Part 4—Visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses in Central America
WHEN it was learned that the president of the Watch Tower Society, N. H. Knorr, would visit Panama for five days, arrangements were made for two district assemblies, one for Spanish-speaking publishers and the other for English-speaking witnesses.
Jehovah’s witnesses in Panama, as far as the two language groups go, are about equal in number. For both assemblies the commodious Pacific Clubhouse in the Canal Zone was used. Radio, newspapers and other channels of communication gave good publicity to the assemblies. This was greatly appreciated and helped considerably in the attendance at the public meetings. The Spanish assembly was held Wednesday and Thursday, December 22 and 23. Brother Knorr arrived Wednesday afternoon and spoke that evening through an interpreter to 369, pointing out how wonderfully the work had increased in the past ten years. In Panama, in 1944, there were 43 publishers; now a new peak had been reached, 891 publishers. With all these announcers of the Kingdom now sharing the load of responsibility, certainly much work can be done with the two journals, The Watchtower and Awake! Each publisher here is trying to place nine magazines every month, and they are having good success. Next morning Jehovah’s witnesses met together again and seventeen of our Spanish-speaking brothers were baptized.
On Thursday, between sessions, a marriage was performed in the convention hall. This involved a couple who for years had been living as “good Catholics” in common-law marriage; but, now having heard the truth, they wanted to be acceptable to the New World society. Just before the day the assembly began another couple was married in order to be good witnesses for Jehovah. A third marriage was performed a day after the assembly. The branch office in Panama does everything it can to help persons legalize their marriage and thus keep the marriage bed undefiled. Now the government officials realize that all that become Jehovah’s witnesses and that have been living in common-law marriage are going to get legally married, legalizing it on the books regardless of how old they are or how long they have lived together. The people of Panama, when speaking about one’s becoming a witness of Jehovah, remark that if you do become one you have to live a clean life. That is the way they ought to talk, and it is the Catholic people who are talking. Do you not think it strange for “good Catholics” to be living in common-law marriage? The Catholic Church forbids divorce even if one of the marriage partners commits adultery and lives with someone else. They have forced many of their parishioners to feel it is better not to be married at all. Another reason for many in Central and South America for not getting married is because of the high fees charged by priests. They cannot even afford it. Persons who are seeking truth and righteousness and clean living certainly rejoice when they begin to meet with Jehovah’s witnesses. They are different because they follow the Bible teachings and the high principles set forth by Christ Jesus on morals.
The Spanish assembly was climaxed Thursday night when the branch servant delivered the public discourse “God’s Love to the Rescue in Man’s Crisis,” in Spanish. There were 517 in attendance.
No convention session was held Friday (December 24), but all were kept busy at the branch office discussing problems with the branch servant and missionaries, and preparing for the English assembly to begin Saturday.
On December 25 the weather was sunny and warm, uncomfortably so for Panama’s visitors but ideal for the joyous group of Kingdom announcers who again met at the Clubhouse, this time Panama’s English-speaking witnesses of Jehovah. Here the same spirit was evident that had been shown among the Spanish-speaking brothers. All were happy and delighted, and even many of the Spanish-speaking brothers that understood English came back to this Clubhouse session.
Everyone at the assembly was wondering how many would come out for the public meeting Sunday evening at eight o’clock, and they were overjoyed to see the fruitage of their diligent efforts in advertising the public talk; for 1,023 persons packed out the assembly hall to hear the public talk “God’s Love to the Rescue in Man’s Crisis,” delivered by Brother Knorr. This was the highest attendance ever had at an assembly in Panama. In January the publishers in Panama moved ahead to a new peak of 906. They are anxious to help the “other sheep” study and gain information concerning Jehovah’s new world of righteousness.
TOUCHING SOUTH AMERICA
The Society’s president had just finished visiting all the countries of Central America and now was on his homeward turn. In proceeding to other necessary stops it was convenient to pause at Barranquilla, where the branch office for Colombia is located. Knowing of his coming, the congregation in Barranquilla arranged for an assembly. He was met at the airport and there was an Arab brother very anxious to take him into town in his car. The reason was soon apparent, for the brother was overjoyed and had news for Brother Knorr. He was a very active publisher, zealous and new in the truth; but now, that very day, his wife had symbolized her dedication to Jehovah God and this was his joy. He had hoped and prayed that some day his wife would see the truth as he did, and now she had; and he was so anxious to tell the president, because only a year previous he himself had come into the truth. Now he and his wife together could bring up their children in the nurture and admonition of Jehovah and together help them on into the New World organization. It was a most pleasant trip and one that always makes a Christian’s heart warm, for another “sheep” has been gathered under the arrangements of Christ Jesus.
As soon as we arrived at the Kingdom Hall at Barranquilla Brother Knorr was invited to speak to an audience of 401. It seemed like just yesterday that the speaker had been there, having visited a year previous on his South American trip. For this night a public meeting had been arranged in the Kingdom Hall, and their patio, too, was crowded when 655 came out to hear.
The Society has missionaries situated in different parts of Colombia and they are doing excellent work, but the number of them is limited. One of the fine things about this country is that when the “other sheep” come into the truth and grow on to maturity they appreciate the value of the pioneer service. The missionaries have talked it and lived it. Many of them have engaged in it and it is through their splendid efforts, going out in the field in different parts of Colombia and eventually getting into the special pioneer service, that the work there is moving ahead so rapidly. By January they had reached a new all-time peak of 624 publishers. This is well over their 20 per cent of the previous year’s average.
The missionaries the Society has there now love the people and love the congregations. Those in Barranquilla take out groups of people every day and work with them in the field, training them to be good publishers and pioneers. Then it is not long until they get into the special pioneer service and they are off on their own in some isolated territory.
It would have been good to remain longer, but connections had to be made in Venezuela at Maracaibo, to fly on to Curaçao. So on the afternoon of December 29 good-by was said to a smiling group of witnesses at the airport and away the president went to Maracaibo. In a short while he was met there by more publishers in another land. They had arranged for a public meeting in the patio of a brother’s home. It was the biggest public meeting they had had in this city for Jehovah’s witnesses, 207 coming.
Venezuela is doing very well. In November there were 780 reporting field service, but by February of 1955 the total had moved up to 832. Scattered throughout all Venezuela there are 31 missionaries and they have been taking the lead in preaching the good news of the Kingdom. A most prosperous country, its oil, iron and other commodities are in great demand. Money is plentiful, and often it is hard to turn the minds of people away from material things of this world to spiritual things; but, despite this, publishers in Venezuela have been making good progress in gathering together the “other sheep.”
The president of the Society found it a real pleasure to be able to live in the missionary home and to talk with the missionaries about their problems. The branch servant had come from Caracas to go over some matters, taking advantage of the president’s one-day stopover in Maracaibo. Just a year previous Brother Knorr had visited all the missionary homes in Venezuela and the branch office and they had had a general convention, but just now this was only a jumping point for the islands in the Caribbean and there was little time for discussion. It was good to learn that the new branch home purchased by the Society was in proper order and everybody happy with his new location in Caracas.