Messengers of Peace in Eastern Europe

THE deaf were hearing! Prisoners were gaining freedom! The police had almost nothing to do! What are we talking about? We are referring to what took place at the recent international conventions of Jehovah’s Witnesses held in Eastern Europe during July and August of last year.

“Messengers of Godly Peace” was the theme of the program, and many people saw that in spite of trouble stirred up by the clergy in Romania,a Jehovah’s Witnesses do have the peace that comes from knowing God and Christ Jesus.—Isaiah 26:2, 3; Philippians 4:7.

Conventions were held in Prague, Czech Republic; Budapest, Hungary; Warsaw and Lodz, Poland; Tallinn, Estonia; and Brasov and Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

Delegations from many foreign lands attended these conventions and lent a truly international flavor to the events. In Prague there were large groups from Germany, Japan, Poland, and the United States. A report from the Czechia branch office of the Watch Tower Society stated: “We were greatly encouraged by so many integrity-keeping worshipers of Jehovah God from other lands. For example, most of the Japanese delegates were pioneers, and their neat dress and orderliness visibly adorned their section of the stadium. We also noticed the warmheartedness of the Polish delegation, the gratitude of the Slovakian brothers, the generosity of the Germans, and the wide-open hearts of the Americans. They all served as a lesson for us.”

How were newly associated ones affected by the conventions? An 85-year-old scholar, author, and linguist attended, in spite of suffering from diabetes and a disease of the leg. He had been studying the Bible with the aid of the Knowledge book for some six months. During the program, he was focusing, not on linguistic and grammatical aspects of the talks, but on something else. “It was marvelous!” he exclaimed. “The love and consideration that you have among yourselves speaks louder than words.”—John 13:34, 35; 1 Corinthians 13:1-8.

The foreign visitors to Prague had an enjoyable time visiting the historical sites and giving an informal witness on every occasion. At a castle south of Prague, one American Witness, a lawyer’s wife, was waiting at the top of the castle tower to give out tracts in Czech to all of those who climbed the steps. Others handed out tracts when they met a group of schoolgirls visiting the old Jewish cemetery. And, of course, all the professional tour guides and bus drivers received literature.—1 Peter 3:15.

One guide who expressed appreciation for the Witnesses and their conduct wrote: “I have never before met so many friendly and warmhearted people in all my life. Even though I am Catholic, I was fascinated by your spiritual attitude. All of you gave me some hope that the world is not yet lost. Let me thank you for your kindness. God bless you!”

Even though heavy rain fell on Friday at Prague, families sat outdoors in the stadium, taking in the spiritual food delivered by local and foreign speakers. So many babies were there that in order to avoid accidents in the aisles, a special stroller, or baby carriage, parking area was set up outside the stadium.

The Prague convention was attended by over 22,000, and 432 newly dedicated Witnesses were baptized, including two persons in wheelchairs as well as five others who are physically disabled.

The Deaf “Hear” in Budapest

Sitting astride the Danube River is the beautiful city of Budapest, which became the host city for an international convention in July. A peak of 23,893 attended, including 3,341 delegates from 11 countries besides Hungary.

In a tent close to the stage, the whole program was interpreted for deaf people, with about 100 in attendance. In the words of welcome to all the delegates using languages other than Hungarian, the deaf were especially welcomed, with the words: “One language we do not want to forget to mention into which the entire program will be interpreted is sign language. We are grateful to have the deaf with us.”

Sharing the Truth With Others

At these conventions new Bible literature was released, including the book The Secret of Family Happiness. After receiving this publication, a French delegation boarded a bus to return to their hotel. On the way they saw a bride and groom with their wedding guests. The brothers asked the driver to stop the bus. One of the Witnesses stepped out and handed a copy of the new book in Hungarian to the couple. They accepted it gratefully and immediately started to look through the book. That was probably one of the first copies to be placed after its release!

From Catholic to Communist to Witness

The 510 baptized at this convention represented over 2 percent of the attendance. Three of these new Witnesses are still in prison, serving time for crimes they committed prior to learning Bible truth. Local brothers visit them regularly and conduct Bible studies with others. In one prison in Budapest, about 50 Bible studies are being conducted with inmates.

One man who was raised in a Benedictine Catholic school lost his faith in the Catholic Church and, at the age of 20, became a member of the Communist Party. Later, he joined the army and rose to the rank of lieutenant. As a member of the Workers’ Militia, he taught Marxism-Leninism at the university. He was intrigued by the Communist slogan “freedom, brotherhood, equality.” However, the misuse by those in authority of the slogan “government of the people” made him have second thoughts about Communism. He felt that something was missing. Eventually, he retired. When Witnesses knocked at his door, he was ready to listen. He reports: “During my first visit to the Kingdom Hall, I became convinced that finally here was true brotherhood. I was surrounded by the love of true followers of Christ. My metamorphosis from a Communist to a Witness took four years. But I have chosen the truth.” He was baptized at the convention.

For the police, working at a convention is usually a change of pace. One policeman assigned to work in front of the stadium said that duty at Witness conventions is very difficult. Why? Because everything runs so smoothly that the police have a hard time staying awake!

Favorable Press Reports in Poland

Two international conventions were held in Poland, with over 20,000 in attendance in Warsaw, the capital city, and nearly 12,000 in Lodz, Poland’s second-largest city.

Warsaw’s leading newspaper, Życie Warszawy, carried the following item: “‘There is good news to be proclaimed! It is news of peace, real peace. Our love for Jehovah and for our neighbor moves us to continue to preach without letup until God says that the work is done,’ stated Carey Barber, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

A writer for the paper Sztandar Młodych said: “For two days 12,000 or so of Jehovah’s Witnesses were gathered at a religious assembly at the Legia Stadium, in Warsaw. Exemplary order prevailed, and even though I looked carefully, I noticed no police cars or monitoring squads.

“Poland is, they assure us, an almost entirely Catholic country. But when our Catholic youths gather at the same stadium, a large police force is always present, ready for action.

“It is certainly alarming that renegades from Catholicism, sectarians, or whatever you call them [Jehovah’s Witnesses] are able to assemble in enormous crowds and cause no danger to the public order and security, whereas our Catholic youths when in a crowd become dangerous, and police protection against their juvenile excesses is necessary. There is a lot to think about.”

Baptisms of new believers took place here too, with 462 baptized in Warsaw and 278 in Lodz. One of these was 19-year-old Sylwia, who was prejudiced against the Witnesses. One rainy day she was approached by a Witness on the street. “I managed to drive her off, and I walked away. But I took under my umbrella a girl who was getting wet. She also turned out to be a Witness! She offered to bring me the book Questions Young People Ask—Answers That Work. Out of courtesy I gave her my address, and . . . I was baptized today!”

Little Estonia Gets a Big Witness

Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania constitute the Baltic States. The population of Estonia is only about 1.5 million, and the capital city has about 450,000 inhabitants. Two conventions were held there in August 1996.

The impact of these large meetings was such that one newspaper said: “Tallinn is literally filled with the worship of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Their convention held in Linnahall is said to have gathered the biggest audience of all religions ever held in Estonia.” All the hotels were booked by Witnesses.

Brother Carey Barber later gave a report in which he stated: “It is little wonder that the Finnish brothers and others assigned to Estonia love being there. This small but beautiful country has been overrun and trampled down by greater nations and has endured much suffering. Now the Estonians . . . look forward so much to having a future of permanent peace and security from Jehovah.” There are over 3,100 Witnesses active in Estonia, half of whom speak Russian.

The conventions served Estonians, Russian-speaking Estonians and Latvians, Lithuanians, and visiting delegates from 15 countries, including 155 from Britain and 300 from Finland.

Deaf Also “Hear” in Estonia

Three years ago a deaf elder from Finland went to Tallinn, Estonia, to see what he might do for the deaf in that country. He did not know one single deaf person there, so he went to the meeting house of the deaf in Tallinn, with piles of Watchtower magazines and other literature. The Estonian deaf welcomed him and were curious to see what he had with him. He placed all the literature during his first visit and wrote down the names and addresses of the interested ones, altogether 70 names.

Almost all wanted to have a Bible study, and the brother realized that he could not handle all those studies. So he had to pick the people who were most interested. Soon after his first visit to Estonia, he had 30 Bible studies and a waiting list of 40 prospects! There are now four sign-language interpreters for the deaf in Tallinn.

“A New Episode in the Drama of the New Testament”

A Witness was working in the ferry terminal greeting convention delegates. She approached an Estonian travel guide and asked her what she thought about this great convention event. The guide told her that she had led several groups of Witnesses from various European countries and had noticed that the Witnesses are always well-behaved, good people. She had been invited to see the Watch Tower Society’s office on Puhangu Street, and she was surprised to see the good order and the kind and happy young people. She could not understand why the Witnesses face fierce opposition and false accusations when the facts prove the accusations to be untrue. She said: “In my mind your work, your service, is like a new episode in the drama of the New Testament.”

Certainly, as messengers of godly peace, Jehovah’s Witnesses expect to establish a good reputation worldwide for their respectful conduct and their kindness to strangers. (1 Peter 3:16) These conventions in Eastern Europe show that in spite of slander and libel from religious enemies and apostates, Jehovah’s Witnesses have God’s blessing as they proclaim the message of peace that our war-torn, hate-filled world needs so badly.—Isaiah 2:2-4; Mark 13:10.

[Footnote]

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In spite of the rain, families paid close attention to the program

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Happy Polish Witnesses with their new releases

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Joyful Estonian Witnesses in typical folk dress