Preaching and Teaching Earth Wide

AFRICA

LANDS 57

POPULATION 878,000,158

PUBLISHERS 1,171,674

BIBLE STUDIES 2,382,709

Benin

Claude and his wife, Marie-Claire, have been enthusiastic missionaries for 27 years. In February, Marie-Claire slipped and fractured her foot. Two weeks later, while working in the missionary home, Claude fell and broke his foot. Both had casts, Marie-Claire on her right foot and Claude on his left. Claude wryly remarked, “We always like to do things together!”

Claude’s cast permitted some mobility, but Marie-Claire was confined to the home for weeks. Though she arranged to conduct 4 of her 12 Bible studies at the missionary home, she missed other aspects of the ministry. So she decided to sit in front of the missionary home at a table full of publications and speak to passersby. In March she spent 83 hours at her table. Did Jehovah  bless her initiative? That month she placed 14 books, 452 brochures, 290 magazines, and more than 500 tracts.

Ethiopia

Arega, who lives in an isolated village, decided to wallpaper his home. Though in his country some people use newspapers for that, he wanted something in color. At the market he saw a man offering the brochure Enjoy Life on Earth Forever! Arega obtained a copy and, without reading it, took it apart and pasted it to the walls of his house. Two years later, he noticed on the “wallpaper” the statement: “Jesus was God’s Son.” This was different from the mysterious Trinity he had been taught. His interest aroused, Arega walked for nine hours to the nearest town to find the people who say that God has a Son. His first attempt was unsuccessful, and he returned home disappointed. Later, he tried again, but this time people directed him to the house of the brother from whom he had obtained the brochure. Arega’s resolve was tested further, as he had to wait for hours before the brother came home. A discussion led to a Bible study. In the months that followed, Arega made more trips to town to take in knowledge of God. When he talked with others in his village about what he had learned, much opposition arose and many people shunned him. But he did not give up, and others became interested. When the number of interested ones reached 13, two special pioneers were assigned to the area. Soon they were conducting over 40 Bible studies, and about the same number of people were attending meetings. Eight local publishers are now active in the area. For our new brother Arega, the pictures on his wall have become more than just colorful decoration.

 Ghana

With the rapid spread of cell phones throughout Africa, it is said that a “communications revolution” is under way. As an incentive to subscribers, many companies provide free call time at certain hours of the night. A sister named Grace made use of this provision. She found it difficult to study with Monica, her Bible student, because Monica was always busy with other matters. Grace did all she could to continue the study, even arranging to go to Monica’s house at 5:00 a.m. But Monica’s schedule changed, and even this time was not practical. Then Grace thought of making use of the free night-call arrangement. Monica agreed, and they arranged to study over the phone at 4:00 a.m. They were disappointed to find that so many were already using the network at that time that it was almost impossible to get a connection. Thus, they arranged to get up even earlier so they could study at 3:00 a.m., although this was a challenge for these two working mothers. Grace says: “I prayed to Jehovah and asked him for the strength and  the desire to continue in order to sustain the interest of my student. I set my phone alarm and disciplined myself to get up at that time. Even though I was very tired, I did not allow that to discourage me.” How happy she was that she had made the effort, as she was present to see Monica baptized at the 2008 “Guided by God’s Spirit” District Convention! Recently, Grace has used the same free night-call method to study with a woman who has now begun attending meetings.

Mozambique

In August 2008, a jacket fell out of a passing vehicle and landed near the mud hut of a poor, widowed sister. The sister picked up the jacket and found that the pockets contained documents, three small bags of expensive jewelry, and nearly a thousand dollars in cash. She insisted that someone in the village use the phone numbers listed in the documents to report the loss. That evening, four men in a car arrived at the village. In the presence of village authorities, our sister handed the jacket to the owner, with all its contents intact. The man began to cry and said that if it had fallen into the hands of anyone other than one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, he would have had little chance of recovering his belongings. Our faithful sister, though poor, gave a witness in the community that brought rich praise to the name of her God, Jehovah.

 THE AMERICAS

LANDS 55

POPULATION 910,761,124

PUBLISHERS 3,575,123

BIBLE STUDIES 3,778,321

Barbados

Many parents find it beneficial to teach their children to memorize Bible texts. One family in Grenada had the satisfaction of learning how their six-year-old son used a Bible text to uphold the truth that Jehovah is superior to all. The boy’s father writes: “One afternoon when my wife, Laura, went to pick up our son, Stefan, from school, his teacher called her aside and said to her: ‘I just have to tell you how impressed I am with your son. Even though I don’t share your beliefs, I must confess that I admire how well he articulates his beliefs.’

“When they got home, my wife eagerly asked Stefan what happened in school that prompted the teacher’s compliment. He then related that during the first session at school, the teacher made the statement that ‘Jesus is God.’

“Stefan then put up his hand, and when he was acknowledged by his teacher, he said: ‘No, Miss. Jesus is not God. The Bible says that Jesus is the Son of Jehovah, so he can’t be Jehovah.’

“The teacher replied: ‘Well, I believe that Jesus is the same as Jehovah.’

“Stefan then said: ‘But the Bible says that Jehovah  alone is the Most High, not Jesus. Only Jehovah is the Most High.’ He was quoting from Psalm 83:18, a scripture that we had previously helped him to memorize and to understand. Although the teacher is a very serious type of person, she was no match for a six-year-old child armed with accurate Scriptural knowledge.”

Ecuador

Several brothers boarded a bus to return home after working Quichua-speaking territory out in the countryside. Since the bus was equipped to play videos, they got permission to show the Quichua video about Noah and David for the many passengers, who all spoke Quichua. What a surprise for them to see and hear something in their own language! They were so attentive that when the bus stopped to pick up a passenger, they asked him to sit down quickly so they would not miss anything. At the end of the program,  there were numerous requests for the video. Some passengers had Bible questions and wanted literature; others gave their name and address so someone could visit them in the city, and all received an invitation to the Memorial to be held in Quichua. This no doubt contributed to an outstanding Memorial attendance in the area.

Mexico

While preaching from house to house, Gabino, a pioneer brother, came to a home and knocked on the door. No answer. He knocked again and then a third time. After pausing, he knocked a fourth time. The door opened, and an anguished man stood there crying. He immediately invited Gabino in but could not talk because he was so upset. Gabino began to speak comfortingly about the good news, and the man calmed down. “Do you see that chair over there?” asked the man. “When you knocked the third time, I was standing on that chair. Do you see that rope up there? When you knocked the fourth time, I had the noose around my neck. But I took it off to answer the door. Thank you for persisting because if you had not, I would have hung myself.” He explained that he was distraught over problems with his wife. Gabino made arrangements for a Bible study. Usually, this pioneer  knocks only once or twice at a door. But this time his persistence, perhaps under angelic direction, brought fine results.

Chile

During the campaign to invite interested ones to the Memorial of Christ’s death, a small child approached a Witness and asked her, “How old are you?” The sister, somewhat surprised by the question, responded, “And how old are you?” The little girl said that she was six years old and that her mother had given her a letter to give to one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The mother had instructed her daughter to find a Witness who was not a child but who was not elderly either. So the sister told the girl that she was 25 years old. The girl gave her the letter. It read: “When you have visited my home, I have not mustered up the courage to answer the door. I am suffering from severe depression and have asked God for help. I have also tried to listen to your message and read the Bible, but it has been very difficult for me. I would like to study the Bible with someone who can help me get over a failed marriage. If you can help me, please come to my home this afternoon, since this morning I am in bed. Thank you.”

That afternoon the sister visited the woman and invited her to the Memorial and the special talk, both of which were of true comfort  to her. Since then, she has continued to benefit from regular meeting attendance and is making fine progress in her Bible study by means of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? And her six-year-old daughter? She, as well as her 12-year-old sister, are also enjoying a personal Bible study.

Puerto Rico

A sister writes: “I was offering the magazines on the street when I saw a young lady putting air in the tires of her car. I approached her, but before I could speak, she asked for The Watchtower and Awake! saying that she loved to read them. Although I offered her a home Bible study, she said that she could not accept because she lived on the second floor of her mother’s home and her mother was very opposed to our work. When I asked for her address, she gave me only the name of the street. On another occasion I went to the street and tried to find where she lived but with no success. Then, one day, I went to the street and asked the neighbors if they knew a certain Nancy, a mother with two small children. To my delight, I finally obtained her address. However, I still could not find her at home, so I left magazines and notes for her. When I finally contacted her, she began to cry and said she wanted to visit the Kingdom Hall. She came and enjoyed the warm spirit of love among the brothers and sisters. She told me that she had been unable to respond to my earlier visits because her mother had destroyed my notes and magazines before she returned home. We began to study the Bible in the home of her sister, and soon Nancy was attending meetings regularly. Now she never misses a meeting. She has enrolled in the Theocratic Ministry School, and it is a delight to hear her and her two small children participate in the meetings.”

 ASIA AND THE MIDDLE EAST

LANDS 47

POPULATION 4,073,556,172

PUBLISHERS 635,896

BIBLE STUDIES 579,554

South Korea

A man who lives near a Kingdom Hall found a note on his car, which was parked in front of his house. The note read: “I scratched your car by mistake while parking. Please call me, and I’ll have it fixed for you.” Having observed the conduct of Witnesses who attend the nearby hall, the man said to himself, ‘Such an honest person must be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.’

A sister named Su-yeon had left the note, and when she got the phone call from the man, she apologized and offered again to have his car fixed. Imagine her surprise when the man asked, “Excuse me, but are you one of Jehovah’s Witnesses?” The man said that he would have his car fixed and told her not to worry about it! He further said that he would like to meet her, since there were things that he wanted to know about the Witnesses. Su-yeon, accompanied by her father and another spiritual brother, went to meet him. “I have been able to observe the Witnesses,” the man said, “because I live near the Kingdom Hall. You are fine people. I can’t understand why you are so hated.” Using the Bible and the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? Su-yeon’s father was able to answer the man’s many questions. He now  enjoys a regular Bible study with Su-yeon’s father and is making fine spiritual progress.

Lands where the work is restricted or banned

An army colonel was touched by the positive effect that the truth had on his wife, who was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Consequently, he agreed to a Bible study. His commander, a general, learned about this and called him in to talk with him. The general told him that if he did not stop meeting with Jehovah’s Witnesses, he would be sent to the remotest place in the country. The colonel boldly answered that his wife had studied the Bible for a long time and that he did not see anything dangerous in it. Therefore, he would not stop studying the Bible. After some time, the colonel decided to leave the army. Now he is a baptized Witness, serving as a regular pioneer and ministerial servant. Interestingly, the wife of the general he spoke to also started studying the Bible. The general could not stop her either, and now she too serves as a regular pioneer.

In another country, a sister started a Bible study with a young woman whose husband severely opposed her. Since the Bible study could not be held at the woman’s home, the two women arranged to study in a small park. During their study an elderly man who was taking a stroll in the park continually circled them, observing what they were doing and listening to their conversation. One day, he approached them and asked some questions about the Bible. During the next study, he did the same. The woman who was studying became a little upset and said, “I only have one hour to study the Bible, but you come and take up all my time by asking too many questions.” After that, the sister arranged for a brother to study with the  man, who made quick spiritual progress and started attending meetings. Each Sunday, two women in his neighborhood saw him leaving home, well-dressed and with a briefcase in his hand. They were curious about where he was going and learned that he had begun to believe in a certain “new religion.” Deciding to investigate, the two women followed the man to the Kingdom Hall. Several sisters talked with them and asked if they wished to study the Bible. One accepted. These three individuals​—the young woman who was studying in the park, the man who was contacted in the park, and one of the women who followed him—​have made excellent spiritual progress and were recently baptized.

Cambodia

Louy, a pioneer in Cambodia, regularly rides her bicycle to a village where houses are constructed of bamboo and are on stilts. There she conducts Bible studies. Three days before the Memorial, when she was in the village explaining the purpose of the Memorial to one of her Bible students, curious children began to gather around and ask questions. The group of children grew and grew. Louy handed out 57 Memorial invitations. The following day Louy cycled to the village to conduct another study, and this student said that her relatives and friends would like to attend. So Louy left another 20 invitations for the Bible student to distribute. Now Louy became worried as to how she could help all these people attend the Memorial. After praying, she talked to the father of one of her Bible students, who is the village coordinator. He assured Louy that if she arranged for just one tuk-tuk (a small carriage usually seating four, which is pulled by a motorcycle) to take them, everyone could go because they would either stand up or sit on one another’s  knees. Louy was very happy to see 18 individuals attend from this village.

India

A brother who works as an auto-rickshaw driver seized the opportunity to witness to a passenger who happened to be a journalist. She was impressed with his courage, since some Witnesses in that area had been assaulted by opposers while sharing the good news. The journalist decided to reproduce their conversation in a national newspaper. She wrote: “I decided on a little gentle provocation: ‘Haven’t you heard the news today? How your people have been beaten up and churches attacked in different parts of the state?’ He said, ‘Yes, I read about it in today’s paper.’  ‘So what will you do if [the opposers] continue to trouble you?’ He shook his head, saying: ‘It doesn’t matter. We will continue to believe [the truth].’”

Describing the tract that the Witness had given her, she wrote: “At home I took the pamphlet out of my bag. It had an impossibly idyllic scene on it with green meadows, a lake, flowering trees, people harvesting grain and fruit, and snow-capped mountains. ‘Life in a peaceful new world,’ it said. The message inside was religious. Ordinarily, nobody would object to being handed a pamphlet, whether it advertised a sari shop or a way of life. But start talking of a peaceful new world, and you might set the wheels of hate in motion.”

Philippines

In one part of the region of Zamboanga is a mountain so high that its peak can be seen from 125 miles [200 km] away. Brothers living near the mountain would often joke while in the field service, saying, “What will we do if there is an interested person living at the top of that mountain?” One day while they were preaching at the base of the mountain, a man approached, saying that he was looking for Jehovah’s Witnesses. He said that he wanted their help in studying the Bible. The brothers asked him where he lived. When he pointed to the summit of the mountain, the brothers were speechless. The man explained that his house was, not at the summit, but behind the mountain and that the only way to get there would be to climb over the top of the mountain. After recovering from their surprise, the brothers agreed to go. A Bible study was started, and now the man attends weekly meetings at the Kingdom Hall, even though it is very far from his house. This man is now among the people of all nations streaming to “the mountain of the house of Jehovah.”​—Isa. 2:2.

 EUROPE

LANDS 47

POPULATION 736,988,468

PUBLISHERS 1,563,910

BIBLE STUDIES 819,067

Finland

Two brothers were offering home Bible studies house to house with the tract Would You Like to Know the Truth? A man opened the door, interrupted their introduction, and invited them in. “I have many questions,” he said. “Why are you coming just now?”

“Well,” the brothers answered, “we are in this territory with our congregation.”

The man responded: “I have been praying for Jehovah’s Witnesses to come to my door. Usually I am jogging at this time, but today I did not go. And now you have come!” The man felt that his prayers had been answered. At his place of employment, people often talked negatively about Jehovah’s Witnesses. Interested in learning whether such assertions were valid, he went to a library to search for information. He found the book Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Proclaimers of God’s Kingdom, read it, and realized that the accusations against us were lies. Hence, he earnestly wanted to meet Jehovah’s Witnesses. A study was started, and he began to attend our meetings immediately. He witnessed to his former wife and their daughter, and they too started to study.

 Britain

Kirsty, a regular pioneer, learned French and Lingala so that she could witness to the Congolese people in her territory. One day she saw a Congolese woman who was struggling to get on the bus because she was loaded down with packages. Speaking in Lingala, Kirsty offered to help her and lifted her bags onto the bus for her. “Why do you, a white person, speak Lingala?” asked the woman. Kirsty explained that she attends a Lingala-language congregation and that the local Witnesses had taught her the language so she could speak to people about the Bible. Kirsty wanted to offer the woman a Bible study, so she stayed on the bus until the woman reached her destination. Kirsty then carried the woman’s bags up to her third-floor  apartment. Kirsty was welcomed inside by the woman’s husband and their four children, and she showed the family how a Bible study is conducted with the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? The wife and the two older children are now studying the Bible. All three are making efforts to please Jehovah.

Georgia

Two young pioneer brothers decided to move to a mountainous area of the country where there were few Witnesses. They started preaching in village after village, and the response was outstanding. They distributed hundreds of pieces of literature and started many Bible studies. When the brothers began to preach in the mountains, they had few provisions and did not know where they would sleep. But their needs were always met. People in the villages invited them into their homes overnight and fed them. At times, even people who did not wish to listen to their message invited them to spend the night with them and to share a meal. Later, the brothers were appointed as special pioneers in this territory. Because of conducting so many Bible studies, they placed a reasonable limit on the number of students they could care for. It is still not unusual for individuals to approach them on the street and ask for a Bible study, and in spite of limiting the number, each brother has conducted, on average, more than 20 Bible studies every month.

Hungary

A sister regularly receives milk in bottles that are hung in a bag on her fence. One day, when sending back the empty bottles, she put the tract Would You Like to Know the Truth? into the bag. To her surprise, with the next delivery of fresh milk, the dairymaid attached a slip of paper with some questions regarding the tract and a request for a Bible. The sister  immediately visited the dairymaid on the farm where she lived and started a Bible study with the help of the book What Does the Bible Really Teach? Beforehand, the woman had been searching for answers to her questions in different churches, but her spiritual hunger had not been satisfied. In fact, her search had raised even more questions in her mind. When one of her daughters also showed keen interest, the sister gave her the book Learn From the Great Teacher. The mother explained that the girl would often wake up at night because of nightmares. However, after reading some of the chapters in this book, the girl is less fearful and now sleeps peacefully at night. The Bible study continues, and the mother regularly attends the meetings on Sunday with her two daughters.

Italy

Cristina and Manel, two full-time preachers, were distributing the tract Would You Like to Know the Truth? in a rural part of central Italy. At one farm  they heard noises coming from the backyard. As soon as the householder saw the Witnesses, she shouted: “Quickly! Run! Come and help me!” As the Witnesses hurried to help, they saw that she was trying to stop a huge, angry pig from getting out of the pigsty. The gate was broken, and the woman was worried that the pig would run into the woods nearby. She was on her own, desperately trying to keep the gate closed. “You hold it shut while I go and find something to block it!” the woman yelled to Cristina. Cristina immediately replied that she was terrified of the pig. The woman then handed Manel a pumpkin and a knife and said to her: “Don’t worry. Keep throwing bits of pumpkin to the pig to keep him busy while I go and look for a new bolt.”

The woman then disappeared, and several minutes passed. Meanwhile, Cristina was urging Manel to hurry up and keep throwing food to the pig, but Manel was finding it difficult to cut through the pumpkin’s hard rind. Finally, the woman reappeared and repaired the gate. Heaving a sigh of relief, she exclaimed: “You two were sent by the Almighty!”

“That’s exactly right, Madam!” they replied as they pulled out the tract and showed it to her.

The woman immediately said: “This is too important to stand here and talk about. We need to sit down and talk calmly.” So she fetched some chairs, and as they sat out in the sun in the farmyard, the woman asked many questions and listened with keen interest and appreciation. Later, arrangements were made for a Bible study to be started. Cristina and Manel say that they had this experience thanks to a pig who tried to escape at just the right time.

 OCEANIA

LANDS 30

POPULATION 38,338,482

PUBLISHERS 99,816

BIBLE STUDIES 59,619

Australia

Fred, a Witness in a quiet coastal town, left three of our DVDs with a man. Later, Fred received a letter from the man, which said, in part: “Watching and listening intently to the DVDs was a calming experience. I could feel the peace, joy, and smiles of the people I was watching. I have not felt that way for many years. Now I am beginning to believe that there could be a better life ahead for me. In the past, I was often rude to Witnesses who called at my door. For this I sincerely apologize. Your people have approached me with nothing but friendliness and the desire to spread the good news. Who knows, one day you may look over your shoulder at your Kingdom Hall and see me sitting behind you.”

New Zealand

Two sisters called at a government-run family trust organization and arranged an appointment with the director. In preparation they put together a “family pack,” specially designed to include subjects that would be of interest to the director in her work with families. The pack consisted of the books The Secret of Family Happiness and Questions Young People Ask​—Answers That Work, along with the August 2007 issue of Awake! featuring the cover series “Seven Steps to Better Parenting” and the October  2007 issue featuring the series “Keep Your Children Safe!”

When making the visit, the sisters explained the voluntary nature of our work and said that we have deep interest in helping families, especially spiritually. They spent time showing the contents of the pack. The director listened, accepted the literature, and said she would like to share the information with all 35 employees. She added that the Awake! articles would benefit all 503 families listed in her records. The sisters managed to collect 557 copies of the Awake! magazines. Two weeks later, they received a phone call informing them that all the magazines had gone out to the families.

Fiji

A young man named Viliame proved to be an exceptional rugby player and aspired to play for his country. His brother, Leone, also wanted to pursue a career in rugby, but after accepting a Bible study with a special pioneer, he realized that he could not serve two masters. He began attending meetings and gave up rugby.  His mother, a Witness, bought him clothing to wear to meetings, but during an argument Viliame took Leone’s meeting clothes and ripped them up. Leone was devastated, but he chose not to retaliate. Some time later, Leone took his watermelon crop to market, and with part of the proceeds, he purchased meeting clothes for himself as well as a Bible, pens, and highlighters for use at meetings. He bought the same things for Viliame. Remembering his own spiteful act, Viliame was deeply touched by his brother’s kindness. He donned the new clothing and surprised his brother by attending a meeting. Viliame also accepted a Bible study, and the two brothers progressed spiritually. As both were preparing for baptism, Viliame received a lucrative offer to play rugby in Europe, an offer many young men dream of receiving, as it holds the promise of financial security and personal glory. However, his goals had now changed, and he decided instead to dedicate himself to Jehovah. Both Viliame and Leone served as auxiliary pioneers for the first six months after their baptism. Seeing the good example of his children, Waisea, their father, also accepted a Bible study. Waisea made great changes and was baptized along with his two daughters at a special assembly day.

[Pictures on page 45]

Self-discipline and modern technology helped a sister to conduct a Bible study

[Picture on page 46]

Her faithfulness gave a witness

[Picture on page 48]

Family worship equipped Stefan to witness at school

[Picture on page 49]

His persistence saved a life

[Picture on page 50]

She found a Witness who was neither young nor old

[Picture on page 55]

She arranged for just one “tuk-tuk”

[Picture on page 58]

Learning a foreign language led to a Bible study

[Picture on page 60]

Informal witnessing can take many forms

[Picture on page 63]

Preparing the “family pack”

[Picture on page 64]

They gave up a lucrative rugby career to serve Jehovah