00:03 I have an illness that affects my level of energy,
00:06 so I didn’t feel that I could accept just any kind of assignment.
00:10 Since the end of this system is near,
00:14 I want to do whatever I can
00:16 that Jehovah wants down to the very end.
00:19 So I applied.
00:21 Before attending SKE, when I received my invitation,
00:24 all of a sudden I had challenges or worries about myself.
00:28 I felt unworthy, even unqualified.
00:32 Being a single sister, going into the class with so many couples,
00:37 I thought I would be out of place.
00:43 I used all my abilities.
00:47 I felt like my head was swelling up.
00:51 Even so, I felt that I was really being refined
00:55 and ended each day feeling fulfilled.
01:01 Something that I
01:03 really enjoyed about SKE
01:04 was Friday afternoons.
01:06 That’s when we had a talk
01:08 from one of the Governing Body members.
01:10 That was special.
01:12 During the eight weeks of school,
01:14 such an emphasis was placed
01:15 on serving where the need is greater.
01:17 So this way of thinking became more important to us.
01:20 After eight weeks of attending the school,
01:22 you are even ready to be sent to the moon.
01:25 When I was told
01:26 that my next assignment
01:28 would be in Mesa, Arizona,
01:30 I thought, ‘Where is that?’
01:32 And then I thought, ‘Oh, no, scorpions!’
01:35 And then I thought, ‘OK,
01:37 this is where Jehovah thinks I should be, so I’m ready to go.’
01:41 One of the challenges in my new assignment
01:43 was finding suitable accommodations.
01:46 There was a couple in the congregation
01:48 who had two rooms that they rented in the back of their property,
01:51 but it needed some renovations.
01:53 So the brothers very quickly came together, helped sort it out,
01:56 and even built an extra little kitchenette lounge.
02:00 So now we have a beautiful little home
02:02 to go back to after a long, hot day in the ministry.
02:06 I always thought that I’d do much better in the cold than I would in the heat.
02:10 So the brothers and sisters were very helpful
02:13 in making sure that I stayed hydrated,
02:15 making sure I knew how to handle myself in the heat,
02:19 giving me pointers on things to carry,
02:22 and they made sure that I had
02:24 an extra-large water bottle with me.
02:27 We really felt supported by the congregation
02:31 because they found us an apartment.
02:33 This meant that we could concentrate on our ministry.
02:39 One of the things that really helped me was an experienced brother
02:43 who gave an encouraging comment about whether my health
02:46 would permit me to attend the school.
02:48 He said, “If she can pioneer,
02:51 then it’s also possible for her to attend the school.”
02:55 The education that we received at SKE
02:58 especially helped us with our qualities,
03:01 our personality —putting on the new personality.
03:04 That really will help us not only now in our assignment
03:07 but right through into the new world.
03:12 I think there are many who could meet the qualifications
03:15 with just a little more effort.
03:17 Please know that there is a wonderful education program,
03:22 and we were able to experience it in our 60’s.
03:25 We could get through it.
03:29 So if others are thinking of applying,
03:32 I want to tell them that we were able to do it,
03:35 and by all means,
03:37 I want them to taste the same joy that we experienced.
03:43 You could be nervous
03:45 and have performance anxiety and worry about,
03:48 ‘How will I handle answering,
03:50 ‘and how about all of the student assignments
03:52 and the tests?’ —worries like that.
03:55 But for my own part,
03:57 it was two months with an incredible amount of joy.
04:01 And you have to focus on that.
04:03 It is a gift —it is a wonderful gift from Jehovah.
04:08 I wasn’t sure if I was going to put in the application
04:11 because I thought maybe I wanted to do it as a couple
04:13 rather than as a single person.
04:16 But I prayed to Jehovah about it, and I put my application in.
04:20 I wouldn’t be experiencing the happiness
04:22 that I have now if I had waited.
04:24 So I’m happy that I just put my application in
04:27 and let Jehovah do the rest.
04:29 And now, sometimes I’m driving down the freeway, and I think:
04:31 ‘Wow, Jehovah, I am so happy! Thank you!’