FURTHER EFFORTS TO REACH THE OUT ISLANDS

In 1960 Gordon Swisher, who had been the branch overseer up to that time, left to get married, and the Society appointed George Jenkins as his replacement. The following year saw two noteworthy events, the visit of M. G. Henschel in February and the “United Worshipers” District Assembly, July 27-30. The historic site of the convention was the Royal Victoria Hotel, built in 1863 as the first major hotel in the Bahamas. The attendance rose to a peak of 800, far surpassing any previous gathering of the Witnesses in the Bahamas. During Brother Henschel’s visit the matter of doing more to reach the Out Islands with the good news was discussed. In response to the call for serving where the need was greater, Brother and Sister Porter volunteered, and they were assigned to Long Island, Bahamas, where they carried on missionary service for the next 11 years.

Brother Porter recalls: “To get all the interested people assembled in one location for the meetings on Sundays, we would start early in the morning and drive from where we lived almost to the ends of the island in both directions. By midnight we had driven over 200 miles, but it was worth it. For example, at 72 years of age, grandmother Ritchie, with whom we studied, shocked everyone in her settlement by witnessing boldly to the parish priest. Years later the grandchildren in this family moved to Nassau, took their stand for the truth and today two of the boys are elders.”

The small congregation that now has its Kingdom Hall at Glintons continues to give the Kingdom witness to the people of Long Island.

From that time until they were reassigned to the southern United States in December 1981, Brother Van Daalen did a great deal to encourage the brothers to work the Out Islands. The brothers responded, as is indicated by the following experience related by Brother Van Daalen:

“One of the problems in the Bahamas is that of reaching the people that live on the Out Islands, especially on the small out-of-the-way cays. To solve this problem, the brothers put forth diligent efforts, such as they did in August 1966, when six brothers traveled over the open seas 60 miles in two 15-foot outboard motorboats to the small island of Grand Cay, where about 200 people live. It is not known whether anyone had ever visited this island with the message of truth before. The circuit overseer reported: ‘Literature was left in almost every home. The people proved to be very friendly, even offering to lead us to the next house and introduce us.’ On the way back one of the motors stopped and the boat had to be towed, but the brothers felt well rewarded in spite of the danger involved.”

BROTHERS WITH BOATS RENDER ASSISTANCE

In the late 1960’s and the early 1970’s brothers from the United States again visited the Bahamas. They worked under the direction of the branch office and used boats to reach the widely scattered islands and cays. Among them were Richard and Ilona Farris and their four children; Eddie and Gary Irons; Jack and Ethel Miller and three children; Joe and Dorothy Miller and two boys; Allen and Betty Doe, and the Walters family. The Farris family went down to the island of Mayaguana, where they were able to assist Susanna Ford and her sister, Angie, to the point of their being baptized. Up to that time the interested people on Mayaguana had been helped by correspondence Bible studies conducted by Sister Fairweather in Nassau. The work in the Bahamas by the Farris family was cut short by the untimely death of Richard Farris. Several years later, however, the remainder of the family was able to return on their boat to Andros to witness on that island with Allen and Betty Doe. The Millers worked at South Andros (later transferring to Grand Bahama), and the Irons at Cat Island.

Before leaving for the Bahamas, Allen and Betty Doe constructed a trimaran sailboat because its shallow draft was very suitable for the “islands of the shallow sea.”

REACHING BIMINI WITH THE GOOD NEWS

East of Miami, in the Straits of Florida, is the island group of Bimini. Though the brothers on the Sibia preached to the people there, how did those people receive a witness in more recent times? A group of brothers from the Fort Lauderdale area used an airplane to travel back and forth to the island to carry on the ministry there. Brother Dean Tarbert rented and flew the plane. Though no congregation was formed, the people received a thorough witness, and interest was found. It just awaits further watering, and Jehovah will make it grow.

[Picture on page 255]

This trimaran sailboat was used in preaching the good news on Andros and other islands