They born me for Quebec City, the French part of Canada. My papa and mama, Louis and Zélia, really love and care for me. My papa na shy person and e like to read. I like to write and I want be journalist when I grow.

Rodolphe Soucy de work with my papa, and when I dey 12 years e come visit us with e friend. The two of them na Jehovah Witness. That time I no really know plenty things about Jehovah Witness and I no even get interest for their religion. But I like the way this two Jehovah Witness use Bible answer our questions. My papa and mama like-am too, so we agree make them de come teach us Bible.

That time I de go Catholic school. Sometimes I de tell my classmates the things wey I de learn from Bible. Our teachers na priests and after some time, they hear as I de talk with my classmates. Instead make they use Bible prove say wetin I de learn no correct, one of them talk for front of the whole class say I dey against the things wey church de teach. Even as the thing pain me, e bring good result. E help me see say the thing wey the church de teach for school no agree with wetin Bible de teach. This one make me see say I no go go that school again. My papa and mama gree make I comot for that school go another school.

I continue to study Bible but I no really de grow fast for my study because I de fear to go preach from door-to-door. Catholic Church de control the area and them dey  against our preaching work. That time, na Maurice Duplessis be the head of politics for Quebec and na strong politics man for church. E support some groups of people and they attack Jehovah Witness people. That time, to preach you go need strong heart.

One brother help me make I no de fear. E name na John Rae and e graduate from number nine class for Gilead School. Brother John Rae really know how to preach, e dey humble, and e dey easy for person to talk to John. E no de use mouth correct me everytime, but e de use good example teach me plenty things. E de hard John to speak French, so I de always like to join John go preaching so that I fit help make e preach for French. The time wey I spend with John help me decide say I go baptize as Jehovah Witness. Ten years after I first meet Jehovah Witness them, I baptize, for May 26, 1951.

Plenty people for our small congregation for Quebec City na pioneers. Their good example move me to pioneer too. That time na only Bible we de use preach from door to door. Because we no get books to give people, this one make us de use Bible well. So I try to learn some Bible verse them wey I go use defend the truth. But some people no gree read any Bible wey Catholic Church no talk say make them de use-am.

For 1952, I marry Simone Patry, one faithful sister for the area wey I de live. We comot go Montreal and after one year wey we marry, my wife born one baby girl and e name na Lise. Even as I don stop to pioneer just before we marry, me and Simone still try to make our life simple so that we go fit do more for congregation as family.

Ten years pass before I start to really think about how I go pioneer again. For 1962, I attend Kingdom Ministry School for elders for Canada Bethel. The school na one month. When I dey for the school, I dey for the same room with Brother Camille Ouellette. The interest wey Camille get to preach really touch me, because e don marry and e get children. That time for Quebec, e de hard to see person de pioneer when e pikin still small. But na the thing wey Camille do. That time wey I dey with Camille, e encourage me  to think about my own situation. After some months, I see say I fit still serve as regular pioneer again. Some people talk say they no think say na better decision I don make. But I start to pioneer again because I dey sure say Jehovah go help me make I de preach more.

For 1964, they make me and Simone special pioneers and send us to Quebec City, the place wey we come from. We serve for that city for some years. That time, they no de really suffer Jehovah Witness people as them de do before, but some people still dey against us.

One Saturday afternoon, they arrest me for Sainte-Marie, one small town near Quebec City. One police officer take me go police station and put me for jail because I no take permission before I go preach from house to house. After, they take me go see one judge wey e name na Baillargeon, and this man de make people fear. E ask me say who go be my lawyer for court. When I answer say na Glen How, * the judge shout say: ‘Oh, no! Why Glen!’ Brother Glen How na one popular Jehovah Witness lawyer, and e de defend Jehovah Witness well for court that time. Small time, the court tell me say they don cancel my case.

Because people dey against our preaching work for Quebec, this one make-am hard for us to see better place rent wey we go de do meeting. The only place wey we see na one old cold garage. When weather really cold, the brothers go use oil heater warm the garage. We de gather around the heater for some hours before meeting start and tell each other experience.

Na wonderful thing to see the better results wey our preaching work don bring for this place as time de go. Around 1960 na only small congregations dey for Quebec City, for Côte-Nord area and for Gaspé Peninsula. But today, more than two circuits don dey for this areas, and our brothers de do meeting for fine-fine Kingdom Halls.

For 1970, they say make me and Simone go do circuit work. And for 1973, they say make we do district work. For this years, I learn plenty things from some brothers with experience, like Brother Laurier Saumur * and Brother David Splane. * This two brothers do traveling work. After every assembly, me and David go share things wey we fit do to make the way we de teach de better. I remember one time wey David tell me say: “Léonce, I enjoy your last talk. The talk fine, but if na me I for give three talks from that talk!” That time I de pack plenty information for my talks.  Na that time I know say I need to learn to go straight to the main point.

That time the work of district overseer na to encourage circuit overseers. But for Quebec, plenty brothers and sisters know me well. When I visit the circuit overseers, the brothers and sisters go want work with me for field service. Na true say I de enjoy to preach with the brothers and sisters, but I no de spend enough time with the circuit overseers. One time, one circuit overseer sofri tell me say: “Na fine thing say you de give time to the brothers, but no forget say na me you come visit this week. I need encouragement too!” From the thing wey this circuit overseer tell me, I learn how to balance things.

For 1976, one sad thing wey we no expect happen. One serious sickness catch my dear wife Simone, and e die. Simone na wonderful wife because e really love Jehovah and e no de only think about e self. As I dey busy de preach, this one help me to endure the death of my wife. And I really want thank Jehovah for the way e help me when my wife die. After some time, I marry Carolyn Elliott. This sister na serious pioneer and e come from the English part of Canada. E come Quebec to serve for place wey they need more people to preach. E dey easy to talk to Carolyn and e really get interest for other people, especially when the people de shame or dey alone. Carolyn really help me when e join me for traveling work.

For January 1978, they say make I teach the first Pioneer Service School for Quebec. Fear catch me because I never ever go pioneer school before or even see the textbook wey them de use for that school. I dey happy say the first class wey I teach, plenty pioneers with experience dey for the class. Even as I be teacher, I learn plenty things from the students!

 After, still for 1978, they do one International Convention for Olympic Stadium for Montreal and the theme na “Victorious Faith.” Na this convention big pass any other convention wey we don do for Quebec. More than 80,000 people come. They say make I work with the convention News Service Department. I talk with plenty journalists and I dey happy with the fine-fine things wey this journalists write about us. They use more than 20 hours interview us for television and radio programs, and they write plenty articles about us. That one really make people know more about Jehovah and e people!

For 1996, I get one big change for my life. Since I baptize, na only for Quebec, the French part of Canada I don de serve. But this year, they send me to English district for Toronto. I feel say I no qualify and fear really catch me when I think of how I go de give talks, since I no really know English well. So I need to pray plenty times and trust say Jehovah go help me.

I de fear when I start to serve for Toronto, but now I fit talk say I really enjoy the two years wey I serve for that area. Carolyn sofri help me know how to speak English well. And the brothers really help and encourage me. We no waste time to get new friends.

When we get assembly, I go prepare well and do the things wey I need to do so that the assembly go go fine. But I go still go preach from door to door for about one hour for Friday evening. Some people fit de ask say, ‘Why you go go preach when you go dey busy for assembly for weekend?’ But I notice say when I go preach to people e de encourage me. Even now, I de always dey happy when I go preach.

For 1998, they send us go back to Montreal to serve as special pioneers. For plenty years, my work na to arrange special public witnessing and to work with news people to correct some wrong things wey people de think about Jehovah Witness. Now, me and Carolyn de enjoy to preach to strangers when they come to Canada and they really want learn more about the Bible.

When I think about the 68 years wey I don be baptized servant of Jehovah, I see say God don really bless me. As I try to enjoy the preaching work and to help people know the truth, this one don make me happy. My pikin, Lise, and e husband start to serve as regular pioneer after their children don grow. When I see how my pikin de like to preach, this one de really make me happy. I really want thank the brothers and sisters wey their good example and correction help me to hold Jehovah tight and serve Jehovah for different-different ways. I don see say to do the work wey our organization give us, we need help from the holy spirit wey Jehovah de give. (Ps. 51:11) I de continue to thank Jehovah as e give me this big chance to praise e name!—Ps. 54:6.