Taem mi winim datfala feeling for daot, mi start for pioneer. And datwan hem openem wanfala door for garem laef wea winim wanem mi expectim. (Eph. 3:20) Bat hao nao gogo datwan kamap. Bae mi storyim.

Mi born lo 1939 lo Berlin, Germany, tu-thri month bihaen World War II hem start. Taem war hem gogo for finis lo 1945, staka taem nao olketa bombim Berlin. Lo wanfala taem, bomb kasem street wea mifala stap so mi and famili ranawe go lo ples for haed. For mifala sef, mifala ranawe go stap lo Erfurt wea hem ples blo mami blo mi.

Mami blo mi barava laek for faendem truth. Hem readim olketa buk wea olketa savveman raetem and duim research abaotem olketa difren religion bat hem nating faendem truth. Lo 1948, tufala Jehovah’s Witness kam lo haos. Mami invaetem olketa and askem staka kwestin. No kasem wanfala hour nomoa, mami talem mi and smol sista blo mi, “Mi faendem truth nao!” No longtaem bihaen, mi, mami and sista blo mi start for attendim olketa meeting lo Erfurt.

Lo 1950, mifala go bak lo Berlin and joinim Berlin-Kreuzberg Kongregeson. Bihaen mifala muv lo nara ples lo Berlin, so mifala joinim Berlin-Tempelhof Kongregeson. Gogo mami baptaes, bat mi hol bak yet. Why nao olsem?

Mi faendem hard for muv ahed bikos mi no man for story. Nomata mi go preaching for tufala year, no enitaem mi story. Bat gogo mi change bikos mi spendem taem witim olketa brata and sista wea no fraet and olketa faithful lo Jehovah. Samfala lo olketa bin stap lo olketa Nazi concentration camp or lo olketa prison lo East Germany. Olketa narawan, putim laef blo olketa lo danger for tekem go literature lo East Germany. Example blo olketa barava encouragem mi. Mi tingim hao sapos olketa hia putim laef blo olketa lo danger and go lo prison bikos lo Jehovah and olketa brata, then mi tu shud trae winim feeling for fraet and hol bak.

 Mi start winim feeling for hol bak for story taem mi joinim wanfala spesol preaching campaign lo 1955. Lo wanfala leta lo Informant, * Brata Nathan Knorr announcem hao datfala campaign hem wanfala lo olketa bigfala campaign wea organization arrangem winim eni nara taem bifor. Hem sei sapos evri pablisa tek part, “then datfala month bae kamap wanfala barava nambawan witnessing campaign winim enitaem bifor.” Datwan hem barava tru! No longtaem bihaen, mi dedicatem laef blo mi lo Jehovah, and lo 1956, mi, dadi and sista blo mi, mifala evriwan baptaes. Bat gogo mi mas mekem nara important disison.

For staka year, mi luksavve pioneer waka nao mi shud duim, bat mi gohed for ting bae mi duim datwan bihaen. Firstaem, mi duim wanfala training lo wei for duim wholesale and import-export trade lo Berlin. Bihaen datwan, mi laek for waka lelebet for kasem moa experience. So lo 1961, mi waka lo Hamburg, wea hem biggest port lo Germany. Taem mi spendem moa taem lo datfala waka, datwan mekem mi ting for leavim firstaem wei for duim full-taem service. So wanem nao mi duim?

Mi barava thankiu lo Jehovah bikos olketa brata wea lovem mi, helpem mi for markem olketa spiritual goal. Samfala lo olketa fren blo mi start for pioneer and olketa showimaot gudfala example. And tu, Brata Erich Mundt, wanfala brata wea stap lo concentration camp bifor, hem encouragem mi for trustim Jehovah. Hem sei lo concentration camp, olketa wea trustim seleva, gogo olketa wikdaon. Bat olketa wea barava trustim Jehovah, olketa gohed faithful and kamap olketa strongfala brata lo kongregeson.

And tu, Brata Martin Poetzinger wea bihaen hem kamap member blo Governing Body, gohed for encouragem olketa brata. Hem sei, “Barava important samting man mas garem hem nao wei for no fraet!” Taem mi ting raonem olketa toktok hia, mi disaed for finis from waka, and lo June 1963, mi start for pioneer. Datwan best disison wea mi mekem! Bihaen tufala month, bifor mi start for lukaotem eni waka moa, olketa invaetem mi for kamap spesol pioneer. Samfala year bihaen, Jehovah givim mi samting wea winim wanem mi expectim. Mi kasem invitation for go lo mek-44 class blo Gilead.

“No kwiktaem for givap lo assignment blo iu,” hem wanfala important samting wea mi lanem, especially from Brata Nathan Knorr and Lyman Swingle. Olketa encouragem mifala for stap lo assignment nomata sapos hem no isi. Brata Knorr sei: “Wanem nao main samting wea bae iu tingim? Mud, olketa insect, wei wea pipol poor tumas? Or bae iu tingim olketa tree, olketa flaoa, and olketa feis wea luk hapi? Iu mas lovem olketa pipol!” Wanday, taem Brata Swingle story raonem reason why samfala brata givap kwiktaem, hem traem best for no krae bat tias fulap lo eye blo hem. Hem mas stop for toktok then traem moa. Datwan barava tasim heart blo mi and mi barava disaed strong for no enitaem mekem Christ or olketa faithful brata blo hem for feel sorre.—Matt. 25:40.

Taem mifala kasem olketa assignment, samfala Bethelite askem wea nao bae mifala go. Taem olketa narawan talem, olketa Bethelite hia givim naes koment, bat taem mi sei: “Congo (Kinshasa).” Olketa kwaet lelebet and sei: “Congo! Bae Jehovah stap witim iu!” Lo datfala taem, staka nius kamap abaotem war, bigfala faet, and pipol killkill lo Congo (Kinshasa). Nomata olsem, mi tingim nomoa wanem mi lanem. No longtaem bihaen graduation lo September 1967, mi, Heinrich Dehnbostel, and Claude Lindsay go lo Kinshasa wea hem kapitol blo Congo.

Taem mifala kasem Kinshasa, mifala lanem French languis for thrifala month. Then mifala flae go lo Lubumbashi, wea bifor olketa kolem lo Elisabethville, wea hem lo border blo Zambia, lo  south saed blo Congo. Mifala muv go stap lo wanfala missionary hom lo datfala city.

Staka ples lo Lubumbashi olketa no preach lo hem yet, so mifala hapi bikos mifala nao first wan for sharem truth witim olketa lo there. Mifala garem staka Bible study winim nao wanem mifala fit for lukaftarem. Mifala witness tu lo olketa man wea waka for gavman or police. Staka respectim Bible and preaching waka blo iumi. From main languis blo pipol lo there hem Swahili, mi and Claude Lindsay lanem tu datfala languis. No longtaem bihaen, mitufala kasem assignment for joinim wanfala Swahili languis kongregeson.

Nomata mifala garem staka naes experience, mifala garem olketa challenge tu. Staka taem, mifala mas deal witim olketa soldia wea drunk and karem gun or olketa police wea laek mek trabol and accusim mifala lo olketa laea samting. Wantaem, wanfala grup blo police karem gun kam insaed missionary hom taem kongregeson garem meeting lo there and olketa tekem mifala lo police station, mifala mas sidaon lo graon go kasem ten o’klok lo naet, then olketa just letem mifala for go.

Lo 1969, mi kasem assignment for duim circuit waka. Lo datfala circuit, mi teistim real laef lo Africa, olsem wei for wakabaot farawe lo olketa road wea mud tumas and wea garem olketa tol grass. Lo wanfala vilij, wanfala kokorako and olketa baby blo hem sleep andanit lo bed blo mi. Mi no savve forgetim hao evri early morning krae blo hem bae wekapem mi taem hem dark yet. Mi savve tingim yet olketa taem wea mi spendem witim  olketa brata for story abaotem truth taem mifala sidaon raonem fire lo olketa evening.

Wanfala bigfala challenge hem for deal witim olketa laea brata wea sapotim datfala Kitawala movement. * Samfala kamap part lo kongregeson and garem tu olketa responsibility. Nomata olsem, from wei blo olketa faithful brata and sista hem difren datwan mekem wei blo olketa laea brata hia for showaot klia. (Jude 12) Gogo, Jehovah klinim olketa kongregeson and bihaen datwan staka moa kam insaed truth.

Lo 1971, mi kasem assignment for waka lo branch office lo Kinshasa, mi duim olketa didifren waka olsem for raetem leta, mekem literature order, and lo service office. Lo Bethel, mi lane for organizem waka lo big kantri wea staka samting no savve waka gud. Samfala taem mifala sendem leta for olketa kongregeson bat olketa kasem bihaen samfala month. Firstaem hem go lo plane, and then lo boat, bat staka taem olketa boat hia savve delay for samfala week bikos olketa boat no savve go thru lo river from olketa plant wea grow insaed hem thik tumas. Nomata olketa challenge olsem kamap, waka hem gohed nomoa.

Mi sapraes for lukim hao olketa brata and sista arrangem bigfala convention nomata olketa no garem staka selen. Olketa katem hill wea white ants wakem for kamap platform, and iusim elephant grass for wakem olketa wall, and olketa rolim and iusim olsem kusun for sidaon. Olketa wakem olketa building lo bambu and iusim mat wea olketa wakem from grass for ruf or tebol. And bikos olketa no garem nila olketa iusim skin blo tree. Mi tinghae lo hao olketa brata and sista kleva tumas and strong for duim olketa samting olsem. Mi barava lovem olketa tumas. Mi missim olketa taem mi lusim olketa for go lo niu assignment.

Lo 1974, olketa assignim mi go lo branch office lo Nairobi, Kenya. Mifala garem staka waka for duim, bikos Kenya branch lukaftarem preaching waka lo 10-fala kantri wea stap klosap. Samfala kantri hia gavman banim waka blo iumi. Staka taem olketa sendem mi lo olketa kantri hia, especially lo Ethiopia wea olketa persecutim olketa brata and sista and olketa feisim barava hard taem. Olketa treatim nogud olketa brata and sista or putim olketa lo prison, and killim dae samfala tu. Bat olketa brata no givap and gohed faithful bikos olketa fren gud witim Jehovah and each other.

Lo 1980, wanfala change kamap wea mekem mi hapi tumas, mi maritim Gail Matheson, wea hem from Canada. Mitufala Gail go lo sem class lo Gilead. And mitufala gohed for raet lo each other. Gail serve lo assignment blo hem olsem missionary lo Bolivia. Bihaen 12 years, mitufala meet moa lo New York. No longtaem bihaen datwan mitufala marit lo Kenya. Mi barava hapi lo Gail bikos hem evritaem garem spiritual tingting and hem satisfae nomoa witim wanem hem garem. Hem gohed for barava sapotim mi and mitufala barava fren gud tugeta.

Lo 1986, mitufala Gail kasem assignment for duim circuit waka and lo semtaem mi serve lo Branch Komiti. Olketa kantri wea stap anda lo Kenya branch tu hem part lo circuit blo mifala.

Mi no forgetim wanfala convention lo 1992 lo Asmara (lo Eritrea) taem olketa no banim yet waka lo datfala ples. Only ples wea mifala faendem for convention hem wanfala big haos for keepim kaikai blo animal, wea aotsaed hem luk nogud and insaed hem worse go moa. Lo day blo convention, mi sapraes for lukim hao olketa brata mekem insaed datfala ples luk naes and fitim worship blo Jehovah. Staka famili tekem kam olketa kaleko for decoratem datfala ples and olketa traem best for kavarem evriting wea no luk gud. Mifala enjoyim datfala naesfala convention wea 1,279 nao attend.

 Lo circuit waka, laef hem barava difren evritaem bikos accommodation hem change evritaem. Wantaem mifala stap lo wanfala naes guest haos lo saedsea and lo narataem mifala stap lo wanfala old haos wea olketa wakem lo olketa haf kapa, and toilet hem stap winim 100 meter from haos. Bat nomata wea nao mifala stap, main samting wea mitufala no savve forgetim hem nao wei for waka witim olketa faithful pioneer and pablisa. Taem mifala kasem next assignment blo mitufala, mifala lusim staka fren wea mifala barava missim tumas.

Klosap lo end blo olketa year lo 1980 and lo start blo olketa year lo 1990, waka blo iumi lo samfala kantri wea Kenya branch lukaftarem hem kamap legal. From datwan, olketa garem branch and kantri office blo olketa seleva. Lo 1993, mifala kasem assignment for go waka lo office lo Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, wea for longtaem olketa banim waka blo iumi bat lo datfala taem gavman acceptim for hem kamap legal.

Jehovah hem blessim waka lo Ethiopia. Staka brata and sista duim pioneer waka. Start lo 2012 winim 20 percent lo olketa pablisa kamap regular pioneer each year. Witim diswan, olketa garem olketa theocratic skul for givim training, and olketa buildim winim 120 Kingdom Hall. Lo 2004, Bethel famili muv go lo niu branch building and lo datfala sem ples olketa garem tu wanfala Assembly Hall, wea datwan hem wanfala bigfala blessing.

Lo olketa year hia, mitufala Gail barava enjoyim wei for fren witim olketa brata and sista lo Ethiopia. Wei wea olketa kaen and lovem mitufala hem samting wea mitufala no savve forgetim. Distaem mitufala mas deal witim olketa problem saed lo health blo mitufala, from datwan mitufala mas change assignment and go stap lo Central Europe branch. Lo hia, olketa barava lukaftarem mitufala gud, bat mitufala barava missim olketa fren blo mitufala lo Ethiopia.

Mifala barava experiencem hao Jehovah nao mekem waka blo hem for grow. (1 Cor. 3:6, 9) Olsem example, lo firstaem wea mi preach lo olketa blo Rwanda wea kam lo Congo for faendem copper, Rwanda no garem eni pablisa yet. Bat distaem winim 30,000 brata and sista nao stap lo datfala kantri. Lo 1967, Congo (Kinshasa) garem samting olsem 6,000 pablisa nomoa. Bat distaem olketa garem samting olsem 230,000, pablisa and winim wan million pipol nao kam lo Memorial lo 2018. Lo evri kantri wea bifor Kenya branch lukaftarem, namba blo olketa pablisa hem kasem winim 100,000.

Winim 50 years go finis, Jehovah iusim olketa brata for helpem mi for start for duim full-taem service. Distaem mi still no man for story, nomata olsem mi lane for barava trustim Jehovah. Wanem mi experiencem lo Africa hem helpem mi for lane for patient and satisfae. Mitufala Gail lovem tumas olketa brata and sista wea kaen tumas lo mitufala, wea faithful nomata olketa kasem hard taem, and wea trustim Jehovah. Mi barava tinghae lo wei wea Jehovah hem kaen tumas and blessim mi winim wanem miseleva tingim.—Sams 37:4.