a usual practice of all men everywhere. The Catholic Church does nothing to correct these immoral practices but allows such men to remain in the Catholic organization. Not so with Jehovah’s witnesses. Many newly associated with Jehovah’s witnesses were not surprised when announcement of the disfellowshiping was made in the congregation, because many of the world already knew of the unclean conduct of the offender and were talking about it. However, with Jehovah’s organization it makes no difference whether one guilty of brazen immorality is in high or low place, for he will be disfellowshiped as any other baptized person would be. The organization, the New World society, must remain clean. The native brothers and missionaries in Honduras are of heavy heart because Jehovah’s name and his organization have been brought low in Honduras. Our faithful brothers in Honduras pray that ‘Jehovah will show undeserved kindness toward them.’ Further they stated that ‘they hoped the reproach brought upon Jehovah’s name from this land will be removed by their own proper conduct in the future, and they pray that in the future they will with faithfulness await the time when he again will prosper them.’

Undoubtedly Jehovah’s witnesses everywhere will pray to Jehovah that he will bless our faithful brothers in Honduras, to give them strength to feed properly and bring on to maturity those of good will, and that this blot of immorality will not stand in the way of those loving righteousness.

So with this sense of distress and sorrow Jehovah’s witnesses went ahead with their three assemblies. The first assembly opened on Sunday, December 5, in the San Pedro Sula football stadium. Not far distant there was another assembly under way in La Lima.

But something else was going on in Honduras. The political situation was a bundle of nerves around the capital building in Tegucigalpa, and the army was on guard with rifles and machine guns. The government had fallen; the president desired to keep peace and to preserve it at all costs. Therefore announcement was made that all public gatherings were to be banned. Curfews went into effect in troublesome areas. While the brothers in the stadium were having their evening meal in a well-arranged cafeteria, soldiers arrived with orders from the government that there were to be no further meetings and that they had to vacate the stadium. However, permission was granted for them to retire to their local Kingdom Halls and to have their customary study of The Watchtower. So both conventions came to a close as far as a central assembly was concerned. In La Lima a curfew went into effect at 6 p.m. and at San Pedro, at 9 p.m.

It was in the middle of all this that the president of the Society, Brother Knorr, arrived at San Pedro Sula. Because of the tension throughout the land only a few of the missionaries and the acting branch servant met him at the airport. After passing customs, the Society’s president went to the American consul to get the latest information on the existing emergency. He learned the facts; so meetings continued on in the Kingdom Hall. They were joyful, enthusiastic and thrilling.

Necessary admonition to the brothers was given as to keeping the organization clean, and going on faithfully in serving Jehovah. Also there were admonitions to use the spirit of a sound mind in preaching the good news in the present political emergency, to avoid doing anything rash or out of line with orderly authority. On that first evening in Honduras, at San Pedro Sula, all of those who were attending the convention crowded into the back yard of the missionary home and there a delightful assembly was carried on. The Kingdom Hall that was in the home was too small to hold all, so they gathered in the back yard or patio. The spirit on the part of the brothers was high and they were anxious to go ahead regardless of internal or external trouble. Many in the city wanted to know where they now could hear the lecture “God’s Love to the Rescue in Man’s Crisis,” and 265 came to the missionary home. The next day the president of the Society went over to La Lima and there also all convention activities had been transferred to the Kingdom Hall, but a joyful time was had by everyone, 108 being present. However, before 6 p.m. the travelers had to leave town because of the curfew, so all meetings were held during the afternoon. The big convention was to be held in Tegucigalpa, but everyone was advised not to travel because of prevailing difficulties.

Thursday Brother Knorr flew to Tegucigalpa by plane along with some missionaries, including Brother Muscariello, newly graduated from the 23d Gilead class, who was now to be appointed as the branch servant. In Tegucigalpa, too, it was impossible to use the large city stadium. So all meetings were confined to the Kingdom Hall, but this proved to be much too small. Some 198 persons packed out the hall and crowded into the streets outside. Windows and doors were opened so that everyone could hear. The meeting was very orderly and there was no disturbance whatever, even though it was in the heart of town. Busy days were these, with much to do, and the responsibilities of carrying on the witness work in the entire country had to be turned over to the new appointee. We have full confidence in Jehovah God and in His organization that our brothers in Honduras will work together in unity, and even though now there are fewer publishers, a drop to 392, we trustingly look to Jehovah God to pour his spirit upon these and make them strong, so that they will use the spirit of a sound mind and keep on preaching the good news regardless of the failure of one. It strengthens us to see that we are not following man, and while a man may stumble some, still the corrupted one will be removed, to keep the New World society clean in every country of earth, for they are one society under the holy Sovereign Ruler of the universe, Jehovah God. It behooves everyone to be careful and, with his brothers, to walk circumspectly before Jehovah. It makes one determine anew to seek not his own pleasure, because everything rightfully should be done for the good of Jehovah’s organization. “Do not be loving either the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him; because everything in the world—the desire of the flesh and the desire of the eyes and the showy display of one’s means of life—does not originate with the Father, but originates with the world. Furthermore, the world is passing away and so is its desire, but he that does the will of God remains forever.”—1 John 2:15-17, NW.

(To be continued)

Disappointed Boy Burns Church

The Bible counsels Christians to instruct their children at a very tender age in the truths of God’s Word. When this is done the parents avoid much heartache and pain. But when parents become negligent, even in instructing youngsters on proper prayer, the consequences could be disastrous. At Milwaukee, Wisconsin, an eight-year-old boy confessed that he set a fire in St. Stanislaus church, causing some $200 damage. The boy’s motive? He said he “wanted to get even with God” for not answering his prayers. Could the church have failed to instruct the parents on right matters for prayer?