Worldwide Report

▪ Africa

Africa is our planet’s second-largest continent and has one fifth of the earth’s total landmass. Along the equator, we find tropical forests and an immense variety of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, and lions. To the north is the Sahara, the largest desert on earth. In what some have called the Dark Continent, the light of God’s Word shines with increasing brilliance.—Matt. 4:16.

In Ghana six-year-old Marie was dragged before her teacher by classmates who accused her of neither closing her eyes nor saying “Amen” during class prayers. The teacher demanded an explanation. Marie calmly explained: “You pray to Jesus, but I have learned through Bible studies with my family that we should pray only to Jehovah through Jesus. So how can I say ‘Amen’ when you pray?” The teacher was stunned and said to the class: “Leave her alone, she is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Later, Marie’s mother sent the teacher a copy of My Book of Bible Stories. The teacher uses it as a textbook to teach the class when it comes time for lessons in Bible knowledge.

 Alfred, who lives in Guinea, learned something about the truth in 1996 and obtained some Bible literature. After a short time, he returned to his village. His brief contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses had convinced him that it was his responsibility to tell others what he knew. Alfred also decided that while waiting for a reply from the Witnesses to whom he had written, he would build a Kingdom Hall. In 1998 he built a simple hall, but the people in the village tore it down. He built a second hall, and it too was destroyed. The same thing happened a third time.

Alfred brought the matter to the village chief. A meeting was arranged with Alfred and all his opposers. After listening carefully, the chief authorized Alfred to build a Kingdom Hall and provided a choice piece of property on the main road at the entrance of the village. Using bamboo and other materials from the forest, Alfred and his Bible student, Daniel, spent 14 days constructing a new Kingdom Hall.

As soon as the hall was finished, they started having meetings where they discussed the brochures they had. The village chief attended regularly. When the branch office learned about the matter, arrangements were made for special pioneers to visit regularly, teaching them how to conduct studies properly and how to help interested ones. When the circuit overseer visited the village, 69 of the 400 inhabitants attended his talk.

Joshua and Susan, who live in western Kenya, were hospitalized as a result of a serious road accident. Friends from their church visited them and said that the accident must have been a punishment from God. Having read the Bible along with magazines they had obtained from Jehovah’s Witnesses, the couple knew that God does not cause such accidents. They told the visitors that if they had no other comfort, they should not come back. As soon as the couple  were released from the hospital, they contacted Jehovah’s Witnesses. By November both had started in the field ministry, and they were baptized in February 2000. Joshua is a regular auxiliary pioneer, and Susan was an auxiliary pioneer in April.

Otis was a fighter during the civil war in Liberia. One day he and a “friend” were on their way to a neighboring country to sell a car they had stolen. His “friend,” however, deliberately ran over Otis, breaking his legs and spinal cord, and then he made off with the car. This left Otis mutilated and paralyzed from the hips down. Though Otis often thought of committing suicide, things changed when his father began studying the Bible with a special pioneer. As Otis lay paralyzed on his bed, the message of hope that he heard from his father’s room filled him with joy. He asked for the study to be held in his room so that he could share in it. Moved by the things he learned, Otis made changes. He gave up smoking and started to work on his personality. Today, Otis no longer worries about his disability. He is now a publisher of the good news and is constantly on the watch for those who pass by his house so that he can share his hope with them. When asked what convinced him that he had really found the true religion, he explained that it was the personal interest the Witnesses showed in him. Otis said: “Every day the brothers stopped to visit me. This made me feel like a human again.”

A man called Avelino was a subscriber to our magazines, but no Witnesses lived in his area in Mozambique. In time, a Bible study was started through correspondence. Avelino began to share his newfound knowledge with others. Soon a group began to meet together to read articles from the Watchtower magazine and the book Reasoning From the Scriptures. Aware of this, some brothers traveled to preach in  that area. To their surprise, they found 30 people associating with the group. A public talk was given, and 90 people attended. When the next convention was held in Nampula, ten people from the group were present. One of them remained in the city and read the entire book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life in only a week. As a result of this interest, two regular pioneers moved to the area. The group is making excellent progress.

In Rwanda the number of publishers reached a new peak of 7,435 in June. On the average, 1 of every 5 publishers shared in some form of pioneer service each month during the service year. Over 12,000 Bible studies are being conducted, and 30,716 attended the Memorial. During the past four years, 51 Kingdom Halls have been constructed and dedicated, with 115 more halls planned. Despite the demands of construction, the publishers are averaging about 20 hours per month in the field ministry.

A young man who lived in The Gambia hoped to move to Canada to become a Pentecostal minister. Meanwhile, he worked as the secretary in the local Pentecostal Church. He and his wife agreed to a study in the brochure What Does God Require of Us? During the study, they were shown features of the New World Translation, including “Bible Topics for Discussion” in the back of the Bible. After that, rather than singing religious songs as they had previously done each morning, they would consider one of the topics, looking up all the scriptures cited. When a letter arrived from the church inviting him to a two-year course at a seminary in Canada, the young man responded: “Why do I need this? We now have the truth!” After six months of Bible study, he and his wife got baptized and are now actively sharing with others the wonderful truths that they have learned and that have brought them so much benefit.

 ▪ The Americas

The Americas include two continents. They extend from the frigid Arctic through the hot and humid tropics and reach toward the Antarctic. More plant and animal species can be found in South America than anywhere else on earth. On both continents the good news is being preached zealously.

A man in Bolivia greatly neglected his wife and two children. He had deep-rooted vices, including heavy drinking and the chewing of coca leaves. He accepted a Bible study and gradually overcame his bad habits. Disturbed that his wife adamantly refused to share in his Bible study, he told her that he might quit his Bible studies and return to his former way of life. That shocked his wife, since she much preferred the husband he had become. She asked him why he was discouraged. He explained that he did not want to go to the Kingdom Hall without his family. At that the wife agreed to study the Bible. She also attended the district convention where her husband was baptized.

The preaching work among Brazil’s estimated 1,700,000  deaf people gained momentum during the 2000 service year. Eighteen special pioneers fluent in Brazilian Sign Language (BSL) were assigned to serve in urban centers that have sizable communities of people who are deaf. Moreover, with the formation of a BSL translation team in September 1999, it was possible to present on video for the first time the Bible drama, principal talks, and Kingdom songs at the “Doers of God’s Word” District Convention. The Society is currently preparing several video publications in BSL to help deaf people grow in appreciation for Bible truth. There are now 16 sign-language congregations and 87 groups throughout Brazil.

After studying sociology for four years at a university, Michael enrolled in a Roman Catholic seminary in Toronto, Canada. He hoped to become a priest. Michael recalls that the Roman Catholic monsignor serving as a professor stated in class that approaching God in prayer can be done in several ways, not only through Christ Jesus. Michael challenged the monsignor, quoting Jesus’ words at John 14:6: “No one comes to the Father except through me.” The monsignor retorted that his students should leave the Bible to him and concentrate on other studies.

Michael telephoned the Society’s branch in Canada and asked for spiritual help. He wanted to study twice a week, sometimes covering two chapters in the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life at each session. Subsequently, Michael left the religious institution and found employment in an office. On October 9, 1999, he toured the Society’s branch facilities in Canada. This experience had a positive effect on him, as he thereafter made it a point to attend all congregation meetings, take notes, and offer meaningful comments. Michael was baptized on February 19, 2000, and since September has served as a regular pioneer.

 A sister in Costa Rica became discouraged because of the many problems and pressures that she faces. As a result of an accident, she is confined to a wheelchair. Since the death of her mother, she has been the sole caregiver to her father, who is blind and mentally impaired, and to her adult sister and brother, who are also mentally handicapped. She cooks, cleans the house, washes the clothes, and cares for her family—all from her wheelchair. Because she wanted to share in the ministry as fully as she could, the elders in her congregation lovingly helped her to analyze the opportunities that were open to her. One suggestion was that she spend 20 to 30 minutes daily in her wheelchair on the sidewalk. Many people pass by her house on their way to or from the nearby bus stop. She was encouraged to speak to them and offer tracts or magazines, even making return visits on those who passed by frequently. She did just that. She thought seriously about the apostle Paul’s expression found at Romans 1:14, 15: “Both to Greeks and to Barbarians, both to wise and to senseless ones I am a debtor: so there is eagerness on my part to declare the good news also to you there in Rome.” This sister realized that she too had a debt to her neighbors. As she talks about her ministry now, it is evident that she has truly found joy and satisfaction in her sacred service.

In Ecuador a missionary couple attempted to reach as many as possible in the downtown area of Guayaquil. However, because of strict security measures, they had not been permitted to enter a large high-rise building. Though they had been able to witness to about 20 employees and guards, mainly through the intercom, they had not spoken to any of the apartment owners. Consequently, they decided to talk to the general manager of the building. After the missionaries explained that the purpose of their visit was to strengthen  moral and spiritual values within families, the manager replied: “I think that everyone should listen to this!” He then dictated the following message to his secretary and asked her to put it on the bulletin board: “Mrs. Gabi März will be visiting the apartments in this condominium Sunday afternoon in an educational work for the purpose of improving moral values. If it is inconvenient for anyone to receive her, please advise me. General Manager.”

The missionaries began at the penthouse, where they started a Bible study with a school superintendent. On the floor below, they established three studies. One family attended the Memorial and later visited the branch office. In all, the missionaries started 16 Bible studies in this high-security area where no one had previously been able to visit.

Jessica, a 15-year-old regular pioneer who lives in Peru, is the only Witness in her family. The shoes that she used in the field ministry were badly worn, so she asked her father for a new pair. The father snapped: “Let Jehovah provide you with shoes!” The sister went in the service in her worn-out shoes, but on the way home, she passed the house of a brother who is a shoemaker. The brother called her in and said: “Come in, please. I made something for you today!” He then handed her a new pair of shoes. Her father, surprised that she was wearing new shoes, asked her where she got them. Jessica replied: “Jehovah provided them for me!”

The foreign-language field in the United States is ever expanding. Over 16,000 publishers serve in this field, employing 31 languages not including English and Spanish. During the 2000 service year, 11 new foreign-language congregations were formed, including the first Cambodian and Hmong congregations in the United States.

 ▪ Asia

This continent is the largest on earth and includes a wide variety of climate and vegetation ranging from the polar to the tropical. Within Asia are the Tibetan highlands, where we find the highest mountains on earth. In Asia multitudes have not heard the good news, yet much work is being done to reach as many as possible. We here include experiences from the islands of Japan and Taiwan, since they are closely linked to mainland Asia.

In Bangladesh, 140 attended the “God’s Prophetic Word” District Convention in the capital, Dacca. The brothers labored to clean the auditorium and then beautifully decorated the stage with flowers. One worker at the auditorium commented: “During my 14 years at this center, I have never seen such an organized, clean people like you. You people made the facility clean and holy.”

In response to the loving arrangement of the international brotherhood to assist with construction of Kingdom Halls, arrangements have been put in place in India to construct or renovate 250 Kingdom Halls. This arrangement  has stirred local brothers to lend support in whatever way they can. An elderly brother donated nearly 4,500 square feet [420 sq m] of land to build a Kingdom Hall. However, the brothers who inspected the site found that it was not suitable because it would be flooded during the monsoons. When this was told to the elderly brother, he showed the brothers all of his land and asked them to select whatever site would be best for a Kingdom Hall. He said: “Before I die, I wish to see a fine Kingdom Hall in this locality, and I am willing to give everything I have for it.”

Kim Hyo-sook, who lives in Seoul, Korea, was not having much joy or success as a pioneer, so a circuit overseer suggested that she get a personal territory. She said: “I accepted this advice and soon became well acquainted and friendly with the householders in my territory. I adjusted the times of my visits according to their convenience. As a result, my return visits rose from 35 to over 80 a month, and I have seven home Bible studies. Now I am finding real joy.”

Sam, who lives in Israel, is the only Witness student in his school. He was also the only student in his class who refused to receive an advance copy of stolen examination papers. Following the exam, the school principal learned that everyone in the class had cheated except Sam. Sam was awarded the highest marks for the test. The incident resulted in a fine witness being given to a mixed class of Catholic and Muslim students along with their teachers.

An 83-year-old sister in Japan planned to travel by bullet train to visit her son. While she was gathering recent magazines for him, she remembered that she had many magazines that she had not placed, so she put them into her bag. Passengers, she had noticed, got bored on long journeys, and she wondered if she could place some magazines on the  train. During the trip, the man sitting next to her asked her what she was reading so diligently. He was happy to accept magazines and began to read them with interest. Seeing this, several other passengers asked for magazines for themselves. When she arrived at her destination and found that her son had not yet arrived to meet her, she spent the time witnessing to people waiting for trains. By the time her son came, she had placed 40 magazines and had none left for him!

Although Buddhism has long been the traditional religion in Mongolia, many people there are atheists. For that country a four-page tract How Precious Is Life to You? was prepared. This tract deals with the dangers of tobacco use, a topic of great interest to the general public. In November and December 1999, a special campaign was arranged, and all 22 publishers participated. Hardly anyone refused a copy. Almost 10,000 tracts were distributed in the capital city, Ulan Bator, within the first ten days. Many government officials made favorable comments about the campaign. This special activity was publicized on TV and radio several times and in articles in three newspapers. A number of Bible studies were started.

The truth reaches the most distant places. In Kazakhstan there is a penal colony with more than 1,000 prisoners. In 1997, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses visited the director of the colony, seeking permission to discuss Bible truths with some of the prisoners who had written to the local office of the Witnesses. A short time later, Jehovah’s Witnesses started to study with 20 of the prisoners. In 1998, four of them became unbaptized publishers and were given permission to hold congregation meetings. After seeing the positive effect of the teachings of Jehovah’s Witnesses on the prisoners, the administration gave permission to the publishers to  broadcast public talks on the prison radio system. All the prisoners now have the opportunity to hear these broadcasts.

The administration of the penal colony has become more and more convinced that the religion of Jehovah’s Witnesses is not just some sort of mask that one puts on when it is convenient. One experience helped them to see this. The prisoners are not allowed to have money, since virtually anything, including drugs, can be purchased. However, one prisoner regularly received money in packages sent to him. As he progressed spiritually, his Bible-trained conscience started to bother him. Once, he offered some money to the elder who visited the colony. It was to be a contribution to the Kingdom work, but the elder refused because he knew that it was against the prison rules to take money out. The elder simply told the young man: “Do with the money as your conscience dictates to you.” The prisoner went to the head guard and put the money on his desk, stating: “My Bible-trained conscience does not permit me to have this money here. Do with it as you please.” The guard was so surprised that he said: “In all my 20 years working in the penal colony, I have never seen anyone willingly surrender his money!”

A sister taught in a school in Malaysia. One day, she talked to a colleague about Jehovah and his promises. The colleague said that she was deeply discouraged because the gods she worshiped had not helped her to solve her problems. She prayed to Buddha, various Chinese gods, and even Jesus Christ. Nothing seemed to help.

The woman was harassed by the demons night and day. At night, she got little sleep. During the day, the spirits disturbed  her at work, and she could not do her job properly. Her life was so miserable that she consulted spirit mediums, but that only made matters worse.

The sister told her colleague that according to Proverbs 18:10, “the name of Jehovah is a strong tower.” He protects those who call on his name in faith. This sister encouraged her to pray to Jehovah God when the demons disturbed her again.

The very next day, the colleague told the sister that she called to Jehovah for help, and the demons left her. A Bible study was started, and the colleague made rapid progress. She threw away all things pertaining to false worship, and the demons stopped disturbing her. She was baptized during a recent circuit assembly.

For nearly 50 years, young Witness men in Taiwan have spent lengthy periods in prison because of their determination to maintain Christian neutrality. In recent years remarkable developments have taken place. Since more men were being drafted than could be effectively trained by the military, it was decided that the laws regarding national service would be adjusted to allow for some of the conscripted manpower to be directed to nonmilitary service. Officials used information on what had been done in other lands to accommodate those whose conscience objected to military service. Conscientious objectors who prefer a government-supervised term of nonmilitary work instead of going to prison must indicate that by filling out an application. Under the new arrangement, those who spend the 33 months doing this type of alternative service will have the weekends and apparently most evenings free, allowing them to participate in spiritual activities.

 ▪ Europe

Though Europe has long been classified as a continent, in reality it juts to the west as a gigantic peninsula of Eurasia. The apostle Paul brought the good news to southern Europe nearly 2,000 years ago. As you will see, the dynamic message of truth continues to flourish in this part of the earth.

One day a sister was sitting in a park in Zagreb, Croatia. She noticed a young man hiding behind the bushes. He was pale and shaking, so she thought that he was sick. She approached him and said: “Sir, I will be glad to take you to the doctor if you are not feeling well.” He said he was fine, though he was still trembling. She then asked: “Are you hungry? Do you want me to get some food for you?” He answered: “No. Please don’t come close to me. The police are looking for me, and they might suspect that we are together.” The sister asked: “What have you done?” He then admitted that he had robbed a store, adding: “It’s all here in my pocket. I am so afraid of the police and of being imprisoned.” The sister felt pity and wanted to help him. She invited him to have a seat next to her so that they could discuss  the matter. She told him that Jehovah God would give him the wisdom to know what to say when returning to the store he robbed. He listened carefully but was still trembling with fear. She advised him: “Look for the manager, and confess that you stole the money and that now you want to return it.” While they talked, a neighbor passing by addressed her by name. That is how the man came to know her name.

Shortly thereafter, the sister was surprised to find a letter to her printed in the local newspaper. The letter read: “Mrs. Barica, I am very grateful for your kind advice. Thank you, thank you, thank you—you saved me from prison. I cannot express appreciation to you personally, since I don’t know your address. But I am writing you so that many who will find themselves in a similar situation can read about this and turn to the true God who helps, Jehovah! I returned the money. The manager said that the money stolen was 1,500 kunas. But I took 1,700 kunas out of my pocket. He said I could keep the 200 kunas because the missing cash amounted to only 1,500 kunas. I answered: ‘No, Sir, I did not have one kuna in my pocket, nothing to even buy bread with.’ Then the manager started giving me some items. He said: ‘These 200 kunas are yours.’ In addition to that, he gave me 500 kunas, two loaves of bread, two packages of milk, five small containers of yogurt, a pound of salami, and baby food. He said: ‘I am doing this because you are an honest man and admitted your mistake.’ I can only thank God and you that I did not end up in prison. Again, many, many thanks!”

Copenhagen, Denmark, has one of the major harbors in Europe. Besides ferries, more than 2,000 ships dock there every year. When the brothers entered one ship and asked some of the crew if they knew Jehovah’s Witnesses, they said yes. Then they added that they even had one of Jehovah’s  Witnesses on board. The brothers wanted to meet their fellow believer. When they met him, they found that he was not yet baptized. He was from a small island in the Pacific Ocean that had only 2,000 inhabitants. There were no Witnesses on the island, but he had learned about the truth through literature he had received in several harbors around the world. He had read the literature himself and had also taken it home to his wife. They both agreed that they had found the truth. He was eagerly witnessing to the other crew members about the things he had learned. He received a subscription to our magazines, and the brothers promised to see to it that the nearest congregation was informed about him and his wife.

Publishers in Bremerhaven, Germany, regularly go to the harbor to offer literature to those working on the ships and to drivers who are loading or unloading their trucks. A brother reports having met truck drivers from 48 countries. “To meet the needs of all these people,” he explains, “we keep a stock of literature in our car in 39 languages.” Several Russian truck drivers have attended meetings while at the port. One Sunday afternoon, Fred and Christian spotted one of the world’s largest passenger ships in dry dock. The ship’s crew of 950 represented 50 nationalities! Once on board, the brothers were approached by a sailor from one of the Pacific islands, who asked: “Do you have that yellow book with the colorful pictures?” He was referring to My Book of Bible Stories. The brothers did not have it, and the sailor was visibly disappointed. So after placing all their literature, Fred drove to Bethel at Selters—a round-trip of at least ten hours—to pick up additional literature. The next day, they placed 900 magazines, 300 brochures, and 850 books with the crew! Fred also found the friendly sailor and gave him the yellow book he wanted. “When he found out that  we had driven well over 1,000 kilometers [600 miles] to get the book,” Fred explains, “his eyes filled with tears.”

Early in 1998 a small private radio station in Luxembourg made a telephone survey of its listeners, asking about their life goals and expectations. Telephone numbers were chosen at random. When dialing one number, the radio broadcaster mixed up the area-code digits and found himself conversing with a woman 250 miles [400 km] away, near Nuremberg, Germany. He was impressed by her general knowledge and positive attitude toward life and asked her how she had developed such a fine viewpoint. She identified herself as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, realizing that this was an unexpected opportunity to sow Kingdom seed. The conversation aroused the interviewer’s curiosity, and the sister agreed to call him later. She did so time and again during the next two months. She explained more about God, life, and Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she was able to answer many questions. His interest afire, the broadcaster wanted to learn more. He phoned a congregation in Luxembourg and asked for a home Bible study and information about meetings. At the Kingdom Hall, he was impressed by the warm atmosphere and friendly manner in which he was welcomed. That got his home Bible study off to a good start.

Thirteen months after that first telephone call to the sister in Germany, he was baptized. In October 1999 he became a regular pioneer. How fine it was that the German sister identified herself as a Witness and then used the opportunity to sow Kingdom seed.

In Portugal, Antonio’s interest in the Bible’s message was kindled by discussions he enjoyed during visits by his fleshly brother who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Antonio yearned to learn more about the Bible. He fervently prayed  for help. Shortly thereafter, two Witnesses called at his home and began to study the Bible with him. As he progressed in knowledge, Antonio began to make changes in his life to harmonize with God’s will. First, his conscience moved him to give up hunting, a sport he passionately enjoyed. Later, as he came to understand the issue of Christian neutrality, he decided to resign from his highly respected position as mayor of a municipality, a post he had held for 15 years. Though he was pressured to reconsider his resignation, the counsel at James 4:4 strengthened him to refuse. Progress was rapid as he and his wife deepened their relationship with Jehovah and began attending congregation meetings. In a short time, they were sharing in field service and were baptized.

From Spain comes the experience of a brother who, many years ago, was harassed because of his faith by a workmate. The workmate ridiculed and criticized the brother’s religion for months. The brother reached a point where he felt that he could endure no longer, so he prayed to Jehovah to help him endure the difficult situation in a Christlike way, without returning evil for evil. To the brother’s surprise, the attitude of the workmate changed. He even apologized and assured the brother that he would never again speak badly of God in front of him. A short time later, the workmate left the company.

Twenty-four years passed before the brother met his former workmate again. This time it was at the Kingdom Hall where the brother was assigned to give a talk. The workmate told him that he had studied the Bible and had become a baptized Witness. He further explained that though many years had gone by, he had never forgotten “that Witness who with so much patience endured constant ridicule of him and his God.”

 ▪ Islands of the Earth

The islands of the earth range widely in size and are distinguished from continents, which are far larger. Though we have included the island continent of Australia here, the largest island is Greenland, covering 840,000 square miles [2,200,000 sq km]. The smallest islands cover less area than a city block. In between are thousands of islands. Consider a few experiences from some of them.

In Australia a sister met a woman in the house-to-house work who did not seem to show much interest in God’s Word. Though the woman accepted a tract, the sister thought that little would be accomplished by a return visit. Nevertheless, the sister persisted in trying, at first unsuccessfully, to find the woman at home. When the sister finally contacted her again, the woman explained that after the sister’s initial visit, she had purchased an expensive Bible. The sister began to study the Bible with her. Now the woman is making great changes in her life to conform to Christian principles. She attends all meetings.

While preaching from house to house in the Dominican  Republic, a brother met a woman about 60 years of age. On finishing the conversation, the brother put out his hand to say good-bye. When the householder did not put hers out, the brother realized that she was blind. The brother promised to visit again.

When he returned, the woman said that she had told her daughter how surprised she was that someone had shown an interest in her even though she was blind. She then explained that she had been told that there was no hope of recovering her sight. The brother spoke about the God of hope and read to her some of the Bible accounts about how Jesus restored sight to blind ones. (Matthew 9:27-30) This made a deep impression on the woman.

The brother then inquired at the Foundation for the Blind to see if anything could be done for the woman. A consultation was arranged, and when the woman went in, she was told that an operation would likely restore her sight. The operation was a success. During all this time, she continued to take in Bible knowledge. After the operation, she started to read My Book of Bible Stories and finished it within several weeks. Next she studied the brochure What Does God Require of Us? and the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. She attended the meetings regularly before the operation, and since recovering her sight, she never misses them. She started to talk to others about what she was learning and about the help that she had received to recover her sight. She was baptized at the district convention in 1999.

While witnessing on the island of Réunion, a sister offered a woman our magazines. The woman replied: “It’s no good, I cannot read.” The sister offered to teach her to read,  and the woman accepted with delight. The sister returned with the brochures Apply Yourself to Reading and Writing and Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! The reading lessons lasted a half hour, and the Bible study, another half hour. The woman made rapid progress both in reading and in understanding the truth.

Though her children tried to discourage her from studying, the woman told them that her lessons would continue. Soon she moved on to the Knowledge book and began to attend the meetings regularly. Recently, she was baptized. She is now literate, able to read the Bible and Bible-based publications.

A sister started a home Bible study with a young woman named Hina on the North Island of New Zealand. After two studies in the Require brochure, Hina informed the sister that she wanted to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and that she was going to leave her boyfriend, a prominent member of a local gang. Courageously, she confronted him and told him of her plans. To her surprise, his response was, “Go for it.”

Later the boyfriend had second thoughts and planned revenge, not only on Hina but also on Jehovah’s Witnesses. He decided to riddle the Kingdom Hall with bullets. However, a former associate suggested that the boyfriend attend a meeting and check out the Witnesses before taking such drastic action. The boyfriend agreed, and that night he attended the Theocratic Ministry School. He was so impressed that he called a gang meeting and informed the gang members that he now wanted to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses! Later at a formal gang gathering in a graveyard, he buried his patch (an identification of his gang  membership), demonstrating that he was putting to death his past manner of life, which included drug use and an illegal alcohol business. He and Hina regularly attend meetings. They are now legally married, and Hina was recently baptized. Her husband is determined to qualify for baptism too.

The Trinidad branch launched a special campaign with the February 8 and 22, 2000, issues of Awake! The first issue featured a cover series on fatherless families, and the second discussed suicide. The target groups of the campaign included social-welfare organizations, police community service groups, schools, government ministers, members of parliament, nongovernmental organizations, and others who would be particularly interested in the subjects discussed.

An incomplete report showed that 14,941 magazines, 1,374 books, and 90 brochures were placed. The campaign resulted in 860 return visits and 29 home Bible studies, most with people who would not likely have been contacted through conventional methods of witnessing. Several government ministers and ministries sent letters expressing appreciation for the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Typical of the responses received was one from the Ministry of the Attorney General and Legal Affairs. It said: “Thank you for the gift copies of . . . Awake! magazine . . . They have proven to be extremely informative. We will therefore be grateful if you could supply us with six additional copies for distribution to the various departments in the Ministry. Also, should you have any material that may assist us in furthering our policies in the area of family life, we would appreciate if you would forward the information.” The letter was signed by the attorney general himself.