Mattie Tiainen, a traveling minister of Jehovah’s witnesses in the far north of Finland, tells of efforts by local Witnesses to reach isolated people in that area: “Some would take a bicycle and skis with them on a bus and travel more than 100 kilometers [62 miles] to distant villages, doing their preaching on the way back. The skis were necessary to work side roads, for they were not plowed.”

Some houses were inaccessible in winter, but a careful record of them would be kept in order to return in the summer. It was at such a house located across a river that was impassable in the winter that Jehovah’s witnesses found Kustaa Nurmela and his family. This quiet farmer readily accepted a Bible study. He became one of Jehovah’s witnesses and trained his family to serve Jehovah too. How happy Brother Nurmela is that Jehovah’s witnesses did not overlook his isolated house!

Brother Tiainen also tells of Kaisa Aho, a woman who learned of the Bible’s promises when a witness of Jehovah called at their isolated house:

“Sister Aho had called at every house in the area. Sometimes her husband Veikko allowed her to make preaching trips to other villages, some of them quite far away. Journeys were made on foot in summer and on skis in winter. At times this sister skied 20 to 30 kilometers [12 to 18 miles] a day. A trip of several days might add up to 100 kilometers [62 miles].”

Why did she put forth such efforts to a reach people? She explains: “Every house has to be visited, as that is the way that my husband and I were found.”

Religious prejudice can also cause difficulties. A clergyman in northern Finland wrote in a newspaper: “Jehovahites a pest in Pudasjärvi.” He also falsely accused them of Communist teachings. Because of this opposition two of Jehovah’s witnesses in that area had to search for more than a year to find permanent lodging. In another case a businessman was given three public warnings and was finally expelled from his church because he “allows Jehovah’s witnesses to hold meetings in business premises that he owns.” But in spite of some opposition, “all the people in those areas have heard the ‘good news’ of God’s kingdom,” according to a recent letter from the Watch Tower Society’s Finland branch.