Baibl fi elp mi fi si wa mek piipl a sofa so, an fi ansa som ada kwestiyan we mi did av bout laif. Dis mek mi an Jeuova get kluos kIuos, an mi get fi si se Jeuova a wan Gad we riili lov wi.

Bifuo di waar don, mi fambili stil yuus tu taak wid di breda an sista dem. An iina Aagos 1943, Breda José-Nicolas Minet gi wan taak pan di faam, an den im aks: “Uu waahn fi baptaiz?” An mi an mi faada put op wi an. So di tuu a wi baptaiz da die de iina wan likl riva we de nier di faam.

Iina Disemba 1944, Jormani pudong a piis a faitin iina di wes paat a Yuurop. Dat a did dem laas big fait iina Worl Waar 2 we piipl kaal di ‘Battle of the Bulge.’ Wi did liv nier wich paat da waar de did a gwaan, an wi did afi lak op iina wan likl ruum we de anda di ous fi bout wan mont. Wan die mi go outa duor fi go fiid di animal dem an sed taim dem staat fi jrap som bum shel pan wi faam we lik aaf di ruuf aafa di bildin we wi kip di fiidn fi di animal dem iina. Wan a di suoja dem we kom fram Merika we did de iina di stiebl we de nier mi, baal out an se “Lidong pan di grong!” Mi ron go lidong saida im, an im put im elmit pan mi ed fi protek mi.

Afta di waar don, wi get fi taak tu som a di breda an sista dem we de iina wan kanggrigieshan iina Liyej, we de bout 56 mail fram wi, iina di naat paat fram we wi did de. An afta dat wi get fi av wan likl stodi gruup iina fi wi ieriya iina Bastoun. Mi staat fi wok iina di taks afis an mi get di chaans fi stodi bout di laa dem iina difrant difrant konchri tu. An afta dat mi get fi wok iina wan govament afis.  Iina 1951, wi get fi av wan likl sorkit miitn iina Bastoun, an bout wan onjrid piipl did kom. An wan paiyanier sista we lov ar sorvis we niem Elly Reuter, did raid ar baisikl fi bout 31 mail fi kom. An likl afta dat wi staat fi lov wi wan aneda, so wi ingiej fi marid. Elly did get wan invitieshan fi go a Gilead School iina Merika. Bot shi rait di breda dem a di worl ed afis an mek dem nuo wa mek shi kudn go. Breda Knorr, we did a liid Jeuova piipl dem da taim de, rait ar bak an mek ar nuo se wan die shi an ar ozban mait-a get fi go a di skuul. An so wi marid iina Febiweri 1953.

Da siem ier de mi an Elly go a di sorkit miitn we did kip a di Yankee Stadium we niem New World Society, iina Nyuu Yaak. Wen mi did de de, mi miit wan breda we did waahn gi mi wan gud jab, we wuda mek mi get fi liv a Merika tu. Afta mi an Elly prie tu Jeuova bout it wi mek op wi main se wi naa tek it an dat wi a go baka Beljom, kaaz a onggl ten breda an sista did de iina Bastoun. Di ier afta dat, Jeuova mek wi av wan nais likl biebi bwai, we wi niem Serge. Bot sad fi se, sevn mont afta dat im get sik an ded. Wi did sad bad. So wi prie tu Jeuova an mek im nuo ou wi fiil. Bot wi did fiil gud fi memba se piipl we ded a-go kom bak alaiv.

Iina Aktuoba 1961, mi did fain wan likl wok we mi kuda du an paiyanier. Bot da siem die de mi get wan fuon kaal fram di breda we did a tek di liid a di branch afis iina Beljom. Im aks mi ef mi kuda staat du di sorkit sorvant wok (dat a wa wi kaal sorkit uovasiya ya nou). So mi aks im se, “Wi kyan gwaan paiyanier fos bifuo wi staat?” An im se yes wi kuda du it. So afta wi did a paiyanier fi iet mont, wi staat di sorkit wok iina Septemba 1962.

Afta wi staat fi du di sorkit wok fi tuu ier, dem invait wi fi kom wok a Betel iina Broslz. So iina Aktuoba 1964, wi staat fi wok a Betel, an dis mek wi get wol iip a blesn. Iina 1965, Breda Knorr kom a Betel iina Broslz we wi did de. Mi did fraitn fi si se im did pik mi fi tek di liid a di branch afis. An likl afta dat, dem aks mi an Elly fi kom a di Gilead School fi klaas 41. Wa Breda Knorr did se 13 ier bifuo did riili apm fi chuu! An afta wi gradiyiet fram Gilead School, wi go baka Beljom a Betel.

Fi wol iip a ier, mi get fi yuuz we mi nuo bout di laa dem we iina difrant difrant konchri fi difen di breda an sista dem iina Yuurop an som ada plies so dat dem kuda frii fi go worship Jeuova. (Fil. 1:7) Dis mek mi get fi taak tu wol iip a tap-a-tap piipl we iina govament fram muo dan 55 difrant difrant konchri we di wok did anda lakdong. Wen mi a taak tu dem, di fos ting mi mek dem nuo a se “mi a sumadi we a du Gad wok,” no se mi nuo nof bout di laa an dem ting de. So mi aalwiez prie tu Jeuova fi elp mi, kaa di Baibl  mek wi nuo se Jeuova kyan mek sumadi we a ruul ar wan joj du wa im waahn dem fi du.​—Pr. 21:1.

Sitn we did apm we wi kyaahn figet a wen mi did get fi taak tu wan a di govament man dem fram Yuurop. A nof taim mi aks ef mi kuda get fi taak tu im, an wan die im se yes im wuda taak tu mi. Bot im se, “Mi onggl a-go gi yu faiv minit, an a it dat.” So mi uol dong mi ed an mi staat fi prie. An im staat fi luk norvos an aks mi wa mi a du. So mi uol op mi ed an tel im se, “Mi did a tangk Gad kaa yu a wan a im sorvant dem.” So im aks mi se, “Wa yu miin?” So mi shuo im Ruoman 13:4. Kaaz im go a wan Protestant choch di skripcha did toch im. An kaaz a dat mi get fi taak tu im fi bout aaf owa, an di likl miitn we wi did av did gwaan gud. An im aal tel mi se im lov di wok we wi a du.

A wol iip a ier nou iina Yuurop Jeuova piipl dem afi a go a kuot fi fait fi dem rait fi no tek said iina palitiks an dem ting de, an so dat dem kyan kip dem pikni, an so dat dem na’afi pie sortn taks we di choch dem na’afi pie, an som wol iip a ada tingz tu. An mi api se mi did get fi elp out wid nof a dem kuot kies de, an fi get fi si ou Jeuova elp wi fi win nof a dem kies de. Di Jeuova Witnis dem win muo dan 140 kuot kies iina di European Court of Human Rights!

Iina di 1990’z, mi did wok wid wan breda we kom fram di worl ed afis niem Philip Brumley, an wan neda breda fram Itali we niem Valter Farneti, so dat di breda an sista dem we de a Kyuuba kuda frii fi worship Jeuova. So mi did rait tu di Kyuuban embasi, we did de a Beljom, an mi get fi taak tu wan a di man dem we dem did pik fi elp wi out wid wa wi waahn. Di fos taim dem wen wi did taak, notn moch neehn gwaan fi saat out di prablem we did kaaz di priichin wok fi go anda lakdong iina di fos plies.

Afta wi prie an aks Jeuova fi elp wi, wi aks dem ef wi kuda sen 5,000 Baibl tu di breda dem iina Kyuuba. An di breda an sista dem get di Baibl dem, an dat did mek wi nuo se Jeuova did a bles wa wi a du. Den afta dat, wi aks dem ef wi kuda sen 27,500 muo Baibl, an dem se yes. Wen mi si se difrant difrant breda an sista iina Kyuuba kuda get wan Baibl fi demself, dat did mek mi api bad.

A nof taim mi go a Kyuuba fi elp frii op tingz fi wi breda an sista dem, an kaaz a dat mi an nof a di govament piipl dem muuv gud.

Iina 1994, wen di piipl dem did a chrai kil aaf di Tutsi piipl dem iina Ruwanda, a muo dan 1,000,000 piipl did ded. An sad fi se dem did kil som a wi breda an sista dem tu. Likl afta dat, dem did pik som breda fi saat out tingz so dat di breda an sista dem kuda get fuud an ada tingz we dem did niid fi liv.

Wen wi riich a Kigaali, wi si se dem did shuut op di chransilieshan afis we dem kip di buk an pamplet dem tu. An wi ier som wol iip a wikid stuori ou dem yuuz mashiet fi kil aaf som a wi breda an sista dem. Bot wi ier som gud stuori tu we mek wi si se wi breda an sista dem lov dem wan aneda. Laik wi did miit wan Tutsi breda, we wan Utu fambili did aid iina wan uol fi 28 die. An wen wi did go a wan miitn iina Kigaali, wi did get fi elp muo dan 900 breda an sista fi gwaan tan op chrang an sorv Jeuova.

Afta wi lef de-so, wi go a Zayier, we dem kaal Demokratik Ripoblik A Kanggo ya nou. So wi go a di kyamp we did nier Guoma fi sorch fi di breda an sista dem we did ron we fram Ruwanda go de. Bot wi kudn fain dem, so wi prie tu Jeuova an aks im fi elp wi fi fain dem. Afta dat, wi si wan man a waak a kom an wi aks im ef im nuo no Jeuova Witnis. An im tel wi se, “Ye man, mi a wan Jeuova Witnis. An mi wuda api fi kyari unu tu di breda dem we a tek di liid iina di kyamp.” Afta wi taak tu dem breda de, wi did get fi av wan miitn wid muo dan 1,600 a di breda an sista dem we did ron we go a di kyamp, an wi get fi taak tu dem an inkorij dem fi gwaan sorv Jeuova. Pan tap a dat, wi did get fi riid wan leta we di Govanin Badi rait sen fi dem. Wen di breda an sista dem ier wa di leta se, it toch dem aat. It se, “Wi no tap prie fu’unu. An wi nuo se Jeuova naa go lef unu.” An wi si se Jeuova neehn lef dem fi chuu, kaa muo dan 30,000 Jeuova Witnis de a Ruwanda ya nou!

Afta wi did marid fi bout 58 ier, iina 2011 mi waif Elly ded. Tuu ting we did elp mi fi go chuu a wen mi prie tu Jeuova an tel im ou mi fiil, an wen mi tel piipl bout di gud sitn dem we Gad Kindom Govament a-go du fi wi.

Mi a 90 ad ya nou, bot mi stil go a fiil sorvis evri wiik. An mi api se mi stil get fi elp di breda an sista dem iina di Liigal Dipaatment a di branch afis a Beljom. An mi yuuz di sitn dem we mi go chuu iina laif fi elp di breda an sista dem, an mi get fi yuuz di Baibl tu fi inkorij di yong breda an sista dem we de a Betel.

Fram di fos taim mi prie tu Jeuova, bout 84 ier ago, mi staat fi get kluosa an kluosa tu im. An mi tangk Jeuova fi aalwiez lisn tu mi wen mi prie tu im fram da taim de til nou.​—Sa. 66:19. b