Part 5—Visiting Jehovah’s Witnesses in Central America
IT IS a short but pleasant flight from Maracaibo to Aruba, Netherlands Antilles. Just before leaving the mainland you see the many oil derricks out in the lake pumping “black gold” into tankers that ply the Caribbean over to Aruba, there to be taken to large refineries and then transported to all parts of the world.
When the Society’s president, N. H. Knorr, landed at Aruba many were there to greet him; and though there for only a few hours, he was whisked away to a new Kingdom Hall being built in Oranjestad. The windows were not even in, nor the porch fixed up, but the brothers had cleaned it, brought in chairs and tastefully decorated it with flowers and wanted him to make the first speech there. Pleasant it was to talk to forty-four of them, and seemingly all understood English, so no interpreter was needed. Excitement prevailed, because that very afternoon a chartered plane was to fly from Aruba to Curaçao with some forty Kingdom publishers who were going to the general convention for the Netherlands Antilles.
But before any got away Brother Knorr was taken to a radio station where an interview was held and broadcast.
The days from December 31, 1954, to January 3, 1955, were busy ones in Curaçao. The program called for four lectures and these had to be given through interpreters. Meetings with missionaries and pioneers, checking over the branch office and answering mail that was waiting for his arrival kept the president busy.
The assembly hall was within walking distance of the center of town. With 181 in attendance, the convention got off to a very good start, but the first sessions (New Year’s Eve) were carried on through a noisy time. There was no cause for the noise in the convention hall, but outside were the folks of the Netherlands Antilles who like to celebrate New Year’s Eve with firecrackers. There everybody was celebrating and it was rather dangerous to be out on the streets because one never knew when some large firecracker would be exploding at his heels. A custom of Willemstadt’s people seems to be to assemble on Brionplein (the plaza) near the pontoon bridge. Here, just before midnight on the year’s last day, thousands congregate. As the new year comes in the real noise starts. It is deafening, including not only firecrackers but, at the stroke of twelve o’clock, all ship sirens, all bells, all whistles unitedly sound off. Then, too, the cannon on the fort across the inlet is fired and everyone around town starts yelling “Bon Anja” (“Happy New Year”). At height of this commotion the Roman Catholic bishop appears on his balcony, overlooking the plaza. From that second-story balcony he blesses the great crowd, the more religious ones of which crowd kneel before him. Not a thing he says can be heard by any of them because of the terrific noise, but they assume that they have been blessed.
So Christendom brings in its new year with gunfire, firecrackers and overwhelming noise. Some think that by shooting off firecrackers they scare away demons, but it appears from this occurrence that what happens at the opening of the new year is what such celebrators try to keep on doing during the rest of the year—shooting bullets, cannons, dropping bombs and, instead of using little firecrackers, using large ones that kill and destroy. So one might think, from all of this turmoil and fuss, that that is the way the world likes to have it for the rest of the 365 days of each year; and in many instances that is just the way they get it, and the people suffer.
On January 1, while the majority of the people in town were getting over their New Year’s Eve nightmares, Jehovah’s witnesses were conducting an early morning immersion service, eight persons being baptized. The convention went on with real enthusiasm, thinking only of praising Jehovah’s name and announcing his kingdom. It was a pleasure to observe the fine distribution of magazines throughout the Netherlands Antilles. Two missionaries had placed over 2,000 magazines each during 1954. Generally, distribution of magazines throughout this territory by all publishers has been very good.
Sunday night 302 persons assembled for the public talk. On January 4 this same talk was given in the Kingdom Hall in the Papiamento language to an audience of 70. This brought to a close a blessed assembly.
The Netherlands Antilles branch office of the Society reports good progress. In February there were 103 publishers afield praising Jehovah’s name; and it is believed many more persons of good will in Aruba, Curaçao and Bonaire, the territory under this branch, will grow in knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their responsibilities.
JAMAICA
Scattered all over this beautiful island in the Caribbean Sea are many of Jehovah’s witnesses. They are preaching the good news of the Kingdom and they continually find many more who desire life.
Here a stop was made by the Society’s president to enable him to check some branch matters. While there, arrangements were also made for him to speak to the congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses. To a public meeting at 7 p.m. 3,120 came, a race-track grandstand being used. It was packed out. People were seated in chairs set on the ground just in front of the grandstand and many others stood. In Jamaica there are a number of brothers who have been in the truth for many, many years, and these have seen the fine growth of the New World society. It gladdens the heart now to see thousands in the organization where some years ago there were only hundreds. Much remains to be done to bring the new associates to maturity so that they, too, can take on the whole load of responsibility. Brothers in the city of Kingston have co-operated very well in building Kingdom Halls, and they have a number of congregations scattered at convenient places throughout the city, each having its own Kingdom Hall. The halls are beautifully designed and well equipped. The president’s stay was much too short for a three-day convention or for traveling to other parts of the island. His work here being accomplished, he had to hasten away to Havana, Cuba.
CUBA
When it became known that the president of the Society would visit Cuba January 7-9, to attend a three-day assembly, enthusiasm ran high. In the brothers’ minds the big question was, Where shall we hold the convention? A number of places were visited but it was not until they got in touch with the Havana Greyhound Kennel Club that final arrangements were worked out. The place is known as the Cinódromo, used for dog racing. It has fine facilities. After talking with the local operators, Jehovah’s witnesses in Cuba became aware that an American organization in Miami, Florida, had this place under contract. So the branch office got in touch with them and word came back that if an organization like Jehovah’s witnesses wanted it they could have it. The brothers immediately got to work fixing up the place for the convention.
Of course, the Cuban brothers wanted to make this a big event, so they printed two-color handbills for announcing the public talk “This Good News of the Kingdom.” The branch has a small printing plant that turned out 200,000 handbills, 2,500 window signs and 2,500 placards used by the publishers in advertising. Special letters of invitation also were prepared, and large signs (6 feet by 70 feet) also were made and put up at different places. There were special arrangements for rail travel, and chartered buses to bring delegates from all parts of Cuba to Havana. Advertising was done in theaters, radio announcements were broadcast, interviews arranged, and newspapers gave excellent publicity. A goodly number of the brothers came in early Thursday and they inquired as to the time of arrival of the president of the Society, and many of them came out to the airport to meet him. In fact, twenty buses were rented by them to bring out the crowd. It was estimated that 800 to 1,000 brothers were on hand to greet the Society’s president. Quite a few newspaper reporters and movie news cameramen also were on hand to interview Brother Knorr. The airport has a powerful radio station, with studios in the Air Terminal building; and as soon as the president got through immigration and customs he was hurried to the studios of this station for a personal interview. A clear, to-the-point description of the work of Jehovah’s witnesses was given, being immediately interpreted into Spanish. A number of newspapers came out with articles about Jehovah’s witnesses, four radio stations granted time for interviews, and television showed excellent scenes of the president’s arrival as well as Sunday afternoon’s sessions at the time the public meeting was on.
As far as Cubans were concerned the convention of Jehovah’s witnesses was general knowledge and the people showed real interest in it. The Cinodrome itself was not big enough to handle all the crowd expected, so 1,000 chairs were rented and placed in the shade under the grandstand. With these extra chairs a total seating capacity of about 4,500 was provided. When the public talk was delivered Sunday afternoon the attendance was 4,574. The people very much appreciated the plain, simple and clear-cut statements given, extemporaneously, first in English by N. H. Knorr, a sentence at a time, and immediately its interpretation into Spanish by Brother R. M. Gonzalez, a member of the branch office in Havana. The sound equipment was excellent and the lecture was well heard in all parts of the stands.
It seemed that this convention was excitement from the time that the president arrived until the entire event was over. Everything moved fast. There were many high points, one of which was the arrival of the Society’s vice-president. Brother Franz came in a few hours after Brother Knorr, flying specially from New York for this convention. He was on the program several times and gave an excellent report on his November trip to Scotland, where he was principal witness on behalf of the Society in a court case. He also gave very helpful admonition and the brothers were greatly pleased because Brother Franz could speak Spanish, requiring no interpreter, whereas Brother Knorr, speaking only English, always had an interpreter.
A very fine cafeteria having been established, the brothers’ physical needs were exceptionally well cared for besides their being fed well spiritually. Speakers at the convention included also a number of the circuit and district servants and those of the branch office.
The local authorities at the Cinódromo voiced surprise at the tremendous amount of publicity that Jehovah’s witnesses were given in the newspapers. They were amazed at the orderliness of all the brothers, for such had never before been seen at that place, a race track frequented by people of all walks of life, having no love for one another. But, of course, Jehovah’s witnesses do have love for their neighbors. Then, too, each day the grounds were being kept so clean that at the convention’s end there was not a speck of dirt. Indeed, some workmen of the race track who were assigned there during the convention worked right along with the brothers, co-operating excellently and to the fullest extent. The baptismal service, too, was a high light, 83 (34 men and 49 women) symbolizing their dedication to Jehovah God.
A special session was arranged for circuit and district servants and this was conducted principally by the Society’s president, who answered their questions. A fine meeting was held with pioneers, 270 being present. In Cuba there is a big field for pioneering, just as in all other parts of the world.
So much favorable comment had been caused by this convention that even the owner of another large arena, The Stadium Tropical, telephoned the branch office, saying that should their stadium be wanted for the big assembly in 1955 it ought to be applied for some time in March to get in their schedule. They were very anxious for Jehovah’s witnesses to come in and use their facilities.
In talking with the brothers it was observed that they were strengthened by what they had heard, the good counsel and heart-cheering Bible information greatly encouraging all. Everyone was happy because of having come to this assembly. All seemed determined to return to their respective congregations and to fight harder for the truth, maintain their integrity and joyfully give a greater witness for Jehovah’s kingdom.
The Cubans very much appreciate the good news and they, along with all of Jehovah’s witnesses world-wide, will continue to show their gratitude to Jehovah God. They want to make the name of Jehovah widely known and to preach the good news of his kingdom in all their land.
Brother Knorr and Brother Franz were very grateful that they could visit with their Cuban brothers, and they believed this convention would mark a big forward step in the Cuban work.
CONCLUSION
This trip by the president, through Mexico, Central America, part of South America and some of the Caribbean islands, brought much joy to his heart. A number of years ago he visited some of these countries. Many of them he has visited three and four times, some twice; but when he reflects, looking back to 1942 when no missionaries had been sent out and when only a few pioneers and a few part-time ministers were preaching in some of these countries, it certainly warms the heart now to see the grand increase. For example, in 1942 the publisher’s chart said: Honduras, one publisher; Colombia, two; Netherlands Antilles, one; Nicaragua, two; Venezuela, one.
During the two months he was away on this trip of 1954-1955 the president visited thirteen countries in this area. In 1942 there were 3,005 publishers. Now, just thirteen years later, in the 1955 service year, there are 30,363. So in thirteen years those thirteen countries combined have ten times as many publishers, a 900 per cent increase. What an increase! It shows that it pays to send out missionaries, and when these stay in their assignments, working hard and gathering together the “other sheep,” such in turn also will become good ministers and the work will further multiply by leaps and bounds. Jehovah’s spirit is upon his people. Now is the time when this good news of the Kingdom must be preached in all the world for a witness, and Jehovah’s witnesses know that. So with joy, with growing gladness, they courageously press on, not only in this part of the earth but everywhere, happy in these days of the “Triumphant Kingdom.”