Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands

Come along to a remote series of forest-clad islands lying just northeast of Australia. The eastern portion of one of these is mainland Papua New Guinea. East of it lie the islands of Manus, New Britain, New Ireland, the North Solomons and hundreds of other islands comprising the Independent State of Papua New Guinea. To the east are the Solomon Islands, with their subsidiary group, the Santa Cruz Islands. On the mainland and in these far-flung islands east of Irian Djaya (part of Indonesia) live over 2,800,000 people. But, just think! They speak more than 700 different languages!

The Portuguese and the Spaniards were among the first European explorers to discover these islands back in the sixteenth century. “Papua” is a Malayan word meaning “frizzy-haired.” That name was first given to the island by the Portuguese explorer Don Jorge de Meneses. Is the name appropriate? One may certainly think it is when he sees Papuan men with their great masses of hair. On the other hand, the Spanish explorer de Retez is said to have thought that the people living here closely resembled those he had seen on the Guinea coast of Africa. Thus it was that the name “Papua New Guinea” came to be applied to this intriguing part of the world.

Papua (to the south) and New Guinea (to the north) were administered separately prior to World War II. Thereafter both were administered by the Australian government. Finally, after a period of self-government, Papua New Guinea emerged as an independent nation on September 16, 1975. The Solomon Islands now have self-government and are approaching independence.

LAND AND PEOPLE

The mainland of Papua New Guinea has at its center one of the earth’s great mountain systems. A number of peaks rise above 13,000 feet (3,960 meters), with lofty Mount Wilhelm rising to 14,793 feet (4,509 meters). Between these peaks lie broad, grassy, well-populated highland valleys. This area enjoys a climate with two seasons​—rainy and dry.

Much of the country is covered with rain forests. Insect life is abundant, with huge and often vividly colored moths and butterflies adding color to the jungle scenery. Among the more than 600 varieties of birds  is the beautiful bird of paradise. Of the 100 species of animals, marsupials (animals with pouches to carry their young) predominate. In different parts of the country are found 70 species of snakes, many of them venomous. Here, too, are large numbers of both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles, some of the latter being among the largest in the world.

When European explorers first came to these islands of the South Pacific, they found them inhabited by tribesmen ranging in skin color from light brown to jet black. These are thought to have migrated from Asiatic regions. Possibly the first to come to these islands were a short, heavyset people. It appears that many of their descendants now are found in the interior highlands of mainland Papua New Guinea and other large islands. Due to the remoteness and inaccessibility of most of this vast area, these are some of the very last people on earth to have been contacted and influenced by the modern way of life.

The next ones to arrive could have been the Melanesians who are taller and thinner. Many of their descendants are to be found in the coastal regions of all these islands. These have had considerable contact with modern ways of living during the past half century or so. To the north, in the Manus Island area, are found many peoples of the Micronesian type, resembling more closely the Mongolian-featured people to the west. To the east are found Polynesians of Caucasian ancestry. However, today, with more inter-marriage, it becomes increasingly difficult to classify the various inhabitants of these islands.

“LIGHTBEARER” BRINGS SPIRITUAL LIGHT

Please turn attention now to the mid-1930’s. The Watch Tower Society’s branch office in Australia then had the responsibility of spreading the Kingdom message among the inhabitants of the many South Pacific islands. How could this be done? By using a well-equipped boat named “Lightbearer.”

Manned by a carefully selected crew of brothers, this boat set out from Sydney in late 1934, heading north, with Indonesia as its destination. Just above Cairns in northeastern Queensland, however, engine trouble developed, and the remainder of the voyage to Port Moresby, Papua, had to be made under sail. With great danger of being thrown onto the reef by the huge breakers, the “Lightbearer” finally was taken through the narrow channel in the reef and was safely anchored in the bay just off the town of Port Moresby.

 The year was 1935. Then, for the first time, many inhabitants of Papua heard the Kingdom message. For several evenings a program was presented using sound equipment aboard the “Lightbearer.” This presentation began with the playing of a musical record. Thereafter, recorded talks on Bible subjects were broadcast. People on shore manifested quite some interest.

At that time a considerable amount of literature was placed with the people of Port Moresby. In fact, some who later became proclaimers of the good news in Papua received their first taste of the truth on that occasion over forty years ago. After several days of witnessing in the area, and with the engine now repaired, the brothers on “Lightbearer” continued their journey to the west.

Sixteen years were to pass before any of the seed then planted could be watered. But by that time a much greater planting and watering work could be done. (1 Cor. 3:5-7) How would this come about?

VOLUNTEERS ENJOY RICH BLESSINGS

In 1951 Brothers N. H. Knorr and M. G. Henschel served an assembly in Sydney, Australia. All who were interested in assisting with the announcing of the good news in the islands were invited to attend a special meeting with the visiting brothers. At the close of that meeting thirty brothers and sisters volunteered to proclaim the Kingdom message to the inhabitants of the islands.

Among these individuals was a middle-aged man, one of the anointed remnant, Tom Kitto, and his wife, Rowena. There were many hazards associated with serving in the islands, but Brother Kitto was able to get a doctor’s certificate of good health, and, finally, on September 22, 1951, he left Sydney aboard a DC-3 plane for a long overnight flight to Papua. Just think, at that time, in this part of the earth with its more than two million inhabitants, there was not a single witness of Jehovah!

The next day, when the plane landed and the door was opened, a hot blast of air greeted Brother Kitto. Yes, he was in the tropics. During the seven-mile (11-kilometer) trip from the airport to Port Moresby, he took note of dry grass, stunted trees, and old buildings that had been used by military forces during World War II. Many relics of the war days could still be seen.

Only six weeks after Brother Kitto settled into his job as a radio technician with the Department of Civil Aviation, his wife arrived in Port Moresby. At that time a few hundred Europeans, mostly from  Australia, and several thousand Papuans were living there.

How could the Kittos begin telling these people about Jehovah and the Kingdom? “Start witnessing to the Europeans,” was the advice given by the Society’s branch in Australia. This is exactly what the Kittos did. However, the European population as a whole was very indifferent to the Kingdom message. Yet, one sheeplike person was found among them late in 1951. How did this come about?

Since Brother Kitto was interested in radio, he could not resist the urge to visit the local radio station. There a young man sat at the controls watching program levels and supervising the operation of two broadcast transmitters. “Hello!” said Brother Kitto. “May I come in? My name is Tom Kitto.”

“Not the Tom Kitto?” came the response. “My name is Geoff Bucknell.” Who was this young man? Why, as a child he had been in association with God’s people! He had worked in the Society’s Bethel home in Strathfield, Australia, and also at one of its radio stations. But as he had grown older he had lost interest in the truth and eventually came to Papua.

After hearing Geoff’s story, Tom said: “Don’t you think it’s about time you got down to some real study?” Evidently Geoff thought so. Hence, Tom began holding a regular Bible study with him. Before long Geoff was accompanying the Kittos in announcing the good news to the people of Papua.

ON TO THE “BIG VILLAGE”

The Kittos and Geoff Bucknell started witnessing in a village of several thousand inhabitants. Its name is Hanuabada, which in the Motu language means “Big Village.” Most of this village is built out over the water of the local bay. To reach the houses it was necessary to walk on wide and often rickety ramps and then over planks or logs. Frequently, our intrepid Kingdom proclaimers thought they were taking their lives in their hands as they walked over those wobbly logs and planks, with the sea several feet below. And, what about the people in those homes? Well, in those early days many of the Papuan women wore only their homemade grass skirts. Men wore long ramis, large pieces of cloth wrapped around the waist, and, for the most part, were shirtless. Most of the smaller children wore no clothing at all.

For many years religious organizations such as the London Missionary Society had been teaching these people the Trinity, immortality of the human soul and  the hellfire doctrine. The local pastors and deacons held much power over their parishioners. European missionaries, from their houses on the hill above, kept close watch over the whole village. But there proved to be some sheeplike persons among the villagers.

Near the mission’s building was a house built on stilts. Underneath the house it was cool, and womenfolk loved to gather there, talking and making mats. To this little group of women came our pioneer sister. By simple language and many gestures, she tried to convey to them an idea of the wonderful blessings ahead in God’s new order. Among those listening was Geua Heni, who later became a dedicated witness of Jehovah and still fearlessly declares the Kingdom message to her neighbors in Hanuabada. Her granddaughter, Rei Rapilla, now is a member of the Bethel family, along with her husband, Francis.

Geua’s husband was Heni Heni. An enthusiastic Bible study was held with him, and as the truth unfolded, he could not contain himself. Boldly he spoke to all about God’s kingdom. In a short time an intensive training program began as, night after night and week after week, home Bible studies were conducted with many villagers.

To one of these early studies Heni Heni brought a young Papuan boy about fifteen years of age. He was Oda Sioni, a very shy lad who sat by himself with his head down and his face partly covered with his hands. But Oda had quite a good grasp of English, and he listened intently. Gradually, he came into closer association with the little group. As the import of what he was learning dawned on him, his shyness disappeared. Soon he was helping Brother and Sister Kitto by translating their simple English into the Motu language.

What fine occasions these studies were! Imagine thirty to forty brown-skinned people, some old and some young, men and women alike, sitting in a circle under two gas lamps, all peering with interest at that one white Witness and the young Papuan who completed the circle. Oda’s face was beaming, and his gestures were most impressive as he translated from simple English into his beloved Motu. He was translating: “No, we will not all be going to heaven. Jehovah will make this earth into a beautiful paradise. Our loved ones are not in a hellfire, nor are they in heaven, but they are sleeping in the grave and will soon be awakened by Jesus.” How this message thrilled and gave faith to many of those Papuans,  strengthening them to share the good news with others!

As the nightly studies were progressing in Hanuabada, gradually certain individuals stood out as helpers in the witnessing work. They were Heni Heni, his wife Geua, Lou Eno and his wife Baeau, Ono Rose from Kido, and Maia from Manu Manu. Our young Papuan, Oda Sioni, became a special pioneer in 1958 and later served as a circuit overseer for a time.

EXPANDING THE WITNESS

Many people with whom Bible studies were conducted in Hanuabada were from various villages scattered along the Papuan coast. When they returned to their homes, they told their friends and relatives about the things they had been learning. Some were very impressed. For instance, there were the excitable Kerema people, a group of whom came requesting that a Bible study be conducted with them.

Early in 1952 the Kittos were visited by a headman from Haima, a village about fifteen miles (24 kilometers) from Port Moresby. His name was Bobogi, and he came from a mountain tribe known as the Koiaris. Though unable to read, he could understand some English and pleaded: “Please come and teach my people about the truth!” Soon, in their old utility car, the Kittos were making their way along the road through mud and bogs to Haima, a neat village of fifteen to twenty houses. Bobogi assembled his people and, as Brother Kitto spoke Bible truths to them, Bobogi did his best to translate what was said.

That was the beginning, and many blessings followed. In fact, it was at Haima that the brothers built the first of over ninety Kingdom Halls now in use throughout the territory supervised by this branch office of the Watch Tower Society. At this same village our first circuit assembly was held. And it was here that our first and only international assembly convened years later, in 1969, when more than a thousand people from over sixty language groups gathered peacefully. Incidentally, Brother Bobogi continued as a faithful Witness, eventually serving as an overseer in the Haima Congregation until his death in 1974.

MORE WORKERS FOR THE FIELD

In 1953 Tom and Rowena Kitto attended a national assembly in Melbourne, Australia. Part of the convention program was devoted to a discussion of serving where the need for Kingdom proclaimers was greater. During that session Tom gave a stirring talk about  Papua New Guinea. The result? Before long Brother and Sister Donald Fielder were on their way to Papua by boat, arriving with just five shillings left between them.

Learning a new language was a big, but very necessary, job confronting the newcomers. “Oh, I’ll never learn this language!” lamented Sister Fielder. But Brother Fielder was determined that they would learn ten new words each day, write them on a blackboard and put the blackboard in their bedroom. “We’ll sleep with the words, talk about them as we’re going to sleep, look at them and use them as soon as we wake up, and if sometimes we are not able to sleep during the night, well, you know what we can do!” With such an attitude, Don eventually became a fine translator of our publications into the Motu and Hula languages.

INTEREST KINDLED IN THE SOLOMON ISLANDS

During 1953, the first spark of interest in Bible truth was being kindled in the Solomon Islands under very unusual circumstances. This seems to be a good place to tell you about these developments and, for that matter, to round out the account of the spread of the Kingdom good news in the Solomons for the past quarter of a century.

To begin with, please consult the map on this book’s back endsheet. It will help you to follow our story of Christian progress in Melanesia, including the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

First a description of the Solomon Islands. They are comprised of six large islands and many small ones, all very beautiful. Most of them have high and rugged mountains and are of volcanic origin. As a whole, the climate is hot and humid, with an average temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit (29 degrees Celsius) during the day and an average rainfall of 120 to 140 inches (300 to 360 centimeters) a year. Dense forests cover much of the islands.

Since the beginning of this century, Britain has controlled most of these islands. The total population now is about 196,708 and is mostly of Melanesian origin, with sprinklings of Polynesian, Micronesian, European and Chinese people. Since many languages are spoken, one common tongue is needed and this is now Solomon Islands-Pidgin, a type of Pidgin English.

In the early days, residents of these islands lived in small groups, most of them independent and isolated. People of one village fought with those of other villages and took the heads of their enemies. In places the people were cannibals. In fact, originally Malaita  Island often was called “Cannibal Island.” As a result, there was so little friendly contact that many villages developed their own dialects and had difficulty in understanding the speech of people in nearby villages. The first European to discover the Solomon Islands was the Spanish explorer Mendaña, who landed at and named Santa Isabel, Guadalcanal and other islands in 1567. He is said to have given the name “Solomon” to these islands to suggest that this was where King Solomon of ancient Israel got his gold.

Traders and missionaries came after the explorers. Because of the demand for labor on sugar plantations, Solomon Islanders were recruited in large numbers and taken to Fiji, and to Queensland, Australia. Bad treatment of these islanders by some of the recruiters made the islanders fight back, resulting in the death of village people, traders and missionaries.

During the second world war, many of these islands were invaded by the Japanese, who were repelled after much hard fighting by Allied forces. When the United States armed forces landed on Guadalcanal and other islands, the people saw unbelievable quantities of every kind of equipment, from blankets to bulldozers. This great display of wealth confused the people, who had lived a quiet life in their villages, with little money and few machines. When the war was over and the men went back to their villages, they were discontented and this gave rise to a strong political movement. This movement was called the “Marching Rule.” Many people joined the movement, and they believed that big ships would come from overseas full of cargo to be given out to the people.

But what about those unusual circumstances we mentioned earlier, those factors that first sparked interest in the truth in the Solomon Islands? Well, at the height of this “Marching Rule,” Clement Fa’abasua, a young Malaita man, became involved in the movement and later was arrested and jailed for fifteen months in Honiara. Clem, as he was called for short, had always liked the Bible and even in jail he would spend time reading it with some of the prisoners. One night he was explaining how he and his church, the South Sea Evangelical Mission, believed in a literal hellfire and in the Trinity doctrine. A fellow prisoner, a Fijian man, listened quietly. At the conclusion of the discussion, however, he spoke up and said: “In Fiji there is a new religion called Jehovah’s Witnesses and they do not believe in a literal hellfire. Nor do they believe the Trinity doctrine.”

The Fijian man was not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but he did have a copy of our book “Let God Be True.”  Clem read it avidly, soon filling a notebook with the facts and scriptures he was learning. Upon his release from jail, Clem wrote the Society for literature. He went back to his home on Malaita Island to await the arrival of the two books “Let God Be True” and “This Means Everlasting Life.” How happy Clem was to receive this spiritual food! Then a fine letter came from Brother Bert Gardiner in Western Australia. He was a regular pioneer, but was confined to a wheelchair due to an infirmity. For the following few years by mail he carried on a Bible study with Clem and others in the Solomon Islands.

The years 1954 and 1955 found Clem working secularly on the Russell Islands and witnessing to both Europeans and Malaita people. One man from Malaita Island was Caleb George, who listened with appreciation and was later to become a special pioneer and an overseer for a time.

PROBLEMS DEVELOP

When Clem went home later for his leave, he took literature with him and found others searching for the truth, among them Timotheus Ansa and Siru. At that time a certain man belonging to the South Sea Evangelical Mission slept in Clem’s house. He read “Let God Be True” and enjoyed it, but he also read some of Clem’s personal letters. When Clem returned to the Russell Islands, this man went to a conference of the South Sea Evangelical Mission, at which he spoke out strongly against their teachings. The mission leaders were angry about this, and when they asked him how he knew about these things, he told them about Clem. The result was that they made complaints about Clem to the district commissioner.

A few days later the district commissioner arrived to see Clem and wanted to know what he was doing buying the Watch Tower Society’s books with his own money. Clem replied that he thought this was his own business. After a discussion, the district commissioner left, but a few days later the police visited Clem. They made a list of all the books he had and took them all with them except his Bibles and the book “Make Sure of All Things.” Still later, while Clem was at home on Malaita Island, the police told him that he was to report in person to their headquarters in Honiara. As it turned out, publications Clem had placed with others had got him into trouble.

To comprehend the underlying reasons for Clem’s problems, we need to consider the experiences of Brother Liston (Les) Carnie, who had come to the Solomons early in 1954 to preach the good news. On  April 3, 1954, he began working on a coconut plantation. The next day, Sunday, Brother Carnie needed some stamps and so went over to the nearby Methodist Mission to obtain some. There he met the woman who had attended to his documents the day before, as well as another woman. They asked him to remain for their religious services, but Brother Carnie declined, pointing out that although he believed in God, he did not belong to any of the orthodox religions and did not favor many of their doctrines. He also gave a Kingdom witness. However, no sooner had he left than these women informed the government authorities that the Communists had come. Then they informed individuals at their Methodist headquarters that Jehovah’s Witnesses were in their midst.

Two days later a policeman visited Brother Carnie, accusing him of being a Communist. After a lengthy discussion, the policeman left, but Brother Carnie knew that the matter was far from settled. He continued with his witnessing activity in surrounding villages and also gave close attention to his secular employment.

Because of the good work that he was doing on the plantation, his firm gave him a promotion and sent him to the island of Guadalcanal. However, instead of a good house, better furniture, and so forth, Brother Carnie found no conveniences there. His living quarters were only an old copra shed and he had no furniture, no mosquito net, no supply of food! Night came with what seemed to be millions of mosquitoes. In a few days, Brother Carnie had malaria and, lacking assistance, he recognized several days later that blackwater fever was developing. He needed help, but could not even write a note to ask someone to come to his aid.

One morning when the heat had become intense, Brother Carnie thought that he had come to the end of his life. But faintly he heard a native man say that a large canoe was approaching. Aboard was the manager with supplies of medicine, food, a mosquito net and the like. Within a week or so Les Carnie was back to normal. He continued his work as manager of that plantation and pressed on with his witnessing to the villages up and down the coast.

In November 1955 Brother Carnie informed his company that he was not going to renew his contract with them and would be leaving in March 1956. During March he received a job offer from a firm of builders, but was unable to obtain a permit to remain in the Solomon Islands.

On March 30, 1956, Brother Carnie went to Honiara. The next morning he was picked up by two police  inspectors who said they had to search him to see whether he possessed seditious literature. Upon looking through his bags and boxes, they found several of our books and booklets, as well as copies of The Watchtower and Awake! The inspectors had a long list of Watch Tower publications that, unknown to Brother Carnie, had been put under official ban on March 23, 1956, allegedly as seditious literature. Hence, all the literature that Les Carnie had with him now was prohibited in the Solomon Islands.

The following Thursday, April 5, 1956, Les Carnie received a summons to appear in court the next morning. The district commissioner presided as judge. Brother Carnie pleaded “not guilty” to the charge concerning the alleged seditious literature. A radio announcer was called in and gave evidence that he had read, over the radio, a government proclamation banning and declaring as seditious the publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Brother Carnie had not heard this announcement, nor had he seen any notification to this effect on the public notice board at the Post Office. However, the judge found him guilty and imposed a fine of ten pounds. Brother Carnie did not want to pay the fine, but, as he had some letters and books ready to send to native folk who were interested and he had had no time to collect them and his personal property, he felt it was the wisest course to pay. As soon as he had paid the fine, the police told him that he would have to leave the Solomon Islands on the first plane out, as he would not be given a permit to remain any longer.

So it was that on April 9, 1956, Les Carnie was aboard a plane heading for Australia. However, he had the satisfaction of knowing that he had given a witness to Jehovah and the Kingdom to the best of his ability, and that under trying conditions. Time would tell whether or not some of the seed thus sown would bear fine fruit.

PROGRESS DESPITE A BAN

A few months after the government ban had been placed on the Society’s publications, Clement Fa’abasua was ordered to appear before the court. At the hearing, the judge asked Clem to speak about what he had done, but Clem had nothing to say. Then he asked Clem if he had any questions. Yes, he had. “Is there any law against freedom of worship in the Solomon Islands?” “None,” was the reply. “Is there any law against one changing his religion if he wants to?” “There is no law,” was the answer. Then the judge  asked the police if they had anything to say​—had Clem made trouble for them? No, he had made no trouble. “Then,” said the judge, “what shall we do about this matter?” The police said that the Watch Tower publications were banned in the Solomon Islands, and therefore Clem had been breaking the law by having them.

The judge imposed a fine of five pounds. As yet, Clem had not associated with any of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but he had heard about Brother Carnie’s court case and how he had been forced to leave the country. So, he paid his fine. He was strongly warned about carrying on any longer with his new religion. Of course, that did not stop his activities.

Upon returning to his home on Malaita Island, Clem again met Caleb George, who was diligently studying the Bible with the aid of some of the Society’s literature. At that time word came through that a circuit overseer, Brother T. Sewell, had come to Honiara and had been able to witness to the people there. He had also had an interview with the high commissioner with a view to having the ban lifted, but with no success.

About the time that Brother Les Carnie was having his trouble with the authorities in Honiara, the “Triumphant Kingdom” District Assembly was held in Sydney, Australia. At that assembly Brother N. H. Knorr held a meeting with all persons interested in serving in the islands. Brother Ray Paterson heard this thrilling talk and was determined to serve where the need was greater. By early 1957 he and his wife, Dorothy, were actively declaring the good news in the Solomons.

It was also early in that year that Caleb George traveled to Honiara and was baptized. Immediately, he got busy in the witnessing work. A month or so later, Brother Paterson took a ten-hour boat trip to Malaita Island, where he first met Clement Fa’abasua. And just think, Clem had been active in announcing the Kingdom for nearly four years, but this was the first time he himself had ever met one of Jehovah’s Witnesses!

Brother Paterson’s visit was short. But it was not too short to give a baptismal talk. Thereafter, Clem was baptized in symbol of his dedication to Jehovah God. Yes, there was a ban, and there were many difficulties, but rich blessings were being bestowed upon God’s people.​—Prov. 10:22.

Once the brothers and interested people knew that Ray and Dorothy Paterson were settled in Honiara, their home became a center for those few who were  thirsting for the truth. Frequently, visitors from Malaita came to the Paterson home for Bible studies. Regarding this, Sister Paterson wrote:

“This pattern of having interested ones from Malaita Island come to our house in Honiara continued for some time, and it is wonderful to look back now and compare them as they were then with the way Jehovah has molded them over the years and is now using them in various capacities in his organization. I recall vividly that one day, not long after my arrival, a ferocious-looking man with a thickly bearded face came climbing up the hill toward our house. Still being unaccustomed to the local people and feeling very conscious of the fact that I was all alone in that old house on the ridge outside of town, I kept an eye on his progress and hoped fervently that he was just passing by. But, no, he came to the door. I stood there ready to shut it as quickly as possible, if necessary. Then this man looked up at me and expressed gratitude that his prayers had been answered and that he had been able to come and find us. I felt ashamed when I realized that I had been judging him from his outward appearance. It was the first of many lessons I was to learn from observing the operation of Jehovah’s spirit upon the sheeplike ones in these islands.”

Despite the joys, however, being a Witness brought many problems. Brother Paterson was unable to find secular employment. Hence, the Patersons decided to sell their old car so that Dorothy could fly to Rabaul, New Britain, and find work there, while Ray continued to look for work in Honiara. She found work and accommodations in Rabaul, but after a few months Brother Paterson sent for her, as he had obtained work.

But not all was going well. When Sister Paterson returned she found Ray ready to face a court case. Since some of our literature had been banned in the Solomon Islands, Brother Paterson had carefully avoided ordering these books from the Society. However, a strange situation developed. Only after he had sent an order for the book “Make Sure of All Things” did Brother Paterson see a public notice stating that this book had been banned in the Solomons. Immediately he cabled the Watch Tower Society’s branch office in Australia to have the order canceled. Later, and quite unexpectedly, the recently banned “Make Sure of All Things” reached him in the mail. Evidently his cable had been sent too late to cancel the order.

Brother Paterson was just wrapping the books with the intention of sending them back in the next mail when a policeman arrived with a search warrant and confiscated the books. Consequently, in early 1958,  Brother Paterson was taken to court and given the alternative of paying a fine or spending a month in prison. He chose to go to jail.

With Ray Paterson soon to be jailed, another problem arose. The old house in which the Patersons had been living was due to be demolished and they had been searching for another home. Nothing seemed to be available in town, but there was an old deserted house a couple of miles out of town, and Ray was able to rent this. They had just moved in when a policeman arrived to make the arrest. Now Dorothy was all alone. Shortly thereafter, two local men interested in the truth took on the responsibility of looking after her safety. How grateful she was for their thoughtful help! For that matter, loving assistance in the way of some funds even came from God’s people in Australia.

The month passed slowly as Ray served his sentence. Yet, there was a good side to all of this. He did have many opportunities to share the good news of the Kingdom with others while in jail.

CIRCUIT WORK IN THE SOLOMONS

The situation was very tense, since most of the Society’s literature had been banned. Three brothers had been given fines or jail sentences and one of them had been forced to leave the country. Nevertheless, spiritual encouragement was received when Brother John Cutforth came to the Solomons as a circuit overseer.

Since most of the interested ones lived on Malaita Island, where Clem Fa’abasua and Caleb George were witnessing, it was decided that Brother Cutforth should visit them. Brother Paterson was pleased to go along with him. After a rough overnight trip on a small coastal boat, they pulled into Auki, the main town on Malaita Island. There Clem, Caleb and a number of newly interested people were waiting on the wharf. Immediately, Brother Cutforth went with Clem to some of his Bible studies. What a joy it was to see the good teaching ability Clem displayed! Next they walked a few miles out to Clem’s village, named Magi. There the small, leaf Kingdom Hall was full of smiling villagers, ready to greet their visitors and drink in the satisfying Kingdom truths.

The circuit overseer’s visit in 1958 was a short one. But it laid a foundation for hundreds who would become proclaimers of the good news. In August 1958 the first congregation in the Solomon Islands was formed in Honiara.

Brother John Cutforth was able to return for another  circuit visit in May of 1959. He then walked across Malaita Island for the second time. On this trip, he organized meetings and helped prepare the interested ones for field service. The first congregation on Malaita Island was formed at Magi in August 1959.

During that 1959 circuit visit, Brother Cutforth visited a number of villages. One of these was Gwari, where he gave a public talk. In the audience was Mahlon Mokofi, a pastor associated with the South Sea Evangelical Mission. He was quiet and listened thoughtfully. Later, at another village, Mahlon Mokofi again was in the audience. When the talk was over, he quietly slipped out into the darkness and went back to his own village. He knew the Witnesses would be returning the next morning and, because he felt that this was the truth, he organized his people and prepared a very good meal for Brother Cutforth and those traveling with him. When they had finished eating, Mahlon invited Brother Cutforth to go over to their church building and give a public talk. Well, this was the beginning of what was to become the Gwari Congregation some five years later. The church building eventually had its pagan symbols removed and was turned into a fine Kingdom Hall, with Mahlon becoming a witness of Jehovah and the first overseer of that congregation.

ABANDONING ‘THEIR OWN RELIGION’

Late in 1960 the brothers in Honiara were busy preparing the site for a Kingdom Hall. They also were busy in the witnessing work, and one day some of them called on Early Dainau, a northern Malaita man. This call was to have far-reaching effects on the growth of our work in the Solomon Islands.

To understand how this was so, we need to go back to the late 1940’s. In northern Malaita the people also were caught up in the “Marching Rule” mentioned earlier. Many of their leaders were put in prison. Among these were Shem lrofa’alu and his son Timotheus, as well as many other teachers and leaders in the South Sea Evangelical Mission. Upon being released and returning to their homes, they found that they were not looked upon with favor by their mission and were not welcomed back. What would they all do now?

Many of them came to Shem Irofa’alu, upon whom they looked as their leader. They decided to form their own religion, calling it “Boboa,” meaning “Foundation.” Among this group were about forty mature men who constituted a teaching organization for the thousand or more who had broken away with them. Fortunately,  Shem was a humble, God-fearing man. Regularly he visited people in their villages and homes and spent much time in prayer, seeking God’s direction upon his people.

Early Dainau was one of Shem’s associates. After coming in touch with Bible truth in 1960, Dainau started attending meetings of Jehovah’s people and soon realized that he had found the truth. In December 1961 he wrote to Shem about his discovery and sent him some of our literature, including the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained.

Shem read the publications, meditated and prayed over matters. As he progressed in knowledge, he realized that someone had been lying to him. He gathered together the many teachers under his jurisdiction and told them about the things he was learning. Timotheus, his only son, was inclined to argue about points, but possibly this was good, because then these matters were clarified. Shem wrote to Dainau for information and sent five of his teachers over to Honiara to learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses. These men had all their questions answered and, in their own words, felt like babes as far as their knowledge of God’s Word was concerned.

Brother Norman Sharein, a special pioneer, was sent to Malu’u in northern Malaita, to follow up the interest there. He met Shem and his son Timotheus and gave a public talk attended by about 500 people. At his invitation, about 300 returned for a Bible study that began about 7 a.m. on Monday.

There was considerable arguing, but during the next few days nine outstanding Bible themes were discussed by means of a large blackboard with illustrations, and supporting scriptures were listed. The pastors and teachers listened, looked up the scriptures, and made copies of the Bible presentations. All their questions were answered satisfactorily. On Thursday Shem took the teachers aside and asked them what they thought of this religion. All except a certain Abiathar agreed that this was the truth. At that Shem suggested that they all think about matters prayerfully and ask for God’s guidance. The next day even Abiathar was convinced. Brother Sharein reported: “They then called me over and told me that now they all wanted to become Jehovah’s Witnesses. This decision meant that many hundreds of people were ready to be taught the truth.”

The pastors took the points of the nine Bible topics they had learned back to their respective villages to teach the residents there. “Soon,” reported Brother Sharein, “crosses were being broken off and taken out  of the churches and the buildings were being transformed into Kingdom Halls of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The beautiful large church structure in Bokolo was converted into an assembly center for large circuit and district assemblies that would be held in northern Malaita.”

Shem was the first person from northern Malaita to be baptized as a witness of Jehovah. Eventually he became an elder in the congregation and has been serving Jehovah faithfully for a number of years.

RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN THE SOLOMONS

The first circuit assembly of God’s people in the Solomon Islands was held in October 1961. It took place on Malaita Island, at Kwainaketo village, and 215 were present for the public talk. Fifteen persons symbolized their dedication to Jehovah by water immersion at that gathering.

Over the years, the Society’s motion pictures and slides did a fine work in making the public aware of what Jehovah’s people are doing. Often over 1,000 attended showings in the Solomon Islands, and on one occasion 1,511 gathered to see the film “God Cannot Lie.”

The brothers were saddened at the death of Ray Paterson in the latter part of 1962 and by Sister Paterson’s subsequent departure to serve in the New Hebrides Islands. However, God’s people in the Solomon Islands pressed on with their witnessing work. To supply them with publications, in 1965 a literature depot was established in Honiara.

Circuit overseers also provided further encouragement during their visits. Mind you, these brothers and their wives (where married) had to be physically fit. One relates: “During the mid-1960’s, the circuit was so large that circuit overseers and their wives seemed to spend their ‘weekend’ time walking. It was quite common to spend from 4 to 6 hours on a Monday walking from one congregation to another.”

The spiritual feeding of sheeplike persons in the Solomon Islands long was a problem because of the government’s ban on The Watchtower, Awake! and other publications of the Society. But spiritual food was provided in the form of a small publication that began to be published in January 1968 and eventually was called “Bible Study Guide.” In time, over 700 persons were subscribing to it. But its last issue was released in December 1976.

“Its last issue?” you ask. Yes, because, as a result of a 600-signature petition to the governor, the eighteen-year  ban on The Watchtower and Awake! was lifted in the Solomon Islands on December 30, 1974. English editions of these were circulated thereafter for some time. Then, happily, as of January 1, 1977, The Watchtower began to be published in the Solomon Islands-Pidgin language.

This was followed by another fine development. For some time, we had been trying to get our work registered in the Solomon Islands. When the solicitors indicated that our chances were quite good, a meeting was held at a district assembly, in August 1975. There members were selected for the prospective legal trust. In 1976 a constitution was drafted and this was adopted at a general meeting of members in February 1977. Members of the Bethel family were pleased indeed to receive this message from the registrar of companies: “I hereby certify that Jehovah’s Witnesses of the Solomon Islands Trust Board (Incorporated) have been duly incorporated under the provisions of the Charitable Trusts Ordinance.” The certificate of registration was dated April 18, 1977. It is hoped that our being registered as a Charitable Trust will open the way for missionaries to enter the Solomon Islands and will otherwise promote Kingdom-preaching work there.

During the 1977 service year there was a peak of 580 Kingdom proclaimers in the Solomon Islands. Also, 2,060 attended three “Sacred Service” District Assemblies there. But there appears to be even greater potential for theocratic progress there because 2,507 persons attended the Memorial on April 3, 1977. Along with their hundreds of fellow believers, the 64 pioneers continue working in 31 congregations, zealously proclaiming the good news to residents of the Solomon Islands.

FINE PROGRESS IN PAPUA

Now let us return to the year 1953 and pick up the thread of our story about Christian progress to the west in Papua. By that time a number of Papuan men and women in Port Moresby had begun bearing witness to the good news alongside the brothers who had come there to serve where the need was greater. By March 1954 our work had progressed so well that the Hanuabada Congregation was formed in Port Moresby.

In July of 1955, John Cutforth, as a traveling overseer from Australia, visited the congregation in Hanuabada village. On that occasion, “The New World Society in Action,” one of the Watch Tower Society’s films, was shown in Hanuabada. And just imagine, well over a  thousand persons came to each of the two showings in that village! During Brother Cutforth’s three-week visit the film was shown on thirteen different occasions. In outlying villages, where there was no electricity, the brothers hooked up the batteries of four or five automobiles and thus had enough power for good showings. This film was an eye-opener to many hundreds of Papuan people. For many, it was the first time they had seen a film of any kind.

To climax this fine visit, arrangements were made for the first circuit assembly in Papua. It was a one-day assembly held at Haima. At that gathering sixty-five persons symbolized their dedication to Jehovah God by undergoing water baptism. Following the final assembly talk, which presented appropriate spiritual counsel, the truth-loving Papuan people lined up one by one and presented Brother Cutforth with gifts​—grass skirts, combs carved from wood, shell necklaces and beautifully woven fans decorated with feathers. Brother Cutforth felt he would like very much to remain with these Papuan Witnesses. But he had to return to his assignment in Australia.

DECLARING THE GOOD NEWS IN NEW BRITAIN

The Kingdom message had never been proclaimed on the island of New Britain. But that was to change when John and Lena Davison arrived there in July of 1956. They settled at Waterfall Bay, where they were to remain for two and a half years. And those were to be busy and fruitful years.

“Interest in the truth quickly became manifest,” wrote Brother Davison. “But most of the people were illiterate and we were hard pressed to think of ways of getting the truth across to them. We typed out many Bible presentations and, after teaching the ones who could read a little, we got them to help us to teach those who could not read at all. Soon these typed presentations were carried far and wide up and down the coast by interested boat crews that we met. . . .

“Brother Cutforth came to visit us, and it was during his visit that a method of teaching was discussed that made a fine contribution to the preaching and teaching work. We began to use simple pictures drawn on any material that came to hand. Later, we were to find that using chalk and a blackboard made of plywood was an excellent way of getting the meaning of the good news down into the hearts of the people.

 “A natural extension of this means of teaching was the use of school exercise books, which were made up with picture presentations drawn in crayon or pen. Dozens of books were made up. But what a job we let ourselves in for! We spent many, many hours drawing up Bible discussion books for all associated. Each time a new subject was taught, it meant adding a new picture with all of its details to everyone’s book. But the hard work that went into the preparation faded into the background as we saw our Bible students become the first local publishers in New Britain. How thrilled we were to have them go with us on the weekends and give their Bible presentations!”

 But do not think that witnessing in New Britain was activity of the easiest type. Why, the area is one of the wettest in Papua New Guinea, and often as much as ten inches (25 centimeters) of rain falls in one night! This can have quite an effect. “Once,” reported Brother Davison, “owing to rough seas, the ship that brought our supplies had to put them ashore a few miles along the coast. To get them, we had to cross a flooded crocodile-infested river. The dugout canoe tipped upside down right in the middle of the racing waters. I was underneath, completely submerged, but I held on to part of the outrigger of the canoe. Eventually I got my head above the water. Another canoe put out for us far down the river and managed to pick up all of us just before we were swept out to sea.”

RELIGIOUS OPPOSITION PROVES FUTILE

While the Davisons were busy at Waterfall Bay, other brothers were moving into Rabaul, New Britain, to help with the Kingdom work. Brother Henry Nickey was among them and stated: “The Catholic and Methodist missions were strongly entrenched here. The land on the roads leading out of Rabaul had been so divided that one section was allotted to the Catholic Church and then the next section to the Methodist. Whether the local people, the Tolais, would be Catholic or Methodist was decided by whichever section they happened to be in. According to a ‘gentlemen’s agreement,’ neither would trespass on the other’s territory.”

By the end of July 1957, the group of Kingdom proclaimers had grown to six and the first congregation in New Britain was formed at Rabaul. In witnessing from village to village, the publishers found enthusiastic groups of Tolais gathering to hear the message. “But,” reported Alan Gannaway, “on return calls either we were met by the village leader and told not to return again, or we would drive up to a village and, before we could get out, of our car, the cry Kalamana lotu (‘the new religion’) would echo throughout the grass huts. You would think we had the plague, for the villagers just vanished into the jungle and left us in a deserted village.”

False religious opposition to our work erupted into violence at Vunabal, a village about thirty miles (48 kilometers) from Rabaul. The villagers were of the Sulka tribe, and they were living in among the Tolai community on land the ownership of which was under dispute. Brother and Sister Davison were among those conducting studies in Vunabal. Sister Davison says: “These humble people that we had been studying with  were progressing very well. Then the Roman Catholic Church decided to do something to stop the work.”

So it was that on Sunday, April 5, 1959, while John Davison was conducting a Bible study with a big group of Sulka people, a large mob of Tolai Catholics under the leadership of a certain catechist suddenly pushed their way into the house and brought the study to a halt by their shouting and abuse. In the meantime, other members of the mob disrupted Bible studies being conducted in other homes. The mob threatened to take stronger action if the Witnesses returned the following Sunday. This interference was reported to the police officer at Kokopo and he investigated the matter.

This, however, was not the end of the story. Sister Davison reported: “The next weekend we were busy preparing to go to the village as usual when one of the interested men from the village arrived very short of breath, having ridden his bicycle in great haste the thirty miles [48 kilometers] to town. He came to tell us that there was going to be trouble, as the European priest had sent a number of his people to the village the day before to erect an altar. He was going to hold a service in the village at the same time we usually were there to conduct our studies. This was done in spite of the objections of the local villagers.

“As we were expecting trouble that Sunday morning, we called in at Kokopo to inform the police about what was happening. The sub-inspector ordered six local policemen into the police van and went ahead of us to the village. The road was lined for miles with jeering Catholics. When we arrived at the village, we found this priest, with several hundred Tolais, about to start his service. The sub-inspector pushed his way through to where the priest was standing and asked him to leave, taking his followers with him, as they had not been invited by the villagers to conduct a service there. The priest ignored the police and went ahead with his service, which took about an hour.

“When he was finished, the police opened a path through the mob and called us to go into the village. We did this with misgivings. By this time the interested Suika people seemed dazed and very much afraid, but they followed us into the house and seated themselves. We could hear the priest talking loudly in Tolai to his ‘flock,’ which by this time had swelled to several hundred in number. The shouting outside became louder, making both Sister Gannaway and me very uneasy. We were comforted, though, in the knowledge that the police had surrounded the house. About  twenty minutes after we had started our meeting, the sub-inspector entered the room with a very worried look on his face. He asked whether we could close the meeting soon, as the mob was getting out of hand and he did not have enough police to protect us. So, the brothers closed the study and we went outside.

“Then there was pandemonium! The mob seemed demonized, and rushed toward us swearing, spitting and shaking their fists, while the priest stood with folded arms and smiled. The police managed to get us to the road. Then Sister Gannaway and I were left without protection as the police went back to get some of the interested villagers who were being molested by the mob. I looked up and, to my horror, saw a wild-eyed man filled with hatred walking toward us. We did not panic, but walked at a normal pace. I prayed to Jehovah to remember us in the resurrection.

“Just then a tall man rushed up, took my arm, and said: ‘Don’t be afraid. I won’t let them touch you!’ He hurried us to the car, opened the door and pushed us in. Just as we reached the car, Brothers Davison and Gannaway came along with the sub-inspector. The police put some of the interested villagers into the police van and we managed to drive away slowly. We drove a few miles and then stopped to talk over the incident. The sub-inspector was still shaken from the experience. He said: ‘This is the closest shave I have had since I have been in the police force.’”

Back in the village the mob broke the blackboards and ripped up the Bibles, roughly handling the remaining villagers before going off to their own villages. The sub-inspector took the matter to court, but the local catechist was not punished. Although many persons were scared off by this mob action, Paulas Lamo, one local individual who went through this trouble, continued to progress in his knowledge of the truth and has been a faithful dedicated brother for some years now. At present the Davisons are faithfully serving in the circuit work.

Our work has continued to progress in New Britain. Many who were illiterate and originally had to be taught by means of illustrated Bible presentations on blackboards took advantage of the weekly literacy school in the congregation. As a result, a number were able to come to the point where they could read the Society’s publications for themselves. In addition to such individual progress, Jehovah’s organization as a whole has moved ahead in New Britain. For instance, despite difficulties and opposition, it was possible to obtain land in Rabaul and to construct a fine Kingdom Hall there. Since that took place in the  mid-1960’s the work has spread, so that now there are congregations established in twelve places in New Britain. Recently a peak of 216 publishers was reached on that island and 699 attended the Memorial of Christ’s death observed there in April 1977.

NEW IRELAND HEARS THE TRUTH

Northeast of the Papua New Guinea mainland and the island of New Britain is New Ireland. Its residents also needed to hear the good news. So in August 1956, Brother Ken Frame and his wife, Rosina, arrived in Kavieng, New Ireland, to extend our work into that area. With the help of a Papuan man who was interested in the truth, Brother and Sister Frame were able to search out other interested people. Soon there was a group of about six men who desired to be taught the truth. How to teach them was the problem.

In February 1958 Brother John Cutforth visited this group. He gave Brother and Sister Frame some good suggestions for overcoming the teaching problem. Brother Cutforth demonstrated how to present Bible teachings with the aid of pictures on a blackboard. Progress became more rapid thereafter as students learned to express themselves and draw stickmen Bible presentations. Witnessing to others, they left brief pictures, in much the same way as a tract is placed with people in other lands.

During Brother Cutforth’s visit the Society’s film “The Happiness of the New World Society” was shown in a local theater. The proprietor waived any charge in view of its being a religious film. Although the brothers had explained that they wanted a private filming, admission being only by invitation, the proprietor told his workers that there was a free film showing that night. Consequently, when the brothers arrived with a number of interested Papuans, they found that not only was the building full, but that many were standing outside trying to find a viewing spot through the wide ventilation shutters that had been thrown open. It was necessary to have two policemen make their way through the crowd so that a loudspeaker could be placed near the screen. Instead of an anticipated audience of fifteen or twenty persons, two hundred and thirty-four were present for this film showing!

Through the years the work of announcing the Kingdom has advanced steadily in New Ireland. Toward the close of 1976 a fine new Kingdom Hall and flat were completed in Kavieng and Brother and  Sister Wilkinson have moved there to lend a hand. During the month of January 1977, there was a peak of 53 publishers in New Ireland’s four congregations, and 270 attended the Memorial there on April 3, 1977.

GETTING STARTED ON THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE MAINLAND

With the witnessing work now under way in New Britain and New Ireland, the brothers turned their attention to getting our activity started on the northern half of the Papua New Guinea mainland, formerly known as New Guinea. Oda Sioni, one of the first Papuan publishers in Port Moresby, went to visit two of his fleshly brothers in New Guinea in August 1957. While at Wau, New Guinea, Oda did a lot of talking about God’s Word. One of his listeners was a Papuan man named Jack Arifeae. Before long many New Guineans who worked for the same company as Jack were listening also to what Oda had to say. He would speak in Motu and Jack would translate for him into Melanesian-Pidgin.

On one occasion, after the regular religious service in a local church, Oda gave a splendid witness, with Jack faithfully translating what was said into Pidgin. When the pastor could take it no longer, he asked them to stop, and went on to advise the congregation of over 600 persons that they should have nothing to do with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

But even in the face of such opposition Oda continued to have fine Bible discussions at the home where he was staying. Late one night, as a study was in progress, Oda and Jack were surprised when police sergeant Jerika walked into the room. He was on patrol duty, had seen the light, and had been listening to the discussion from under the house. He liked what he heard and eventually Oda was conducting a Bible study with the police sergeant and his wife. They, in turn, invited police constable Namona and his wife, Managu, to join the study. Later, Managu became a dedicated publisher who still serves faithfully in that area. Jack still is a faithful brother, although now confined to a wheelchair.

Early in 1958, Brother and Sister John Endor came from Australia to serve in Lae, New Guinea, hopeful that they would have Jehovah’s blessing in opening up a new field of activity there. “We could see immediately the tremendous potential of the work in Lae,” wrote Brother Endor, adding: “Brother [James] Baird had arrived earlier and had already commenced studying with a number of people. This made us all the more  determined prayerfully to pursue all avenues to try to stay. In a matter of some two or three days, some local people showed us an old army hut made of curved iron. It had been crudely converted into ‘living quarters,’ which we were able to rent. It had no lining, and iron flakes of rust from the roof continually descended as the temperature changed. By ten o’clock every morning the temperature inside would soar up to 110 degrees [Fahrenheit (43 degrees Celsius)], which was as high as our thermometer went. But we were very thankful that we had a roof over our heads, and a place where we could study with interested ones without interference.”

Christian progress was being made. Hence, by July 1, 1958, a congregation was established at Lae, as well as another at Madang. By April of 1959 the third congregation in New Guinea was formed at Wau. And a year later district assemblies were held for the first time in New Guinea at both Lae and Madang.

Indicative of the interest shown in our work is what happened in December 1958 when the Society’s film “The New World Society in Action” was shown at a theater in Lae. Though there were only 15 brothers and sisters in the congregation there at the time, a crowd of 1,200 attended the film showing!

To supply spiritual food, by mid-1960 a 16-page edition The Watchtower began to be published in Melanesian-Pidgin. The magazine was enlarged to 24 pages in January of 1970 and its circulation now has risen to over 3,500 copies of each issue. We received an added thrill when a 24-page edition of Awake! was first published in Melanesian-Pidgin during January 1972.

By 1962, the Madang Congregation, on the coast, still was on the edge of a vast ripe field ready for harvesting. Only closer villages were being looked after, and many persons from villages farther away had to walk miles to hear God’s truth being taught. Just how was the truth progressing in this area?

When pioneer Matthew Pope and his family arrived from Canada in May 1960, the way was opened to bring special pioneers in to care for the increasing interest. So, Brother and Sister Davison, who had served on New Britain, were able to offer help in an area where the work was beginning to develop very quickly. This was about thirty miles (48 kilometers) up the north coast from Madang. Much interest was shown among people in a village built on government land adjoining the Tagildig government school. The headmaster of the school was opposed, however, and prevented the brothers from studying with the interested  people on this government land. Nevertheless, studies were continued with these people on a beach farther away.

Next, the education officer in Madang ordered everyone on the property to move within just nine days. While they were able to salvage some of their goods, on the ninth day, December 24, 1962, the police arrived and set fire to all the houses and parts of houses that remained. At the nearby village of Bagildig, Udim, the village chief, heard of their trouble and allowed them to stay on his land.

Now there is a fine congregation, as well as an assembly hall, in the village of Bagildig. Recently, over 500 attended the “Sacred Service” District Assembly held there. Due to the fine work of the Davisons and other special pioneers, about 140 publishers and a number of pioneers now are active in six congregations scattered over fifty miles (80 kilometers) of territory along the coast and coastal ranges extending north from Madang. Ulpep Kalip, one of the boys who grew up in the village of Bagildig, now works at Bethel, and another from a nearby village is a district overseer.

HARDWORKING CHRISTIANS REAP BLESSINGS

At this point it seems quite appropriate to tell you at least something about the earnest efforts made in recent years to proclaim the good news in some of the village areas of Papua New Guinea. For example, consider what took place in the Hula area in the late 1950’s.

In 1957, Brother Donald Fielder, his wife, Shirley, and their daughter, Debbie, decided to share the good news in the Hula area. Brother Fielder leased some land and built quite a comfortable home on it. Later, however, the government informed him that he could not continue to live on native property. So what would the Fielders do? Why, they would build a boat and live on it near the mouth of a nearby river! Yes, there were problems, such as washing with no conveniences, going long distances by canoe to get fresh water, and battling mosquitoes so abundant that meals had to be eaten under a mosquito net much of the time. While living under those circumstances, a second girl was born to them in September of 1958. With only Brother Fielder’s special pioneer allowance to feed four mouths, food was very scarce at times. In fact, sometimes bananas were the only food that they had. But there were real reasons for joy as they saw their spiritual garden begin to bear fruit. A fine congregation of 18 publishers was formed in November  1958, and today that congregation at Hula has 40 Kingdom proclaimers associated with it, although 114 persons attended the Memorial there on April 3, 1977.

In the latter part of 1957, Brother John Cutforth returned to Papua New Guinea permanently to serve with the brothers here. As a traveling overseer, he has had many grand experiences. For example, there was the time he visited an isolated publisher at Kido, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) up the coast from Port Moresby. Brother Cutforth and his traveling companions made the trip by Papuan outrigger canoe. On one occasion during this trip old Brother Diho was thrown off the back of the canoe by rough waves and had to be fished out of the sea. After many hours, however, they rounded Redscar Point and ahead of them lay Kido village built out over the sea.

“I was very happy to meet Ono Rose, the only Witness in the village of Kido” wrote Brother Cutforth. “He had a very kindly smiling face. Because of his fine principles, he was entrusted with the operation of the village store. The pastors of the London Missionary Society had so frightened the people of the village that most of them were opposed to the truth, but the younger boys enjoyed going to the store and there Ono lovingly gave them an insight into the Kingdom and its blessings.”

That first evening Brother Cutforth sat on the floor with others, explaining the truth to Ono and his family, as well as to quite a number of teen-age boys to whom Ono had talked at the store. Wrote Brother Cutforth: “Then there was a pause, after which Ono talked to them in their local language. Ono then placed his hand on my arm and pointed to a mat on the floor in the corner of the room. When asked, ‘What are you telling them about, Ono?’ he replied: ‘I am telling them that among Jehovah’s people there are no divisions and even though we have different colors of skin, we are the same, eat together and sleep in the same room together.’ This was something very unusual because at that time a big barrier existed between the European pastors of the missions and the local people. This was very evident, as the European pastors always ate apart from the local parishioners and mixed with them only for a short time when they had some meetings. As the European Witnesses worked along with their Papuan brothers, lived with them and walked together with them, a wonderful bond of love grew up. This bond has helped to overcome many hardships they have had to meet.”​—John 13:34, 35; Acts 10:34, 35.

 Ono still is in Kido looking after the group there. He and his wife are the only Kingdom publishers in that village. However, for their two decades of endurance as isolated Witnesses they have enjoyed rich blessings. They were happy that eight persons from their village attended the Lord’s Evening Meal on April 3, 1977.

ON TO THE OUTLYING VILLAGES

June 1958 saw the arrival in Papua New Guinea of two young brothers, James Smith and Stephen Blundy. Soon they were deeply involved in learning the local Motu language, and before long were speaking it well. These brothers have had a fine share in opening up our work in new areas of Papua.

We were very anxious to expand the Kingdom witness to outlying villages. So, in 1960 special pioneers were sent out from Port Moresby to some of those areas. Brother Smith, accompanied by Lionel Dingle, was assigned to Kerema in the Gulf District. Although Brother Smith was fluent in Motu, he found that very few people in Kerema knew that language. So, this meant learning another tongue. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that these people had no written language. Hence, Brother Smith spent many nights with the Kerema people who did speak Motu. He tells us:

“I would give them a Motu expression, which they would translate into their Kerema language. This I would then write down, spelling out each word phonetically in Roman letters. In this way, not only did I build up a small vocabulary, but I was able to write out a Bible presentation in full. The people in the area were amazed, as no other European in the district could talk the language. The very fact that we tried to converse with them in their language created a favorable impression, as the people could see that we were interested in them. In our assignment, we continued to write down words and expressions; gradually, I compiled in a notebook a grammar of the Kerema language. In three months, we could converse quite freely with the people, and in 1961 it was possible to give public talks and to translate the material for the Watchtower studies on Sundays. Later, the brothers were thrilled to receive a tract in their language and then the booklet ‘This Good News of the Kingdom.’ These have proved to be valuable instruments in aiding the local people to learn the truth.”

One thing that Brother Smith admired greatly was the effort put forth by the brothers and interested ones in order to get to the meetings. It was necessary for many to cross a bay some two miles (3 kilometers)  wide in order to get to the meetings, and in bad weather this often was risky. On one occasion the Memorial celebration and the circuit overseer’s visit coincided. Brother Smith reports: “Torrential rain was falling, the wind was up and the water in the bay was very rough. Meeting time came, but not many were present; so we waited a little. Sure enough, out of the darkness and pouring rain some fifty people came into sight, drenched to the skin. None of them had a change of clothing, but all sat down happily to hear the talk. Later, they told us that when they were halfway across the bay the water was so rough that their large canoe began to sink. The men and single persons jumped overboard, leaving the mothers with little children in the canoe. They had just been able to make it across. Because of the danger of such incidents occurring, later it was decided to have two sets of meetings, with one on each side of the bay.”

There were hazards aplenty. On one occasion Brother Smith was to look after a book study on the other side of the bay. The ferryman said it was too late to take him across. So he set out in a canoe, although the sky was overcast and the water was rough. Brother Smith had gone no more than 100 yards (90 meters) when he saw that the canoe was leaking badly. Should he jump out and swim back to the shore? Well, fortunately, these canoes are buoyant enough not to sink completely. So, he stayed with the little vessel. But suppose we let Brother Smith tell us what happened. He states:

“At one stage, I could see nothing but the whitecaps of breakers. Later, I found that these were breaking on a sandbar, and when I went over it, it seemed as if I were on a wild horse. Finally, the strong tide swept the canoe in among some mangroves and I was able to climb up a mud bank, pulling the canoe up after me. Not being able to see anything and knowing that there were crocodiles in the area, I really was frightened. To make matters worse, the rain began to pour. All I could do was huddle under my rain cape and wait. After midnight the tide began to turn, the rain eased off and the waters calmed down. Using my handkerchief, I patched up the holes in the canoe and paddled back to the ferryman’s house. I finally arrived home about 2:00 a.m. When I received strong counsel to the effect that pioneers should not take unnecessary risks, I needed no persuasion to accept it.”

Later, other pioneers, such as Glenn Finlay, joined in developing the work in that area. Three congregations now function around Kerema Bay, and these were hosts to well over 400 persons attending the  “Divine Sovereignty” District Assembly there in late 1975. Among these were other people of the Gulf Province, including representatives from five congregations in the Toaripi-speaking area. How were these five congregations established?

Well, about the time that Brother Smith was assigned to Kerema, Stephen Blundy and Allen Hosking received an assignment to Savaiviri, a village about forty miles (64 kilometers) further east. How had that assignment come about? Earlier, in Port Moresby, Brother Blundy had found some Toaripi-speaking people from the Moveave area of the Gulf of Papua. He recalls: “They had come to Moresby to sell sago and reed mats and were now waiting to board a ship to return to their village [Savaiviri]. I arranged a study the very next day and after that I studied with them almost every day until they returned to their village.”

After that, Brother Blundy continued to study by mail with one of the group, a certain Miviri, whose face had been deformed by the disease yaws. Miviri was respected among his people, and sent a list of names of interested persons.

Finally, Brother Blundy wrote to the Society, and before long he and Brother Hosking were aboard a boat heading for Savaiviri. Commenting on their arrival, Brother Blundy says:

“Miviri ran over to greet us. He took us to his house where we had a cup of the strongest tea I have ever tasted. We had a tent with us and many willing hands quickly erected it under the shade of a big mango tree.

“It wasn’t long before we realized that our new home was in the middle of a large swamp. It was the delta area for two of the largest rivers in Papua, the Lakekamu and the Tauri, and the area proved to be a haven for crocodiles and mosquitoes!

“Right from the start it seemed that it was Jehovah’s will that the good news be proclaimed to the Toaripi people. The number of our Bible studies grew quickly until we were conducting as many as twenty each.”

Even in Port Moresby film showings were a rarity to many in the mid-1950’s. So, imagine how much more unusual it would be to see them in villages located on deltas and rivers some 120 miles (190 kilometers) to the west during the early 1960’s! Little wonder, then, that 800 excited people turned out at Moveave in 1962 to see the Watch Tower Society’s motion picture “Divine Will International Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” And over 1,000 at Kukipi on the coast clicked their tongues and uttered exclamations of surprise while viewing the same film.

 When Brother Hosking got married, his wife was able to aid many of the womenfolk in the vicinity. What joy it now brings these ones to look back and see how Jehovah blessed the work so that now a number of Christian congregations function in the area and some of the young ones from there are pioneers in other places!

CHRISTIAN PROSPERITY DESPITE OPPOSITION

On May 25, 1960, the government officially registered the International Bible Students Association. This had the effect of putting our work on a much more solid basis. For instance, through this registration we were able to apply to the government for land on which to build Kingdom Halls. An even greater step in ensuring that the organization would be recognized by the Independent State of Papua New Guinea, formed in September of 1975, was the timely incorporation of the International Bible Students Association of Papua New Guinea Incorporated, in May of that year.

At the close of the service year in August 1960 there were 440 publishers in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. With this fine growth in activity, it was thought advisable to establish a branch office of the Watch Tower Society in Papua. Brother John A. Cutforth, who had spent most of his fifty-seven years in association with God’s people, was appointed as the first branch overseer. The Papua branch was to look after our work in Papua, Manus Island, New Britain, New Guinea, New Ireland and the Solomon Islands.

Preparations for getting the new branch office into operation were interrupted when adverse publicity arose over the distribution by the brothers of a pamphlet dealing with the question of blood transfusion. Considerable opposition flared up. For instance, the administrator and the commissioner of police were opposed to the distribution of the pamphlet. And on August 30, 1960, the South Pacific Post carried the headline “Churches Angry on Blood Question.” In the accompanying article church leaders struck out against Jehovah’s Witnesses for their stand on blood, and they also used the occasion as an opportunity to condemn us for our Christian neutrality.

Brothers Cutforth, Fielder and Arthur Morris called on both the administrator and the commissioner of police with a view to explaining our position. But these brothers were not well received. News releases were provided for the radio and newspapers, but we relied mostly on door-to-door contacts with the people to counteract the attacks made upon us.

 As matters developed, Brother Cutforth was finally able to get everything organized and the branch office started operating on September 1, 1960. Incidentally, it then was housed in a room at the home of Brother Jim Dobbins at Port Moresby.

So, Christian progress was being made despite opposition. Why, in 1961 foes even went to the extreme of saying that we took advantage of a solar eclipse to frighten people! And during March of 1962 enemies of the good news got busy again seeking to work up public opinion against our activities. According to the South Pacific Post, the Port Moresby subbranch of the Returned Servicemen’s League made a motion stating: “That Congress deplores the activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, bordering on sedition, and recommends that at the earliest opportunity the sect be evicted from the Territory.” The Goroka subbranch of the same organization was quoted as stating that if reports of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ activities could be proved, “steps should be taken to have the sect banned.” Of course, the charges were false and members of this opposing organization must have been quite frustrated to read this headline in the South Pacific Post of March 27, 1962: “Hasluck ‘No’ to Sect Ban.” In the article under that headline the newspaper stated: “Territories’ Minister Mr. Paul Hasluck today rejected an RSL request to ban Jehovah s Witnesses in the Territory.” It further quoted him as saying: “I have not had any convincing evidence that activities of the Jehovah’s Witnesses are a security risk . . . There is no clear ground to justify banning of the sect.”

INTO THE HIGHLANDS

In May of 1962 the branch office was transferred to the fine new home that Brother Kitto had built in Port Moresby. It had been vacated when Tom and Rowena Kitto moved to the highlands of Papua New Guinea to serve where the need was greater. Brother and Sister Kitto headed for Wabag, in the very heart of the highlands.

As Tom and Rowena Kitto traveled, both of them were stricken with malaria. Arriving at Mt. Hagen, they still had another 70 miles (110 kilometers) to travel before reaching Wabag. During the night both of them became ill, but Tom got worse and was unconscious by morning. A doctor was summoned and said that Tom should not move on for two weeks. Finally, however, the Kittos traveled on to Wabag.

Despite hardships, the Kittos had come to Wabag to share the good news of the Kingdom with others. Later, they were blessed when a congregation was  formed there. The Kittos have found that all through the years they have had to “fight” against false religion and demonism. But some people wanted to learn and do Jehovah’s will. So they still press on declaring the good news there.

Due to interest even farther up the road, a Kingdom Hall has been built on a site at the head of a beautiful valley at an elevation of about 8,000 feet (2,400 meters). A special pioneer, Brother Michael Saunga, who is assigned to the Wabag Congregation, helps Brother Kitto in caring for those showing interest there.

Other fine work has been done by many brothers and sisters in establishing congregations at Asaro, Banz, Baiyer River, Goroka, Kainantu, Kundiawa, Mendi and Mr. Hagen in the highlands. We cannot relate all the details here due to insufficient space. However, we will mention a few of the highlights.

Because of the fine efforts of Sister Elsie Horsburgh in witnessing to two young soldiers in Port Moresby, the foundation was laid for a congregation to be established at Asaro in the Eastern Highlands. This is the home of the famed “Mudmen” of Papua New Guinea, so named because of their mud masks.

After much resistance on the part of superior officers, these two young men received discharges, progressed to the point of baptism and, in mid-1970, were assigned as special pioneers to the Asaro area. This was the home of one of the young men, Gunure Ummaba. Quickly a Kingdom Hall was built and, after just three months, the circuit overseer reported that three new publishers were reporting field service and that twenty-one persons attended his public talk. Recently, a larger hall was constructed, one suitable for conventions.

Two other lovely Kingdom Halls also were erected in recent years at Goroka and Kainantu, with the Beyer, Bennett, Gosson, Kowitz, Linke and Colbran families all having a large share in such construction. Early in 1977, everyone in the highlands was delighted to have their first Melanesian-Pidgin district assembly in the area, with 267 attending and six getting baptized. So, our work is moving ahead in the interior.

OPPOSITION DOES NOT DETER US

During 1964, 261 Kingdom proclaimers were sharing in field service in New Guinea. The increased activity of the Witnesses did not escape the notice of those opposed to the truth. So, late in the year these opposers tried to stop us from offering our magazines on the streets in Wewak. The police inspector there  made a charge against two local brothers of interrupting the free passage of persons on the public road. When the case came up for a hearing, the inspector did not appear, but sent the local sub-inspector in his place. As the proceedings commenced, he was so unprepared that the magistrate took over from him and questioned those who were appearing for the prosecution. All three were policemen, and all admitted that those charged had not interrupted their free passage. The magistrate obviously was annoyed and brought the proceedings to an end by saying: “I cannot understand why the inspector brought this case before the court. Case dismissed.”

However, the inspector persisted in his efforts to stop our work. In February of 1965, as the brothers were witnessing from house to house in Wewak, they called on a group of houses where married members of the police force were living. In the course of their witnessing, they were told by a police constable that they were not to preach to the people in those houses, as the inspector had forbidden them to have anything to do with Jehovah’s Witnesses. He told Brother Otto Eberhardt that he should go to see the inspector. As Brother Eberhardt was getting the publishers together in order to do that, the inspector appeared and told them: “I will charge you with being unlawfully on these premises.” Brother Eberhardt and Sister Edith Teynor later received a summons ordering them to appear in court on February 17, 1965, to answer charges that they had been found in an enclosed yard without lawful excuse.

We found that since the defendants had been charged under a criminal section of the law, in order to be acquitted all that was necessary was to show that they had no criminal intent. Evidently the police had not thought of this, for in all their comments in court they insisted that the point at issue was that we had not obtained the permission of the inspector to go into the police quarters. In his final statement to the court, the inspector said: “I don’t say the activity of the defendants was criminal.” It was not until the brothers had made their final statement, citing legal precedents, that the police realized that they had knocked the basis out of their whole case by affirming that the brothers’ presence on the property was lawful and not criminal. Later, on May 28, 1965, the judge delivered his finding of “Not guilty.” Since then we have had no problems with the authorities with regard to our house-to-house witnessing work. We certainly thank Jehovah for this fine victory, and it has been very encouraging to the brothers and sisters.

 FLAG SALUTE ISSUE

Early in 1966, seven children of local Witnesses were told by their teacher at the Milford Haven Primary School that they would be tested as to whether or not they would salute the flag. On Monday morning, before an assembled group of about 300 students, they were asked to salute and told that if they did not do so their names would be struck off the register and they would be expelled. None of the children saluted and no action was taken. But they were informed that they would be tested again on the following morning. The same thing took place and again the children refused to salute. But this time they were taken away from the group and expelled from school. All of this took place because these children were determined to ascribe salvation to Jehovah and adhere to his Word. (Ex. 20:4-6; Ps. 3:8) It might be added that exemption from these ceremonies had been requested in writing by the parents of the children, but this had been refused by the teacher under the orders of her superior.

R. L. Stevens, the presiding overseer of the Lae Congregation, spoke with this superior, but he was adamant in his position that any child who refused to salute the flag in the schools under his jurisdiction would be expelled.

Brother Stevens then wrote to the Education Department to get help in the situation. Three weeks later, on March 18 and 19, 1966, Brother Stevens appealed to Mr. Niall, the local member of the House of Assembly, and to the Department of Territories in Canberra, Australia, forwarding copies of the information concerning the matter to the United Nations.

On March 23 the school authorities received a direct telephone call from the Administrator of Papua New Guinea advising them that the children should be returned to school immediately. On March 26 Brother Stevens received the following cable from Paul Hasluck, Australian Minister of Territories: “I refer your cable of 19th March. Am informed children already reinstated.” So it was that high-level concern for the rights of these children on the part of the Australian government and the local House of Assembly contributed to this victory for freedom of worship.

It might be mentioned that a fine provision was made in the 1970 Education Ordinance of Papua New Guinea. It was specified that no school can “exclude a child solely on the ground of religious or doctrinal affiliation.” (Part II, Division 1, Section 7, Subsection 3, a and b) Certain authorities have quoted this in connection with the religious feeling of Jehovah’s Witnesses  toward the saluting of flags. Few teachers make an issue of the flag salute these days. Another benefit that has been derived from this provision is that since 1970 Jehovah’s Witnesses have been given the same opportunity as other religions to conduct religious instruction periods for their children during the allotted school times.

Fine potential still exists among the one and a half million inhabitants of the mountains and northern part of the Papua New Guinea mainland. This is shown by the fact that 1,588 attended the Memorial and a peak of 459 publishers were active in 1977. As the brothers have conducted over 400 Bible studies in New Guinea, we look forward to continued increase in this field in the future.

MANUS ISLAND, BALUAN AND THE NORTH SOLOMONS

Through the years we have endeavored to reach outlying islands with the Kingdom message. For instance, during 1958 Liston Carnie opened up our work on Manus Island, the largest of the Admiralty group. When witnessing in some villages, at times he had as many as 75 persons listening to one of his Bible discussions. Later, he and Brother Lon Bauman built there one of the loveliest Kingdom Halls in all our branch territory. So well kept was the garden that one year the congregation was awarded the prize for the best institutional garden!

Brother Carnie also declared the good news on Baluan, a neighboring island. During the past service year, there were eight Kingdom publishers sharing in witnessing on Manus Island. Other brothers have moved elsewhere.

Bougainville was an island on which no witnessing had yet been done when Alan McRae and his family moved there back in 1969. Others later moved to copper-rich Bougainville to serve where the need was greater, and today over 50 publishers are declaring the good news in two congregations on that island and in one congregation on the adjacent island of Buka, both islands now being known as the North Solomons.

LITERATURE IN THE VERNACULAR LANGUAGES

As our activities have increased, so have our efforts to provide Christian literature in the tongues of the local people. In that regard, one fine step forward was made in April 1958 with the publication of the first issue of The Watchtower in Motu. Of course, it would be impossible to produce literature in the more than 700 languages and dialects spoken here. So, the  Society has concentrated on translating its literature into the two trade languages, Hiri Motu and Melanesian-Pidgin. And an excellent provision, first received in 1970, was The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, published in both Hiri Motu and Melanesian-Pidgin editions.

A TIME FOR FURTHER EXPANSION

Besides increased literature production, we have seen other expansion. During October of 1962 the Society made its first application for land on which to build a Kingdom Hall. This was at Koki in Port Moresby. The first application was refused. When the second application was made the Land Board recommended that we be granted the lease. However, the Administrator’s Advisory Council caused the recommendation to be deferred for further consideration. The then director of lands, Mr. D. E. Macinnis, established the fact that the Australian government recognized Jehovah’s Witnesses as a Christian religion. He then presented this information to the Advisory Council, and on November 27, 1963, we learned that the application for land had been approved. We feel that the presentation of the information prepared by Mr. Macinnis has gone a long way in ensuring continued freedom for us to declare the good news in this land.

In January of 1964 the Papuan branch enjoyed a zone visit by Clyde Canty of New Zealand. Brother Canty recommended that a branch office and missionary home be built in conjunction with the Kingdom Hall that the brothers proposed to erect at Koki. This recommendation was approved and, in October 1964, work commenced on a fine two-story building to house the branch office and a Kingdom Hall. In January 1965, Brother N. H. Knorr visited us and was able to check on the progress being made on the new branch building. During this visit, Brother Knorr suggested that Brother Cutforth spend more time in the field as the first full-time district overseer. Accordingly, beginning in April of 1965, Brother Charles Isbill assumed responsibility for the work being done in the islands under this branch’s jurisdiction.

Early in 1972, Brothers N. H. Knorr and M. H. Larson visited Papua New Guinea. They were able to see what was being done in the construction work at the branch and to suggest some changes. At that time Brother James E. Smith was appointed as branch overseer to relieve Brother Isbill, who had returned to the United States due to sickness. Later, in August 1972, when the “Divine Rulership” District Assembly  was held in Port Moresby, some 150 visitors expressed appreciation as they inspected the additions that had been made to the branch structure and realized that this was tangible evidence of Jehovah’s blessing on the expansion of the preaching and disciple-making work.

As the Kingdom work has made advancement through the years, the work at the branch office has also increased. For instance, the year 1976 saw a peak of 731 publishers in Papua, a 17.5-percent increase over the previous year’s average. The branch building had been partly remodeled by that time and a new office and printing room had been completed, nicely blending into the existing structure. Nine persons now serve at the branch building, caring for office, shipping, printing, translating and other duties. At the present time a branch committee shares the responsibility of caring for the activities of the Papua New Guinea branch office.

It was also during the year 1976 that Jehovah’s people in Port Moresby completed and dedicated a fine Assembly Hall. On one occasion during that year, 600 persons were accommodated at a circuit assembly there. Inasmuch as sections of the walls of this building are on hinges, they can be opened like large doors to accommodate even larger crowds. In this way, 983 were able to attend a district assembly held there recently.

A GLANCE AT THE KINGDOM MINISTRY SCHOOL

As in other lands, the Kingdom Ministry School functions here for the purpose of training Christian overseers. Through the years, classes have been held under varying circumstances. For example, back in 1961 a certain class was conducted beneath a thatched  palm roof in an open area. One day a written review was temporarily interrupted by a “visitor.” You can just imagine the surprise of the brothers as a poisonous snake threaded its way around their feet as they were seated at a table! One of the brothers spotted the creature and raised an alarm, but with self-control all continued to sit quietly. Perhaps realizing that it had been seen, the snake headed for the bush with practically the whole class after it!

In a way, the Kingdom Ministry School is a good indicator of the theocratic progress we have made in Papua New Guinea. For instance, consider the classes of the school that were held during a period in 1974 and 1975. In all, 193 brothers participated in the course, 129 in Papua New Guinea and 64 in the Solomon Islands. How wonderful it is to see so many local brothers qualified to attend this school for overseers!

SPIRITUALLY REWARDING ASSEMBLIES

As we look back over the years, we recall many Christian assemblies, some of them real milestones in theocratic progress. The first international assembly ever held in Papua New Guinea took place in 1969. Let us tell you a little about it.

There were no stadiums or buildings capable of handling the expected attendance of about 1,000. So, a site was chosen in the bush country about fourteen miles (23 kilometers) from Port Moresby. It was just an open, grassy area, and we had to construct thirty-six buildings to house everything required at the assembly. Twelve accommodation blocks had to be prepared to house over 1,000 persons expected to live right on the assembly grounds. Water had to be provided for drinking and bathing. Meals had to be furnished, and we supplied electricity as a means of lighting. About five full months were spent in the preparation for this assembly. Was it worth it? Indeed it was!

Brother F. W. Franz, from the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, visited Papua New Guinea for the first time in that year. And the attendance exceeded expectations, with 1,116 persons in the attentive audience that heard his public talk “The Approaching Peace of a Thousand Years.” Seventy persons symbolized their dedication to Jehovah by water baptism at that assembly. Even though some years have gone by since then, the brothers still think and talk about that wonderful spiritual event.

Interestingly, in January of 1977, Brother M. G.  Henschel, from the Society’s headquarters in Brooklyn, visited Papua New Guinea for the first time. Over 1,100 attended his talk at the stadium and later 1,000 viewed slides he showed at the Assembly Hall. How amazing to think that this crowd of brothers and interested people just from in and around Port Moresby was equal to the crowd that attended the international assembly just seven years earlier!

Among the notable conventions held in the islands were the national assembly in Port Moresby and the district assembly in the Solomon Islands during 1973. At these two gatherings a total of 96 persons presented themselves for baptism. Considering the “mountainous” transportation problems, the combined attendance of 3,500 for the public talk was thrilling indeed. One group of about a dozen persons, including a mother, father and two small children, walked about 150 miles (240 kilometers) across the backbone of Papua New Guinea to get to the assembly. They passed 13,000-foot (4,000-meter) Mount Victoria and walked the historic “Kokoda Trail” on the way to Port Moresby.

At the assembly in Port Moresby, history was made as far as this branch office was concerned. Three audiences heard the dramas in their own languages. One set of actors performed according to the English tape recordings. However, the appropriate voices for each character could be heard simultaneously in Hiri Motu and Melanesian-Pidgin. So, viewing the dramas from each language section, it appeared as if the actors were acting out one’s own language!

STILL REACHING OUT

The 1970’s have found us still reaching out with the Kingdom message. Though we cannot tell you about all the hard work and earnest efforts put forth by our many brothers and sisters who have been declaring the good news here, please permit us to tell you about certain recent developments.

Several years ago, Karapa, a Papuan brother, was assigned by the government to work in the Western Province of Papua New Guinea. Because he took advantage of every opportunity to give a witness, there are now true Christians in the heart of Papua New Guinea at Ningerum, in the foothills of the Star Mountains. Also, there is a flourishing congregation on Lake Murray, near the Indonesian border on the mighty Fly River in what is reputed to be the largest swamp in the world! Most of these people were illiterate. However, due to the fine efforts of Brother  and Sister Soostmeyer, many of them are learning to read and write, and there are twenty-eight Kingdom publishers in the congregation at Buseki, Lake Murray. Twenty have been baptized in the last couple of years. Incidentally, the nearest congregation is some 250 miles (400 kilometers) away and the only outsiders the Witnesses of this remote area see in a year are perhaps the district and circuit overseers.

Some time ago the congregation went witnessing in isolated territory. Brother Siegmar Soostmeyer reported, in part: “It took us nine hours to get to this village where Pari and Supe people live. Once they were cannibals. This village was 65 miles [105 kilometers] down the Kaim River. This river was full of fish. We saw ‘pukpuks’ [crocodiles] and plenty of birds of all kinds. It was a terrific trip.”

There were seven Witnesses in the canoe, and they were delighted to share the good news with the local residents. Brother Soostmeyer remarked: “The Buseki brothers and sisters were so enthusiastic that it was a pleasure to see each of them witnessing to someone.”

We would also like to take you back to the year 1972 and to the eastern end of Papua New Guinea, where the island tapers off like a crocodile’s tail. That province, including surrounding islands, has a population of more than 100,000, many of whom love the Bible. In fact, a number of tribes have the complete Bible in their own language. Some of these translations contain vernacular forms of the divine name, such as “Iehova” and “Ieova.”

Two small congregations began functioning in that area in 1972. And during 1975 Brother Burt Stanford, a circuit overseer, visited the area. Leaving his wife behind in one of the coastal villages, Brother Stanford walked about six hours to reach a group of interested persons. The weather was fine, although the river was running fast and had to be crossed twelve times! The track went through rugged and dangerous terrain. But was the trip worth it? Well, judge for yourself.

Reports Brother Stanford: “We received a warm welcome up there. They were happy to see us. I was surprised and happy to see the fine Kingdom Hall/​pioneer home they had built. Each week they had a Gima Kohorona [Hiri Motu Watchtower] study, which a young man was conducting to the best of his ability. On Tuesday morning we had a group study and I gave a public talk to an audience of 84.”

Apparently this young lad, who had been associating with the congregation in Port Moresby for a while  in 1971, also taught that group quite a few of our songs, which they sang well in the Hiri Motu language. The circuit overseer commented: “I was amazed, at the opening of the study and public talk, when they all burst into Kingdom song loud and clear. At times it seemed like . . . those illustrations in The Watchtower of groups of people singing in paradise.”

Since 1976 special pioneers have been working in this rugged mountain assignment. By early 1977 twenty Kingdom publishers were sharing in witnessing and over a hundred were attending the meetings of the Govigovi Congregation. This activity has angered the local Anglicans, and, on Saturday, February 5, 1977, a mob of decorated warriors brandishing spears and other weapons stormed this Witness village. They struck a number of brothers and interested persons, including women, wounding them and drawing blood in a number of instances. The Kingdom Hall was razed to the ground by fire. Imagine the feeling that descended on the group!

The next day, all the Witnesses held their meeting at the desolate site where the Kingdom Hall had stood. When the time came for singing the first song, all that could be heard was the music coming from the record player, along with the sound of sobbing from all those in the audience. Even the conductor could not contain himself. Throughout the study, he and others sobbed intermittently. After a prayer, all returned to their homes and slept, or tried to do so.

However, Brother Agi Geno, one of the special pioneers, could not sleep. Concerned that there was no hall, although their village was to be the site of the forthcoming circuit assembly, he called everyone together and asked what they thought about building another Kingdom Hall. All replied that they were willing to start work the next day!

With that, this former carpenter organized men, women and children to gather timber, grass for the roof and bamboo for the walls. Just two weeks after the former hall was burned down, a bigger and better one stood in its place, to the praise of Jehovah and to the amazement of all passersby, including opposers!

The planned circuit assembly was held in this hall just prior to the Memorial, with 185 in attendance and 17 being baptized. As a sequel, 138 attended the Memorial. All of Jehovah’s people associated with the Govigovi Congregation are determined to continue their disciple-making work in spite of opposition.

As we kept reaching out with the Kingdom-preaching  work, we enjoyed further expansion in yet another part of this Milne Bay Province in 1975. In that year, Brother Mainaki Tokwaimai, an elder, and his wife, Gwen, moved to their home on the tiny island of Vakuta. It is situated about 100 miles (160 kilometers) north of the eastern tip of Papua New Guinea, and is one of the group of islands known as the Trobriands. A year passed and the branch office had received little correspondence from them. How were they faring spiritually? The circuit overseer, Brother Stanford, found them “in good health spiritually.” Brother and Sister Tokwaimai had been rejected by some of their relatives. But they were taking advantage of their opportunities to tell others the good news. On that occasion we received all their reports for that year’s activity at the one time!

PLENTY OF WORK AHEAD!

How the work of announcing God’s kingdom has progressed in this part of the world since 1951! In earlier years, brothers and sisters came from Australia, Canada, America, Germany, England and New Zealand to serve here. These brothers had to carry the main load of responsibility as overseers. Now, however, in the 128 congregations and isolated groups, there are 226 elders and 218 ministerial servants, most of whom are local brothers. In fact, a number of local brothers have been appointed as circuit overseers.

In retrospect, we are moved to express gratitude to Jehovah for the way he has blessed the Kingdom work in the Solomon Islands and on the Papua New Guinea mainland and its islands of Manus, New Britain, New Ireland and the North Solomons. Just think! From only two publishers in 1951, our ranks have grown to a peak of 2,096 Kingdom proclaimers in the 1977 service year. Due to their fine efforts and Jehovah’s blessing, 7,491 gathered for the Memorial in 1977.

There is still plenty of work to do. (1 Cor. 15:58) As late as 1971​—just six years ago—​almost 90 percent of the population here had not received a witness. While the situation has improved greatly since then, with probably over 1,500,000 having been reached with the good news in some measure, we still have much to do. Perhaps as many as 1,300,000 persons, or 46 percent of the 2,850,408 inhabitants, still need to be reached with the good news. Hence, we intend to keep busy in our work of aiding inhabitants of these many islands to “rejoice” at the news that “Jehovah himself has become king!”​—Ps. 97:1.

[Picture on page 53]

John Cutforth teaching Bible truths by pictograph

[Picture on page 72]

Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses at Port Moresby