Before I explain what happen next, let me tell yor how I started full-time service.

I was born in 1942 on the beautiful Caribbean island in Curaçao. My pa actually from Suriname, but he move to the island for work. My pa was among the first Jehovah Witness to get baptize in Curaçao some years before I was born. a He use to study the Bible with us every week, even though we use to give him hard time. When I was 14 years old, my pa move his whole family to Suriname to take care of his ma who was old.

In Suriname, I started making friends with some young people in the congregation who were serving Jehovah faithfully. They were older than me few years and regular pioneering. I use to see how they were happy when they talking about what happen in field service. After meetings, me and my friend them use to lecture on different-different Bible topics.Sometime, we use to sit down outside in the night. These friend them help me to know what I wanted in life; I wanted to work for Jehovah. So I got baptize when I was 16 years old. Later, when I was 18 years old, I started regular pioneering.

I learn plenty lessons when I was pioneering, and it help me throughout in full-time service. For example, one of the first lessons I learn was that, it important to train other people. When I started pioneering, one missionary name Willem van Seijl decided to help me. b He taught me plenty things about how to handle assignments in the congregation. That time,  I was not thinking that the training was really important. One year after that, I was appointed as special pioneer. Then I started helping one small group of brothers and sisters who were living far off from other congregations in the deep forest in Suriname. I grateful that brothers like Willem was able to give me the training I needed! From that time, I being following their example by using my time to train other people.

The second lesson I learn was that it good to live simple life and it good to make plan. In the beginning of each month, me and my special pioneer partner use to make plan for the food and other thing them we will need for the whole month. Then one person will go all the way to the city to buy all the thing them we need. We had to manage our allowance so it can carry us for the whole month. If any of those things finish before time, it was hard to find someone to help you with it. I believe that the training I got when I was young to live simple life and know how to plan, help me to focus on doing Jehovah work throughout my life.

The third lesson I learn was the benefit you can get when you teach people in their own language. I learn to speak the language them that plenty people use to speak in Suriname like Dutch, English, Papiamento, and Sranantongo (also call Sranan). But in the forest, I saw that people can listen good-good when we preach to them in their own language. It gave me hard time to speak some of the language them like Saramaccan that get high and low tones. Even though it gave me hard time, I happy that I learn it. For years now, I been able to teach plenty people the truth because I learn to speak their language.

I had some embarrassing experiences. For example, one time, one Bible student who can speak Saramaccan was feeling pain in her stomach. I wanted to ask her how she was feeling but instead of that one, I ask her if she was pregnant! That question really embarrass her. Even though I made some mistakes, I always try hard to learn the people language in my assignments.

In 1970, I was appointed as circuit overseer. That year, I show the slide program with the title “Visiting the World Headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses” to plenty brothers and sisters who were far off from other congregations in the forest. To reach to these brother and sister them, me and some other brothers use to travel on the river using one long boat. When we going, we use to carry one generator, one small gasoline tank, lamptons, and materials for the slide show. When we reach, we use to carry all these thing them to where we will be having the program. What I really remember about the trips, was the way the people who were living far-far places use to  enjoy the programs. I was so happy to help other people to learn about Jehovah and His organization. When I see people drawing closer to Jehovah, it can make me happy that I was able to do this hard work.

Even though singleness made it easy for me to carry on my assignment, I still wanted to get marry. So, I started praying to Jehovah to help me find a wife who will be happy to serve with me in the forest. After about one year, Ethel and myself started courting. She was special pioneer and she was willing to work for Jehovah even if it was hard. From the time she was small, Ethel wanted to be like the apostle Paul and work hard in the ministry the same way he use to do. We got marry in September 1971 and started serving in the circuit work.

When Ethel was growing up, her family was not having plenty material things. So it was not hard for her to live in the forest. For example, when we preparing to go for circuit visit, we never use to carry plenty things. We use to wash our clothes and take bath in the rivers. We also got use to eating anything the brother and sister them provide for us or if they kill any animal in the forest or anything they catch in the rivers. When no plates, we use to eat on the banana leaves. When no spoon, we use to eat with our hands. Me and Ethel feel that making sacrifices together while we working for Jehovah, na make our marriage very strong. (Eccl. 4:12) What all we enjoy in full time service, can’t be replace with anything else!

One day when we were coming back from visiting the brothers that living deep in the forest, it was the time we went through the thing I was telling yor from the  beginning of my story. When we were passing where the water can move fast, the boat went under the water and came back up quick. It was good that we were wearing life jackets. It help us to not fall down in the water. But plenty water got in the boat. So we empty everything that was in the pots and we use the pots to take the water from the boat.

Since all our food spoil, we started fishing. But we were not catching anything. So we pray to Jehovah and ask him to give us food for that day. Soon we finish praying, one of the brothers threw his fishing line and caught one big fish that was enough for all five of us to eat that night and be satisfy.

After we spent five years in the circuit work together, Ethel and myself got blessing that we were not expecting. We were coming to be parents. I was happy to hear the news even though I was not sure about how it will affect us. Ethel and myself really wanted to stay in full-time service if it was possible. Our son Ethniël was born in 1976. After two and a half years, we born our second son, Giovanni.

Because Suriname was having need that time, the branch arrange for me to continue serving as circuit overseer while we raising our children. When our children were still small, they assign me to circuits that were not having plenty congregations. Because of that I use to serve as circuit overseer for some weeks every month and spent the rest of the month as pioneer in the congregation that we were assign to. Ethel and our children use to go with me when I use to visit any congregation that were near the place we were living. But my one use to go when I was visiting congregations and assemblies that in the rain forest.

I use to plan good-good so I can be able to take care of all my responsibilities. I use to make sure to do our family study every week. When I use to be visiting congregations in the forest, Ethel will do the family study with our children. As soon I finish with the visit, we will start doing things together as family again. Ethel and myself  always use to play games with the children and carry them out to see different-different places. I use to stay up late in the night to prepare for my assignments. And Ethel was like the capable wife that Proverbs 31:15 talk about. She use to wake up soon in the morning for us to do the daily text and prepare food for us to eat before the children go to school. I too grateful I get this hard-working wife who can always help me to care for all the responsibilities Jehovah gave me!

Me and Ethel work hard to help our children to love Jehovah and the ministry. We wanted our children to be in full-time service, not because we were forcing them, but because they themselves decided to do it. We always use to tell them that they will be happy when they in full-time service. We told them about the hard times we went through and we also told them how Jehovah bless us. We also made sure that our children made friends with people who always put Jehovah first in their lives.

Jehovah always use to give us what we need to raise our family. I always try to do my part. The experience I had in the forest when I was single special pioneer taught me to plan ahead of time for our material needs. But sometimes, even if we try our best, we were still not able to get everything we need. When it happen like that, that Jehovah use to help us. For example, during the late 1980’s and the early 1990’s, war was in Suriname. During that time, it was hard to get the small-small thing them we needed. But Jehovah continue to provide for us.​—​Matt. 6:​32.

Throughout our life, Jehovah always been taking care of us and been helping us to be happy and satisfy. Our children them really make us happy, and we grateful that we raise them to serve Jehovah. We happy that they decided to serve in full-time service too. Ethniël and Giovanni na graduate from theocratic schools and they and their wife them serving in Suriname branch.

Ethel and myself getting old now, but we still serving as special pioneers. In fact, we so busy that I still looking for time to learn how to swim! But I not get any regret. To talk the truth, when I look back, I feel that my decision to serve Jehovah in full-time when I was young, that the best decision I ever made.