1-2. As e dey for Proverbs 16:31, how we suppose see our faithful old brothers and sisters? (b) Which questions we go answer for this topic?

E GET one place for America wey people de visit and they fit see diamonds for ground. But they never do this diamonds to shine so that people go fit use them for jewelry. Because of this one, plenty people wey de see the diamonds fit no know say na precious things they see, and they fit just waka pass-am.

² For some ways, our faithful old brothers and sisters be like this diamonds; them dey precious! Bible talk say their white hair be like crown. (Read Proverbs 16:31; 20:29) But, e fit no easy for us to see the value wey they get. When people wey never old really know say old people dey important, they go gain something wey money no go fit buy. For this topic, we go answer three questions: Why faithful old brothers and sisters really dey important to Jehovah? Why them dey important to Jehovah’s organization? Wetin we fit do to really gain from their example?

3. As e dey for Psalm 92:12-15, why our old brothers and sisters really dey important to Jehovah?

³ Jehovah no de take our old brothers and sisters play at all. E know the kind people wey they really be, and e value their fine-fine character. Jehovah de glad when old people de teach young people the sense wey they don gain for all the many years wey they don serve Jehovah well. (Job 12:12; Prov. 1:1-4) And Jehovah no fit forget as them de endure. (Mal. 3:16) They don face problems for life, but this  one no shake their faith for Jehovah. Their hope for future dey strong now pass as e be when they first learn the truth. And Jehovah love them because they continue to talk about e name “even for old age.”—Read Psalm 92:12-15.

4. Wetin fit encourage our old brothers and sisters?

⁴ If old age don de come, make you know say Jehovah remember the work wey you don do for past. (Heb. 6:10) You don support the preaching work with all your power, and that one make our Papa for heaven glad. You don endure problems, even the ones wey really touch you reach your bone. You don obey the laws for Bible, and you don support the truth. You don do different-different work for Jehovah’s organization and you do them well, and you don train people. As many change de happen for Jehovah’s organization, you don do your best to follow them. You don support and encourage other people for full-time service. Jehovah God really love you because you no leave e side. E promise say “e no go leave the people wey hold-am tight”! (Ps. 37:28) E promise you say e “go continue to support you” until you old. (Isa. 46:4) So, make you no think say because old age don come, you no dey important again for Jehovah’s organization. No be so, your value still high!

5. Which thing old people suppose remember?

⁵ Old people dey important to Jehovah’s organization for many ways. Even though say they fit no get power as they get before, they don get plenty experience for the many years wey they don serve Jehovah. Jehovah fit continue to use them for different-different ways. The examples for Bible time and for our time wey we go talk about, show say this one na true.

6-7. Give examples of old people for Bible wey Jehovah bless because they no leave e side.

⁶ For Bible, we get better examples of faithful people wey continue to work for Jehovah even for old age. For example, Moses dey about 80 years when e begin serve as prophet and leader wey Jehovah choose for Israel people. Daniel fit don  pass 90 years, but Jehovah continue to use Daniel as prophet. And maybe when Jehovah use apostle John to write the book of Revelation, John go don pass 90 years.

⁷ Plenty other faithful people fit no dey popular or people fit no even notice them. But, Jehovah notice them and e bless them because they no leave e side. For example, Simeon for Bible “worship God and e dey righteous.” But na only small thing Bible talk about Simeon. Even with that one, Jehovah know who Simeon be, and e give Simeon the honor to see baby Jesus and talk things wey go happen for future about the pikin and e mama. (Luke 2:22, 25-35) Another example na Anna for Bible wey be prophet and wey e husband don die. Even though say e dey 84 years, “e de always go temple.” Jehovah bless Anna because e de always go temple, and e allow Anna see baby Jesus. Simeon and Anna dey precious to Jehovah.—Luke 2:36-38.

8-9. How sisters wey their husband don die de help for Jehovah’s organization?

⁸ For our time, plenty faithful old brothers and sisters na better example for our young people. Make we talk about the example of Sister Lois Didur. Na only 21 years this sister dey when e begin serve as special pioneer for Canada. After, Lois and e husband wey e name na John, spend plenty years for traveling work. And after that one, they serve for Canada Bethel for more than 20 years. They give Lois and e husband another assignment for Ukraine, and that time Lois dey 58 years. Wetin they go do? They go decide say they don too old to go serve for another country? They accept the assignment, and John serve as Branch Committee member for there. After seven years, John die. But Lois decide say e go continue for e assignment. Now, Lois dey 81 years. E still de serve Jehovah well with the Bethel family for Ukraine, and everybody love Lois no be small.

⁹ Like Lois, people fit no de really notice sisters wey their husband don die, the way them de notice them when their husband dey alive. But this sisters still really dey important. Sisters wey don support their husband for many years and still continue to hold Jehovah tight, Jehovah no de use them play at all! (1 Tim. 5:3) Them de encourage our young people too.

10. Which better example Tony show us?

¹⁰ Plenty old people wey de live alone or de live for place like nursing home, still dey important to us. For example, one brother wey e name na Tony de live for that kind place. E baptize for one place for America for August 1942 when e dey 20 years. Small time after e baptize, they say make e join army. Because e no gree, they  put the brother for prison for two and half years. Brother Tony and e wife wey e name na Hilda, get two children wey they train to serve Jehovah. Tony don serve as presiding overseer (wey we know now as coordinator of the body of elders) for three congregations and as circuit assembly overseer. E conduct Bible study with people for one prison, and e do meeting with them. Even as Tony dey 98 years now, e never tire to work for Jehovah. E de do e best to serve Jehovah with the brothers and sisters for e congregation!

11. How we fit show say people wey de live alone or de live for place like nursing home, dey important to us?

¹¹ How we fit show say we de honor old people wey de live alone or for place like nursing home? When e dey possible, make elders help them for things like to attend or listen to meeting, and to preach. We fit show say we care about them when we de visit them or de invite them for video call. E fit be say the place wey them de care for some of this old people dey far from their congregation. Because of this one, we want give special care to this kind old people. If we no dey careful, we fit forget this our old people. E fit no dey easy for some of them to talk about theirself, or they fit think say that kind thing no dey okay. But we go really gain when we take time to ask them questions, and listen when them de talk about the things wey they don enjoy as them de serve Jehovah for e organization.

12. Which kind brothers and sisters we fit see for our own congregation?

¹² We fit surprise to see say better examples of faithful old people dey our own congregation. One sister wey e name na Harriette serve Jehovah well for many years for e congregation for America. Then e pack go live with e daughter. Brothers for e new congregation take the time to know this sister and they see something wey money no fit buy. E encourage them with different-different story about how the preaching work be when e first learn the truth around 1925. That time, e de always carry toothbrush de go preaching because they fit arrest-am anytime. For 1933, this sister spend one week for prison two times. That time, even though say e husband no be Witness, e de support the sister. When Sister Harriette dey for prison, e husband care for their three young children. The truth na say, we suppose honor our faithful old people like Harriette!

13. Wetin we don learn about the way old people dey important reach for Jehovah’s organization?

¹³ Our old brothers and sisters really dey important to Jehovah and e organization. They don see how Jehovah don bless e organization for different-different ways, and how e don bless them too. They don learn important things from the mistakes wey they don make. Make you de see them as “place wey sense de pour come out from,” and learn from them. (Prov. 18:4) If you take time know them, your faith go strong more-more and you go learn plenty things!

14. Wetin Deuteronomy 32:7 encourage people wey never old to do?

¹⁴ Make nobody tell you before you talk with our old brothers and sisters. (Read Deuteronomy 32:7.) They fit no de see well again, they fit no de waka fast again, and they fit no de talk well again, but  they still want do more. And they don get “good name” with Jehovah. (Eccl. 7:1) Remember why them dey important to Jehovah. Continue to honor them. Be like Elisha. E no gree leave Elijah for the last day wey them dey together. Elisha talk three times say: “I no go leave you.”—2 Ki. 2:2, 4, 6.

15. Which kind questions you fit ask old brothers and sisters?

¹⁵ De ask our old brothers and sisters questions to show say you really care about them. (Prov. 1:5; 20:5; 1 Tim. 5:1, 2) Ask questions like: “Wetin make you really believe say you don see the truth?” “How the things wey you don face for life help you to near Jehovah more?” “Wetin don help you continue to dey happy as you de serve Jehovah?” (1 Tim. 6:6-8) Then listen to them as them de talk their story.

16. When old person and young person de talk with each other, how they fit gain?

¹⁶ When old person and young person talk with each other, the two of them de gain. (Rom. 1:12) You wey be young person go dey sure more-more say Jehovah de care for e people, and the old brother or sister go feel your love. E go dey happy to tell you how e don get blessings from Jehovah.

17. Why we fit talk say as time de go, our faithful brothers and sisters wey don old de fine more-more?

¹⁷ Beauty de fade when person don de old. But when person hold Jehovah tight, the person go de fine more-more as time de go. (1 Thess. 1:2, 3) Why that one correct? Because for the many years wey they don de serve Jehovah, they don allow e spirit to train them and help them get fine-fine character. The more we de know our dear brothers and sisters wey don old, de honor them, and de learn from them, the more we go de see say they be like precious thing wey money no go fit ever buy!

18. Wetin we go talk about for the next topic?

¹⁸ No be only when young people de see old people as important people, congregation de strong more. Congregation still de strong more when old people de see young people as important people. For the next topic, we go talk about how old people fit show say young people for congregation dey important for their eye.