Mi born lo December 22, 1929, lo Noville, wanfala smol vilij wea garem naenfala farm klosap lo Bastogne, lo Belgian Ardennes. Mi garem staka naes memory abaotem taem wea mi pikinini and stap lo farm witim parents blo mi. Mi and young brata blo mi Raymond, savve go tekem milk from olketa cow evriday and help for harvestim farm blo mifala. Lo smol vilij wea mifala stap, evriwan savve waka tugeta for helpem each other.

Parents blo mi, Emile and Alice, tufala strong Catholic. Evri Sunday, tufala savve attendim Mass. Bat, lo samting olsem 1939, olketa pioneer from England kam lo vilij blo mifala and givim dadi subscription blo Consolation magasin (wea distaem hem Wekap!). Dadi blo mi kwiktaem luksavve olketa magasin hia storyim truth, and hem start for readim Bible. Taem hem stop for attendim Mass, olketa neiba start for againstim hem and no kaen lo mifala nao. Olketa putim pressure lo dadi for no lusim Catholic religion, and staka taem olketa savve argue witim hem.

Mi sorre for lukim olketa persecutim dadi blo mi. Hem nao why mi talem datfala prea wea mi storyim lo start blo disfala article. Then taem olketa neiba stop for persecutim dadi blo mi, mi barava hapi. Datwan mekem mi barava sure Jehovah hem “Man wea herem olketa prea.”

Nazi Germany attakim Belgium lo May 10, 1940, datwan mekem staka pipol for ranawe from kantri. Famili blo mi ranawe go lo southern France. Lo datfala gogo, hem danger tumas bikos samfala taem mifala go thru lo ples wea olketa army blo Germany and France tufala faet.

 Taem mifala go bak lo farm blo mifala, mifala lukim klosap evri ting wea mifala ownim olketa stealim finis. Only dog blo mifala Bobbie nomoa stap for welkamim mifala. Datwan mekem mi for wonder, ‘Why nao war and wei for safa hem big tumas?’

Lo datfala taem, mifala barava kasem gud samting from visit blo Brata Emile Schrantz, a wea hem wanfala faithful pioneer elder. Hem explainim klia from Bible why iumi safa and ansarem olketa nara kwestin blo mi abaotem laef. Mi start for garem klos frenship witim Jehovah and barava sure hem God blo love.

Nomata war hem no end yet, famili blo mifala hapi for meetim samfala nara Witness. Lo August 1943, Brata José-Nicolas Minet kam lo farm blo mifala for givim wanfala Bible tok. Hem ask, “Hu nao laek for baptaes?” Dadi and mi apim hand. Then mitufala baptaes lo wanfala smol river klosap lo farm blo mifala.

Lo December 1944, army blo Germany hem duim wanfala final attak lo western Europe, wea olketa kolem lo Battle of the Bulge. Mifala stap klosap lo ples wea datfala faet gohed, and for samting olsem wan month, mifala mas haed lo wanfala rum wea stap andanit lo graon. Wanday taem mi kamaot for feedim olketa animal, wanfala bomb kasem farm blo mifala and distroem ruf blo building wea mifala stoarem olketa tings insaed. Wanfala American soldia hem insaed lo haos wea mifala keepim animal, hem singaot kam and sei, “Leidaon!” Mi ran go and leidaon saed lo hem, and hem putim helmet wea hem werem lo hed blo mi for protectim mi.

Bihaen lo war, mifala contact witim wanfala kongregeson lo Liège, wea samting olsem 90 kilometer (56 mi) lo north. Gogo, mifala fit for garem wanfala smol study grup lo Bastogne. Mi start for waka lo wanfala tax bisnis and mi garem chance for studyim law. Afta, mi waka lo wanfala office blo gavman. Lo 1951, mifala organizem wanfala smol circuit assembly lo Bastogne. Samting olsem wan handred pipol nao attend, and wanfala strong spiritual pioneer sista wea nem  blo hem Elly Reuter, hem tu kam. For hem attend, hem mas raedem baesikol blo hem for 50 kilometer (31 mi). Gogo, mitufala fren and engage. Elly hem bin kasem invitation for attendim Gilead Skul lo United States. So hem mas raet go lo world hedquarter for explainim why hem ting hem no fit for acceptim datfala invitation. Brata Knorr, wea leadim waka blo pipol blo Jehovah lo datfala taem, reply and sei hem hope wanday lo future maet Elly and hasband blo hem garem chance for attendim Gilead Skul. Mitufala marit lo February 1953.

Lo sem year, mitufala Elly attendim New World Society Assembly wea kamap lo Yankee Stadium, New York. Lo there, mi meetim wanfala brata wea laek givim mi waka and sei for mi muv go stap lo United States. Afta mitufala Elly prea abaotem datwan, mitufala disaed for no acceptim datfala waka and go bak lo Belgium for sapotim smol grup blo mifala wea garem tenfala pablisa lo Bastogne. Lo year bihaen, mitufala kasem blessing, mitufala garem wanfala baby boy wea nem blo hem Serge. Mitufala sorre tumas from seven months bihaen, Serge sik and hem dae. Mitufala storyim sorre blo mitufala lo Jehovah, and datfala resurrection hope barava strongim mitufala.

Lo October 1961, mi kasem wanfala part-taem waka wea mekem mi fit for pioneer. Bat lo datfala sem day, mi kasem phone kol from branch servant lo Belgium. Hem ask if mi fit for start serve olsem circuit servant (wea distaem olketa kolem lo circuit overseer). Mi ask: “Hao, mitufala savve pioneer firstaem bifor mitufala acceptim disfala assignment?” Olketa sei hem olraet. So afta mitufala pioneer for eit month, mitufala start for duim circuit waka lo September 1962.

Mitufala duim circuit waka for tu years, then mitufala kasem invitation for serve lo Bethel lo Brussels. Mitufala start for waka lo there lo October 1964. Mitufala kasem staka blessing lo disfala niu assignment. Lo 1965, Brata Knorr visitim Bethel blo mifala, and no long taem bihaen, mi sapraes taem olketa appointim mi for kamap branch servant. Bihaen, mitufala Elly kasem invitation for attendim mek-41 class blo Gilead Skul. Wat Brata Knorr talem 13 years go finis hem kamap tru! Afta mitufala graduate, mitufala go bak for serve lo Belgium Bethel.

For staka year, mi iusim savve wea mi garem saed lo law for help for defendim freedom blo iumi for worship lo Europe and olketa nara kantri. (Phil. 1:7) From datwan, mi meetim staka official from winim 55 kantri wea olketa banim or restrictim waka blo iumi. Taem mi introducem miseleva lo olketa, mi no mekhae lo savve blo mi saed lo law, mi savve talem hao mi “wanfala man blo God” nomoa. Mi evritaem prea lo Jehovah for direction, bikos mi luksavve dat “heart blo king [or judge] hem olsem olketa stream wata lo hand blo Jehovah. God directim lo eni ples wea Hem laekem.”—Prov. 21:1.

 Wanfala experience wea mi no savve forgetim, hem taem mi story witim wanfala member blo European Parliament. Staka taem nao mi ask for story witim hem, gogo hem agree. Hem sei, “Mi givim iu faev minute, and no eni extra minute moa.” Mi kwiktaem daonem hed and start for prea. Datfala member ask wat nao mi duim. Mi luk lo hem and sei, “Mi thankiu lo God bikos iu wanfala wakaman blo hem.” Hem ask, “Wat nao iu minim?” Mi showim hem Rome 13:4. Hem blo Protestant church, so datfala scripture mekem hem interest. Wat nao kamaot from datwan? Hem givim mi haf hour for mitufala story, and gud samting kamaot from datfala meeting. Hem even talem hao hem respect waka blo iumi.

For staka year finis, pipol blo Jehovah lo Europe winim staka kot case abaotem wei for neutral, child custody, tax, and staka nara samting moa. Mi kasem privilege for part lo staka kot case hia and mi hapi for lukim hao Jehovah helpem iumi for win. Olketa Jehovah’s Witness winim finis, winim 140 kot case lo European Court of Human Rights.

During lo 1990’s, mi waka witim Brata Philip Brumley, from world hedquarter, and Brata Valter Farneti, from Italy, for helpem olketa brata lo Cuba for garem samfala moa freedom saed lo worship blo olketa, bikos gavman restrictim waka blo iumi lo there. Mi raet for Cuban embassy lo Belgium and then mi meet witim wanfala official wea olketa markem for mitufala storyim datfala issue. During lo olketa first meeting, mifala no fit for solvem olketa misunderstanding wea mekem gavman restrictim waka blo iumi lo there.

Bihaen mifala prea lo Jehovah for direction, mifala ask for sendem 5,000 Bible go lo Cuba and mifala kasem permission for duim datwan. Taem olketa Bible hia kasem olketa brata and no eni problem kamap, mifala luksavve Jehovah hem blessing wat mifala duim. So mifala ask moa for sendem go nara 27,500 Bible, and mifala kasem permission for datwan tu. Mi hapi tumas for part lo datfala waka for helpem olketa brata and sista lo Cuba for kasem own Bible blo olketa.

Mi visitim Cuba staka taem for helpem olketa impruvim legal situation saed lo waka blo iumi lo there. Taem olsem, mi garem chance for help for mekem gud relationship kamap witim staka gavman official.

Lo 1994 winim 1,000,000 pipol nao olketa killim dae lo datfala genocide againstim Tutsi pipol lo  Rwanda. Iumi sorre tumas, olketa killim dae samfala brata and sista blo iumi tu. Organization blo iumi arrangem samfala brata for givim relief supply for olketa brata and sista blo iumi lo there.

Taem mifala arrive lo kapitol taon lo Kigali, mifala lukim hao transleison office and ples for keepim olketa literature, hem garem staka bullet hol lo olketa wall. Mifala herem staka sorre nius abaotem olketa brata and sista wea olketa killim dae witim bush naef. Bat, mifala herem tu staka story blo olketa brata and sista wea showimaot love lo each other. For example, mifala meetim wanfala Tutsi brata, wea wanfala Hutu Witness famili protectim hem taem olketa haedem hem insaed wanfala hol lo graon for 28 days. Lo wanfala meeting lo Kigali, mifala encouragem and comfortim winim 900 brata and sista.

Then mifala akrosim border go lo Zaire (wea distaem hem Democratic Republic of the Congo) for lukaotem staka Witness from Rwanda wea ranawe lo refugee camp klosap lo city blo Goma. Mifala no savve faendem olketa brata, so mifala prea lo Jehovah for helpem mifala. Then mifala lukim samwan hem wakabaot kam, and mifala askem hem if hem savve lo eni Jehovah’s Witness. Hem sei, “Yes, mi wanfala Witness, and mi hapi for tekem iufala go for meetim olketa brata lo relief komiti.” Afta mifala story witim datfala relief komiti, mifala meeting witim samting olsem 1,600 refugee for encouragem and comfortim olketa. Mifala readim tu wanfala leta from Governing Body for olketa. Olketa brata and sista hapi tumas for herem datfala encouraging toktok blo Governing Body wea sei: “Mifala tingim iufala evritaem lo prea blo mifala. Mifala savve dat Jehovah bae no lusim iufala.” Disfala toktok blo Governing Body hem barava tru. Distaem, winim 30,000 Witness gohed hapi for servem Jehovah lo Rwanda.

Lo 2011, beloved waef blo mi Elly hem dae, mitufala bin marit for 58 years. Mi storyim sorre blo mi lo Jehovah and datwan hem comfortim mi. And mi savve kasem comfort tu taem mi storyim gud nius abaotem Kingdom lo olketa narawan.

Nomata mi winim 90 years old, mi still savve go preach evri week. Mi still enjoyim tu wei for helpem Legal Department lo here lo Belgium branch. Mi savve storyim experience blo mi witim olketa narawan, and encouragem olketa young wan lo Bethel famili.

Samting olsem 84 years ago, mi talem first prea blo mi lo Jehovah. Datfala prea hem start lo frenship blo mi witim Jehovah, wea gogo distaem mitufala kamap barava klos fren. Mi hapi tumas dat lo full laef blo mi, Jehovah hem herem olketa prea blo mi.—Ps. 66:19. b