Group Witnessing in Mountainous Italy
IT IS generally admitted that except for feast days the attitude of the working classes in Italy toward religion is that of lethargy. While such may be true of those subscribing to the state religion, it certainly does not apply to those who dedicate themselves to Jehovah and become part of the New World society, as the following report, which is typical of the way the work of Jehovah’s witnesses is carried on in Italy today, will show.
“The congregation at G——, Teramo, has a widely scattered mountainous territory assigned to it for the purpose of giving the witness, some places being fifty miles away. How to see to it that all the people residing in this territory receive the witness has been a problem, because of the lack of automobiles. For some time the stronger brothers have been leaving on their bicycles as early as four o’clock Sunday mornings for a four- to six-hour ride. Then after two hours of witnessing it meant a like trip returning. Time and again they would return soaked to the skin just in time for the congregation Bible studies, which meant that their clothes would have to dry right on them, as they did not have time to change them.
“The problem was finally solved by hiring a bus for the full day at a cost of L.300 or about fifty cents each. The brothers, some 40 to 45, were divided into groups of four, each group having one who was able to give public lectures. Starting off at six in the morning the first group of four was let off at the first village at about seven o’clock. By nine o’clock all were busy preaching from house to house, although it must be added that sometimes it still meant an hour’s walk after getting off the bus. Time was taken off for lunch and by 3 p.m. the groups lined up along the highway to be picked up again by the bus. As many as seven public lectures were given by the various brothers on one Sunday. By this means even sisters over seventy years old are able to preach in the remote areas and to devote at least ten hours a month to Kingdom witnessing.
“It is a real joy to see the brothers so happy over their privileges and to hear them sing Kingdom songs as they travel along to their territory. And on returning each group has interesting experiences to relate, thus encouraging and building up both the ones being trained in the ministry and those doing the training.”
Could one conceive of the average Roman Catholic congregation in Italy having one out of four able to give Bible lectures or sermons and all of its members starting out at six in the morning for the purpose of spending the day trudging from house to house talking religion? Truly the “word of God is alive and exerts power” when it is understood and applied!—Heb. 4:12, NW.