Arrangements had been made for many brothers to stay in a large house in this town during a circuit assembly to be held May 23-25, 1958. Just before the assembly the parish priest brought about the cancellation of these accommodations. He also forced the local baker to revoke his agreement to supply bread for the Sunday noon meal at the cafeteria. But this did not prevent the brothers from getting the needed food and rest. A large dormitory was set up in the assembly hall itself, and large straw-filled sacks were used as beds. Despite the opposition, 532 attended the assembly.

NO LANGUAGE BARRIERS

A highlight of the 1959 service year was the Awake Ministers National Assembly held at the Brussels Sports Palace, where 6,896 persons heard the public talk given simultaneously in French and Dutch. During this five-day convention, 378 new Witnesses were baptized. What made this convention so outstanding was the unity between the Flemish (Dutch-speaking) and Walloon (French-speaking) brothers, who assembled in the same auditorium, side by side. The sound system had been set up so that each one could hear his own language spoken. To make this possible, the audience was divided into two sections. Such a bilingual spectacle did not go unnoticed, and the gathering was given wide publicity.

Moreover, this convention proved that difference in language does not cause division among true Christians. In contrast, Belgium is greatly divided by language disputes; in certain Catholic churches in Antwerp and Vilvoorde, the police have had to intervene to separate Flemish Catholics from Walloon Catholics. The reason? Some Flemish Catholics could not bear having their priests officiate at Mass in French