Pursuing My Purpose in Life
As told by Gust W. Maki
IN December, 1933, at Tampa, Florida, while I was busily attending to my job on board the S. S. Saramacca, a stranger came aboard with a handbag. Booklets he had, he said, were five cents each or six for a quarter. What caused me to stop? The Scripture quotations I noticed, and I handed the man a quarter. He, in turn, handed me the booklets. Putting them in my pocket, I continued with my work.
On my comparing the facts and the conditions on the earth with the scriptures, tracing the Bible texts with these booklets, it became clear to my understanding that this was the ‘good news of the Kingdom’ that Jesus taught his disciples to pray for. Other teachings, such as immortality of the soul, hell-fire torment, and trinity, I found out were Satan’s lies. As for the religions that I had been supporting and reverencing, I lost all respect for them.
I knew that I had found the truth, but how I could be a witness for Jehovah was not so clear. First I started by sending the Kingdom message to all my relatives and acquaintances far and near; and to strangers I tried to give booklets, to as many as possible. To many of my relatives and friends I repeatedly sent more literature, but none responded favorably. My sister in Minnesota replied, saying: “No one out here cares for that religion.” She had been born a Lutheran, like myself, and had no intention of changing. Another supposed friend sent the Kingdom books back to me by return mail.
In May, 1938, at Portland, Oregon, two strangers came aboard. One handed me a testimony card, not knowing I was interested. I took him into my cabin. He was much amazed to see the Society’s publications, the calendar and books around the cabin. Brother Ventros then made me aware of the big convention that was to be held in June at Seattle, Washington. In order to attend I had to quit my job. I had for a long time wanted to get baptized. At this convention about 260 of us were immersed. For me it was like a new starting place.
After the convention I became associated with the Seattle congregation, where many of the publishers were phonograph-minded. I also obtained a phonograph. This was a real blessing to me, since it did most of the talking and took the place of the testimony card. Another thing, I acquired one of the Society’s transcription machines and set it on a thirty-foot boat to play Kingdom recordings on the water front. But it did not seem to be as effective as the doorstep setup, so I abandoned it.
The more witnessing from house to house I did, the more I felt the obligation of full-time service. In December, 1939, I received a pioneer appointment from the Society. After two years of full-time service I was still pioneering, but I can look back now and see many narrow escapes I had and realize that it was only through Jehovah’s undeserved kindness that I kept going, and Jehovah kept on providing just as from the widow’s jar of oil.—1 Ki. 17:16.
At Port Angeles, Washington, in November, 1941, I received an appointment to go as a special pioneer at Olympia, Washington, with three other special pioneers. For this I was very happy. That night I did not sleep at all, but I was getting my things together to leave early in the morning. On our arrival at Olympia, one of the local publishers showed us a small house two miles out in the woods that we could have free. This was good, since none of us had any money to speak of.
The house had an old wood stove; but with the rainy season on, very little cooking or heating could be done. Two of the boys had cars, enabling us to get to and from our territory. The reception given us at many of the homes was just as cold as the little wet house in the woods, in December. Later we got a garage house in town, which was much better.
After working Olympia a few times the Society divided our group and we went in twos. Brother Denerline and I were to go to Grand Coulee, Washington. There we rented a small house, again not knowing of a good-will person, a storekeeper, and of what he would do to assist us. He gave us a house free, and a Kingdom Hall he likewise gave free. From this incident and similar ones I learned what Jesus said: “Into whatever city or village you enter, search out who in it is deserving, and stay there until you leave,” not moving from place to place.—Matt. 10:11; Luke 9:4.
What made work harder at times (aside from some goatish people and the ones not interested) was interference by police and law officers. Often these would question me as though I were a suspicious character. So after witnessing in the assigned territory four times I would be anxious to have a change. But also at this time I would see the people of good will manifesting themselves more and more and the police became less suspicious. It was a bad time to leave the territory when one had established good will. I found it good, too, to witness to the law officers as soon as possible. Then they would trouble me less afterward.
When an appointment for Gilead School came to me in August, 1944, I felt I was too old (then being forty five); but with the prospect of getting a foreign assignment, I became interested in making a try. The lessons at Gilead moving rapidly from one to the next, I naturally was not able to absorb as much as the younger ones. A strong point at Gilead I found to be: ‘Go ahead and don’t be a quitter.’
On our leaving Gilead February 22, 1945, Brother Knorr told the class that some of us would have to wait two years before getting a foreign assignment. In December, 1946, Brother Johnson and I were called to Brooklyn from New London, Connecticut, to prepare for the foreign field. First I was to look for a boat that could be used in the West Indies. This was a happy expectation for me to share in giving the witness in some of the small islands of the seas. I went to see about renewing my ocean license. The navigation instructor remembered me and offered to send me on board an ocean ship for one trip as chief officer and the next trip as captain. On telling the instructor I could not do that because I was going on a missionary journey to the West Indies, he could not understand why I should be interested in such an undertaking when there was no money in it.
Finally, on November 16, 1948, four of us on board the Society’s twenty-ton auxiliary schooner-yacht took departure from New York city for Nassau, Bahamas. After a rough, stormy thirty-day passage we arrived safely at Nassau, capital of the Bahama Islands. All the brothers there were glad to have us come to help them. Brother Porter said: “The weather has been fine; I expected you long ago.”
Two weeks later we began to witness to the Out Islands of the Bahama group, using the yacht to take us from settlement to settlement. The vessel was also our home for everything from cooking to washing clothes. We would anchor off the villages, then use the rowboat to go ashore and back to our floating home. The islanders can spot a strange vessel or strangers right away. They are always eager to hear what is new. In some places a big crowd would assemble at the jetty to see what was what. We found that the people of the Bahamas are very easy to preach to. Almost every home has a Bible. They are a friendly people. The average Out-Islander lives in a small wooden house. Some do fishing; some keep small cultivations of tomatoes, peas, corn and yams. Some keep livestock—goats, sheep or cows. Others do straw weaving, making mats, hats and baskets.
Sometimes we placed as many as fifteen to twenty books a day, even though the people were poor. Many would give their last two shillings for a Bible-study aid.
Many of the local ministers offered the use of their churches. There we gave Bible lectures. During the first six months of witnessing to the Bahamian people in the Out Islands there was no opposition to speak of.
In June, 1949, before the annual hurricane season, we moved on to the Virgin Islands. Our first stop was St. Thomas, of the United States Virgin Islands group. Here we met missionaries working hard. They had a small congregation started. From there we moved to St. John, Virgin Islands, and then to the British Virgin Islands. All the isolated islands were our territory and we were not yet at the end of the territory. From the Virgin Islands we went to the isolated Leeward islands and Windward islands. In all the islands we had a good reception. Many would ask: “When are you coming back?” At St. Martin a businessman said: “The people never used to talk about the Bible, but since you’ve been here everybody is talking about the Bible.” Many said this was the first time ‘the truth had come to this island.’
In July, 1953, after the Yankee Stadium convention, came another advancement. We received a fifty-nine-ton twin-screw diesel yacht that could get around faster and into more places. Returning to Great Inagua, Bahamas, and calling on the commissioner who took some literature four years previously, I told him about the big time we had at the Yankee Stadium and he said: “I was there!” He also had some of the latest publications released at the stadium. At Anguilla, British West Indies, I witnessed to two policemen. One said: “I’m an Anglican but it will not take much for me to change my religion, and if I do I’ll be a witness of Jehovah.” The other policeman smiled, saying: “If I read much more of that book ‘New Heavens and a New Earth’ I’ll quit my job.”
In the past five years I have seen established in three of the isolated islands, where only witnessing by use of the boat has been done, congregations of fifteen, of twelve, and of six publishers, respectively. At another isolated island, Anguilla, five persons have symbolized their dedication by water baptism. One of these five has enrolled as a pioneer. There is among the people of these islands an ever-increasing demonstration of good will. Most of the people in the lesser islands are poor, but many will show their kindness by inviting you to have something to eat or to have a sweet drink. Others will offer you an egg or two to take along, or whatever may be in season.
One of the missionaries from Trinidad came to Carriacou, and while we were going from house to house, she said: “This is not pioneering; this is just like going out visiting.” Every house we went to we were invited inside; and if not, a chair would be placed in the shade of the house.
Most of the small island settlements have no electric light, nor much entertainment. So to put on a public meeting we hang our gas lamp in a convenient location, usually on a tree or on some house by the road. Soon people will begin to gather. After the Bible lecture a good discussion will continue, sometimes for an hour or more.
I like my foreign assignment, and it is not nearly as strenuous as I experienced in the United States. The people here are always ready to talk to strangers and are friendly. Many will invite you to come back for a study every day while you are in port. It is like a home town where everyone is known.
Over a year ago the missionary vessel Light was sold by the Society, so now, instead of being a seafaring captain, I am a landlubber on the island of St. Maarten. It was grand to see the growth of the work in the Caribbean islands and how, in one island after another, congregations were started and the work got a solid foundation. Now most of the islands are well witnessed to by congregation publishers or by special pioneers or circuit servant visits. St. Maarten is a friendly little island and it is a real pleasure to bring the message of life to the people here. On the Dutch side of the island, where I am located, we had seventeen present for Memorial in April, 1958, which made all of us very happy. Jehovah’s blessing can be seen on this increase. It was a wonderful privilege to be able to attend the Divine Will International Assembly in New York city and now to be back in the missionary work here.
I am very grateful to Jehovah for having the privilege of nineteen years in the full-time service thus far, and regret only the times I could have done better service.
I know that it is only by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness one can be a member of his New World society.