Worldwide Report

▪ EUROPE

Number of lands: 46

Population: 728,162,887

Number of publishers: 1,476,554

Number of Bible studies: 697,044

The path to the truth can be a long one. In 1951, Steponas was serving time as a political prisoner in a camp in Kazakhstan. There he worked with Edvardas, a zealous young Witness from Lithuania who had been imprisoned for printing the Watchtower magazine. Edvardas shared his Bible-based hope, and Steponas became convinced that he had found the truth. In 1955, Steponas was released. In parting, Edvardas said to him: “Maybe we will meet again someday.” Although Steponas was not baptized, the Soviet State Security Committee believed that he was one of Jehovah’s  Witnesses. Police raided his apartment and confiscated papers that listed the addresses of the brothers. As a result, he lost contact with God’s people.

Forty-seven years passed. During that time, Steponas lived in a small village in northern Lithuania where there were no Witnesses. Then in the spring of 2002, he managed to obtain some literature and mailed a coupon to the Lithuania branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses requesting the book The Secret of Family Happiness. He explains: “I sent the coupon, hoping that contact with the brothers could be reestablished.” A special pioneer couple traveled to meet him and to study the Bible with him. Less than a year later, Steponas was baptized at the age of 80.

Did he ever meet Edvardas, who almost half a century earlier had said: “Maybe we will meet again someday”? Indeed, he did! On the day following his baptism, these two men, now spiritual brothers, warmly embraced each other and rejoiced.

In Britain, Tim and Sam, both 11 years old and unbaptized publishers, were engaging in field service with Tim’s mother. The boys needed new bags to carry their Bibles and literature, but money was a problem. Earlier, before starting in the field service that day, the mothers of the two young publishers made this a subject of prayer. At the last house to be visited that morning, Tim spoke to the householder and read a Bible verse to her. She interrupted him to ask what his religion was. When Tim replied that he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, the woman scolded him and said to his mother that she could not understand why Witnesses let their children die rather than allow them to accept blood transfusions.

Tim’s mother suggested that the woman ask the boys how they felt about this, and she did. Tim explained that  he would always choose alternative treatment rather than go against his Bible-trained conscience. Sam then said that his own sister had received alternative treatment and had fared better than patients who had received blood.

The householder again turned to Tim’s mother. This time she expressed disapproval of taking young children from door to door. Both boys responded that they enjoyed preaching, adding that they preferred this to roaming the streets like others of their age. Impressed by their reply, the householder asked the boys to wait a moment while she went into her house. What a surprise they had when she returned and presented each of them with a smart, new leather bag, ideal for their ministry! She sold these items for a living. Her changed attitude also allowed the boys to arrange for a return visit. As they were leaving, the householder’s 94-year-old mother, who had been listening, came to the door and asked Tim’s mother to visit her at her home.

Two sisters in field service noticed the following message posted at a bus stop in Portugal: “I am a student of psychology preparing a thesis on the subject of superstition. If you can help me, please reply by E-mail to the following address . . .” That afternoon the sisters were featuring an article in The Watchtower entitled “Do Superstitions Control Your Life?” So they decided to answer the E-mail and offer the magazine.

A week later the woman who had posted the message sent them the following reply: “Thank you for your attention. I am sorry for the delay in answering. I would like to receive the magazine you mentioned. Recently, every time the Witnesses have approached me, I have been either rushing to work or catching a bus and have not been able to talk with them. I understand you offer Bible courses, and I am interested in having one.”

 The sisters said: “On our first visit, she asked many questions. We gave her the Knowledge book and arranged to study the Bible with her. She is always well prepared for her study and now attends all the congregation meetings.”

While engaging in street witnessing, Lina, a publisher in a city in southern Germany, was approached by a woman named Tatjana. “Do you recognize me?” Tatjana asked. Lina replied that she did not. “That is hardly surprising,” continued Tatjana. “We met only once, and that was five years ago.” She went on to explain: “In the spring of 1998, you approached me on the street and offered me the brochure What Does God Require of Us? I was rude to you, but your kind and friendly manner made me want to take the brochure home and read it. The contents moved me deeply.” Later, two Witnesses who did not know Lina called at Tatjana’s home. Because of what Tatjana had read in the brochure, she agreed to a Bible study. When she met Lina again, in 2003, she was already a baptized Witness. In fact, both she and Lina were auxiliary pioneering that month!

A sister in Pskov, Russia, received from the branch office the address of a man living in a remote area. It took her a long time to reach this place. When she finally arrived, she learned that the man had not been aware that he had asked for a Bible study. At a kiosk he had bought a magazine that had as a bookmark a cutout coupon from one of our tracts. The man said that he thought some prize was being offered, so he sent the coupon in hopes of winning something. The sister replied: “You won a free Bible study!” The man and his family showed interest, and a Bible study was started. The study is conducted twice a month, since the family lives far from the sister’s home.

 ▪ OCEANIA

Number of lands: 30

Population: 34,355,946

Number of publishers: 93,718

Number of Bible studies: 47,270

Fourteen-year-old Alyce, who lives in Australia, used material from our magazines in preparing school assignments. One week she wrote an essay on the question, “Where Is This World Headed?” It explained the significance of our times according to Bible prophecy. Her teacher asked her what religion she belonged to. Alyce explained that she was studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she gave her teacher some of our magazines to read.

Though all of this interested the teacher, another teacher dissuaded Alyce’s teacher from pursuing the matter.  However, after observing Alyce’s fine conduct for a few months, her teacher decided to find out more. Concerned that Alyce might be involved in a dangerous religious cult, she went to the local library and borrowed the book Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom. She read the entire volume in one weekend! Convinced that she had found the truth, she telephoned Alyce’s mother for more literature and began to study the Bible with the Witnesses. Within a month, she was attending all the meetings and had persuaded her husband and her mother to attend the Sunday meetings. They too began to study the Bible and are making good progress. Within three months, the teacher became an unbaptized publisher and gave her first student talk in the Theocratic Ministry School. A few months later, both Alyce and her teacher, Linda, were baptized on the same day.

Imagine living on an island where you are the only worshiper of Jehovah! In the Marshall Islands, that is the plight of a sister whose husband accepted a job on Mejatto atoll. Neighbors invited her to attend the Protestant church, but she refused. Instead, she concentrated on teaching her children by using My Book of Bible Stories. She also shared her beliefs with neighbors, carrying her youngest baby as she went from house to house. Eventually, some showed interest, and this isolated sister now conducts several Bible studies using the Require brochure. Each month she sends a field service report to her former congregation. With children in tow, she makes the long trip by boat to attend the Memorial and assemblies held on the island of Ebeye. Members of the congregation in Ebeye send letters of encouragement to her, relating field service experiences and things they have learned at the congregation meetings. They, in turn, are encouraged by this isolated sister’s faithful example.

 Many remote villages in Papua New Guinea have no electricity. People there use either generators or batteries to run electrical appliances. To help those in her village understand more about the Bible, a newly baptized sister wanted to show some videos produced by Jehovah’s Witnesses. After earning money by selling food she had grown, she approached a local businesswoman who owned a television, a VCR, and a generator to ask if she could rent these three items. Our sister explained that she wanted to invite the whole village to watch some Bible-based videos that she believed would help them spiritually. The businesswoman immediately reduced the charge to a token amount, saying that she too would like to see the videos. Almost everyone in the village came. Afterward, many commented that they had had no idea that the work of Jehovah’s Witnesses was done on such a large scale. They were also impressed by the worldwide brotherhood, something they had not seen in their own church. The sister received many invitations to the homes of people who had previously refused to talk to the Witnesses but who now wanted to learn more about our beliefs.

On Savaii, the largest island of Samoa, some community leaders have banned Jehovah’s Witnesses from preaching in their villages. A sister who lives in such a village remained steadfast for the truth when arranging for her son’s funeral. Since the funeral was to be held at her home, brothers and sisters from the two congregations on the island helped to clean the house and grounds and to arrange for a generator. People in the village saw this loving help. The way the brothers organized and conducted the funeral was a major departure from Samoan custom.

Two days after the funeral, the village council called a  meeting and discussed the event. All its members were impressed by how the Witnesses helped the family, both before and after the funeral. The village chiefs were so moved by the way the funeral was conducted that they unanimously agreed to change the funeral customs to Faa-Molimau a Ieova (The Way of Jehovah’s Witnesses). Two days later, the annual Memorial of Christ’s death was held in a small Kingdom Hall some miles away. Three pickup trucks carried families from this village to attend. Now our brothers and sisters can witness freely in this village, one of the largest on the island. Two special pioneers are conducting six Bible studies there. A Congregation Book Study is attended not only by interested villagers but also by a village chief.

In Fiji a young man was sitting under a tree thinking about his life and future. He invited a passerby to sit with him. The passerby happened to be a brother, who used the opportunity to give a witness. Though the young man had already heard about the Bible’s promise of a paradise earth, the discussion with the brother rekindled his interest. He decided to return to the island where his mother lived and start studying the Bible. Once he arrived there, family members who opposed his new faith destroyed the crops that he had begun to cultivate. The headmen of the village then ordered him to leave, saying that they would allow no religion other than their own. Next he went to his father’s village on another small island. There he built a canoe from old corrugated iron, and each week he paddled several miles across rough seas to meet with the Witnesses. Family opposition continued, and he was forced to live like a hermit on an isolated part of the island. Finally, he was able to move to the main island, near a large congregation. He continues to make spiritual progress as an unbaptized publisher.

 ▪ THE AMERICAS

Number of lands: 56

Population: 857,137,983

Number of publishers: 3,095,083

Number of Bible studies: 2,898,369

One Sunday morning in September 2002, a sister in the United States made a return visit on a shop owner. Since he was busy with customers at the time, the sister wandered around the store. She noticed a woman who rushed in to buy a mala, the Hindu equivalent of Catholic rosary beads. A mala is a string of brown beads used to repeat prayers to the many Hindu gods. The woman, whose name is Shwe, seemed to find a mala that she was happy with, and that is when our sister approached her and said: “Excuse me. May I ask, Is that mala made of sandalwood?”

 “Yes! I have been praying to god for a good mala, and I found it today. Smell it!”

“Oh, it smells so good! Which god are you going to pray to with it?”

“Oh, sometimes to Ganesa or to Siva or to Durga. I am going to pray to them with this mala.”

“Let me ask, Have you figured out which one is the greatest god?”

“I am confused about that. I do not know who is the greatest god.”

“I used to get confused, too, when I was a Hindu and worshiped those gods. But now I know who the almighty God is. Let me show you. [She reads Psalm 83:18.] Jehovah God is the Almighty over all the earth. He is greater than Siva, Ganesa, and Durga. I can teach you about the almighty God at no cost to you.”

“You would really teach me about the true God? Today all of my prayers have been answered!”

“How so?”

“I have been praying every day for a good mala so that through it I can find the true God. I also prayed to find a true friend who can help me because I have no one. What is your name?”

“My name is Mala, and yes, I can be the friend who will guide you through the Bible.”

“I cannot believe that God gave me a living Mala!”

The two women arranged to study the Require brochure. Shwe attends the meetings regularly and is talking about her goal of baptism.

 In Honduras a missionary sister who was struggling to learn Spanish entered an office building and placed magazines with the receptionist. Then the office phone rang, and the missionary sister thought that the receptionist invited her to sit down, so she did. She had misunderstood. The receptionist had asked her to leave. Meanwhile, a woman in an office nearby had been praying for help to break off an immoral relationship with a married man and to learn the acceptable way to worship God. When she heard the voice of our sister in the reception area, she believed that her prayer was being answered. However, when she heard the receptionist ask the sister to leave, she feared that the missionary would be gone before she could speak with her. However, the missionary later said: “Because of misunderstanding the receptionist, I was still there when the woman rushed in to talk with me. Both of us are convinced that this was Jehovah’s direction.” Years earlier, the woman had read publications of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and now she decided to give full attention to spiritual matters. She has since broken off her relationship with the married man and is studying the Bible and attending meetings regularly.

A special pioneer sister in El Salvador was assigned to a congregation whose territory had few people who responded positively to the truth. She prayed to Jehovah to help her find interested ones. One Sunday she met a young man with whom she had a Bible discussion. He accepted the Knowledge book and agreed to a return visit. The sister called back often, but he was never at home. She did meet his wife, who did not show much interest in the Bible. On the fifth visit, the wife invited her into the house, though she said, “only for ten minutes.” The sister asked her if the Knowledge book  was handy. The woman found the book, and the sister briefly covered a few points from the book and demonstrated the Bible study arrangement. After three months of study, the woman began to attend the meetings and showed real signs of progressing. And her husband? As time went on, he joined the study. Then he began to attend meetings with his family. This couple is now working to legalize their marriage. Persistence along with prayer brought good results.

Margarita, who lives in Mexico, tells of the success she had with informal witnessing: “At a dressmaking class, I talked to one of my classmates about the Bible. She said that she had the impression that families of Jehovah’s Witnesses lived happy lives, since they always smiled and seemed so cheerful. I told her that her impression was correct and that true happiness comes to those who trust in Jehovah and conform to Bible principles.” Margarita started a home Bible study with her classmate, who now regularly attends meetings and is progressing in her knowledge of the truth.

In the Dominican Republic, Ana left a Require brochure with a man who appeared to be worried. His wife was in the hospital to undergo surgery for cancer. He said that his wife liked to read, so he would take the brochure along to the hospital. Later Ana met the man’s wife, who said: “We can begin studying. I am ready.” She later explained that while in the hospital, she begged God to guide her to the true religion. At that same moment, her husband brought her the Require brochure. She read it, realized that this was God’s answer to her prayer, and immediately set her goal to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Although she had to walk one hour each way to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall, she made rapid progress and was soon approved as a publisher.  “Now I can fulfill my vow to God,” she said. In less than six months, she was baptized at the district convention, and now she continues to serve Jehovah joyfully.

Martin, a 13-year-old publisher who lives in Paraguay, enjoys informal witnessing. One day while returning home from school and witnessing to a passerby, he noticed a small parcel in the street. Martin picked it up and discovered that it contained money. Since he could not see anyone looking for it, he put it in his pocket. As he continued on his way, he thought: ‘With this money I can pay for the three months’ tuition that I owe and help cover some of my parents’ expenses.’ Meanwhile, without realizing it, he turned down a street that he did not normally take. There he noticed a man who was obviously looking for something. He heard the man say that he had lost 115,000 guaranies ($18.25, U.S.) and that it was all the money that he had left to live on for the rest of the month. Martin immediately recalled the words of one of the elders who had gone over the baptism questions with him. The elder had said: “You will come face-to-face with many tests, and even more so now that you will be getting baptized.”

Martin needed the money badly. That day he did not even have enough to eat while at school, much less to pay his tuition. Nevertheless, without doubting that he was doing the right thing, Martin asked the man to verify how much money he had lost. The amount was exactly what Martin had found. Martin gave him the money along with a tract and told him that he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Elated, the man thanked Martin over and over again and gave him a hug. The man gave Martin his address so that he could visit him. Martin was baptized with his parents at a recent circuit assembly.

 ▪ ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

Number of lands: 47

Population: 3,931,574,927

Number of publishers: 568,370

Number of Bible studies: 417,308

A health problem curtailed the house-to-house ministry of Kumiko, a pioneer sister living near Tokyo, Japan. Thus, she spent more time witnessing by letter. Members of her congregation gave her the addresses of those who were difficult to contact because they were rarely at home. She wrote the letters, and the congregation publishers delivered them. For over a year, she received no reply. Still, she continued to write faithfully. Finally, after writing some 1,500 letters, she received a postcard that said: “Thank you for your letter. I’m very interested in what you said. I’m  available on the following days, and I will wait for you to contact me.” With tears of joy, she visited this person, and a Bible study was started immediately. She says: “At first, I was a little nervous about letter writing, but now I’m confident that if we look for sheeplike ones with patience, Jehovah will surely bless our efforts.”

One morning while in the house-to-house ministry in India, a sister knocked at a door. A sad-faced woman opened it. Two small children sat on the floor with empty plates in front of them. Our sister shared the comforting message of God’s Kingdom and its blessings, and the woman paid close attention. Meanwhile, the hungry children repeatedly pleaded with their mother to serve them food. She refused. The sister said that she would be happy to wait until the children were fed. Then the woman began to weep, explaining that the food contained poison. She was about to serve it to them when she heard the knock at the door. Because of family problems, including a husband who was a drunkard, she had decided to kill herself and her two small girls. On hearing this, the sister threw the food out, ran to a nearby shop, and bought food items for the family. Together they cooked the food and gave it to the children. The Kingdom message greatly comforted this woman. She accepted a Bible study and is now a baptized Witness. Her two children come to the meetings with her. Recently, her husband started attending meetings and is making fine progress.

SARS! This word struck fear into the hearts of many in Taiwan. With apprehension, residents watched news reports of how this disease had affected Hong Kong. Then it hit Taiwan! Several hospitals had to be quarantined because  of the spread of infection, and many people feared that they might become the next victims. Even before the government required it, the branch office helped the congregations acquire thermometers so that the brothers could take the temperature of everyone attending the meetings.

Then the government asked all registered religions to avoid preaching in certain residential areas. A special Service Meeting program helped the brothers see how they could adjust their activity to avoid difficulties. One special pioneer responded to the suggestion to call back even on those who had shown the slightest interest. As a result, she increased the number of Bible studies that she conducted. Now several of these new studies are making fine progress. She said: “What started as a negative development resulted in my enjoying a more productive ministry.”

While engaging in field service in Cyprus, a sister met a woman who said that she was busy. Through an open kitchen window, the sister spoke briefly, read Psalm 72:12-14, and arranged to call again at a more convenient time. When she did call, the sister was surprised to hear that the woman had been eagerly anticipating her return. Why? The woman had found the scripture most comforting​—she had thought about it all day. The sister offered a home Bible study, and the woman readily accepted. Now the woman expresses appreciation for what she is learning from God’s Word.

Polo, a man in Cambodia, started studying with a missionary and made fine progress. He was attending all five congregation meetings in Phnom Penh. Then his employer told him to move to Battambang, a city near the Thai border. There is no congregation there, so Polo gave his cellular  phone number to his Bible study conductor, and they continued to study by phone for 30 minutes every Wednesday and Friday. Polo also wanted to share in commenting at the Watchtower Study. Because the congregation was far away, he wrote out his three or four answers for the coming week’s study and left them with his Congregation Book Study overseer to have them read at the meeting for that week. His zeal has encouraged the congregation publishers. He also tries to witness to those whom he meets. On the bus ride to and from Phnom Penh, he witnesses to many people and encourages them to attend the meetings. His next goal is to become an unbaptized publisher.

In Mongolia two sisters met a man about 30 years old. He asked them to wait, went into his house, and brought out two books: Mankind’s Search for God and The Greatest Man Who Ever Lived. He said that he had studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in Poland 12 years earlier. On returning to Mongolia in 1993, he immediately sent a letter asking that the Witnesses visit him. However, at that time, there were no Witnesses in Mongolia, so he was not contacted. Sometime later, he went to India to study at a university, where he stayed for five years. During those years, from 1994 to 1998, he had no contact with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Then he returned to Mongolia, where he was finally able to contact the brothers. A home Bible study was started again, and in April 2003, he attended his first meeting. Now he is joyfully studying the Require brochure.

A Buddhist woman in Sri Lanka surprised two Witnesses by warmly welcoming them into her house, saying that they were the answer to her prayer! She explained that her young daughter had recently committed suicide because  she had disciplined her. The Buddhist priest to whom she went to find some solace told her that her daughter would now be reborn and return to take revenge on her. This terrified the woman. One of her friends told her that Christian people do not believe such things. So this woman prayed that she could meet a true Christian, thinking that a Catholic person might be sent. Instead, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses called and comforted her with Bible truth. She now studies the Bible despite opposition from the Buddhist priest.

In Kyrgyzstan a young woman had attended the Evangelical church for many years. As she read the Bible, she saw the difference between what is written there and what is taught in her church. For example, she could not understand the church teaching that Jesus Christ is both the Father and the Son. Convinced that a son must have a father, she addressed a heartfelt prayer to the Father of Jesus Christ, asking Him to help her find answers to her Bible questions. The next day two of Jehovah’s Witnesses came to visit her. They asked: “What do you think? To whom did Jesus Christ teach his disciples to pray, and what name did he urge them to sanctify?” She was astonished to recall her prayer just a day before to the Father of Jesus Christ to answer these very questions. After the discussion, she had no doubt that God had answered her prayer. The woman agreed to a regular Bible study and began attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. When she learned that Jehovah is the Father of Jesus, she began praying to Jehovah using his personal name. Now she is progressing spiritually and sharing with her relatives the knowledge she has found.

 ▪ AFRICA

Number of lands: 56

Population: 755,145,559

Number of publishers: 950,321

Number of Bible studies: 1,666,518

On many intercity bus journeys in Zambia, passengers are entertained by videos that often have violent and immoral content. A missionary couple traveling by bus to the capital asked if it would be possible to play the video The Bible​—Its Power in Your Life. The driver agreed. “We could see that the passengers watched intently, listening carefully,” recalled Ruth. “Afterward, we spoke to them, offering tracts and magazines. Their response was enthusiastic.” The couple asked the driver if he would play the video again, thinking that he would do so later. He immediately  rewound it and played it again. Said Richard: “The passengers enjoyed the video a second time, and we were happy we took the initiative to ask.”

Miranda, a teenage student in Malawi, was showing the book The Secret of Family Happiness to a classmate during a school break. A teacher overheard the discussion and called Miranda into his office. He asked her why she had told her friend that she should get married. Miranda replied that she had not told her friend to marry. Rather, she had discussed how the book could help families find real happiness. Enraged, the teacher shouted at Miranda: “You are too young to give marriage advice!”

Upset and trembling, Miranda left the teacher’s office. Two days later the teacher again called her into his office. Miranda relates what happened next: “My teacher said that he was sorry for his angry outburst, and he told me that he and his wife had always quarreled and had finally separated. He asked me for a copy of the book I had shown to my classmate. I was happy to let him have one. Two weeks later he told me that the book was helpful and that he had shared it with his wife. Eventually, he and his wife were reunited.”

In South Africa an elderly man named Eric had studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses for many years, but the tobacco habit hindered his spiritual progress. After his wife got baptized, he decided to make that his goal too. He got several large-print copies of the Scripture text found at 2 Corinthians 7:1, which reads: “Since we have these promises, beloved ones, let us cleanse ourselves of every defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in God’s fear.” Eric put the texts in strategic places around his home. Every time he felt the urge to light a cigarette, he would  read the text and pray for Jehovah to help him stop smoking. As a result, he has stopped smoking for more than ten months. Eric is now an unbaptized publisher and plans to get baptized at the next district convention.

While waiting for a ferry in the islands of the Seychelles, a missionary sister noticed a woman who was on her own. Though the sister was exhausted after a full day of preaching, she approached the woman and offered her a tract. She accepted it, saying that she was Hindu. A few days later, they met again, in the street, and the sister made an appointment with her for a Bible study. The woman’s husband, a doctor, was Catholic, but after having read Mankind’s Search for God and the Knowledge book, he agreed to join in the study. One evening, the couple invited the sister and her husband for a special barbecue. Both of them burned their religious images and cooked the meal over the fire! Soon they began to attend meetings and to share in field service. After their baptism, both started to auxiliary pioneer. Since the island is small, the brother is well-known in the community. “The doctor has now become a priest,” some quip. He is now serving as a ministerial servant, and his wife is enjoying her service as a regular pioneer.

Ishmael learned sign language so that he could help deaf people in Zimbabwe learn the truth. While on a bus one day, he noticed a deaf woman begging for money from the passengers. Ishmael witnessed to her and arranged to meet her again. When asked what her church taught about why she was deaf, the woman replied: “They say it is God’s will for me to be deaf.” Ishmael explained to her that it is not God’s will for people to be deaf but that such conditions result from inherited sin and imperfection. He also  explained that God would soon do away with all infirmities. The woman replied: “I would like to find out why my church taught me lies.” When Ishmael met her the third time, she said: “From now on I am one of you. I do not want to listen to lies anymore.” A Bible study is being conducted with her, and she has been regular at congregation meetings and hopes to qualify soon as an unbaptized publisher.

In Ghana the struggle to earn a living leaves many people with little time to consider spiritual matters. A regular pioneer sister approached a young man in the house-to-house ministry and asked for just five minutes of his time for a Bible discussion. He replied: “I am always busy during the daytime. I only come home after 8:00 p.m. to sleep.”

The sister asked: “Is it possible to spare a little of your sleeping time to study the Bible?”

He said: “Only if you come after 8:00 p.m.” The following day, the sister and her husband went to the man’s house at exactly 8:00 p.m. He had just returned from work. A Bible study was started, and he soon began to attend meetings. Later he qualified as an unbaptized publisher and eventually got baptized. The changes he made in his life impressed his wife so much that she also agreed to a Bible study and soon qualified to be an unbaptized publisher. The neighbors and most of those aware of the young man’s past life-style could not believe their eyes when they saw him preaching from house to house. Many wanted to know what could transform such a person known for drunkenness, stealing, and the misuse of drugs. Subsequently, 22 people in the town requested Bible studies. Already 12 of them regularly attend congregation meetings and may soon qualify as unbaptized publishers.

[Picture on page 43]

Steponas and Edvardas, Lithuania

[Picture on page 47]

Alyce with her teacher, Linda, Australia

[Picture on page 51]

Mala, United States

[Picture on page 56]

Kumiko, Japan

[Picture on page 61]

Ruth and Richard, Zambia