LONG olketa year wea mi skul, evriting semsem nomoa long datfala taon. Mi skul witim olketa sem pikinini from class 1 go kasem taem mi finis skul. Long datfala taon mi klosap savve long nem bilong evriwan, and olketa tu savve long nem bilong mi.

Olketa smol farm stap raonem datfala taon, Liberty, and corn nao main kaikai wea olketa farmer plantim. Taem mi born, dadi bilong mi hem waka for wanfala farmer. Taem mi teenager, mi lane hao for draevem tractor and mi start for lane hao for duim samfala waka long farm.

Dadi bilong mi hem olo lelebet. Hem 56 year taem mi born, and mami bilong mi 35 year. Nomata olsem, dadi bilong mi hem wanfala healthy and strong man wea laekem tumas for waka hard and hem teachim mifala olketa pikinini for duim sem samting. Hem no kasem staka selen, bat mifala garem ples for stap, kaleko for werem, inaf kaikai, and hem savve spendem taem witim mifala. Dadi 93 year taem hem dae. Mami bilong mi dae taem hem 86 year. No eniwan long tufala worshipim Jehovah. Bat wanfala brata bilong mi nomoa insaed truth and hem elder, and hem faithful for duim datfala waka start from taem wea datfala arrangement kamap long olketa year bilong 1970.

Mami bilong mi hem wanfala lotu woman. Evri Sunday hem savve tekem mifala for prea long Baptist church. Firstaem for mi herem teaching abaotem Trinity hem taem mi 12 year. Mi askem mami bilong mi: “Hao nao Jesus hem Son and Dadi long semtaem?” Hem ansarem mi olsem: “Boy bilong mi, no eniwan savve minim diswan. Iumi no fit for savve long datwan.” Tru nao, mi barava no minim diswan. Nomata olsem, taem mi samting olsem 14 year, mi baptaes long wanfala creek. Olketa daonem mi thrifala taem insaed wata for piksarem Trinity.

Taem mi long hae skul, mi garem wanfala fren wea hem duim boxing for kasem selen, and hem encouragem mi for joinim boxing. So mi start for train, and mi joinim Golden Gloves, wanfala boxing organization. Mi no fit for duim boxing, so bihaen tu-thri taem nomoa, mi stop for duim datwan. Bihaen datwan, mi mas joinim U.S. Army and olketa sendem mi go long Germany. Taem mi long there, olketa komanda bilong mi sendem mi for go lane hao for kamap bigman long army bikos olketa tingse mi fit for kamap leader. Olketa laekem mi for gohed waka long army. Bat mi no laekem datwan, so bihaen tufala year wea mi mas stap long army olketa letem mi for lusim datfala waka long 1956. No longtaem bihaen, mi joinim wanfala army wea barava difren from datwan, army bilong Jehovah.

Long datfala taem, mi tingse hem important for mi act olsem main man. Taem mi lukim olketa man long movie and olketa fren bilong mi act olsem tu, mi tingse datwan hem stret nomoa. Datwan mekem mi ting daonem olketa man wea preach. Bat gogo mi lanem samfala samting wea changem tingting bilong mi. Wanday, tufala young gele stopem mi taem mi draevem car bilong mi go long taon. Mi savve long tufala bikos tufala smol sista bilong hasband bilong big sista bilong mi. Tufala gele hia Jehovah’s Witness. Tufala givim mi olketa Watchtower and Awake! magasin bifor, bat mi ting Watchtower hem hard for minim. Distaem tufala invaetem mi for go attendim Kongregeson Buk Study long haos bilong olketa. Datwan hem wanfala smol meeting for studyim Bible. Mi talem tufala bae mi ting raonem datwan. Bat tufala gele hia smile and sei: “Promis bae iu kam.” So mi sei: “Bae mi kam.”

Nomata mi no laek for go, mi luksavve mi mas go nao bikos mi promis finis. So mi go long datfala naet. Mi barava tinghae long olketa pikinini long there. Mi sapraes tumas for lukim wei wea olketa savve long staka samting abaotem Bible. Nomata mi savve go long church evri Sunday witim mami bilong mi bifor, mi no minim staka samting insaed Bible. Distaem mi barava laek for lanem moa samting, so mi agree for studyim Bible. Bifor mi bin lanem finis hao nem bilong Olmaeti God hem Jehovah. Wantaem wea mi askem mami bilong mi abaotem Olketa Jehovah’s Witness hem tok olsem: “Olketa worshipim wanfala old man wea olketa kolem Jehovah.” Bat taem mi start study hem olsem mi just minim staka samting nao.

Mi luksavve mi faendem truth, so bihaen naen month nomoa, mi baptaes long March 1957. Tingting bilong mi abaotem samfala samting hem change. Olsem example, bifor mi tingse hem important for mi mas main man. Bat mi hapi from mi lanem wanem Bible storyim abaotem hao for kamap gudfala man. From Jesus hem perfect, hem strong and hem garem paoa winim eni nara man. Nomata olsem, hem no  laek join insaed faet, bat “hemi gohed fo hambol nomoa,” olsem Isaiah profesi abaotem. (Aesaea 53:2, 7) Mi lanem hao eniwan wea laek for followim Jesus “mas kaen long evriwan.”—2 Tim. 2:24.

Long 1958, mi start for pioneer. Bat no longtaem bihaen, mi stop for pioneer for lelebet taem from mi disaed for maritim Gloria, wanfala long tufala young gele wea invaetem mi for go long buk study! Mi barava hapi mi mekem datfala disison. Gloria hem wanfala spesol woman. Long mi hem olsem wanfala expensive diamond, and mi hapi tumas from mi maritim hem! Distaem bae Gloria storyim samfala samting abaotem hemseleva.

“Mi wanfala long 17-fala pikinini. Mami bilong mi hem wanfala faithful Witness. Hem dae taem mi 14 year and long datfala taem nao dadi bilong mi start for studyim Bible. Bihaen Mami dae, Dadi mekem wanfala arrangement witim principal bilong skul bilong mi. Big sista bilong mi hem klosap for finisim hae skul, and Dadi askem principal for mitufala skul samfala day nomoa. So taem narawan go long skul, narawan stap long haos for lukaftarem olketa smol brata and sista and for redyim kaikai for evening bifor Dadi kam bak from waka. Datfala principal agree and datfala arrangement gohed kasem taem sista bilong mi hem graduate. Tufala Witness famili study witim mifala, and 11-fala long mifala pikinini nao kamap Jehovah’s Witness. Mi laek tumas for preach nomata mi savve shame. Insaed olketa year wea go pas, Samuel bin helpem mi for deal witim datwan.”

Mitufala Gloria marit long February 1959. Mitufala hapi for pioneer tugeta. Long July long datfala sem year, mitufala apply for waka long Bethel, from mitufala barava laek for waka long world hedquarter. Wanfala brata, Simon Kraker, interviewim mitufala. Hem talem mifala hao Bethel hem no acceptim olketa wea marit for waka long datfala taem. Nomata olsem, mitufala no forgetim goal bilong mitufala for waka long Bethel, bat hem barava longtaem bifor mitufala kasem datfala goal.

Mitufala raet go long world hedquarter for sendem mitufala go long eni ples wea needim olketa pablisa. So olketa raet kam bak and talem nomoa wanfala ples for mitufala go. Hem nao Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Long datfala taem tufala kongregeson nomoa stap long Pine Bluff, wanfala for olketa whiteman and narawan for olketa blak man. Olketa sendem mitufala go long kongregeson bilong olketa blak man, wea samting olsem 14-fala pablisa nomoa stap.

Maet iu laek savve why olketa white and blak Jehovah’s Witness no stap tugeta long wanfala kongregeson. For tok stret, long datfala taem hem hard, bikos hem againstim law for olketa whiteman and blak man for hipap tugeta, and sapos olketa duim datwan pipol maet trae for killim olketa. Long staka area, olketa brata savve sapos olketa hipap tugeta for meeting bae eniwan savve spoelem Kingdom Hall bilong olketa. Samfala taem datkaen samting hem happen. Sapos olketa blak brata preach long ples wea olketa whiteman stap, olketa bae arrestim olketa and maet killim olketa nogud tu. So for mekem mifala gohed duim preaching waka, mifala obeyim olketa law hia, and mifala hope olketa samting hia bae change.

Mifala feisim samfala hard samting long ministry. Taem mifala preach long territory wea olketa blak man stap, samfala taem mifala noknok long door and seknomoa mifala meetim wanfala whiteman. Mifala mas kwiktaem disaed sapos mifala bae storyim eni samting insaed Bible or sei sorre from mifala kam long haos bilong olketa and then mifala go. Long datfala taem, hem nao samting wea savve happen long samfala ples.

Mitufala mas waka hard for kasem selen for sapotim pioneer waka bilong mitufala. Klosap evri waka wea mitufala duim mitufala savve kasem nomoa thri dollar wan day (wea hem samting olsem SBD$21). Gloria savve haosgele for samfala pipol. Long wanfala haos, olketa savve letem mi for helpem hem mekem hem finis kwiktaem. Olketa savve givim lunch and mitufala Gloria sharem datwan. Long nara haos, Gloria savve go ironim kaleko evri week, and mi go witim hem for klin ap raonem datfala haos, wasim window and duim olketa nara waka. Long haos bilong wanfala whiteman mitufala savve wasim olketa window. Gloria wasim insaed and mi wasim aotsaed. Mitufala waka full day so olketa savve givim mitufala lunch. Gloria kaikai insaed haos bat no witim datfala famili, and mi kaikai aotsaed long ples for putim trak.  Mi no warim nomoa bikos kaikai hia hem barava naes. Datfala famili olketa kaen, bat hem wei bilong white pipol long datfala taem for ting daonem olketa blak man. Mi tingim wantaem mitufala stop long wanfala refilling station. Bihaen olketa refillim car bilong mitufala, mi askem wanfala wakaman sapos Gloria savve iusim toilet long there. Bikos mitufala blak hem lukluk strong long mi nomoa and hem sei, “Hem lok.”

Nomata olsem, mifala hapi for spendem gudfala taem tugeta witim olketa brata, and mifala laekem tumas for duim ministry! Taem mitufala just arrive long Pine Bluff mifala stap witim wanfala brata wea hem kongregeson servant long datfala taem. Gloria startim Bible study witim waef bilong hem wea no insaed long truth. And mi start study witim gele bilong tufala and hasband bilong hem. Datfala woman and gele bilong hem disaed for worshipim Jehovah and tufala baptaes.

Mifala garem olketa gud fren long kongregeson bilong olketa white brata and sista. Olketa savve invaetem mifala for kaikai long haos, bat mifala mas go long naet mekem no eniwan lukim mifala. Long datfala taem, Ku Klux Klan (KKK), wanfala organization wea barava heitim and laek killim blak pipol, hem barava strong tumas. Mi tingim wantaem mi lukim wanfala man sidaon long front haos bilong hem long naet. Hem werem white kaleko wea kavarem full body and feis, olsem olketa KKK savve werem. Nomata kaen samting olsem happen, datwan no stopem olketa brata for showimaot kaenfala fasin. Wanfala taem, mitufala needim selen for go long wanfala convention, and wanfala brata willing for baem car bilong mitufala mekem mitufala garem selen for go. Wanfala month bihaen, mitufala taed from mitufala wakabaot long sun for preach and for conductim olketa Bible Study. Taem mitufala kam bak mitufala barava sapraes for lukim car bilong mitufala long front haos. Wanfala note stap long front window, wea sei, “Mi givim bak car bilong iu olsem wanfala present. From brata bilong iu.”

Nara samting tu happen wea showimaot kaenfala fasin bilong olketa brata and sista. Long 1962, olketa invaetem mi for attendim Kingdom Ministry Skul long South Lansing, New York. Datfala skul hem for trainim olketa elder, circuit overseer, and distrik overseer for wanfala month. Bat taem mi kasem datfala invitation mi no garem eni waka so mi no garem selen for go. Long datfala taem, wanfala telephone company long Pine Bluff interviewim mi for wanfala waka. Sapos olketa acceptim mi for waka, mi nao bae first blak man for waka for datfala company. Gogo olketa talem mi bae mi waka for olketa. Wanem nao bae mi duim? Mi no garem selen for go long New York. Mi klosap acceptim datfala waka. Mi tingting for raetem wanfala leta long olketa brata for talem olketa bae mi no attendim datfala skul, then wanfala samting hem happen wea mi no savve forgetim.

Wanfala morning, wanfala sista long kongregeson bilong mifala, wea hasband bilong hem no witness, hem noknok long door and givim mi wanfala envelope. Staka selen nao insaed datfala envelope.  Datfala sista and samfala pikinini bilong hem savve wekap early long morning for go waka long planteison bilong olketa cotton plant mekem olketa kasem inaf selen for mi go long New York. Hem sei, “Iu go skul and lanem staka samting mekem taem iu kam bak iu teachim mifala.” So mi askem datfala telephone company sapos mi savve start waka bihaen faevfala week. Olketa sei, “No!” Bat mi no wari nomoa. Mi disaed finis for go long skul. Mi barava hapi mi no acceptim datfala waka!

Distaem Gloria bae storyim taem wea mifala stap long Pine Bluff: “Mi barava enjoyim preaching waka long datfala territory. Mi garem 15 go kasem 20 Bible study. Mitufala savve go preach long morning and then conductim olketa Bible study and samfala taem mifala savve duim datwan go kasem 11 o’klok long naet. Diswan mekem mi barava hapi and laek for gohed for pioneer. For tok stret mi no laek for change assignment and duim circuit waka, bat Jehovah laekem mi for duim datwan.”

Taem mitufala pioneer long Pine Bluff mitufala apply for kamap spesol pioneer. Mitufala tingse datwan bae happen bikos distrik overseer bilong mifala laekem mitufala for go helpem wanfala kongregeson long Texas, and hem laekem mitufala for go spesol pioneer long there. Mitufala barava laek for duim datwan. So mitufala weit, and weit for herem ansa from Society bat olketa no sendem kam eni leta. Gogo, long January 1965 mitufala kasem wanfala leta, and olketa assignim mitufala for duim traveling waka! Long datfala taem olketa appointim Brata Leon Weaver, wea distaem hem coordinator bilong United States Branch Komiti, for kamap wanfala circuit overseer tu.

Mi fraet lelebet for kamap wanfala circuit overseer. Wan year bifor mi kasem disfala assignment, Brata James Thompson, wea hem distrik overseer, storyim samfala samting wea mi need for kamap gud long hem. Hem storyim tu samfala samting wea man savve duim for kamap gudfala circuit overseer. Bihaen mi duim circuit for lelebet taem nomoa mi luksavve mi barava needim kaonsel wea hem givim mi. Bihaen olketa appointim mi for kamap circuit overseer, first distrik overseer wea mi waka witim hem Brata Thompson. Mi lanem staka samting from datfala faithful brata.

Long datfala taem, olketa circuit overseer no kasem staka training. Mi spendem wan week witim wanfala circuit overseer taem hem visitim wanfala kongregeson. Then week bihaen hem kam witim mi taem mi visitim nara kongregeson. Hem storyim olketa idea and direction for helpem mi. Bat bihaen datwan mitufala duim circuit waka seleva. Mi tingim toktok wea mi talem Gloria. Mi sei: “Mi no laekem hem for lusim iumi yet.” Bat bihaen mi start for luksavve samting wea barava important. Staka gud brata stap for helpem man, sapos man letem olketa for helpem hem.  Mi still tinghae yet long help wea mi kasem from olketa brata olsem James Brown, wea hem traveling overseer long datfala taem, and Fred Rusk wea stap long Bethel.

Wei for heitim man wea garem difren kala skin hem wanfala big problem long datfala taem. Wantaem, mi lukim olketa bilong KKK march long wanfala taon wea mifala go for visitim long Tennessee. Mi tingim narataem, grup wea mifala go preaching stop for lelebet taem long wanfala restaurant. Mi go for iusim toilet, and wanfala whiteman wea luk raf standap and followim mi. Disfala man garem staka tattoo wea showimaot hem heitim olketa blak man. Bat wanfala white brata, wea hem big winim mi and big winim man wea luk raf, kam bihaen mitufala. Hem askem mi: “Waswe, evriting olraet, Brata Herd?” Datfala raf man kwiktaem go aot. Long olketa year wea go pas, mi luksavve diskaen wei for heitim narawan hem no really from skin kala, bat hem bikos long sin wea iumi kasem from Adam. And mi luksavve hao brata hem brata bilong iu nao nomata wanem kala skin nao iu garem, and hem willing for dae for iu sapos hem need for duim.

Mitufala spendem 12 year long traveling waka, and 21 year for duim distrik waka. Mitufala kasem staka blessing long olketa year hia, and mifala kasem olketa naes experience wea encouragem mitufala. Bat mitufala kasem nara blessing bihaen. Long August 1997 mitufala kasem nao goal wea mitufala garem longtaem yet. Samting olsem 38-fala year bihaen mifala apply for waka long Bethel, olketa invaetem mitufala for waka long United States Bethel. So wanfala month bihaen mitufala go waka long Bethel. Mi tingse olketa brata long Bethel laekem mi for kam help lelebet taem nomoa, bat nomoa.

Firstaem olketa assignim mi for waka long Service Department. Mi lanem staka samting from olketa brata long there. Olketa mas deal witim olketa hard kwestin abaotem olketa samting wea olketa elder and circuit overseer long full kantri feisim. Mi barava tinghae long patient fasin and help wea olketa brata givim taem olketa gohed trainim mi. Nomata olsem, sapos olketa assignim mi for go bak long datfala department, bae mi faendem hem no isi.

Mitufala Gloria barava laekem tumas laef long Bethel. Mitufala savve wekap early, and datwan helpem mitufala taem mitufala stap long Bethel. Bihaen wan year, mi start for waka olsem helper bilong Service Komiti bilong Governing Body bilong Olketa Jehovah’s Witness. Then long 1999, olketa appointim mi olsem member bilong Governing Body. Mi lanem staka samting taem mi duim disfala assignment, bat main samting mi lanem nao, no eni man hem hed bilong Christian kongregeson bat Jesus Christ nao hed.

Taem mi ting abaotem laef bilong mi, samfala taem mi feel olsem profet Amos. Jehovah lukim datfala hambol shepherd wea waka tu long planteison bilong sycamore fig, wea hem kaikai bilong olketa poor pipol. Bat God appointim hem for kamap profet, wea disfala assignment mekem hem kamap rich long spiritual wei. (Emos 7:14, 15) Long sem wei, Jehovah tingim mi tu, nomata mi son bilong wanfala poor farmer long Liberty, Indiana, hem givim mi staka blessing, wea hem staka tumas for mi storyim. (Provebs 10:22) Nomata mi poor taem mi young, gogo mi kamap rich long spiritual wei winim wanem mi savve tingim!