Act in Loyalty. JW Broadcasting

Transcription

1 Act in Loyalty JW Broadcasting August 2016

2 Contents 1. Introduction Act in Loyalty Ronald Curzan Helper to the teaching committee David experienced disloyalty at its worst Sam 24:6 David refused to kill Saul Defend Jehovah Job 32:2, 3 Elihu s anger blazed at Job Job 36:2, 3 defending Jehovah Loyal to the Governing Body What if we don t agree Paul s loyalty tested Loyal to the elders See the big picture illustration Loyalty to Jehovah s arrangement (13:58) Numbers 26:9 fought against Jehovah Korah s sons chose Jehovah Korah s sons loyal Review - How to show loyalty Defend Jehovah Supprt faithful and discreet slave Follow direction from elders How GB Arrives at important decisions Branch committee in the US Merging meetings Too much preparation Too poor for bus fare WT Editions Fleece test Public talk reduced to 30 mins... 18

3 5.4.1 Preparation time Isolated congregations Clarifications William & Sandra Malenfant (27:00) William Malenfant Sandra Malenfant How they met Decorah, Iowa Casablanca Tangier Health problem Washington D.C Circuit & District work Bethel Changes affecting long-timers Ps 54 willing sacrifice Rom 14:7, 8 live & die for Jehovah Cory Wells (41:54) No more a witness Seed planted Prov 3:5,6 trust in Jehovah Return to truth Preparing for Marriage Part 2 (49:30) Part Part Secret person of the heart Eph 5: Metropolitan witnessing Since Alfredo

4 9.3 Three reasons to keep living Our Thanks Go to You Music Video Phil 4:6 pray Behind the scenes with Orchestra... 47

5 1. Introduction Welcome to another edition of JW Broadcasting. Here are this month s highlights: What is it like to engage in the special metropolitan witnessing work in the bustling United States city of San Francisco? We ll hear encouraging experiences from brothers and sisters who preach in this diverse language field. Can young ones serve Jehovah successfully even if their family s spiritual activity stops? We ll hear from a sister who tells what kept her love for Jehovah growing throughout her family s busy show business career. In our Preparing for Marriage series, we ll learn how those who are dating can get to know the secret person of the heart before making a solemn lifelong commitment. And we ll discuss the beautiful quality of loyalty, including an interview with a couple who has served Jehovah loyally for over 60 years. All this is ahead on JW Broadcasting for August Act in Loyalty 2.1 Ronald Curzan Helper to the teaching committee This month s theme is taken from David s poetic song to Jehovah at Psalm 18:25, which states: With someone loyal you act in loyalty. The Hebrew term act in loyalty reminds us of God s loyal love that is love motivated by commitment, integrity, loyalty, and deep attachment. So loyalty is more than just a feeling; it is active; it s rooted in love. Page 1 / 48

6 How comforting it is to know that Jehovah lovingly attaches himself to those who are loyal to him! But what motivated David to write the words at Psalm 18:25? The superscription reveals that it was composed after Jehovah rescued him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. Think of the great joy and relief he must have felt after experiencing firsthand Jehovah s loyal love and mighty saving acts. 2.2 David experienced disloyalty at its worst However, throughout his life, David experienced disloyalty at its worst: from his king, Saul; from his wife Michal; from his trusted counsellor Ahithophel; and from his son Absalom. He felt the deep hurt of betrayal by those he trusted and loved most. Loyalty is a choice. What do we find when we look back at David s life? David chose to stay loyal to God. From a humble shepherd boy caring for his sheep to a valiant king caring for the nation, he proved to be someone loyal, a man agreeable to Jehovah s heart. But it can be a real test to maintain loyalty to God when we face injustices. Page 2 / 48

7 Imagine the desperate situation that David and his mighty warriors experienced when they were fugitives, forced to hide in the wilderness, often low on provisions. They saw firsthand King Saul s jealous rage. But what choice did David make when urged by his men to seize the opportunity to take Saul s life? Sam 24:6 David refused to kill Saul Notice what David told his men at 1 Samuel 24:6: It is unthinkable from Jehovah s standpoint that I should do such a thing to my lord, the anointed of Jehovah, by lifting my hand against him, for he is the anointed of Jehovah. David knew that if he remained loyal, Jehovah would remain loyal to him He would show him loyal love. He humbly put aside his personal feelings and viewed matters from Jehovah s perspective. He chose to wait patiently for Jehovah to act in loyalty. We ll soon be facing life-changing events foretold in the Bible that will test our loyalty to Jehovah and his organization. So now is the time to strengthen our loyalty! As we do, we can be sure that Jehovah knows our circumstances perhaps injustices we have experienced and will reward our loyal service. So ask yourself, What loyal actions will motivate Jehovah to be loyal to me? Let s consider three areas. Page 3 / 48

8 2.3 Defend Jehovah August 2017 Broadcast First, we can be loyal to Jehovah by defending him. But Jehovah is the Sovereign of the universe. How can we come to his defense? We can learn how from the fine example of Elihu! In the book of Job, Elihu listened patiently as Job and his three false comforters spoke Job 32:2, 3 Elihu s anger blazed at Job Notice Elihu s reaction at Job 32:2, 3: His anger blazed against Job for trying to prove himself right rather than God. He was also very angry with Job s three companions because they could not find an answer but had declared God wicked. A fire of righteous indignation was burning inside young Elihu Job 36:2, 3 defending Jehovah In Job 36:2, 3, he loyally comes to Jehovah s defence saying: Be patient with me a little longer while I explain, for I still have words to speak on God s behalf. I will speak comprehensively about what I know, and I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker. Elihu courageously proved loyal by praising, and, yes, defending God. Why do we need to come to Jehovah s defence today? Because our loving heavenly Father is blasphemed in so many ways. False religions claim that he s part of a Trinity and that he torments people eternally in burning hell. Page 4 / 48

9 Others say that he does not exist or if he does, he doesn t really care about us. We know that such lies come from Satan the Devil. We demonstrate our loyalty by speaking in defence of Jehovah, thereby proving Satan the liar that he is. We boldly and zealously proclaim that he does exist as the almighty God; and that he is wise, just, and loving, and that he will soon bring an end to all evil and reward his loyal ones with eternal life. Jehovah could make the stones cry out in defence, yet he honours his loyal Witnesses you and me with this fine privilege. 2.4 Loyal to the Governing Body Second, we can be loyal to Jehovah by being loyal to the faithful and discreet slave, the Governing Body. Jehovah and Jesus are using the faithful and discreet slave to feed us spiritually, so we owe our loyalty to that slave. But some may say, Isn t the Governing Body made up of imperfect men? Yes, it is. The last perfect person to walk the earth was Jesus himself. There is no perfect person or organization on the globe. But as a long-time faithful brother used to say, This is the best imperfect organization on earth. Page 5 / 48

10 Jesus didn t say the slave would be infallible. He said it would be faithful and discreet. The way we listen to and obey the faithful slave has a direct bearing on the strength of our friendship with God. In fact, it means our very life What if we don t agree But what if the Governing Body serves some spiritual food that is not to our liking? Or what if we do not fully understand or agree with a clarification of a belief? On one occasion, Jesus followers, including the apostle Peter, were confronted with a new teaching. How did most react? John 6:60 shocked at Jesus words Notice John 6:60, it states: When they heard this, many of his disciples said: This speech is shocking; who can listen to it? The result? Continuing in verse 66: Because of this, many of his disciples went off to the things behind and would no longer walk with him. But how did Peter respond when Jesus asked them, Are you too stumbled? John 6:68 who shall we go away to? At John 6:68, we read: Simon Peter answered him: Lord, whom shall we go away to? You have sayings of everlasting life. Page 6 / 48

11 What loyalty! Peter s loyalty was based on solid evidence that Jesus was the Messiah. His loyalty was evidence of his faith. That is the kind of loyalty we want to imitate today. There are times we must wait on Jehovah to clarify matters. In the meantime, may we prove ourselves loyal like Peter and follow closely the lead of the faithful slave, who closely follow in the footsteps of their Master, Jesus. At times, though, we receive counsel that touches us personally. For instance, on JW Broadcasting we ve received loving reminders from members of the Governing Body to be forgiving, to honour Jehovah with our valuable things, and to remain spiritually alert. Through The Watchtower and at Christian meetings, we re reminded to be careful about our dress and grooming, to choose good associates and wholesome entertainment, and to remain morally clean. Are we quick to respond and make needed adjustments or do we find ourselves wanting to defend our personal rights? Paul s loyalty tested A situation in the apostle Paul s life tested his loyalty to theocratic direction. It s found in Acts chapter 21. As you recall, Paul arrived in Jerusalem in 56 C.E. after a very successful missionary tour. You can imagine his excitement as he related in detail the things God did among the nations through his ministry. Page 7 / 48

12 After hearing Paul s extraordinary account, the older men revealed to Paul a problem in Judea that involved him personally Acts 21:21 Paul accused of apostasy Read what they said at Acts 21:21: But they [the Jewish believers] have heard it rumoured about you that you have been teaching all the Jews among the nations an apostasy from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or to follow the customary practices. Well, perhaps Paul thought, Me, an apostate? Really? How can they say such a thing? I just finished my third missionary tour, and look how Jehovah blessed the work! Acts 21:23, 24 Paul to cleanse himself Nevertheless, the older men gave Paul very clear direction at Acts 21:23, 24 that he likely did not anticipate, and there it reads: So do what we tell you: We have four men who have put themselves under a vow. Take these men with you and cleanse yourself ceremonially together with them and take care of their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know that there is nothing to the rumors they were told about you, but that you are walking orderly and you are also keeping the Law. Was this the time for Paul to question their decision or demand his rights? He could have reasoned: Didn t you read my letter to the Galatians, where it says the Law was nailed to the torture stake with Jesus? I did nothing wrong! Why do I have to put on this pretense just because a few are overly sensitive? No. Page 8 / 48

13 He humbly did as they requested, although it nearly cost him his life. Yes, it meant swallowing his pride, but Paul knew there were bigger issues involved than his personal rights. He was considerate of the consciences of others. But more importantly, he showed his loyalty to Jehovah and to the governing body. Do we see the bigger issue in our life? Let us be determined to be humble, flexible, and obedient like Paul, and thereby prove ourselves faithful to the faithful and discreet slave. 2.5 Loyal to the elders Third, we can be loyal to Jehovah by being loyal to the elders. We ve discussed loyalty to Jehovah himself and to the faithful slave, but what about direction we receive from the elders in our congregation? We listen to our elders give talks and comments at the meetings each week, we work with them in the ministry, and we associate with them. This regular contact gives us more opportunities to see their imperfections and flaws. We could begin to focus on their weaknesses, weakening our trust in God s arrangement. Page 9 / 48

14 2.6 See the big picture illustration For example, if you zoom in on any of our pictures in our magazines, all you ll see are coloured spots or pixels. But when you zoom out, you see a beautiful photo or painting. Similarly, when looking at our elders, don t zoom in on their imperfections the spots of ink rather, see the big picture. Why, then, is it so important to strengthen our loyalty to our hard-working, loving shepherds? Because these gifts in men are an expression of Jehovah s loyal love as they loyally lead, feed, and protect his precious sheep. 3. Loyalty to Jehovah s arrangement (13:58) As the great tribulation nears, our survival will depend on our readiness to respond to their direction, as they follow the Governing Body s direction. Our loyalty is not to men, but to Jehovah s arrangement made up of imperfect, but loyal men. That is a lesson that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram refused to learn. In this clip from the video Respect Jehovah s Authority, listen to Korah s defiant attitude toward Moses as taken from Numbers chapter 16. There s Moses. That is enough of you because the whole assembly are all of them holy and Jehovah is in their midst. Page 10 / 48

15 Why, then, should you lift yourselves up above the congregation of Jehovah? Korah and the others made great pretences of loyalty to God, but completely ignored the fact that Jehovah directly appointed Moses and Aaron. Who, then, were they really murmuring against? Numbers 26:9 fought against Jehovah Notice Numbers 26:9: This Dathan and Abiram were chosen ones of the assembly who fought against Moses and Aaron along with Korah s group when they fought against Jehovah. While focusing on the man Moses and his imperfections, they did not really see that it was Jehovah who was directing the nation. They were actually fighting against Jehovah. Their disloyalty to God s appointed men cost them their lives. 3.2 Korah s sons chose Jehovah But Korah s sons made a different choice. In this next clip, notice an attitude far different from their father s. My father and his companions actually rebelled against Jehovah s authority. Their envy, pride, and ambition led to rebellion, and in the end they brought dishonor upon themselves. My father sought glory, but his glory was short-lived. Page 11 / 48

16 I m glad, though, that my brothers and I took the right side of the issue. It must have been hard though. Yes, it was. But that helps us to understand how important it is that we do not allow friendships or family to take priority over our relationship with Jehovah and our obedience to him. That s what Father has always told me. Mmm, yes. Ultimately, successful direction for us humans comes from Jehovah. We should completely trust in his choices of appointed ones. You see, respect for those whom Jehovah has appointed shows respect for Jehovah s authority. 3.3 Korah s sons loyal The loyalty displayed by Korah s sons moved Jehovah to act in loyalty by sparing their lives. What fine examples for us to imitate! May we never find ourselves fighting against Jehovah by murmuring or complaining against those who he has appointed to lead his people today. To see more of the good and the bad examples of loyalty among the Israelites, we encourage you to watch the entire Respect Jehovah s Authority video on JW Broadcasting. Page 12 / 48

17 4. Review - How to show loyalty In review, how can we show our loyalty to Jehovah? 4.1 Defend Jehovah First, by coming to his defence as his Witnesses. 4.2 Supprt faithful and discreet slave Second, by maintaining our loyal support of the faithful and discreet slave. 4.3 Follow direction from elders And third, by loyally following direction from the appointed elders. As you imitate faithful examples like the sons of Korah, like David, Peter, and Paul, you will prove to be someone Jehovah views as loyal worthy of receiving his acts of loyalty forever. Our second point on loyalty shows us ways we can follow the faithful and discreet slave s direction. 5. How GB Arrives at important decisions (Matt 25:45 Then he will answer them, saying: Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of these least ones, you did not do it to me. ) But have you ever wondered how the Governing Body arrives at important decisions? In this Bethel morning worship, Brother David Splane answers that very question. Page 13 / 48

18 Well, there ve been so many changes. It s hard to keep up. We hear that a lot. And it s true. So the question is, How do these changes come about? Does the Governing Body get together on a Wednesday morning and say, Well, what will we change this week? Let s throw the brotherhood off guard a little bit. That would not be faithful or discreet. The fact is that, although changes may seem to be announced one after another, the decision to put the changes into effect is often years in the making. 5.1 Branch committee in the US Now, one of the first big changes that the current Governing Body had to grapple with had to do with this, Is it feasible to have a Branch Committee serving in the United States? Now, for years the thought was that we really couldn t have a Branch Committee functioning in the United States because the States was host to the Governing Body and the world headquarters. So this was going to be a big decision, and it wasn t taken overnight. A lot of consultation with mature, experienced brothers was necessary. But finally the decision was made, and we believe that decision has had Jehovah s rich blessing. Page 14 / 48

19 We re proud of our hard-working Branch Committee, and we re happy to have their support. We need their support. Now let s consider a couple of other examples. 5.2 Merging meetings Beginning in the first week of January 2009, the School, Service Meeting, and the Congregation Book Study were merged. Now that decision was almost ten years in the making. As far back as 1999, it was being discussed. Well, then, why wasn t the decision made ten years earlier? Because the Governing Body wanted to be sure. Will the brothers have what they need? Will they have all of the spiritual food they need if we merge the meetings? Now then one Wednesday I think it was about three-thirty in the afternoon we d had a long meeting Too much preparation We received two letters from large branches. And one of the branches said that they had many large congregations with seven or eight book studies, but with only one elder and one ministerial servant. So the elder might conduct five book studies, and the ministerial servant might conduct three, and then they had all of the parts on the meetings to prepare. Page 15 / 48

20 So all they were doing with their time was conducting book studies and preparing parts for the meetings. It was hard! And then the same week we received a letter from another branch, and they explained why the attendance at the book study was so low. They explained that the publishers loved the meetings all of the meetings including the book study Too poor for bus fare But they re very poor, and they couldn t afford the bus fare to attend two midweek meetings; they had to choose. And if they attended the School and Service Meeting, they could get almost two hours of spiritual direction, whereas with the book study, they would get one. So most of the time it was the School and Service Meeting that won out. Well, those two letters put a real face on the situation, and it helped us to make the decision. 5.3 WT Editions Now, in 2008, a public edition and a study edition of The Watchtower began to be published. That decision was a long time coming. We discussed the possibility off and on, but we always said, Let s not be hasty; let s wait a little bit. Let s see what Jehovah wants. Page 16 / 48

21 The main thing was, What would Jehovah want? And how would we know? Fleece test We decided to make a sort of fleece test. And so in 2006, we began publishing one Awake! a month, but we kept publishing two Watchtowers. So that would be three magazines per month, instead of four. And the rationale was, We ll try it for a year, and if at the end of a year our magazine placements have plummeted, we ll know that Jehovah is not backing this arrangement. We can go back to producing two Awakes! a year. Well, what was the result? At the end of the year, we were placing as many magazines at three per month as we had been placing at four per month the year before. So that indicated to us that Jehovah was backing the arrangement. And how many of us have appreciated having a study edition of The Watchtower that speaks directly to the brotherhood and then a public edition of The Watchtower that can be tailored a little bit more to the needs of the public. Now, before making any decision that affects the Kingdom work, the Governing Body has to carefully consider the spiritual implications. Page 17 / 48

22 5.4 Public talk reduced to 30 mins As an example, in 2008, the decision was made to reduce the length of public talks from 45 minutes to 30 minutes. Well you say, How could that decision possibly affect the spirituality of the brotherhood? And if you re serving in an urban congregation with many elders and nearby there are other urban congregations with many elders, perhaps you d have difficulty in understanding the reasoning. But the Governing Body has to look at the whole picture. Thousands of our brothers have served where the need is great, and they ve learned a foreign language. And in many, many of these congregations the learners are the elders Preparation time Some of the learners have told us that for every minute of a public talk, it has required one hour of preparation. So can you imagine: 45 hours for some of them? So the reduction in the length of the public talks has actually meant that these congregations could have more public talks. That s not all Isolated congregations There are thousands of elders who are serving in isolated congregations that may be 100 miles or more from the next congregation. So in one congregation you have one elder, and then 100 miles away you have another congregation with one elder. Page 18 / 48

23 How many public talks were those brothers getting when there were The 15-minute reduction made a difference. So if we take a narrow view and think only about our own situation and our own congregation, well, we can have difficulty in understanding why certain decisions are made. Now the same principles apply to clarifications in our beliefs. The Governing Body loves to get together and discuss the Bible. And when those Bibles come out on the table and when the brothers bring their research in and they re starting to search the Scriptures and analyse the Scriptures, you see the happy smiles on their faces. The brothers love discussing spiritual things. 5.5 Clarifications But the clarifications are often a long time in coming into print. Why? Because the clarification on one scripture can have a domino effect on others. The clarification on one scripture can have ramifications on other prophecies, so we have to be absolutely sure that everything fits. So to reiterate, although certain changes may be announced one after another, these decisions are thought out very carefully. And here s an interesting side point: The older members of the Governing Body Brother Jaracz, Brother Barr were just as interested in making the adjustments as the younger members were. Page 19 / 48

24 They were very progressive. What an insight into the faithful and discreet slave s loving concern! Did you hear things the Governing Body does that would further motivate you to support and follow their direction? Perhaps it s how they consulted experienced brothers; or that they consider our brothers varying circumstances worldwide; or, most importantly, how they patiently and prayerfully seek to know Jehovah s will and look for his blessing on a decision. Millions of our brothers and sisters around the world can recount the blessings they ve gained by remaining loyal to Jehovah and his organization. 6. William & Sandra Malenfant (27:00) And we re privileged to have two such examples here with us today: Brother and Sister William and Sandra Malenfant. Brother Malenfant is a helper to the Teaching Committee, and Sister Malenfant s current assignment is in the Service Department. And we re looking forward to hearing about their rich spiritual history. So, Bill and Sandra, we re so happy that we could have you here in the studio with us, and we do look forward to learning more about you. Maybe we would like to go back. How did you get on the road that has led you to so many years of faithful, loyal service to Jehovah? Page 20 / 48

25 6.1 William Malenfant It was back in My mother had contact on and off with the Witnesses for years. I was about 20 years old, and she was invited to a public talk at the Oakland Central Congregation in California. She asked me, Would you accompany me? And I said: Yeah. Sure, I ll be happy to go. Well, I recognized a young man I knew from high school at the meeting, and he approached me after and told me I needed a Bible study. I really didn t want a Bible study, but he insisted, and so I said, Well, you can come by. Would you believe it? I started a Bible study in the Let God Be True book. Four months later, I was baptized. It was exactly what I was looking for, but I didn t realize it. Good choice. Thank you. 6.2 Sandra Malenfant And, Sandra, your start on the road to a career serving Jehovah? Page 21 / 48

26 Before I was born, my parents started on this search for the truth. It happened because they had lost a little girl in death, and they went from church to church looking for some kind of comfort. And, of course, the clergy had no comfort for them. They just said, Well, God wanted another angel in heaven. And that angered my father. He thought: No. If God wants another angel, he can make one. He wouldn t take my little girl! So it just happened that one evening they were listening to the radio long before TV, of course and they heard a Jehovah s Witness give a talk. And the title of that talk was Where Are the Dead? Imagine! He gave all the Scriptural proof about the condition of the dead and the hope for the resurrection. And my father immediately said, This is the truth! So they wrote to the radio station; got a copy of the booklet of the talk; and then, also, they started receiving the subscription to The Watchtower. But it wasn t until I was born and three years old that the Witnesses finally made contact with us. So, what motivated you to make a choice to get into the fulltime service and give your life to Jehovah? Well, what motivated me was when I attended a convention, also in 56. I got baptized in 54. Page 22 / 48

27 But in 56, I went to a district convention in Albany, California, and there was a pioneer booth. So I approached the booth, and an older sister there looked at me and said: You re young and strong. Why aren t you a pioneer? I felt, Well, yes. Why not? So I started pioneering in That s what motivated me. And I was Really, I look back at that; it was one of the best decisions I made in my life. Sandra, how about you? Motivated to get into full-time service. Well, for pioneer service, you know, it was it was like a given. Young people were just encouraged to pioneer. And most of the young people were doing that. You know, after a year or two, maybe they would get married and start a family. But those years in pioneering starting out their life that way gave them a wonderful basis for loyal service the rest of their life. Beautiful. So you were pioneering. 6.3 How they met How did your paths eventually meet? Page 23 / 48

28 It was at a circuit assembly in Oakland, California, Very interesting things took place. I had the job of dismantling the stage. And I was carrying this large piece of plywood off the stage, and I ran right into Sandra and knocked her flat! Well, I took advantage of the opportunity. I thought, Well, that s not the best way to introduce yourself. But I said, By the way, would you like to accompany me to a get-together some of the friends are having? Very good, Bill. Well, yes, and I followed through on it. We had a lot of association, and after a number of months, we got married. And both of us were pioneering very happy in our ministry serving Jehovah. You really swept her off her feet. Literally. I fell for him. Very good. So, shortly after you were married, I understand that you received some direction. Yes, the circuit overseer visited our congregation. Page 24 / 48

29 We were only married about a month, I think, when he came through. And he told us that the organization was looking for pioneers who d be willing to serve as special pioneers and go wherever, where the need was great in the United States particularly. So we told him: Sure. We d be delighted to do it. 6.4 Decorah, Iowa And four months after our marriage, we received an assignment as special pioneers to Decorah, Iowa. Now, that was a very interesting place because there were only eight publishers in the congregation. But we arrived and started with the meetings there at the Kingdom Hall. And the Kingdom Hall was up above Hunt s Variety Store in downtown Decorah, and we lived in a room behind it. Well, you know, you re on your own like that not a lot of brothers around so you look for encouragement and company. And we would travel down to Strawberry Point, Iowa, to where Charles and Shirley Sinutko lived in a log cabin one-room log cabin. And we d go visit with them in order to have some mutual encouragement. Page 25 / 48

30 It s a nice picture of you in that log cabin too as you were special pioneering. So you re busy in that work. What special invitation did you receive? Well, we received the invitation to attend Gilead the 34th class of Gilead School and that was a wonderful thing after two and half years of pioneering, special pioneering in Iowa. And we were assigned to Lebanon, but we were unable to enter Lebanon because we couldn t get the visa. 6.5 Casablanca So, then, the organization asked us, Well, will you take an assignment to Morocco? We were ready to go anywhere. So that s how we took a boat from New York City five days across the Atlantic to Casablanca. Very nice. Well, what was it like to be in the missionary service in Morocco? It was very interesting. We really enjoyed it. But, you know, we only spoke English. So in Morocco, we had to learn French. And the first month of our missionary service in Morocco, for 30 days we studied the language 11 hours a day. Page 26 / 48

31 Well, that could get pretty tiring for 11 hours a day, so we d go to the French movies and count that as language time. 6.6 Tangier And then, we were moved to Tangier. And there was a Spanish congregation in Tangier, so we had to learn the Spanish language too. But that was really a rich blessing for the two of us to be exposed to that culture and to have that privilege of serving there. So after four years, I understand that you came back to visit your family. What events were challenging thereafter? I think Sandra can relate that. Well, it was usually permitted that after you were in your assignment four years, then you were allowed to come home and at least have a vacation and visit your family. But we got back. 6.7 Health problem We visited our family, and while there, I had a medical examination and found out that I had a serious health problem. Of course, we didn t have the funds to cover that. So Bill wrote to the Society, and we made arrangements. They said, Well, just take care of your situation, and let us know when you re free. Page 27 / 48

32 So he got a job to take care of our medical needs as well as living conditions. But you know, we just felt like we were failures. Jehovah knew we were discouraged. He knew we felt distraught about this. So he knew just what we needed, and he gave it to us. As I got to feeling better and we got more free in our use of time, we started pioneering. And Jehovah blessed our ministry just incredibly. There were times, in this supposedly unproductive territory that we had up to 25 people attending the meetings. Many of them got baptized, and they re our fast friends to this day. That s incredible! So Jehovah knows what you need, and he provides it. That is beautiful! What temptation did you have to resist when you came back and were going through these difficulties? Well, I think it s a temptation that confronts a lot of brothers and sisters who return because of health reasons, and some just end up settling down because of their circumstances. But the temptation there was: Well, you re home. You ve already done your service in Morocco for a number of years. Page 28 / 48

33 You ve been in the full-time ministry. Just settle down now. Buy a house. But really, that wasn t our desire. So as soon as Sandra got on her feet and was feeling well enough, we got pioneering. And then I wrote headquarters, and I said: Here we are. We re ready to take on whatever. What would you like us to do? Good example. Thank you. So you made yourself available to the organization. Where did they send you next? A wonderful assignment. 6.8 Washington D.C. We were sent as special pioneers to Washington D.C., to help start a Spanish congregation. And that was indeed a very rich blessing. We were there a year and a half until that little congregation was solid and was formed. And then we received another blessing. 6.9 Circuit & District work We were appointed to the circuit work. Page 29 / 48

34 So I had the Spanish circuit in Florida from Key West to Orlando one circuit in the whole state. Then we came to New York City lived in the Bronx. I had a circuit, and we did district work in the Spanish field. Then, to Texas to what they call the Valley of Texas, the Rio Grande Valley for a couple of years in the circuit. Then the district in Spanish from Houston, Texas, to Yuba City, California. And we loved every minute of it. Well, that s definitely the traveling work Bethel Then 1977 rolls around and you receive another invitation. Yes, indeed! We were doing preconvention work in the L.A. area at the Leimert Assembly Hall, and we received a letter inviting us to come to Bethel. That was a very, very special privilege: to be invited to Bethel. I went into the Service Department, because at that time they invited a number of traveling overseers to come in and work in the Service Department, and Sandra went into housekeeping. And we were both delighted to come to Bethel. Well, sort of. I really loved the ministry; I loved, especially, the district work being with the circuit overseer and his wife every week and out in service. Page 30 / 48

35 So I wasn t too anxious for this Bethel thing. But, you know. Jehovah, again, knows what you need. We came here, and we started adjusting to Bethel life. And it really proved out to be a real blessing because we got the close association with so many other loyal Witnesses of Jehovah. Well, I m sure you have many more experiences to let us know about, but we appreciate you sharing those Changes affecting long-timers The Governing Body has made significant adjustments in the work that is taking place at Bethel and the field, and it has affected many long-time faithful brothers loyal brothers in the traveling work, overseers in the congregation, overseers at Bethel. Bill, what do you think about some of these changes that the Governing Body has made recently? I think they re very wise decisions. They know what is needed; they appreciate the older men who have served for years. We know that the older brothers in circuit work, district work, wherever, they re worthy of double honor because of the way they ve given of themselves to the work. But we have to recognize, too, there comes a time when we want the younger men to come along, to accept responsibility. Page 31 / 48

36 And, really, when we were young, we received responsibilities with very little background and training. Now we ve got all these schools for Kingdom Evangelizers and the Kingdom Ministry School. So many opportunities for younger ones to be trained. And so I think it s a wonderful arrangement. Many thousands of young men are doing so well, ready to accept responsibility. It s a blessing for the entire organization. Well, thank you for sharing that. That ll benefit many brothers. So we look at this couple before us, and we see some who have made wise choices along the way. So we look back at over 60 years of faithful, loyal service. As you look back at decisions you made in life, any regrets? Oh, absolutely none! We consider that whatever we have given up or done it s been our gift to Jehovah. You know, when I was a little girl, I remember I used to go out on our farm and, especially when there was a full moon, I used to pray to Jehovah. Page 32 / 48

37 And I d say, Just let me use up my life in your service. You know, he s answered that prayer because my life, the majority of it, is used up and he s let me do it in his service. Beautiful. Bill, how do you view sacrifices that you have made along the way? Well, as you know, a sacrifice can be something you give up to serve God, perhaps Ps 54 willing sacrifice Or a sacrifice can be what you give to Jehovah, like David said in Psalm 54. I will sacrifice to you willingly. And that s how I view sacrifice. We re happy to give of ourselves to Jehovah God to serve him. And I want to add, too, Sandra has been a wonderful partner with me willing to go anywhere, put up with all kinds of circumstances and difficulties. A scripture that I There are a number of good Scriptures, obviously, that we all love Rom 14:7, 8 live & die for Jehovah But one in particular that stays in my mind is Romans 14:7,8: We live, we live to Jehovah. We die, we die to Jehovah. So whether we live or we die, we belong to Jehovah. And we ve made that decision, not just because he s the Creator. We ve made the decision to give ourselves to Jehovah God. So, absolutely, we ve had the best life possible. Page 33 / 48

38 We have no regrets at all about what we ve done with our life, giving Jehovah the first place. Bill and Sandra, it s been a real privilege to hear more about you, and I know there are more stories to tell. How can you boil down 60-plus years of loyal service to Jehovah? But you have given us great insights. Thank you for sharing those gems with us. 7. Cory Wells (41:54) Like the Malenfants, many loyal Witnesses were not taught the truth from the Bible from birth to adulthood. For some young ones, seeds of truth are planted along the way but can lay dormant for years due to family circumstances. Sister Cory Wells explains how her family s special talent almost kept her from riding on the road to life. The first rodeo I performed in front of an audience, I was eight years old. We were considered one of the top two acts in rodeo. My strength lay in my fearlessness. Even though there was a certain amount of excitement it was fun to travel, to be together as a family it was empty. Trick riding is like gymnastics on the back of a running horse. We ve had horses all of our lives. Page 34 / 48

39 My father specialized in training horses. He used to send us to the mountains, riding all day long. And then we d come home in the evening, and we would start trick riding. The way we learned was by a book. We looked at stick pictures that showed how it should be done, and so it was trial and error. At the same time that we were learning, our horses were learning. The horse that I rode just let me do anything. My horse s name was Sweet Lips. I was eight when I got him, and I named him myself. He was like my best friend. My parents were very active in the rodeo as competitors. My mom was barrel racing; my father was a saddle bronc rider. 7.1 No more a witness I grew up as one of Jehovah s Witnesses, but when I was very young, maybe six or seven, my father stopped serving Jehovah. To be honest with you, when they announced that at the Kingdom Hall, it really didn t have much meaning to me at the time. Page 35 / 48

40 I didn t know what it meant. August 2017 Broadcast And I could see people crying, and so I cried. But I didn t really understand it. Really, from that point, our family was not active as Jehovah s Witnesses. I grew up on the road, traveling rodeo to rodeo from coast to coast and from the south to the north as far as the roads go. The four of us rode initially Connie; Kelly; myself; and my brother, Jim. Our family traveled together. That meant a lot to me. What separated us from the others at the time was the high speed that we did it at and also the difficulty with the tricks that we chose to do. People were very excited. They would hire us back at the same place year after year. 7.2 Seed planted Throughout all that time, we did not miss one Memorial. We were always there. There was something in us. We didn t know it when we were little, but my parents had succeeded in planting the truth in our hearts. Page 36 / 48

41 My link to the truth was my grandmother. I can remember going to the ranch and visiting her. She was very busy, but one thing that really sticks in my mind is she always studied every day. She read her Bible. Her magazines were studied. And I think it just put a seed in there that later on started to grow. I just felt like I needed direction. It s like a line was drawn in the sand. Take one path or the other. And so, ironically, the first book that I picked up to read was the Bible Prov 3:5,6 trust in Jehovah One of the scriptures that probably meant the most to me was Proverbs 3:5, 6: Trust in Jehovah with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight. I used to think about those words and what I would have to do to live up to them. Although we traveled with the rodeo about ten months out of the year, we did go to the district convention, and the Live Forever book came out. Page 37 / 48

42 7.3 Return to truth August 2017 Broadcast And there just came a time when I knew I I needed to make changes. A sister started studying with me, and as I started reading the Bible for myself and studying, then Jehovah became real. All it took was one or two people, and the whole family followed. My father too returned to the truth. Trick riding was our family business. It was our livelihood, but we had decided that we were done. We were going to stop. With that decision would come giving up everything we knew. I think I think the most difficult thing for me to do was to sell the horse you just, you just get such a close bond with them when you re putting your life in their hands like that but I was willing to do that. I just I knew what I wanted to do; I did it. I got baptized in October of ʼ85. Our last performance was in February of ʼ86. We just finished out our contracts. I started pioneering in September of ʼ86, and I ve never stopped. I also married a man who loves Jehovah. Page 38 / 48

43 We ve had the privilege of working on international construction projects. We went to Mexico. We went to Venezuela. My father is an elder. My mom is pioneering. In fact, all of my siblings have been able to regular pioneer at some point in their lives. We re presently in the circuit work. Serving Jehovah together is such a blessing. Everything that we do every day is for Jehovah. That s what I wanted to do when I made this decision. If I would have taken that other path when I was young, I may not be alive today. What I did was dangerous. Even fame and fortune in the world there s nothing there. I wanted the real life. I wanted to serve Jehovah. I have no regrets. If I could change anything when it comes to my service to Jehovah, I would change nothing! I would just do it better. Page 39 / 48

44 It took courage for Cory and her family to choose loyalty to Jehovah over an exciting rodeo career. Jehovah will always help us when we re prayerfully deciding how an activity or a career we love affects our dedication to him. Can the time it demands, or even the danger involved, take us away from whole-souled service? 8. Preparing for Marriage Part 2 (49:30) Our loyalty to Jehovah is expressed in how we follow Bible principles when making any important decision in life. Few decisions are as important as whom we choose to marry. 8.1 Part 1 Part 1 of our Preparing for Marriage series appeared in the May 2016 program. In that dramatization, a sister realizes she is too young for a romantic relationship and that cultivating Christian qualities now would help her later when she s ready for marriage. 8.2 Part 2 Part 2 in the series next depicts how a dating couple can successfully know the secret person of the heart so that each can find a marriage mate who is loyal to them and to Jehovah. Meeting Ji-min was completely unexpected. I wasn t looking for a girlfriend, but as we talked, everything just clicked. Page 40 / 48

45 The only problem is the distance. I flew out to see her once, but most of the time, all we can do is communicate online. How can I be sure she s the one? I decided the best decision was to ask my father. He knew the relationship was becoming more serious, and he appreciated my concerns. He said: The same things are important, whether the person is next door or a world away. Most people simply focus on appearance or social standing, but for a truly successful relationship, what matters is spirituality. Now I had already talked with Ji-min s elders, and they said she was a wonderful pioneer. 8.3 Secret person of the heart Dad said: That s good, but it takes more than that. It takes time to get to know the secret person of the heart. But how do you get to know the secret person of the heart? He said: First, pray. Ask Jehovah to help you see Ji-min as she truly is, both her good qualities and ones that may need improvement. Also, when you are able to visit, observe her actions. How does she treat her friends, her parents, ones in the congregation? That s a good indication of how she ll treat you someday. Page 41 / 48

46 But it s not just about her Eph 5:25 He had me read Ephesians 5:25: Husbands, continue loving your wives, just as the Christ also loved the congregation and gave himself up for it. He asked, Are you ready to be that kind of husband? He thought I was but that the only person that truly knows is me. We ve been able to save up and make a number of visits since then, taking the time to discover what we both are spiritually. And while we know we re not perfect, if we keep our focus on Jehovah, we can be perfect for each other. Did you notice the ways they learned more about each other before deciding to marry? Despite the distance, they regularly discussed spiritual matters, arranged for visits chaperoned by trusted adults, and worshipped together at meetings and in the ministry all good ways to prepare for marriage. 9. Metropolitan witnessing The beautiful scene depicting the couple in the metropolitan witnessing work is a reminder of how effective this form of witnessing has become. 9.1 Since 2013 We received a report from San Francisco, California, in the United States, where publishers have been engaged in special metropolitan witnessing since Page 42 / 48

47 It s helping our brothers reach multiple language groups, start Bible studies, and make disciples. When I m rolling the carts down to get ready for the work, I can feel people s eyes on me and it makes me feel proud that I m representing Jehovah even before I get to the location. We have a chance to use our Bibles very regularly. We talk to honest hearted people who are interested in really learning what the Bible teaches. Jehovah is reaching people in those hard-to-reach areas where it could mean their life to even talk about things such as the Bible. When you re part of the metropolitan work, you get to welcome people being drawn by Jehovah. We see thousands of people every day who walk by our carts. While we re placing literature in up to 40 different languages each week, what s really exciting is to see how many conversations we re starting and how many Bible studies we re initiating. We re visible to a lot of people in the community, especially those who were inactive or maybe were raised around the truth. Jehovah has arranged to have his people put right in the centre of everything, and we re able to meet people from all over the world. I ve met people from Peru, South Africa, Japan, Germany, England. France, Italy, Cameroon, Congo. Page 43 / 48

48 Beaucoup! In Shona, a greeting would be something like......, which means Would you like to study the Bible?..., which means Would you like to study the Bible? in sign language. So when I asked her if she had seen the sign-language Bible, she shook her head no, and I showed her Acts 17:27. And as soon as it was done, she started signing, I understood that! And then she said, Didn t you say this was a free app? So, right then, she started downloading it on her phone. We had a gentleman come up and wanted to... First, he said, debate, and then he said, just discuss. But as he was talking with us, he had to catch his train but he missed three trains because he wanted to continue the conversation and speak with us. It s a really good experience because we just get to talk to people and let them see a different side of us. It s not necessarily about whether we placed a book with him or not. And in the end, he turned to my husband and I and said, You know, you re really good ambassadors. We start Bible studies here every day, and these studies are conducted globally. 9.2 Alfredo 2014 I met Alfredo in 2014, right before the Memorial. Page 44 / 48