All Ready to “Go”
JEHOVAH, our God, is the great Provider. In Isaiah 25:6-8 we read of the grand banquet that he “will certainly make for all the peoples”—a banquet of finest ‘dishes and wine.’ A banquet of such a kind will be enjoyed by all who exercise victorious faith in Jehovah’s provision made through his Son and our Redeemer, Jesus Christ—a delightful banquet of spiritual and material good things, for it is said of our Host at that banquet: “He will actually swallow up death forever, and the Sovereign Lord Jehovah will certainly wipe the tears from all faces.”
We do not have to wait, however, until the New Order, to enjoy a feast of blessings in God’s spiritual paradise. We may feast on Jehovah’s provision right now. A feast that all of Jehovah’s people are keenly anticipating is the “‘Victorious Faith’ International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” to be held around the world starting June 14, 1978, and continuing on into the early part of 1979.
Are your preparations complete? Are you ready to go to this convention? Have you included all the family, as well as those newly interested, in your plans? Are you resolved to get the greatest spiritual benefit from this assembly? This you may do by being in your seat each day for the opening song and prayer, by listening intently to all the program and by staying on to say a heartfelt “Amen” to the concluding prayer of thanks. There will be a special blessing, too, in the field service of the third morning of the assembly and in daily volunteer service. On the other four days of the convention, morning and afternoon sessions are planned.
Of course, Satan would try to discourage us from getting the most out of this assembly. He would like us to think negative thoughts about the additional traveling required, the quality of the food served; or the kind of accommodations arranged and which may not be to our liking. But do we attend conventions primarily to satisfy our material wants and comforts? Far from it! We go there with the positive viewpoint of gaining the greatest benefit in a spiritual way. If some hardships or problems come our way, let us take them in our stride, even as Jesus and his apostles set the example. (John 4:6-15; Acts 14:19-22; 2 Cor. 12:10) The more we display long-suffering, kindness, goodness, mildness, self-control, along with faith, at this assembly, the grander will be our blessing.—Gal. 5:22, 23.
The “Victorious Faith” International Convention is nearly upon us! Are you all ready to go? As you travel to the assembly, may you do so in the spirit of David, who declared: “I rejoiced when they were saying to me: ‘To the house of Jehovah let us go.’” (Ps. 122:1) Now “in the final part of the days” Jehovah’s restored worship is exalted as the one remaining hope for mankind. “To it all the nations “must stream” if they would have Jehovah’s favor and protection. As we act on Jehovah’s gracious invitation to share to the full in the blessings of the 1978 International Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses, let us be like the “many peoples” described in Isaiah 2:2-4: “Come, you people, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will instruct us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” Let us participate to the full in all the marvelous assembly blessings, thus testifying to our victorious faith!
The following is the up-to-date list of “Victorious Faith” International Conventions planned for the summer months of 1978. As there have been a number of changes, including additions and deletions, please give close attention to the details for those conventions you may attend. Where the program is to be presented in a language other than the principal local language, notation is made in the listing below:
UNITED STATES
June 14-18: Dallas [Irving], Tex. (Spanish only), Texas Stadium, 2401 Airport Fwy. Milwaukee, Wis., County Stadium, 201 S. 46th St. New Orleans, La., Superdome, 1500 Poydras St. Washington, D.C., RFK Memorial Stadium. E. Capitol & 22nd Sts. N.E.
June 21-25: Detroit [Pontiac], Mich., Silverdome, 1200 Featherstone. Lakeland, Fla. (Spanish only), Lakeland Civic Center, 700 Lemon St. New Orleans, La., Superdome, 1500 Poydras St.
June 28–July 2: Los Angeles, Calif., Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave. Philadelphia, Pa., Veterans Stadium, S. Broad & Pattison Ave. St. Louis, Mo., Busch Stadium, 300 Stadium Plaza.
July 12-16: Houston, Tex., Astrodome, Loop 610 at Kirby Dr. Los Angeles, Calif. (Korean and Japanese also), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave. New York [Queens], N.Y., Shea Stadium, Cor. of Roosevelt Ave. & 126th St. San Francisco, Calif. (Chinese also), Candlestick Park Stadium.
July 19-23: Cincinnati, Ohio, Riverfront Stadium, 201 E. 2nd St. Monroe, N.Y. (French only), Jehovah’s Witnesses Assembly Hall, Forrest & Mountain Rds.
July 26-30: Pittsburgh, Pa., Three Rivers Stadium, 420 Stadium Cir. Seattle, Wash., Kingdome, 201 S. King St.
August 2-6: Los Angeles, Calif. (Spanish only), Dodger Stadium, 1000 Elysian Park Ave.
August 9-13: New York [Elmont], N.Y. (Spanish only), Belmont Park Race Track, Hempstead Tpk. at Cross Island Pkwy.
ALASKA
July 26-30: Anchorage, West High School, Romig Auditorium, 1700 Hillcrest Dr.
CANADA
July 5-9: Montréal, P.Q. (English, French, Arabic, Greek, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish. Some sessions only: Korean, Ukrainian). Olympic Stadium Parc Olympique, Pie IX Blvd. & Sherbrooke St.
July 12-16: Winnipeg, Man. (English. Some sessions only: Ukrainian), Winnipeg Stadium, Empress St. & Maroons Rd.
July 19-23: Vancouver, B.C. (English only), Empire Stadium, Exhibition Park.
August 23-27: Edmonton, Alta. (English. Some sessions only: Ukrainian), Edmonton Coliseum, 75th St. & 118th Ave.
CARIBBEAN ISLANDS
August 2-6: Bridgetown, Barbados (English only), National Stadium, Waterford, St. Michael. Fort de France, Martinique (French only), Hall des Sports, Stade Louis Achille.
August 9-13: Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe (French only).
August 16-20: San Juan, Puerto Rico (Spanish only), Hiram Bithorn Municipal Stadium, Ave. Roosevelt.
August 23-27: St. Johns, Antigua (English only), Antigua Recreation Grounds, East St. San Juan, Puerto Rico (Spanish only), Hiram Bithorn Municipal Stadium, Ave. Roosevelt.
August 30–September 3: San Juan, Puerto Rico (English, Spanish), Hiram Bithorn Municipal Stadium, Ave. Roosevelt.
GREAT BRITAIN AND IRELAND
July 5-9: Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, Sheffield Wednesday Football Ground, Hillsborough.
July 12-16: Dublin, Ireland (English. Friday morning session in Italian also), R.D.S. Main Hall, Ballsbridge, Dublin. Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England, Sheffield Wednesday Football Ground, Hillsborough.
July 19-23: London, England (English, Greek, Spanish, Italian), Rugby Union Ground, Twickenham.
July 26-30: Edinburgh, Scotland (English only), Murrayfield Rugby Ground, Murrayfield. London, England, Rugby Union Ground, Twickenham.
NORTHERN EUROPE (Scandinavia)
July 5-9: Copenhagen, Denmark (Danish, English). (Sessions only on July 8, 9: Croatian, Greek, Polish, Spanish), Idrætsparken (Sports Park), Copenhagen Østerbro, Per Henrik Lings Allé 2 (off Øster Allé).
July 12-16: Helsinki, Finland (Finnish only), Messukeskus (Fair Center). Itä-Pasila.
July 19-23: Stockholm, Sweden (Swedish, Norwegian. Some sessions only: Spanish, Italian, Portuguese), Stockholmsmässan (Stockholm International Fairs), Älvsjö.
CENTRAL AND WESTERN EUROPE
July 12-16: Rotterdam, Netherlands (Dutch, Italian. Friday morning session only: English), Feijenoord Stadium, Olympiaweg 50.
July 26-30: Vienna, Austria (German, Croatian, Hungarian. Friday morning session only: English), Süd-Stadion, A-2344 Maria Enzersdorf. Brussels, Belgium (Dutch, French, Greek, Italian, Spanish). Palais du Centenaire-Heysel (near Atomium). Lille, France (French, Polish), Foire commerciale de Lille, Hall B, boulevard du Président Hoover, 59000 Lille. Nantes, France (French only), Stade Marcel Saupin, Quai Malakoff, 44000 Nantes. Marseille, France (French only), Stade vélodrome municipal, 3 boulevard Michelet, 13008 Marseille. Munich, Germany (German, English, Greek, Turkish), Olympiahalle, Spiridon-Louis-Ring, 8000 München 40.
July 29–August 2: Düsseldorf, Germany (German, Italian, Croatian, Portuguese, Spanish), Rheinstadion, 4000 Düsseldorf 30.
August 2-6: Grenoble, France (French only), Palais des sports, 10 boulevard Clémenceau, 38000 Grenoble. Paris, France (French, Portuguese), Stade Yves du Manoir, 12 rue François Fabert, boulevard Pierre de Coubertin, 92700 Colombes. Toulouse, France (French only), Stadium municipal, 31400 Toulouse.
SOUTHERN EUROPE
June 28–July 2: Athens, Greece, Apollo Stadium, Rizoupolis. July 12-16: Thessalonica, Greece, District of Hortiatis.
August 2-6: Milan, Italy (Italian. Friday morning session only: English), San Siro. Lisbon, Portugal (Portuguese only), Estádio do Restelo (Restelo Stadium). Barcelona, Spain (Spanish only), Feria Oficial e Internacional de Muestras de Barcelona.
August 9-13: Rome, Italy (Italian. Friday morning session only: English), Stadio Flaminio.
ASIA—ORIENT (North Pacific)
July 26-30: Nagoya, Japan, Nagoya International Exhibition Hall, 2-2 Kinjo-Futo, Minato-Ku, Nagoya City.
August 2-6: Osaka, Japan, Expo Memorial Park—Sports Ground, 23-17 Yamada-Ogawa, Suita City. Taegu, Korea, Kyungbuk Silnae Gymnasium, 1443 Sankyuk Dong.
August 4-8: Seoul, Korea, Seoul City Students Gymnasium, Chamsil 1-Dong.
August 9-13: Sapporo, Japan, Olympic Stadium, 17-90 Makomanai Minami-Ku. Seoul, Korea, Changchoong Gymnasium, Changchoong Dong. Taejon, Korea, Choongmu Gymnasium, 177 Poosa Dong.
August 11-15: Tokyo, Japan, Ohi Horse Racing Stadium, 2-1-2 Katsushima, Shinagawa-Ku.
August 12-16: Hong Kong (Chinese only), Dr. Chan Shu Kui Hall, 210 Java Rd., North Point.
August 22-26: Manila, Philippines (Tagalog), Rizal Memorial Stadium, Corner Vito Cruz and M. Adriatico Sts.
August 23-27: Taipei, Taiwan (Chinese-Mandarin).
HAWAII
July 5-9: Honolulu, Hawaii (English, Japanese), Blaisdell Center, 777 Ward Ave.
July 12-16: Honolulu, Hawaii (English, Japanese), Blaisdell Center, 777 Ward Ave.
MIDDLE AMERICA
November 25-29: Mexico City, Mexico.
December 6-10: Guatemala City, Guatemala.
CENTRAL AMERICA
November 29–December 3: Belize City, Belize. San Pedro Sula, Honduras.
December 27-31: San Salvador, El Salvador.
December 30–January 3, 1979: Managua, Nicaragua.
January 3-7, 1979: San José, Costa Rica.
January 6-10, 1979: Panama City, Panama.
SOUTH AMERICA
December 27-31: Valencia, Venezuela.
January 3-7, 1979: São Paulo, Brazil.
January 6-10, 1979: Asunción, Paraguay.
January 10-14, 1979: Cali, Colombia. Montevideo, Uruguay.
January 13-17, 1979: La Paz, Bolivia.
January 17-21, 1979: Lima, Peru.
January 19-23, 1979: Guayaquil, Ecuador.
January 24-28, 1979: Lima, Peru.
ASIA
October 4-8: Bombay, India.
October 18-22: Bangkok, Thailand.
October 25-29: Rangoon, Burma.
SOUTH PACIFIC
August 31–September 3: Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
September 7-10: Honiara, Solomon Islands.
November 29–December 3: Ba, Fiji.
December 6-10: Auckland, New Zealand.
December 9-13: Perth, Australia. Noumea, New Caledonia.
December 11-15: Sydney, Australia.
December 13-17: Papeete, Tahiti.
AFRICA
December 6-10: Dakar, Senegal. Freetown, Sierra Leone.
December 13-17: Abidjan, Ivory Coast. Monrovia, Liberia.
December 20-24: Accra, Ghana. Kumasi, Ghana.
December 22-26: Ibadan, Nigeria. Lagos, Nigeria.
December 27-31: Nairobi, Kenya.
January 3-7, 1979: Maseru, Lesotho. Réunion.
January 9, 10, 12-14, 1979: Mauritius.