I was born in 1955, and I was the last born among my brothers. I grew up near the south part of Finland. Now-now they call that city Vantaa.

Few years before I was born, my ma got baptize as one of Jehovah Witnesses. But my pa was against the truth and he not use to allow my ma to study the Bible with us or carry us to the meetings. So she use to teach us basic Bible truths when my pa not around.

From the time I was small, I always obey Jehovah. For example, when I was seven years old, my teacher got vex with me because I refuse to eat verilättyjä (The Finnish bread they can fix with blood). She use one hand to squeeze my jaw to open my mouth. Then she take the fork with her other hand and take piece of the bread to force it in my mouth. Some kind na way I manage to knock the fork from her hand.

When I was 12 years old, my pa pass away. After that, I started going to the meetings. The brothers in the congregation were kind and they show interest in me, and it help me to get more close to Jehovah. I started reading the Bible every day and taking time to study the publications good-good. Because of this, I was able to get baptize on August 8, 1969 when I was 14 years old.

 Soon I finish high school, I started regular pioneering. In few weeks time, I move to Pielavesi, near the center of Finland, to serve where they need more people to preach.

In Pielavesi I met Sirkka, the girl who was coming be my dear wife. The thing that made me to like her that because she was humble and she really love Jehovah. She was not running behind material things or trying to be popular. Two of us really wanted to do our best to serve Jehovah no matter the type of assignment we get. We marry on March 23, 1974. Instead of going on honeymoon, we went straight to Karttula to serve where they really needed more people to preach.

When we just got marry, Jehovah show us that he will give us the things we need if we put his Kingdom first. (Matt. 6:33) For example, in Karttula, we were not having car. First, we use to use bicycle to travel. But during the cold season, the place use to get too cold. To preach in the congregation big territory, we needed car. But we were not having money to buy it.

One day, my big brother gave us surprise visit. He was kind to us by giving us his car. He already pay the insurance. So we only needed to buy fuel. After that, we were having the car we needed.

Jehovah show us that he was giving us the things we need. Our work was to just put the Kingdom interest first.

In 1978, when we were in the Pioneer Service School, one of our teachers name Raimo Kuokkanen, a encourage us to apply for Gilead School. We started learning English so that just in case we qualify we can attend. But in 1980, before we could apply, we were invited to serve in the branch office in Finland. That time, Bethelites was not allow to apply for Gilead. But we wanted to serve anywhere Jehovah wanted us to serve and not where we wanted to serve him. So we accept the invitation. But we still continue studying English just in case we get the opportunity to apply for the school.

 Few years later, the Governing Body gave Bethelites the opportunity to apply for Gilead school. Right away, we fill the form but it was not because we were not happy with our assignment in Bethel. But it was because we just wanted to make ourselves available to serve where they need more people to preach if we qualify. They invited us to go to Gilead and we graduated from the 79th class in September 1985. They assign us in Colombia.

In Colombia, they first assign us to the branch office. I try to do my best in my assignment, but after one year in the branch, I felt that we needed different assignment. That was the first and only time in my life, I ask for different assignment. After that, they assign us as missionaries to the city of Neiva, in the area call Huila.

I always been enjoying the field service. When I was single pioneer in Finland, sometime I use to preach from soon in the morning to late in the evening. When we got marry newly, me and Sirkka also use to spent the whole day in field service. When we go preach in places that far from our house, sometime we use to sleep in the car. It help us to start preaching soon the next day because we were not spending more time to travel.

Now we missionaries and we were having the same zeal we were having before in the preaching work. Our congregation grew, and the Colombian brothers and sisters use to show love and they were respectful and grateful.

No Jehovah Witness were in other towns that were close to Neiva where we were serving. I was really worry about how the good news will reach to this area them. But because of war, this area them were not safe for people who were not from the town. So I pray that someone in one of this towns will be Jehovah Witness. I was thinking that the person will need to live in Neiva to learn the truth. So I also pray that when the person get baptize and become mature Christian, they will go back to the town they coming from to preach. I suppose to know that Jehovah was having better solution than the way I was thinking.

It not stay long, I started studying the Bible with one young man name Fernando González. He was living in Algeciras, one of the towns where they were not having any Jehovah Witness. Every week, Fernando use to travel over 50 kilometers (30 mi) to go work in Neiva. He use to prepare good-good for the study and he started going to all the meetings right away. From the first week Fernando started studying, he use to put other people together in his hometown to teach them what he na learn from his Bible study.

Fernando got baptized in January 1990, six months after he started studying. After that, he started regular pioneering. Since they were having one local Jehovah Witness in Algeciras now, it was safe for the branch  office to send special pioneers to the area. In February 1992, they form one congregation in that town.

You think Fernando only preach in his hometown? No! After he got marry, he and his wife move to San Vicente del Caguán, one other town where they were not having any Jehovah Witness. They help to form one congregation there. In 2002, they appoint Fernando as circuit overseer, and he and his wife, Olga, still in the circuit work.

From this experience, I learn how it important to pray about particular things concerning assignments we get in Jehovah organization. Jehovah can do what we not able to do because the preaching work for him.—Matt. 9:38.

In 1990 they assign us in the traveling work. Our first circuit was in the capital city, Bogotá. We were feeling scare because of this assignment. Me and my wife were common people who were not having any special talents. And we were not use to living in city where people were always busy. But Jehovah fulfill his promise in Philippians 2:13. It say: “God is the one who for the sake of his good pleasure energizes you, giving you both the desire and the power to act.”

Later on, they assign us to one circuit in the area call Medellín, the city I talk about from the beginning. The people there got use to other people fighting in the street, so it never use to bother them. For example, one time when I was conducting Bible study in one house, people started shooting at each other outside. I was about to lay down on the floor, but my Bible student continue reading the paragraph, just like nothing was happening. When he finish reading, he went outside. After sometime, he came back with his two small children and with calm voice he say, “Sorry o, but I had to go for my children.”

We pass through some other situations that put our life in danger. One time when we were preaching from house to house, my wife came running to me and she was looking too scary. She say somebody shoot at her. What she say made me jerk. Later on, we got to know that not Sirkka the man wanted to shoot, but he was shooting one man that was passing right side her.

After some time, we never use to be too scary when people fighting on the street. We were encourage by the way the local brothers and sisters never give up when they were facing situation like this and even situations that worse pass this one. We knew that since Jehovah was helping them, he will also help us. We always use to follow the advice the local elders use to give us. We use to be careful and put our trust in Jehovah.

That true, some situations were not dangerous like the way we were thinking. One time, while preaching to somebody in their house, I hear sound like two women shouting and cussing each other outside. I never wanted to go outside to see them  making palaver, but the householder told me to come on the porch. When we go look, the “argument” was between two birds call parrots that were talking like the neighbors.

In 1997, I was assign to teach the Ministerial Training School. b I always use to be grateful to attend schools the organization arrange but I never imagine having the wonderful privilege to teach one of this schools.

Later on, I serve as district overseer. When they stop that arrangement, I went back to the circuit work. So for more than 30 years, I na enjoy serving as teacher and traveling overseer. This assignment them give me plenty blessings. But things was not always easy. Let me explain.

I get strong personality. This one na help me to go through some hard situations. But sometime, I use to be having too much zeal to correct things in the congregation. One time, I was rough in telling some brothers to learn to be loving and reasonable with other people. But the funny thing that, it was in situations like this that I myself was not showing the same qualities.—Rom. 7:​21-23.

Sometime, I use to be feeling discourage because of my weaknesses. (Rom. 7:24) One time, I pray to Jehovah that it will be alright for me to leave the missionary work and go back to Finland. That evening, I attended one congregation meeting. The encouragement I got from there, convince me that I must stay in my assignment and continue working on my weaknesses. Up to now, when I think about the way Jehovah clearly answer that prayer, it can really touch my heart. Also, I really grateful for the way he take his time to help me to overcome my weaknesses.

Me and Sirkka really grateful to Jehovah for giving us the privilege to spent most of our life in full-time service. Also, I really grateful to Jehovah for giving me wife who loving and faithful for all this years.

I will soon be 70 years old and I will stop serving as teacher and traveling overseer. But this one not making me feel bad. Why? Because I really convince that the main thing that can honor Jehovah that to be modest, grateful and serve him with love from our heart. (Mic. 6:8; Mark 12:​32-34) We not need to get special assignment before we can honor Jehovah.

When I think about the assignments that I na enjoy, I got to know that I not receive them because I was better pass other people, or because I get any special ability. But Jehovah gave me this assignment them because of his undeserved kindness. Even though I get some weaknesses, Jehovah still gave this assignment them to me. I know that it was only because of Jehovah help I was able to do this assignment them. Because of this I can say, God power help me overcome my weaknesses.—2 Cor. 12:9.