Then in October 1946, the “Glad Nations” Theocratic Assembly was held in the city of São Paulo. My employer of ten years said that he needed me and pressured me not to go. However, after I explained to him how much my attending the assembly would mean to me, he gave me a generous gift and wished me well on the trip.

The assembly sessions in São Paulo’s Municipal Theater were conducted in Portuguese—the language of Brazil—as well as in English, German, Hungarian, Polish, and Russian. At that assembly the Awake! magazine was released in Portuguese. I was so moved by the assembly—some 1,700 attended the public talk—that I filled out an application to begin pioneering on November 1, 1946.

Then in 1968, Bethel was transferred to a new building in the city of São Paulo. When we moved in, everything seemed large and spacious for our Bethel family of 42 members. We really thought that this building would serve for all our future growth.