St. Helena​—Lonely, Lovely, Hospitable

IN THE year 1502 Portuguese sailors, captained by João de Nova Castella, sighted a little island in the South Atlantic, about 1,200 milesa west of Africa. Its stark, rocky cliffs, some as high as 2,000 feet,b did not seem at all inviting. But on landing they found a green, lush countryside with fresh springs and streams in abundance. They called it St. Helena.

The little island, of some 47 square miles (about 122 km²), is under British rule and for centuries was a regular port of call for ships needing water.

The climate is semitropical, the exotic vegetation in places having almost the appearance of a botanic garden. The population of about 5,200 is mainly of a mixed, colorful origin. In earlier days the British maintained a garrison at Jamestown, the only town and port. Hundreds of slaves were brought in from Africa, and many Chinese came to the island to develop the hemp industry. Traces of such ancestry are evident today in family names, facial features, personality traits and folklore.

No planes can land on St. Helena; there are too many mountains and deep valleys. It is accessible only by ship, being a five-day voyage from Cape Town, South Africa. So it is off the beaten track, lonely but lovely.

The island’s main claim to fame from a historical standpoint comes from the fact that Napoleon Bonaparte, after his defeat at Waterloo in 1815, was exiled to this isolated place. He died here in 1821.

THE KINGDOM MESSAGE REACHES ST. HELENA

A little over 100 years later, in 1933, a visit was paid to the island that was to have a more far-reaching effect. Two of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Grey Smith and a young companion, came as real pioneers. They visited the whole island and left nearly 1,000 pieces of Bible literature. The ‘seed’ found some “fine soil” in Tom Scipio, an officer of the British Police who also happened to be a descendant of a household servant of Napoleon. (Matt. 13:3-8) Tom listened attentively to the Kingdom message and at once saw the importance of telling others about it. He soon ran into opposition. A fellow officer, in an attempt to silence Tom, charged him with misusing his position as police officer to propagate his religious beliefs. But the charge was dismissed by the governor.

Undeterred, this zealous man obtained more Bible literature from Cape Town and also a gramophone and recorded Bible lectures. Tom Scipio, his donkey loaded with these aids for spreading the “good news,” became a well-known figure to the islanders. He remained a zealous preacher until his death in 1977.

THE FIRST CONGREGATION

Such zealous activity soon produced results. The very next year, 1934, a small group was formed in St. Helena. It kept growing, and by 1939 two groups were organized, one at Jamestown and the other at Longwood, a few miles away. For years they carried on alone. Even contact by mail was (and still is) very infrequent. As a result, proper preaching and teaching methods were not understood.

For that reason, in 1951, the Watch Tower Society’s branch office in South Africa sent an experienced full-time worker, J. F. Van Staden, to St. Helena. He discovered that the only meetings the local Witnesses had been holding were “open-air services,” conducted at various places on the island. The brothers had their own little band​—two violins and an accordion. They would attract a crowd by playing Kingdom songs and would then give talks. However, with Van Staden’s help, two meeting places were arranged, one in Jamestown and the other at Levelwood, and properly organized Bible-instruction meetings were held. After providing only three months of training and spiritual help, Van Staden was thrilled to hold a baptismal service, during which 26 new ones were baptized. Van Staden stayed for over a year, and the local Witnesses became well equipped to do house-to-house preaching and to conduct Bible studies and meetings.

Since then a traveling overseer has been sent to the island annually. The two congregations have become well established, each with its own Kingdom Hall.

Setting a lead in this development has been Tom Scipio’s son, George. A serious physical handicap, which makes it difficult for him to walk, has not prevented him from hobbling faithfully up and down the steep, often slippery, mountain paths that crisscross the island. On countless occasions he has slipped and fallen. Yet for many years he has served as a full-time worker. In addition to that, in earlier days he served as congregation overseer with little or no help to handle the local problems and decisions.

A DAY IN THE FIELD SERVICE

Sharing in the house-to-house preaching activity on St. Helena is an experience with many rewards. For a stranger it is an unforgettable event. Here is a description of a day in the field service by a visiting overseer who was there recently.

“Because of the locality of the territory to be worked, we do not meet at the Kingdom Hall. Our rendezvous is a lay-by on a mountain road at a point 1,200 feet above sea level. While discussing plans for our activity, we have a breathtaking view. Between us and the sparkling sea below are pastures of lush green grass, terraced fields of flax, thorn-tree thickets and eucalyptus groves with brambles and ferns hugging their shade. We hear the singing of birds. Such marvels of Jehovah’s handiwork help the assembled Kingdom proclaimers to have the right mental outlook.

“After a brief Scriptural discussion and prayer, we are assigned our section of territory for the day. Each pair is assigned to four or five homes. There is no need for a map. The local workers know the inhabitants so well that they are simply given the names of the families to be called on.

“Leaving the narrow tarred road, we follow steep mountain footpaths. Some of the climbs are so steep that we have to rest at intervals. About half an hour later we approach a cottage perched on a level niche carved out of a steep mountainside. It is built of hewn volcanic rock and painted white. The pigsties and the well-kept vegetable garden with banana trees and granadilla vines show that the householder is a peasant farmer.

“We call out a greeting from the gate and a friendly voice responds: ‘Are you Brother So-and-So? Come and sit down. How do you like our island?’

“We know that these homes were called on only a few weeks ago. The householder already has Bible literature and understands several basic Bible teachings. So we ascertain what Scriptural subjects he has discussed before. Using his own Bible, we enlarge on a subject previously dealt with (or, in some cases, explain new points). Half an hour or more passes quickly and we leave magazines or other literature with the householder, who thanks us for the visit. Since all our calls follow a similar pattern, it is clear why four or five hours are needed to visit as many homes.

“At about 2 p.m. all the Witnesses converge on a predetermined picnic spot in some inviting place. As they hospitably share the contents of their lunch baskets, they exchange experiences of the day. The adults relax while the children enjoy some fun. All have that feeling of deep satisfaction that comes from sharing in Kingdom work.”

THE “VICTORIOUS FAITH” CONVENTION

A milestone in the history of St. Helena was the 1979 “Victorious Faith” Convention. The place? A hall of hewn stone, approximately 100 years old, in the center of Jamestown. Since the hall seats only 150 people, overflow was provided for in an open-front cafeteria building nearby. Sound amplification facilities were installed in this building. Not only were the 250 attending the convention able to hear and enjoy the program, but a number of neighbors also enjoyed the four-day program by sitting on their verandas. One lady made this comment to one of the Society’s representatives: “It was such a fine program. The counsel and instruction for the family was so practical. I was also pleased to hear how qualified our local islanders have become in their speaking.” She had heard the program from her front veranda.

Yes, the island of St. Helena is one of the most isolated places on earth. However, this has advantages for those who like peace and quiet. It also helps to keep the people less tainted by worldly trends and media. For the most part, they are certainly a friendly, hospitable and humble people. As a result, in St. Helena there are more Witnesses in proportion to population than anywhere else on earth​—1 to 61 in 1980. Since then some Witnesses have moved away, leaving about 80 active ones. However, for the Memorial celebration in 1980 the attendance was 207, a ratio of about 1 to 24 of the islanders.

It is heartwarming to see that in this lonely but lovely place the Kingdom work has made wonderful progress. And there are fine prospects of many more here joining in fulfilling the words of Isaiah 42:10: “Sing to Jehovah a new song, his praise from the extremity of the earth, . . . you islands and you inhabiting them.”​—Contributed.

[Footnotes]

[Maps on page 13]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

ST. HELENA

JAMESTOWN

KINGDOM HALL

[Map]

SOUTH ATLANTIC OCEAN

AFRICA

CAPE TOWN

ST. HELENA