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00:09 Since I was very young, I was religiously inclined 00:12 and my dream was to get married to a man that worshipped God 00:17 and that together we would worship God and live a peaceful life. 00:23 That didn’t happen with my parents. 00:26 We often had a better relationship with the maid than with my mother. 00:35 My father was a very distant person. 00:37 He was always very busy with his work and friends. 00:42 We wed in 1971 in Paris, France. 00:48 We were baptized in 1974. 00:51 I realized I really didn’t know how to raise children, 00:56 and then I started applying some things 00:58 mentioned in the Bible. 01:01 If I wanted to teach them right, 01:03 I first had to understand things better myself 01:06 so that I could explain them in a way that God would want us to. 01:11 In 1976, we moved to Portugal 01:16 to serve where there was more need. 01:20 By then, our oldest son was four and a half years old, 01:24 Maria was three and a half, and Benjamin, one and a half. 01:29 I remember when we arrived; we lived in a rural area. 01:34 It was a very small congregation, 01:36 so we really had to participate 01:39 from a very early age. 01:41 They wanted to put, 01:42 for sure, the spiritual interests first in their life, 01:46 and they wanted not only to tell us 01:50 to put the Kingdom interests first but they wanted to show us 01:53 how to do it. 01:54 And it was not only that we sat down for family study 01:58 that we talked about Jehovah and spiritual things. 02:01 I remember walking back home 02:04 from meetings and then my parents would help us 02:06 to look for a star constellation; 02:09 it started a conversation about Jehovah. 02:12 In Deuteronomy chapter 6, 02:15 it says that we must always talk to our children. 02:17 But it’s good to talk about God 02:20 and help them to see God as a real person 02:22 —a person that is linked to everything around us. 02:25 So now I wanted to teach them very much, 02:28 and not that things about God 02:29 were sad or boring, but were joyful. 02:33 Of course, we were imperfect. 02:35 Many times I did the wrong things. 02:38 I never remember, “You have to do it because you have to do it.” 02:42 They always tried to explain the reasons 02:45 —Bible reasons. 02:47 I was brought up this way. 02:48 My parents dictated laws: “You have to do this. 02:52 You must. This is the way I want it to be.” 02:55 But I came to understand that God, even in the Bible, 02:58 instead of only giving or dictating laws, he explains them. 03:02 He gives so many reasons; he gives reasons for everything. 03:05 By teaching my children, I have to say that I have learned a lot too. 03:10 We never felt that we must go to meetings; 03:13 we must go in service because you have to do it. 03:17 And we were always motivated to do things. 03:20 I remember, for example, when he gave me a new Bible, 03:24 and he wrote to me in that Bible, 03:28 “May this book always be the motivating force in your life.” 03:33 Several times he told me: 03:36 “Please never, 03:39 “never give up in your service. 03:43 “Jehovah is your Father, and you have to serve him 03:50 all your life.” 03:54 The Almighty has children that failed to respond, 03:59 much like any other parent. 04:02 God does not force anyone. 04:05 He respects our free will very much. 04:09 So we wanted them to build their own future. 04:15 I always felt that my children were not my own, 04:18 but it was Jehovah who kindly put them into our hands. 04:23 He entrusted them to us so that we could care for them. 04:28 And then when we have done our part, let them fly. 04:44 My parents always encouraged us 04:46 to pursue full-time service, 04:49 even if that meant moving far away from home. 04:54 My husband and I are serving as field missionaries in Klaipeda, Lithuania. 04:59 I know I will be grateful for all eternity 05:01 that I used my youth to serve Jehovah, 05:04 and that I didn’t waste my years of my young age 05:09 doing things for this world. 05:14 My wife and I serve in the Portugal branch office. 05:18 If Jehovah is happy, if my parents are happy, I’m happy too. 05:22 I’m really sure that they like what we’re doing. 05:25 They are happy with that. 05:28 We rejoice that our children are giving their best 05:31 to their Creator and making him happy. 05:33 Jehovah deserves that. 05:38 Of course, we miss our children, 05:40 and we would like to have them around, 05:42 but we are very happy for them 05:45 for having the privilege of serving Jehovah the way they are.
00:09 Since I was very young, I was religiously inclined 00:12 and my dream was to get married to a man that worshipped God 00:17 and that together we would worship God and live a peaceful life. 00:23 That didn’t happen with my parents. 00:26 We often had a better relationship with the maid than with my mother. 00:35 My father was a very distant person. 00:37 He was always very busy with his work and friends. 00:42 We wed in 1971 in Paris, France. 00:48 We were baptized in 1974. 00:51 I realized I really didn’t know how to raise children, 00:56 and then I started applying some things 00:58 mentioned in the Bible. 01:01 If I wanted to teach them right, 01:03 I first had to understand things better myself 01:06 so that I could explain them in a way that God would want us to. 01:11 In 1976, we moved to Portugal 01:16 to serve where there was more need. 01:20 By then, our oldest son was four and a half years old, 01:24 Maria was three and a half, and Benjamin, one and a half. 01:29 I remember when we arrived; we lived in a rural area. 01:34 It was a very small congregation, 01:36 so we really had to participate 01:39 from a very early age. 01:41 They wanted to put, 01:42 for sure, the spiritual interests first in their life, 01:46 and they wanted not only to tell us 01:50 to put the Kingdom interests first but they wanted to show us 01:53 how to do it. 01:54 And it was not only that we sat down for family study 01:58 that we talked about Jehovah and spiritual things. 02:01 I remember walking back home 02:04 from meetings and then my parents would help us 02:06 to look for a star constellation; 02:09 it started a conversation about Jehovah. 02:12 In Deuteronomy chapter 6, 02:15 it says that we must always talk to our children. 02:17 But it’s good to talk about God 02:20 and help them to see God as a real person 02:22 —a person that is linked to everything around us. 02:25 So now I wanted to teach them very much, 02:28 and not that things about God 02:29 were sad or boring, but were joyful. 02:33 Of course, we were imperfect. 02:35 Many times I did the wrong things. 02:38 I never remember, “You have to do it because you have to do it.” 02:42 They always tried to explain the reasons 02:45 —Bible reasons. 02:47 I was brought up this way. 02:48 My parents dictated laws: “You have to do this. 02:52 You must. This is the way I want it to be.” 02:55 But I came to understand that God, even in the Bible, 02:58 instead of only giving or dictating laws, he explains them. 03:02 He gives so many reasons; he gives reasons for everything. 03:05 By teaching my children, I have to say that I have learned a lot too. 03:10 We never felt that we must go to meetings; 03:13 we must go in service because you have to do it. 03:17 And we were always motivated to do things. 03:20 I remember, for example, when he gave me a new Bible, 03:24 and he wrote to me in that Bible, 03:28 “May this book always be the motivating force in your life.” 03:33 Several times he told me: 03:36 “Please never, 03:39 “never give up in your service. 03:43 “Jehovah is your Father, and you have to serve him 03:50 all your life.” 03:54 The Almighty has children that failed to respond, 03:59 much like any other parent. 04:02 God does not force anyone. 04:05 He respects our free will very much. 04:09 So we wanted them to build their own future. 04:15 I always felt that my children were not my own, 04:18 but it was Jehovah who kindly put them into our hands. 04:23 He entrusted them to us so that we could care for them. 04:28 And then when we have done our part, let them fly. 04:44 My parents always encouraged us 04:46 to pursue full-time service, 04:49 even if that meant moving far away from home. 04:54 My husband and I are serving as field missionaries in Klaipeda, Lithuania. 04:59 I know I will be grateful for all eternity 05:01 that I used my youth to serve Jehovah, 05:04 and that I didn’t waste my years of my young age 05:09 doing things for this world. 05:14 My wife and I serve in the Portugal branch office. 05:18 If Jehovah is happy, if my parents are happy, I’m happy too. 05:22 I’m really sure that they like what we’re doing. 05:25 They are happy with that. 05:28 We rejoice that our children are giving their best 05:31 to their Creator and making him happy. 05:33 Jehovah deserves that. 05:38 Of course, we miss our children, 05:40 and we would like to have them around, 05:42 but we are very happy for them 05:45 for having the privilege of serving Jehovah the way they are.
