“Sound” Diplomacy in Colombia

THE management of the Covered Coliseum in Bogotá, Colombia, rented their auditorium out for a special program of Mexican “mariachi” music during a District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses being held there. The Witnesses stepped aside for this event, leaving a few people on hand to protect their sound equipment.

But a capacity crowd of over 16,000 Colombians began to protest when the costly sound system that had been contracted for failed to produce good sound. And when the crowd began throwing things onto the main floor from the tiers, the building administrator feared that they might tear up the place, so he approached the Witnesses to see if their sound equipment could be used. As they started testing it, the audience began to applaud. After a successful program, the TV announcer suggested that the crowd express appreciation to Jehovah’s Witnesses for their cooperation, which they heartily did.

A musician who until then had opposed his wife’s association with Jehovah’s Witnesses was so impressed that he confessed that he had had a wrong concept of them. In fact, he attended the assembly when it continued the following day at the Coliseum.