Bringing the Light to Remote Places in Bolivia
NORTH and east of Bolivia’s lofty mountains lie flat tropical lowlands, lush with vegetation. These are divided by turbulent rivers that wind through jungles and pampas. What is it like to preach the Kingdom good news in such remote areas?
Imagine yourself in a large canoe, shaped from a hollowed-out tree trunk and driven by a motor at the back. This was the experience of six full-time ministers from Trinidad, a city in the El Beni section of Bolivia. They had planned this trip so that they could witness at river settlements never before reached with the “good news of the kingdom.” (Matthew 24:14) After cutting through a wide expanse of sparkling water, their craft began navigating a narrow stream in the direction of the Mamoré River.
One in the group relates: “We had almost reached the Mamoré when we discovered that the last part of the stream was dry. Getting out of the boat, we found ourselves sinking in mire up to our thighs! My wife lost her shoes trying to get free. But with the help of passersby, we were able to haul the heavy canoe out of the mud and onto more solid ground. After two laborious hours, we reached the Mamoré.
“We then motored smoothly up the river, which was flanked by high banks with abundant tropical vegetation. At the sound of the motor, large turtles slipped off floating logs, while graceful dolphins at times arched out of the waters. Our first stop was indicated by a plume of smoke from a shoreside fire set to ward off insects. After docking our canoe amid a tangle of branches, we conversed with the friendly folk about the coming Kingdom blessings. Appreciatively they loaded us with fruit and eggs.
“As the day passed, we made additional stops to plant more seeds of truth. It was dark by the time we reached San Antonio. The villagers had gone to bed. Yet, as word spread that a film would be shown, lamps began to be lit. A horse and a wagon were hitched up to bring our equipment into town. Many people became acquainted with Jehovah’s Witnesses both on film and in person.
“The following day we continued visiting new places. On a high bank, women were washing their clothes, and even a baby, in gigantic turtle shells. They had never before heard our Bible message. At one place small fish jumped high out of the water next to the boat, and many landed inside. So after showing the film, we had fried fish before retiring. By the trip’s end, much literature had been left in this remote area, and we were content to have helped many hear the good news for the first time.”—Compare Romans 15:20, 21.
Evidence of Angelic Direction
Picture yourself now on a mission to locate one person in a town of 12,000, which you are visiting for the first time. You know little about her beyond her name. That was the challenge facing two full-time ministers who arrived at Guayaramerín hoping to find a person who had previously studied the Bible and attended meetings in another town but then had moved to this town. After getting settled, the pioneer couple decided to stroll down to the plaza, where there were crowds of people either eating at tables or just conversing. Almost immediately a man approached the couple and struck up a conversation. They asked him if he knew the woman they were seeking. “No,” he said, “but my mother-in-law is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” Since no Witnesses were known to be in the town, they thought he might be confused.
However, the next day they visited this elderly lady, who was bedridden with a broken leg. “I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, but I’m not baptized yet,” she said. Asked who taught her the truth, she pointed to a portrait of her granddaughter on the wall and said: “She did.” They could hardly believe their eyes! It was the young woman for whom they were looking! “Why did your son-in-law deny knowing her?” they asked. “Oh, she’s married now, and he knows only her married name,” she replied. The granddaughter was away at the time, but a Bible study was thereafter conducted through correspondence. The result? Both she and her grandmother progressed to the point of getting baptized. Their house served as the Kingdom Hall for a growing congregation, and as a full-time minister, the younger woman has directed many to Jehovah’s organization.
Preaching in the Heart of the Tropics
Next, imagine your plane touching down on a grassy runway at San Joaquín, deep in the heart of the Bolivian tropics. You have an uneasy feeling when you think of a mysterious plague that, two years earlier, wiped out a fifth of the population of this town.
The pioneer couple arriving from Trinidad by plane had already had a taste of the people’s hospitality. The husband relates: “A Bible conversation held during our flight led to an invitation to stay at a private home, free of charge. Our hosts even supplied our meals at a low cost, enabling us to devote all our time to our preaching work. Soon after arriving, we were told to report to the military barracks right away. When the official learned that we were not revolutionaries but Jehovah’s Witnesses, he showed unusual interest and acquired a Bible, as well as Bible literature and subscriptions to the Watchtower and Awake! magazines. Thereafter, almost everyone in town listened attentively to the Bible’s promise of perfect health in the near future.”—Revelation 21:4.
Four full-time ministers wanted to get from San Joaquín to San Ramón, but the only mode of transportation available was oxcart. They used literature cartons for seats. These soon became crushed out of shape because of the bouncing and heavy jolts of the covered cart, with its high wooden wheels. Even the chickens on board got visibly dizzy from motion sickness.
After ten hours of lumbering through underbrush, they reached the point where not even a trail marked the way, and it was getting dark. The driver alarmed the group by saying, “I think we are lost!” They were just beginning to wonder, ‘How can we stay out in this underbrush infested with snakes and dangerous wild animals?’ when the driver added, “But don’t worry. The animals have made the trip before.” So it was. Within an hour they emerged from the underbrush right at San Ramón!
Here, too, many days were spent announcing the coming Paradise to ears that had never heard of it before. No Witnesses lived here; yet something happened that changed that.
A Catholic missionary had been following the Witnesses as they went from door to door. Somehow they crossed paths and found her in the next home they came upon. Surprised by her friendliness, they left her the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. Though not genuinely interested herself, she gave the book to her sister-in-law, who devoured its contents, studied further, and later became a baptized Witness.
Tension on Tropical Rivers
Now picture yourself at the helm of a river launch navigating dangerous, turbulent waters. Hidden rocks, mud banks, and tree trunks, along with the sudden appearance of a huge whirlpool, are just a few of the perils. Piranhas, electric eels, and stingrays abound in these waters. Such were the challenges facing the brothers in Riberalta who had the work of witnessing to river populations in the area.
To reach these isolated places, they built a launch named Luz de los Ríos (Light of the Rivers). During the visit of the district and circuit overseers, it was decided to take the launch on a trial run. All went well until the roof got caught on an overhanging limb. A strong current swung the launch against a fallen tree. Like a sword, a pointed broken branch pierced the side of the boat—almost impaling the district overseer’s wife! Water poured in, and the launch turned over, dumping its passengers into the swirling waters. And the district overseer and his wife could not swim! With the help of those who could, they got to land safely. But the launch completely disappeared. Days later it was located three miles [5 km] downstream. All belongings, including 20 cartons of literature, had been lost.
The Bolivian Navy helped to refloat it, and after weeks of repairs, the launch was ready once more to complete its maiden voyage. The tense trip began with bad weather and engine trouble.
The first place the brothers docked, they were confronted by a group of Evangelists, who mocked: “Your little boat is no good for this river!” An attempt to show slides there was frustrated by a defective generator. Back on the river again, the Witnesses learned that other launches had come by with loudspeakers warning of the coming “false prophets.” Clearly, this was the work of the Evangelists. However, it only heightened the people’s curiosity.
Although this visit ended the false propaganda from the real false prophets, the brothers felt tense, for they still had ahead of them a 21-day trip to reach Fortaleza.
Along the way, they witnessed to the chief of a remote tribe; he listened attentively. Through a Bible discourse given by one of the pioneers, a group of mourners in an isolated clearing was comforted with the true hope for the dead. An elderly man with a long white beard expressed his heartfelt appreciation, and he asked how he could subscribe to our magazine for ten years! In Fortaleza, 120 persons benefited from the Society’s slide program.
How satisfied these pioneers felt to have brought the light of truth to remote places! Certainly, there is no more secure and satisfying way to use one’s life than to serve the Creator of life itself, Jehovah God.—Psalm 63:3, 4.
[Map/Pictures on page 26]
(For fully formatted text, see publication)
BOLIVIA
Guayaramerín
Riberalta
Fortaleza
San Joaquín
San Ramón
Trinidad
San Antonio