Worldwide Report

Africa

On a global scale, the gathering of people who are “rightly disposed for everlasting life” continues at a rapid pace. (Acts 13:48) In much of Africa, the influx of people who want to walk in Jehovah’s way of life is particularly great. To assist in this, during the past service year, the New World Translation of the Holy Scriptures was released in Yoruba (spoken by 23 million people), and the Christian Greek Scriptures in Tsonga (spoken by 4 million).

During the past five years, Angola and Uganda reported increases of more than 70 percent in the number of public praisers of Jehovah. Equatorial Guinea, The Gambia, Mozambique, and Rwanda have each increased by far more than 100 percent. Guinea-Bissau shows a growth of 300 percent. Nigeria regularly averages more than 200,000 publishers. In both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zambia, there are more than 100,000 Kingdom proclaimers giving a fine witness, often in the face of severe problems.

 Burkina Faso is a field where many are eager to learn what the Bible contains. In a three-month period during the year, four special pioneers preached to 169 villages within an 85-mile [140 km] radius of the capital city, Ouagadougou. In some areas, roads are almost nonexistent, and as they went from village to village, these zealous pioneers would walk ten or more miles [15 km] a day in temperatures up to 110 degrees [45 C.] in the shade. They spoke with people who had never heard about Jehovah or met any of his Witnesses. In recent years the authorities have made an effort to teach the local people to read and write in Mooré, the mother tongue of these people. But there is very little material to read. To fill the need, the Society has been producing a number of publications in their language. The pioneers report: “The reaction of the population is very touching, and that encourages us. . . . We see their joy at finally having publications in their own language, especially ones that talk about God’s good news.” During the three months in this area, the pioneers distributed 3,615 books, 22,228 brochures, and 368 magazines.

In a city in Nigeria, publishers were about to go witnessing in an area where tension was mounting dangerously during a period of ethnic strife. Heeding advice given to them, they started to go home. But a crowd of irate youths stopped the publishers’ car and demanded fuel with which to burn houses. The brothers explained their neutral stand, but the youths would not listen. (John 17:16; Rom. 12:18) Then the publishers gave each one in the crowd a copy of Kingdom News No. 35, which posed the question “Will All People Ever Love One Another?” The youths admired the tract, applauded the brothers, and let them go home peacefully.

While working isolated territory in Rwanda last year, a Witness met a man who was very happy to receive the  Knowledge book and to have a Bible study. Right from the beginning, the man showed appreciation for the congregation meetings. (Heb. 10:24, 25) Though missing one leg from the knee down, he would cross a lake in a dugout canoe and walk four hours to get to the meeting place. He attended regularly, enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School, and helped his children to learn about their Creator. How he rejoiced in the hope that soon he would be able to walk again with both legs!—Isa. 35:6.

A man named Jackson studied with the Witnesses in Monrovia, Liberia, but the war forced him to flee to a village in Bopolu, his home district. After some time the branch received a letter from him urgently requesting help to build a Kingdom Hall and organize the interested people. Why? He explained: “Starting from half past six every Sunday morning, I am busy with Bible studies up to nine o’clock in the evening . . . I can no longer handle the number of people who are in need of Bible studies, so I have assigned four of my Bible students to help by conducting a number of Bible studies themselves. . . . The greatest problem I am presently facing is how to care for this growing congregation. I myself am a child and need spiritual milk; how can I feed the others?” A circuit overseer who visited Bopolu reported that Jackson was conducting Bible studies with 37 people and that there were even more who wanted to study. The circuit overseer advised that a special pioneer was urgently needed in Bopolu. Finally, Jackson himself qualified to serve as an unbaptized publisher.

Literacy classes are conducted in 372 of our 637 congregations in Mozambique. Presently, some 5,800 students are attending these classes, and 1,525 learned to read during the past year. It is worthy of mention that among Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mozambique, the literacy rate is now 72 percent. The literacy classes have done much to help people  here come to an accurate knowledge of Bible truth.—1 Tim. 2:3, 4.

One morning when two boys, aged four and five, from two families were being dropped off at school in Windhoek, Namibia, the principal explained that the class was going to have a birthday party. She had read the School brochure, so she asked one of the parents what she should do. The sister explained our stand but said that the boys were capable of making their own decision.

When one of the sisters returned at the end of the day to get her child, the principal told her: “You can be so proud of these two boys! I sent the two of them out of the classroom when the children sang ‘happy birthday.’ When it came to the cake, the younger one asked if it was a ‘happy birthday’ cake. I told him that it was, and he replied, ‘No, thank you.’ The other boy said the same.” Later, one of the boys asked the teacher if she knew God’s name and then witnessed to her about Jehovah. The other boy, of his own accord, took her the video Jehovah’s Witnesses—The Organization Behind the Name. As a result of their good example and courageous witnessing, she came to the Memorial when she was invited. A Bible study was started with her by one of the parents, and she said: “I have committed myself to doing things God’s way now, and I am determined not to let anything stand in my way.”

A zealous elder in Zambia uses the Society’s publications on audiocassettes effectively in street witnessing. How? He parks his car by the roadside and plays the audiocassette of The Secret of Family Happiness. Passersby are invited to come over and listen to what is being read, and they soon ask what it is. Our brother explains that they have heard a portion of the book Family Happiness. As a result, in one month he was able to place 29 books and start two Bible studies.

 The Americas

The harvest is currently greater in some lands than in others, but it is still proving true that ‘the fields are white for harvesting.’ (John 4:35) In the past five years, Brazil has had an increase of 33 percent in Kingdom proclaimers; Mexico, 36 percent; Cuba, 64 percent; and Colombia, 65 percent. In the United States during the same period, 209,249 symbolized their dedication by water baptism, and a new peak of 1,040,283 shared in the field ministry!

A special pioneer serving in the southern part of Honduras conducted a study that was truly a joy. By the time they reached chapter 12 of the Knowledge book, the student became an unbaptized publisher. Within two months he was already conducting two progressive Bible studies of his own and both were attending meetings. After three and a half months, one of these students became an unbaptized publisher of the good news. Three months later the second student joined in witnessing. When the original student was ready to  get baptized, so was his first student. The other one is also making good progress. What next? The original student, now our brother, is already conducting another Bible study, with a married couple. What a joy the disciple-making work is!

An earnest effort is being made to give a thorough witness in the Amazon River region of Brazil. The branch has assigned 21 pioneers to preach in that area using four large boats. All these pioneers have experience in navigation, and what is more important, they maintain a willing, self-sacrificing spirit. The boats operate along the Madeira, Purus, Solimões, and Tocantins rivers as well as in the region around Marajó Island. These rivers extend for about 6,000 miles [9,700 km], and an estimated 370,000 persons live along the river banks or not far from them. A recent letter from the pioneers on one of the boats reads in part: “We finally reached the town of Chaves . . . We held a public meeting and showed the United by Divine Teaching video. Seventy persons attended. One man received the Live Forever book and read it through during the week of our stay there. He told us: ‘If you start a church here, I want to be a member.’”

Others may be difficult to reach, not because they live in remote areas, but because they travel to such places at vacation time. Nearly one million of those who go to Alaska each summer endeavor to see 20,320-foot [6,194 m] Mount McKinley! Could we reach them there with something that might help them to think about God and his purpose? Local Witnesses obtained a special permit to set up a literature table at Denali National Park. Appropriate topics from Awake! were chosen, such as “Mountains—Masterpieces of Creation” (October 8, 1994), “Who Will Save Our Animals?” (July 8, 1997), “Can Our Rain Forests Be Saved?” (May 8, 1998), and “The Iditarod—Ten Centuries in the Making” (October 8, 1995). As a result of this effort to go where the people are, they reached visitors  from Australia, Greece, Canada, England, Germany, Italy, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, and China! They also witnessed to many from other parts of the United States.

The territory in Mexico is now being worked frequently—every week or two in many cities. In the settlement of Las Nubes, Chiapas State, the majority of the inhabitants are Jehovah’s Witnesses. There are only three homes of non-Witnesses. In San Antonio Buenavista, there are now eight congregations and only 64 homes of non-Witnesses to visit. The Witnesses there walk several hours to reach territory in which to witness and to conduct Bible studies.

At the end of a meeting in a Kingdom Hall in Nicaragua, a Witness greeted two young women. She thought they were Witnesses visiting from another congregation. When our sister realized that this was not the case and that they had simply come out of curiosity, she offered them a Bible study. They agreed. They both belonged to a religious group known as Young Life, in which they were regional leaders. One of them, Karelia, began to teach her group the things she was learning from her study of the Bible. She started with God’s name. A church pastor tried to discourage that, saying that Jehovah is not really the divine name. Karelia replied that if this were the case, the pastor could not continue to use his Bible because it contained the name Jehovah. He was left speechless. Thereafter, Karelia taught her group the truth about the Trinity and the cross. Soon the pastors took away her privilege of praying at their meetings because she prayed to Jehovah, in the name of Jesus Christ. She was not invited to their next rally. So at one of their meetings, she announced that she was leaving the group to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She made that decision after having studied only the first four chapters of the Knowledge book. In less than seven months, she got baptized.

 Asia

The Orient too is responding to the invitation: “Praise Jah, you people!. . . Every breathing thing—let it praise Jah.” (Ps. 150:1, 6) In every country in Asia, Jehovah’s Witnesses have preached the good news, and as people have the opportunity to hear the message, the number of Witnesses grows. In some lands, that growth is rapid. Israel, Bangladesh, and Macao have all seen increases of more than 100 percent during the past five years. Nepal, Georgia, and Kazakstan report growth far in excess of 200 percent. In the Republic of Korea, some 85,000 regularly share in preaching the good news. In Japan, upwards of 222,000 are loyally serving Jehovah.

What a joy it was, on April 30, 1998, when the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses received legal recognition in Kyrgyzstan! The chairman of the state commission responsible for registration was surprised when the brothers presented to him a copy of the Knowledge book, which had already been published and was available for distribution in the Kirghiz language.

 Though not yet baptized, young children sometimes accomplish much toward attracting people to true worship. A three-and-a-half-year-old boy of a Witness family in India was friendly with his neighbors and treated them as if they were his elder brother and sister. The boy regularly invited his neighbor “brother” to go with him to the congregation meetings on Sundays. But the neighbor went to movie theaters on the weekend. Finally, however, he gave in and agreed to go to the meeting. Then the boy insisted that the neighbor should be dressed properly to go to the Kingdom Hall. When he tried to make excuses, the boy caught hold of his hand, led him into his room, and showed him what would be appropriate to wear. When at the meeting, the young man was surprised to find that he liked what he was hearing. From then on he and his fleshly sister never missed the meetings. Later, when he found out that the young boy obeyed his parents whether they were present or not—because “Jehovah is watching”—the young man was truly amazed. He and his sister now look forward to becoming baptized Witnesses.

A publisher in Kagoshima, Japan, is making good use of the Society’s videos. Convinced that these are extremely effective tools to reach people’s hearts, she decided to watch all of them with her unbelieving husband. To begin with, they watched Jehovah’s Witnesses—The Organization Behind the Name. As a result, her husband agreed to have a regular Bible study. Then the video United by Divine Teaching impressed him with the reality of the worldwide brotherhood and stirred within him a desire to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Yet, because of his job and pressures from his relatives, he felt that this was impossible. However, upon watching Volumes 1 and 2 of the video The Bible—A Book of Fact and Prophecy, he began to make personal application of Bible principles. Soon he was out in the field service as an unbaptized  publisher. Finally, the video Jehovah’s Witnesses Stand Firm Against Nazi Assault impressed upon him that Jehovah strengthens his people. He was now ready for baptism, and he did get baptized in October 1997.

Valkim, a very religious woman in Myanmar, joined the Methodist Church. When her pastor left that church and became the pastor in another church, she followed him because she was not finding real joy where she was. Later the pastor made another move, became affiliated with the Evangel Church, and became a pastor there. Again Valkim followed him. In time, however, she felt greatly disillusioned about all religion because her spiritual need was not being satisfied. Not long after that, her three children died within three years. She was desperate. Her friends suggested that she watch videos and read novels to get some relief. The depression did not let up. Then one day Valkim went to visit a relative who had become a Witness of Jehovah. An elder happened to be at the house at the time of her visit, and he was told of the woman’s plight. He invited her to the meetings at the Kingdom Hall and said that after the meetings she could ask whatever questions she had. She accepted the invitation. Upon receiving Scriptural answers to the things that had perplexed her, she was at last satisfied. She readily agreed to a Bible study. Progress was rapid, and she is now a baptized publisher.

It often takes patience to reach across barriers of religious prejudice to share the good news. But some listen gratefully and show their appreciation by making an earnest effort to attend the congregation meetings regularly. Nataliya, who is about 60 years of age, lives in the mountains of Kazakstan. She has to take two buses in order to get to the meetings at the Kingdom Hall, 20 miles [30 km] from her home. The first bus takes her 8 miles [12 km] down the valley, and the second one, the other  12 miles [18 km] to the Kingdom Hall. In wintertime, because ice and snow make it dangerous, the bus often does not travel into the mountains. But it is not too dangerous for Nataliya to go by foot down to the valley to get the second bus. She says: “I have to go home,” that is, to the Kingdom Hall. She explains: “I have two homes. One home is where I sleep, and my other home is the Kingdom Hall.”

The Israeli population is a patchwork of races, languages, and religions. Witnesses in Israel are frequently invited into a home to explain the reason for their visit. Many express sincere appreciation for the Kingdom message. However, within the ultraorthodox Jewish community, there is a small minority that is disturbed by this increasingly favorable response to the Kingdom message. In December 1997 a demonstration attended by some 300 was organized outside the district assembly in Jaffa, near Tel Aviv. Most of the demonstrators were bused in from other parts of the country and had no idea whom they were demonstrating against.

Organized violence has led to incidents in which sisters have been severely beaten by a mob and brothers have been ambushed while making return visits. The opposers try to stir up hatred against our brothers by shouting slogans referring to us as Nazis and saying that we pay people to convert to our religion. Though the organizers of this hate campaign against us know that this is not true, many misguided individuals believe these lies and are ready to do whatever is asked.

Opposition has not deterred the brothers, nor has it stopped interested ones from finding the truth. The vast majority of Israelis are outraged by such illegal conduct. Many passersby who see the religious elements demonstrating in front of Bethel stop to ask questions and are glad to hear the  Biblical answers. Attracted by the demonstrations, some have even begun to study with Jehovah’s Witnesses and attend their meetings.

In Lebanon a caring sister was able to help a young girl who had been raised in association with Jehovah’s people. Until she was 15 years old, she attended meetings and seemed to be doing well. Then suddenly she quit associating with the congregation and did not want to discuss Bible truth. Almost a year passed during which she kept away from the congregation. Finally, after consulting with the elders and praying, a sister phoned the girl to ask whether she would welcome a visit. The answer was: “Why do you want to visit me? If you want to talk to me about the truth, please don’t come.” The sister assured the girl that she missed her and that she would like to tell her about her recent trip to Europe. She promised that she would respect her wish; however, she added: “I do, in fact, have a few questions to ask you, and your answers could benefit me to help young folks like you.”

When they met, our sister told the girl about the trip to Europe and the convention she attended. She expressed the joy she had experienced in being among the brothers and commented on the love they showed. The girl seemed happy to hear about it and was impressed. Then the sister asked her some questions: “During the past year, you have lived your own life without being bound by the truth. Now, please tell me: Have you been happy and satisfied? What was missing in the truth that you found in the worldly way of life? What about the ones you were associating with during this past year—do you now feel that they have been better for you than the ones you were associating with before?” She asked the girl to think about the questions and then give her answers at a later time.

 Ten days later they met again. In answer to the questions, the girl said, among other things, that she was bored and was trying to fill her time by working at home, listening to music, and watching TV and videos but was not happy. She also said that she had a boyfriend and was expecting him to marry her. Patiently, the sister used some scriptures, some “Young People Ask” articles from Awake!, and the book Making Your Family Life Happy to help her to appreciate what real love is and how a boy who truly loves a girl would show his love and his interest in her. During a number of visits, as they discussed together the first five chapters of the Family Life book, the girl came to the conclusion that her boyfriend was not the husband she wanted.

A Bible study was started with her again, and steady progress was made. Then another young man professed interest in her and in the truth. Though he was studying, he made no progress. She cut off all relations with him, since she decided she wanted to marry someone who would serve Jehovah wholeheartedly along with her. One year later she got baptized. She obtained a part-time job and then enrolled as a pioneer. Rather than being bored, she now serves as a happy pioneer. She is also able to help other young ones who think that the world will make them happy, even as she once thought it would.

How can all the sheeplike ones be located among the more than 130,000,000 people in Pakistan? Our brothers did their part this past year by zealously distributing such publications as Kingdom News No. 35 in Urdu and English. However, months later requests for the Require brochure and for Bible studies kept coming in, even from cities where there are no Witnesses. It is evident that the angel flying in midheaven, referred to at Revelation 14:6, is having a significant part in the work.

 Europe

This is Jehovah’s “day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2) The opportunity is still open for people to choose life. Eastern Europe is one of the areas where many are presently making that wise choice. Since 1993 there have been increases of over 100 percent in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Estonia, Lithuania, Moldova, and Ukraine. Over 300 percent in Latvia and Russia, in spite of growing opposition from various sources. More than 500 percent in Belarus. In Albania, an extraordinary 830 percent! It is evident that there are many more people who, when given needed encouragement, are grateful for the opportunity to choose life.

A Witness in Austria called on a lady who always said she had no time. On her next visit, the Witness just held up the tract Life in a Peaceful New World, and before the lady could say “I have no time,” the Witness gave her the tract while making the brief remark: “It concerns the future of your family.” What the lady read made her want to know more. When the  Witness returned, the lady asked for the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise On Earth, which she had seen on display outside a Kingdom Hall. In the meantime the family received a leaflet announcing a Bible class sponsored by the local church. She and her husband went along. But when they asked the priest questions, he replied that during this class there should be only meditation, no discussion. However, their questions were answered when the Witness made her next return visit, and a Bible study was started. As expected, opposition arose. The husband was the church sexton and a member of the parish council. Because of pressure, he discontinued the study for some time. Contact was maintained by means of telephone and by delivering magazines. After three months the study was resumed. As his appreciation for Jehovah grew, he withdrew from the parish council and stopped serving as sexton. Both he and his wife are now baptized Witnesses, and their children are unbaptized publishers.

Many Europeans have immigrated to the United States to find riches. This is what Aleksander, a man from Latvia, did. But he did not find life to be easy in this land of promise; financially he got to be in dire straits. However, he did find spiritual riches. Studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, he realized that he had found the truth, something more precious than gold. Being enthusiastic by nature, he soon wanted to share his newfound beliefs. Before departing for the United States, he had divorced his wife, Inara, leaving her behind to take care of their son, Kim. Nevertheless, as a result of many letters and phone calls from Aleksander, her former husband, Inara started to study with the Witnesses in Latvia. Finally Aleksander got baptized in New York, and Inara got baptized in Lithuania. After an absence of five years, Aleksander returned to Latvia and remarried his former wife, much to the joy of Kim, who was by then nine years old.

 Jesus taught us to love even our enemies. (Matt. 5:44, 45) Some of them too change their ways so that they can be pleasing to Jehovah. This became evident when an elder from the Taurage Congregation, Lithuania, was going over the questions with a baptism candidate from the city of Panevėz̆ys. During the discussion, the candidate, an elderly woman, mentioned that it was difficult for her to put on a mild personality because of the nature of the work that she had done for many years. She had been a jailer in a women’s prison in Panevėz̆ys. The elder’s interest was aroused. He asked if she had worked there during the 1960’s. She said, “Yes,” so he inquired: “Did you know any women who were Jehovah’s Witnesses and who were incarcerated for the truth at that time?” She remembered two or three, including Petrute, the sister who had recently helped her to learn the truth. She also remembered a sister who had been put in jail together with her infant daughter. Well, when the elder heard that, he excitedly told her that she was talking about his mother, who had been arrested for witnessing, and that all her children, except the infant, were taken away by court order and placed with relatives. The elder was three years old at that time. Now he was going over baptism questions with his mother’s former jailer. How happy he was that she had embraced the truth!

Although the total number of Witnesses in Finland increased only a little last year, they rejoiced to have a new peak of 20,103 publishers. There are still people in that country who are searching for the truth. For example, a Witness couple were making plans to get better acquainted with a neighbor family. However, before they could carry out their plans, the neighbor lady came to their door. As they talked, the discussion shifted to spiritual matters, and our sister offered the Knowledge book to the woman.

When she took the book home, her husband read it within  a couple of days, but only to criticize, because he was prejudiced against Jehovah’s Witnesses. However, he found himself wanting to know more. Soon they told the Witnesses that for a long time, they had been searching for a religion that had the truth. They had investigated several religions. Jehovah’s Witnesses were left out because everyone speaks against them. They thought: “The Witnesses can hardly have it when the other religions don’t.”

A study was promptly started with the family. The couple said: “As we studied, many well-known scriptures fell into place in a new way. We felt that a cloak of mist had been removed, as the truth came through little by little. When we saw a picture of the Paradise in one of the books, we thought at once: ‘That’s where we want to be!’”

Soon they began to go to the congregation meetings. The wife recalls: “We were greeted very warmly—I just could not believe it!” Her husband was impressed by the orderliness and punctuality. Their son, 12 years of age, was observing something else: “In our family I noticed that my father and mother, as a result of the study, became nicer, and the atmosphere at home became more positive and relaxed.” The husband now appreciatively says: “Jehovah has been long-suffering with us. He did not want us to get destroyed, but he has led us to repentance.” In about seven months, the entire family got baptized.—Rom. 2:4; 2 Pet. 3:9.

A man in Switzerland learned the truth at a time when he was working as a chief mechanic, high up in the mountains. He loved that job, but he returned to factory work with reduced pay in order to be able to attend the congregation meetings regularly, down in the valley. He prayed to Jehovah for help so that he would care well for the responsible job entrusted to him and would also give proper attention to his other responsibilities.

 At the end of the year, the director called him into his office and told him that they were very satisfied with his work and the spirit he showed. He just wondered why the brother left his job every day at 4:00 p.m. When our brother answered that he had two other contracts to fulfill, the director looked at him in astonishment and asked what he meant. “You see,” said the brother, “when I got married, I promised my wife that I would care for her and would spend time with her. In addition to the job for feeding my family, there is a spiritual dimension, my relationship with God, that needs time. So these three activities must harmoniously fit into my daily life.” He added that actually the secular job took the greater part of his day—nine hours of work plus the time to travel to and from the factory. The director grasped the point and assured him that he could continue to quit work at 4:00 p.m. Thus he was able to witness to the director, and he also uses opportunities to talk to other fellow workers, some of whom had not been reached before.

For many years Fernando cleaned windows in the establishment in Spain where Carlos, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, works. They had brief conversations, but Fernando showed no particular interest in the truth. However, after he visited his sister-in-law in Barcelona, Fernando had questions. He found that her neighbor—formerly a drunkard and a troublemaker who regularly beat his wife—had completely changed and was now a good husband. He was told that the man had become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But how was such a change possible? Carlos explained to Fernando that the Word of God can make such changes in people. (Heb. 4:12) Now Fernando was interested. Within a short time, he too was making changes in his life, and he is now a publisher of the good news.

 Islands of the Earth

There are 84 islands and island groups where Jehovah’s Witnesses are busy witnessing about God’s Kingdom. On some islands, there has been outstanding response to Bible truth. In French Polynesia, in the South Pacific, there is 1 Witness for every 114 of the population. Guadeloupe, in the Caribbean, is populated by 410,000 people, but as a result of persistent preaching there, the ratio is 1 Witness to 52 of the population. St. Helena, in the South Atlantic, has a ratio of 1 to 31.

La Digue, one of the Seychelles group in the Indian Ocean, is a very small island. There are only about two thousand inhabitants, which means about 500 homes. But good things are happening there. Freddy, who was born and grew up on the island of Mahé, learned things that profoundly changed his life after he moved to La Digue. He had been raised as a Catholic, and at 18 years of age, he entered a school for the training of priests. He thought he would learn the Bible there,  and he persistently asked for a copy, but instead, he was told to learn church traditions. Completely disappointed, he left the establishment after a few weeks to seek God on his own. He got himself a Bible, and he would discuss it with anyone who was willing. However, his way of living was not as straight as his intentions. He got involved in immorality, abuse of drugs, overdrinking, and the martial arts.

Later, when living on La Digue, he met missionaries who were Jehovah’s Witnesses. Soon a Bible study was being conducted with him, sometimes two or three times a week. When he learned the name of God, he was really moved, and the following day he said: “How good it is to know to whom one is praying and not to be speaking any longer to someone unknown. I prayed all night using his name, and it is the first time that I really felt that God listened to me.”

One day he said: “There is a young man who is very interested. I know that you do not have the time to study with him. Perhaps I could study with him because I have learned a lot already.” The missionary encouraged him to consider his own situation before God first. Two days later Freddy said: “I understand that being a Witness for Jehovah is not just knowing the counsel but applying it in my life. I realize that I am not in a position to represent Jehovah. How can I preach to others while my family life is not in order?” So he separated from his concubine until they could legalize their union. The following month, they got married. When further adjustments had also been made, Freddy was glad at last to have the privilege of sharing in the field service. He has since been baptized.

Elsie, a woman in Mauritius, was known in her town as Gros Mama, the sorceress. Everyone was afraid of her. She practiced dark rituals in the cemetery and was known as a spirit healer with great powers. How did she come to learn the truths from the Bible? Through much patient, personal interest  and Jehovah’s undeserved kindness. After Elsie’s daughter began to study, a Witness went to visit the mother too. The Witness found that not only was the mother deeply involved in spiritism but she did not know how to read, she had serious family problems, and she was a heavy smoker. Nevertheless, Bible discussions were started, using My Book of Bible Stories. Three times a week, the Witness visited her, constantly encouraging her and urging her: “Put your confidence in Jehovah.”

Changes did not come easily. In her struggle to stop smoking, she had to learn that Jehovah sees all that we do and that we cannot hide anything from him. (Heb. 4:13) She had seen the picture in the Live Forever book showing early Christians burning their books on magical arts, and the meaning of it had been discussed with her, but she did not immediately stop her demonic rites. (Acts 19:19) However, after a terrifying experience, she took everything that she had used in false worship and threw it into the river.

Then, when people came to her for occult services, she would explain to them that what she used to do did not please God. She encouraged them to study the Bible. She told them that only Jehovah could protect them from evil, and she encouraged them to trust in him. Though Elsie died recently, some of her former clients are now servants of Jehovah.

House-to-house activity is not permitted in every village on the islands of Wallis and Futuna, in the South Pacific, but it is possible to visit relatives and do informal witnessing. A Bible student there gave a copy of Kingdom News No. 35 to one of his friends, a man well-known as a drunkard, who had long hair and an unkempt beard. He frequently beat his wife and children. After several discussions, the man agreed to attend the Congregation Book Study. He was so appreciative of what he learned that he asked to go to the Kingdom Hall and  to take his wife with him. The public talk that week was “A Clean People Honors Jehovah.” They were impressed. They asked for a Bible study. The Bible student who had invited the couple arranged for them to come to his home and there to meet two Witnesses. When the interested couple arrived, the man was unrecognizable. He had shaved, cut his long shaggy hair, and was wearing clean clothes. Even his way of speaking was different. He was like a brand-new man. Since then, they have regularly attended all the congregation meetings. It is evident that our work is not to judge others but, rather, to share Bible truth with them. If their hearts are right, Jehovah’s spirit will help them to make the necessary changes in their lives.

Many in Taiwan have to face real tests of faith in connection with funerals, ancestor worship, and related matters. Meihua, a newly baptized sister, lovingly visited her dying father-in-law in the hospital for months. When he died, her mother-in-law insisted that if she did not worship him, his soul would have no peace and he would come back to haunt the family. Despite all pressures, Meihua stood firm. Her mother-in-law wanted to force her to leave the family and return to her own parents. While not agreeing to share in worship of the dead, Meihua decided to ask them to allow her to pay her respects in her own way. Surprisingly, they agreed! She prepared an appropriate prayer. When the time came, in front of the whole family and with tears streaming down her face, she offered a sincere prayer asking Jehovah to help the whole family to understand that her father-in-law was no longer suffering but was in peace. She made mention of the resurrection and how her father-in-law could benefit. (Acts 24:15) The result was amazing. Her mother-in-law, her unbelieving husband, and the entire family now respect her as a fine, courageous woman. She continues to express her appreciation to Jehovah by having a zealous share in the ministry.