Jump go content

Skip go table of contents

LIFE STORY

I Don Really Enjoy to De Learn About Jehovah and to Teach People About-am

I Don Really Enjoy to De Learn About Jehovah and to Teach People About-am

WHEN I still dey young for Easton wey dey Pennsylvania for U.S.A., my plan na to go university and become important person for life. When I dey secondary school, I de enjoy to learn, and I know mathematics and science well-well. For 1956, one organization wey de defend the right of people give me 25 dollars because for all the black students, na me get the best result. But after some time, my plan for life change. Why?

HOW I LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH

Small time after 1940, my papa and mama start to study Bible with Jehovah Witness people. But after some time, they stop to study Bible, but my mama continue to collect Watchtower and Awake! from their hand. For 1950, Jehovah Witness people do international convention for New York City, and my family go that convention.

Small time after the convention, one brother wey e name na Lawrence Jeffries, start to study Bible with us. E really help me learn the truth about Jehovah. When we just start the study, I tell Brother Jeffries say I no like-am as Jehovah Witness People no de support politics and join army. I still tell-am say if everybody for America no gree go fight war, enemy go attack us, take over the whole country and make us slave. But Brother Jeffries sofri ask me say: “If everybody for America de worship Jehovah and enemy come attack them, wetin you think say Jehovah go do?” The way e answer this question and other questions wey I ask, really help me correct the way I de think. This one really help me like to learn more about the truth for Bible.

The day wey I baptize

I take time read plenty old Watchtower and Awake! wey my mama keep for where we de keep things. Small time, I see say na the truth I de learn, that one make me gree make Brother Jeffries de study Bible with me. I still start to go meeting everytime. I really love wetin I de learn for Bible, so I become publisher. My plan for life change when I learn say, “The great day of Jehovah don near.” (Zeph. 1:14) This one make me no want go university again, instead I want help people learn the truth for Bible.

I finish secondary school for June 13, 1956, and three days later, I baptize for one circuit assembly. I be no really know say I go enjoy plenty blessing if I use all my life learn about Jehovah and teach other people about-am.

I LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH AND TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT-AM WHEN I DE PIONEER

I start to de pioneer six months after I baptize. The December 1956 Kingdom Ministry get one part wey the topic na, “Can You Serve Where the Need Is Great?” I tell myself say I go fit do-am. I really want help congregation wey no too get people to preach.​—Matt. 24:14.

I pack go Edgefield wey dey South Carolina. Na only four publishers dey the congregation, as I join them, we come be five. Na one brother parlor we de use do meeting. And I de report 100 hours every month. I really busy that time because I de give talk for the congregation and de arrange how the preaching work go be. The sweet thing be say the more I de do this things, the more I de learn about Jehovah.

One woman wey I study Bible with get mortuary for one town wey them de call Johnston, wey no too far from where we de stay. The woman give me part-time work and still allow us use one of e house as Kingdom Hall.

When Brother Jolly Jeffries, wey be the son of the brother wey study Bible with me, pack from Brooklyn, New York to where I de stay, we start to pioneer together. And we stay inside one small house wey one brother give us.

To make money for south really hard. Na two or three dollar them de pay for one day work. One day, I use my last money buy food for one store, when I come out, one man come meet me and ask me say: “You go like to work? I go pay you one dollar for one hour.” E say make I de clean one construction site, three days every week. E just dey clear to me say Jehovah want make I continue to stay for Edgefield. Even with the small money wey I get, I still go the international convention wey they do for New York City for 1958.

The day wey we marry

For the second day of the international convention, something wey dey special happen. I meet sister Ruby Wadlington wey be regular pioneer for Gallatin wey dey Tennessee. As e be say two of us like missionary work, we go the Gilead meeting wey them do for that convention. Small time, we start to write letter to each other. When they invite me to give talk for their congregation wey be Gallatin congregation, I use the opportunity tell-am say make e marry me. I later move to Ruby their congregation and we marry for 1959.

I LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH AND TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT-AM FOR CONGREGATION

I dey 23 years when they make me congregation servant (now we de call-am coordinator of the body of elders) for Gallatin congregation. Na we be the first congregation wey brother Charles Thompson visit when e become circuit overseer. Even though say e sabi plenty things, e still de ask me wetin I think about wetin the brothers need and how other circuit overseers de handle things. I learn from-am say e good to ask questions and know everything about any matter before I make decision.

For May 1964, they invite me go Kingdom Ministry School for South Lansing, wey dey New York and the training na for one month. The brother wey train us for the school help me get strong love to learn about Jehovah and continue to make my friendship with-am tight.

I LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH AND TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT-AM FOR CIRCUIT AND DISTRICT WORK

For January 1965, me and my wife Ruby start to do circuit work. And the circuit wey they give us really big. E start from Knoxville wey dey Tennessee, almost go reach Richmond wey dey Virginia. Some congregation for North Carolina, Kentucky, and West Virginia still dey for our circuit. Na only black congregation I de visit because for the south side of USA, black and white people no de do things together. For the circuit, many of the brothers poor, so we de share the things wey we get with people wey need help. One brother wey don be circuit overseer for long time teach me one important lesson, e talk say: “Make you be their brother. No do like oga when you de visit any congregation. You go fit help them only if they see you as their brother.”

When we visit one small congregation, my wife Ruby start to study with one young woman wey get one-year-old girl. When nobody for the congregation fit study with the young woman, Ruby use letter continue to study with-am. When we visit the congregation again, the woman come all the meeting. When two sisters wey be special pioneer join the congregation, they continue the study and after small time, the woman baptize. For 1995 wey be 30 years after, one young sister come greet Ruby for Bethel, wey dey Patterson. The sister na the one year old pikin of that woman wey Ruby study with that time. The sister and e husband na student for the 100th class of Gilead School.

Our second circuit na the middle part of Florida. By this time, we need motor so we buy one cheap one. But that week, the water pump no work, and we no get money to repair-am. I tell one brother make e help us repair-am, so e tell one of e worker to repair the motor but e no collect any money. The brother just talk say: “Forget about the money.” E even dash us some money. Wetin the brother do na better example of how Jehovah de care for e servant. And this one teach me and my wife say make we de help people.

Anytime wey we visit congregation, we dey stay for brothers house. And this one don make us get plenty good friends. One day, I start to type report about the congregation, but I leave the report for the typewriter when I de comot for house. The family wey we de stay with get one small pikin wey dey three years. When I come back that evening, I see say the small pikin don press different things for the typewriter, e be like say e be want help me finish the report wey I be de type. I use-am joke with-am for many years.

For 1971, I receive one letter from branch office say make I become district overseer for New York City. This one really surprise me and my wife! That time, na 34 years I dey. Na me be the first black district overseer for New York City. So when I reach there, the brothers really welcome me well.

As I be district overseer, I really enjoy to de teach brothers and sisters about Jehovah every weekend for circuit assembly. Many of the circuit overseer wey dey there sabi many things pass me. Na even one of them give my baptism talk. Another one na Brother Theodore Jaracz, wey later become Governing Body member. Many other brothers still dey there wey de serve for Brooklyn Bethel, and this brothers sabi many things. I really happy say the circuit overseer them and the Bethelites no make me fear. This one really make-am clear to me say this brothers really trust the Bible and de support Jehovah organization with all their heart. I really enjoy my district overseer work because them dey humble.

I BECOME CIRCUIT OVERSEER AGAIN

For 1974, Governing Body make another group of circuit overseer be district overseer, and them make me circuit overseer again, but this time na for South Carolina. And that time black and white brothers and sisters fit de do meeting together and this one really make us happy.

Around the end of 1976, they send me to go serve as circuit overseer for some congregation wey dey between Atlanta and Columbus for Georgia. I still de remember when I give the burial talk of five black children wey die when some men put fire for their house. The fire injure the mama, and them carry-am go hospital. Many black and white brothers and sisters go visit the mama and papa for hospital to make their mind come down. I really see say the brothers get strong love. I don see say when people wey de serve Jehovah de show this kind love, e de help us fit face problem wey we feel say big pass us.

I LEARN ABOUT JEHOVAH AND TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT-AM FOR BETHEL

For 1977, branch office say make we come Brooklyn Bethel to work for some months. When the work don de finish, two Governing Body member come meet me and my wife and ask us if we go like to continue to work for Bethel. We say yes.

I work for Service Department for 24 years. This na department wey brothers de try to settle serious matter and answer hard questions. Governing Body don give us many things from Bible wey de help us. And we de use this things when we de answer the hard questions and still de use-am train circuit overseers, elders and pioneers. And this one don help many of this brothers and sisters make their friendship with Jehovah really strong. And this one de make Jehovah organization strong.

From 1995 to 2018, they send me go different-different branch office to encourage them as person wey Governing Body send. Before, na zone overseer we de call-am. I de talk to Branch Committee members, Bethelites, and missionary to encourage them and help them if them get any problem. And the brothers and sisters still de encourage us when them tell us their story. For example, for the year 2000 we visit the brothers for Rwanda. E really touch us when we hear how the brothers and the Bethel family survive the Civil War wey kill plenty people for Rwanda for 1994. Many of their family and friend die for the war. Even with the plenty things wey them face, this brothers still show say them get strong faith, trust Jehovah and still de happy.

The day wey make-am 50 years wey we marry

Now me and my wife don pass 80 years. And e don pass 20 years now wey I don de serve as Branch Committee member for United States branch. I no go university, but I don get the best training from Jehovah and e organization. And this training don help me to fit teach other people truth from Bible wey fit give them life wey no go end. (2 Cor. 3:5; 2 Tim. 2:2) I don see how this truth from Bible don make people life better and make them get tight friendship with Jehovah. (Jas. 4:8) Me and my wife like to use any chance wey we get to encourage other people to value the opportunity wey them get to learn about Jehovah and to teach people about-am. And to learn about Jehovah and to teach people about-am na e be the biggest opportunity wey any servant of Jehovah fit get!