They born me for 1935 for Darlaston. Darlaston na part of the Black Country area them for England. Them de call this area Black Country because of the heavy smoke wey de come out from the plenty factory wey dey there. When I dey around 4 years, my papa and mama start to study Bible with Jehovah Witness people. When I dey around 14 years, the things wey I learn really help me dey sure say na the truth be this, and I baptize for 1952 when I dey 16 years.

Around that time, I start to learn work for one big factory wey de make tools and motor parts. They start to train me to be secretary for the company. And I really enjoy the work.

I really need to make one big decision when one circuit overseer tell me say make I start to conduct Congregation Book Study for my home congregation for Willenhall. But problem dey o. Because that time, I be de attend two congregations. For the week, I de attend the congregation wey dey near my workplace for Bromsgrove, wey dey about 32 kilometers (20 mi) from our house. And for weekend, when I go back to our house, I de attend the congregation for Willenhall.

Because I want support Jehovah’s organization, I accept wetin the circuit overseer talk. And this one mean say I need to leave my work wey I really like. As I allow Jehovah to direct my life, this one give me the chance to live the life wey I really enjoy and I no ever regret-am.

As I de attend meeting with Bromsgrove Congregation, I meet one fine sister wey really love Jehovah. The sister name na Anne. We marry for 1957 and two of us don enjoy plenty wonderful assignment for Jehovah’s organization. We don enjoy regular pioneer, special pioneer, traveling work, and Bethel service together. Na so-so joy my dear wife Anne de give me all my life.

For 1966, we really happy when they invite us to attend 42nd class of Gilead. After the school, they send us go Malawi, one country wey them de call ‘warm heart of Africa’ because the people for there dey kind and them de welcome visitors well. We  no ever think-am say they no go allow us make we stay there for long time.

We reach Malawi for February 1, 1967. We use plenty time for the first month to learn the language, and after, we start district work. We be de use one strong olden days Jeep wey plenty people believe say go even fit drive for inside water. But no be so e be, because we de manage to even drive for water wey no deep. Sometimes, we de live for mud house and we de use tarpaulin cover the roof when rain de fall so that water no go enter. Things no too dey easy that time when we start our missionary work, but we love-am!

For April, I start to notice say we go soon get problem from government. I hear one thing for radio wey the president of Malawi talk. E name na Dr Hastings Banda. E talk say Jehovah Witness people no de pay tax, and say them de cause problem for government. The truth na say, this thing wey e talk no be true. All of us know say the real problem na say we no de put hand for politics and say we no de gree buy card to show say person na member of one particular party for politics.

For September, we read for newspaper say the president don talk say our brothers de cause trouble for everywhere. E talk for one government meeting wey they do say, e government go do something quick-quick to ban Jehovah Witness for Malawi. They ban our work for October 20, 1967. Small time after, police and immigration people come our branch office to close the branch office down and pursue the missionary them comot from Malawi.

After we don spend three days for prison, they pursue us go one country wey Britain de control.  The name of the country na Mauritius. But the government for Mauritius no allow us make we stay as missionary. So the organization send us go Rhodesia (wey them de call Zimbabwe now). When we reach there, we meet one wicked immigration officer wey no gree make we enter. E talk say: “They no gree make wuna stay for Malawi. They no gree make wuna stay for Mauritius, and now wuna think say we go gree make wuna stay here?” Anne just start to cry. E just be like say nobody want us! As all this things de happen, e just be like say make I go back to England. At last, the immigration people allow us make we stay for only one night for the branch office and talk say make we come their headquarters for the second day. The matter really tire us, but we continue to leave-am for Jehovah hand. For the second day for afternoon, we no believe wetin happen. They give us permission to stay for Zimbabwe as visitors. I no go fit ever forget the way I feel that day. This one really make me dey sure say na Jehovah de direct our life.

For the branch office for Zimbabwe, I be de work for Service Department, and they say make I de care for Malawi and Mozambique. Them de really suffer the brothers for Malawi. Part of my work, na to translate the reports wey circuit overseers for Malawi de send come. One evening when I de work late to finish one report, I really cry when I read about the kind suffer wey our brothers and sisters de face for Malawi. a Even with this one, their faith, the way they continue to endure and how they hold Jehovah tight really encourage me.—2 Cor. 6:4, 5.

We do everything wey we fit do to make sure say our brothers and sisters wey dey Malawi and the ones wey don run go Mozambique get our book them. Our brothers and sisters wey de translate Chichewa, the number one language for Malawi, move go one brother big farm for Zimbabwe. The brother build house and office for them. For there, they continue the important work wey be, to translate our book them.

We arrange make the circuit overseers for Malawi de attend the Chichewa district convention every year for Zimbabwe. Na there them de collect the convention talk outlines. When them de go back to Malawi, they go share wetin they learn with brothers and sisters as they fit. One year wey they visit Zimbabwe, we manage to arrange Kingdom Ministry School to encourage this circuit overseers wey really get strong heart for their work.

For February 1975, I travel go Mozambique to visit brothers and sisters wey don run from Malawi go refugee camps for there. This brothers, de follow the direction wey Jehovah organization de give, even the arrangement to get body of elders. This new elders don arrange plenty things to make the faith of brothers and sisters for the camps strong. Them de give talks, de discuss the Watchtower and Learn From Bible Everyday, and even de do assembly. They arrange the camps just like convention. They get cleaning, food and security departments. Jehovah don really help this faithful brothers and sisters to do plenty things. This things wey they do really encourage me.

Around 1979, the branch office for Zambia start to care for the work for Malawi. Just like plenty other brothers, I continue to think about our brothers for Malawi and pray for them. As I be one of the Branch Committee members for Zimbabwe, plenty times, I de get meeting with brothers from world headquarters, brothers from Malawi, brothers from South Africa, and brothers from Zambia. Everytime wey we de do this meeting, we always de ask the same question wey be, “Which other things we fit do for the brothers for Malawi?”

After some times, the suffer reduce. Brothers and sisters wey don run comot from Malawi, start to come back small-small. And for the ones wey remain, the suffer wey they be de suffer reduce. Around that time, countries wey dey around Malawi don de allow make Jehovah Witness people meet together and de preach. And for 1991,  Mozambique do the same thing. But we just de wonder, ‘Which time Jehovah Witness people for Malawi go dey free?’

At last, things change for Malawi. For 1993, government remove the ban. Small time after that time, I be de talk to one missionary and e ask me say, “You go go back to Malawi?” That time, I dey 59 years. So, I talk say, “No, I don too old!” For the same day, we receive message from Governing Body say make we go back.

We really love our assignment for Zimbabwe, so this one hard us to decide. We really dey happy as we de serve for Zimbabwe, and for the plenty years wey we dey there, we don get plenty friends. Governing Body dey kind, and they agree say if we choose say we no want go, they no go force us. So, we fit just decide say we go stay for Zimbabwe. But I start to think about how Abraham and Sarah obey Jehovah and move comot from their place for their old age.—Gen. 12:1-5.

We decide to follow the direction from Jehovah organization and go back to Malawi for February 1, 1995, and na that date make us 28 years wey we don come Africa. They form Branch Committee, and na me and two other brothers dey for the committee. Our work na to try arrange how the work of Jehovah Witness people go be again for Malawi.

Na big blessing to see how Jehovah make the work grow quick-quick! The publishers grow from about 30,000 for 1993 to more than 42,000 for 1998. b Governing Body agree say make we build new branch office to care for the plenty work wey dey. We buy about 12-hectare (30-ac) plot of land for Lilongwe and they choose me to dey the construction committee.

Na Brother Guy Pierce, wey be Governing Body member give the dedication talk for the new branch office for May 2001. More than 2000 brothers and sisters attend the dedication, and e don pass 40 years wey plenty of them don baptize. This faithful brothers and sisters don endure plenty suffer from government for all the years wey they ban our work. Even though say this brothers no get money, they get strong faith and their friendship with Jehovah really strong. And now, e de sweet them to see their new Bethel. Everywhere they go, as them de waka round Bethel, them de sing our Kingdom song with Africa people style, and this  one make the program one better experience wey I no go ever forget for my life. This one really make-am clear say Jehovah de bless people wey hold-am tight as them de endure problems.

After we build the branch office finish, I dey glad as I start to receive assignments for Kingdom Hall dedication. The congregations for Malawi start to enjoy one arrangement wey the organization don make to quick build Kingdom Halls for brothers and sisters for area wey they no too get money. Before-before, some brothers and sisters de use eucalyptus tree build the place wey them de do meeting. Them de use mat wey they use grass make as roof, and long bench wey they use mud make to sitdown. Now, the brothers really dey happy to use bricks build fine place wey them de worship Jehovah. They still like to sitdown for bench for this Kingdom Halls because they believe say more people fit sitdown for bench pass chair!

E don still sweet me to see how Jehovah don help our brothers and sisters to be mature Christians. Young African brothers don really surprise me as they bring out theirself and quick learn plenty things from the training wey Jehovah’s organization de give and from the work wey them de do. And because of this one, they fit do more work for Bethel and for congregation. They make some brothers wey don marry, circuit overseers. And this brothers really make the congregation strong. This brothers and sisters decide to do more for Jehovah work, even though say plenty people and even their family people de give them trouble as they no born pikin.

After 52 years for Africa, my body change. I start to get some sickness. Governing Body gree with wetin the Branch Committee for Malawi talk, say make we go back to Britain branch. E really pain us say we leave the assignment wey we really love, but the Bethel family for Britain de take care of us no be small.

The thing wey happen for my life make me dey sure say to allow Jehovah direct my life na the best decision wey I don ever make. If to say I no choose to use all my life do Jehovah work, who know where I for dey now? Jehovah really know wetin I need to ‘make my road straight.’ (Prov. 3:5, 6) As young man, e sweet me to learn how them de do things for that kind big company that time. But Jehovah’s organization give me better assignment wey make my life sweet. For me, to serve Jehovah this way na the best thing wey don happen to me, and e go continue to be the best way of life!