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What Career Will You Choose?

ARE you young and in school? If so, you are likely blessed with the assets that youth brings​—good health and lots of vim and vigor. Your life stretches before you like an untraveled road. How will you use that life in the years ahead?

As you think about your future, no doubt questions run through your mind. Should I go to a university and seek a career as a doctor, a lawyer, or a scientist? Does the dream of climbing the corporate ladder to financial success and recognition intrigue me? Would I become a famous name in the arts through acting or painting? Or, as a youth devoted to Jehovah God, should I choose the full-time ministry as my lifetime career, thus ‘remembering my Creator in the days of my youth’?​—Ecclesiastes 12:1.

Newspapers and magazine articles often paint the life of well-known people as exciting and colorful, but what do you know about the life of a full-time minister? Is it dull or boring? Or is it truly interesting and exciting? Considering some real-life experiences of those who have been in the full-time ministry for many years may help you make up your mind.

Why They Chose the Full-Time Ministry

While war was raging in Vietnam, Harry was attending the University of Hawaii, studying to become a history teacher. He was also studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Like many of his classmates, he got involved in the popular student radicalism of that time, began experimenting with drugs, and found LSD particularly fascinating. One morning he woke up in his apartment to confront a tremendous disarray of broken liquor bottles, cigarette butts, and men and women scattered about on the floor. Harry had only a vague memory of an argument with the police about a search warrant and subsequent threats of eviction from his landlord. It was at this point that he decided either to stop studying the Bible or to clean up his life. Wisely, he chose the latter.

As Harry increased his Bible knowledge, the goal of pursuing a university education and teaching career lost their appeal. He quit college, got a part-time job, was baptized, and soon qualified to become a pioneer​—a full-time preacher. Harry thus embarked on a new career, one filled with challenge and wholesome, interesting experiences.

From the special pioneer ranks, Harry and his wife were assigned as missionaries to the beautiful “rock islands” of Belau in the Western Pacific, where they still serve. What is missionary life like in these islands?

Witnessing by Boat

Much witnessing in the islands of Micronesia is done by boat and on foot. Harry and his wife, Rene, remember their first time witnessing by boat on an outer island. “We stayed at a home that was located many miles up a long winding river that snaked its way through mangrove thickets and jungle so dense they wove a canopy of green over our heads,” he recalls. “From our home base, we traveled on the river, stopping to preach to people who lived along the riverbanks. One evening, just before dark, we were returning from field service and rushing to get up the river to our home for the night. Suddenly Rene yelled. I spun around just in time to see a splash and a long reptilian tail slide into the water. It was a salt-water crocodile​—the largest species in the world. Thankfully, we arrived home safe and sound. Although it was time for a bath in the river, after having seen that mammoth crocodile, we thought it safer to tie a rope on a bucket and haul the bathing water into our boat.”

Since many villages and houses are not accessible by land vehicle or by boat, missionaries spend hours walking through beautiful coconut-lined jungle paths to reach the friendly, humble people. Harry states: “We always find ears receptive to the truth. These isolated people often show their hospitality. They climb a coconut tree, pick a fresh coconut, cut its top off with a machete, and offer you a drink right out of the original ‘carton.’ It is most refreshing, tasty, and nutritious.”

How have the preaching efforts of the missionaries in Belau been rewarded? They now have a congregation of 42 true Christians. On the average, 10 were in the full-time ministry each month last year, and 193 attended the Memorial of Christ’s death in 1985.

After 17 years in full-time service, how does Harry now feel about his decision to use his life completely in service to Jehovah? “Had I not found God’s truth 17 years ago, my time and life would have been wasted in worldly pursuits,” he says. “I would never have found the peace of mind and the security that I have known during my years as a pioneer and missionary, both as a single person for many years and later with Rene with whom I have shared the past eight years of missionary service.”

Recommending Full-Time Service

Milton was attending high school in Hawaii. Others were encouraging him to reach out for a promising career with financial security, but the examples of his sister and two older brothers, who were already in the full-time pioneer service, encouraged him to consider entering the full-time ministry too. In addition, he heard a talk about the blessings of the full-time service and how Jehovah will provide our material needs if we trust in him and put him first in our lives. Milton relates: “This motivated me to choose the full-time ministry as my career in life. Therefore, prior to finishing high school, I was baptized and entered the full-time service.”

When Milton began pioneering, there were fewer than ten pioneers in the congregation. What did he do about that? “I invited young brothers to work with me in the field service,” he says. “As a result, many of these later joined me in the full-time service.”

“My brother-in-law was an elder and a pioneer,” continues Milton. “We were in the same congregation and worked together to encourage others to pioneer. It was decided that I would encourage the teenagers, and he would encourage the housewives. After several months, there were 25 full-time ministers in the congregation. When the circuit overseer came, he invited ten of these to apply for special pioneering and move to nearby congregations. We then discussed the goal of helping ten more to enter pioneer service to replace those who had been sent out. By the next circuit overseer’s visit, 15 more had taken up full-time service. We now had 30 pioneers. Again the circuit overseer asked ten of them to move to other congregations. And again we set out to gain replacements. Before the next circuit overseer’s visit, 20 more applied for pioneer service!”

The contagious pioneer spirit had rubbed off on the young ones. By the time they reached high school, practically all of them had set full-time service as their goal. At 13 years of age, one sister decided to pioneer. She said: “It seemed like the natural thing to do.” She and the other youths in the congregation never gave a serious second thought to anything else. Group witnessing was arranged after school, and eventually 60 students from three different schools were supporting this activity along with the pioneers. During summer months, it was most encouraging to see as many as 130 assemble for group witnessing!

Pioneering Led to Greater Privileges

“In 1974,” Milton reminisces, “I was invited to accept missionary work in an assignment 4,000 miles [6,400 km] from home​—the islands of Belau in Micronesia.” One challenge that it took time to get used to was walking long distances through tropical greenery and traveling by boat.

One hot, humid day after walking for hours over dusty trails, Milton remembers, “we were exhausted when we reached the home of an interested family. The mother sent her son down to the river. He came back with a huge, river-cooled watermelon for us. We ate more than half of it, and how refreshing it was!”

After a year in his missionary assignment, Milton desired to see three goals accomplished in Belau, namely, the local brothers eventually taking over the congregational responsibilities, the youth entering full-time service, and the congregation building its own Kingdom Hall. He now comments: “After ten years here, my prayers for achieving all three goals are being answered.”

Does Milton feel that he made the right choice 14 years ago when he took up full-time service as his life’s career? “One thing I have learned from all my years in full-time service is this: If we are willing, Jehovah will use us at the right time,” he answers. “We must never give up but continue to offer ourselves willingly in his service. You will never regret pursuing the career of serving Jehovah as a full-time minister.”

How Will You Use Your Life?

Youths, how will you use your future? For yourselves or fully for Jehovah? (Romans 14:8) Prayerfully consider the goal of full-time service now in your youth. Imitate Jesus by living the rest of your life “for God’s will.” (1 Peter 4:2) It will prove to be a protection from harmful worldly ambitions, careers, and associations. Analyze your circumstances and set a specific date as your goal for entering full-time service. Work toward it. Pray for Jehovah’s help to attain it.​—Ephesians 6:18.

The choice of pioneering as a career could lead you to many fine privileges of service beyond your expectation. Your life will be filled with happiness, security, and love. It will be exciting, interesting, and satisfying. Above all, it will be a life pleasing to Jehovah.​—Proverbs 27:11.