Kingdom Proclaimers Report
Chile Prospers With Increased Enlightenment
LIKE brilliant sunlight shining forth over the Andes mountains at dawn, the light of Bible truth first came to Chile in 1930. In that year, one of Jehovah’s dedicated servants came from Argentina with the good news. Today, the light of God’s Word has shone forth and reached the far corners of the land.
While the first branch office in Chile was established in 1945, a new, larger branch building was constructed in 1970, when the number of Kingdom proclaimers had reached 7,000. In the next ten years, increased enlightenment from God’s Word touched many responsive hearts. By the early 1980’s further expansion of the branch office was urgently needed. Thus, in September 1982 a 17.5-acre (7 ha) piece of land on the outskirts of Santiago was purchased. And after much preliminary work, excavation began by June 1984.
It was heartwarming to see how the Chilean brothers, young and old, supported the project by their generous contributions. Thousands of others donated their time and talents. Some with technical training helped with the engineering. Others worked in carpentry, welding, curtain making, and landscaping, or offered plain labor of love by pulling weeds, pushing wheelbarrows, and digging ditches. Indeed, the progressive light of God’s Word has touched the hearts of his people and moved them to offer themselves willingly.—Psalm 110:3.
The unity and willingness did not escape the notice of outsiders. Many salesmen and even university students and professors came to the construction site to observe and to learn. One builder wanted to hire the entire concrete crew to help with a supermarket he was building. A salesman commented on how different the work crew was—no swearing, no loitering. When being told that all were Jehovah’s Witnesses and were there as volunteers, he responded: “One would not see this in any other place. You people are of another world.”
Finally, in August 1986 the Chilean branch staff moved into the new building in Puente Alto. And on October 25, with A. D. Schroeder of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses present, an enthusiastic crowd of 933 voiced their wholehearted support in dedicating the new buildings to Jehovah’s service. The next day, a special event was held at a nearby stadium, and 18,012 added their sí to the resolution.
Is this expansion really needed? Let the facts give the reply. When the property was purchased in 1982, there were 17,500 Kingdom publishers in Chile. Now there are over 29,000! And with almost 40,000 home Bible studies being conducted, there is no end in sight. So let the light from God’s Word shine forth still more brightly in this fertile territory in the foothills of the Andes, to the praise of Jehovah and the blessing of his people.—Daniel 12:3.