On Tuesday, March 21, 2017, the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses invited the worldwide brotherhood to write letters of appeal to governmental authorities at the highest level who were threatening to ban our activities throughout the Russian Federation. While it cannot be determined exactly how many of the letters reached the Russian authorities, several who wrote received formal letters of acknowledgement. Though the Russian government chose not to heed the respectful appeals and has misused its authority to attack the worship of our brothers, the campaign was a stirring display of the global unity of Jehovah’s organization. It was also successful in sending the message to our fellow worshippers in Russia that the whole association of brothers is ready to provide support.—1 Peter 2:17.

Many Witnesses went to great lengths to participate in the campaign. In some countries, sending a letter to Russia presented a significant cost, so those with more means generously contributed to allow those with less means to participate. In other cases, publishers had to send their letters via friends in other countries with lower shipping costs. Many brothers and sisters gathered as families or congregations to write their letters together and send them in bulk. In this way, not only did publishers save on shipping, they also made the campaign a memorable spiritual event.

There are even reports of postal workers giving support to the campaign. For example, the manager of a parcel service in Barranquilla, Colombia, stated: “I was struck by the worldwide unity that exists among you, and that you have come together for a good cause like this matter in Russia. I imagine that what’s happening here in Barranquilla is going on in every city throughout the world. This message will be massive, on a global scale, and I hope it echoes.” In Anseong, South Korea, a postmaster created a special window for Jehovah’s Witnesses to send letters and even provided the brothers with an envelope designed for international postage, free of charge.

Yaroslav Sivulskiy, a spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses, explains: “When the brothers in Russia heard that the Governing Body had initiated a global letter-writing campaign in their behalf, they knew that no matter the outcome in court, they were not alone in the faith.”

Mark Sanderson of the Governing Body states: “This letter-writing campaign showed more than ever that Jehovah’s people are united. As we move deeper into the end of this system, our unity will be vital to our survival. As we wait to see how Jehovah maneuvers matters in Russia, we will exhaust all possibilities to assist our brothers. We will also continue to supplicate Jehovah unitedly, confident that our God will care for them in every way.”—Psalm 65:2.