It Was the Talk of the Town

THREE Kingdom Halls, two apartments, on three floors in a building of 16,000 square feet (1,500 sq m), constructed in three days​—that’s what set Waterbury, Connecticut, talking. On the long weekend of October 11-13, it was accomplished by some 1,500 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in what The Sunday Republican headlined as a “weekend miracle.”

Cooperative city officials visited the site. The mayor said: “It’s a beautiful building. You must be very proud of it.”

A director of a local bank looked on in amazement: “I’ve been trying to get a branch of our bank built for two years, and here you people get your building up in three days!”

The city planner watched the crews work and said: “It’s like a well-oiled machine.” His secretary added: “It appears you had divine direction.”

The attorney who handled the legal work came with his wife, a professor at the University of Connecticut. She said: “It’s amazing what people can do when they work together.” He offered: “We have three empty bedrooms. If you need them to house some of your workers, you’re welcome to use them.”

One of the building inspectors said: “Fantastic, fantastic. The building is not only up to code but exceeds it.”

When Witnesses applied for the heating and air-conditioning permit, the inspector studied the plans, then asked: “How long are you going to take to put this building up?” “Three days.” He threw back his head and laughed heartily. “Three days? You have two months’ work just on these plans!” Again he laughed.

During the construction work, visitors flocked in, tours were conducted, coffee and lunches were served. On Sunday, the second day, 3,000 were fed in 12 minutes.

[Box on page 31]

Faith Plus Works Did It

“It was faith that got a teenager to work mixing cement when his father said he can’t get him to cut the grass at home. It was faith that got tour guides to talk proudly of their accomplishments . . . They built a $2 million structure for perhaps $700,000.

“Black and white, young and old, men and women all had faith and worked side by side, each to his ability. Young children could help pick up stones; women could work in the kitchen; some could drive; everyone could do something. What it means is that this is their church and always will be. There is no need to wish them success, because they have shown they have the will to make it so.”​—Editorial in The American (Waterbury, Connecticut), October 15, 1986.