Worldwide Report

Letting the Light Shine

One of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, stood prominently on the island of Pharos in the harbor of Alexandria, Egypt. For some 1,500 years, this light source guided sea travelers to safety.

However, a far more important light source was identified when Jesus Christ said: “I am the light of the world.” (John 8:12) By furnishing spiritual enlightenment concerning God’s purposes, he taught people how to live and how to gain eternal life, and what he taught continues to be a powerful influence for good right down till our day. Further, he instructed his disciples as to their responsibility, saying: “You are the light of the world.” Were they to dispense spiritual light only by talking to others? Jesus added: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your fine works and give glory to your Father who is in the heavens.”—Matt. 5:14-16.

Many in the world recognize Jehovah’s Witnesses as law-abiding, family-oriented people who have high moral and  ethical standards and who are actively preaching the message of God’s Word. However, there are also people who oppose our work and will stop at nothing to besmirch the reputation of Jehovah’s people and to hinder our efforts to let the light shine. They do this by providing government officials and the media with inaccurate, lying, and disparaging information about Jehovah’s Witnesses. In an effort to correct such misrepresentation, in February 1997 the Governing Body approved the formation, under the oversight of the Writing Committee, of a Public Affairs Office. General information desks have been functioning in the Society’s branch offices.

Fine Works Made Manifest

The intent of this arrangement is to take a proactive approach in providing the media, academics, and government officials as well as the public at large with an accurate picture of our beliefs and activities. This is not an arrangement through which Jehovah’s Witnesses boast about themselves. They honor Jehovah; and they do this, in part, by letting men see their fine works, which reflect Jehovah’s high standards.—1 Cor. 1:31.

Because they follow Bible principles, Jehovah’s people, individually and collectively, are an asset in the communities in which they live. The public activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses involve more than our well-known house-to-house preaching work. When professional individuals and organizations become familiar with our fine works, they are more likely to have a positive attitude when they are contacted in the field ministry.

Disaster Relief

One way that we publicly demonstrate goodwill toward our neighbors is by our active involvement in relief efforts during times of disaster. For example, for people in the Democratic  Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire), a team, all of whom are Jehovah’s Witnesses, organized humanitarian aid in 1997. With the help of thousands of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Belgium, France, and Switzerland, refugees were supplied with tons of food, clothing, vitamin products, and medicine, as well as 18,500 pairs of shoes and 1,000 blankets, all of which was airlifted to Africa. The value of the supplies provided totaled nearly $1 million (U.S.). These supplies were sent primarily as a gift to Jehovah’s Witnesses, but they were also shared with others.—Gal. 6:10.

The France branch was assisted in the preparation of a brochure containing details about this activity. The brochure was distributed to government officials and members of the news media, acquainting them with examples of what Jehovah’s Witnesses were doing in a positive and practical way to provide assistance to people in need. A number of officials expressed sincere appreciation for this information. They were impressed especially by what was done to ensure that the supplies would be received by those in need and would be distributed in an equitable manner.

Improving Family Life

The breakdown in family life puts a heavy load on government agencies and is of concern to public officials. Before the widespread distribution of the book The Secret of Family Happiness, a united effort was put forth by Jehovah’s Witnesses in Finland to make personal contact with governors of administrative districts, mayors, municipal governors, social officers, and newspaper editors in order to explain what Jehovah’s Witnesses are doing and how the book The Secret of Family Happiness could help families. As a result, some 120 newspapers wrote positive articles about the matter. Nearly all mayors and other officials accepted a copy of the book and promised to get acquainted with it.

 In a city in Lithuania where there is just a small group of publishers, they too visited the city mayor in order to present him with a copy of the book and to explain our work. The mayor was impressed and asked the brothers if they had regular meetings in the city, since he felt that such information is important for the people. When they explained that they were few in number and did not have a hall, he encouraged them to start anyway. Because of such encouragement on the part of the mayor, the Witnesses began organizing regular meetings in Skuodas.

Facts About the Holocaust

In recent years the events connected with the Nazi era and the Holocaust have received renewed attention by public officials, historians, and teachers. Jehovah’s Witnesses were one of the few groups that consistently spoke out against the atrocities that were carried out by Hitler’s regime. The history of this stand has attracted the interest of the academic community. A study guide and a 28-minute classroom version of the video Jehovah’s Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault have been produced to assist educators in teaching about the events surrounding the Holocaust. These tools highlight the ethical and moral issues that such a tragedy raises. They will enable teachers to present to their students a positive example of a group that directly faced issues of peer pressure, intolerance, and conscience. Educators who teach classes ranging from middle school through university level have expressed a keen desire to have such material.

The Stand Firm video was premiered at the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp Memorial, located 40 miles [60 km] north of Berlin, Germany. Government officials and dignitaries were present along with historians and survivors of the Nazi persecution. The premiere received positive publicity. Ninety-nine newspapers as well as two major radio stations carried  the story. The Stand Firm video is being shown in over 150 cities of Germany, and much public interest is being manifested.

In May 1997, in Moscow, Russia, two brothers participated in an international symposium of scholars on the subject of Holocaust education. They spoke about the history of Jehovah’s Witnesses in the Nazi era, highlighting the fact that the Witnesses had been taught to view all humans impartially.—Acts 10:34, 35.

At another event, ten Witness survivors from Russia, Ukraine, and Germany attended a press conference and a premiere in Moscow for the Russian-language Stand Firm video. Two survivors of the Stutthof camp, one from Germany and the other from Ukraine, had kept in touch by letters since their release in May 1945. In Moscow they were reunited after 52 years! After the news conference, the reporters circulated among the brothers, taking pictures and recording interviews. The Stand Firm video was met with tears and sustained applause. The event captured the attention of the news media and the educational community. Russian journalists, who had generally been negative toward Jehovah’s Witnesses in the past, said positive things about both our history and our work. One newspaper said: “Many were arrested, sent to concentration camps and executed. But human courage, supported by a belief in God, nevertheless showed itself to be stronger. It is a good thing that people were found to make this film and thus open up to the world a little-known page in the history of opposition to Nazism. We thank them.”

Taking the Initiative

Responsible journalists will often report fairly and accurately if they receive cooperation and information. Thus,  when a religious mob attacked a Kingdom Hall in Israel, efforts were coordinated to notify the media of the incident. Newspapers and a television station covered the repair work that was done by 15 of Jehovah’s Witnesses who were visiting on a cruise ship. This news coverage showed the stark contrast between people who merely profess belief in God and people who truly live according to God’s teachings.

In Zambia a journalist wrote a newspaper article that linked Jehovah’s Witnesses with Satanism. The branch office was assisted with guidelines on how to contact the editor of the newspaper, and a sample “letter to the editor” was provided. The editor was presented with a copy of the Knowledge book and the Spirits of the Dead brochure. He promised to handle the matter. The very next morning, under the heading “Jehovah’s Witnesses Against Satanism,” the letter to the editor was published with no changes.

Because of misrepresentation and misinformation, public opinion in some European countries mistakenly linked Jehovah’s Witnesses with dangerous cults. Branches have been assisted in developing responses that clarify our activities as an organization and that put to rest fears the government may have about us.

In contrast to the spiritual darkness in the world, the light of truth continues to shine brilliantly. How apt the words of the apostle Paul at Philippians 2:15: “You are shining as illuminators in the world”! We pray for Jehovah’s direction and blessing on the efforts that are being made to correct misconceptions and prejudices about the organization and activity of Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is hoped that by continuing to ‘let our light shine’ in this manner, further praise will be given to Jehovah, whose light illuminates our path.—Ps. 36:9.

 Africa

Africa is a continent where many languages are spoken—not only those brought in from Europe but also some 750 others. Jehovah’s loving purpose is that men, women, and children “out of all nations and tribes and peoples and tongues” be included among those who will be saved through the “great tribulation.” (Rev. 7:9, 14) This means that they need an opportunity to learn about Jehovah. In order for them not only to hear but also to gain an accurate knowledge of his ways, the Society publishes literature in 127 of those languages spoken mainly by Africans. (1 Tim. 2:3, 4) Nine of the languages were added this past service year, and work is under way on publications in 11 more. This year, in Tanzania and Kenya, the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures was released in Swahili. It was also released in Botswana and South Africa in the Tswana language.

One of the highlights of the year in Angola was the receipt and distribution of the Knowledge book and Require  brochure in three of the vernacular languages—Kimbundu, Kikongo, and Umbundu. Such instruments enable the publishers to use simple, direct presentations and to start Bible studies on the first call. The number of home Bible studies in Angola reached a new peak of 71,000, which is more than two per publisher. The increase in the number of Kingdom proclaimers has also been outstanding, reaching 16 percent! Right in and around Luanda, the capital, there are now some 350 congregations, divided into 17 circuits.

A sister in Ethiopia was witnessing to other travelers while walking on the road, but she did not know that someone behind her was listening. After the others had scorned the message, that humble man came up and asked for a Bible study. For each study, he had to walk nine hours one way and nine hours to return. When he wanted to become a publisher, the circuit overseer was invited to visit him. What a surprise when the circuit overseer found 30 people waiting for him! That Bible student had been sharing what he learned. They had many questions, and the discussion with them lasted until three in the morning. But the circuit overseer had not yet discussed with the Bible student the qualifications for new publishers. To keep another appointment, the circuit overseer had to leave in the morning. The Bible student walked with him, and the circuit overseer asked questions as they traveled. At last, the circuit overseer told the Bible student that he qualified. They prayed and then parted. That humble man got baptized in January 1997. He still walks long distances—12 hours round trip—to attend meetings.

In recent years the field in Burkina Faso has seen a great influx of missionaries; 42 now serve in this sub-Saharan country. Some of these have benefited from Gilead School or the Ministerial Training School before undertaking this assignment. Others as pioneers simply had the training that all  of Jehovah’s people receive in their Kingdom Halls. At great personal sacrifice, but with confidence in Jehovah, other pioneers from France have moved here on their own to serve where the need is greater. Jehovah is surely blessing the efforts of these zealous proclaimers of his Kingdom.

A woman in Harare, Zimbabwe, began to study the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, making use of the Live Forever book. However, her husband accused her of wasting the family’s money by buying books that were worthless. He urged her to associate with another religion. In time they left town to live at their rural home in Chendambuya. There the family came down with malaria. While lying in bed, the husband picked up an old copy of The Watchtower that his wife had kept. Then he read the Live Forever book. He thoroughly enjoyed it. The wife asked if she could join him in the reading. So they studied together. “At this other church where you are going, do they teach this?” he asked her. “No,” she replied. “No more going there,” he said. “We must find the church that produces these books.” “But that is the church you said you did not want me to go to,” she reminded him. “I know that. But let’s find these people anyway.” At their request, a Witness called on them and immediately started a study in the Knowledge book. Within a month they had completed the book. They got baptized in August at the district convention.

Local funeral customs are among the “strongly entrenched things” with which our brothers in Senegal must contend. (2 Cor. 10:4, 5) Burial rites are often accompanied by practices associated with the belief that the soul is immortal. When an 89-year-old Witness in a village near Dakar died recently, her son ruled out participation in any funeral rites contrary to the Bible. The tribal custom dictates that a white  cloth, to cover the body before the burial, be supplied by the father’s family. However, before the cloth is used, a section of it is to be torn off and cut into strips that are then attached around the wrist and neck of close family members. Not only does this identify them as members of the family but people superstitiously believe that it protects them from displeasing the dead person. The family of our brother were the first ones to refrain from observing this custom, to the amazement of the entire village. A Roman Catholic counselor remarked: “What we have been trying to do for 15 years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have done in one day. I think that they have another force.” Over 400 people from this island village attended the funeral of the aged mother. Many there are now asking Bible questions and receiving satisfying answers.

Our brothers in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) have been greatly comforted by Psalm 112:7, which reads: “He will not be afraid even of bad news. His heart is steadfast, made reliant upon Jehovah.” The year began well with a new peak of 104,134 publishers. Then war broke out in the eastern part of the country and spread across to the west. Brothers at the branch office in Kinshasa were unable to keep in contact with those in the occupied territories. However, there were 180 circuit overseers and 11 district overseers throughout the country, and they were strengthening and encouraging the brothers. Hakizimana Musa, one of the circuit overseers, wrote: “I often think of Psalm 46:1 when I travel on my bicycle to visit the brothers. I know they need encouragement in these critical times. Sometimes I see burned-out houses and everyone has fled—even the birds have gone! I have been stopped by soldiers and warned not to continue because of danger. Even though I was afraid and my heart was beating hard, I said a prayer and continued in order to get to the next congregation.”

 The branch was not able to send relief supplies into the occupied areas, but how grateful the brothers there were when a team of Witnesses from Europe went in as aid workers with the needed supplies. In May 1997 the capital, Kinshasa, fell. While TV audiences across the world watched graphic and horrifying pictures of impoverished, starving war refugees, Jehovah’s people kept neutral in the conflict. In spite of hunger, sickness, and the need to flee their homes, they peacefully kept declaring the good news of God’s Kingdom. Perhaps release of the Require brochure in the Uruund language did not seem important in other parts of the world. But by using it there, a congregation of 56 publishers started 150 Bible studies to help people who very much needed the support that only God can give.

A pioneer in Nigeria used the Require brochure to witness to a fellow passenger in an intercity taxicab. They discussed together some of the points from the lesson entitled “Practices That God Hates.” The man listened attentively, asked questions, and obtained a brochure. When they stopped for refreshments and were in the restaurant, the man turned to the pioneer and showed him a package. “What is in it?” asked the pioneer. “It is money. But I do not know how much is in it, since the money is not mine. I took it from one of the traveling bags in the back of the taxi.” Now, because of what the Witness had shown him in the brochure, the man said he would like to return the money to the owner. The owner, a young merchant, quickly identified it. The package contained 150,000 naira (about $1,700). The man who took the money had been trailing his victim for 300 miles [500 km]. He told the merchant to thank the pioneer because it was the brochure that made him change his mind. Amazed, the driver and the other passengers wanted copies of the brochure. The merchant had never previously allowed the Witnesses to speak to him, but now he wanted a Bible study.

 Asia and Islands of the Pacific

The Asian mainland is inhabited by a large portion of the earth’s population. In addition, there are thousands of islands—some large, others small—scattered across the oceans. Wherever there are people, Jehovah’s Witnesses have endeavored to reach them with the good news of God’s Kingdom.

The value of getting Bible literature into the hands of people is illustrated in the following experience from an island country to the southeast of India. In the early 1980’s, a Witness in Sri Lanka placed a Live Forever book with a man who lived in a town where there were no Witnesses. In 1985 he began to read the book by himself, and he recognized it as the truth. Then he read it with his family, and he began reading and discussing it with his close friends. Soon a group of 11 were meeting in his house to discuss the information. They broke off ties with false religion, and they knew that they should also preach to others. In January 1997 the branch received a letter from them requesting help.

 When a special pioneer couple was sent to visit them, they earnestly requested: “Can you please teach us how to pray?” After many questions and much discussion, the pioneers were invited to stay overnight. The next day at 6:00 a.m., the pioneers were awakened by an excited householder who was eager to have more questions answered. By 9:00 a.m., 16 people had arrived at the home. An impromptu public talk was given, more questions were answered, and at last at 2:00 p.m. the pioneers began their trip home. Regular meetings are now being held in that area.

On her way to meet another Witness, a sister in Lebanon met an elderly woman resting because she was carrying heavy things. When the sister offered to help, the woman exclaimed: “Do such people still exist?” She thanked the sister very much and insisted on inviting her to have a cup of coffee. The sister accepted the invitation, seized the opportunity to witness to her, and promised to bring her the Knowledge book. Although she said that she did not like Jehovah’s Witnesses, the woman accepted the book. On the return visit, the sister met the woman’s daughter, and the daughter was very pleased with what she heard. A regular Bible study in the Knowledge book is now being conducted with her.

Some who are influential in political affairs appreciate the work done by Jehovah’s Witnesses. But others, under heavy pressure from the clergy, impose restrictions on the Witnesses. We are grateful, however, that during the past year, legal recognition was granted to Jehovah’s Witnesses in Pakistan, Malaysia, and Kazakstan.

A local church elder in Pakistan used to tell the people that they should not let the Witnesses into their homes because the Witnesses do not believe in Jesus and their  doctrines are not true. However, a special pioneer was studying with a family who did not want to stop. One day the church elder came to visit that family while they were having their regular Bible study. He sat quietly during the study and was amazed to find that the Witnesses really teach the Bible. As a result, a study was started with the church elder. He began to attend the congregation meetings and is now a baptized Witness. Through that former church elder, six other persons became regular attenders of the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

There are many towns in Malaysia with more than 30,000 people but without a single Witness. With such a large population to reach with the good news, the publishers there have a big assignment. Some areas are very fruitful. Using a brochure entitled Everlasting Life in Paradise!, which had recently been translated into Kadazan-Dusun, four temporary special pioneers assigned to Sabah, northern part of Borneo, were able to establish 50 home Bible studies during a three-month period.

Providing Bible literature in the many languages of the Orient is a monumental task. It is already available in languages that are at least understood to some extent by the majority. But what a difference it makes when something is published in the native tongue of people! An older sister in Kyrgyzstan who did not know Russian had found her ministry quite restricted. But when the Knowledge book became available in Kirghiz, she zealously put it to use. As a result, people from other villages heard about it and came to visit her—coming on foot, on bicycles, or by a donkey-pulled wagon. The Witness now has several Bible studies and is very grateful that she has something in her own language with which to spread the good news.

 Europe

For over 100 years, Jehovah’s Witnesses have been proclaiming the good news in Europe. Many Witnesses from Europe have moved out to other lands where there is a great need for Kingdom proclaimers. During the 1990’s, special attention has been directed toward giving an intensive witness in Eastern Europe. And in recent years, large numbers of immigrants from lands in which there are relatively few Witnesses have moved to Europe, where there are large numbers of Witnesses who are glad to welcome them and to share with them the good news of God’s Kingdom. All of this contributes to a witness being given to “the most distant part of the earth,” in harmony with what Jesus foretold.—Acts 1:8.

In many lands, immigrants are responding readily to the Kingdom message. When local Witnesses do what they can to share Bible truths with these people, Jehovah’s spirit opens their hearts. That was true in the case of a Latin-American refugee in Norway. He observed nicely dressed people,  young and old, going to a Kingdom Hall next to the refugee center. He also attended some meetings at the Kingdom Hall and liked what he saw, but he could not understand any Norwegian, and no one there could speak Spanish. Nevertheless, a Bible study was started with him. The Witness used the Knowledge book and the New World Translation in Norwegian; the interested man used the same publications in Spanish. By their adhering strictly to the study material and emphasizing the scriptures, rapid progress was made. The order, harmony, and friendly atmosphere that the man found in the congregation strengthened his conviction that he had found God’s people.

After a few months, he wanted to become a publisher, but because of the language problem, the elders could not discern whether he was qualified. However, a Spanish circuit assembly was coming up in Oslo, 1,500 miles [2,400 km] away. Some of the brothers donated money for the airfare so that he could attend it. Spanish-speaking elders at the assembly found that he was indeed qualified, and at the assembly he shared in the field ministry for the first time. Right from the beginning, he put forth great effort to witness to other refugees at the center and to invite them to the Kingdom Hall. In this way Bible studies were started with refugees from South America, Africa, and Europe. One year after he had attended his first meeting at the Kingdom Hall, he got baptized.

Some young people respond to the truth like a sponge immersed in water. That proved to be true of Marko, a student in Finland. A teacher had told him that one of Jehovah’s Witnesses worked at the music institute. Marko approached the Witness to ask her view on certain issues, but there was only limited time to talk. That evening the Witness phoned Marko and told him that he might borrow some books from her if he wanted more information. He promptly went to her home, where she and her husband answered some  of his questions and gave him the Require brochure, the Organization video, and the book Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? In a few days, he was back to ask for more literature. His conversation showed that he had really absorbed what he had read. This time he was provided with the Knowledge book and a Bible. The arrangement for Bible studies with interested people was explained to him, but first he wanted to read the book on his own. Within a week he read the entire book and checked the scriptures. Before his first Bible study, he had withdrawn from the church. He quickly began to witness to relatives, friends, and teachers at the music institute. Three and a half months after he had his first study, he was baptized.

A woman in Estonia, a Russian-language teacher, had been deeply involved in spiritism for 20 years when she met Jehovah’s Witnesses. She had taken courses on the use of the pendulum to identify the sick organs in people. (The pendulum would start moving when questions were asked.) She had shared in an assembly where practicers of extrasensory perception from all over the Soviet Union were present. She had participated in New Age meetings. Why? Her mother was very sick, and she was seeking a way to bring her relief. She knew that Jesus cured people, and she believed that spirit healers today must be God’s servants. She did not know that the power to perform cures could come from a source other than God. (Deut. 18:10-12; Matt. 7:15-23) But the demons started to bite and strangle her. She desperately needed help. Disappointed with other religious groups, she got in touch with Jehovah’s Witnesses. A Bible study with her was started immediately. She learned how to pray and how to resist the Devil. When she understood how Jehovah views spiritism, she burned her spiritistic literature and destroyed her five pendulums. Within four months, she was sharing in the field service, helping others to benefit from the truths that  had done so much to set her free. Now she serves as a continuous auxiliary pioneer, grateful to be numbered among Jehovah’s happy people.

Dámaris, teenage daughter of an elder in Spain, acknowledges that it was hard for her to start witnessing to her classmates. But she observed that most of them smoked or were having problems with drugs. She knew that they needed help. Finally she spoke to a classmate about the effects of drugs and smoking. Dámaris explained that she had a book discussing subjects of interest to all young people, including the effects of using drugs. The girl asked to see the book, and it was passed from one to another in the class. About a third of the class wanted personal copies of Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work. The result: The first one to whom Dámaris witnessed stopped smoking, and the way has been opened for further discussions.

During the war in the former Yugoslavia, our brothers there went through very difficult times. In a material way, they were reduced to poverty, but in a spiritual way they are rich. For example, at the district convention in Zagreb, Croatia, they were touched by heartwarming experiences from Vukovar. This is a city in Croatia that was under Serbian control, and now it is again under the control of Croatia. Some of the worst devastation of the war occurred there, and most of the population, including our brothers, had to flee the area in order to save their lives. For four years the brothers in Croatia did not know that there was a sister, Maria, who had stayed behind in that city. She preached, at first all by herself, and occasionally was able to travel to a nearby congregation in Serbia. Her zeal during the wartime was richly rewarded. Can you imagine how surprised brothers at the district convention were to welcome a group of about 20 persons from Vukovar!

 The Americas

As a result of their zealous ministry, Jehovah’s Witnesses are well-known throughout the Americas. Many people, though they personally do not choose to live according to Bible standards, admire the work the Witnesses do. They may even be impressed with some of the practical counsel on life that the Witnesses show them from the Bible. Jehovah’s Witnesses, of course, also endeavor to help them to know and appreciate Jehovah God, the Source of that counsel, and his loving purpose for humankind.

Although pioneers work hard to take the Kingdom message to people, they hardly expect to receive a medal for their work. Yet that is exactly what happened to one of our special pioneers in Venezuela. Carmen Bravo was surprised one day to receive an invitation from the town’s “Páez Ladies’ Committee” to attend a celebration at which she was to receive a medal for her “valuable contribution in the religious field.” But why? The town of Guasdualito has experienced  considerable guerrilla activity, but 70-year-old Carmen has a calming effect on the people as she answers their questions from the Bible, conducts Bible studies, and places Bible literature. Many people in that town read and appreciate The Watchtower and Awake! Also, the authorities are impressed by the number of marriages that have been legalized as a result of the evangelizing work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. All in all, Carmen is viewed as an asset to the community. Carmen happily accepted the medal, but she humbly feels that she is simply being used by Jehovah to take his message to people.—Compare 1 Corinthians 3:6, 7.

In Puerto Rico, Jehovah’s Witnesses appeared before a board of government officials in connection with use of a stadium for a convention. A man who had for many years been involved in the issuing of permits for use of the facilities asked to speak first to the board. He told them that once a year when Jehovah’s Witnesses used the stadium, it got its most thorough cleaning. The year before, an air-conditioning unit in one area had failed. After the Witnesses’ convention, he found that they had repaired the unit free of charge. They had also repaired certain parts of the electrical system and the plumbing. And the parking area was kept spick-and-span. The board voted to let the Witnesses use the stadium free of charge for their coming convention.

Because of heavy drug trafficking in a very poor area in Haiti, soldiers searched and destroyed a number of houses. However, when they saw The Watchtower and other publications of the Society in Anna’s house, they said: “We must not destroy this house. Jehovah’s Witnesses do not engage in drug trafficking.” Upon observing this, a neighbor ran to her own house and laid out her Protestant religious literature. When the soldiers arrived, she told them that they did not need to search her home because she also had religious books. They  looked at the books and said: “No, these are not the same.” And they destroyed that house. Anna was not yet one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But after that experience, she prayed to Jehovah to help her bring her life into harmony with his righteous standards. She is now a baptized Witness.

At the congregation in El Cruce de Cajamarca, Peru, a special pioneer met Rafael. Arrangements were made to study the Knowledge book with him and his family. Because of the great distance to his home, at the beginning the study was not held each week. At the first study the brother was surprised to learn that Rafael did not believe in the Trinity, hellfire, or the “saints.” To the question, “Where did you learn this?” he replied, “By reading this book,” and he got out the Live Forever book. “However, more is required than just reading it,” he added. “I need someone to help me.” (Compare Acts 8:31.) At the second study, Rafael said that he and his wife were dedicating Sundays to visiting their neighbors and teaching them what they had learned. On the pioneer’s third visit, he found Rafael making shepherding calls using the information in the September 15, 1993, Watchtower, the same one that the pioneer used when making shepherding visits. In a short time, both Rafael and his wife became unbaptized publishers, and this past August both of them got baptized.

While the number of Kingdom proclaimers in Mexico has increased at a breathtaking rate in recent years, the Legal Department at the branch has also worked diligently so that the rights of our brothers would be treated with respect. One way that this has been done is by constant communication with the authorities to assure them of our willingness to resolve problems peaceably. Thus, in Chiapas State, while an issue regarding noninvolvement of the Witnesses in local religious festivals was being resolved in court—and the decision was in favor of Jehovah’s Witnesses—the Witnesses also  used the opportunity to make clear that they are very willing to cooperate in community activities that are not religious or political. Officials who dealt with the matter were impressed with the cleanliness, dignity, and respect evident among these humble farmers who are Jehovah’s Witnesses.

An elder in Maine, in the United States, finds witnessing on ships to be one of the most productive features of his ministry. In one case, he witnessed to the chief officer on a ship from the Philippines. Acting on what he had learned from his own Bible reading, the man had already withdrawn from the Catholic Church. On the initial call, the elder discussed with him the tract Enjoy Family Life. Since the ship was to be in port for just four days, the first return visit was made that same night, and two more followed thereafter. Our brother brought along six of the Society’s videos. The conversations and videos had such an impact on this officer that he felt major changes needed to be made in his life. He expressed a strong desire to learn more from God’s Word and to apply it personally.

Among the 37 district conventions scheduled for Canada this past year were 9 in the province of Quebec. One of these was in Quebec City, where 9,213 attended. Five were held on consecutive weekends in Sherbrooke. Total attendance for all nine conventions in the province was 32,181. What a change from the experiences that Jehovah’s Witnesses had there in the 1940’s and 1950’s! Hundreds were arrested at that time. Some faced mobs. But they kept on obeying God as ruler; they refused to stop telling people about God’s Kingdom. As a result of their persistence, laws in Canada changed, with greater protection for the freedoms of all Canadians. Now there are also 12 thriving congregations in Quebec City and 4 in Sherbrooke. Jehovah has blessed the continued loyal service of his Witnesses.