Overcoming Challenges to Deliver Good News

OUR truck approaches a checkpoint manned by about 60 armed men, women, and teenagers. Some are in uniform; others are in civilian clothes. Many brandish automatic weapons. They appear to be waiting for us. There is civil unrest going on.

We have been traveling for four days, carrying ten tons of Bible literature. We wonder whether they will let us pass. Will they want money? How long might it take to convince them that our mission is peaceful?

One trigger-happy man fires into the air with his rifle to remind us who is in charge. He spots our mobile phones and demands that we give them to him. When we hesitate, he makes a menacing gesture to his throat that leaves no doubt about what will happen if we refuse to comply. We hand over the phones.

Suddenly a woman in uniform grabs her gun and approaches us. She is the “secretary,” and she wants us to give her something too. Life is hard, and a small “gift” will come in handy. Then another soldier opens our fuel tank to fill his jerrican. Ignoring our protests, he claims that he is just following orders. There is nothing we can do. We just hope that others will not get the same idea.

Finally, the barrier is opened, and we are on our way. My companion and I heave a sigh of relief. It was tense, but we have become used to these nerve-racking checkpoints. Between April 2002 and January 2004, we made 18 trips from the port of Douala, Cameroon, to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic. The 1,000-mile [1,600 km] journey is always fraught with risks and surprises. *

“These trips have taught us many lessons,” explain Joseph and Emmanuel, drivers who  have regularly made this journey. “It is wise to say numerous silent prayers and then stay calm. ‘In God I have put my trust. I shall not be afraid,’ wrote the psalmist. ‘What can earthling man do to me?’ We try to have the same attitude. We feel sure that Jehovah is aware that our journey is to deliver a message of hope that is sorely needed.”​—Psalm 56:11.

An International Effort to Provide Spiritual Food

Many in this part of Africa love to hear the good news of God’s Kingdom. The literature we transport is designed to help satisfy their spiritual need. (Matthew 5:3; 24:14) The Cameroon branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Douala regularly supplies literature to more than 30,000 Kingdom publishers and interested people living in Cameroon and four neighboring countries.

This literature has already traveled a long way. Most of it was printed in England, Finland, Germany, Italy, and Spain. It was then shipped by sea from France. Typically, a container of Bible literature arrives at the port of Douala every two weeks.

The container is hoisted onto a truck that moves it to the branch office. Workers in the Shipping Department sort the literature according to destination. Getting the publications to remote sections of the interior is not easy. But this is part of taking the good news “to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) The branch counts on self-sacrificing volunteers who willingly make the hazardous truck journeys. A regular stream of Bible literature thus flows to millions of people in the central part of Africa.

A Typical Journey

Literature shipped by truck serves Cameroon, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Central African Republic. Let us  accompany one truck and its crew. Imagine yourself sitting with the drivers, and be prepared for an adventuresome trip that will take ten or more days.

Six drivers handle this run. They must be strong, capable, patient, and well-dressed. They wear either African attire or a dress shirt and tie. In the past, customs officials have remarked: “Look at this clean truck and the well-groomed drivers, just as you see them in the photos in their publications.” Even more important than the drivers’ appearance is their willingness to go wherever necessary for the sake of serving others.​—Psalm 110:3.

Departure from Douala is at about six o’clock in the morning, just after sunrise, in order to avoid the heavy traffic in this sprawling city. After crossing a bridge near the branch office and traversing the busy city, we head east to our first destination​—Yaoundé, the capital of Cameroon.

All six drivers will tell you how difficult it is to handle a truck loaded with ten tons of books. The first three days on paved roads present few problems, though full attention and concentration are necessary. Then, suddenly, we encounter pouring rain. The road from here on is unpaved. Visibility diminishes, the road is slippery, and we have to move slowly because of the uneven surface. Dusk approaches. It is time to stop, get some food, and try to sleep with our feet propped up on the dashboard. Such is life on these trips!

Early the next morning, our trip resumes. One of the drivers helps by keeping a careful eye on road conditions. He gives an immediate warning if we get too close to the roadside ditch. Drivers know all too well that if they slide into a ditch, it may take days to get out. The roads do not improve much as we cross the border into the Central African Republic. For the next 400 miles [650 km], we pass through beautiful green, hilly countryside. Children, elderly folk, and mothers with babies on their back all wave as we slowly pass through their villages. Because of the civil unrest, there are few cars on the roads these days, so people gaze at us with curiosity.

Gratifying Experiences

Janvier, one of our drivers, tells us that despite tight schedules, they often stop in small villages to rest up a little and distribute Bible literature. He recalls: “In Baboua we always tried to talk to a hospital attendant who showed great interest in the Kingdom message, and we would conduct a short Bible  study with him. One day we even showed him and his family the videocassette about Noah. Friends and neighbors arrived, and his house was soon filled with excited spectators. Everyone had heard about Noah, and now they could follow his story on the screen. It was touching to see their appreciation. Afterward, they arranged for a special meal to show their thanks, and they urged us to stay overnight. We had to leave right away and continue our long journey, but we were happy that we had been able to share the good news with these humble people.”

Another driver, Israel, recalls incidents on another trip to Bangui, our destination. “The closer we got to Bangui,” he relates, “the more roadblocks we encountered. Fortunately, many soldiers were friendly and remembered the truck from previous trips. They invited us to sit with them, and they gladly accepted Bible literature. A book has great value to them, so they write their name in it and then the date and name of the person who gave it to them. Some soldiers had Witness relatives, and this was another reason for their friendliness.”

Joseph, the most experienced driver, relates what he considers the highlight of such trips​—arrival at the destination. Regarding one particular trip, he recalls: “Just a few miles from Bangui, we made a telephone call to tell our brothers that we would be arriving shortly. They escorted us through the city, helping us with the final formalities. On our arrival, all in the branch office came out to greet us with warm hugs. Helpers arrived from the nearby congregations, and within hours, hundreds of cartons of Bibles, books, booklets, and magazines were unloaded and stacked in the depot.”

“Sometimes,” adds Joseph, “our load included donated clothing, shoes, and children’s things destined for the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. What a pleasure it was to see the smiles of grateful brothers!”

After a day’s rest, we prepare our truck and return the way we came. Problems await us, but the gratifying experience we had more than compensates for any difficulties.

Long distances, torrential rains, appalling roads, flat tires, and breakdowns may prove frustrating. Unruly soldiers are a constant challenge. Yet, nothing brings these drivers more satisfaction than delivering the Kingdom good news to remote parts of Africa and seeing the effect it has on the lives of the people who receive it.

For example, thanks to these deliveries, a villager in a remote part of the Central African Republic near the border of Sudan now reads a modern translation of the Bible. His wife studies recent copies of The Watchtower, and their children benefit from the book Learn From the Great Teacher. * They and many others in these rural communities receive spiritual food, as do their Christian brothers in many big cities. This is indeed cause for great satisfaction!

[Footnotes]

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CAMEROON

Douala

CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

Bangui

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Joseph

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Emmanuel

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Central African Republic branch, in Bangui

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Unloading the truck in Bangui