Jehovah Always Helped at the Right Time

My mother, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, had taught me to love Bible truth, but my grandfather was criticizing the Witnesses for not believing in the Trinity. Then I remembered that my mother had put a copy of the newly released book “Make Sure of All Things”a in my coat pocket. I pulled out the book, looked up the subject “Trinity,” and read aloud some of the listed scriptures. My grandfather read the same scriptures in his Bible. Suddenly, he closed his Bible and walked out of the room. He could see the difference between church doctrine and Bible truth, yet he would not admit it.

That incident convinced me that I had the truth. It would also become one of many occasions where I would experience Jehovah’s help “at the right time.” (Hebrews 4:16) Let me tell you my story.

Jehovah Helped Me to Make Good Decisions

Like my grandfather, my father did not like Jehovah’s Witnesses very much. He wanted me to get an education that would enable me to start a professional career. But shortly after my baptism at age 14, an experienced pioneer named Bob Allen asked me what I wanted to do with my life. After listening carefully, he said: “If you want to make a success of life, think about serving Jehovah full-time as soon as you finish high school.” I could see that Bob and his wife, Doll, really enjoyed pioneering. It felt like Jehovah was nudging me in the right direction at a crucial time in my life.

So when I finished high school, I decided to move from our home in Toronto, Canada, to Ottawa to preach where there was a greater need. My father was usually a calm man, but on the day I left, he slammed the door on his way to work without saying goodbye. He told my mother, “If your son ever needs money, tell him not to ask me!” From then on, he referred to me as my mother’s son rather than his son. I understood his disappointment; however, I stuck to my decision to pioneer.

In Ottawa, a former missionary named John Higgs invited me to join his “pioneer home.” Like others at that time, he had organized a home for several pioneers that functioned similarly to a missionary home. I started pioneering in December 1959 at the age of 18.

Many people in Ottawa answered the door Bible in hand, ready to defend church doctrine. But as I accompanied John, I watched him speak kindly and reason from the Scriptures. As a result, many listened. “Do more than just preach,” he told me. “Teach.” Within a few weeks of working along with him, I too was starting home Bible studies.

Jehovah Helped Me to Cooperate

At age 22, I was unexpectedly invited to serve at Bethel. I had never thought of serving there. Still, I accepted and was assigned to the department responsible for wrapping magazines into cylindrical bundles for shipping. One day, our overseer asked us to change the system we had been working with. That irritated me. When I asked an older brother what he thought, he explained the importance of cooperating and focusing on the big picture. I felt that Jehovah was helping me to see the value of unity.—Psalm 133:1.

In time my sister Janet started pioneering with a girl from England named Susan. They became friends, and I met Susan through Janet. Soon, Susan and I fell in love. However, I had already agreed to serve at Bethel for four years. After completing my commitment, we married in 1967. Susan and I were then assigned to serve as special pioneers in London, Ontario.

Jehovah Helped Me to Love People

Up until this point, I had only lived in large cities. But in 1969, Susan and I were assigned to the circuit work in northern British Columbia, a sparsely populated region. What a change! Now we spent our days talking to miners, loggers, cowboys, and Indigenous people. These people taught me so much about being helpful and hospitable. After two years in the circuit work, we were delighted to attend the 51st class of Gilead in 1971. Upon graduating, we were assigned to serve at the branch office in the Central African Republic.

Arriving in the country was unlike anything we had experienced before. Coming from Canada, it was the heat that hit us first when we got to Bangui, the capital. Frequent rainfall left behind thick humidity and a lush landscape. Since most people got around on foot, crowds filled the streets. Worn-out vehicles with sputtering engines carried multiple passengers along. Partially paved streets bled into dirt lanes of rich red earth. Outdoor vendors fanned away flies while selling fruits, vegetables, and live and slaughtered animals, as well as sun-dried caterpillars and termites. And punctuating the bustle, an ever-present reminder of a different reality: military personnel.

Most people were very poor and had a great interest in the Bible. Susan and I learned to speak the local language, Sango, and soon we were conducting 35 Bible studies. I felt overwhelmed by all the interest, but Susan adjusted quickly. If a student didn’t start attending meetings after a reasonable amount of time, she would discontinue the study. Of course, each person was unique, and she patiently allowed for such differences. If students couldn’t read, we would teach them how to read. Many of our students got baptized, and some of their sons and daughters would later serve with us at the branch office. They and many others became like beloved children to us.—3 John 4.

Jehovah Helped Us to Overcome Obstacles

We saw Jehovah’s help time and again, sometimes in unexpected ways. For example, once we were driving a small car from Bangui to the town of Berbérati—back then, a 14-hour trip on dirt roads. We found the road blocked by trucks stuck in the mud. People were milling around. Then, eight young men offered to carry our car around the mud! We got out, they helped, and soon we resumed our trip.

In 1976, the government banned our work. We managed to remain in the country, but it became an even greater challenge to obtain simple goods and services, such as office supplies for our branch office or a bricklayer to do building repairs. Sometimes the situation made me anxious, but when I prayed fervently, Jehovah always helped.

At one point, war broke out in the neighboring country of Chad. Many in Chad’s capital, N’Djamena, started fleeing to Cameroon. Our branch office in the Central African Republic cared for Chad, and we knew that several brothers and sisters would be among those fleeing. So we contacted the Cameroon branch to discuss our brothers’ needs. Almost immediately, funds were transferred to the Cameroonian border town of Kousséri, and by noon, our brothers had food and shelter. Days later, we heard that the United Nations was sending a delegation to assess the needs of the refugees, but we were happy knowing that Jehovah had already cared for his servants.

Once during the ban, Susan and I were imprisoned along with six other brothers and sisters. So many friends came to visit us that the police got agitated. The police tried to dissuade our visitors by making them fill out a register. Yet, the brothers and sisters complied and patiently formed a long, long line. Soon, the police gave up. The prison provided no food for the prisoners, but our visitors—despite their limited means—brought enough food to feed us, other prisoners, and even the police. This powerfully reminded me that Jehovah is our helper in all circumstances.—Psalm 94:17.

The ban in the Central African Republic was lifted in 1979. However, I started struggling with feelings of discouragement. My assignment was challenging for sure, and the real problem was that I felt unappreciated. (Proverbs 17:22) Then, in 1980, Gilead graduates Peter and Daphne Boseovski were assigned to the country. Peter’s mild temper and joyful disposition amid the difficulties were just what I needed.

After the ban, Susan and I were assigned to serve in the traveling work while I also served as a member of the Branch Committee. Susan also helped with the translation of The Watchtower into Sango. Each month, we had to find a way to send the translated materials to Bangui. A kind Muslim man who respected our work traveled to Bangui and sometimes transported our mail. Thanks to Jehovah’s help, The Watchtower in Sango never missed an issue during that entire time.

Another ban on the Kingdom work came in 1986. Four of us Witnesses who had been assigned to the Central African Republic managed to remain in the country until 1989, but then we too were expelled. Susan and I were transferred to Chad. Unlike the tropical forests of the Central African Republic, much of Chad stretches north into the Sahara Desert. In N’Djamena, we usually managed to start preaching after 4:00 p.m., when it was cooler, since opening the front door of the house any earlier felt like opening the door of a hot oven. At the time, Chad was experiencing a deepening political crisis. Many times we feared that our work might be banned there as well, but thankfully it never was.

In Chad, Susan and I again saw Jehovah’s helping hand. Susan studied the Bible with a lady named Sylvie despite fierce opposition from her husband, Benoît. Soon after Sylvie got baptized, Benoît’s employer—the government—sent him to Mongo, a small desert town with no Witnesses. We wondered how on earth we would be able to keep helping Sylvie. But when they arrived in Mongo, Sylvie and Benoît met a man who had been sent there to work on an international project. The man and his wife were Witnesses! The two couples became friends, and Benoît started studying the Bible. He subsequently got baptized.

Eventually, we were able to return to the Central African Republic. Shortly before the ban officially ended in 1993, Susan and I were bringing back literature from Chad to be released at a convention in the Central African Republicb when our vehicle broke down on a remote dirt road. Thankfully, a medical mission was nearby, so I asked them if they had the spare part I needed. They did not but said that they were expecting an emergency flight to their airstrip. They radioed my request to their base in the city, and within 90 minutes, I had my spare part. We repaired the vehicle and arrived at the convention just in time to release the literature.

Jehovah Has Helped Me to Endure

As my parents aged, my sisters Janet and Laurie, along with Janet’s husband, Garry, gave them wonderful support. This enabled Susan and me to continue in our assignment. My father, whose friends complained that they rarely saw their children, would proudly say: “My son comes with his wife to spend their vacation with me. He’s a missionary.” He acknowledged me as his son, and he even accepted my career choice!

In 2014, my dear Susan began having serious health problems, and we were invited to the Canada branch for medical care. Many sisters visited her, including health workers who had just finished working a long shift. Those who came to encourage her were themselves encouraged by Susan’s positive disposition. (Romans 1:12) My heart broke when, in 2016, Susan passed away. I treasure her lifetime of service to Jehovah, and I long for the day when she returns to life and resumes the work she loved—teaching others about Jehovah.

I expressed my desire to return to the Central African Republic, and to my great delight, my request was approved! I have been serving here at the branch office to this day.

I’ve seen firsthand that Jehovah never forgets those who serve him. My life has not been one merely of challenges and inconvenience but one filled with opportunities to rely on Jehovah and witness his loving care. What a profound privilege it is to serve a God who truly understands and supports us—always doing so at the right time.