DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

There are many fields in which one can serve where there is a great need without ever leaving your home country. For example, the 2004 Watchtower, June 1st, page 19, after discussing the many doors of activities that are open for us to serve (going where the need is great, serving in a foreign land, missionary work, Bethel Service, International Service, and Ministerial Training School) we read the following experience:

"Yes, many doors of activity are open. Granted, most of us are not able to serve at Bethel or in a foreign land. ...Our challenge as Christians, then, is to make the most of our situation—to have as full a share in Jehovah’s service as our circumstances permit...Consider Ethel, an elderly sister in a nursing home. She witnesses regularly to fellow residents in her home and engages in telephone witnessing. Despite her limitations, she is whole-souled in her service."

Stressing the need to reach such persons in nursing homes, the 2000 Yearbook, page 55, had this to say,

"There are over 17,000 nursing homes in the United States, where hundreds of thousands of senior citizens are housed. How can this elderly population be reached with the good news? Some congregations have had good success by approaching the activities director of such a facility and volunteering their help in meeting the spiritual needs of the residents. In one case it was explained that volunteers from the congregation would be pleased to conduct a free weekly Bible study with anyone who wished to attend. The offer was gladly accepted.

"Oftentimes, the staff, family members, and other visitors and volunteers would join in the study. The activities director wrote: "This study group provides spiritual support and continues to enhance the well-being of our residents. They absolutely love the Bible study." She appreciated how mentally stimulating it was to the older ones. To the delight of the staff, one elderly woman who had not spoken since arriving at the nursing home began to comment in the study. An older man who had never attended any of the other group activities in the home was eager to attend the Bible study."

In the 2003 Watchtower, November 15, page 22, we read the following:

The 1996 Watchtower, July 15, page 25 ....tells us of another experience:

"...one disabled sister is confined to a nursing home. However, a door of activity is still open for her! A doctor asked her how she manages to pass her time. She relates: "I told him that I always run short of time. He could not comprehend this. I told him that this is because my days are filled with satisfying activities. I am not lonesome, but I look up others who are lonesome and try to tell them what God has in store for mankind." She sums matters up by saying: "From someone who is almost 80, one cannot expect too much. Pray for me so that I can still lead many to Jehovah."

Yes, even our older brothers and sisters are able to serve where there is a need, preaching to persons that are difficult to reach!

Another couple relates the wonderful experience they had in Tulsa, Oklahoma where they enjoyed the privilege of bringing the good news to residents of a nursing home there.

This experience began when a sister of the anointed, Martha, in her 90's had a stroke and was put in a nursing home on the West Coast by her non-witness family. In time she was transferred to a nursing home in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Helen, a pioneer sister, visited her regularly and held her hand and spoke to her. Martha was fed intravenously, and could neither speak nor move, and from all appearances did not comprehend anything that anyone said or that was going on around her. However, this was not the case, but Martha could understand, although this was not apparent to anyone, not even those taking care of her at the nursing home.

Helen relates that the director, after observing the love and attention shown to Martha, by Helen and others visiting, commented on this to Helen and expressed a desire for Helen to teach the Bible to other residents of the nursing home. The director and her assistant told Helen that if she could return to teach the residents the Bible, they would set up a large room and have the willing residents all dressed and prepared.

Helen, feeling very inadequate to teach older people in a group setting, mentioned it to her husband, who thought it was a wonderful idea and encouraged her to pursue it and so Helen agreed to do it and returned to make arrangements with the director and assistant.

Helen relates that, "On our first day of the study we had five persons. "Freda" got wheeled in and after the study she was so upbuilt that she stood up and pushed her own wheelchair out of the room!...Leila was another student, and was one hundred years old, and jokingly called herself, 'Mrs. Methuselah"! :

Since the residents were in wheelchairs and many quite disabled, they needed help in order to hold their books, so Helen enlisted the help of others in the congregation to assist her on the study each week, for as Helen comments, "Their bodies had grown weary, but they participated in the study with minds as sharp as tacks!"

One week, when Helen and the other friends came for the study, the nursing directors told them that the residents were going around to others in the home telling them all the things they were learning! Helen related how attached she grew to everyone and what joy she found in this grand privilege! She said, "At first I felt so inadequate to teach a group of persons like this, but then slowly I overcame that feeling when I saw the joy the residents were experiencing from the study! ...Many people who were once sad and shy were now happy and joyfully participating in the study!"

Helen continued, "I loved the arrangement from the very beginning, but still I wished we would have Martha with us, but she was always so sick and confined to her room and was fed intravenously...and it was difficult for her to sit up...so I prayed about it and then planned to talk with the nursing director about it."

Helen, went to the study the following week, planning to talk with the nursing director, and when she arrived the usual residents were there and to her great surprise there was Martha! Martha then continued to be part of the study each week. On one occasion, Martha looked over and saw "My Book of Bible Stories and the Bible and smiled and then laughed, while trying to pat Helen's hand and slightly squeezed it! In Helen's words, "I cried tears of joy!"

The Bible study with the residents grew to 15, each one loving the study and looking forward to it each week. Helen spoke to the group telling them that Martha had once taught people about Jehovah and his promises, and then she looked at Martha and said, "Right, Martha?" and Martha smiled and nodded her head yes, and moaned back "I love you!" This was the first time someone had heard her speak. Martha continued to enjoy the study and laughed with all the residents during the visits with Helen. Previously, no one, including the nurses, knew that Martha was one of Jehovah's witnesses or even able to comprehend!

Each week, Helen says, "Martha continued to enjoy her wonderful spiritual food that she had been starving for!

Could it be that Jehovah put the idea into the director's minds and hearts for us to have this upbuilding Bible study with 15 residents and especially our dear anointed sister, Martha? "

One day, Helen and the friends could not go to the nursing home because of the weather and the very slippery roads. Regarding this, Helen relates, "Much to my surprise one of the directors telephoned and asked me to talk with Martha because she was extremely upset hearing that the study had been cancelled. I explained why I could not come and told her I loved her and she responded, trying hard to talk to me! The director was in tears hearing Martha trying to talk to me!"

Martha continued to love her study and the visits and always wanted me to pray with her. Because of Martha's reaction to our visits, her comprehending, her efforts to communicate, the director and her assistant were so impressed that Helen says, "I had the opportunity to explain our beliefs for two hours with them! They then understood why Martha pulls away from others when they want to pray for her and celebrate holidays. I was able to leave with them tracts and brochures on what we believe."

"Much time and effort and care goes into a nursing home. It takes hours for the nurses and directors to bathe, dress and prepare the residents for our Bible study. ...I am so thankful that Jehovah allowed me to try and help Martha and the other residents. It meant so much to me and the friends who came with me to assist, to watch the many residents gain faith in Jehovah and his promises of a happy life with no pain and suffering...a time when we will be able to live joyfully forever."

Helen relates, "This is one of the happiest times during all my years of pioneering...Watching our sister responding so well, seeing her so happy and to know that Jehovah was seeing to it that one of His anointed was receiving her spiritual food. He certainly is a kind loving God who cares so tenderly for his sheep, especially ones from "the little flock". As Helen expressed it, "One is never too elderly to learn the truth about Jehovah...". And her experience as she says, "shows what a need there is to visit nursing homes and never hold back witnessing to the residents."

In an area of Mexico, a witness couple stopped & preached to an elderly woman in a wheelchair being pushed by a nurse. Upon finding out that the lady, Consuelo, could read English, they left her with the magazines which she had never read before. Consuelo gave the witness couple her address and four days later the brother and sister went to the address, only to find out that it was a nursing home run by Catholic nuns. The nuns said that they could not see "Consuelo". However, the couple urged the nuns to let her know that they were there and explained that they wanted to greet her. When Consuelo saw them she invited them to come right in and the 86 year old woman began studying regularly with the couple despite the negative comments by the nuns. She also began to attend some meetings at the Kingdom Hall. (See Watchtower 2004, Apr.15,page 23-26)

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CONDOMINIUMS / HIGH-RISERS

People living in nursing or convalescent homes are not the only ones who are difficult to reach. There are the many people in larger cities who live in exclusive condominiums, and apartment buildings such as these that provide high security against crime.

Access to the people living in such high-rises and condominiums is often very difficult. However, these persons can be reached with the good news in a number of ways, through telephone-witnessing, letter-writing, or... in the case of this experience, making the condominium one's personal territory for informal witnessing:

A married couple serving in the 1980's in the full-time service moved into one of these buildings near São Paulo. The relate how they made this condominium their personal territory, preaching to its residents at every opportunity: when shopping, going to the bank, picking up children from school, & by being equipped with literature at all times in order to bring the good news to her neighbors.

Later they would make systematic calls on the persons they spoke to. At a parent-teacher's meeting the sister left an appropriate article in the Awake! with a mother who had a son with a learning disorder. This led to a Bible study and the mother and her two daughters were baptized. She witnessed to another neighbor, explaining the Bible study arrangement, and this lady, her husband and 18 year old son were eventually baptized. The sister began a study with another neighbor and her three adolescent daughters who studied despite the husband's objections. He was invited to the meeting, attended, and the couple began to study with the whole family. Later all five were baptized. Other persons began to study and in 1991 a congregation was formed composed entirely of people living in that one condominium! In 1995, there were 46 publishers & 80 persons that attended the memorial. (See 1997 Yearbook)

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PRISONS / DETENTION CENTERS
                          
Brother Roger Snook, from Texas, who suffers from advanced Parkinson's Disease, was able to pioneer and carry on a tremendous "prison ministry". In 1995, when Roger began his prison-ministry, his "territory" consisted of only 19 inmates in two Texas prisons. However, it rapidly grew to 330 inmates in 42 prisons in four states.

Out of the hundreds of Bible students that faithfully responded to Roger's letters there were more than 30 baptized in prison as a direct result of his letters!

In time, due to failing health, he had to turn this ministry over to, as he puts it, "younger, healthier more capable brothers." Meanwhile Roger was able to reach many hundreds of persons otherwise nearly impossible to reach!

Pioneers living in Glendale, California, U.S.A. every Saturday morning traveled some 65 miles round-trip to visit a federal detention center. They are only able to spend a few hours each visit with the prisoners, but are encouraged by this ministry. The relate, "It is so rewarding to serve in this unique territory. We are doing it with much joy. We have so many interested ones that it is hard to keep up. Presently, we are studying with five people, and four others have requested a Bible study."

The November 2005 Our Kingdom Ministry, on page 4 reminds us:

"The preaching of the good news also serves as a basis for judgment. ...People will be judged by their response to the good news. What a serious responsibility this places upon God’s servants! In order to avoid bloodguilt, we must not hold back from making known the lifesaving Kingdom message."

How very important it is, then, to put forth the effort to bring the good news to those in places hard to reach.

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The 2001 Awake! May 8th, page 8 reports, "Jehovah’s Witnesses are conducting such a Bible education program in numerous prisons around the world, with wonderful results..."We have been helped to discover what the Bible says about the purpose of life and the blessings the future holds for mankind," commented one prisoner, adding: "It’s an incredible education!" Another inmate remarked: "We’re making decisions based on God’s counsel. .. . . We see changes in ourselves. We know what life’s priorities are."

For more experiences on the results of this effort to reach persons in prisons all around the world, read the article: Is Reform Possible? 2001 Awake! May 8, pages 8-10.

For practical suggestions and guidelines for corresponding with prisoners, see: km 4/03 7; km 12/89 7 and other information listed in the Watchtower Library CD and Watchtower Indexes.