Fifty Years a Special Pioneer

IN 1964, I was assigned as a special pioneer to Manokwari, West Papua, where a small congregation faced fierce opposition from the local clergy. Soon after I arrived, a Protestant minister stormed up to my house.

“I am going to destroy this house and rid Manokwari of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” he thundered.

Because of my police training, I was not intimidated by his bluster. Nevertheless, I answered him calmly, and he eventually left in peace.​—1 Pet. 3:15.

Back then Manokwari had eight publishers. Today, some 50 years later, there are seven congregations in the area. More than 1,200 people attended the local convention in 2014. When I see what Jehovah has accomplished in this remote region, I feel truly satisfied at heart.