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00:00:04 I was born in 1943 00:00:06 as the eldest son of six siblings. 00:00:11 My father expected me to become a judge or a prosecutor. 00:00:18 I was baptized 00:00:20 on October 24, 1959, during my first year 00:00:23 of high school. 00:00:26 The more I did personal study, 00:00:28 I came to the conclusion that rather than 00:00:31 spending four years in higher education, 00:00:33 it would be more beneficial for me to pioneer, 00:00:36 while delving deeper into the Bible through personal study. 00:00:40 So instead of going to college, 00:00:42 I began regular pioneering in February 1962. 00:00:46 And 11 months later, in January 1963, 00:00:48 I was assigned to serve as a special pioneer. 00:00:52 I was convinced that I had chosen the best path. 00:00:55 That’s why when I hear of the successful careers 00:00:58 my old classmates have had, I don’t feel jealous at all. 00:01:01 Instead, I think of how nice it would be 00:01:04 if they too learned the Bible truths like I did. 00:01:07 I was assigned to the traveling work in 1971. 00:01:11 But because of adjustments in our organization 00:01:15 and because of my conscientious objection to military service, 00:01:18 I had to stop serving 00:01:21 as a traveling overseer on two separate occasions. 00:01:27 When I received a new assignment 00:01:29 as a field instructor, 00:01:31 I really enjoyed that work. 00:01:33 But we were reassigned once again as special pioneers in September 2014. 00:01:38 I was a bit disappointed at first, 00:01:40 since I really enjoyed teaching and I felt I could have continued 00:01:44 as a field instructor for another ten years. 00:01:47 Hoping to bring glory to Jehovah, 00:01:49 I prayed earnestly to be able to use the experience I had gained 00:01:52 over the years to bring glory to God and to find interested ones. 00:01:57 Unexpectedly, I was blessed with ten great Bible studies, 00:02:01 and that renewed my love of teaching. 00:02:03 We know that Jehovah 00:02:06 gives each individual work that is perfectly suited to them. 00:02:10 We feel that serving as special pioneers, 00:02:13 as we currently do, is a rewarding assignment that brings us happiness. 00:02:22 Looking back at all that has happened 00:02:25 and counting all the years we’ve been in special full-time service, 00:02:27 we realized that together we have been serving 00:02:30 for more than a hundred years. 00:02:32 One thing I learned from this was 00:02:34 that if you adhere to theocratic direction, 00:02:37 many blessings are sure to follow. 00:02:41 Just as he promised, 00:02:43 Jehovah has given us everything we ever needed and more. 00:02:47 He gave us not just a hundredfold 00:02:50 but a hundred times a hundredfold 00:02:53 —brothers and sisters who are like family to us. 00:03:00 We got married on April 1, 1968. 00:03:04 So as of this year, we have been married exactly 50 years. 00:03:07 In June 2017, 00:03:10 my wife was not feeling well and we went for a health checkup. 00:03:14 She was diagnosed with stage IV bone cancer, 00:03:17 and it had spread all through her back. 00:03:20 She felt very weak, and we had a very difficult time. 00:03:24 But Jehovah gave us strength and wisdom to endure, 00:03:26 and now her condition is more stable. 00:03:31 Now our health is not as good as it used to be, 00:03:33 but thanks to the loving infirm-special-pioneer arrangement, 00:03:36 we are able to keep serving Jehovah faithfully 00:03:39 without it being a burden. 00:03:41 Through economic troubles, health problems, 00:03:43 and all of the difficulties that we encountered, 00:03:46 we always felt that Jehovah was with us. 00:03:49 So we really feel that Jehovah 00:03:51 has securely wrapped us “in the bag of life” 00:03:53 and has watched over us throughout our lives, 00:03:56 just as he had promised 00:03:58 in 1 Samuel 25:29. 00:04:03 These days, we pray to Jehovah that we can serve him faithfully, 00:04:06 survive Armageddon together, 00:04:09 and enjoy everlasting life in the new system 00:04:11 as an eternally-married couple.
00:00:04 I was born in 1943 00:00:06 as the eldest son of six siblings. 00:00:11 My father expected me to become a judge or a prosecutor. 00:00:18 I was baptized 00:00:20 on October 24, 1959, during my first year 00:00:23 of high school. 00:00:26 The more I did personal study, 00:00:28 I came to the conclusion that rather than 00:00:31 spending four years in higher education, 00:00:33 it would be more beneficial for me to pioneer, 00:00:36 while delving deeper into the Bible through personal study. 00:00:40 So instead of going to college, 00:00:42 I began regular pioneering in February 1962. 00:00:46 And 11 months later, in January 1963, 00:00:48 I was assigned to serve as a special pioneer. 00:00:52 I was convinced that I had chosen the best path. 00:00:55 That’s why when I hear of the successful careers 00:00:58 my old classmates have had, I don’t feel jealous at all. 00:01:01 Instead, I think of how nice it would be 00:01:04 if they too learned the Bible truths like I did. 00:01:07 I was assigned to the traveling work in 1971. 00:01:11 But because of adjustments in our organization 00:01:15 and because of my conscientious objection to military service, 00:01:18 I had to stop serving 00:01:21 as a traveling overseer on two separate occasions. 00:01:27 When I received a new assignment 00:01:29 as a field instructor, 00:01:31 I really enjoyed that work. 00:01:33 But we were reassigned once again as special pioneers in September 2014. 00:01:38 I was a bit disappointed at first, 00:01:40 since I really enjoyed teaching and I felt I could have continued 00:01:44 as a field instructor for another ten years. 00:01:47 Hoping to bring glory to Jehovah, 00:01:49 I prayed earnestly to be able to use the experience I had gained 00:01:52 over the years to bring glory to God and to find interested ones. 00:01:57 Unexpectedly, I was blessed with ten great Bible studies, 00:02:01 and that renewed my love of teaching. 00:02:03 We know that Jehovah 00:02:06 gives each individual work that is perfectly suited to them. 00:02:10 We feel that serving as special pioneers, 00:02:13 as we currently do, is a rewarding assignment that brings us happiness. 00:02:22 Looking back at all that has happened 00:02:25 and counting all the years we’ve been in special full-time service, 00:02:27 we realized that together we have been serving 00:02:30 for more than a hundred years. 00:02:32 One thing I learned from this was 00:02:34 that if you adhere to theocratic direction, 00:02:37 many blessings are sure to follow. 00:02:41 Just as he promised, 00:02:43 Jehovah has given us everything we ever needed and more. 00:02:47 He gave us not just a hundredfold 00:02:50 but a hundred times a hundredfold 00:02:53 —brothers and sisters who are like family to us. 00:03:00 We got married on April 1, 1968. 00:03:04 So as of this year, we have been married exactly 50 years. 00:03:07 In June 2017, 00:03:10 my wife was not feeling well and we went for a health checkup. 00:03:14 She was diagnosed with stage IV bone cancer, 00:03:17 and it had spread all through her back. 00:03:20 She felt very weak, and we had a very difficult time. 00:03:24 But Jehovah gave us strength and wisdom to endure, 00:03:26 and now her condition is more stable. 00:03:31 Now our health is not as good as it used to be, 00:03:33 but thanks to the loving infirm-special-pioneer arrangement, 00:03:36 we are able to keep serving Jehovah faithfully 00:03:39 without it being a burden. 00:03:41 Through economic troubles, health problems, 00:03:43 and all of the difficulties that we encountered, 00:03:46 we always felt that Jehovah was with us. 00:03:49 So we really feel that Jehovah 00:03:51 has securely wrapped us “in the bag of life” 00:03:53 and has watched over us throughout our lives, 00:03:56 just as he had promised 00:03:58 in 1 Samuel 25:29. 00:04:03 These days, we pray to Jehovah that we can serve him faithfully, 00:04:06 survive Armageddon together, 00:04:09 and enjoy everlasting life in the new system 00:04:11 as an eternally-married couple.
