Kingdom Proclaimers Report
Theocratic Expansion in Namibia
THE good news of God’s Kingdom first reached Namibia in the late 1920’s. Since that time, hundreds of honesthearted people have responded to God’s message of salvation. The following experiences show how Jehovah is gathering these desirable ones into his fold.—Haggai 2:7.
◻ Paulus, a subsistence farmer who lives in northeastern Namibia, was first contacted by Jehovah’s Witnesses when he visited Windhoek, the capital city. Paulus quickly became convinced that he had found the truth. He returned home with the book You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth. Then, on a trip to Rundu, the closest town where there was a Kingdom Hall, Paulus found the Witnesses and begged them to visit him.
However, the distance was too great for the Witnesses to come and conduct a weekly Bible study with Paulus. Undeterred, Paulus began to study the Bible on his own. In addition, he zealously preached to others about the things he was learning. In time, a Bible study group was formed. When the small group heard on the radio that an assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses would be held in Rundu, they scraped together their meager earnings and arranged for transportation to attend.
What a thrilling experience it was for them to associate with Jehovah’s Witnesses for the first time! Arrangements were soon made for qualified brothers to visit this group regularly. Today, there are six publishers in the village where Paulus lives.
◻ Johanna’s interest in God’s name was sparked when she heard someone speaking badly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She recalls: “The very first time I heard the name Jehovah, it became indelibly fixed in my mind, and I began to wonder who Jehovah is. I was living with my husband near Walvis Bay on the Namibian coast. On one occasion we went to town, and I saw some Witnesses distributing the Watchtower magazine on the street. I obtained a copy and asked for a Bible study, since I had many questions. I cried when they informed me that they were unable to come because their vehicle had broken down. Soon thereafter my husband passed away, and I went to live in Keetmanshoop. A special pioneer (full-time evangelizer) had been assigned to work there, and I obtained the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life from him. From the very start, I recognized the ring of truth.
“Eventually, I was invited to share in the preaching work, but fear of man overwhelmed me. While walking from door to door, I prayed to Jehovah that he would let me die rather than make me preach. When I first engaged in street witnessing, I hid myself in a narrow alley, hoping no one would see me. Finally, I plucked up enough courage to hold out a magazine to a passerby, and only then did I manage to say something. That day, with Jehovah’s help, I shared my Bible-based hope with dozens of people.
“Today, 12 years later, although materially poor, I still treasure the privilege of the pioneer service and continue to derive immeasurable joy from sharing Kingdom truth with others.”