• Serving Joyfully Despite Infirmities
    The Watchtower—2006 | June 1

    • I WAS born into a family of nine children​—four boys and five girls—​on October 11, 1922. We lived in the village of Xylophagou, in Cyprus. Although my parents were relatively well-off, raising such a large family involved a lot of hard work in the fields.

      My father, Antonis, was by nature studious and inquisitive. Shortly after I was born, Father noticed, while visiting the schoolteacher of the village, a tract entitled Peoples Pulpit, published by the Bible Students (as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then known). He started reading it, and he was soon engrossed in its contents. As a result, Father and one of his friends, Andreas Christou, were among the first on the island to associate themselves with Jehovah’s Witnesses.

      Growth Despite Opposition

      In time, the two of them obtained more Bible-based publications from Jehovah’s Witnesses. Soon, Father and Andreas were motivated to share with their fellow villagers the Bible truths they were learning. Their preaching activity provoked strong opposition from the Greek Orthodox clergy and others who felt that Jehovah’s Witnesses were a corrupting influence.

      Many of the local folk could not help but respect these two Bible teachers. My father was well-known for his kindness and generosity. Very often he extended a helping hand to poor families. Sometimes he sneaked out of the house late at night and left wheat or bread at the door of needy families. Such selfless Christian conduct made the message of these two ministers even more appealing.​—Matthew 5:16.

      The result was that about a dozen people responded to the Bible message. As their appreciation for the truth grew, they felt the need to meet in various homes to study the Bible as a group. About 1934, Nikos Matheakis, a full-time minister from Greece, arrived in Cyprus and met with the Xylophagou group. With patience and determination, Brother Matheakis helped organize the group and assisted them to acquire a better understanding of the Scriptures. This group formed the nucleus of the first congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Cyprus.

      As the Christian work progressed and more people accepted Bible truth, the brothers felt the need for a permanent place for their meetings. My eldest brother, George, and his wife, Eleni, offered a room that they were using as a barn. This property, adjacent to their home, was repaired and converted into a suitable place for the meetings. Thus the brothers came to own their first Kingdom Hall on the island. How grateful they were! And what an impetus this proved to be for further expansion!