For 1913, my papa wey e name na John Mills baptize for New York City when e dey 25 years. Na Brother Russell give the baptism talk. Small time after, my papa move go Trinidad, where e marry Constance Farmer, one Bible Student wey strong for truth. My papa de help e friend, William R. Brown, show the “Photo-Drama of Creation.” They do like that until they transfer Brother and Sister Brown go West Africa for 1923. My papa and mama na anointed Christians, and they continue de preach for Trinidad.

My papa and mama born nine children. They name the first born Rutherford, because the name of the president of the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society that time na Rutherford. When they born me for December 30, 1922, the name of the brother wey de help to prepare topics of The Golden Age magazine (now we de call-am Awake!) na Clayton J. Woodworth. Na this one make my papa and mama name me Woodworth. Our papa and mama make sure say all of us finish primary school, but them de always tell us say na to use our life worship Jehovah be the best thing for life. My mama really sabi how to use Bible reason with person. My papa like to tell us Bible stories. And e de use all e body describe the things for us so that we go feel the story and understand-am well.

God really bless their hard work. Out of the five boys wey they born, three of us attend Gilead School. Three of our sisters pioneer for many years for Trinidad and Tobago. Because of their good example and the way they teach us, this one really help them to plant us “for the house of Jehovah.” The way they encourage us really help us to stay there, and “grow for the courtyards of our God.”​—Ps. 92:13.

Our house come be the place where brothers and sisters de gather for preaching. Pioneers de  gather there too, and many times them de talk about Brother George Young, one missionary from Canada wey don visit Trinidad before. My papa and mama de talk many fine-fine things about Brother and Sister Brown wey be their former preaching partners. But that time, they don transfer Brother and Sister Brown go West Africa. Na all this one make me start preaching when I dey ten years.

That time, our magazines de fire fake religion, greedy business people, and corrupt politicians. E de really expose them well-well. Because of this one, for 1936 church leaders for Trinidad tell the governor to ban all Watch Tower publication. We hide the literature, but we continue to use-am till all the ones wey we get finish. We do information march and bicycle parade, and we use handbills and placards. We still preach with our sound-car group from the town of Tunapuna go reach the parts of Trinidad wey people no dey. We really enjoy-am! Na all this one make me baptize when I dey 16 years.

Our family background and all the experience wey I get as I de grow move me to want be missionary. For 1944 I go join Brother Edmund W. Cummings for the island of Aruba, and that time e still de hungry me to be missionary. We really dey happy as we fit gather ten people to attend the memorial for 1945. The next year we form the first congregation for the island.

Small time after, I preach to my workmate, e name na Oris Williams. Oris sabi argue well-well to defend the things wey e don learn for e church. But e continue to study Bible, e learn the truth from Bible and e baptize for January 5, 1947. Small time, we start to love each other, then we come marry. E start to pioneer for November 1950. My wife really add to my joy and make me enjoy life for another way.

For 1955 they invite us to attend Gilead School. We resign from our work, we sell our house and other things, and move comot from Aruba so that we go fit prepare well for the school. For July 29, 1956, we graduate from the 27th class of Gilead, and they send us to Nigeria.

When my wife think about our service, e talk say: “Missionary work no easy, but Jehovah spirit fit help person adjust with different-different problem wey person fit face. I no dey like my husband wey like to be missionary. I for like to settle down and born pikin. But I change my thinking when I know say na small time remain for this world to end, and our preaching work dey urgent. So by the time we graduate from Gilead, I don fully ready to preach as missionary. Na one ship wey them de call Queen Mary we enter. As we de comot, one brother wey de work with Brother Knorr wave us and tell us ‘Bon voyage!’ (bye-bye). And e tell us say we go work for Bethel. The brother name na Worth Thornton. The news pain me small when I hear-am. But I adjust quick-quick, and I come like Bethel. I do different-different work for there. The work wey I enjoy pass na when I work as receptionist. I love people, and the work make me meet many Nigerian brothers. Many of them de tire as they come, they go dey hungry and dust go dey their body. E really sweet me to help them and give them the things wey they need and make their mind come down. All this one na Jehovah work, and na e really give me joy and happiness.” True-true, all our assignment help us to make our love for Jehovah grow.

For 1961, when we do family get-together for Trinidad, Brother Brown de talk some of the fine-fine experience wey e get for Africa. Then, me self come talk how our work for Nigeria de grow. Brother Brown put e hand round my shoulder and tell my papa say: “Johnny, you no go Africa, but see, Woodworth go!” So my papa talk say: “Well done my pikin, just continue with your fine work!” That encouragement from those long time servants of Jehovah wey serve Jehovah well really move me to do my best for Jehovah work.

For 1962, Jehovah come bless me more, they say make I come get more training for ten months, for the 37th class of Gilead. That time na Brother Wilfred Gooch be the branch overseer for Nigeria, e attend the 38th class and from there e assignment change to England. So, they come make me the Nigeria branch overseer. I follow  Brother Brown example, I travel go different-different place wey far for Nigeria. This one make me know many of my dear Nigeria brothers and to love them. The truth be say, they no get many things wey rich and big countries get, they no get many of the things wey the common people need. But them de happy and the things wey they get reach them. This one show-am clear say no be money or property de give person real joy. Even with their condition, anytime wey them de come meeting, them dey clean, neat and wear cloth wey show say they be servants of Jehovah. E de really sweet us to see them. Them de attend convention well-well, and na lorry and bolekaja * (local bus wey no get cover for the two side) many of them de enter come. Them de write different-different things for the body of the bus. One of them na: “Little drops of water make a mighty ocean.”

That thing wey they write really dey correct! Everything wey brothers and sisters do to support the work for Nigeria really help, we come add our own join too. For 1974, Nigeria come be the second country for the whole world to reach 100,000-publisher mark, that time na only United States don reach that mark. The work really de grow!

As the work continue to grow, the Nigerian Civil War start, and they fight-am from 1967 to 1970. For months, our brothers for Biafra, people wey dey the other side of the River Niger cut off from the branch office. We just need to go give them our publications. We pray and trust Jehovah say e go help us. As I talk-am for up before, we cross the river many times.

I really remember those times, e hard well-well for us to cross the river. We risk our life to face soldiers wey ready to shoot, disease, and other problems. E no easy to pass the plenty federal soldiers wey line up and full everywhere. But fear catch us more to pass for the other side of Biafra, as they block everywhere. I remember one time wey I cross the great River Niger as the waves de go up and down for night, and na canoe I use from Asaba to Onitsha. I come travel go encourage the elders for Enugu. I still travel go Aba to encourage the elders. For there, they no allow them to on light for evening and night so that enemies wey de fight them no go see them. Then for Port Harcourt, we end our meeting quick-quick with prayer as federal soldiers start to attack Biafran soldiers. The place no far from where we dey.

Those meeting wey we get with our brothers for there really dey important. E remind them of the one mind wey servants of Jehovah get for the whole world, and why they no need to join for the war. E make them dey sure say Jehovah love them. Jehovah help our dear Nigerian brothers, as they endure until that time pass. The brother really show love wey no de fail, they get one mind and love theirself no matter the tribe. The war na serious test of faith for them, and na big favor for me to dey among them for that kind time.

For 1969, na Brother Milton G. Henschel be the chairman of the “Peace on Earth” International Assembly for Yankee Stadium, New York, and na me be e assistant. I learn many things from the things wey e do. Those things wey I learn really help me because for 1970 we do the “Men of Goodwill” International Assembly for Lagos, Nigeria. The war just end that time, so e no easy for us. But Jehovah help us and we succeed. The program na for 17 different-different language, and na 121,128 people attend. That kind thing never happen before. Brother Knorr, Brother Henschel and other visitors from the United States and England wey charter planes come, see one of the biggest Christian baptism since Pentecost time. Na 3,775 new disciples join that day! To help organize that assembly no easy at all, na that time busy pass for my life. The Nigeria field just de grow! The publishers just de increase more-more.

For more than 30 years wey I stay Nigeria, I serve as traveling overseer and zone overseer for West Africa. E really sweet the missionaries to receive encouragement one by one! E sweet me for heart to tell them say the organization no forget them! The work really teach me say to show say you care for people na the main thing wey go help them enjoy their service. This one go make the organization strong and all of us go get one mind.

 Na Jehovah help us to endure all the problems wey the civil war cause, and even different kind of sickness. E really dey clear say Jehovah bless us. My wife talk say:

“Two of us sick malaria many times. One time, we rush my husband go hospital for Lagos because e dey coma. They tell me say e fit no survive, but I thank Jehovah say e survive-am! When e come get e self back and know wetin de happen, e start to tell the nurse about the Kingdom of God. Na this nurse take care of my husband. After, I follow my husband go visit the nurse so that we go start Bible study. The name of the nurse na Mr. Nwambiwe. E accept Bible study, and after e come be elder for Aba. Me self don help many people to be servants of Jehovah, some of them na Muslims wey really strong for their religion. E really sweet us as we come know and love the Nigerian people, their culture, their custom, and their language.”

Another thing wey I learn be say: If we want really enjoy our assignment for another country, we must love our brothers and sisters for there, no matter how different their culture dey from our own.

For 1987 we receive new assignment as field missionaries for the fine island of St. Lucia for Caribbean. We really enjoy the assignment, we face some problems. E no be like Africa, wey one man go marry plenty wife. Here for St. Lucia, the problem be say man and woman wey no marry go de live together. God Word get power well-well, e move many of our Bible student to make some change wey they need to make for their life.

For 2005, Governing Body show us love and transfer us to world headquarters for Brooklyn, New York, U.S.A. They do transfer us because we don old and our power don de go down. Everyday, I de thank Jehovah for my wife Oris. E die for 2015, and my mouth no fit talk how I de miss her reach. I really miss my wife! She be the best partner for life and na correct wife. I love Oris well-well for the whole 68 years wey we dey together as husband and wife. We come find out say if person want dey happy for marriage and for congregation, e must respect headship arrangement, de always forgive, dey humble, and always show say e get the fruit wey holy spirit de produce.

Anytime wey something fail us or problem make life tire us, we de beg Jehovah to help us and continue to bless the sacrifice wey we de make. Even as things change, we continue to get the right thinking. We come de see say things de better more-more as time de pass, and the best time still dey for front!​—Isa. 60:17; 2 Cor. 13:11.

For Trinidad and Tobago, according to the latest report, na 9,892 publishers don join de worship Jehovah. This one show say, Jehovah really bless the work wey my papa and mama and other people do for there. For Aruba, many people work hard to help the first congregation wey I dey that time. Na 14 congregations they get for the island now. Then for Nigeria, the number of publishers don really increase, them be 381,398 publishers now. And for the island of St. Lucia, na 783 Kingdom publishers dey there now.

Now I don old, I don pass 90 years. Psalm 92:14 talk say the people wey they plant for the house of Jehovah go still de do well even for old age, and “they go continue to dey strong and fresh.” I glad well-well for the kind life wey I live for Jehovah service. The better training wey I get from small pikin encourage me to do my best for Jehovah work. Jehovah don show me e love wey no de fail, and e allow me to “grow for the courtyards of [my] God.”​—Ps. 92:13.