"It is the most remarkable thing you can imagine. People use their vacations to travel to distant work sites, paying their own way. There they may work harder and for longer hours than they have all year. And when they get home, they write to thank us for the privilege!"
"For example, a recent letter says: "We are writing to thank you for the tremendous privilege we enjoyed working for three months on the branch in the Philippines. At the end of each workday, we were physically tired, as we expected, but very built up spiritually by our fine association. We enjoyed getting to know many of the other volunteers who were there, and
we were so very impressed by the local Witnesses with whom we worked. Truly they have become beloved to us, an extension of our family." --2003 Yearbook, pages 229-232
A GLIMPSE OF THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM IN ACTION:
|
En-route to visit one of the Kingdom Hall Construction Groups. We use motorbikes as they can get to areas Landcruisers cannot! |
Everyone wants to have a share with the Kingdom Hall build in the rurals, even our young ones! |
| A Kingdom Hall that is currently in use whilst the brothers await a new one. | This is the interior of the Kingdom Hall opposite. |
| The sisters bring the bricks to the site. | Our brothers then set about building the Kingdom Hall. |
| A typical Kingdom Hall built in Congo. There is room for up to 250 in the larger design, this one has room for 210. | The interior of the Kingdom Hall is very presentable. Our Kingdom Halls are by far the best buildings in the rurals. |
| Meeting with a Kingdom Hall Construction Group to give them encouragement and pass on any updates for them to incorporate into the designs. | The new open sided design that we put in the rural areas. Seating is stored in the room and put out for the meetings. Room for 150 people. |
| We cross the Congo River to get to see other groups. These pirogues are made from the trunk of just one tree! | Nearly everywhere we go people are happy to have their picture taken. |
| Getting to remote towns is only possible by air as all roads have failed. Here we make use of a LET 410. | We stop off to see the Wagenia Rapids and the unique fishing method of lowering huge basket nets into the river. |
Young entrepreneurs develop their transport business. This young lad is delivering charcoal on his hot-rod street scooter.
I
t's not even summer yet, but it was getting warm by mid-day. At tea most of us would collapse for a while to try and catch a bit of a nap. The leftover ceiling provided a comfy cushion & some shade! Although the congregation was a small one of some 30 publishers, yet there was overwhelming support every day from the congregation!
T
he Sunday morning the hall was finished, the congregation showed up 3 hours early for their meeting. They were dressed in their finest clothes and sat in the hall singing. When they saw the RBC packing up to head home, they eagerly joined in, even in their finery!
The very tiny second school! The new cemwash finish turned out well, as it kept things very simple & yet still presents a more finished look. Running water & a toilet--a luxury for the congregation as even most of the brothers in their homes do not have plumbing!
Jonathon handed over the keys to the brothers. The brother in the middle, Seboseso, is the Presiding Overseer. The brother on the far right is from Mozambique. Working with the brothers you hear many interesting experiences. The brother on the far right is from Mozambique. He was in the middle of the terrible persecution they suffered some years ago when there was political unrest. One day at tea/text time he told us about the mass grave they had to dig for the brothers who had been killed. Yet, he said that all had remained loyal. And the results? The persecuting party is no longer in power. And Jehovah's people are still there and thriving! It just shows that if we are loyal to Jehovah, it is of lasting benefit.
The congregation bids farewell to the Regional Building Committee and then they have their first meeting in the new Kingdom Hall!?
For dedication,
Bethel had our Circuit Overseer, Des Worthman, give the talk. Despite the fact that it rained all day, the program went well and the sisters managed to keep the fires going on the food. Lunch was enjoyed in the hall..The congregation had practiced a song as a gift for the Regional Building Committee and to say thank you for the work done. It was lovely!
THE INTERNATIONAL PROGRAM
Describing what is now referred to as the "International Program", we read in the 2003 Yearbook, pages 229-232:
"...This remarkable assistance effort is an international volunteer construction program that is coordinated from the headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York. Since the start of this construction program in November 1985, over 3,000 persons have paid their own way to more than 30 work sites in North and South America, Australia, Africa, Europe, and various islands.
Presently, some 600 international volunteers are working in about 25 countries. Over 400 of them are on long-term assignments of one year or more, and they are termed "International Servants." The rest are on short-term assignments of from two weeks to three months...This international construction program was instituted to coordinate efforts of such persons to build facilities that print and distribute the Kingdom message..."
"The New Program Fills a Need: To organize and help with the phenomenal growth of this international construction work, the special volunteer program was conceived and developed. "During a construction project, particular trades are needed at particular times," one of the overseers of the program explained. "You don’t need a roofer when the foundation is being poured. So the international worker office was established in Brooklyn, New York, to coordinate matters."
"Qualifying to Serve: To share in the international volunteer program, a worker needs first to qualify. Each volunteer must be a dedicated, baptized Witness of Jehovah. In the United States, the prospective volunteer must first serve at one of the New York facilities of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This provides an opportunity for his work habits and abilities to be evaluated. He may then be invited to submit an application for the program. Wives of prospective volunteers, although usually not invited to serve with their husbands in New York, can also qualify for the program and fill out an application.
"Jehovah’s Witnesses in other countries can apply to participate in the program by requesting an application from their home branch. This application is forwarded to the office at the Brooklyn headquarters that supervises the international servants and other international volunteer workers. The applicant is then notified when his work skills are needed."
Be sure to read this information in its entirety in the 2003 Yearbook, pages 229-232.
In 1986, Regional Building Committees were appointed to help coordinate building of Kingdom Halls. On pages 334-336 of Jehovah's Witnesses--Proclaimers of God's Kingdom, we read:
"To assure the best possible use of personnel and to enable all who were building Kingdom Halls to benefit from experience that had been gained, the Society began to coordinate their activity. As a start, in 1987 the United States was divided up among 60 Regional Building Committees. There was plenty for all of them to do; some of them soon had projects lined up for a year or more. Those appointed to serve on these committees were men who, first of all, were spiritually qualified, elders in the congregations, exemplary in their exercise of the fruitage of God’s spirit. (Gal. 5:22, 23) Many of them also had experience in real estate, engineering, construction, business management, safety, and related fields...
"As reports concerning this arrangement for building Kingdom Halls reached other lands, the branch offices of the Society that believed it would be advantageous in their areas were provided with needed details. By 1992, Regional Building Committees appointed by the Society were helping with Kingdom Hall construction in such countries as Argentina, Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, Mexico, South Africa, and Spain. Building methods were adapted to local circumstances. When assistance from another branch was needed for Kingdom Hall construction, this was arranged through the Society’s headquarters office. In some parts of the world, new halls were being put up in days; elsewhere, in weeks or perhaps in a few months. With careful planning and coordinated effort, the time required to provide a new Kingdom Hall was definitely being reduced.
"The building activities of Jehovah’s Witnesses have not been limited to Kingdom Halls. Larger facilities are needed when groups of congregations meet for annual circuit assemblies and special assembly days."
Describing what was involved in the life and routine of an International Volunteer at that time, the Yearbook goes on to say:
"...The need for rapid expansion grew, an arrangement for international volunteers was initiated in 1985. It was by no means the start of international cooperation in building, but the arrangement was now carefully coordinated from headquarters. All who share are Witnesses who volunteer to help with construction work outside their own country. They are skilled workers, as well as marriage mates who go with their husbands to help in whatever way they can. Most of them pay for their own travel expenses; none get wages for what they do. Some of them go on a short-term basis, usually staying from two weeks to three months. Others are long-term volunteers, remaining for a year or more, perhaps until the project is completed. Over 3,000 of Jehovah’s Witnesses from 30 different countries had part in this during the first five years, and more were eager to share as their skills were needed. They count it a privilege to give of themselves and their means to advance the interests of God’s Kingdom in this way.
"The international volunteers are provided with a place to stay and meals to eat. Comforts are often minimal. The local Witnesses greatly appreciate what their visiting brothers are doing, and where possible, they welcome them to share their homes, however humble these may be. Meals are most often eaten at the work site.
"The brothers from abroad are not there to do the whole job. Their aim is to work along with the local construction team. And hundreds, even thousands, of others in the country may also come to help on weekends or for a week or more at a time. In Argentina, 259 volunteers from other countries worked along with several thousand local brothers, some of whom were on the job every day, others for a few weeks, and many more on weekends. In Colombia, over 830 international volunteers helped for varying periods of time. There were also upwards of 200 local volunteers who shared in the project full-time and, each weekend, another 250 or more who helped. A total of more than 3,600 different individuals took part.
"Difference of language can present problems, but it does not prevent the international groups from working together. Sign language, facial expressions, a good sense of humor, and a desire to accomplish a job that will honor Jehovah help to get the work done.
"Outstanding growth in the organization—consequently the need for larger branch facilities—is sometimes experienced in lands where the number of people who are skilled in the building trades is limited. But this is no hindrance among Jehovah’s Witnesses, who gladly help one another. They work together as part of a global family that is not divided by nationality, skin color, or language."
Be sure to read in its entirety the article, "They Serve the Christian Brotherhood on an International Scale", 2003 Watchtower May 1, pages 25-27. In part it says:
"Have you heard of the terms "international servants" and "international volunteers"? Witnesses of Jehovah who make up these groups volunteer their time and skills to help in the construction of facilities that print and distribute the Bible’s Kingdom message. Such volunteers also help in the construction of Assembly Halls and Kingdom Halls, which serve as centers of Bible instruction. Presently, these volunteers assist with construction projects in 34 different countries, mainly in lands with limited resources. What special challenges and joys do such ministers experience as they serve the Christian brotherhood on an international scale? How do they feel about the "sacred service" they perform? (Revelation 7:9, 15) To find out, let us meet some volunteers who served in Mexico..."
Continuing under the subheading, "Challenges They Face" the article continues:
"What are the challenges that international volunteers face while they serve in a foreign assignment? Here are some of their observations. Curtis and Sally, a couple from the United States, have helped with construction projects in Germany, India, Mexico, Paraguay, Romania, Russia, Senegal, and Zambia. Curtis relates: "The first challenge was leaving our daughter, who served as a pioneer [full-time minister], and our home congregation in Minnesota. My wife and I were associated with that congregation for 24 years, and we felt very comfortable there.
"Sally notes: "Living under unfamiliar conditions is a challenge, perhaps even more so for a woman than for a man, but I learned that it is possible to adjust. I even learned to put up with insects, lots of them!" She adds: "In one country, ten of us volunteers shared an apartment without a kitchen and with only two bathrooms. There I learned to be more patient."
"Learning a new language is another challenge that requires effort and humility. Sharon, who has served with her husband on construction projects in different countries, says: "Not knowing the language of the country where you serve is a challenge. In the beginning, it is hard to draw close to your spiritual brothers and sisters when you cannot freely express your feelings. That is frustrating. But the brothers whom we meet in our foreign assignments are very patient with us and are deeply interested in our well-being. Before long, we are somehow communicating."
Not only younger ones, but often older brothers and sisters, upon retirement, offer to help with construction as international volunteers. For example the 2000 Yearbook, page 94 relates this experience under the subheading: 'Offering Themselves Willingly':
"Willie and Betty Stewart, as well as others, offered to help with construction as international volunteers. Willie, a plumber and a heating engineer, took an early retirement at 55 years of age. The Stewarts then shared in construction projects in Greece, and later in Spain, Zimbabwe, and Malta. Betty helped with housekeeping, laundry, and even some plumbing. They worked hard, and they felt richly rewarded spiritually. Says Willie: "We have made friends all over the world and from all age groups."
Under the heading, "Grateful to Serve" the 2003 Yearbook quotes one couple who went to Ecuador:
"We learned to live without junk food, to bathe in just a little water, and to shave and shower in cold water. We had no idea how much our thinking had been influenced by advertising. We gave the best we had at the work site, but we came away with much more than we gave. Our Ecuadorian brothers are poor materially, according to U.S. standards, but their spirituality and appreciation for the preaching work is outstanding. Words cannot really describe how we feel about this privilege."
Another enthusiastic recommendation is recorded for us in the 1991 Awake! April 22, pages 15-17:
"A young couple from Missouri in the United States explains: "We first heard about the International Volunteer Construction Worker Program in the summer of 1988 when some friends returned from an assignment at the branch office of the Watch Tower Society in Honduras, Central America. ‘You just have to do it!’ they said, bubbling over with enthusiasm."
Those interested in serving where the need is great in the capacity of a volunteer in the International Program, should without fail read the publications quoted above in their entirety as well as all current publications, including Organized to Do Jehovah's Will for changes and updates in this program. (the OD book is not posted on the Watchtower Library CD).
Using the Watchtower Library CD or Watchtower Index, there are a number of wonderful articles describing the International Program, which answer questions regarding qualifications, how to apply, contributions of wives, a typical day in the life of an International Volunteer, schedules, living quarters, meals, architectural drawings & methods of construction, countries where the work is being carried out currently as well as many photos of the construction of Kingdom Halls, Assembly Halls and Branch Offices.
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