For The Watch Tower of January 1, 1918, the first thing wey they write talk say: “What will the year 1918 bring forth?” That time, the Great War (or First World War) still de hot for Europe. But e be like say the things wey e happen for the beginning of that year show say things go better for the Bible Students, and for the whole world.

For January 8, 1918, President Woodrow Wilson talk to the government people wey de make law (U.S. Congress) about 14 things wey e feel say them dey important. The president feel say this things na agreement wey go bring correct peace for different-different country. E bring the idea say make weapon reduce, make different-different country de sit-down talk together, and make they come together to form one group so that both small and big country go benefit. Na this fourteen points wey e talk they use form one group of country wey the name na ‘League of Nations.’ They still use-am make one agreement of peace (Treaty of Versailles). And this one show say the Great War don end.

For the year before this one, * the Bible Students face problem and trouble. But even with all this one, e be like say the Bible Students go get peace because of things wey de happen. This one really dey clear for the meeting wey Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society do that year. Na every year them de do this meeting.

For Bethel that time, e get some brothers wey de direct the work, but they drive them comot. So, for this meeting wey them do for January 5, 1918, some of this brothers attend, and they want try to de control the organization. Na one faithful traveling overseer wey e name na Richard H. Barber open the meeting with prayer. They read the report of the work wey they do for last year. When they read-am finish, they start election. That time them de do election to vote the people wey they go be directors every year. Brother Barber choose Joseph Rutherford and six other brothers. Then one lawyer wey e dey with them for the meeting choose seven other people. The people wey they drive comot from Bethel dey among the people wey e choose because e de support them. But they no succeed. Plenty of the people wey dey the meeting come vote Brother Rutherford and six other faithful brothers to be directors.

Many of the brothers wey attend the meeting talk say, “this one na number one of all the meeting wey they don attend.” But their joy no last.

For plenty months now, the Bible students don de give people the book wey the name na The Finished Mystery. And many people wey they want really know about Jehovah de learn the truth for inside the book.

One husband and wife read the book and accept the truth for only five weeks! Brother E. F. Crist, wey be traveling overseer for Canada, talk say: “The man and e wife don resign from the church wey them de go before, and them de do fine for the truth.”

One man wey collect the book no waste time tell e friends about-am. The thing wey e read from the book “really touch” e heart. E talk say: “As I de waka  go down for Third Avenue, something fall for my shoulder, I think say na brick, but I surprise, as I see say na ‘The Finished Mystery.’ I carry-am go house, and I read-am finish. . . . I come know say na one preacher . . . troway the book from window because e de vex .  . . I believe say this thing wey e do convert more people pass any other thing wey e don do for e life. .  . . Because of the thing wey this preacher vex do we de praise God now.”

No be only the preacher vex. For February 12, 1918, government for Canada ban the book. They say the things wey the book talk about no support the war and e de make people dey against government. Small time after, government for United States join them. People from government come search Bethel Home and all our office for New York, Pennsylvania, and California, so that they go see wetin they go use hold the people wey de direct the work for the organization. For March 14, 1918, the U.S. Department of Justice ban The Finished Mystery. They say as them de print and share the book for people, e de disturb their plan for the war. They talk say na serious offence be that.

For May 7, 1918, the Department of Justice collect permit to arrest Giovanni DeCecca, George Fisher, Alexander Macmillan, Robert Martin, Frederick Robison, Joseph Rutherford, William Van Amburgh, and Clayton Woodworth. They accuse them say, they “no de follow law, they be criminal, them de make people no respect government, they no de gree support army and navy for United States.” They start to judge them for June 3, 1918, and with the way things be, e dey clear say they no go free them. Why we talk so?

They talk say the brothers break one law (Espionage Act). And the oga for law matter (attorney general) for United States talk say this law na “correct weapon to fight lie-lie.” For May 16, 1918, people wey de make law (U.S. Congress) no gree make they put law to protect people wey they print “anything wey be true, wey they write with good mind, and for good reason.” They talk plenty things about The Finished Mystery. One book wey U.S. Congress get talk say: “‘The Finished Mystery’ na one example of the kind books wey bad well-well for lie-lie . . . The only thing wey this book fit do na to make soldiers disgrace us and make people . . . no join soldier.”

For June 20, 1918, people wey judge the matter talk say the eight brothers do all the things wey they talk against them. The next day, the judge come talk wetin e go do. E talk say: “The lie-lie wey this people de use all their power de teach and de spread . . . fit cause problem wey worse pass the one wey one group of German Army fit cause. . . . So the punishment go strong well-well.” After two weeks, they send this eight brothers go prison (the Federal Penitentiary) for Atlanta, Georgia, and they go stay there for 10 to 20 years.

During this time, they suffer the Bible Students well-well. Police people (Federal Bureau of Investigation, or FBI) take time check the work wey our brothers  de do. And they see plenty papers wey show say our brothers don make up their mind say they no go tire to preach.

One person in charge of post office for Orlando, Florida, write letter to police people say: “[The Bible Students] don full everywhere for town, them de waka from house to house, and them de do-am for night. . . . E be like say they no want stop to preach and this one de make people vex.”

One high officer for army wey e dey for War Department write to police people, and e report the things wey Brother Frederick W. Franz de do. This brother later serve as Governing Body member. The officer write say: “Frederick W. Franz serious de sell the ‘Finished Mystery,’ and e don sell plenty of this book.”

They suffer Brother Charles Fekel well-well. This brother still serve as Governing Body member. They arrest the brother because e de share The Finished Mystery, and they check the letters wey e de send and receive. They put the brother for prison for Baltimore, Maryland, for one month. They call Brother Fekel “enemy from Austria.” People suffer this brother, but e no fear to preach to them. E remember the thing wey Paul talk for 1 Corinthians 9:16 say: “Na big shame for me if I no preach the good news!” *

The Bible students no stop to preach and they no tire. As them de preach with all their heart, they still de write letter to government say make they free the brothers wey dey prison for Atlanta. One sister wey e name na Anna K. Gardner talk say: “We de always dey busy. When our brothers dey prison, our work na to find people wey they go support them with their signature. We waka from house to house. We collect plenty signature of people wey support them! We tell the people wey sign for us say this brothers na true Christian men, and they put them for prison when they no do anything.”

For that hard time, we de get plenty convention. This conventions na to make the faith of our brothers and sisters strong. The Watch Tower talk say: “We get convention wey e pass forty that year.  . . We receive plenty good report from all this convention. This one show say the work de grow. Before-before, we de do all our convention for only some months. But now, for inside one year, we de get convention every month.”

People wey they really want serve Jehovah still de listen to the good news. For one convention for Cleveland, Ohio, about 1,200 people attend and 42 baptize. Among the people wey baptize na one young boy wey e really love God. This one fit bring shame for plenty big people wey they no get faith for God.

As 1918 de end, the Bible Students no know wetin go happen for future. They sell some of their property wey dey for Brooklyn, and move their headquarter to Pittsburgh, for Pennsylvania. As the people wey them de direct the work dey for prison, time come reach for another meeting. This na that meeting wey them de do every year. The date for the meeting na January 4, 1919. So wetin go come happen next?

Our brothers continue with their work. They really dey sure say the meeting go succeed, na e make they choose the topic of the yeartext of 1919 as: “Anything wey they plan against [us] no go work.” (Isa. 54:17, Kindg James Version) They ready say things go change, and e go make their faith strong more-more for the work wey dey for front.