Reaching Those Who Speak Another Language
1 What can we do when we meet persons in our territory who speak a foreign language? We would like very much to share something with them. In some cases, we make a futile attempt to communicate and finally end up simply smiling and walking away. When that happens, we feel a sense of frustration because we know we have something that they need and it is disappointing when we fail to reach them.
2 Perhaps your congregation has sections of territory where some foreign language is predominantly spoken. You may have expressed concern from time to time about being unable to communicate with these people, particularly when something really outstanding is published. Here is a suggestion: Congregations holding such territory may wish to order a supply of the foreign-language issues of The Watchtower and Awake! in which special articles are to appear. A concerted effort could then be made to work this foreign-speaking territory, offering the magazines that contain these timely articles.
3 In some cases, perhaps the field overseer can arrange for a small group of publishers to concentrate on reaching these foreign-speaking people. If the territory is quite large, more extensive arrangements can be made.
4 Calls could be made simply inviting the householder to obtain the magazine for the usual contribution. If it is difficult to communicate due to the language barrier, you may find it helpful to use the “Preach the Word” booklet. Or, you may decide it is best just to leave the magazines as a gift, hoping they will be read.
5 The material that we had in the October 8, 1973, Awake! in English on the subject “Where is The World Heading?” would be a fine issue to use in this way. That same material will be published in the April 8, 1974, Awake! in French, Greek, Hiligaynon and Melanesian-Pidgin. It will be in the April 22, 1974, Awake! in Afrikaans, Cebuano, Danish, Dutch, Iloko, Italian, Korean, Norwegian, Portuguese, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog and Zulu. It is in the January 8, 1974, Awake! in German and Japanese. If you request the January issues, we will ship whatever is available; they have already been printed. Orders for the April issues should be submitted by February 1 so that we can notify the printing branches of your needs before the printing is done. When ordering this Awake!, we suggest that you also obtain the April 1 issue of The Watchtower in the case of monthly editions, and the April 15 issue of semimonthly editions. Thus people will become acquainted with the fine material in both magazines.
6 Of course, in areas where foreign-language congregations are functioning and they have been assigned to care for the foreign-speaking population in your territory, there would be no need for this arrangement.
7 The critical urgency of the message prompts us to give everyone an opportunity to hear it. Perhaps this will provide still another means to get the message into the hands of people who may be grateful for it.