Kingdom Proclaimers Report
Fleeing to Jehovah’s Theocratic Organization
LONG ago the prophet Isaiah was moved to declare: ‘They must glorify Jehovah in the islands of the sea.’ (Isaiah 24:15) Jehovah’s Witnesses view the islands of the sea as part of “the inhabited earth” to which Jesus said “the good news has to be preached.”—Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10.
The Marquesas Islands are located some 900 miles [1,400 km] northeast of Tahiti. They are part of a remote group of islands in the South Pacific called French Polynesia. With rich, volcanic soil and a warm, humid climate, vegetation thrives in these islands. However, the Marquesas are also bearing another type of fruit. Consider the case of one family who responded to the Kingdom message on the island of Hiva Oa.
Jean and his wife, Nadine, were unhappy with the so-called civilized society of Western Europe in which they lived. So they decided to leave that hectic life-style behind and move with their child to the Marquesas Islands. Their new house, constructed of bamboo, was nestled in a remote valley. To reach their nearest neighbors, they had to hike along a rugged mountain path for two hours. The closest village with a doctor, school, and general store was three hours away by jeep.
Jean and Nadine were not interested in religion. They did, however, engage in discussions about the origin of life. Often, they would elaborate on complex theories of evolution. But none of their theories brought them satisfaction.
After living in seclusion for six years, they were surprised to receive a visit by two of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Witnesses had learned of Jean and Nadine’s whereabouts from the nearby villagers. Naturally, the conversation led to a discussion of the theory of evolution. To the couple’s delight, the Witnesses were carrying a copy of the book Life—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation?, published by Jehovah’s Witnesses. Jean and Nadine were pleased to have a book that presented a thorough examination of how life got here.
A short time later, a Bible study was started. Over a period of about three years, Jean and Nadine made steady progress. They became convinced that soon the entire earth would be made a paradise. After their family increased to three children, traveling for four hours to attend Christian meetings at the Kingdom Hall became a real challenge. That did not stop them from attending, however. Eventually Jean and Nadine symbolized their dedication to Jehovah by water baptism. This they did at a convention held in the main village, where the peak attendance was 38 people!
In order to help the small group of Kingdom publishers, the family decided to leave their isolated home. They moved to a village of about a thousand inhabitants, where Jean now serves as a ministerial servant in the local congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This family, who formerly fled to the islands to escape civilization, counts it a privilege to have found the only true sanctuary, Jehovah’s theocratic organization.