Bot bifuo mi tel unu wa apm afta dat, mek mi tel unu ou mi did staat fi yuuz muos a mi taim a wok fi Jeuova.

Mi baan iina 1942 iina Kyuuraso we a wan nais Karibiyan ailan. A Surinam mi faada did kom fram, bot im muuv kom a Kyuuraso fi wok. An a kopl ier afta mi di baan mi faada baptaiz an ton wan Jeuova Witnis. a Im did a wan a di fos Jeuova Witnis a Kyuuraso. Aalduo wi neehn mek it iizi fi im, evri wiik im stodi di Baibl wid wi. Wen mi did a 14, mi faada muuv aal a wi go a Surinam so im kuda tek kier a im mada uu weehn op iina iej.

Wen mi did iina Surinam, mi did a spen uol iip a taim wid som yong piipl iina di kanggrigieshan we did a du nof fi Jeuova. Dem did jos likl bit uolda dan mi an dem did a regila paiyanier. Wen dem taak bout wa apm tu dem wen dem ga’a fiil sorvis, di wie ou dem did api wen dem did a taak bout it, it komiin laik dem fies lait op. Somtaim wen miitn don mi an mi fren dem wuda sidong outa duor anda di staar dem an taak bout tingz fram di Baibl. Dem fren ya did mek mi si wa mi waahn fi du wid mi laif​—se mi waahn fi wok fi Jeuova. So mi baptaiz wen mi a 16 ier oul an wen mi a 18, mi ton wan regila paiyanier.

Wen mi did dis staat fi paiyanier, mi lorn som gud sitn we elp mi out fi di res a di taim we mi a yuuz muos a mi taim fi Jeuova. Wan a di fos ting we mi did lorn a se mi fi tiich ada piipl ou fi du tingz tu. Wen mi did staat fi paiyanier, wan breda we niem Willem Van Seijl a im did tiich mi ou fi du nof tingz. b  Kaa im did tiich mi ou fi du nof a di wok we Jeuova aaganaizieshan gi mi fi du. Dem taim de mi neehn nuo se a so moch tingz mi neehn nuo. Di ier afta dat dem did pik mi fi ton wan speshal paiyanier, an afta dat mi did staat fi elp out som likl gruup a breda an sista we did liv faar iina di faris iina Surinam. An bwai mi a tel yu, mi did api fi di elp we dem breda de did gi mi. Fram dem taim de til nou, mi chrai fi tiich ada piipl fi du tingz laik ou dem breda de did elp mi.

Di sekan ting we mi lorn a ou fi satisfai wid wa mi av an fi plan out ou fi spen di likl moni we wi get. So wen di mont staat, mi an di ada breda we did a paiyanier wid mi wuda sidong an mats out di ting dem we wi niid we wuda kip wi fi di res a mont. An den wan a wi wuda afi chravl faar faar fi go iina di toun go bai di sitn dem we wi niid. Wi did afi tek taim wid di likl moni we wi get so dat it kip wi fi di mont kaa ef wi did ron outa sitn iina di faris, a mait-a onggl wan an tuu piipl kuda elp wi. Kaa mi did lorn fram mi yong ou fi satisfai wid did likl we mi av an ou fi plan out ou fi spen di likl moni we wi get, a it elp mi so dat mi kuda kip mi main pan Jeuova wok fi di res a mi laif.

Di tord ting we mi lorn a se a wan gud ting fi tiich piipl iina di langwij we dem baan kom ier dem piipl a taak. Wen mi did a gruo, mi kuda taak Doch, Ingglish, Papiyamento an Sanantongo (wan neda niem fi da langwij ya Saranan), dat a di langwij we dem taak iina Surinam. Bot wen wi did de iina di faris, wi fain out se piipl lisn tu wi muor wen wi taak tu dem iina di langwij we dem baan kom ier dem piipl a taak. Bot mi a tel yu, it did aad fi taak som a dem langwij de, laik di wan we niem Saramakan kaa fi chat da langwij de, yu afi yuuz diip vais an fain vais. Aalduo it did aad fi lorn dem langwij ya, mi si se it did wot it kaa fi uol iip a ier mi kuda tiich piipl di chuut iina dem langwij ya.

Som a di taim mi se som tingz we did mek mi fiil shiem. Laik wan a di taim wan uman we taak Saramakan, we did a stodi di Baibl ar beli did a at ar. So mi did waahn aks ar ou shi did a fiil. Bot mi en op aks ar ef shi pregnant! An mi a tel yu shi neehn api wen mi aks ar dat at aal. Bot aalduo dem sitn ya apm tu mi we mek mi fiil shiem, mi neehn tap priich tu di piipl dem iina di langwij we dem baan kom ier dem piipl a taak.

Iina 1970 dem pik mi fi ton wan sorkit uovasiya. Da ier de mi did shuo di slaidshuo we niem “Visiting the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses” tu uol iip a di breda an sista dem we de iina di gruup dem we de iina di faris. Fi go de, mi an som breda wuda go pan wan lang riva buot we mek outa wud. Pan di buot wi wuda av wan jenarieta, wan gyas tangk, an som gyas lamp, an di sitn dem fi plie di slaidshuo. Wen wi don chravl pan di riva, wi wuda afi kyari aal a di sitn dem go wich paat wi wuda kip di slaidshuo. Bot wa mi memba bout dem diez  de a ou di piipl dem did lov di slaidshuo dem. Mi did api so til fi elp piipl fi nuo bout Jeuova an di aaganaizieshan we im a yuuz pan di ort. Aal a dem blesn ya we mi get fram Jeuova wot muor tu mi dan eni mount a moni ar sitn we mi did gi op fi du Jeuova wok.

Aalduo mi si se mi kuda did du nof fi Jeuova wen mi na’av no waif, mi did stil waahn wan waif. So mi prie an aks Jeuova fi elp mi fi fain wan waif so dat wen tingz get rof an aad iina di faris, shi kuda diil wid it an stil api. Bout wan ier afta dat, mi staat fi taak tu Ethel. Shi a did wan speshal paiyanier we did redi fi wok aad fi Jeuova aal ef it neehn iizi. Fram shi did a pikni shi did lov ou di apasl Paal did wok aad fi Jeuova, an shi did waahn fi du laik im an du nof iina di priichin wok. Wi did marid iina Septemba 1971 an di tuu a wi did go iina di sorkit wok tugeda.

Wen Ethel did a gruo a no laik se shi neehn nuo aad laif kaa tingz neehn a jrap iina ar lap so, so it neehn aad fi shi get yuus tu di sorkit wok iina di faris. Laik wi neehn kyari no uol iip a kluoz wen wi a go a di kanggrigieshan dem we de faar faar iina di faris. An wi wuda wash wi kluoz dem an bied a riva. An wi neehn piki piki. Eniting we dem gi wi fi nyam wi wuda nyam it laik igwaana, piraana, an eniting els we dem did kech iina di faris ar we dem kech iina di riva. An wen dem neehn av no pliet, a banaana liif wi yuuz. An wen dem neehn av no naif an faak, wi wuda nyam wid wi an. Mi an Ethel fiil se kaa di tuu a wi did gi op tingz fi du muor fi Jeuova dat mek wi lov Jeuova an wi wan aneda muor. (Iik. 4:12) Wi kudn du notn beta wid wi laif!

Di tuori we mi did a tel unu bout iina di fos paat a wa did apm tu wi wen wi did a  kom bak fram wan a dem chrip de we wi did go wie op iina di faris. Wen yu riich di paat a di riva we di riva staat fi get rof an ron faasa, fi wan likl taim, di buot go anda di waata an kom op bak. Bot a gud ting wi did a wier laif jakit an wi neehn jrap outa di buot. Bot wi buot did ful op a waata. So wa wi du, a das wi dash out di fuud dem we did de iina di pat dem an wi yuuz di pat dem fi biel out di waata.

Kaa wi did afi dash we wi fuud, wen wi did a go dong di riva, wi did a chrai fi kech som fish. Bot wi neehn a kech a ting. So wi prie tu Jeuova an aks im fi gi wi fuud fi da die de. Az wi don prie so, wan a di breda fling out im lain an im kech wan big fish we kuda shier fi di faiv a wi an ful di faiv a wi beli.

Afta wi did de iina di sorkit wok fi faiv ier, wi fain out se Ethel pregnant. Dat a did wan blesn fram Jeuova. Mi did api, bot mi did a wanda a wa a-go apm tu wi nou kaa mi an Ethel did stil waahn fi yuuz muos a wi taim a du nof fi Jeuova. Wi fos bwai pikni, Ethniël, did baan iina 1976, an wi sekan bwai pikni, Giovanni, did baan tuu an a aaf ier afta dat.

Kaa iina dem taim de yu neehn av no uol iip a sorkit uovasiya iina Surinam, di breda dem a di branch afis did lou mi fi gwaan du di sorkit wok aalduo mi did av tuu pikni. Wen mi bwai dem did likl, di sorkit dem we dem did gi mi fi wok did onggl av likl bit a kanggrigieshan iina dem. So mi wuda du di sorkit uovasiya wok fi kopl wiik an den dem wuda mek mi paiyanier wid wan kanggrigieshan fi di res a di mont. Ethel an wi bwai pikni dem wuda kom wid mi wen mi go a di kanggrigieshan dem we de nier we wi liv, bot wen mi did a go a di kanggrigieshan dem an di sorkit miitn dem we de iina di faris, mi wan wuda go a dem wan de.

So dat mi kuda du evriting we wi supuoz fi du, mi did afi sidong an plan out tingz gud fi mek shuor se wi du wi fambili Baibl stodi evri wiik. An wen mi gaan a di kanggrigieshan dem iina di faris, a Ethel wuda du di fambili Baibl stodi wid wi bwai pikni dem. Mi an Ethel aalwiez mek shuor se wi du uol iip a tingz wid di bwai dem. So wi plie giem wid dem an kyari dem go a difrant difrant plies so dat dem kyan enjai demself. A nof nait  mi did afi go a mi bed liet kaa mi did afi yuuz di taim fi get mi taak an tingz redi fi go a di kanggrigieshan dem. An kaa Ethel did komiin laik di gud waif we Pravorbz 31:15 taak bout, shi wiek op bifuo die so dat wi kuda riid di skripcha fi di die an nyam sitn tugeda bifuo di bwai dem go skuul. Mi tangk Jeuova se mi av wan waif we redi fi elp mi so dat mi kuda du di wok we im gi mi fi du.

Mi an Ethel wok aad fi elp wi bwai pikni dem fi lov Jeuova an fi lov go out iina sorvis tu. Wi neva waahn wi bwai pikni dem fi yuuz nof a dem taim fi du Jeuova wok jos kaaz a dat wi waahn dem fi du, bot wi waahn dem fi du it kaaz a it dem waahn fi du. Wi aalwiez tel dem bout di nais taim dem we wi av wen wi a yuuz muos a wi taim fi du Jeuova wok. Bot wi neva aid wi chogl ino. Wa wi du a shuo dem ou Jeuova elp wi an bles wi fambili. An wi mek shuor se di kain-a piipl dem we wi av roun wi pikni dem nof a ada Jeuova Witnis we a mek shuor se di bigis ting iina dem laif a fi du wa Jeuova waahn dem fi du.

Wen wi a gruo wi pikni dem Jeuova did gi wi evriting we wi did niid. Bot a no laik se mi no aalwiez chrai fi du wa mi kyan du fi tek kier a dem. Wa mi did go chuu bifuo mi marid an wen mi did a wan speshal paiyanier mek mi lorn ou fi mats out di likl moni we mi did av so dat it kuda chrech. Bot somtaim no mata wa wi du, di moni kudn chrech an a dem taim de wi kuda si se a Jeuova a elp wi. Laik iina di laas paat a di 1980’z an di fos paat a di 1990’z, di aami did fait di govament a Surinam outa powa an staat fi ron tingz iina di konchri. So iina dem taim de it did aad fi get fuud an dem tingz de, bot Jeuova aalwiez gi wi wa wi niid.​—Mat. 6:32.

Fi di uol a wi laif wi si ou Jeuova aalwiez tek kier a wi an im mek wi api an aarait wid wi laif. Wi pikni dem a wan blesn we Jeuova gi wi, an fi tiich dem fi sorv Jeuova a wan a di naisis ting wi kuda eva du. An wi glad se dem kuda yuuz nof a fi dem taim fi du Jeuova wok tu. Ethniël an Giovanni get fi go a som skuul we Jeuova aaganaizieshan kip an nou di tuu a dem an dem waif de a di branch afis we de iina Surinam.

Mi an Ethel op iina iej nou, bot di tuu a wi stil a yuuz wi laif fi du nof fi Jeuova; wi stil a speshal paiyanier nou. Wi so bizi dat mi stil kyaahn fain di taim fi go lorn ou fi swim! Bot mi no sari bout ou mi yuuz mi laif. Wen mi tingk bout mi laif, mi glad se mi did yuuz muos a mi taim fi du Jeuova wok fram mi yong. Mi kudn du notn beta wid mi laif.