MI BORN long Wichita, Kansas, U.S.A., long December 10, 1936, and mi nao firstborn long fofala pikinini. Parents bilong mi, William and Jean, strong for worshipim Jehovah. Dadi hem company servant, wea hem nao wanem olketa kolem brata wea lead long kongregeson long datfala taem. Mami lanem truth from mami bilong hem, wea nem bilong hem Emma Wagner. Emma teachim truth long staka narawan tu, olsem Gertrude Steele, wea hem missionary long Puerto Rico for staka year. * So mi garem staka gudfala example for followim.

Long wanfala Saturday evening taem mi faev year nomoa, mi and dadi duim street waka. Mitufala offerim olketa Watchtower and Consolation (wea distaem hem Awake!) magasin long pipol. Long datfala taem World War II gohed bat dadi no join datfala war. Wanfala doctor wea drunk hem kam long mifala and hem sei dadi hem man for fraet dastawe hem no joinim army. Hem go klosap long dadi and sei, “Iu olsem wanfala woman stret, iu punchim mi firstaem!” Diswan mekem mi fraet tumas, bat mi barava tinghae long dadi bikos hem no warim nomoa datfala doctor and gohed offerim magasin long pipol wea hipap kam. Then wanfala soldia go pas and doctor hia sei long hem, “Iu tok long man hia wea hem olsem woman nomoa!” Soldia lukim man hia hem drunk, so hem sei long hem, “Iu go bak long haos, iu go sleep!” Then tufala evriwan go. Mi evritaem tingim wei wea Jehovah helpem dadi for no fraet and mi tinghae long datwan. Hem ranem tufala ples for kat hair long Wichita, and doctor hia hem wanfala kastoma bilong hem!

Taem mi eit year nomoa, parents bilong mi salem haos and datfala bisnis for kat hair. Mifala muv go long Colorado wea hem ples wea garem tu-thri pablisa nomoa. Mifala stap long Grand Junction. Parents bilong mi pioneer and waka tu-thri day long farm. From tufala waka hard and Jehovah blessim  olketa, wanfala kongregeson hem start. Long June 20, 1948, dadi hem baptaesim mi long river witim olketa narawan tu. Tufala hia hem Billie Nichols and waef bilong hem. Samfala year bihaen, tufala duim circuit waka, and then bihaen, son bilong tufala and waef bilong hem tu duim circuit waka.

Mifala evritaem storyim olketa spiritual samting and associate witim olketa wea busy long Kingdom waka, especially datfala famili bilong Steele. Olketa hia nao Don and Earlene, Dave and Julia, and Si and Martha. Olketa hia barava helpem mi for luksavve wei for mekem Kingdom hem first samting long laef savve mekem man hapi and garem gudfala laef.

Taem mi 19 year, Bud Hasty, wanfala fren bilong famili bilong mi, askem mi for pioneer witim hem long south part bilong United States. Circuit overseer askem mitufala for muv go long Ruston, Louisiana, ples wea samfala inactive Witness olketa stap. Olketa talem mifala for holem olketa meeting evri week nomata sapos tu-thri nomoa attend. Mifala faendem wanfala building wea fitim, and fixim mekem mifala savve garem olketa meeting insaed. Mitufala duim evri meeting, bat staka taem mitufala nomoa attend. Wanfala bae duim wanfala part, and narawan bae ansarem olketa kwestin. Sapos datfala part garem demonstration, mitufala evriwan bae duim part hia long platform and no eniwan long audience! Gogo, wanfala olo sista start for attendim olketa meeting. Then samfala Bible study, and samfala wea inactive start for kam long olketa meeting, and no longtaem bihaen wanfala kongregeson hem start.

Wanday, mi and Bud meetim wanfala bigman bilong Church of Christ wea storyim samfala scripture wea mi no savve gud long hem. Mi seke lelebet long datwan and hem mekem mi for barava ting raonem gud wanem mi bilivim. For wanfala week, mi study for faendem ansa long olketa kwestin bilong hem gogo hem big naet nao. Datwan barava strongim biliv bilong mi, and mi bae no fraet for story witim eni nara bigman moa.

No longtaem bihaen, circuit overseer askem mi for muv go long El Dorado, Arkansas, for helpem kongregeson long there. Taem mi stap long there staka taem mi savve go bak long Colorado for explainim long olketa long gavman why mi no joinim army. Long wanfala gogo hia, samfala pioneer kam witim mi long trak and mifala accident long Texas. Trak bilong mi nogud nao. Mifala ringim wanfala brata wea tekem mifala go bak long haos bilong hem, and then mifala go long meeting. Olketa talem kongregeson  mifala accident and olketa brata kaen tumas and givim lelebet selen for help. Brata hia salem trak bilong mi for 25 dollar.

Wanfala man pikim mifala and tekem mifala go long Wichita. Wanfala fren bilong famili bilong mi wea nem bilong hem, Everidge McCartney, hem pioneer long there. Tufala twin son bilong hem, Frank and Francis, tufala best fren bilong mi kam kasem distaem. Tufala garem wanfala old trak wea olketa salem long mi for 25 dollar nomoa, wea hem nao selen mi kasem from trak bilong mi wea nogud. Datwan nao firstaem wea mi luksavve Jehovah givim wanem mi needim from Kingdom hem first samting long laef bilong mi. Taem mi stap witim famili bilong McCartney, mi meetim Bethel Crane, wea hem wanfala naes sista wea strong long truth. Mami bilong hem Ruth, hem wanfala strong sista wea pioneer long Wellington, Kansas. Hem gohed pioneer go kasem taem hem winim 90 year. Long 1958, wea datwan no kasem wan year bihaen mi meetim Bethel, mitufala marit and pioneer long El Dorado.

Mitufala tingim gudfala example bilong olketa narawan wea mifala savve long olketa taem mifala young, and mifala willing nomoa for duim eni samting wea organization askem mifala for duim. Mifala kasem spesol pioneer assignment long Walnut Ridge, Arkansas. Then long 1962, mifala hapi tumas for kasem invitation for go long mek-37 class bilong Gilead. Mifala hapi tumas for lukim Don Steele long sem class. Bihaen mifala graduate, mifala kasem assignment long Nairobi, Kenya. Mifala barava sorre taem mifala lusim New York, bat taem olketa brata welkamim mifala long airport long Nairobi, mitufala hapi fogud!

No longtaem nomoa mifala laekem tumas Kenya and enjoyim ministry. Firstfala Bible study bilong mifala wea gohed gud hem Chris and Mary Kanaiya. Tufala gohed yet long full-taem ministry long Kenya. Wan year bihaen, mifala kasem assignment for go long Kampala, Uganda. Mitufala nao first missionary long datfala kantri. Mifala enjoyim datfala assignment bikos staka pipol laekem tumas for savve long olketa tru teaching long Bible and kam insaed truth. Bat bihaen thri and haf year long Africa, mifala go bak long United States bikos mitufala bae garem pikinini. Day wea mifala lusim Africa, mifala sorre winim taem mifala lusim New York. Mitufala barava lovem pipol long Africa and hope enitaem long future bae mifala go bak.

Mifala stap long west saed bilong Colorado, wea hem nao ples parents bilong mi stap. No longtaem bihaen, Kimberly hem born, and bihaen 17 month, Stephany hem born. Mifala barava traem best for teachim truth long tufala gele bilong mitufala. Mifala laek for olsem olketa wea showimaot gudfala example long mifala. Mifala savve, nomata parents showimaot gudfala example for olketa pikinini, olketa seleva nao mas disaed for worshipim Jehovah or nomoa. Brata and sista bilong mi lusim truth. Mi hope tufala bae followim moa gudfala example wea olketa narawan showimaot long mifala taem mifala young.

Mitufala barava enjoyim taem wea mifala training and lukaftarem tufala dota bilong mifala. From mifala stap klosap long Aspen, Colorado, mifala evriwan lane for ski long snow mekem mifala savve duim datwan tugeta olsem famili. Hapitaem olsem givim chance for mifala story witim tufala gele. Mifala  savve go camp witim tufala tu and staka taem mifala sidaon raonem fire and storystory for longtaem. Nomata tufala young, tufala savve ask olsem, “Taem mi growap, wanem nao bae mi duim?” and “Wanem kaen man nao bae mi maritim?” Mifala trae for teachim tufala for lovem Jehovah. Mifala evritaem encouragem tufala for markem full-taem service olsem goal and for luksavve hem wise for maritim samwan wea garem sem goal. Mifala trae for helpem tufala minim tu why hem no wise for marit taem olketa young tumas. Mifala savve sei: “Stap singol go kasem taem iu 23 year.”

Mifala traem best for mifala evriwan attendim olketa meeting and go preaching tugeta evritaem. Samfala taem, samfala wea duim full-taem ministry stap long haos bilong mifala. And tu, mifala evritaem storyim missionary waka bilong mifala bifor, and storyim tu goal for full famili visitim Africa enitaem long future. Tufala gele barava laek duim datwan.

Mifala evritaem duim famili worship. Staka taem mifala savve practicem wanem for duim taem test kamap long skul. Tufala gele nao act olsem Witness wea ansarem olketa kwestin. Tufala enjoyim wei for lane olsem and hem helpem tufala for no fraet. Taem tufala start for big samfala taem tufala komplen bikos olketa no laek duim famili worship. Wantaem mi feel nogud tumas long diswan so mi talem tufala for go long rum bilong tufala and mifala bae no duim famili worship. Tufala seke long datwan and start for krae. Tufala change mind and sei tufala laek for duim famili worship. Datwan mekem mifala for luksavve mifala win for helpem tufala barava tinghae long olketa spiritual samting. Gogo, tufala barava tinghae long wei for study, and mifala letem tufala for storyim eni samting wea tufala laek for storyim. Bat samfala taem hem no isi for herem tufala sei tufala no agree long samfala samting wea olketa lanem. Nomata olsem, datwan mekem mifala savve wanem nao long heart bilong tufala. Bihaen mifala story raonem datwan tugeta, olketa savve minim tingting bilong Jehovah abaotem datwan.

Kwiktaem nomoa, tufala dota bilong mitufala big nao. Mifala traem best for followim direction from organization bilong God for helpem tufala lovem Jehovah. Mifala barava hapi taem tufala evriwan pioneer bihaen tufala finisim hae skul, and tufala lanem waka wea tufala bae kasem selen for sapotim pioneer waka bilong tufala. Tufala muv go long Cleveland, Tennessee, witim nara tufala sista for helpem kongregeson wea needim samfala pablisa moa. Nomata mitufala barava misstim tufala, mifala hapi olketa duim full-taem service. Long datfala taem, mitufala Bethel start for pioneer moa, and gogo kasem samfala nara privilege, olsem substitute circuit waka and for organizem olketa convention.

Bifor tufala dota bilong mifala muv go long Tennessee, tufala visitim branch office long London, England. Long datfala taem, Stephany, wea hem 19 year, meetim wanfala young brata long Bethel wea nem bilong hem Paul Norton. Long narataem wea tufala go long London, Kimberly meetim Brian Llewellyn wea hem waka witim Paul long Bethel. Bihaen Stephany hem 23 year, Paul and Stephany marit. Wan year bihaen datwan, taem Kimberly hem 25 year, hem maritim Brian. So tufala stap singol go kasem taem wanfala hem 23 year and narawan hem 25 year. Mifala barava hapi from tufala chusim olketa gudfala hasband.

Tufala gele bilong mifala sei example bilong mitufala and olketa grani bilong tufala helpem olketa for obeyim komand bilong Jesus for mek sure ‘Kingdom hem first samting long laef’ bilong tufala, nomata taem olketa kasem hard taem saed long selen. (Matt. 6:33) Long April 1998, Paul and Stephany go long mek-105 class bilong Gilead, and kasem assignment long Malawi, Africa. Long semtaem, Brian and Kimberly kasem invitation for waka long London Bethel, and bihaen, olketa kasem assignment long Malawi Bethel. Mifala barava hapi bikos olketa pikinini bilong mitufala iusim laef bilong olketa for duim full-taem service.

Long January 2001, Brata Marais hem ringim mi wea hem nao mi storyim long firstaem. Hem overseer bilong Translation Services, and hem storyim plan bilong olketa brata for helpem olketa wea duim transleison evriwea raonem world for minim gud  English languis. Hem sei olketa laek trainim mi for kamap wanfala instructor. Long datfala taem mi 64 year. Mitufala Bethel prea abaotem diswan and storyim long tufala olo mami bilong mifala for askem advaes bilong tufala. Tufala evriwan laekem mitufala for duim datwan nomata mifala bae no stap for helpem tufala. Mi ringim Brata Marais and sei mitufala bae barava hapi for garem datfala nambawan privilege.

Long datfala semtaem, mami bilong mi kasem cancer. Mi talem hem mifala bae stap nomoa and helpem sista bilong mi, Linda, for lukaftarem hem. Bat mami hem sei: “Nomoa, sapos iutufala no go, bae mi sorre tumas.” Linda garem sem tingting. Mifala barava tinghae long sakrifaes bilong mami and Linda and help bilong olketa brata and sista long there! Day bihaen mitufala go long Watchtower Educational Center long Patterson, Linda hem ring kam for talem mifala mami hem dae nao. Mifala savve mami bae laekem mifala for gohed busy long datfala niu assignment, so hem nao wanem mifala duim.

First assignment bilong mitufala hem long Malawi branch, wea tufala gele bilong mifala witim hasband bilong olketa stap, so mitufala hapi fogud! Then bihaen, mitufala teachim datfala course long Zimbabwe and then long Zambia. Bihaen mifala teachim datfala course for three and haf year, olketa askem mifala for go bak long Malawi for raetem olketa experience bilong olketa Witness wea kasem persecution from olketa no teksaed long politik. *

Long 2005, mitufala Bethel barava sorre moa taem mifala mas go hom long Basalt, Colorado, wea hem nao mifala gohed pioneer long there kam kasem distaem. Long 2006, Brian and Kimberly, witim tufala dota bilong tufala, Mackenzie and Elizabeth, kam stap long haos saed long haos bilong mitufala. Paul and Stephany stap yet long Malawi, and Paul hem member bilong Branch Komiti. Distaem mi klosap 80 year and mi barava hapi for lukim olketa young brata wea mi waka witim olketa duim sem waka wea mi duim bifor. Mifala barava hapi bikos long gudfala example wea olketa narawan showimaot long mifala and wea mifala traem best for showimaot tu for helpem olketa pikinini and grani bilong mitufala.