Mi born lo Holland lo 1948. Wan year bihaen, famili blo mifala muv go lo São Paulo, Brazil. Parents blo mi evritaem go lo church and mifala famili readim Bible tugeta evri evening. Lo 1959, mifala muv go lo United States, and go stap lo Massachusetts.

Dadi waka hard for lukaftarem mami and mifala sixfala pikinini. For staka year hem duim olketa difren waka. Hem salem olketa samting, wakem olketa road, and gogo hem waka lo wanfala international airline. Famili hapi taem hem kasem disfala waka bikos hem minim mifala savve travel lo staka ples.

Taem mi lo hae skul mi savve ting abaotem wanem mi bae duim bihaen mi finisim skul. Samfala fren blo mi disaed for go lo university and olketa narawan laek joinim army. Mi no laek joinim army bikos mi no laek raoa and mi les for faet tu, so mi disaed for go lo university. Bat wanem mi barava laek for duim hem for helpem pipol, bikos mi tingse datwan bae mekem mi hapi.

Lo university mi interest for studyim hao laef hem start. Mifala lanem evolution and olketa teacher laekem mifala for bilivim hem nao hao laef hem start. Bat samfala samting abaotem evolution no mek sense lo mi, and olketa no savve pruvim staka samting.

Lo university, mifala no lanem olketa standard abaotem wanem hem stret and no stret. Olketa sei main samting nao hem for garem hae mark and gud waka. Mi savve go lo olketa party and traem olketa drug. Datwan mekem mi hapi for lelebet taem bat no helpem mi for iusim gud laef blo mi.

Mi disaed for muv go lo Boston and mi go lo university lo there. Lo taem blo holiday mi savve waka for skul fee blo mi. Lo datfala waka mi meetim wanfala Jehovah’s Witness wea storyim Bible profesi abaotem “sevenfala taem” lo Daniel chapter 4. Hem sei datfala profesi showimaot iumi stap lo olketa last day. (Daniel 4:13-17) Mi luksavve sapos hem gohed storyim Bible witim mi and mi start for bilivim, bae mi mas changem staka samting lo laef blo mi. So mi stop for storyim olketa samting hia witim hem.

Lo university mi duim olketa course wea mekem mi fit for duim volunteer waka lo South America. Mi tingse waka for helpem olketa narawan bae hem gud samting for mi duim witim laef blo mi, bat mi no sure sapos datwan bae mekem mi hapi. So nomata mi no finisim olketa course, mi finis from university.

Lo May 1970 mi muv go lo Amsterdam, lo Holland, for waka lo sem airline wea dadi waka lo hem. Disfala waka mekem mi savve travel lo staka ples, olsem Africa, North and South America, Europe, and Asia. Bat nomata which kantri mi visitim, mi luksavve evri ples garem olketa big problem and no eniwan savve stretem. Datwan mekem mi laek iusim laef blo mi for duim gud samting, so mi go bak lo United States and skul moa lo datfala university lo Boston.

Gogo, mi luksavve wanem mi studyim lo university no helpem mi for wakemaot wanem for duim witim laef blo mi. Mi go lo wanfala teacher blo mi and askem advaes blo hem. Mi sapraes from hem sei mi shud finis lo university stretawe. Mi hapi for herem datwan, so mi finis lo university and no go bak moa.

Mi no hapi witim laef blo mi, so mi disaed for joinim wanfala grup blo olketa young wan wea duim nomoa wanem olketa laekem and no followim eni rul. Mi and samfala fren gogo tugeta for akrosim United States go kasem Acapulco, lo Mexico. Lo there mifala stap witim olketa lo disfala grup, and firstaem hem luk olsem olketa no garem eni problem or wari. Bat gogo mi luksavve diskaen laef no mekem mi hapi, and olketa savve laea and no tingim narawan.

Mi start for ting abaotem samting wea mi laek for duim from taem mi smol yet. Mi laek for peim wanfala boat, then go travel  lo olketa difren ples lo boat blo mi. Tom, wanfala fren blo mi, laek duim sem samting, so mitufala disaed for duim datwan tugeta. Mi laek for faendem wanfala island wea hem olsem paradaes, and bae miseleva mekem olketa rul.

Mitufala Tom go lo Arenys de Mar, klosap lo Barcelona, Spain, wea mitufala peim wanfala old sailing boat. Boat hia hem 31 feet long and hem garem nem Llygra. Mifala waka lo boat hia mekem mifala savve iusim for bigfala gogo blo mifala. Mifala aotem engine and iusim datfala spes for keepim staka wata for drink bikos mifala no need for hariap go lo eni ples. Mifala peim tufala padol wea 16 feet long for iusim taem mifala arrive lo eni harbor for padol kam insaed. Taem evri samting redi, mifala go nao. Plan blo mifala hem for travel go lo Seychelles, lo Indian Ocean, then go followim west coast blo Africa, and raonem datfala Cape of Good Hope, lo South Africa. Mifala luk followim olketa star, map, buk, and olketa nara samting for wakemaot direction. Mi sapraes hao datwan helpem mifala for luksavve lo barava ples wea mifala stap.

Bihaen tu-thri day nomoa, mifala luksavve sailing boat blo mifala no barava gud. Hem start for leak and staka wata kam insaed, samting olsem 22 liter lo evri hour! Olsem mi storyim lo start, taem big rain and wind kamap tu, mi barava fraet and prea lo God. Mi promisim hem sapos mifala no dae, bae mi trae for lane abaotem hem. Gogo weather kamap gud and mifala sef. So mi sei bae mi keepim promis blo mi.

Mi start for readim Bible taem mifala lo boat yet. Mi hapi for stap lo Mediterranean Sea and for lukluk lo olketa fish and dolphin wea jampjamp, and sea and skae nomoa. Lo naet mi savve luk go ap lo staka star lo skae. Evri samting hia mekem mi luksavve God hem stap and hem tingim olketa man.

Bihaen samfala week mifala padol kam insaed lo harbor blo Alicante, Spain. Lo there mifala trae for salem boat, mekem mifala baem narawan, bat hem tek taem for salem bikos hem old, no garem engine, and hem leak! So mi garem staka taem for gohed readim Bible blo mi.

Mi start for luksavve Bible hem buk wea garem staka advaes wea savve helpem iumi for hapi. Bible storyim klia olketa standard wea God expectim pipol for followim, so mi no minim why staka wea sei olketa Christian no followim datwan. Mi tu wanfala lo olketa hia.

Mi disaed for stretem laef blo mi, so mi stop for iusim olketa drug. Mi tingse masbi samfala pipol followim olketa standard blo God wea Bible storyim, and mi laek for meetim olketa. So mi prea lo God moa, and mi askem hem for helpem mi faendem olketa.

Mi tingse hem gud idea for trae faendaot sapos eni religion followim wanem Bible talem. Taem mi wakabaot lo taon blo Alicante, mi lukim staka church. Bat klosap evriwan garem olketa idol, so mi luksavve olketa no followim Bible.

 Lo wanfala Sunday, mi sidaon antap lo smol hill for luk go daon lo harbor and readim Bible. Mi readim James 2:1-5, wea sei olketa Christian shud no favorim pipol wea rich. Taem mi wakabaot go bak lo boat mi lukim wanfala building wea garem saen wea sei: “Kingdom Hall blo Olketa Jehovah’s Witness.”

Mi disaed for go insaed for faendaot sapos olketa hia bae les lo mi bikos mi luk poor. Mi no werem shoe, kaleko blo mi brek, and mi garem beard. Attendant tekem mi for go sidaon witim wanfala olo woman. Hem kaen lo mi and helpem mi for faendem olketa scripture wea speaker storyim. Bihaen lo meeting mi sapraes bikos staka kam hello and tok kaen lo mi. Wanfala man invaetem mi lo haos blo hem for storyim Bible. Mi talem hem mi gohed yet for readim Bible, bat taem mi finisim bae mi kam for story witim hem. Nomata olsem, mi start for attendim evri meeting.

Samfala week bihaen, mi go lukim datfala man and hem ansarem olketa kwestin wea mi garem abaotem Bible. Wan week bihaen hem givim mi staka naes kaleko. Hem sei kaleko hia blo wanfala man wea lo prison distaem bikos hem no joinim army from hem obeyim komand lo Bible for no faet and for lovem narawan. (Aesaea 2:4; John 13:34, 35) Diswan mekem mi luksavve mi faendem nao pipol wea followim olketa standard blo God wea Bible storyim! So mi givap lo datfala idea for faendem wanfala paradaes island and mi disaed for studyim Bible mekem mi minim gud. So mi go bak lo Holland.

Hem tekem mi fofala day for kasem taon blo Groningen, lo Holland. Lo there mi lukaotem waka, so mi go lo wanfala bisnis wea wakem furniture and boss sei for mi fillimap wanfala form. Form garem ples wea askem religion blo man. Mi raetem, “Jehovah’s Witness.” Taem boss blo bisnis readim datwan, mi lukim feis blo hem change. Hem sei, “Bae mi ringim iu.” Bat hem nating duim nomoa.

Mi go lo nara bisnis wea wakem furniture and askem boss sapos hem needim help. Hem ask for certificate and reference leta blo mi. Mi talem hem mi duim waka lo wanfala wooden sailing boat. Mi sapraes taem hem sei, “Iu savve start waka lo aftanun tuday. Bat wanfala samting, mi no laekem  iu for mek trabol lo ples hia bikos mi wanfala Jehovah’s Witness and mi followim olketa Bible principle.” Mi seke lo hem, and mi sei, “Mi tu ia!” Ating from mi garem long hair and beard, hem sei lo mi, “Then, bae mi studyim Bible witim iu!” Mi sei mi laekem datwan. Mi luksavve nao why nara boss no ringim mi. Jehovah ansarem olketa prea blo mi and laekem mi for garem chance for studyim Bible. (Sams 37:4) Mi waka for datfala brata for wanfala year, and lo datfala taem hem study witim mi. Gogo, mi baptaes lo January 1974.

Wanfala month bihaen datwan mi kamap pioneer. Datfala waka mekem mi barava hapi and satisfae. Bihaen nara month, mi muv go lo Amsterdam for joinim wanfala niu grup wea story lo Spanish languis. Mi barava hapi for duim olketa Bible study lo Spanish and Portuguese languis. Then lo May 1975 mi kasem privilege for kamap spesol pioneer.

Wanday, Ineke, wanfala spesol pioneer sista, kam lo Spanish meeting witim Bible study blo hem mekem study hia meetim olketa narawan wea story lo languis blo hem. Mitufala Ineke start for raet lo each other, and gogo mifala luksavve mitufala garem olketa sem goal. Mitufala marit lo 1976 and gohed duim spesol pioneer waka kasem 1982. Lo datfala year mifala kasem invitation for attendim mek-73 class blo Gilead. Bihaen datwan, mifala kasem assignment for duim missionary waka lo East Africa and mifala stap lo Mombasa, Kenya for faevfala year! Lo 1987 mifala kasem assignment for muv go lo Tanzania bikos gavman letem olketa lo there for preach moa. Mifala stap lo there for 26 year bifor mifala kam bak lo Kenya.

Mi hapi tumas from mi garem chance for helpem hambol pipol lane abaotem Bible. Olsem example, firstfala Bible study blo mi lo Mombasa, mi meetim taem mi duim pablik witnessing. Mi givim hem tufala magasin, then hem sei, “Bihaen mi readim finis olketa magasin hia, wanem moa bae mi duim?” Wanfala week bihaen mitufala startim study lo datfala buk You Savvy Stap All-the-way Long Paradise Long Earth, wea olketa releasem lo Swahili languis. Wanfala year bihaen hem baptaes, and no longtaem bihaen datwan hem kamap regular pioneer. Hem and waef blo hem helpem klosap 100 pipol for dedicatem laef lo Jehovah and for baptaes.

Taem mi minim plan blo God for olketa man, mi feel olsem datfala bisnisman wea faendem wanfala pearl wea hem gud tumas winim olketa narawan, and hem no laek for lusim datwan. (Matt. 13:45, 46) Taem mi savve lo truth mi laek helpem olketa narawan for faendem truth tu. Mi and waef blo mi barava luksavve hao Jehovah blessim pipol blo hem, and mitufala hapi tumas from mifala duim gud samting witim laef blo mifala.