DON, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Canada, makes a special effort to talk to people living on the street. Regarding one of these individuals, Don relates: “A homeless man named Peter was one of the dirtiest men I had ever seen in the back alleys. He was obnoxious and had a knack for keeping people away from him. He repeatedly rejected many acts of human kindness.” Still, off and on for more than 14 years, Don patiently worked to be kind to this homeless man.

One day, Peter asked Don: “Why do you bother with me? Everyone else just leaves me alone. Why do you care?” Don tactfully used three scriptures in an effort to reach Peter’s heart. First, he asked Peter if he knew that God has a personal name and asked him to read it directly from the Bible at Psalm 83:18. Next, to show why he cared, Don had Peter read Romans 10:13, 14, which explains that “everyone who calls on the name of Jehovah will be saved.” Finally, Don read Matthew 9:36 and then asked Peter to read it for himself. That verse says: “On seeing the crowds, [Jesus] felt pity for them, because they were skinned and thrown about like sheep without a shepherd.” At that, with tears in his eyes, Peter asked: “Am I one of these sheep?”

Peter began to change. He bathed, neatly trimmed his beard, and put on the better clothes that Don offered him. Peter continued to maintain a clean appearance.

Peter kept a diary. The early sections of his journal were dark and gloomy, but his more recent entries were different. One entry read: “I learned God’s name today. Now when I pray, I can pray to Jehovah. It’s wonderful to know his name. Don says that Jehovah can be my personal Friend, someone  who always has time to listen to me, no matter when or what.”

Peter’s last comments were addressed to his siblings. He wrote:

“I’m not feeling well today. I think that age has caught up with me. But even if this is my last day, I know that I will see my friend [Don] again in Paradise. If you are reading this, I am no longer around. But if you see a man at my funeral who does not seem to belong there, talk to him, and please read this little blue book [referring to the Bible study aid “The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life” that he had received years before]. * It says that I will once again see my friend in Paradise. I believe this with all my heart. Your loving brother, Peter.”

After the funeral, Peter’s sister Ummi explained: “About two years ago, Peter contacted me. For the first time in years, he seemed happy. He even smiled.” She told Don: “I will read the book because anything that could reach my brother must be something special.” Ummi also agreed to discuss the more recent book What Does the Bible Really Teach? with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

We too can look beyond outward appearances, express genuine love, and be patient with people of all sorts. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) As we do so, we may be able to move people who, like Peter, may not be attractive to human eyes but who have a good heart. We can be sure that God, who “sees into the heart,” will make the truth grow in the hearts of rightly disposed ones.—1 Sam. 16:7; John 6:44.

E DON nọ re Osẹe Jehova vbe Canada ke wa gha hia nọ gha kporhu ma emwa nẹi mwẹ owa, ni vbiẹ orere. E Don keghi kha wẹẹ: “Ọkpa vbe usun emwa nẹi mwẹ owa na keghi re Peter. I ma he miẹn ọmwa nọ he gbe iruẹn sẹrriọ ẹdẹ. Te ọ ye sẹlẹkẹ. Ẹi vbe kue ne ọmwa rhọkpa sikẹ ọre. Emwa gha vbe ru ẹse nẹẹn, ẹi miẹn ọnrẹn yi.” E Don keghi mwẹ izinegbe. Ọwara ukpo 14 ẹre ọ ya gha ya obọ esi mu okpia na nẹi mwẹ owa mwẹ odẹ.

Ọ ghi sẹ ẹdẹ ọkpa, e Peter keghi nọ e Don wẹẹ: “Vbua mobọ miẹn vbe egbe mwẹ? Wẹ ma miẹn ighẹ emwa rhọkpa i ghi zẹ yọ mwẹ re. Vbua gualọ?” E Don keghi ya ifuẹro loo ako eha vbe Baibol ya sẹ okpia na ekhọe. Ọ na ka nọ e Peter deghẹ ọ rẹn eni Osanobua, ẹre ọ na tama rẹn nọ tiẹre ladian vbe ebe Psalm 83:18. E Don keghi gi e Peter rẹn evbọzẹe ne irẹn na mwẹ ẹnina daa re. Ọ na vbe tama e Peter nọ tie Rom 10:13, 14 nọ khare wẹẹ: “Ọmwa ke ọmwa nọ datie eni Noyaẹnmwa gha miẹnfan.” Vbe okiekie, e Don keghi tobọre tie Matiu 9:36, ọ na vbe wẹẹ ne Peter tiẹre ne egbe ẹre. Ako nii khare wẹẹ: “Ugbẹn vbe ọ ghi miẹn avbe emwa ni gbe ẹbu, ekhọe ẹre keghi vuọn ne agiẹngiẹn, rhunmwuda ehia wa khọn yo khọn rre zẹvbe ohuan nẹi mwẹ nọ suẹe.” Awarọkpa nii, ameve na rhọ kua vbe aro e Peter, ọ keghi nọ wẹẹ: “Ọkpa vbe usun avbe ohuan na mẹ khin ra?”

E Peter na do fiwerriẹ. Ọ na ghi suẹn gha khuẹ, ọ na zẹ ẹtu, ọ na vbe yọ ukpọn nọ maan ne Don ya nẹẹn. Ọ na ghi khian ọmwa nẹi ghi gbe iruẹn.

E Peter keghi mwẹ ebe nọ gbẹnnẹ emwi nọ sunu ẹdẹgbegbe yi. Emwi nọ gbẹnnẹ ye abọ nokaro rhiema wẹẹ ọmwa nọ rre uwu orriara ẹre nọ sokpan ke nọ ghi ya rẹn Don, te emwi nọ ghi gbẹnnẹ yọ ghi lughaẹn. Vbe ipapa ọkpa vbọ, ọ keghi kha wẹẹ: “Ẹrẹna ẹre I rẹn eni Osanobua. Ọ wa sẹ mwẹ ọyẹnmwẹ. Nia, te I ghi na erhunmwu gie Jehova. E Don vbe tama  mwẹ wẹẹ, I gha sẹtin gha re Ọse ọre rhunmwuda ọmwa nọ họn erhunmwu vbe ẹghẹ hia ẹre nọ.”

Ẹmwẹ okiekie ne Peter gbẹn keghi re nọ gbẹn gie etiọn rẹn. Ọ keghi kha wẹẹ:

“Egbe ma sasa mwẹ ẹse vbe ẹrẹna. Egbe khian ọmaẹn nẹ. Sokpan deghẹ I ma ghi gberra ẹrẹna, I rẹnrẹn wẹẹ I gha miẹn ọse mwẹ ighẹ Don vbe Paradais. Ii khian ghi gha rrọọ, vbe ẹghẹ ne uwa khian ya gha tie ebe na. Sokpan wa gha miẹn okpia ọkpa vbe irorinmwi mwẹ nẹi re ọtẹn ima, wa mu ọghọ yọ re egbe. Wa hia ne uwa tie ebe ne kuẹi na [ebe na ya gu ọmwa ruẹ e Baibol na tiẹre “The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life” ẹre ọ ghaa guan kaan]. * Ọ khare wẹẹ I gha dọlegbe miẹn ọse mwẹ vbe Paradais. Te I wa ya ọna yi. Ọtẹn uwa nọ ghaan, Peter.”

Iran ghi ree Peter nẹ, ọtien ọnrẹn nokhuo na tiẹre Ummi keghi kha wẹẹ: “Odẹ ukpo eva nọ gberra, e Peter keghi nọ ẹmwẹ mwẹ. Vbe ima ghi guan, ọ na yevbe ne Peter ghọghọ, ọ kue gha muẹmuẹ ogiẹ, emwi nọ ma he sunu vbe ukpo nibun.” Ọ keghi tama e Don wẹẹ: “I gha tie ebe na rhunmwuda emwi nọ ghi sẹtin sẹ ọtẹn mwẹ ekhọe, emwi ne kpataki nọ.” Ummi na vbe kue yọ ne Avbe Osẹe Jehova do gha gu irẹn ruẹ ne ebe What Does the Bible Really Teach?

Vbene ẹmwata, ọ ma khẹke ne ima gha ya aro tila ọmwa rhọkpa rua, sokpan gima gha ya ekhọe hia hoẹmwẹ emwa ọvbehe, ma vbe gha mwẹ izinegbe vbe egbe iran. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) Ma ghaa ru ọna, ma sẹtin ru iyobọ ne emwa vbe na ghee Peter ni mwẹ ekhọe nọ maan sokpan emwa ya aro tila iran rua. Ma mwẹ ọnrẹn vbe ilẹkẹtin wẹẹ, Osanobua nọ “ghee ekhọe” gha ru iyobọ ne emwa ni mwẹ ekhọe ata ne ẹmwata mieke na gbọzinia vbe ẹkokoudu ọghe iran.—1 Sam. 16:7; Jọn 6:44.