UNITED STATES

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RUSSIAN CONGREGATION
Central Ohio

 On September 1st of last year, my wife and I changed congregations TO SERVE WHERE THE NEED IS GREAT IN THE RUSSIAN LANGUAGE TERRITORY in central Ohio.

Previous to this point, we had one pioneer sister who taught herself enough Russian to preach working the territory essentially by herself, with the exception of some coordination with a sister from another congregation with some more formal Russian language background. Numerous studies are being conducted, and we have much more work to do than we have been able to actually accomplish.

This year, we had a translation of the Memorial talk into Russian, and had three Russian-speaking people join us. Since that time, we have had a few other occasions where we have had other Russian studies come to the meetings, and for those whose English isn't good enough to understand the talk, we provide some sort of translation. This evening, we had our first real Russian language meeting. We have been visited this week by a native Russian-speaking brother who recently graduated from ministerial training school. We took him in service, made arrangements to invite our studies, and prayed for success. Our Russian meeting had a total attendance of 29, 18 of whom were Russian-speaking visitors, most of whom were attending a meeting for the first time. In fact, one of my studies (whose English is worse than my Russian) brought someone to whom he's been witnessing. I had the privilege of serving as the chairman for this meeting. Our Russian brother presented the talk "Why we can trust the Bible", and also conducted the Watchtower lesson. Our Watchtower lesson had each question assigned to one of the baptized friends who is studying Russian.

A number of our visitors were moved to comment, so our study turned out to be a more lively discussion than we initially imagined. The meeting was well-received. More literature was placed, more questions were raised, and more plans were made to visit our students. After our meeting, we went to a dinner that was coordinated by a few sisters serving our Russian territory, and more than a half-dozen sisters from other congregations whose meetings were held earlier in the day made all of the necessary preparations for a real feast to be had. Dinner was excellent. The room was filled with excited Russian voices exchanging comments on the talk, on their studies, and of appreciation for what they have learned.

At my table, an old man named Vladimir, having finished his meal, sat there holding up a "My book of Bible stories" with the picture of Ruth and Naomi turned toward those who were listening, and told the whole story. After he was finished, he flipped the pages until he found the story of David and Goliath. He related the story, filled in the details, and talked about the tremendous power that Jehovah God has and can use to benefit his servants. I don't know that I have ever heard anything so pleasurable or satisfying as Vladimir's recounting of Bible stories and highlighting of main points.

For most of us working this territory, this was the first time that we had any real indication of the progress that we were making as a group. We all know that all of us are very busy, and often all working in different directions. Most of us have personally dealt with many mundane things that unexpectedly eat up time, create stress, and can make us weary: problems with cars, buying and selling of homes, changing jobs, loss of family members in death, and about anything else you might be able to imagine. Through it all, though, we have kept doing whatever we could, however little it was, to keep moving forward.

As student after student thanked me profusely, often with hugs, for my part in the evening and the preaching work that I'm helping to accomplish, it became very clear to me that as difficult a year as this has been, it's been well worth it.  NO OTHER WORK COULD POSSIBLY BE SO REWARDING!

Matt Curtin
http://www.interhack.net/people/cmcurtin/

It may not be readily apparent, but I believe that Jehovah's hand has directed my life in his service and as long as I continue to openly allow that, I know that we will have much joy and success in serving him.

My wife and I heard from a family friend about the formation of a Greek-speaking group about 50 miles north of my home in Hollywood, FL. I live in Miami-Dade county, Florida, about 20 miles south of the city of Miami. I was so excited to hear this. You see, my parents are Greek. I, though, was raised up going to an English-speaking congregation in a small town in North Florida. But I always felt a very strong tie to my Greek "roots."

About the time that we began to have a great deal of interest from the friends in our Hall about learning sign language, I had met some Greek people locally and at work which rekindled my interest in possibly signing up somewhere for Greek classes and relearning my Greek, as I had lost much of it from non-use. My wife wholeheartedly agreed with me and she, too was interested in learning the language, so we began a search for classes. Unfortunately, the only places offering such were the local Greek Orthodox churches, something that I did NOT want to get involved with. It was about this time that this friend of my wife's was visiting our congregation and told us about the Greek group and that she was learning Greek to help out. One of the Greek sisters was holding classes in the Kingdom Hall on Saturday afternoons to help those interested in learning. Well, it seemed that Jehovah had answered our prayers! The following Saturday, we drove the 50 miles and showed up at the Hall for the class and met many wonderful friends.

At the time they were having the book study, Watchtower study and book study in Greek, so we decided to attend the next day, Sunday and see what it was like. Although my comprehension was about 30% and my wife's was 0, we thoroughly enjoyed the meeting and the friends.

Immediately after the meeting, the elder overseeing the group as well as having directed the start up of the group pulled me aside and asked me what my intentions were. I had no idea what he meant. Well, he said, you're Greek and we need brothers and families to help us. At that moment, I could not believe that he actually thought I would just up and move there.

We attended the Greek school every Saturday after that and occasionally the meeting on Sunday after that for about 4 months. In August, 1996, after a little coercion, we decided that we would move to that congregation as publishers and just try to sell our house. Well, not everything has worked out perfectly...we haven't sold our house yet.

So, we've been driving 50 miles each way to all our meetings and service. But the joys far outweigh the hardship. You see, the English-speaking congregation we are officially a part of is also a bit short on qualified brothers, so I am used a great deal in both the English and Greek. I am assistant literature servant and also have various other obligations and responsibilities, including chairman when we meet on Saturdays, and am reaching out to serve as a ministerial servant. There are those nights when I even have a talk in English and a talk in Greek on the school. Recently, we have had a string of Greek public talks, which allows us to have our meeting on Saturday afternoons totally in Greek. This has been very beneficial for all. My wife, by the way, who is not Greek is making fine progress...giving talks, making comments in her own words, her comprehension is up to about 50 or 60 percent now.

I suppose I could make a list from my house to the kingdom hall about ALL THE JOYS AND BLESSINGS THAT WE RECEIVE, but I won't. Suffice it to say that we are at the point now where we say "If we sell our house, great, if not, that's fine too. Whatever Jehovah wants us to do." That philosophy has taken us very far.

If you have the same mental attitude, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO ALSO SERVE WHERE THE NEED IS GREAT!

Tim & Julie Sampson
Dania Beach Congregation Greek Hollywood/Miami, FL
Email: timbo@witnesses.net

PORTUGUESE CONGREGATION
Hudson, Massachusetts
Learning Portuguese & Serving Where The Need is Great
 

I must tell you about my two latest studies in the Portuguese congregation; both attend meetings, one very regularly, the other a little less. Forty-three-year-old Jorge, who attends meetings regularly, is remarkably nervous and easy distracted during the study. He wants to do well, he really does, but it is virtually impossible for him to concentrate on any one subject for very long. This of course provides me the opportunity to vary my teaching technique and pray in my mind frequently during the study. I am confident that Jehovah will guide Jorge along and that he will become a faithful servant of Jehovah in due time.

My other study is with a younger man in his early twenties who is the son of a lawyer. He is well educated and the study flows along very well. He attends meetings whenever he can due to his crazy work schedule. Generally, he makes it to at least one meeting per week. We are in chapter 12 of the Knowledge book . NOW ABLE TO CONDUCT STUDIES IN PORTUGUESE ALONE! It has been a year and a half since I joined the Portuguese congregation, and I now feel confident enough to conduct studies alone in Portuguese.

I have had studies up until now, but it was always imperative that I bring a native speaker along with me, just in case. Now I can comment freely at meetings and conduct my own studies. Occasionally, I resort to a dictionary during the study to make a special point, but otherwise, things are really picking up for me. Studying in a newly acquired foreign language also makes it even more important than normal to prepare for studies ahead of time. If I don't, I sense the difference immediately.

HAVING A SENSE OF HUMOR LEARNING A NEW LANGUAGE: Of course, I make mistakes, some quite comical at times. For example, the word most used in Portuguese for "to live" is "morar", similar to Spanish "to dwell". (Portuguese has "vivir", but it is not used to express residence, etc.) They also say "morrer" for "to die". As you can see the verbs are very similar and common. The "r" and "rr" sounds vary so much in Portuguese from the English, Spanish, and French "r" and "rr" sounds which I have mastered fairly well. Now I have to learn a new "r" sound, the Portuguese version! Whenever I pronounce it wrong, people get confused or laugh out loud because it sounds as though I am saying, "I die on Main Street." or "He dies in my building." When I want to say "live" or "lives".

As I have always told others, the FIRST rule to learning any language:  You must be able to laugh at yourself often and hard!

Ashland Portuguese Congregation Hudson, Massachusetts, USA

PORTUGUESE CONGREGATION

Hudson, Mass. USA
 

I served in Spanish for almost 18 years, and I am from Massachusetts. I used to be in the Worcester Spanish Congregation. (Now there are two Spanish congregations in Worcester and an isolated group about 25 miles south of Worcester in Southbridge where brother Steve Haws (Leominster Spanish) and I used to preach.

Now,  I am in the Portuguese congregation in Ashland, MA. There were so many, many Brazilians moving into Worcester with no one to attend to them that one day I drove to Ashland to "just" turn over a handful of return visits, and I stayed. That's right! I loved the meeting so much, I stayed. For about 6 months I continued to attend both sets of meetings in Portuguese and Spanish. Then on Sept. 1 of last year I made the official move to serve in the Portuguese congregation completely.

I am now being used in many capacities: talks, comments, congregation reports, reading, conducting studies, etc. etc.

I love this congregation beyond compare!!!!! It is by far the warmest, most mature group of brothers I have ever had the privilege of serving with. I literally cannot say enough good things about my "new" congregation. Even after being here a year and a half and having a more balanced perspective once the novelty of the first few months wore off, I am still "in love" with this congregation. We have three wonderful elders, two pioneers, and a great overall spirit throughout the congregation to serve Jehovah completely.

Although I have remained in the U.S.A., I also feel like a Needgreater because with only 22 Portuguese congregations in all of North America (Canada and the USA) there is a great, great need to attend to the phenomenal number of Brazilians and Continental Portuguese that are arriving in the US. In fact, several friends who formerly served in Spanish are moving to Portuguese. Our CO and his wife were requested to move from Spanish to Portuguese. Also, you will be happy to know that the latest congregation that was formed in Portuguese was right in BOSTON!!!!! And it is already almost ready to divide!!!! Can you believe it?

As you can see, I could go on all night.... with experiences and encouraging news.

I have many experiences, some quite funny, about learning a new language (or two), learning a new culture, etc. Also, I would strongly stress the importance of working with the congregation one moves into, regardless of all the years of experience one may have in an "American" congregation. When one moves to serve where the need is greater, perhaps the greatest key is humility: Don't try to teach the brothers in your new assignment. To the contrary, learn, learn, and then learn some more from them!!! They know their territory, they know their people, they know their own language more than a Needgreater will ever know. Therefore, Needgreaters must always leave themselves wide open mentally and spiritually to learn from members in their new congregation.

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