Nicolas and Céline face different problem. The France branch assign them to new congregation. They say: “First, we were too happy but then we started missing our friend them. Our friendship with the brothers and sisters in the new congregation was not strong yet.” a Even though it can’t be easy, but what you can do to be successful when you move to new congregation? Wetin other people can do to help? And what some ways you and the brother them can encourage each other?

FOUR ADVICE FROM THE BIBLE THAT CAN HELP YOU

1. Depend on Jehovah. (Ps. 37:5) Kazumi, in Japan, was in one congregation 20 years. But she move to different congregation when her husband get new assignment from his working place. How she leave all her problems with Jehovah? She say: “I pray to Jehovah over and over about how I was worrying, feeling scary and lonely. Any time I pray, he can give me strength.”

How you can depend more on Jehovah? Just how the plant them need water and good-good thing them from the ground to grow, that the same way we need good things that will make our faith to be more strong. Nicolas, who we talk about before, think good-good about the examples of Abraham, Jesus, and Paul who made plenty sacrifices to do God will. Because of that, it help him to be more convince that Jehovah will help him too. If you always study the Bible, it will help you to go through any change in your life. Also, it will help you to  learn new things that you can use to encourage other people in your new congregation.

2. Don’t compare your new congregation with your old congregation. (Eccl. 7:10) When Jules move from Benin to America, he notice that the culture was really different from his own. He say, “It made me feel that anytime I meet somebody the first time, I must explain my life story to them. Because he was not use to their culture, he stop going around the brothers and sisters. After he get to know the brother and sister them good-good, he change the way he was feeling. He say: “Now I know that no matter which part of the earth you go, all human being the same. The way they can talk and act can just be different. It important to accept people the way they looking.” So don’t compare your old congregation with your new congregation. One pioneer sister name Anne-Lise say, “I move because I wanted to learn new things. I not move because I wanted everything in my new congregation to be the same with my old congregation.”

The elder them too must not compare their old congregation with their new congregation. It not wrong to do things different way. So before you make any suggestion, it will be good for you to know how they can do things in that area. (Eccl. 3:​1, 7b) It better to set good example for your brother them instead of forcing your thinking on them.—2 Cor. 1:24.

3. Be busy in your new congregation. (Phil. 1:27) Even though moving get plenty work and it can take plenty time, but it important to attend the meetings in your new congregation soon you get there. But if the brothers and sisters in your new congregation can’t see you or they can only see you one-one time, how you think they will help you? Lucinda, who move in one big city in South Africa with her two daughters, say: “My friend them advise me to get more close to the people in my new congregation. They also encourage me to work with them in field service and take part in the meetings. We also tell the brother them to use our house for field service meetings.”

Working close together with the brother and sister them in your new congregation will make your faith strong and also make their faith strong. The elders encourage Anne-Lise who we talk about before, to work in field service with everybody in her new congregation. What was the result? She say, “That one of the best way here to get close to the brother and sister them in your new congregation.” Also, when you help to do things like cleaning and taking care of the Kingdom Hall, it will show that you part of the congregation now. The more you stay busy in the congregation, it will make it easy for the brother and sister them to feel free around you and you will feel that you part of their family.

4. Make new friends. (2 Cor. 6:​11-13) The best way to be friendly with people, that to  take personal interest in them. So before or after the meetings, take some time to talk with the brother and sister them so you can know them good-good. Try your best to know their names. When you remember people name and you friendly and easy to talk to, they will want know you and be your friend.

Instead of pretending just for people to like your business, allow the brother and sister them in your new congregation to know you good-good. Learn from Lucinda who say, “We close to the brother and sister them now because we invite them to our house.”

“WELCOME ONE ANOTHER”

It can be hard for some people when they go to Kingdom Hall where they not know anybody. So how you can make it more easy for people who just move in your congregation? The apostle Paul encourage us to “Welcome one another, just as the Christ also welcomed you.” (Rom. 15:7) The elder them can follow Jesus example by welcoming people who just move in the congregation. (See the box “ What Will Help You to Be Successful When You Move?”) But everybody in the congregation and even children, able to make friends.

We can welcome people by inviting them to our house and also doing other things to help them. For example, one sister carry another sister who just move in their congregation and show her how to move around town. This one really touch the new sister heart and help her to get use to her new congregation.

OPPORTUNITY TO GROW

The grasshopper can change the skin plenty times before it get strong to fly. That the same way when you move in new congregation, you must change anything that will want stop you from doing more for Jehovah. Nicolas and Céline say, “Moving that good training. To get use to new people and new area can make us to learn new qualities.” Jean-Charles, who  we talk about from the beginning of this article, talk about how his family na benefit. He say: “Moving to new congregation na help our children to be more mature and to get more close to Jehovah. Just after few months, our daughter get assignment on the midweek meeting and our son became unbaptize publisher.”

For example, suppose you not able to move to where they need more people to preach because of your situation? Then you can still be in your congregation and apply some of the thing them we na talk about in this article. While you depending on Jehovah, continue to be busy with your congregation by making plan to work with other people in the field service. And also make new friends or make your friendship more thick with the people you already know. You able to do things to help people who just move in your congregation, or brothers and sisters who need help? Since that love can make people to know true Christians, helping other people can make you get more close to Jehovah. (John 13:35) You can be sure that God happy with the sacrifices you making.—Heb. 13:16.

Plenty brothers and sisters na move to new congregation and they were successful even though they face problems. So you yourself can be successful when you move! Anne-Lise say, “Changing congregations na help me to know different-different brothers and sisters.” Kazumi convince now that when you move, “you can see how Jehovah can help you in different-different ways that you not experience yet.” And what about Jules? He say: “The friend them I made na help me to feel free in the congregation. Now-now, I can feel that I part of my new congregation and I not even want move from there.”