MAA pee jeha 1935 ɔ mi ɔ, James kɛ Jessie Sinclair nɛ a ji ye fɔli ɔ hia kɛ je Scotland kɛ ho Bronx nɛ ngɛ New York City ɔ ya. Nihi nɛ a kɛ mɛ ya lejɛ ɔ a kpɛti nɔ kake ji Willie Sneddon. Benɛ ye fɔli ɔmɛ na lɛ pɛ nɛ a kɛ lɛ bɔni a weku ɔmɛ a he ní sɛɛmi. Enɛ ɔ ya nɔ jeha bɔɔ komɛ a se loko a fɔ mi.
Ye yayo de Willie kaa be bɔɔ komɛ a se loko a maa hwu kekleekle je mi ta a, e papaa kɛ e wetsɛ ngɔ lɛ ko kɛ ya si oplɛmi ko nɛ a kɛ fɔ North Sea ɔ mi, nɛ a gbo tlɔ mi. Willie de ye yayo ke, "Lɛɛ o papaa ngɛ hɛl!" Yehowa Odasefo no ji Willie. Kɛ gu ní sɛɛmi nɛ ɔ nɔ ɔ, ye yayo bɔni Baiblo ɔ mi anɔkuale ɔ kasemi.
Nɔ́ nɛ Willie de ɔ gba ye yayo nya, ejakaa ye yayo le kaa nɔmlɔ kpakpa ji e papaa. Se Willie bi ye yayo ke, "Ke i de mo ke Yesu ya hɛl ɔ, kɛ o maa nu he ha kɛɛ?" Ye yayo kai sɔlemi ko nɛ a pɔɔ mi timi ngɛ he nɛ e yaa sɔlemi ngɛ ɔ. A deɔ ngɛ jamɛ a sɔlemi ɔ mi ke Yesu ya hɛl, nɛ ligbi etɛ se ɔ, a tle lɛ si. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, ye yayo bi e he ke, 'Ke hɛl ji la nɛ a kɛ yiwutsotsɛmɛ ya woɔ mi ɔ, lɛɛ mɛni he je mɔ nɛ Yesu ya lejɛ ɔ?' Enɛ ɔ nɛ ha nɛ ye yayo bɔni anɔkuale ɔ kasemi. E kɛ Bronx asafo ɔ bɔni asafo mi kpehi yami, nɛ e ha nɛ a baptisi lɛ ngɛ jeha 1940 ɔ mi.
Jamɛ a be ɔ mi ɔ, a ji blɔ nɛ a wo fɔli he wami kaa a kɛ a bimɛ nɛ kase Baiblo ɔ. Benɛ i wɛ ɔ, ye papaa hyɛɛ ye nɔ ke ji ye yayo yaa asafo mi kpe, aloo e yaa fiɛɛmi ngɛ otsi ɔ nyagbe ɔ. Jeha bɔɔ komɛ a se ɔ, i kɛ ye papaa kɛ ye yayo tsuo bɔni asafo mi kpehi yami. Ye yayo bɔɔ mɔde ngɛ sane kpakpa fiɛɛmi ní tsumi ɔ mi wawɛɛ, nɛ e kɛ nihi fuu nɛ a bua jɔ anɔkuale ɔ he ɔ bɔni Baiblo ɔ kasemi. Be komɛ ɔ, e blaa e Baiblo kaseli ɔmɛ nɛ e kɛ mɛ kaseɔ ní kaa kuu, ejakaa e Baiblo kaseli ɔmɛ kɛ a sibi a he kɛ we. Ke a ha sukuu blɔ ɔ, i kɛ lɛ yaa fiɛɛmi. Kɛ gu lɔ ɔ nɔ ɔ, i ba kase níhi fuu ngɛ Baiblo ɔ mi, kɛ bɔ nɛ ma plɛ kɛ tsɔɔ nihi Baiblo ɔ mi anɔkuale ɔmɛ ha.
E dɔɔ mi kaa benɛ i wɛ ɔ, i nya we anɔkuale ɔ he tsɔ. I ngɔ lɛ kaa fiɛmi. Se benɛ i ye maa pee jeha 12 ɔ, i ba pee Matsɛ Yemi fiɛɛlɔ, nɛ kɛ je jamɛ a be ɔ mi ɔ, i kɛ fiɛɛmi yami fiɛ we. Benɛ i ye jeha 16, i jɔɔ ye wami nɔ kɛ ha Yehowa, i ha nɛ a baptisi mi July 24, 1954 ɔ nɔ, ngɛ kpokpa nɔ kpe ko nɛ a pee ngɛ Toronto ngɛ Canada a sisi.
BETEL SƆMƆMI
Jamɛ a be ɔ, nyɛmimɛ nɛ i kɛ mɛ ngɛ asafo kake mi ɔ a kpɛti ni komɛ sɔmɔ hyɛ ngɛ Betel, nɛ ni komɛ hu ngɛ sɔmɔe ngɛ lejɛ ɔ loloolo. A ye bua mi wawɛɛ. Ye bua jɔ bɔ nɛ a tuɔ munyu kɛ bɔ nɛ a tsɔɔ ní ha a he wawɛɛ. E ngɛ mi kaa ye sukuu tsɔɔli ɔmɛ suɔ nɛ ma ya yunivɛsiti mohu lɛɛ, se i suɔ nɛ ma ya sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, i ngma womi nɔ ní kaa i suɔ nɛ ma ya sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel ngɛ jamɛ a kpe ɔ nɛ a pee ngɛ Toronto ɔ nɔuu sisi. I kpale ngma womi nɔ ní kaa i suɔ nɛ ma ya sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel ngɛ kpokpa nɔ kpe ko nɛ a pee ngɛ jeha 1955 ɔ mi ngɛ Yankee Stadium ngɛ New York City ɔ. Benɛ i ye jeha 17 ɔ, e kɛ we nɛ a tsɛ mi ke ma ba sɔmɔ ngɛ Brooklyn Betel ɔ. I bɔni sɔmɔmi ngɛ lejɛ ɔ September 19, 1955. Benɛ i ya Betel ɔ, e we jena pɛ nɛ a ha nɛ i bɔni ní tsumi ngɛ womi fiami he nɛ ngɛ 117 Adams Street ɔ. Be bɔɔ se ɔ, i kɛ klama ko nɛ a kɛ buaa womihi a nya a bɔni ní tsumi. I kɛ bua womihi nɛ a hɛɛ ba fã 32 ɔ a nya konɛ a kɛ wo klama ko nɛ a kɛ kpɛɛ womihi ɔ mi.
Nyɔhiɔ kake se ɔ, a ha nɛ i ya tsu ní ngɛ Magazine Department, ejakaa i le bɔ nɛ a fiaa nɔ́ kɛ woɔ womi nɔ ha. Jamɛ a be ɔ, a haa nɛ nyɛmimɛ nyumuhi kɛ yihi fiaa asafo ɔ adrɛs ɔ kɛ woɔ dade pɛtɛɛ ko nɛ a tsɛɛ ke stencil ɔ nɔ kɛ haa ni hehi nɛ a bɔni Hwɔɔmi Mɔ kɛ Awake! ɔ sɛmi ɔ. Nyɔhiɔ bɔɔ komɛ a se ɔ, a ha nɛ i ya tsu ní ngɛ Shipping Department ɔ. Klaus Jensen nɛ e hyɛɛ ní tsumi he nɛ ɔ nɔ ɔ bi mi ke ji ma suɔ nɛ ma ya sɛ nɔ nɛ hɛɛ lɔle ngua a konɛ e ngɔ womi kɛ dakahi kɛ ya mane nɛ a kɛ ya ha nyɛmimɛ ngɛ je kɛ wɛ. E sa nɛ waa ngɔ womi tɛtlɛɛhi nɛ a ngɛ kotokuhi a mi kɛ ya posɔfisi nɛ wa kɛ ya mane wa nyɛmimɛ nɛ a ngɛ United States ɔ. Nyɛminyumu Jensen tsɔɔ kaa ní tsumi nɛ biɔ nɔmlɔ tso mi he wami nɛ ɔ maa ye bua mi. Jamɛ be ɔ, i klee we kulaa, nɛ ye mi jɔɔmi maa pee kilogram 57 pɛ. Ní tsumi nɛ ɔ ha nɛ i ná nɔmlɔ tso mi he wami wawɛɛ. E ngɛ heii kaa Nyɛminyumu Jensen le kaa ní tsumi nɛ ɔ maa ye bua mi!
Magazine Department ɔ sɛɛ womi tɛtlɛɛhi kɛ haa asafohi. Enɛ ɔ he ɔ, i ba le gbi slɔɔtohi nɛ a fiaa wa womi tɛtlɛɛ ɔmɛ ngɛ mi ngɛ Brooklyn loko a kɛ yaa ma kpahi a nɔ ɔ. Gbi nɛ ɔmɛ fuu ngɛ nɛ i nui hyɛ, se ye bua jɔ kaa a fiaa wa womi tɛtlɛɛ ɔmɛ akpehi abɔ ngɛ gbi nɛ ɔmɛ a mi, nɛ a kɛ yaa tsitsaa. Jamɛ a be ɔ, i li kaa be ko maa su nɛ ma ná he blɔ kɛ ya slaa ma nɛ ɔmɛ.
Ngɛ jeha 1961 ɔ mi ɔ, a ha nɛ i ya tsu ní ngɛ he nɛ a hyɛɛ sika nɔ ngɛ ɔ. Nyɛminyumu Grant Suiter lɛ hyɛɛ ní tsumi he nɛ ɔ nɔ. Jeha bɔɔ komɛ a se ɔ, Nathan Knorr nɛ jamɛ a be ɔ e hyɛɛ asafo ɔ ní tsumi ɔ nɔ ngɛ je kɛ wɛ ɔ tsɛ mi kɛ ya e ɔfisi ɔ. E tsɔɔ kaa nyɛmimɛ nɛ i kɛ mɛ tsuɔ ní ɔ a kpɛti nɔ kake kɛ nyɔhiɔ kake yaa Matsɛ Yemi Sɔmɔmi Sukuu ɔ eko, nɛ lɔ ɔ se ɔ e kɛ Ní Tsumi He Nɛ Hyɛɛ Sɔmɔmi Ní Tsumi ɔ Nɔ ɔ ma ya tsu ní. A ha nɛ i ya da e nane mi, nɛ i kɛ Don Adams tsu ní. Mamoo Don nɔuu ji nɔ nɛ i ngɔ ye Betel blɔ bimi womi ɔ kɛ ha ngɛ kpokpa nɔ kpe nɛ a pee ngɛ jeha 1955 ɔ mi ɔ sisi ɔ nɛ. Nyɛmimɛ nyumuhi enyɔ nɛ ji Robert Wallen kɛ Charles Molohan hu tsuɔ ní ngɛ lejɛ ɔ. Wɔ ni eywiɛ ɔmɛ wa pee kake kɛ tsu ní jeha 50 kɛ se. Ye bua jɔ wawɛɛ kaa i kɛ nyɛmimɛ nyumuhi anɔkualetsɛmɛ nɛ a bɔɔ mɔde ngɛ Mawu jami mi nɛ ɔ tsu ní!—La 133:1.
Kɛ je jeha 1970 ɔ mi ɔ, a ha mi ní tsumi ko nɛ biɔ nɛ ma ngɔ otsi komɛ kɛ ya slaa asafo ɔ ní tsumi kɔni komɛ. I peeɔ enɛ ɔ daa jeha aloo jeha enyɔ. I ya slaa Betel weku ɔ kɛ ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛli, i woɔ mɛ he wami, nɛ i hyɛɛ ní tsumi kɔni ɔmɛ a womihi a mi. Ye bua jɔ wawɛɛ kaa i kɛ nihi nɛ a ya Gilead Sukuu nɛ a pee kekleekle ɔ eko nɛ loloolo ɔ, a ngɛ sɔmɔe ngɛ ma se ɔ a kpɛti ni komɛ kpe! Ní tsumi nɛ ɔ ha nɛ i ná he blɔ nɛ i ya slaa mahi nɛ hiɛ pe 90.
I NÁ YO NƐ E YEƆ ANƆKUALE
A ha nɛ nyɛmimɛ nɛ a ngɛ sɔmɔe ngɛ Brooklyn Betel ɔ yaa asafo mi kpehi ngɛ asafohi nɛ a ngɛ New York City ɔ. Asafo nɛ a ha mi ɔ ngɛ Bronx. Asafo nɛ a to sisi kekleekle ngɛ lejɛ ɔ wa, nɛ a gba mi. Pee se ɔ, a ba tsɛ kekleekle asafo ɔ ke Upper Bronx Asafo, nɛ lejɛ ɔ i yaa asafo mi kpehi ngɛ.
Maa pee jeha 1965 ɔ, weku ko nɛ a ji Odasefohi nɛ a tsɛɛ mɛ ke Latvian nɛ a na anɔkuale ɔ ngɛ Bronx woyi je ɔ hia kɛ ba je wa zugba kpɔ ɔ mi. Livija nɛ ji a biyo nɔkɔtɔma a bɔni sɔmɔmi kaa daa blɔ gbalɔ benɛ e gbe nɔ tsami sukuu nya pɛ. Nyɔhiɔ bɔɔ komɛ a se ɔ, Livija hia kɛ ho Massachusetts ya, nɛ e ya sɔmɔ ngɛ he nɛ Matsɛ Yemi fiɛɛli fuu a he hia ngɛ. I bɔni lɛ sɛ womihi ngmami. I deɔ lɛ níhi nɛ ngɛ nɔ yae ngɛ wa we asafo ɔ mi, nɛ lɛ hu e deɔ mi bɔ nɛ e fiɛɛmi ní tsumi ɔ ngɛ yiblii woe ha ngɛ Boston.
Jeha bɔɔ komɛ a se ɔ, a ha Livija he blɔ kaa e sɔmɔ kaa blɔ gbalɔ klɛdɛɛ. E suɔ nɛ e kɛ e nyɛmi tsuo nɛ sɔmɔ Yehowa, enɛ ɔ he ɔ, e ngma kaa e suɔ nɛ e sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel, nɛ a tsɛ lɛ kɛ ba Betel ngɛ jeha 1971 ɔ mi. E ngɛ kaa nɔ́ nɛ Yehowa ngɛ wɔ nɔ́ ko dee! Wa sɛ gba si himi mi October 27, 1973. Nyɛminyumu Knorr lɛ tu munyu ngɛ yo kpeemi ɔ sisi. Enɛ ɔ ji he blɔ ngua nɛ wa ná. Abɛ 18:22 ɔ deɔ ke: 'Ke o ngɔ yo kpakpa a, o ná nɔ́ kpakpa, nɛ Yehowa maa gbaa mo.' I kɛ Livija ngɔ jeha 40 kɛ se kɛ sɔmɔ ngɛ Betel. Wa ya nɔ nɛ wa ye bua asafo ko nɛ e ngɛ Bronx zugba kpɔ ɔ nɔuu mi ɔ.
I KƐ KRISTO NYƐMIMƐ PEE KAKE KƐ TSU NÍ
Ye bua jɔ wawɛɛ kaa i kɛ Nyɛminyumu Knorr tsu ní. E gbo dengme ngɛ asafo ɔ he, nɛ e bua jɔ ní tsumi nɛ ma se sane kpakpa fiɛɛli nɛ a ngɛ je kɛ wɛ ɔ tsuɔ ɔ he wawɛɛ. A ti nihi fuu ngɛ nɛ mɛ ji nihi nɛ a ngɔ anɔkuale ɔ kɛ ya he nɛ a ya sɔmɔ ngɛ ɔ. Benɛ Nyɛminyumu Knorr ná kansa ngɛ jeha 1976 a mi ɔ, wa hao wawɛɛ. Ligbi ko benɛ e ngɛ hiɔ sa mi ɔ, e de mi ke ma kane womi ko nɛ a ngma ta nɛ a yaa fia a kɛ tsɔɔ lɛ. E de mi ke ma tsɛ Frederick Franz konɛ lɛ hu e ba bu tue. Pee se ɔ, i ba yɔse kaa akɛnɛ Nyɛminyumu Franz hyɛ we nɔ́ kpakpa ko he je ɔ, Nyɛminyumu Knorr he ɔ be kɛ kaneɔ womi nɛ ɔmɛ kɛ tsɔɔ lɛ.
Nyɛminyumu Knorr gbo ngɛ jeha 1977 ɔ mi, se e suɔli nɛ a le lɛ saminya a ná bua womi, ejakaa a le kaa e kɛ anɔkuale yemi gbe e sɔmɔmi ní tsumi ngɛ zugba a nɔ ɔ nya. (Kpoj. 2:10) Lɔ ɔ se ɔ, Nyɛminyumu Franz ba pee ní tsumi ɔ hɛ mi nyɛɛlɔ.
Jamɛ a be ɔ mi ɔ, imi ji Milton Henschel womi ngmalɔ. E kɛ Nyɛminyumu Knorr tsu ní jehahi fuu. Nyɛminyumu Henschel ba de mi ke, kɛ je jamɛ a be ɔ kɛ yaa a, ye ní tsumi ngɛ Betel ji kaa ma ye bua Nyɛminyumu Franz ngɛ nɔ́ fɛɛ nɔ́ mi. Daa nɛ ɔ, i kaneɔ womihi kɛ tsɔɔ lɛ loko a ya fiaa a. Nyɛminyumu Franz kaiɔ nɔ́ wawɛɛ, nɛ ke o ngɛ nɔ́ ko kanee kɛ ngɛ lɛ tsɔɔe ɔ, e buɔ tue saminya. Ye bua jɔ kaa i ná he blɔ kɛ ye bua lɛ kɛ ya si benɛ e gbe e zugba a nɔ sɔmɔmi ní tsumi ɔ nya ngɛ December 1992 ɔ mi!
Lingmi nɛ ɔ pɛ nɛ i bɔni sɔmɔmi ngɛ Betel ɔ, jeha 61 be momo. Ye fɔli ɔmɛ ye Yehowa anɔkuale kɛ ya si a gbenɔ mi, nɛ i ngɛ blɔ hyɛe kaa be maa su nɛ i kɛ mɛ maa kpe ngɛ je ehe ɔ mi. (Yoh. 5:28, 29) Nyɛmimɛ nyumuhi kɛ yi anɔkualetsɛmɛ nɛ i kɛ mɛ tsu ní kɛ ye bua Mawu we bi ngɛ je kɛ wɛ ɔ haa nɛ ye bua jɔɔ. Nɔ́ ko nɔ́ ko be je nɛ ɔ mi nɛ ma nyɛ ma ngɔ kɛ to he. Ngɛ jeha abɔ nɛ waa kɛ sɔmɔ Yehowa a tsuo mi ɔ, I kɛ ye yo Livija ma nyɛ ma de kɛ nɔ mi mami kaa, 'bua jɔmi nɛ Yehowa ha wɔ ɔ ha nɛ wa ná he wami.'—Neh. 8:10.
Nɔ ko be nɛ e ma nyɛ ma de ke e he hia pe nɔ fɛɛ nɔ ngɛ Yehowa Asafo ɔ mi nɛ lɔ ɔ he je ɔ, ke e be ɔ, Matsɛ Yemi he anɔkuale ɔ fiɛɛmi ɔ be nɔ yae. I ná he blɔ nɛ i kɛ nyɛmimɛ nyumuhi kɛ yi anɔkualetsɛmɛ fuu nɛ a ngɛ kã a tsu ní, nɛ enɛ ɔ ha mi bua jɔmi. Nyɛmimɛ nɛ a pɔ mɛ nu ɔ a kpɛti nihi fuu nɛ i kɛ mɛ tsu ní ɔ gbo. Se ye bua jɔ kaa i ná he blɔ nɛ i kɛ anɔkualetsɛmɛ nɛ ɔmɛ tsu ní ngɛ Yehowa sɔmɔmi mi.