MI BORN long Côte d’Ivoire samting olsem 43 year go finis. Taem mi naen year nomoa, mi no grow moa and distaem mi tol kasem wan meter nomoa. Taem dadi and mami luksavve bae mi no grow moa, tufala encouragem mi for waka hard mekem mi no tingim olowe lukluk bilong mi. Mi putim tebol front long haos bilong mifala for marketem frut, and from mi keepim datwan klin, staka pipol kam for peim frut long mi.

Nomata mi waka hard, laef hem no isi. From mi short tumas mi stragol witim staka samting, olsem olketa counter long stoa wea hae tumas. Hem olsem olketa wakem evri samting for pipol wea barava tol winim mi, and datwan mekem mi feel sorre. Bat taem mi 14 year wanfala samting happen wea mekem mi no sorre nao.

Wanday, tufala woman wea Jehovah’s Witness peim frut long mi. Then tufala startim Bible study witim mi. Gogo mi luksavve for lane abaotem Jehovah and plan bilong hem nao important winim samting wea kasem mi. Datwan barava helpem mi. Scripture wea mi laekem tumas hem Psalm 73:28. First part bilong datfala scripture hem sei: “Taem mi fren gud witim God, mi kasem gud samting.”

Seknomoa famili bilong mifala muv go long Burkina Faso, and laef bilong mi barava change. Long hom bilong mi long Côte d’Ivoire evriwan savve long mi bikos olketa lukim mi salem frut. Bat long Burkina Faso, mi wanfala stranger. Pipol lukluk strong long mi. Datwan mekem mi feel shame, so samfala taem mi stap long haos nomoa for tu-thri week. Then mi tingim bak gud samting wea mi kasem taem mi fren gud witim Jehovah. Mi raetem leta long branch office bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness, and olketa sendem wanfala missionary sista wea barava helpem mi. Nem bilong hem Nani, and hem savve kam long motorbike bilong hem for visitim mi.

Olketa road long area bilong mifala savve slippery, and long taem bilong rain, hem mud fogud. Staka taem Nani foldaon from motorbike bilong hem taem hem kam for study witim mi, bat hem no givap. Then hem askem mi for go witim hem long olketa meeting long motorbike bilong hem. Mi luksavve from mi bae lusim haos, pipol bae lukluk strong long mi. And tu, bae hem hard moa for Nani steerim motorbike sapos mi sidaon bihaen. Nomata olsem, mi agree for go  and mi tingim mek-tu part bilong datfala scripture wea mi laekem tumas, wea sei: “Jehovah, wea hem Lord bilong evri samting, hem nao sef ples bilong mi.”

Samfala taem, mitufala Nani foldaon insaed long mud, bat mifala hapi for go long olketa meeting. Olketa long Kingdom Hall no lukluk strong long mi bat olketa showimaot love and smile long mi! Naenfala month bihaen, mi baptaes nao.

Mek-thri part bilong datfala scripture wea mi laekem tumas hem sei: “Mi talemaot evri samting wea iu duim.” Mi savve preaching waka bae barava no isi for mi. Mi tingim yet firstaem wea mi preach long haos tu haos. Olketa pikinini, and olketa bigman tu lukluk strong long mi, followim mi, and actim hao mi wakabaot. Nomata mi feel nogud, mi evritaem tingim olketa tu bae kasem gud samting long Paradaes olsem mi, so mi no givap.

For mekem hem isi for mi duim preaching waka, mi kasem wanfala baesikol wea garem thrifala wheel wea man savve iusim hand for padolem. Pablisa wea mitufala waka tugeta savve pushim mi go ap long olketa hill and then hem jamp kam bihaen long baesikol taem mitufala go daon long narasaed. Firstaem ministry hem hard, bat bihaen, mi start for enjoyim datwan. Gogo long 1998, mi start for regular pioneer.

Mi studyim Bible witim staka pipol, and fofala long olketa baptaes. And tu, wanfala sista bilong mi kam insaed long truth! Taem mi herem hao olketa narawan gohed gud datwan barava encouragem mi. Wanday, taem mi malaria, mi kasem wanfala leta from Côte d’Ivoire. Mi startim study witim wanfala student long university long Burkina Faso and mi askem wanfala brata for study witim hem. Bihaen, datfala student muv go long Côte d’Ivoire. Mi hapi tumas for herem datfala student hem anbaptaes pablisa!

Hao nao mi kasem need bilong mi? Wanfala organization wea helpem olketa wea disable, teachim mi for sewim kaleko. Gogo, wanfala woman wea teachim mi luksavve mi waka gud and disaed for lanem mi for wakem soap. Long haos bilong mi, mi wakem soap for wasim kaleko and soap for swim. Pipol laekem soap bilong mi, and talem olketa narawan for peim tu. Mi iusim motorbike bilong mi wea garem thrifala wheel for tekem go soap long olketa wea orderim.

Sorre samting nao, long 2004, baksaed bilong mi wea bend hem barava pain, gogo mi mas finis from pioneer nao. Nomata olsem, mi duim best bilong mi long ministry.

Pipol sei mi garem naesfala smile. Mi garem staka reason for hapi bikos mi kasem gud samting taem mi fren gud witim God.—Story bilong Sarah Maiga.