That thing wey happen change my life, because na that time I start to think about how I go know God. But before I talk the next thing wey happen that night, make I first tell you some things wey happen to me when I dey small. Na this things make me want learn about God that time.

Na for 1937 they born me, for one town wey them de call Guesnain, for northern France. The number one work wey people de do for this town na to dig for coal, and na the same work my papa do. My papa teach me to work hard. E still teach me to hate partial. And na this character move my papa to help the miners (people wey their work na to dig for coal) wey de work under danger and wey other people de treat anyhow. So my papa join trade union. And this union de fight for the right of miners. Another thing wey my papa no like na the way priests for that area de treat other people. Many of the priest them de live big life, but they still de collect food and money from the poor miners. And this people de struggle to live their life. My papa really hate that thing wey the priest them de do, and na this one  make my papa no teach me anything about God. The truth be say, we no ever talk about God at all.

As I grow, I start to hate partial just like my papa. One of the things wey I hate na say many French people hate people from other country. I de play ball with children from other country, and we de enjoy ourself as we de play together. Apart from that one, my mama no be French person, na Poland e come from. I really de think of the time wey people of different-different country go live together without any problem, and nobody go treat another person anyhow.

Government force me to join military for 1957. Na the reason why I dey for the mountain for Algeria that night wey I talk about for the beginning of this story. After I talk say “God! Oh, God!” wetin I see na bush donkey, no be enemy soldier! This one really make my mind come down! But that thing wey happen and the war, make me really think about life more-more. So I ask myself say, Why we come this life? God de care about us? We fit ever get real peace wey go last forever?

After, when I visit my papa and mama for house, I meet one Jehovah Witness. E give me La Sainte Bible. This one na French Catholic translation of Bible. So, when I go back to Algeria, I start to read the Bible. One verse wey really touch me na Revelation 21:3, 4. E say: “The tent of God dey with people . . . And e go wipe all the tears from their eye, and they no go die again, people no go de cry again, pain no go dey again.” * This thing wey I read surprise me. So I ask myself say, ‘This thing na true?’ That time, I no really know anything about God and Bible.

After I finish my military service for 1959, I meet one Jehovah Witness wey e name na François. E teach me plenty truth for Bible. For example, e teach me say God name na Jehovah, and e show me for Bible. (Ps. 83:18) François still talk say Jehovah go remove partial for this earth. E go turn the earth to paradise, and e go do the things wey e talk for Revelation 21:3, 4.

This things wey e teach me from Bible really make sense to me, and they touch my heart. But I still really vex for the priest them and I want condemn them for the things wey them de teach, because the things wey them de teach no dey for Bible! E be like say that time, the way my papa de think still de affect me. I no dey patient. I just want do something quick-quick!

François and my other new friends wey be Jehovah Witness help me to calm down. They tell me say our work as Christians no be to judge people, but na to give them hope with the good news about the Kingdom of God. Na the work wey Jesus do be that, and na the same work e give e followers make they do. (Matt. 24:14; Luke 4:43) I still learn how to use sense talk with people for kind way, even if we no believe the same thing. Bible talk say: “Slave of God no need to fight. But make e dey gentle with everybody.”—2 Tim. 2:24.

I change some things wey I need to change for my life. And I baptize for one circuit assembly for 1959. And for there, I meet one young sister wey e name na Angèle, and I like the sister. I start to  visit the congregation wey the sister dey. And we marry for 1960. Angèle na correct woman, na wonderful wife, and na better gift from Jehovah.—Prov. 19:14.

All this years, I don learn plenty things from wise brothers wey get experience. Number one thing wey I learn na say: For us to succeed for any assignment no matter how the assignment hard reach, we need to dey humble and follow the advice for Proverbs 15:22, e talk say: “When plenty people dey wey de give advice, we go succeed.”

For 1964, I start to see say that advice for Bible really dey correct. Na that year I start to serve as circuit overseer. My work na to visit congregations and encourage the brothers and sisters, and help them dey tight with Jehovah more. But, na 27 years I dey that time, and I no get any experience. So I make mistakes. But I try to learn from them. The number one thing be say, I learn plenty important lesson from mature people, and this people get experience and know how to give “advice.”

I remember one example about something wey happen that time. After I visit one congregation for Paris, one better brother wey hold Jehovah tight ask me whether e go fit see me, and say e want tell me something. So I say, “Yes o, you go fit.”

E ask me say, “Louis, who doctor de help, sick people or people wey well?”

I talk say, “Na sick people.”

So, e talk say: “You correct. But I don notice say na people wey de do well for congregation you de spend time with. People like, the congregation overseer. Our congregation get plenty new publishers, brothers and sisters wey de shame, or wey need encouragement. They go really like-am if you spend time with them, and even go their house and chop with them.”

The advice wey that better brother give me really dey correct. The love wey the brother get for other brothers and sisters really touch my heart. So, even though say for inside my heart, e dey hard for me to accept say I don make mistake, quick-quick I start to do the thing wey the brother tell me. I thank Jehovah say we get good brothers like that.

For 1969 and 1973, they say make I be overseer  for Food Service Department for the two international conventions wey they do for Colombes, Paris. For 1973 convention, we go need to give about 60,000 people food for five days! I think say I no go fit do this work. But again, the solution to the problem na the advice for Proverbs 15:22, wey be to get advice from other people. So, I tell brothers with experience for food business to help me. Some of this brothers de sell meat, some get vegetable farm, some de cook, and some de help people buy things. So, as we do the work together, we succeed to finish the work wey I first think say I no go fit do.

For 1973, they say make me and my wife come de work for France Bethel. My first assignment for Bethel no easy. I need to send our book them to our brothers and sisters for one country for Africa wey them de call Cameroon. Government for there ban our work from 1970 go reach 1993. Again, I feel say I no go fit do the work. Maybe the branch overseer for France that time notice the way I de feel. So e encourage me, and talk say: “Our brothers for Cameroon really need our book them to dey tight with Jehovah. So we need to care for them!” And na wetin we do be that.

I travel plenty times go countries wey share border with Cameroon to meet the elders for there. Those brothers dey wise and they get strong heart. They help me to arrange how our brothers for Cameroon go fit de get our book them everytime. And Jehovah really bless our hard work. For about 20 years, servants of Jehovah for that land no ever miss any of The Watchtower and our publication wey we de receive every month that time, wey them de call Our Kingdom Service.

From the time wey we start to know each other, I notice say Angèle dey tight with Jehovah. And when we marry, I see-am clear say  true-true na so e dey. In short, for the evening of the day wey we marry, e tell me say make I pray about our plan to use our life serve Jehovah together as husband and wife. Jehovah answer that prayer.

Angèle don still help me to really trust Jehovah more. For example, for 1973 when they say make we come Bethel, I no first like-am because I like circuit work. But Angèle remind me say, we don give our life to Jehovah. And so, we go ready to do anything wey Jehovah’s organization say make we do. (Heb. 13:17) I agree with wetin e talk! And so, we go Bethel. My wife really dey wise, e de reason well, and e love Jehovah. All this better character don really help us to dey tight with each other. And e don still help us to make better decision for all this years wey we don dey together as husband and wife.

Even as we don de old, Angèle continue to be better wife, and e de support me well. For example, many of the schools wey our organization de do na for English. So that we go fit attend any of the schools, me and Angèle start to work hard so that we go fit sabi speak and understand English more. So, we join English congregation, even though say we don pass 70 years that time. Because of my work as Branch Committee member for France, to get time learn another language no easy at all. But me and Angèle help each other. Now, we don pass 80 years, we continue to prepare for our meetings for English and French. And we still de try our best to join our congregation for preaching and meeting. Jehovah don really bless our hard work to learn English.

For 2017, we get one better blessing. They say make me and Angèle attend the School for Branch Committee Members and Their Wives. And the school na for the Watchtower Educational Center for Patterson, New York.

True-true, na Jehovah be the Teacher wey high pass. (Isa. 30:20) So e no surprise us say servants of Jehovah, both young and old, de get the best education! (Deut. 4:5-8) I don really see say, when young people listen to Jehovah and to brothers and sisters with experience, this one de help them to make good decisions for life and hold Jehovah tight. Proverbs 9:9 remind us say: “Teach person wey get sense, and e go get more sense. Teach person wey dey righteous, and e go learn more.”

Sometimes, I de remember that night wey I dey for the mountain for Algeria. About 60 years don pass since that time. That night, I no know say na this kind better life de wait for me. I don learn plenty things from other people! True-true, Jehovah don bless me and Angèle with wonderful life. So we don make up our mind say, we no go ever stop to learn from our Papa Jehovah and from wise brothers and sisters with experience and wey love Jehovah.