As the worldwide preaching work mushroomed, a call went out for missionaries. We thought that if we could take Canada’s ice-cold winters and the annoying mosquitoes in the summer, we should be able to survive adverse circumstances in any assignment. We graduated from the 27th class of Gilead School in July 1956, and by November we were in our assignment​—Brazil.

MISSIONARY ACTIVITY IN BRAZIL

When we arrived at the branch in Brazil, we were introduced to the Portuguese language. After learning basic forms of address and memorizing a one-minute magazine presentation, we were invited to begin engaging in the field service. If a householder showed interest, it was suggested that we read scriptures describing life under God’s Kingdom. On our first day in the field ministry, one lady listened attentively, so I read Revelation 21:3, 4​—and then I fainted! My body had not adjusted to the hot, humid weather, and this was to be an ongoing challenge.

Our missionary assignment was the city of Campos, where there are now 15 congregations. When we arrived, there was only one isolated group in the city as well as a missionary home with four sisters: Esther Tracy, Ramona Bauer, Luiza Schwarz, and Lorraine Brookes (now Wallen). My assignment in the home was to help with the laundry and to obtain wood for cooking meals. After our Watchtower Study one Monday night, we had an unexpected visitor. My wife had stretched out on a sofa to rest while we were talking about the day’s activity. When she raised her head from the pillow to get up, out came a snake that caused quite a commotion until I killed it!

After studying Portuguese for a year, I was appointed to be a circuit overseer. We led a simple life in rural areas​—doing without electricity, sleeping on mats, and traveling by horse and buggy. During a witnessing campaign in unassigned territory, we traveled by train to a town in the mountains and rented a room in a boardinghouse. The branch office sent us 800 magazines to use in the ministry. We had to make many trips to the post office to pick up the boxes of magazines and carry them to our accommodations.

In 1962, the Kingdom Ministry School was held throughout Brazil for brothers and missionary sisters. For six months, I was assigned to travel to one school after another​—but without Mary. I taught classes in Manaus, Belém, Fortaleza, Recife, and Salvador. I organized a district convention in the famous opera house in Manaus. Heavy rains contaminated much of the drinking water and left us without a decent cafeteria area for the convention. (In those days, meals were served at conventions.) I contacted the military, and a kind officer gladly arranged to supply drinking water for the entire convention and sent soldiers to erect two large tents for our kitchen and cafeteria.

While I was away, Mary witnessed in a Portuguese commercial district, where making money was the only subject of interest. She was unable to start a Bible conversation with anyone, so she said to some Bethelites, “The last place on earth I would want to live is Portugal.” Surprise! Shortly thereafter, we received a letter inviting us to serve in Portugal. At that time, our preaching work was under ban there, but we accepted the assignment despite Mary’s initial shock.