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00:00:03 My family started studying with Witnesses in New Jersey. 00:00:08 My parents had been very diligent in helping us to appreciate 00:00:12 not only Bible principles 00:00:14 but also characters in the Bible 00:00:17 who could be a role model for us. 00:00:20 It helped us to know that Jehovah cared 00:00:24 not only for adult publishers 00:00:27 but also for the children 00:00:29 that were serving him. 00:00:33 When you went out in the ministry, 00:00:35 it became such a common thing 00:00:39 —the police would come and pick you up. 00:00:41 If they couldn’t track down the parents, they would put the children in jail, 00:00:46 knowing that eventually the parents would have to come looking for them. 00:00:51 The police would use scare tactics. 00:00:54 They’d say: “There are rats in the cell. 00:00:58 Is that where you want to be?” 00:01:00 —anything to make you fearful, 00:01:04 to intimidate you to tell them where your parents were. 00:01:08 They’d put us in the jail, 00:01:10 and in order to build our faith, we would sing. 00:01:14 We didn’t have Kingdom melodies back then, 00:01:17 so we used to make up songs, 00:01:20 and that would keep us focused 00:01:23 on what we were doing there. 00:01:27 After I reached the age of 18, 00:01:29 my parents were agreeable to my accepting an assignment. 00:01:33 And in those years, 00:01:35 because of the racial issue in the south, 00:01:40 there were so many areas in the south 00:01:44 where they didn’t have Kingdom Halls 00:01:46 that the colored could attend. 00:01:49 So if you were free and you would accept an assignment, 00:01:54 the Society usually sent you to the south. 00:01:57 My parents were both born in the south, 00:02:01 so they were able to tell us what to expect 00:02:06 to keep the culture shock from being so great. 00:02:10 I was assigned to pioneer in Andalusia, Alabama. 00:02:15 Based on all of the matters that pertain 00:02:20 to integration and segregation, 00:02:22 this was a hotbed 00:02:25 for testing those issues. 00:02:29 And so I was concerned 00:02:32 about whether I had the fiber 00:02:35 to work under those circumstances. 00:02:41 The field was wide open. 00:02:43 There were so many in the area 00:02:45 that had no knowledge of Jehovah’s Witnesses 00:02:49 and were very receptive to the message. 00:02:52 That part of our ministry was very rewarding. 00:02:57 We had some very strong 00:03:01 and helpful brothers 00:03:04 that Jehovah was using 00:03:07 to get his people 00:03:12 —no matter what color— 00:03:14 to appreciate Him and his purpose. 00:03:19 When you focused on these things 00:03:21 —the suggestions and the ideas— 00:03:23 the brothers would help you to appreciate 00:03:26 how to deal with the issues. 00:03:28 They taught us, for one thing, 00:03:31 that the whole purpose of the Ku Klux Klan 00:03:34 is to intimidate. 00:03:37 They feel that if they frighten you enough, 00:03:40 you will leave. 00:03:43 Satan has always used 00:03:45 methods to try to intimidate. 00:03:48 But we would make it a practice to stay, to hold our place. 00:03:52 When we were in street work, we’d stay right there. 00:03:56 And of course, as they passed, 00:03:59 they had their remarks to make, 00:04:01 but we just stood there. 00:04:03 When I think back on my youth, 00:04:07 there isn’t anything that I was able to participate in 00:04:11 that I came to regret. 00:04:13 There were always blessings that went along with it. 00:04:16 If you make yourself available, 00:04:18 Jehovah will use you. 00:04:22 Jehovah is always there as a support. 00:04:26 There isn’t anything that he directs his organization to do 00:04:32 that doesn’t receive his support. 00:04:35 So if we are challenged with a new assignment 00:04:39 or if we feel inadequate about it, 00:04:43 if we look to Jehovah 00:04:46 —with Jehovah, you can’t fail.
00:00:03 My family started studying with Witnesses in New Jersey. 00:00:08 My parents had been very diligent in helping us to appreciate 00:00:12 not only Bible principles 00:00:14 but also characters in the Bible 00:00:17 who could be a role model for us. 00:00:20 It helped us to know that Jehovah cared 00:00:24 not only for adult publishers 00:00:27 but also for the children 00:00:29 that were serving him. 00:00:33 When you went out in the ministry, 00:00:35 it became such a common thing 00:00:39 —the police would come and pick you up. 00:00:41 If they couldn’t track down the parents, they would put the children in jail, 00:00:46 knowing that eventually the parents would have to come looking for them. 00:00:51 The police would use scare tactics. 00:00:54 They’d say: “There are rats in the cell. 00:00:58 Is that where you want to be?” 00:01:00 —anything to make you fearful, 00:01:04 to intimidate you to tell them where your parents were. 00:01:08 They’d put us in the jail, 00:01:10 and in order to build our faith, we would sing. 00:01:14 We didn’t have Kingdom melodies back then, 00:01:17 so we used to make up songs, 00:01:20 and that would keep us focused 00:01:23 on what we were doing there. 00:01:27 After I reached the age of 18, 00:01:29 my parents were agreeable to my accepting an assignment. 00:01:33 And in those years, 00:01:35 because of the racial issue in the south, 00:01:40 there were so many areas in the south 00:01:44 where they didn’t have Kingdom Halls 00:01:46 that the colored could attend. 00:01:49 So if you were free and you would accept an assignment, 00:01:54 the Society usually sent you to the south. 00:01:57 My parents were both born in the south, 00:02:01 so they were able to tell us what to expect 00:02:06 to keep the culture shock from being so great. 00:02:10 I was assigned to pioneer in Andalusia, Alabama. 00:02:15 Based on all of the matters that pertain 00:02:20 to integration and segregation, 00:02:22 this was a hotbed 00:02:25 for testing those issues. 00:02:29 And so I was concerned 00:02:32 about whether I had the fiber 00:02:35 to work under those circumstances. 00:02:41 The field was wide open. 00:02:43 There were so many in the area 00:02:45 that had no knowledge of Jehovah’s Witnesses 00:02:49 and were very receptive to the message. 00:02:52 That part of our ministry was very rewarding. 00:02:57 We had some very strong 00:03:01 and helpful brothers 00:03:04 that Jehovah was using 00:03:07 to get his people 00:03:12 —no matter what color— 00:03:14 to appreciate Him and his purpose. 00:03:19 When you focused on these things 00:03:21 —the suggestions and the ideas— 00:03:23 the brothers would help you to appreciate 00:03:26 how to deal with the issues. 00:03:28 They taught us, for one thing, 00:03:31 that the whole purpose of the Ku Klux Klan 00:03:34 is to intimidate. 00:03:37 They feel that if they frighten you enough, 00:03:40 you will leave. 00:03:43 Satan has always used 00:03:45 methods to try to intimidate. 00:03:48 But we would make it a practice to stay, to hold our place. 00:03:52 When we were in street work, we’d stay right there. 00:03:56 And of course, as they passed, 00:03:59 they had their remarks to make, 00:04:01 but we just stood there. 00:04:03 When I think back on my youth, 00:04:07 there isn’t anything that I was able to participate in 00:04:11 that I came to regret. 00:04:13 There were always blessings that went along with it. 00:04:16 If you make yourself available, 00:04:18 Jehovah will use you. 00:04:22 Jehovah is always there as a support. 00:04:26 There isn’t anything that he directs his organization to do 00:04:32 that doesn’t receive his support. 00:04:35 So if we are challenged with a new assignment 00:04:39 or if we feel inadequate about it, 00:04:43 if we look to Jehovah 00:04:46 —with Jehovah, you can’t fail.
