ENDURING IN A FINE ROUTINE

Getting up in the morning at the sound of a bell, going to meals, to work, and quitting work when a bell sounds​—that was my new routine. A few have found it too rigid, too circumscribing; but I loved it. It was clearly the way to avoid waste of precious time. My first job was to mend defective bound books. This lasted two or three days, and then I was assigned to serve in the department that unions call “the foundry.” Here all the printing plates were cast and prepared for the presses.

Right up until now I have continued in that same department. Some who have come to Bethel have felt unnoticed, neglected, unsettled even, simply because they were not quickly given a change of assignment. I am happy to say I never felt that way. It was a pleasure to be given work to do, any kind of work, and I felt that one should give himself wholeheartedly to the job assigned, striving always to improve the quality of the work.

New York city in those days had only one congregation of Bible Students, and, since I had a car, I was invited to witness out on Long Island on weekends, taking a carload along with me. One of my Christian brothers who was always ready and eager to join our group was N. H. Knorr. Later, when construction of radio station WBBR demanded more workers, a change was made. My car was most often at Staten Island, the construction site, and when not needed there we would preach from house to house in the immediate vicinity of the new station.

REWARDS OF ENDURANCE

By staying on the job here at Bethel, enduring, we have enjoyed thrill after thrill as the expansion out in the field, which is the whole world, demanded the expansion of our facilities. The plant at 18 Concord Street, Brooklyn, was soon outgrown. Since that time we have witnessed construction of factory building after factory building as well as several new Bethel homes. Imagine having four city blocks occupied by our printery and shipping facilities, and a good part of three city blocks devoted to housing the Bethel home and offices! All this has been marvelous to our eyes!

What a joy, too, it has been to be an active, on-the-spot witness of all these evidences of Jehovah’s blessing and favor on his people! Over the years it has been my privilege to observe the number of large rotary presses increase from two to twenty-seven; to see the total copies of each issue of The Watchtower rise from 35,000 to the enormous figure of 6,000,000 today. And how faith-strengthening to see the number of congregations in the New York city area increase from one to one hundred and ninety-one! It has been rewarding to wait on Jehovah and work!

Never, through those difficult years, did the march of the Kingdom witness work waver. We looked to Jehovah and kept right on. Even war shortages were somehow bypassed or overcome. It was my job to see that we kept a good supply of nickel bars on hand​—nickel that is used to harden the surface of printing plates so they will stand up under long press runs. Well, as war hysteria spread we quickly ordered a ton of nickel bars. Then one day a well-wisher, a businessman, phoned to say that entry of the United States into the war was expected momentarily, and advised that we should immediately get what supply of metals we would need. Another ton of nickel was ordered, and as it was being unloaded at our factory the Government stopped all nickel deliveries and placed that metal on a high priority list. But we had sufficient on hand to see us through the war.

NOT DISAPPOINTED

Truly, Jehovah never disappoints those who wait patiently for him while striving to perform their service well. For instance, some have thought that Bethel service would greatly reduce their opportunities to travel and go places. The very opposite is true. One’s travel privileges increase.

Over these years of Bethel service I have visited every state in the union, except Hawaii and Alaska, and every province of Canada, vacationing or attending assemblies. Also, I have had the pleasure of making three trips to Europe. And all of this travel and meeting with fellow Witnesses in so many lands has served to add zest to the work to be done here at Bethel​—the work of supplying that increasing army of zealous Witnesses with the publications they need for their ministry.

Not merely waiting on Jehovah to do something, as are many peoples of all nations today, is what is important; there is more than that. God’s Word, the Bible, holds out precious promises of reward for ‘those who are seeking glory and honor by endurance in work that is good.’ (Rom. 2:7) How satisfying to fill the time of waiting with works that give proof of our love for Jehovah!