Paraguay

IN THE heart of South America is the landlocked country of Paraguay. What does that name mean? Opinions differ, but a common local view is that it means “river that originates in the sea.” Indians in the area believed that certain ponds in the Brazilian swamps, where the Paraguay River originates, were as extensive as a sea. The Paraguay River, which runs through the land from north to south, bisects the country. To the east of the river lie rolling hills, fertile fields with red soil, and thick forests. To the west is the Chaco, with sparse population in an area of coarse grass, scrub forest, and vast swamps inhabited by swarms of insects and a great variety of colorful tropical birds.

Paraguay is a land where modern technology contrasts with the simpler way of life of those who work the land. Jet airplanes and communications satellites have opened the door to the world’s knowledge. High-rise buildings define the skyline of Asunción, the capital. Along the eastern border of the country, on the Paraná River, is located Itaipu, a hydroelectric plant with a power capacity unequaled by any other such plant in the world.

You may think of the country as being Spanish, but it was not always so, nor is it altogether so today. The early inhabitants were the Guarani Indians. In about 1520, Portuguese explorers under the  leadership of Alejo García were the first whites to enter the land. During the following decade, the Spaniards began to establish themselves in the area of what is now Asunción. The country remained subject to Spain until 1811, but the Guarani language was never replaced by that of the conquistadores. As a result Guarani, a beautiful language with melodious qualities, is the mother tongue spoken by the majority in modern-day Paraguay, and it occupies a place, along with Spanish, as one of the official languages.

A few decades after the arrival of European explorers, the Jesuits came to convert the Guarani to Roman Catholicism. At that time the Guarani had no images or temples. But the Jesuits gathered the Indians into communal settlements where they taught them Catholic rites and hymns while also teaching them trades and skills. The Jesuits used some of the proceeds of the Indians’ labor to provide them with basic necessities of life, but they also used the arrangement to gain wealth and power. Many Spanish landowners envied this. They complained to the Spanish king, Charles III, about the growing power of the Jesuits. This complaint, not from the Guarani, but from Catholic colonists was a major factor leading to Spain’s expulsion of the Jesuits from the empire in 1767. But the Catholicism that they had taught maintained its hold on the lives of the people. They adopted the outward forms of Catholicism while, in many cases, they also clung to some native beliefs. This encouraged an atmosphere in which superstition could thrive. With their acceptance of Catholicism, the powerful influence of the Catholic clergy also came into their lives.

That religious heritage did not bring peace to the land. Warfare has profoundly affected the history of Paraguay, leaving deep scars on the lives of the people. From 1864 until 1870, under Francisco Solano López, Paraguay fought against  Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay. The results were disastrous. According to available records, the country’s population at the beginning of the war was possibly a million or more. At the end it was said to be about 220,000, of whom at least 190,000 were women and children. Other wars followed; one involved a dispute with Bolivia over ownership of the Chaco, and others were due to political unrest. Perhaps it should come as no surprise, therefore, that in Paraguay those who wanted power over others frequently resorted to physical force to achieve their aims.

It was to this land that the good news of Jehovah’s Kingdom was delivered, first by Bible tracts sent through the mail before 1914 and then personally in 1925 and thereafter. Thus water from another river, not the Paraguay River or the Paraná but “a river of water of life,” began to become available here as it has throughout the earth.—Rev. 22:1.

Arrival of Kingdom Truth

Juan Muñiz was requested by J. F. Rutherford, then president of the Watch Tower Society, to move from Spain to  Argentina to organize and expand the preaching of the good news in that part of the earth. He arrived in Buenos Aires on September 12, 1924, and not long after that, he personally traveled into Uruguay and also into Paraguay to spread the Kingdom message. Seeds of Bible truth were sown, but little progress was made.

In 1932, Paraguay became involved in another war, this time with Bolivia. Once again the manpower of the nation was decimated. There were adverse effects on the country’s economy and on the security of those who might come from abroad with the good news of the Kingdom. Nevertheless, with full-scale war in process, in 1934 the Argentina branch sent three of Jehovah’s Witnesses into Paraguay to invite honesthearted ones there to drink freely from “life’s water.” These were Brothers Martonfi, Koros, and Rebacz.—Rev. 22:17.

Heated Opposition From the Clergy

“In October of that year,” wrote Brother Rebacz, “we were ready to leave for the interior. We had two boxes of literature and a suitcase each. We traveled from Asunción to Paraguarí by train and from there, because of a lack of transportation, on foot to our first objective, Carapeguá, some 30 kilometers [20 miles] away. That night we slept on the ground, with the literature at our heads. When we started to witness the next day, the village priest visited the people telling them not to listen to us. Then he and a companion went by horseback to the neighboring village to tell the people there not to listen to us and to throw us out of town, which some of them tried to do.”

With this pressure from the priest, placements of Bible literature were few, and even some of this was returned. From Carapeguá the Witnesses walked from one town or village to  the next—to Quiindy, Caapucú, Villa Florida, and San Miguel. To reach San Juan Bautista, they walked all day, kept on walking until midnight, slept in a field, and then continued on their way early the next morning. Arriving in town, they first visited the police to explain what they were doing. These men received the Witnesses with respect. Then the brothers spent a full day in the public ministry.

However, the next morning when Brother Martonfi stepped outside the hut they had rented, a surprise awaited him. He called out to Brother Rebacz, who was still inside: “Today we have something new.” The literature that they had placed the day before had been torn to pieces and spread around their hut. On some of the pieces, insults and filthy expressions had been written, as well as threats that they were not going to leave town alive.

While they were eating breakfast, the police arrived and put them under arrest. What had brought about the change? Brother Rebacz later reported: “When we asked the reason, they showed us a newspaper in which we were accused of being Bolivian spies masquerading as evangelists. The director of the newspaper was the leading priest of the district.”

The Return to Asunción

The two Witnesses were sent to Asunción as prisoners. It was a long trip on foot. As they traveled from one police station to the next, they were always accompanied by an armed guard. Along the road some people called out insults and threw debris at them. But the police treated the brothers respectfully, even saying that the charge of spying was ridiculous. At times the mounted police carried the brothers’ luggage. One even let Brother Martonfi ride his horse, while he walked and listened to what Brother Rebacz was telling him about God’s Kingdom.

 In Quiindy, however, when the brothers were turned over to the army, the treatment became harsh. For 14 days they were kept in the guardhouse, ordered to sit on straight wooden chairs, forbidden to lie down or to stand up, insulted, and hit with a horsewhip. Later, in Paraguarí, they were taken to the train station in handcuffs under a guard of 12 soldiers with bayonets. There they were again turned over to the police for the remainder of the trip to Asunción.

The conditions under which they were imprisoned in the capital were also harsh, but they used the Bible that they still had in their possession and gave a witness to the other prisoners. After a week of detention in the capital, they were finally taken to the office of the chief of police. The minister of interior, Colonel Rivarola, was also present. (Later it was learned that when Colonel Rivarola had been apprised of the charges made against our brothers in the newspaper in San Juan Bautista, he dispatched telegrams to the military chiefs to make sure that the brothers were returned to the capital alive.) “Both men expressed regret over what had occurred,” said Brother Rebacz. “They stated that, although this was a Catholic land, there was freedom of religion and that we were authorized to continue preaching from house to house as we had done but that for our own security, we should not leave the capital city.”

When Brother Muñiz in Buenos Aires heard of the experience, he sent instructions for the brothers to return to Argentina until the end of the war. That came the following year. However, Brother Koros, who had not been with the two who were arrested, remained in Asunción.

Firstfruits of Paraguay

At about this time, one of the pioneers met a man who asked him for literature in Arabic for his father-in-law, an immigrant  from Lebanon. In this way, Julián Hadad received a book that he came to treasure. Convinced that he had found the truth, he began teaching it to his children. He also wrote to the Society to request literature that he could distribute to his neighbors. A few years later, a pioneer found Julián in San Juan Nepomuceno and provided further spiritual assistance. In 1940, the Hadads were baptized and became the first local baptized publishers in Paraguay. Since then Julián, one son, and several grandchildren have had the joy of participating in the pioneer service, Julián continuing to do so until shortly before his death, at the age of 77.

Meanwhile, the Chaco War had caused Juan José Brizuela to do some serious thinking about life. He had been wounded and taken prisoner by the Bolivians. As a prisoner of war, he had seen widows weeping for their fatherless children, and he had observed Catholic priests blessing Bolivian soldiers. He recalled that, as Paraguayan soldiers, he and others had received a similar blessing. He thought: “There must be something wrong. If God exists, this cannot be. But if God does exist, I’m going to look for him until I find him.”

 After the war, Julián Hadad met Juan José in Carmen del Paraná. From the Bible, Julián helped him find satisfying answers to his questions. As the apostle Paul said long ago, God has made it possible for humans who “grope for him” to “really find him.” (Acts 17:27) Soon Juan José realized that he had found the true God, Jehovah. (Deut. 4:35; Ps. 83:18) He got baptized in 1945; and his wife, Jóvita, in 1946.

Meanwhile, Bible truths were being discussed also at a vegetable stand in a market in San Lorenzo. It was not one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who was preaching there but simply a woman who had shown interest in what they were teaching. Sebastiana Vazquez, though illiterate, listened with interest. In order to progress spiritually, she learned how to read, and in 1942 she got baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Tests of Faith for a Small Group

The first congregation, or company as it was known then, was organized in Paraguay in 1939. There were just two publishers,  but they were zealous evangelizers. They reported a total of 847 hours of field service and placed 1,740 books and booklets during that service year. They held meetings in a private home located on what is now called Gaspar Rodríguez de Francia Avenue (formerly Amambay) between Antequera and Tacuarí streets in Asunción. Only five or six persons came to those meetings in a room measuring about 12 feet by 12 feet. This location served well until 1944.

The following year the brothers began to use two electric transcription machines to broadcast recordings of short talks about various Bible topics. The clergy became so furious that they petitioned the government to prohibit all further activity by Jehovah’s Witnesses. But the Witnesses continued. It is evident that the clear, Scriptural discourses on those records were effective. During the next couple of years, good use was made of such recordings in various languages to reach communities of Polish, Russian, German, and Ukrainian immigrants who had settled in the southern part of the country.

The Golasik family, who lived in a Polish and Ukrainian colony near Encarnación, were among the first from this area to accept the truth. Soon Roberto Golasik, equipped with a phonograph and literature, was riding horseback to the various colonies to give a witness. At first, meetings here were held once a month, then twice a month, and later once a week. At times people from five different language groups would be in attendance, but all were slowly getting to know the pure language of Bible truth.—Zeph. 3:9.

Sadly, not all who had a part in giving a witness at that time continued on the narrow road leading to life. The overseer of the Society’s literature depot in Asunción began to advocate personal views. When he defected from Jehovah’s organization, others too forsook Jehovah’s service. The  number of Kingdom proclaimers dropped from 33 in 1943 to 8 in 1944. What now? Jehovah blessed those who showed themselves to be loyal Witnesses, and the organization began to grow once again.—Ps. 37:28.

Missionaries Learn About Local Ways

With loving concern for the welfare of the flock in Paraguay, the branch office in Argentina sent Gwaenydd Hughes to oversee the work. When he was invited to attend the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead in 1945, arrangements were made to send in Ieuan Davies, with his wife, Delia. However, because of a delay in getting needed travel papers for them, Hollis Smith, a graduate of Gilead School, arrived first and was on hand to greet Brother and Sister Davies when they reached Asunción by riverboat late in 1945. A few days later, Albert and Angeline Lang, also graduates of Gilead, arrived by plane. More followed. A home was rented that could accommodate the missionaries and also provide a place for the local congregation to meet. All the missionaries were eager to serve, but of course, they needed to get acquainted with the way of life of the people.

They found that the people were very religious, though lacking in knowledge of the Bible. Each city had its patron “saint,” usually identified with the “Virgin Mary.”

As they came to know the customs of the people, they found many of these appealing. In the marketplace were mounds of fruits and vegetables, with women balancing heavy loads in wide baskets on their heads. In shops there was handmade lace known as nanduti, which is so delicate and fine that it is not unlike a spiderweb. They also quickly observed that people started their work early and that at midday everything closed down for a siesta during the hottest part of  the day. When the missionaries called at the homes of people to share the Kingdom message, they learned to stand at the gate and clap their hands and to enter the yard only after being invited. They could not help feeling the friendliness, simplicity, and warmth of the people. But they also needed to learn to communicate with them in their language—not only Spanish but also Guarani.

In April 1946, shortly after the missionaries came, Brother and Sister Davies were reassigned to Argentina. Pablo Ozorio Reyes, who had been attending meetings for just a few months, was appointed to conduct the Watchtower Study even though he was not yet baptized. Why so soon? Because he could speak the language and had made good spiritual progress. But he faced challenges. Later, Brother Ozorio wrote: “Shortly after my appointment as Watchtower Study conductor, I had to correct a wrong comment that had been given. The one making the comment flew into a rage and challenged me to a fight right then and there. Of course, I refused, and a missionary helped to calm the situation. There is nothing better than a bit of responsibility to help one mature.” Sadly, the one with the explosive temper later forsook Jehovah’s service.

Building Up the Organization

Before the end of 1946, larger facilities were needed for use as a center for theocratic activity. Six more missionaries had arrived—William and Fern Schillinger, with four others. A house with a large yard was rented on Mariscal López Avenue. The building was located directly across from the Ministry of Defense. The large “Kingdom Hall” sign was prominently placed on the front gate so that anybody who had dealings with the military division of the government could not help seeing it.

 On September 1 of that year, the Society established a branch in Paraguay, and the recently rented building provided a place for the branch office. With improved organization, the intensity of the witness given increased, but so did opposition. It seems that the clergy were using the confessional to obtain information and to instill fear so as to deter Catholic mailmen from delivering Watch Tower literature.

In November, Brother Hughes came from Argentina to visit and upbuild the four small congregations that were then functioning. He had been to Gilead School and had attended the international Glad Nations Theocratic Assembly in Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A., where sessions were held in 20 languages and where 80,000 people packed into the stadium on the final day to hear talks. So he had much to share with the brothers. They needed that upbuilding in order to keep on serving in the face of adversity.

In the Midst of Revolution

Early in 1947, revolution broke out. Government forces placed machine guns on the sidewalk in front of the missionary home. After one day of fighting, a measure of stability returned.  Then on March 7, the situation again became serious. There was open warfare on the streets. Martial law was declared. The police headquarters in downtown Asunción was stormed by the rebels.

Anticipating that the main army headquarters would also be attacked, the general in charge requisitioned the missionary home for military use and gave the brothers three days to vacate. On appeal, this time was extended to ten days. In the midst of a revolution and during a time of extreme housing shortage, the brothers found themselves in a campaign of their own: Operation House Hunt. It appears that Jehovah wanted the high authorities of Paraguay to continue to be aware of the presence of his Witnesses. The only suitable house that was available was situated right next to the presidential home, on embassy row.

As to the revolution, in a letter of March 26, 1947, the branch servant wrote: “The situation is getting worse here daily. At this writing there is an airplane overhead several miles off, bombing the airport, I believe. It is being attacked by antiaircraft guns. There are hundreds of soldiers around the president’s home, and the noise from their guns is terrific. The air is blue with gunpowder smoke, and the smell of it is obnoxious. The revolutionary forces are getting very close to the city; we can hear the continual rattle of guns and bombs . . . The food situation is getting worse daily.”

The revolutionary forces reached to within ten blocks of the missionary home before government forces started to drive them back. During all this time, the brothers carried on their witnessing the best they could. The revolution continued for about six months, and it proved to be a real trial, especially for local brothers. The authorities treated them harshly because they were maintaining Christian neutrality.

 Not Failing to Assemble Together

When the revolution was over, the country began to return to normal, and some who had fled to Argentina came back. Plans were made to hold an assembly, the first one in Paraguay, on June 4-6, 1948. But the Devil was busy causing turmoil. On June 3, there was a military coup. The president and his cabinet were taken prisoner. There was great confusion in the capital. What about the assembly?

Attempts to rent a suitable hall had failed, but Jehovah had made another provision. The former missionary home across from the army headquarters was vacant. The owner had agreed to rent it to the brothers for their assembly. This was away from the city center, where the turmoil was. The yard could be used for assembly sessions, and the building could house out-of-town delegates. Those who came greeted one another with handshakes for everyone, in true Paraguayan fashion. Over one hundred were on hand to hear the discourse “The Coming Gladness of All Mankind.” What a timely discourse for people in Paraguay!

Police Held the Mob at Bay

Since Jehovah’s Witnesses first began to carry on their work of Bible education in Paraguay, there has frequently been opposition from the religious clergy. In 1948, in the little town of Yuty, in the southern part of the country, the circuit overseer planned to give a public talk in the small park in the center of town. This was just across from the Catholic church. The local priest urged the people to stop the lecture, declaring that the Witnesses were going to break up the church and take away their religion. Before the discourse was to begin, a large mob formed in front of the church. On seeing Jehovah’s Witnesses—eight of them—in the park across the street, they began shouting: “Away with the Protestants!  Away with the Protestants!” Meanwhile a good-size group of people were waiting to hear the talk but were afraid to enter the park because of the mob.

The police placed a machine gun in front of the mob and said that if anyone crossed the line, they would fire. This held the mob in check until the brothers were able to move safely out of the area. However, they had been advertising the talk all week and were determined to give interested ones an opportunity to hear it. A local Witness offered the use of his home. After the talk had been given once, another group arrived and made it known that they too wanted to hear it; so the circuit overseer gave it twice that day. There in Yuty, the contrasting fruitage of two forms of worship was becoming clearly evident.

Missionaries Faced With Deportation

On an official level, Paraguay has generally maintained a history of religious toleration, even though, down till 1992, the government-approved religion was Roman Catholicism. Difficulty that has been experienced has usually been in the rural areas and at the instigation of the local priests and their fanatic followers. However, early in 1950, there was an official attempt to expel Watch Tower missionaries from the country.

A new law required all immigrants to register with the department of lands and to give proof of their occupation. However, when the missionaries tried to register, they were told that they could not do so because they were really in the country illegally and were therefore subject to arrest. It appears that false reports had been given to the authorities as to the nature of their work.

Some of the officials were sympathetic, but even their efforts and those of the American embassy seemed to come up  against a brick wall. In Latin America it is often not a matter of who you are but whom you know that brings results. In this case the brothers knew a person who was favorable toward them and who happened to work in the president’s office. Through him, they invited the personal secretary of the president to dinner at the missionary home. The invitation was graciously accepted.

This afforded opportunity to discuss the real nature of the work of the missionaries and its benefits to the country. The problem of registration was also discussed, and the president’s secretary was very much interested. As a result, on June 15, 1950, the first of the missionaries was able to register as an immigrant with the legal right to stay in the country to continue the work of Bible education.

A Rough Day in the Rurals

In those days a circuit overseer’s work presented special challenges. These included traveling many hours and, in some cases, enduring violent opposition. Lloyd Gummeson, a graduate of Gilead School, began to serve full-time as a circuit overseer in 1952. After spending time with a congregation to the north of Yuty, he reported what occurred. Nearby territory had recently been worked, so plans were made to witness in a distant town. The group, six brothers and four sisters, left at 4:00 a.m. All of them were on foot except for a sister who had a one-year-old baby. At 11:00 a.m. they arrived in their territory, divided into two groups, and went to work.

‘We had worked just one hour and at 12:00 noon were sitting in a grass-roofed house witnessing to an interested family,’ said Brother Gummeson, ‘when the sheriff and a 16-year-old soldier entered with guns pointed at us. He firmly told the family to give the literature back to us and then ordered  us to go with them to the police station. When we arrived the other publishers were already in the police station. I tried to reason with the sheriff but found that he spoke only Guarani, not Spanish. His eyes red with anger, he ordered all of us out of town and told us never to come back again.

‘After we had walked about a mile, we sat down under a tree to eat lunch. All of a sudden the group got up and started running. I looked around, and there the sheriff and a soldier were coming on horseback with long whips. I thought it would be best if I stayed with the group and so started running also. As I jumped across a brook, I lost my sunglasses. When I stooped to pick them up, there was the sharp crack of a whip as it hit me across the back. Then the sheriff tried to run over me with his horse; but knowing something about horses, I swung my witnessing bag back and forth in front of the horse, and it would not come near me.

‘In the meantime the sheriff had struck three of the other brothers repeatedly with the whip, and then he tried to run over a 70-year-old pioneer sister with his horse. Finally the two turned and went back to town, and we continued on our way. No one was seriously hurt, even though some had dark-red whip marks on their backs. But no one felt any pain. We arrived back at the house at 8:00 p.m.—after 16 hours of walking.’

In spite of such incidents in some smaller towns and villages, the work of Kingdom proclamation continued to prosper.

Following a Change in Government

The year 1954 proved to be a critical one in the political life of the country. The government of Don Federico Chávez was overthrown. On July 11, General Alfredo Stroessner was elected to the presidency. This introduced a period of  military rule that lasted for over 34 years. How did it affect the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

A four-day district convention was arranged for November 25-28 of that year. Paraguay was under martial law, and so a police permit was required if we were to hold a meeting of any kind. Would this present a problem? The brothers had already arranged to rent an auditorium. But when they went to obtain a police permit for the assembly, they were told that they could not hold the convention. Why not? An officer admitted that the priests were putting pressure on them. After many visits and much reasoning by the brothers, they were finally told that although they would not have a permit, the police might look the other way during the convention time. Discreetly, the brothers refrained from advertising the convention with handbills or in the newspapers. All invitations given were by word of mouth. The convention went off without a hitch.

Religious Opposition Continues

The Catholic clergy showed no letup in their efforts to stop Jehovah’s Witnesses. Toward the end of 1955, arrangements were made for a small circuit assembly to be held in Piribebuy, 43 miles [72 km] east of the capital. After dark on the first evening of the assembly, the parish priest led a mob armed with sticks and machetes to break up the meeting. A local schoolteacher intervened, and the mob withdrew to the street. There they spent the evening shouting and throwing rocks and firecrackers.

Religious opposition was again felt on March 1, 1957, in the town of Itá, southeast of the capital. Well in advance of this date, the brothers had made legal arrangements to hold their circuit assembly in this town. Legal permission to hold the assembly had been obtained both from the Itá city authorities  and from the police in the capital. However, as the brothers began arriving in Itá for the assembly, they could see that something was wrong. The city looked like a ghost town. Streets were deserted; windows and doors were closed and shuttered. Why?

The parish priest had vowed that this assembly would not be held and had gone to great lengths to fulfill his vow. He had even arranged for an airplane to scatter thousands of leaflets over the countryside. These contained this message: “Friday, March 1, 1957, at 5:30 p.m. in front of the church there will be a great concentration of all Catholic Christians from the city and districts. . . . At 6:30, an overwhelming manifestation of Catholics in repudiation of ‘Jehovah’s (false) Witnesses.’ The Protestant heretics have no right to have any assembly whatever in Itá.”

When the brothers were informed of priest Ayala’s plans, it was thought best to move the assembly from the relatively open facilities that had been rented to the home of one of the brothers. The home would provide better protection in case of attack.

You can picture the scene. In the home of the brother, some 60 peace-loving Christians had gathered to consider God’s Word. Two blocks away a crowd of more than a thousand, swelling in number by the minute, listened to the priest’s tirade and his incitement to violence.

Not all in the crowd were in accord with the priest’s actions. Solano Gamarra, a second lieutenant of the Paraguayan Air Force, tried to calm down the priest. He also spoke to the priest’s adjutants, but to no avail. So furious was one of Ayala’s fellow priests that he struck the lieutenant a blow and gashed his lip. With this, the crowd like wolves turned on the lieutenant, beating him and inflicting gaping wounds on his  scalp. The mobsters ripped off his shirt and hoisted it on a pole to burn it. Gamarra fled for his life.

Having a taste for blood, the mob now turned toward the assembly, shouting: “Down with Jehovah!” “May Jehovah die!” As they approached the home where the assembly was being held, the light police protection melted away. The brothers barricaded the door of the house from the inside. Some of the mob tried to get into the rear patio through a neighbor’s property, but the neighbor stood his ground and would not let them pass. He had not forgotten that when he was ill, the Witness whose home was now under attack had been very kind to him. Meanwhile, the brothers, with trust in Jehovah, carried on with their meeting as best they could. For safety, they all stayed in the house overnight. The next day, notification from police headquarters in Asunción canceled the permit for the assembly in order to safeguard the Witnesses and because the local police were unable to cope with the mob. A bus was chartered, and the happy, singing  delegates left for the branch-missionary home in Asunción to complete their assembly. They had met a test of faith and were the stronger for it.

Legal Recognition

Following the mob action in Itá, the branch office, in imitation of the course taken by the apostle Paul, took steps to ‘legally establish the good news’ in Paraguay. (Phil. 1:7; Acts 16:35-39) Good results came from this. After all the local legal requirements had been met, on October 14, 1957, the Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society was given recognition as a legal person, authorized to represent Jehovah’s Witnesses in this land. Notification of this was published as a presidential decree in the newspapers. This has proved to be very useful when purchasing needed property, and it has made possible the obtaining of permanent residency for missionaries.

Their First Motion Picture

From 1954 through 1961, the use of motion pictures accomplished much good in acquainting the public with Jehovah’s organization. Arrangements were made to show the Society’s films throughout much of the eastern part of the country. During the five years in which a count was taken, over 70,000 persons were on hand for the showings.

It proved to be quite a venture to transport a generator along with all the other equipment needed to show a film in a rural area. Usually an empty soccer field was chosen as the site. Equipment was set up before dark. Then an announcement was made over the loudspeaker to invite the public. Sometimes vandals threw stones. The size of the audiences varied. In General Artigas, where there was a congregation of fewer than 20 publishers who met five miles [8 km] from town, some 1,300 people saw the film one night! It was not unusual to hear people laugh with glee when the scene changed  during the first moments of the film. After all, in rural areas it was often the first time they were seeing a motion picture.

The films gave the local Witnesses and the public a better idea of the magnitude of the work being done by Jehovah’s Witnesses worldwide.

Missionaries Gave Freely of Themselves

As the publishers grew in number, the missionaries made a concerted effort to help them progress to maturity. The good results were manifest when the missionaries had the privilege of attending the New World Society Assembly in New York City in 1953. While they were away, it was necessary for local brothers to care for the responsibilities of oversight in the Asunción Congregation. New peaks in field service activities were reached. The local brothers did so well that when the missionaries returned, the local brothers were asked to continue to care for the assignments. This freed the missionaries to serve in other places.

There was much for them to do. After Werner Appenzeller had been in the country for about four months and was able to speak at least some Spanish, he was assigned to care for the circuit around Encarnación. Most of the roads were not yet paved. Travel was usually by foot or on horseback. There were just 100 publishers in the entire circuit, but encouragement and training would contribute to their spiritual progress. A few years later, Ladislao Golasik, who was the son of Robert Golasik and was from this area, was assigned to circuit work.

By the end of 1961, missionaries trained at Gilead School had been active in Paraguay for 15 years. There were then 411 Witnesses in the country, organized into 22 congregations. Upwards of 594,000 hours had been devoted to preaching the good news in this land. At that time the missionaries  were serving out of five missionary homes. These were located in Asunción, Encarnación, Villarrica, Coronel Oviedo, and Pedro Juan Caballero. From these population centers, the missionaries also traveled out to preach in the surrounding area. Down till 1961, 50 missionaries had shared in the work in Paraguay. Because of illness or for other reasons, 29 had found it necessary to return to their native lands. But all of them had contributed in various ways to the advancing of Kingdom interests in Paraguay. In December 1961, Elmer and Mary Pysh, graduates of the first ten-month course of Gilead, arrived in Paraguay.

Building Their Own Meeting Places

At about this time, the brothers in Asunción built and dedicated a Kingdom Hall, the first one in Paraguay to be owned by them. It was a fine building of brick and cement, with room to seat over 200 persons. What a witness it was  to the community, as men, women, and children shared together in digging, mixing concrete, polishing bricks, painting, and cleaning up! It was evident to observers that these were diligent workers.

A small group of Witnesses, not yet a congregation, were having so many come to their meetings in Vacay, a rural area in the south of the country, that they decided they too needed a Kingdom Hall. But they had no money. What could they do? They made an agreement with a logging operator by which they, as a group, would clear some land in exchange for building materials and some money. When the hall was finished, four interested families who lived far away sold their farms and moved closer to the Kingdom Hall so that they would not miss the meetings.

Later on, facilities for assemblies and conventions were also constructed. At various times the brothers had used the Club Martín Pescador, also accommodations at the National University and at the American School. Then early in the 1970’s, land was donated on which they could build their own Convention Center, and this took shape gradually over a period of years.

Providing Suitable Branch Facilities

With increased activity and the resulting blessing from Jehovah, it was also necessary to provide more-adequate branch facilities. Various houses had been rented over the years for the purpose. But in 1962, Nathan Knorr, then president of the Watch Tower Society, gave direction to purchase property in one of the nicer parts of the city, with a view to building a branch-missionary home that would also include a Kingdom Hall. The property was located on one of the main avenues of the capital, two blocks from the main sports stadium in Paraguay. After plans had been drawn up and approvals had been received from the city, construction began  in January 1965, and within ten months the project was completed. Early in 1966 it was a delight to the brothers that, during one of his zone visits, Brother Knorr was with them for the dedication of the new facilities.

Because of the location of the building, many thousands of people in Asunción were daily made aware of the presence  of Jehovah’s Witnesses in their midst. And as they passed on their way to sports events, thousands more were reminded that Jehovah has his Witnesses in Paraguay.

New Administrative Arrangement

As was true in branch offices of the Society around the globe, on February 1, 1976, a Branch Committee began to function, replacing the arrangement of having an individual branch overseer. During the preceding 30 years, Albert Lang, William Schillinger, Max Lloyd, Lloyd Gummeson, Harry Kays, and Elmer Pysh had served for varying lengths of time as branch overseers. All had made fine contributions to the Kingdom work. Now a new arrangement was going into effect in which a committee of mature men would share in providing oversight for the activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses throughout the country.

Elmer Pysh was named coordinator of the Branch Committee, and Charles Miller and Isaac Gavilán were assigned as the other members. Brothers Pysh and Miller were both Gilead graduates. Brother Gavilán, a Paraguayan, had been in full-time service in Paraguay for 13 years.

Another Wave of Official Opposition

As is true around the world, Jehovah’s Witnesses are neutral as to political matters. They take to heart Jesus’ statement to his followers: “You are no part of the world.” (John 15:19) Having in mind the Bible’s counsel, “Guard yourselves from idols,” they also refrain from sharing in nationalistic ceremonies that they view as being idolatrous. (1 John 5:21) Government officials, whose lives are deeply involved in the political system and who view nationalism as a means for uniting their people, may at first find the position of Jehovah’s Witnesses difficult to grasp. They know that other religious groups, even the clergy, do not hesitate to participate in politics  and in nationalistic ceremonies. The clergy frequently use this situation to sow seeds of suspicion among government officials regarding Jehovah’s Witnesses.

In a letter dated October 31, 1974, the then general director of religion, Dr. Manfredo Ramirez Russo, requested information about the beliefs and organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. On February 25, 1976, a government decree was issued that required “the daily flag-raising ceremony and singing of the National Anthem” in “all teaching institutions.” In sensation-style journalism, the September 3-17 edition of the religious publication El Sendero (The Pathway) carried a defamatory full-page article entitled “Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Patria, the official newspaper of the government political party, followed up with a similarly defamatory article entitled “Fanaticism,” on March 14, 1977.

In the meantime, representatives from the central offices of Jehovah’s Witnesses were summoned for an interview with the general director of religion. A summary of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses was made following that meeting. It  focused specifically on their position with relation to the flag, the national anthem, and military service. A few days later, a police official, Obdulio Argüello Britez, came to the Society’s office in Asunción and requested information about the assembly that Jehovah’s Witnesses had held from January 6 to 9. Shortly thereafter, the state attorney general, Dr. Clotilde Jiménez Benítez, interviewed representatives of the Society on the same subjects that had been considered previously in the Office of Administration of Religion.

Following this chain of events, in 1978, children of Jehovah’s Witnesses who abstained from singing the national anthem began to be expelled from school, with no possibility of enrollment in another school. But that was not the end of it.

Proscription—What It Meant

On January 3, 1979, the “bomb” finally exploded. A decree was published that canceled the legal status of the Watch Tower Society, which represented Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Newspaper headlines announcing the decree shook Witnesses and non-Witnesses alike. Practically all the news media took an interest in the case. Some favored the action; others condemned it. The newspaper ABC declared that the decree was “a violation of a fundamental human right, consecrated by Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.”

Immediately upon being informed of the ban, the Branch Committee, without yet knowing the limits of the ban, organized things so that the branch work could be cared for in other places. “This has never been contemplated as religious persecution,” declared Dr. Raul Peña, the minister of education and religion. Nevertheless, Jehovah’s Witnesses were obliged to hold their meetings in small groups in private  homes. Their preaching activity was restricted, although the zeal and courage of the majority of the brothers were not affected. To benefit from Christian assemblies, for a time they had to arrange to attend such assemblies in other countries.

How had this series of events begun? Had Dr. Manfredo Ramirez Russo acted solely in a governmental capacity? Interestingly, on August 25, 1981, Ultima Hora, a newspaper in Asunción, featured a picture of Manfredo Ramirez Russo and “Monsignor” José Mees cordially standing face-to-face. Under the picture appeared the caption: “The honorary medal of ‘Saint Gregory the Great’ was conferred upon Manfredo Ramirez Russo, director of Religion in the Ministry of Education, by the Apostolic Nuncio of His Holiness, Monsignor José Mees, in recognition of services performed to the Catholic Church.”

After the ban was imposed, there were arrests of Jehovah’s Witnesses in many places. They were taken into custody when found holding small meetings in private homes, when going to homes to share the Bible’s message of hope with others, and when conducting Bible studies with interested people in their homes.

Between October 8 and 11, 1981, nine brothers in Encarnación were imprisoned. When Antonio Pereira, a local elder who had not been arrested, asked to speak with the chief of police, Julio Antonio Martínez, in order to ascertain the well-being of the brothers in jail, the police chief ordered his arrest and had him confined in a maximum-security cell. In the meantime, Joseph Zillner, from a neighboring congregation, went to the house of the mother of the first of the imprisoned brothers to see what was happening. Someone must have informed the police, and within ten minutes he was under police escort en route to the Encarnación jail!

 Fanning the Flames of Persecution

A few years after the ban was imposed, the arrests ceased. Little by little the brothers began to use their Kingdom Halls and to hold small assemblies. However, all of this was abruptly interrupted in 1984 when a local newspaper announced that four students who were Jehovah’s Witnesses had been expelled from the Vocational Technical School in Asunción because they would not sing the national anthem. That ignited the flames of an even greater campaign against Jehovah’s Witnesses. In its wake, almost all the school-age children of Jehovah’s Witnesses were expelled. Many of these children would never be able to return to school.

That year, from May 2 to 5, the newspaper Hoy (Today) published a series of defamatory articles written by Antonio Colón, a Catholic priest. Later that year, a new minister of education and religion was sworn in, but he continued the policies of his predecessor. After he made a strongly nationalistic declaration, most of the children of Jehovah’s Witnesses were refused enrollment in school for the coming year. In behalf of a group of ten of the students, six of whom had been expelled and four of whom had been refused enrollment, an appeal was presented to the courts for the right of Jehovah’s Witnesses to have their children educated in the school system without having to abandon their faith or the dictates of their conscience. The court’s ruling was in favor of the Witnesses. But the Ministry of Education and Religion appealed the case to the Supreme Court.

All during 1985 this issue continued in the limelight. Some columnists defended the position of Jehovah’s Witnesses, while those in official circles continued to attack them. On July 23, 1985, while the controversy was yet in full swing, a letter from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses was sent to the president of Paraguay.

 Having a favorable lower-court ruling in the case of the school-age children, the branch office encouraged the congregations to begin to use their Kingdom Halls more openly once again. This would oblige the authorities to take a more definite position—either against us or conceding greater liberty.

On March 21, 1986, the coordinator of the Branch Committee was summoned to police headquarters. “You are using your meeting places again and you are not permitted to do so,” was the warning given. Brother Gavilán replied: “Permit me to remind you that the decree that canceled our legal recognition was challenged as to its constitutionality. That process is under consideration by the Supreme Court at this moment; the Court has not yet issued a decision. Inasmuch as an action of unconstitutionality exercises a suspensive effect on that decree, from a legal standpoint we have a right to exercise our activities as long as the final Court decision is yet forthcoming.” “I’m not a lawyer,” answered the officer, “so I can’t argue that. In that case bring me a list of your meeting places and we’ll see what happens.” That put an end to the interview. The requested information was presented, along with the corresponding legal argument. The Kingdom Halls were not closed again.

However, on February 26, 1987, the Supreme Court under Chief Justice Dr. Luis María Argaña ruled against Jehovah’s Witnesses in the case of the schoolchildren. Among many of the intelligentsia, this was viewed as a political decision, and not a few condemned it. What effect did all of this have on the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses?

Continuing to Preach the Good News

The work of Kingdom proclamation did not stop during those difficult years. In January 1984, the branch office initiated a campaign to work isolated territory by means of temporary special pioneers. Thirty shared in the program during the first year. Seventy-five different towns were visited. In 14,  the local authorities would not permit the brothers to preach. But in other places, when the value of this spiritual work was explained to the authorities, they offered protection to our brothers and, in some cases, a place to sleep in the police station itself!

As a result of this activity, many interested people were located. A woman living about 125 miles [200 km] from Asunción, after having received from the pioneers the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth, wrote to the branch office to ask for further help. When a Witness couple arrived in answer to her request, the woman raised her eyes toward heaven and, with tears in her eyes, thanked Jehovah. In spite of opposition from relatives, she became a faithful servant of Jehovah, witnessing to neighbors and acquaintances.

New groups of publishers and new congregations were organized in these previously isolated territories. The temporary special pioneer campaign was made an annual arrangement and continues until now, with marvelous results.

Pressure Lets Up

In official circles Jehovah’s Witnesses and their activities were becoming better known. Efforts to help officials get a clearer understanding of the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses continued until verbal approval was finally given for the holding of a public assembly on March 21 and 22, 1987, in Jehovah’s Witnesses’ own Convention Center.

What a joyful day for the brothers! With tears in their eyes, brothers and sisters hugged one another. After nine years of pressure, tension, uncertainty, and outright persecution, this was the first time that they had been able to be together to worship freely in Paraguay. In attendance were delegates from Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay who had been invited for this special occasion. That was the coup de grace to the influence of the ban.

 Legal Recognition Again

Paraguay was facing times of change. Political tension was building up. Finally, on the night of February 2, 1989, the sound of heavy arms was heard in Asunción. Revolution had broken out! The military government of Alfredo Stroessner came to an end the next day.

Efforts to obtain legal recognition were reinitiated at once. Finally, the application was approved on August 8, 1991. What a happy day for Jehovah’s people in Paraguay!

On June 20, 1992, a new constitution went into force. Important clauses were included that dealt with human rights, such as the freedom to congregate, the freedom of  conscientious objection, the freedom of religion and ideology, and the elimination of a State religion. These and other advancements provided welcome relief.

On With the Work!

There was still much work to be done in preaching the good news in Paraguay. In 1979, when the ban was imposed, there were 1,541 Kingdom proclaimers in Paraguay. In the year that legal recognition was restored, 3,760 reported. Now there are upwards of 6,200. But the ratio of publishers to population is still 1 to 817. What more can be done to reach the people?

Each year, special pioneers are regularly sent to witness in towns where no congregations are located. But 49 percent of the population lives in rural areas. In 1987 the branch equipped a truck with basic commodities necessary to make it suitable as a mobile home for special pioneers. For ten years now, it has been used to reach the rural territories not covered by congregations or by temporary special pioneers. In this way the waters of life are being spread throughout vast areas of the country.

Special effort has also been made to witness to people who live along the rivers. Often, their only physical contact with the rest of the world is by boat. So by 1992 the Society  had built a boat with room for a crew of four. They began a systematic campaign to look for sheeplike people along the banks of the rivers. Appropriately the boat is named The Pioneer.

“Traversing the Paraguay River,” writes the brother in charge of the group, “we arrived at Puerto Fonciere, 300 miles [483 km] from Asunción, and began preaching from house to house. In the course of a conversation with an elderly woman, we mentioned that God had said he would destroy all wickedness, and as Jehovah’s Witnesses, we were informing the people that God would do this through his Kingdom. Interrupting the conversation, the woman turned to her granddaughter and told her to call her grandfather and tell him that ‘his people’ had arrived. Shortly the grandfather, a man in his 70’s, came. He was perspiring, since he had been working on his farm. He greeted us warmly, and with tear-filled eyes, he thanked God that we had finally arrived. He said that he had been waiting for our visit for some time. Somewhat puzzled, we asked for an explanation. He replied that a certain military captain from the island Peña Hermosa had given him a Bible and the book ‘Things in Which It Is Impossible for God to Lie.’ The captain had marked several Bible texts, such as Psalm 37:10, 11 and Psalm 83:18, and had told him that some day Jehovah’s Witnesses would arrive at his home to tell him more of Jehovah’s purposes. A Bible study was started immediately.”

To date the boat has covered, at least twice, all the territory along the banks of the Paraguay River from the Bolivian border on the north to the Argentine border on the south, a total distance of some 785 miles [1,260 km].

Zealous Workers Sharing in the Harvest

When Jesus instructed his first-century disciples, he urged them: “Beg the Master of the harvest to send out workers into his harvest.” (Matt. 9:38) Jehovah’s modern-day Witnesses  have taken that to heart, and the Master has indeed sent many zealous workers into the field to share in the spiritual harvest in Paraguay.

From 1945 down to the present, 191 missionaries have served in Paraguay. Of these, 60 have been in the country for ten years or more (including 22 who serve as missionaries but are not Gilead graduates), and at present 84 missionaries serve here. In the areas where they have concentrated their activity throughout the eastern part of Paraguay, there are now 61 progressive congregations.

In order to help give a witness in this land where the ratio of population to Witnesses is still 817 to 1, neighboring branches have assigned some special pioneers to serve here. Other Witnesses too have moved to Paraguay from many lands. They have come from such places as Argentina, Austria, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Denmark, England, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Uruguay. They have used their resources and abilities in many ways to advance the work of Kingdom proclamation. Some have served in urban territory; others are carrying on their ministry in towns and villages where living conditions are quite primitive. The majority of them are pioneers. Some have helped with the construction of Kingdom Halls and branch facilities.

Over the years, Paraguay has accepted immigrants of diverse national origins. German, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, and Korean immigrants have become established in various parts of the country. These too are receiving a witness from missionaries and other Witnesses who have moved to Paraguay.

But what about the people who speak Guarani? These make up 90 percent of the population. According to a recent survey, 37 percent of Paraguayans speak only Guarani. Local  Witnesses are doing most of the work among these people, and they are happy to have brochures in Guarani to help them accomplish it.

Among the local Witnesses are some who have spent many years in the full-time ministry. During her 36 years as a special pioneer, Edulfina de Yinde has helped 78 persons to the point of dedication and baptism. She and her husband rejoice that there are five congregations flourishing where they have served. María Chavez has also helped many during her 39 years of service as a special pioneer.

Thousands more who are not pioneers are still zealous in serving Jehovah. Many of them walk long distances both to attend meetings and to give a thorough witness in their rural territory. They frequently leave home for their territory before daybreak, often carrying with them a goodly portion of “Paraguayan soup” (a dry food) or perhaps a supply of tortillas and yucca root. By about seven o’clock, they are ready to begin witnessing, and they continue until nearly sunset. When they arrive home, they are tired but happy to have given of themselves in telling others about Jehovah and his marvelous purpose.

Thirsting Ones “Take Life’s Water Free”

As foretold in the Scriptures, the invitation is being extended to anyone that wishes to “take life’s water free.” (Rev. 22:17) Thousands who have accepted that invitation are found in Paraguay.

Among them is Herenia. She was raised a Roman Catholic and was a fervent believer in the Church’s traditions and in religious superstitions. She had great fear of the dead and of hellfire. She believed in omens and was filled with dread when she saw or heard what she construed to be an evil omen. For 20 years she lived in such fear. Then in 1985 she began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses. As the study progressed,  the waters of truth brought great refreshment to her and stimulated within her the desire to live forever in the Paradise foretold in God’s Word.

In 1996 a woman named Isabel, in the town of Carapeguá, also tasted life’s water. However, what she saw in the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life did not agree with her beliefs, so she asked the Witnesses not to call again. But she read the book on her own, talked to her neighbors about it, and when she did see a Witness again, there were people in four households who were eager to learn more. Most of them cooled off under pressure from the Pentecostal preacher, but a good witness was given, and the first woman as well as one neighbor has continued to benefit from life-giving truths.

When the waters of truth were first offered to Dionisio and Ana, they, like many other people, were living together without being married, and they had been for 20 years. Dionisio and his eldest daughter began to study with Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1986; Ana and the other two daughters opposed. She begged the Witness to quit talking with Dionisio, threatened to kill the Witness, said she would call the police, and consulted with a Catholic nun. Then Ana appealed to the juvenile court on the basis that the Bible study would endanger her eldest daughter. After learning that Dionisio was, in fact, providing properly for his household, the judge recommended that Ana investigate the Bible with Dionisio. Ana protested that her friend the nun had warned her that the Witnesses do immoral things at their meetings. The judge, a woman, reassured her and then said: “We Catholics say we know the Bible, but actually we know nothing. Jehovah’s Witnesses study the Bible. I suggest that you investigate the Bible also.” The judge then recommended that Ana get married to Dionisio.

Taken aback, Ana visited the nun again and requested her to study the Bible with them. The nun replied that it was  not necessary. Furthermore, she urged Ana not to marry Dionisio, though in the past, when Dionisio would hear nothing of it, the nun had frequently told Ana that she ought to marry him. Not long after this, Ana’s father became gravely ill. Local Witnesses provided much help to the family. That proved to be the turning point for Ana. She began to study, and she married Dionisio. Now, nearly ten years later, Dionisio is an elder, and his entire family is zealously serving Jehovah.

Loving persistence has reached the hearts of many in Paraguay. In the San Lorenzo area, for example, there was just one congregation back in 1982. Despite the ban, many of the publishers shared in the pioneer service; as a result, the congregation territory, which included nearby cities, began to be worked regularly. Jehovah blessed their zeal. Now there are nine congregations in that area. Werner Appenzeller and his wife, Alice, feel that the growth they saw while serving in that area was their greatest joy during 40 years of service in Paraguay.

Such growth continues, not just in one area, but throughout the country. In 1996, fine new branch facilities were dedicated at a location about six miles [10 km] from Asunción. There are Kingdom Halls in many parts of the country, and meetings for Bible instruction are held in them regularly. Jehovah’s Witnesses continue to call on people at their homes and talk to them on the streets. They are zealously extending to people of all sorts the invitation to “take life’s water free.”

 [Full-page picture on page 210]

[Picture on page 213]

Juan Muñiz shared in introducing the Kingdom message to Paraguay

[Picture on page 217]

Julián Hadad, one of the first to accept Bible truth in Paraguay

[Picture on page 218]

Jóvita Brizuela, baptized in 1946, still a special pioneer

[Picture on page 218]

Sebastiana Vazquez, serving Jehovah since 1942

[Picture on page 222]

William Schillinger served in Paraguay as a missionary for 40 years, until his death

[Picture on page 230]

Werner Appenzeller and his wife, Alice, missionaries in Paraguay for 40 years

[Picture on page 233]

Proud of their Kingdom Hall (in Asunción) —the first one built and owned by the Witnesses in Paraguay

[Pictures on page 235]

Convention Center of Jehovah’s Witnesses

[Picture on page 237]

Witnessing to a sugarcane harvester in Villarrica

[Picture on page 243]

Fernando de la Mora (Norte) Kingdom Hall

[Picture on page 243]

Vista Alegre (Norte), Asunción, Kingdom Hall

 [Pictures on page 244, 245]

 Zealous workers from many lands have come to Paraguay to share in giving a witness: (1) Canada, (2) Austria, (3) France, (4) Brazil, (5) Korea, (6) U.S.A., (7) Belgium, (8) Japan, (9) Germany

[Picture on page 246]

The boat “El Pionero” on the Paraguay River

 [Pictures on page 251]

Paraguay Bethel Home and branch office, near Asunción, and those who serve there

[Pictures on page 252]

Branch Committee (from top to bottom): Charles Miller, Wilhelm Kasten, Isaac Gavilán