Hulda Reached Her Goal

IF YOU had visited the small island of Sangir Besar in Indonesia some years ago, you might have seen three of our Christian sisters on the beach. They are well-known on the island for their ministry​—helping people understand the Bible. But on that occasion, they were doing something quite different.

First, they waded into the sea and lugged stones back onto the beach. Some of the stones were as large as soccer balls. Next, the women sat on small wooden stools and used hammers to smash the stones into pieces smaller than a chicken egg. After that, they put the small stones into plastic buckets and carried them up a stairway to the place where they lived. Then, they put the stones into large bags that could be loaded onto trucks and used as material for road construction.

One of these sisters was Hulda. Her circumstances allowed her to spend more time than the others doing this work. She would normally use the money earned to pay for her family’s daily necessities. However, now she worked with an additional goal in mind. She wanted an electronic tablet so that she could access the JW Library^® app. Hulda knew that the videos and the other content in the app would enhance her ministry and her understanding of the Bible.

Hulda worked two hours every morning for a month and a half, smashing enough stones to fill the back of a small truck. Finally, she had enough money to buy the tablet.

“Even though I was physically exhausted and sore from smashing stones,” Hulda said, “I quickly forgot all about the aches and pains when I was able to use this new tablet to help me to be more effective in the ministry and to prepare for Christian meetings more easily.” She also said that the tablet helped her during the early part of the pandemic, since all congregation activities were being held virtually. We rejoice with Hulda that she reached her goal.