Laef Story

Mifala No Lusim Assignment

STORY BILONG HERMANN BRUDER

Samting for mi disaedem hem klia nomoa: serve faevfala year insaed French Foreign Legion or kamap prisoner long Morocco. Bae mi explainim olketa samting wea lead go long diswan.

MI BORN long Oppenau, Germany, long 1911, thrifala year bifor World War I hem start. Dadi and mami bilong mi, Joseph and Frida Bruder, garem 17-fala pikinini. Mi mek-13 pikinini bilong tufala.

Memory from taem mi smol yet hem abaotem army band wea march long homtaon bilong mifala. From mi laekem tumas datfala music wea olketa march followim, mi followim olketa wea pleim instrument go long station and mi lukim Dadi and olketa nara man wea werem army uniform go insaed train. Taem train go, samfala woman givim big krae. Bihaen, priest bilong mifala givim longfala sermon long church and readim aot nem bilong fofala man wea dae for kantri bilong olketa. “Distaem olketa long heven,” hem sei. Wanfala woman wea standap klosap hem foldaon haf dead nao.

Dadi kasem typhoid fever taem hem faet long Russia. Hem barava wik taem hem kasem bak hom and admit stretawe long hospital. Priest sei long mi: “Go long chapel saed long cemetery and talem Lords Prea 50-fala taem and 50-fala Hail Mary prea. Then, dadi bilong iu bae gud bak moa.” Mi followim advaes bilong hem bat Dadi hem dae long nextfala day. Nomata for wanfala young boy, datfala war givim barava bigfala pain.

Hao Mi Faendem Truth

Midolwan year 1919 and 1939, hem hard for faendem waka for selen long Germany. Bat bihaen  mi lusim skul long 1928, mi kamap garden boy long Basel, Switzerland.

Olsem Dadi, mi strongfala Catholic. Goal bilong mi hem for kamap Capuchin monk long India. Taem brata bilong mi, Richard, wea long datfala taem hem Jehovah’s Witness, herem disfala plan, hem kam long Switzerland for trae and mekem mi change mind. Hem warnim mi abaotem danger bilong wei for trust long olketa man, especially olketa bigman bilong church, and encouragem mi for readim and trustim Bible nomoa. Nomata mi daot lelebet, mi kasem wanfala Niu Testament and start for readim. Isisi mi start for luksavve olketa biliv bilong mi no wan mind witim teaching bilong Bible.

Wan Sunday long 1933, taem mi stap long haos bilong Richard long Germany, hem introducem mi long wanfala hasband and waef wea tufala Jehovah’s Witness. Taem tufala savve mi readim Bible, tufala givim mi buklet The Crisis. * Mi readim disfala buklet go kasem klosap midolnaet. Mi barava luksavve mi faendem truth nao!

Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Basel givim tufala buk bilong Studies in the Scriptures * long mi, witim olketa magasin and nara pablikeson. From mi laekem wanem mi readim, mi go long priest long datfala area and ask for hem aotem nem bilong mi from church register. Datfala priest kamap kros tumas and warnim mi hao mi insaed danger for lusim faith. Bat opposite nao hem tru. For firstaem long laef bilong mi, mi start for mekem grow trufala faith.

Olketa brata long Basel plan for go ovarem border long datfala weekend, long France. Wanfala long olketa brata explainim long mi long kaenfala wei hao bae mi no go bikos mi just start for kaban witim kongregeson. Mi no givap bat talemaot wei wea mi barava want for start preach. Bihaen hem story witim nara elder, hem assignim mi long wanfala territory long Switzerland. Early Sunday morning, mi raedem bicycle bilong mi go long smolfala vilij klosap long Basel, witim 4-fala buk, 28-fala magasin, and 20-fala brochure insaed basket bilong mi. Staka pipol bilong vilij attendim service taem mi arrive. Nomata olsem, kasem 11 klok, basket bilong mi emti nao.

Taem mi talem olketa brata mi laek for baptaes, olketa story gud witim mi and askem mi olketa deep kwestin abaotem truth. Mi barava tinghae long strong and loyal fasin bilong olketa long Jehovah and organization bilong hem. From hem coldfala season, wanfala brata baptaesim mi long wanfala big basin for swim long haos bilong wanfala olo. Mi rememberim bigfala hapi and strong wea mi feelim. Datwan hem long 1934.

Waka Long Kingdom Farm

Long 1936, mi herem hao Olketa Jehovah’s Witness baem pis land long Switzerland. Mi offer for waka long garden. Mi hapi tumas taem olketa askem mi for waka long Kingdom Farm long Steffisburg, samting olsem 30 kilometer from Bern. Long taem mi fit for duim mi helpem olketa narawan witim waka bilong olketa long farm tu. Bethel teachim mi wei wea hem important for waka tugeta witim wan mind.

Nambawan samting for mi long Bethel hem taem Brata Rutherford visitim farm long 1936. Taem hem lukim big bilong olketa tomato and hao garden grow gud, hem smile and talemaot hapi bilong hem. Hem wanfala naesfala brata!

 Bihaen mi waka long farm for winim thrifala year, wan morning olketa readim aot wanfala leta wea kam from headquarters bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long United States. Datfala leta strongim wei wea preaching waka hem barava important and olketa invaetem eniwan wea laek for serve long nara kantri olsem pioneer. Mi no hol bak, and volunteer. Long May 1939 mi kasem assignment—Brazil.

Long datfala taem, mi attendim olketa meeting long Thun Kongregeson, klosap long Kingdom Farm. Long olketa Sunday, wanfala grup bilong mifala go preach long olketa ples long olketa maunten long Alps, wea hem tek tu hour for kasem long bicycle from Thun. Margaritha Steiner hem wanfala long grup. Mi kasem wanfala tingting: Jesus hem sendem olketa disaepol bilong hem tu-bae-tu! Taem mi storyim long Margaritha hao olketa assignim mi go long Brazil, hem sei hem tu laek for serve long ples wea garem bigfala need. Mitufala marit long July 31, 1939.

Stop Long Ples Mifala No Expectim

Mifala sail from Le Havre, France, long end bilong August 1939, go for Santos, Brazil. Evri rum for marit pipol fulap so mitufala stap long tufala difren rum. Long disfala gogo, mifala herem nius hao Great Britain and France startim war againstim Germany. Taem olketa herem diswan, 30-fala German passenger start singim nao German national anthem. Diswan mekem captain kros tumas so hem changem gogo bilong ship and go long Safi, Morocco. Olketa passenger wea garem olketa German travel pepa mas aot from ship insaed faev minute. Mitufala tu insaed diswan.

For full day mifala stap long police station and then olketa putim mifala insaed wanfala old bas and tekem mifala go long wanfala prison long Marrakech, samting olsem 140 kilometer awe. Mifala go insaed barava hard taem. Prison hem fulap tumas and dark. Toilet wea evriwan sharem—wanfala hol long floor—hem evritaem blok. Each wan long mifala kasem wanfala dirty bag for sleep antap, and long naet, olketa rat kaikaim bihaen leg bilong mifala. Olketa servem kaikai tufala taem evriday insaed tin wea rasta.

Wanfala bigman bilong army hem explainim long mi hao, sapos mi agree for serve faev year insaed French Foreign Legion, bae olketa releasem mi. Mi no agree and from diswan olketa putim mi insaed barava rabis ples for 24 hour. Klosap full taem hia mi prea nomoa.

Bihaen eitfala day, olketa bigman bilong prison letem mi lukim Margaritha moa. Hem thin tumas, and hem barava krae. Mi duim best bilong mi for encouragem hem. Olketa kwestinim mitufala and then tekem mitufala go long Casablanca long train, wea olketa releasem Margaritha. Olketa sendem mi go long wanfala prison camp long Port Lyautey (distaem Kenitra), samting olsem 180 kilometer awe. Olketa bilong Swiss gavman advaesem Margaritha for go bak long Switzerland, bat long loyal wei hem no want for lusim mi. Insaed tufala month wea mi stap long Port Lyautey, hem kam evriday from Casablanca for visitim mi and tekem kam kaikai for mi.

Wanfala year bifor diswan, Olketa Jehovah’s Witness releasem wanfala buk wea garem title Kreuzzug gegen das Christentum (Crusade Againstim Christian Wei) for mekem pipol savve hao Olketa Witness nating joinim olketa Nazi. Taem mi insaed prison camp, branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Bern raet go long olketa bigman long France, and sendem tu datfala buk for trae for pruvim hao mitufala no Nazi. Margaritha duim gudfala waka tu for visitim olketa bigman bilong gavman and trae for pruvim long olketa wei wea mitufala no duim eni rong. Gogo, long end bilong 1939, olketa letem mitufala for lusim Morocco.

Taem mifala gogo for Brazil moa, mifala herem hao olketa boat bilong Germany go ahed for attakim olketa ship long Atlantic sea and hao mifala bae main target. Nomata ship mifala insaed, Jamaique, hem kago ship, hem garem olketa gun long front and long bak. Long daytaem, captain mekem ship for no go stret,  and hem evritaem sutsut witim olketa big gun bilong ship. Long naet mifala offem evri laet for mekem olketa bilong Germany no lukim mifala. Mifala hapi tumas for kasem Santos, Brazil, long February 6, 1940, winim faevfala month bihaen mifala lusim Europe!

Insaed Prison Moa

Firstfala preaching assignment bilong mitufala hem Montenegro, wea stap long Rio Grande do Sul, wanfala taon long south bilong Brazil. Olketa bigman bilong church savve finis abaotem kakam bilong mitufala. Bihaen mitufala preach for tufala hour nomoa, olketa police arrestim mitufala and tekem olketa phonograph record wea garem olketa Bible sermon long hem, evri literature, and tu camel-skin bag wea mitufala baem long Morocco. Wanfala priest and wanfala minister wea savve long German languis weitim mifala long police station. Tufala herehere taem chief bilong police hem pleim wanfala long olketa tok bilong Brata Rutherford long gramophone bilong mifala, wea hem tekem from mifala tu. Brata Rutherford barava tok stret! Taem hem kasem part wea hem storyim Vatican, feis bilong datfala priest kamap red witim kros and hem go aot from rum.

Followim wanem bishop bilong Santa Maria hem askem, olketa police muvim mifala go long Pôrto Alegre, kapitol bilong Rio Grande do Sul. No longtaem bihaen, Margaritha kamap free and hem askem help from olketa wea waka saed long gavman bilong Switzerland. Olketa advaesem hem for go bak long Switzerland. And for mek-tu taem moa, hem les for lusim mi. Margaritha hem wanfala barava loyal waef. Thirti day bihaen olketa kwestinim mi and then releasem mi. Olketa police sei mitufala savve lusim kantri insaed tenfala day or “feisim panis.” Followim direction bilong olketa long headquarters long Brooklyn, mitufala go long Rio de Janeiro.

“Plis Readim Disfala Card”

Nomata mifala startim preaching waka long Brazil long disfala hard wei, mifala hapi tumas! Mifala laef, bag bilong mifala hem fulap moa witim olketa literature, and mifala garem full Rio de Janeiro for preach long hem. Bat hao nao bae mifala preach taem mifala no mas savve yet long Portuguese languis? Thru long wei for iusim olketa testimony card. “Por favor,  leia este cartão” (“Plis readim disfala card”) hem firstfala toktok mifala lanem for iusim long preaching waka. And hem barava win! Insaed wan month nomoa, mifala givimaot winim 1,000 buk. Planti wea acceptim Bible literature bilong mifala acceptim truth bihaen. For tok stret, olketa pablikeson givim witness wea moabeta winim wanem mifala savve talem. Diswan strongim long mi wei wea hem important for pipol wea interest for kasem olketa pablikeson bilong iumi.

Long datfala taem Rio de Janeiro nao kapitol bilong Brazil, and olketa wea waka insaed olketa gavman building nao barava welkamim message bilong mifala. Mi kasem privilege for witness long minister bilong finance and minister bilong armed forces. Long olketa taem hia, mi lukim klia pruv bilong waka bilong spirit bilong Jehovah.

Wantaem, taem mi preach long pablik ples long Rio, mi go insaed long Palace of Justice. Mi go insaed wanfala rum wea fulap witim olketa man wea werem blak kaleko and hem luk olsem wanfala funeral ceremony nao go ahed. Mi go long wanfala man wea luk olsem bigman and givim hem testimony card bilong mi. No funeral nao go ahed. Mi disturbim nao wanfala kot case wea go ahed, and mi story long judge. Hem laf taem hem mek-saen go long olketa gard for no duim eniting. Long kaenfala wei hem acceptim buk Children * and givim contribution. Taem mi go aot, wanfala gard hem point go long big saen long door: Proibida a entrada de pessoas estranhas (Tambu for Eni Stranger Kam Insaed).

Nara gudfala ples for preach hem wharf. Wantaem, mi meetim wanfala man wea waka long ship wea hem acceptim olketa pablikeson. Bihaen, mitufala meet moa long wanfala assembly. Full famili bilong hem acceptim truth, and hemseleva muv ahed gud. Datwan mekem mitufala barava hapi.

Bat, no evriting go gud olsem. Six-month visa bilong mifala hem finis, and luk olsem olketa bae aotem mitufala from kantri. Bihaen mifala raet go long headquarters abaotem disfala problem, mifala kasem wanfala loving leta from Brata Rutherford, wea encouragem mifala for no givap and talem samfala idea long wanem for duim. Mifala laek for stap long Brazil, and witim help bilong wanfala lawyer, mitufala kasem permanent visa long 1945.

Assignment for Longfala Taem

Bat, bifor diswan, son bilong mitufala Jonathan hem born long 1941, Ruth long 1943, and Esther long 1945. For kea for need bilong famili bilong mitufala, mi need for waka for selen. Margaritha go ahed for preach full-taem go kasem taem mek-thri pikinini hem born.

Evritaem, mifala waka tugeta olsem wanfala famili for preach long olketa pablik ples long taon, long olketa train station, olketa street, and long olketa bisnis area. Long olketa Saturday naet, mifala givimaot Wastaoa and Wekap! tugeta, and olketa taem hia hem olketa barava hapi taem.

Long haos, evri pikinini garem waka for duim. Jonathan garem waka for klinim stove and kitchen. Olketa girl klinim ice box, swipim area, and polishim olketa shoe. Diswan helpem olketa for lanem wei for organize and  lane for no stap nating. Distaem, olketa pikinini kamap pipol for waka hard and lukaftarem gud haos and olketa samting bilong olketa, wea mekem mitufala Margaritha barava hapi.

Mitufala laekem olketa pikinini for garem gudfala fasin long olketa meeting tu. Bifor meeting start, olketa drinkim wan glass wata and go long toilet. Long taem bilong meeting, Jonathan sidaon long left saed bilong mi, Ruth long raet saed bilong mi, and then Margaritha, and long raet saed bilong hem, Esther. Diswan helpem olketa for lisin gud and kasem spiritual kaikai taem olketa barava young.

Jehovah blessim hard waka bilong mitufala. Evri pikinini bilong mifala go ahed for servem Jehovah long faithful wei and join witim hapi long preaching waka. Distaem, Jonathan hem serve olsem elder long Novo Méier Kongregeson, Rio de Janeiro.

Kasem 1970, evri pikinini marit and lusim haos, so mitufala Margaritha disaed for muv go and serve long ples wea garem need. First ples mifala kasem hem taon bilong Poços de Caldas, long Minas Gerais State, wea long datfala taem garem wanfala smol grup bilong 19-fala Kingdom pablisa. Mi sorre tumas taem mi lukim meeting ples bilong olketa—wanfala rum andanit haos wea no garem window and barava need for olketa fixim. Stretawe, mifala start for luk for wanfala Kingdom Hall wea moabeta, and no longtaem bihaen faendem wanfala building wea luk naes and wea stap long gud ples. Hem barava moabeta! Foa and haf year bihaen, namba bilong olketa pablisa hem grow kasem 155. Long 1989 mifala muv go long Araruama, long Rio de Janeiro, and serve long there for naenfala year. Insaed disfala taem mifala lukim tufala niu kongregeson kamap.

Reward From Wei for No Lusim Assignment

Long 1998, health problem and wei for laek stap klosap long olketa pikinini kosim mitufala for muv go long São Gonçalo, Rio de Janeiro. Mi still serve long there olsem wanfala kongregeson elder. Mifala duim best for share evritaem long preaching waka. Margaritha savve hapi for witness long pipol long wanfala supermarket klosap, and kongregeson kaen tumas for keepim for mitufala samfala territory wea klosap long mifala, mekem hem moa isi for mifala for preach fitim health.

Mitufala Margaritha servem Jehovah for winim 60 year nao. Mitufala barava lukim hao ‘nomata gavman or samting wea stap distaem or samting wea kamap bihaen or paoa or eni hae samting or eni deep samting or eni nara creation no fit for separatem iumi from love bilong God wea stap insaed long Christ Jesus, Lord bilong iumi.’ (Romans 8:38, 39) And hem barava hapi samting for lukim waka for hipimap olketa “nara sheep” hem go ahed, wea olketa garem nambawan hope bilong laef olowe long wanfala perfect earth, midolwan long evri naesfala creation bilong God! (John 10:16) Taem mifala arrive long 1940, Rio de Janeiro garem wanfala kongregeson nomoa, witim 28-fala pablisa. Distaem, samting olsem 250 kongregeson and winim 20,000 Kingdom pablisa nao stap.

Samfala chance kamap wea mifala fit for go bak long olketa famili bilong mifala long Europe. Bat assignment bilong mifala from Jehovah hem long hia long Brazil. Mifala hapi tumas mifala no lusim!

[Olketa Footnote]

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Long Kingdom Farm, Steffisburg, Switzerland, long olketa last year bilong 1930 (Mi nao long end long left saed)

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No longtaem bifor mitufala marit, 1939

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Casablanca long olketa year bihaen 1940

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Preaching olsem wanfala famili

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Share evritaem insaed long ministry distaem