Laef Story

Nomata Mi Kasem Sorre, Mi Satisfae Witim Laef Bilong Mi

STORY BILONG AUDREY HYDE

Insaed winim 63 year wea mi insaed full-taem ministry—59 year long headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness—mi fit for sei mi satisfae witim laef bilong mi. Hem tru, taem mi lukim first hasband bilong mi hem isisi dae from cancer and mek-tu hasband hem safa from nogud samting bilong Alzheimer’s disease, mi barava sorre. Bat mi laek talem iu hao mi go ahed for hapi nomata mi kasem olketa hard taem hia.

MI GROWAP long wanfala farm klosap long smol taon bilong Haxtun long flat area long northeast Colorado, klosap long spialaen bilong Nebraska. Mi mek-faev long sixfala pikinini bilong Orille and Nina Mock. Russell, Wayne, Clara, and Ardis born midolwan 1913 and 1920, and mi born long year bihaen. Curtis hem born long 1925.

Long 1913, Mami hem kamap wanfala Bible Student, wea datwan hem nem bilong olketa Jehovah’s Witness long datfala taem. Gogo full famili kamap Witness tu.

Gudfala Living

Dadi hem man wea interest tumas long olketa niu idea and wei for duim samting. Mifala garem electric laet long evri building bilong mifala long farm, samting wea no staka pipol garem long datfala taem. Mifala garem tu olketa samting hia long farm—egg from kokorako wea mifala feedim, and milk, cream, and butter from olketa buluka bilong mifala. Mifala iusim olketa horse for waka long land and mifala plantim strawberry and potato, and tu wheat and corn.

 Dadi hem ting strong long wei wea mifala olketa pikinini shud lane for waka. Nomata bifor mi start for skul, mi kasem training for waka long farm. Mi rememberim taem bilong hot season wea mi houm graon long garden bilong mifala. Mi savve ting: ‘Wanem taem nao bae mi finisim bigfala waka hia?’ Mi savve swet fogud, and olketa bee savve nilam mi. Samfala taem mi feel sorre for miseleva bikos olketa nara young wan no need for waka hard olsem mifala. Bat for tok stret, taem mi ting bak long taem mi pikinini, mi hapi from mi lane for waka.

Mifala evri pikinini garem assignment. Ardis savve tumas for kasem milk from olketa buluka winim mi, so waka bilong mi nao for klinim haos bilong olketa horse, wea hem for aotem siti bilong olketa. Nomata olsem, mifala garem hapitaem and taem for plei tu. Ardis and mi join insaed wanfala softball team long area bilong mifala. Mitufala pleim olketa difren position insaed long datfala team.

Olketa naet wea skae hem klia fogud hem luk naes tumas long flat land wea mifala stap. Staka thousand star mekem mi tingim Creator bilong iumi, Jehovah God. Nomata taem mi pikinini, mi savve tingim Psalm 147:4, wea sei: “Hem [Jehovah] kaontem namba bilong olketa star; hem kolem evriwan long nem bilong olketa.” Long staka klia naet olsem, dog bilong mifala wea nem bilong hem Judge, bae kam sidaon witim mi. Staka taem mi savve sidaon long varanda bilong mifala long aftanun and lukluk long olketa field bilong green wheat taem wind hem blow, wea sun mekem olketa luk olsem silver.

Gudfala Example Bilong Mami

Mami bilong mi hem wanfala loving waef. Dadi nao evritaem hed bilong famili, and mami teachim mifala for respectim hem. Long 1939, hem tu kamap wanfala Jehovah’s Witness. Mifala savve Dadi lovem mifala nomata hem mekem mifala waka hard and no givim mifala evriting mifala laekem. Staka taem, long taem bilong cold, hem putim wanfala cart long olketa horse and mifala go raed. Mifala barava enjoyim snow wea shaen tumas!

Nomata olsem, Mami nao teachim mifala for lovem God and respectim Bible. Mifala lanem hao nem bilong God hem Jehovah and hem nao Datwan wea Startim laef. (Psalm 36:9; 83:18) Mifala lanem tu hao hem givim instruction, no for aotem hapi bilong mifala, bat for helpem mifala. (Isaiah 48:17) Mami hem evritaem talem mifala hao mifala garem wanfala spesol waka for duim. Mifala lanem hao Jesus talem olketa follower bilong hem: “Olketa bae talemaot disfala gud nius bilong kingdom evriwea long earth for givim witness  long evri nation; and then end bae kam.”—Matthew 24:14.

Taem mi pikinini, sapos mi kam bak from skul and mami no stap long haos, mi bae go luk aotem hem. Wantaem, taem mi six or seven year, mi faendem hem long haos for keepim olketa animal. Then big rain foldaon. Mifala long ples for keepim kaikai bilong olketa animal, and mi askem hem sapos God bae mekem nara Flood kam. Hem talem mi hao God promis bae hem nating distroem earth witim flood moa. Mi rememberim tu staka taem wea mifala savve ran go long rum andanit haos, bikos long tornado, wankaen big wind wea savve kam samfala taem.

Nomata bifor mi born, mami hem join insaed long preaching waka. Wanfala grup savve meet long haos bilong mifala, wea evriwan garem hope for stap witim Christ long heven. Nomata wei for preach from haos tu haos hem wanfala challenge for Mami, love bilong hem for God mekem hem winim datfala wei for fraet. Hem faithful go kasem taem hem dae long November 24, 1969, taem hem 84 year. Mi sei olsem long hem: “Mami, iu bae go long heven, and iu bae stap witim olketa wea iu savve long olketa.” Mi hapi tumas from mi stap witim Mami taem hem dae and talemaot wei wea mi sure hem bae kasem datfala hope! Hem tok smol olsem long mi, “Iu kaen tumas long mi.”

Mifala Start for Preach

Long 1939, Russell hem kamap wanfala pioneer, hem nem bilong olketa Jehovah’s Witness wea full-taem for talemaot gud nius. Hem pioneer long Oklahoma and Nebraska go kasem 1944 taem hem kasem invitation for waka long world headquarter bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness (wea garem nem Bethel), long Brooklyn, New York. Mi start for pioneer long September 20, 1941, and waka long olketa difren ples long Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska. Mi enjoyim olketa year hia wea mi pioneer, no from mi savve helpem nara pipol for lane abaotem Jehovah nomoa bat tu from mi lane for depend long hem.

Taem Russell start for pioneer, Wayne, wea bin waka for lelebet taem hem stap long college long north east part bilong United States. Bihaen, hem kasem invitation for go long Bethel. Hem waka for samfala year long Kingdom Farm, klosap long Ithaca, New York. Long there olketa growim kaikai for smol famili wea stap long there and tu for 200 wakman wea stap long Brooklyn Bethel. Wayne iusim savve bilong hem long service bilong Jehovah go kasem taem hem dae long 1988.

Sista bilong mi Ardis maritim James Kern, and tufala garem faevfala pikinini. Hem dae long 1997. Nara sista bilong mi, Clara hem stap faithful long Jehovah kam kasem distaem, and taem mi holiday, mi savve visitim hem long haos bilong hem long Colorado. Last born brata bilong mifala, Curtis, hem kam long Brooklyn Bethel long 1947. Hem draevem wanfala trak for karem kago and kaikai go and kam long Kingdom Farm. Hem nating marit and hem dae long 1971.

 Samting Mi Barava Laekem—Bethel Service

Olketa big brata bilong mi go long Bethel firstaem, and mi laekem tumas tu for go long there. Mi sure nambawan example bilong olketa nao reason why mi kasem invitation for go long Bethel. Taem mi lisin long mami bilong mi story abaotem history bilong organization bilong God and miseleva lukim olketa Bible profesi abaotem olketa last day fulfill, diswan mekem grow feeling bilong mi for barava laek for serve long Bethel. Mi promis long Jehovah insaed prea sapos hem letem mi serve long Bethel, mi bae nating lusim Bethel, bat only sapos mi mas fulfillim olketa Bible responsibility.

Mi arrive long Bethel long June 20, 1945, and mi kasem assignment for waka olsem wanfala housekeeper for klinim olketa rum. Mi mas klinim 13-fala rum, and stretem 26 bed evriday, and tu, klinim olketa corridor, step, and window. Hem hard waka. Evriday taem mi waka, mi sei olsem long miseleva, ‘Hem tru, iu feel taed, bat iu long Bethel, haos bilong God!’

Maritim Nathan Knorr

Start kam long olketa year bilong 1920, olketa Bethelite wea want for marit mas lusim Bethel and serve long nara ples. Bat start long olketa year bilong 1950, samfala hasband and waef wea serve long Bethel for samting olsem tenfala year savve marit and go ahed stap long Bethel. So taem Nathan H. Knorr, wea leadim Kingdom waka evriwea long world long datfala taem hem interest long mi, mi ting, ‘Diswan hem samwan wea bae stap long Bethel!’

Nathan garem staka responsibility taem hem lukaftarem waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness evriwea long world. So hem barava honest long mi, and talem mi staka reason why mi mas tingting gud bifor mi sei yes for maritim hem. Long datfala taem, hem savve gogo staka taem for visitim olketa branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long world and hem savve go for staka week. So hem explainim long mi hao mitufala bae stap separate staka taem for longfala taem.

Taem mi young girl, mi tingim bae mi marit midolwan March go kasem May and holiday long olketa island bilong Hawaii long Pacific. Bat mifala marit long cold season, long January 31, 1953, and mifala honeymoon long Saturday aftanun and Sunday long New Jersey. Long Monday mifala start for waka moa. Nomata olsem, wanfala week bihaen, mitufala go honeymoon for wan week.

Partner wea Waka Hard

Nathan hem 18 year taem hem kam long Bethel long 1923. Hem kasem gudfala training from olketa wea garem savve olsem Joseph F. Rutherford, wea leadim waka bilong olketa Witness long datfala taem, and brata wea overseer long factory for print, Robert J. Martin. Taem Brata Martin dae long September 1932,  Nathan kamap overseer long printery. Long year bihaen diswan, Brata Rutherford tekem Nathan witim hem taem hem visitim olketa branch bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness long Europe. Long January 1942 taem Brata Rutherford dae, Nathan hem kasem responsibility for overseer long waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness evriwea long world.

Nathan hem evritaem plan for future. Samfala tingse diswan hem no fitim bikos olketa ting end bilong disfala system hem klosap nao. Wanfala brata wea lukim olketa plan bilong Nathan askem hem stret olsem: “Diswan hem for wanem, Brata Knorr? Waswe, iu no garem eni faith?” Nathan ansa olsem: “Yes, mi garem, bat sapos end no kam kwiktaem olsem wanem iumi expectim, bae iumi redy nao.”

Wanfala idea wea Nathan barava biliv strong long hem nao for startim wanfala skul for olketa missionary. So, long February 1, 1943, olketa startim wanfala missionary skul long Kingdom Farm, ples wea brata bilong mi Wayne hem waka long datfala taem. Nomata skul hem wanfala deep study course for faev month, Nathan mek sure olketa student garem hapitaem tu. Long taem skul hem just start, hem savve pleim game witim olketa tu, bat bihaen hem no plei from hem ting nogud hem garekil and datwan bae stopem hem for attendim olketa distrik convention. So hem chus for referee nomoa. Olketa student hapi tumas taem hem savve changem olketa rul bilong game for sapotim olketa student wea kam from difren kantri.

Gogo Witim Nathan

Gogo, mi start for go witim Nathan long olketa nara kantri. Mi enjoyim tumas wei for sharem olketa experience witim olketa branch volunteer and missionary. Mi lukim seleva love and loyal fasin bilong olketa, and tu schedule and living bilong olketa long kantri wea olketa stap insaed. Long staka year wea go pas, mi kasem olketa leta wea pipol sei thankiu for taem mifala visitim olketa.

Taem mi ting bak long olketa gogo bilong mifala, mi tingim staka experience. Olsem example, taem mifala visitim Poland, tufala sista go ahed story smol long each other taem mi stap witim tufala. Mi askem tufala, “Why nao iutufala story smol?” Tufala sei sorre long mi, and explainim hao tufala getius for story smol from waka bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem tambu long Poland and police putim microphone long haos bilong olketa Witness for herehere long story bilong olketa.

Sista Adach hem wanfala long staka wea serve taem waka hem tambu long Poland. Hem garem curly hair and hem mekem hair kavarem forhed bilong hem. Wantaem hem apim hair bilong hem and showim mi wanfala big mark long forhed, wea hem kasem from wanfala man whipim hem. Mi seke tumas for lukim raf wei wea pipol deal witim olketa brata and sista bilong iumi.

Bethel nao hem ples wea mi laekem winim eni nara ples, and Hawaii nao mek-tu ples. Mi rememberim wanfala convention long there long taon bilong Hilo long 1957. Hem wanfala important taem, and namba wea attend hem winim namba bilong olketa Witness long there. Mayor bilong datfala taon hem welkamim Nathan. Staka pipol nao kam for welkamim mifala, and putim flaoa long nek bilong mifala.

Narafala barava spesol convention hem long Nuremberg, Germany, long 1955, wea olketa hipap long ples wea bifor olketa soldia bilong Hitler savve march front long bigfala crowd. Staka pipol savve hao Hitler talem promis for finisim pipol bilong Jehovah long Germany, bat distaem datfala stadium hem fulap witim Olketa Jehovah’s Witness! Mi no savve holem krae bilong mi nao. Stage hem barava big and long bihaen part bilong stage hia hem  garem 144 bigfala post. Mi standap long stage and savve lukim bigfala audience wea winim 107,000. From hem farawe tumas, mi no savve lukim klia olketa wea sidaon long last laen.

Mifala savve feelim faithful fasin bilong olketa brata long Germany and strong wea olketa kasem from Jehovah long taem wea olketa kasem persecution anda long rul bilong Nazi. Datwan strongim wei wea mifala disaed strong for loyal and stap faithful long Jehovah. Nathan givim lastfala tok, and taem hem finis, hem wave for sei baebae long audience. Stretawe olketa baebae go bak long hem witim eni pis kaleko olketa holem. Hem luk olsem wanfala garden bilong olketa naesfala flaoa.

Samting wea mi no savve forgetim tu hem taem mifala visitim Portugal long December 1974. Mifala attendim first meeting bilong olketa Witness long Lisbon bihaen gavman aotem tambu long waka bilong iumi long there. Olketa stap anda long tambu for 50 year! Nomata 14,000 nomoa pablisa bilong Kingdom long datfala kantri long datfala taem, winim 46,000 nao kam long tufala meeting wea kamap. Eye bilong mi fulap long wata taem olketa brata sei: “Iumi no need for haed moa. Iumi free.”

Start from taem wea mi gogo witim Nathan kam kasem distaem, mi enjoyim enitaem witnessing—long aeroplane, long ples for kaikai—and street witnessing. Mi evritaem tekem literature mekem mi redy. Wantaem taem mifala weitim wanfala aeroplane wea delay, wanfala woman askem mi wea nao mi waka. Datwan lead go long wei for story witim hem and olketa narawan wea sidaon klosap wea lisin kam. Bethel service and preaching waka wea mi duim hem mekem mi busy and hapi tumas.

Sik and Lastfala Encouragement

Long 1976, Nathan hem kasem sik cancer, so mi, and samfala Bethel famili member helpem hem for deal witim datwan. Nomata health bilong hem gogo daon, mitufala savve invaetem kam long rum bilong mitufala olketa difren member bilong olketa branch office raonem world wea kam long Brooklyn for kasem training. Mi tingim yet visit bilong Don and Earlene Steele, Lloyd and Melba Barry, Douglas and Mary Guest, Martin and Gertrud Poetzinger, Pryce Hughes, and staka narawan. Staka taem olketa storyim long mifala samfala experience from kantri bilong olketa. Mi laekem tumas olketa experience saed long faithful fasin bilong olketa brata bilong iumi wea stap long kantri wea olketa tambuim waka bilong iumi.

Taem Nathan luksavve hem klosap for dae, hem givim mi gudfala advaes for helpem mi taem mi widow. Hem sei: “Iumi tufala enjoyim hapi marit. Staka pipol no kasem datwan.” Wanfala samting wea mekem marit bilong mitufala hapi hem wei wea Nathan savve tingim feeling bilong narawan. Olsem example, taem mifala meetim olketa difren wan, hem bae sei long mi: “Audrey, sapos samfala taem mi no introducem iu long olketa, hem from mi forgetim nem bilong olketa.” Mi hapi tumas from hem talem mi datwan firstaem.

Nathan talem mi moa: “Bihaen iumi dae, iumi bae kasem hope bilong iumi, and bae iumi no kasem pain moa.” Then hem encouragem mi olsem: “Luk long front, from reward bilong iu long there. No ting abaotem samting wea happen bifor—nomata olketa memory wea iu garem bae go ahed. Gogo sorre bilong iu bae katdaon. No kros or feel sorre for iuseleva. Feel hapi long olketa hapi and blessing hia. Bihaen lelebet taem, bae iu faendem hao olketa memory bae givim iu hapi. Olketa memory olsem present wea God givim long iumi.” Hem sei moa: “Go ahed for busy—trae for iusim laef bilong iu for duim samting for nara pipol. Diswan bae helpem iu for faendem hapi long living.” Gogo, Nathan hem dae long June 8, 1977.

Maritim Glenn Hyde

Nathan talem mi hao mi savve chus for tingim olowe olketa samting wea happen bifor or, mi savve startim niu laef. So long 1978, bihaen mi muv go long Watchtower Farms long  Wallkill, New York, mi maritim Glenn Hyde, wanfala man wea luk naes, kwaet and kaenfala. Bifor hem kamap wanfala Witness, hem waka long Navy taem United States faet witim Japan.

Glenn hem bin waka insaed long engine rum long wanfala PT (patrol torpedo) boat. Noise bilong engine hem mekem hem earpas lelebet. Bihaen long war, hem kamap wanfala fireman. For staka year hem garem olketa nogud dream from samting wea kasem hem long war. Hem lanem truth bilong Bible taem secretary bilong hem witness long hem.

Bihaen, long 1968, Glenn kasem invitation for waka olsem wanfala fireman long Brooklyn. Then, taem Watchtower Farms kasem fire trak bilong olketa, olketa muvim hem go long there long 1975. Gogo hem kasem sik Alzheimer’s. Bihaen mitufala marit for tenfala year, Glenn hem dae.

Hao nao bae mi deal witim diswan? Wise toktok wea Nathan talem mi taem hem savve hem redy for dae hem comfortim mi moa. Mi go ahed for readim moa wanem hem raetem long mi for helpem mi taem mi widow. Mi still savve talem olketa toktok hia long olketa narawan taem partner bilong olketa dae, and olketa tu kasem comfort from advaes bilong Nathan. Tru tumas, hem gud for ting long future olsem hem encouragem mi for duim.

Olketa Brata Evriwea Long World

Wanfala samting wea barava mekem mi garem living wea hapi and satisfae hem olketa gudfala fren bilong mi long Bethel famili. Wanfala nao hem Esther Lopez, wea attendim mek-thri class bilong Watchtower Bible Skul Bilong Gilead long 1944. Hem go bak long Brooklyn long February 1950 for waka olsem wanfala transleita bilong Bible literature long Spanish languis. Staka taem, taem Nathan hem go aot, mitufala Esther savve kaban tugeta. Hem stap long Watchtower Farms. Distaem hem winim 90 year and health bilong hem no mas gud, so olketa long hospital bilong Bethel nao lukaftarem hem.

Long famili bilong mi, Russell and Clara nomoa laef yet distaem. Russell hem winim 90 year and still serve long faithful wei long Brooklyn Bethel. Hem wanfala long olketa first wan wea olketa letem for stap long Bethel bihaen olketa marit. Long 1952, hem maritim Jean Larson, wanfala sista long Bethel tu. Long 1939, brata bilong Jean, Max hem kam long Bethel. Long 1942 hem changem Nathan olsem overseer bilong factory for print. Max hem go ahed distaem for garem bigfala responsibility long Bethel, wea insaed diswan tu for help lukaftarem waef bilong hem Helen wea garem sik multiple sclerosis.

Taem mi ting bak long 63 year insaed long full-taem service bilong Jehovah, mi fit for sei mi garem laef wea mi satisfae long hem. Bethel hem kamap hom bilong mi, and mi go ahed for hapi tumas for serve long hia. Parents bilong mi fit for kasem praise for trainim mifala for tinghae long wei for waka hard, and for garem feeling for laek servem Jehovah. Bat samting wea barava mekem iumi satisfae long laef nao hem hope wea iumi garem for stap witim olketa spiritual brata and sista bilong iumi long paradaes and servem Nambawan Creator bilong iumi datfala only tru God, Jehovah, for olowe.

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Parents bilong mi long wedding day bilong tufala long June 1912

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From left go long raet: Russell, Wayne, Clara, Ardis, mi, and Curtis long 1927

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Standap midolwan Frances and Barbara McNaught, taem mi pioneer long 1944

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Long Bethel long 1951. From left go long raet: Mi, Esther Lopez, and sista-in-law bilong mi, Jean

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Mi and Nathan witim parents bilong hem

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Mi and Nathan long 1955

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Mi and Nathan long Hawaii

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Mi and mek-tu hasband bilong mi, Glenn