The first circuit assembly to be held entirely in the Wichi language took place in Argentina on May 7, 2023. Attendees gathered to enjoy the “Friends of Peace” program in a Kingdom Hall in the city of Tartagal, Salta. Three remote locations around Argentina were also tied in to the program via videoconference. The total attendance was 169. Two people were baptized.

The Wichi people reside predominately in northwestern Argentina and southeastern Bolivia. In just over ten years, two congregations, three groups, and six pregroups have been formed. Among them there are 45 native Wichi-speaking publishers, along with several others who are learning the language.

Many who attended the assembly live in isolated areas. An elderly brother named Paulino lives some 455 kilometers (283 mi) from Tartagal. He traveled by bus for 12 hours one way to attend the program. After the assembly, he said: “I have no words to express my thanks to Jehovah for all the effort our brothers put forth so that we could enjoy the program in our own language.”

For some attending, this was their first in-person assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. A Wichi-speaking woman named Delia began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic. She walked for an hour with her two small children to attend the assembly. For Delia, one of the highlights of being present was finally meeting face-to-face with the sister who began studying the Bible with her!

The joy that our brothers and sisters experienced at this first assembly in the Wichi language gives further evidence that Jehovah treats his loyal ones “in a special way.”—Psalm 4:3.