rendered if I had been killed?” “How important is secular work in puny comparison with service to the living God?”

At that moment I was absolutely convinced that Jehovah had spared my life. The importance of everything except Kingdom service faded away. With this driving incentive my recovery proved remarkably fast. The crash occurred in August, 1938, and by the middle of November I started full-time Bethel service. With such a belated start, but by Jehovah’s undeserved kindness, I have rejoiced in pursuing my vocation as a full-time servant of Jehovah ever since.

After less than a year of full-time work I received an appointment to take care of a large metropolitan congregation. When I thought of the responsibility entrusted to me I grew pale and learned to lean heavily on Jehovah.

Around 1940 in Australia as elsewhere opposition to the truth was intense. Soon we became hardened campaigners. Sound-car work and information marches caused great excitement. Three times I found myself on the dark side of the lockup, but three times walked out free, better appreciating how the apostles felt, as recorded in Acts, chapter five.

As a zone servant, I had many pleasant experiences and now enjoy many wonderful memories of service. When the ban came in Australia there was no dull moment. Yes, I had my turn on Kingdom farms and other enterprises. At the beginning of 1943 I was called to work in the Bethel office on the congregation desk. There was the training and sending out of the servants to the brethren to be accomplished under ban conditions. After about two years in the office I was out again in the work I loved very much, that of circuit servant. This work took me to New Zealand for another two years.

GILEAD AND THEN HONG KONG

To me it was a totally unexpected move when the Society opened the Bible School of Gilead. Then it seemed remote from us because of war and distance. I never contemplated being called to school. Our joy knew no bounds when we learned that we were called to the eleventh class.

Every minute of Gilead I enjoyed. That six months was a landmark in my life. It has supplied a fund of memories that has been a source of joy for the nine years since we graduated.

After serving a circuit in Wisconsin, where I made friends that have kept in touch with me ever since, there came a letter from the Society in November, 1948, inviting me to take up the missionary work in Hong Kong. The East had never appealed to me, but I had offered to go wherever sent, so Hong Kong it would be for me.

Out across the Pacific we went. At that time the Communist armies were sweeping down from the north and it was thought that Shanghai would fall any time, so that our ship might have to put in to some little-known port. However, we arrived in Shanghai in time to experience the uncanny sensation that accompanies the fade-out of one power to give way to the next. We spent some time with the brothers who have valiantly kept the service going during the trying times up to now. We were relieved when we set sail for the final stage to Hong Kong, as we had visions of being stuck in Shanghai away from our assignment.

How eagerly we gazed upon the beautiful and bustling island of Hong Kong as we sailed into the sheltered harbor. What would it yield in Kingdom fruits? How would our training stand up? Everything was so strange and new that we wondered where to start. We were fortunate in that two publishers had come down from Shanghai ahead of us and they met us and helped us to get on our feet. Hong Kong was overcrowded. It was almost impossible to get quarters to live in. Prices for accommodations were sky-high. The British navy club took us in for a few weeks, until we were fortunate enough to find a room. Meanwhile we were established in the work. Many people we witnessed to could speak English and where we had to cope with Chinese we memorized a little testimony and presented a card and found it worked very well. Placements and studies came freely.

We had arrived in the middle of January, 1949, and by May of that year we had a little congregation organized; just three publishers with the two missionaries. These three are still going strong and are joined with others to reach a peak of one hundred and forty-eight.

I did not know how much I loved my assignment until I visited the United States for the New World Society Assembly in 1953. I found myself longing to return. Hong Kong had become my home.

Sometimes I look back at the idle years I spent pursuing the husks of the old system of things and it makes me think of the long-suffering of God. I experience a great flood of gratitude that Jehovah has found a place for me in his house and work in his harvest field. I pray that he will sustain me in pursuing my purpose in life as a full-time minister, to his praise and vindication.

Witnessing to Buddhist Priests in Thailand

“ABOUT a week after arriving in Lampang, Thailand, I started a study with a Buddhist priest. This priest speaks English and had been a former believer in Christianity, but had seen so many things wrong in it that he had become a Buddhist. After a few weeks of study in Basis for Belief in a New World he suggested that I meet with a group of Buddhist priests and study the same booklet with them.

“This was arranged and a study was started with about fifty Buddhist priests. Since all could not speak English I had one of the sisters go with me and translate each paragraph into Thai. During the course of the study the priest of the original study made it clear that there is a distinct difference between the teachings of Jehovah’s witnesses and those of Protestants and Catholics.

“The special representative of the Society, the circuit servant, made a brief stop at our home this week and I went by and arranged for him to talk to these priests. One hundred and ten priests listened for one hour on the talk ‘Who Is Your God?’ Many questions were asked afterward and in particular I noticed that two other priests, in addition to the one I was studying with, manifested genuine interest. As it was raining I offered to take these to their temples and on the way one of them said: ‘I hope the time will come when everyone will worship Jehovah the Creator.’ I am starting two studies with these priests and will tell you more about them in future letters.”

(Three months later.) “Remember the study with the yellow-robed Buddhist priests? Well, after some weeks of study it was manifest that only two or three were really interested in the message about Jehovah’s kingdom and the rest were only interested in learning English. Two of those that showed the most interest have quit their priestly profession. They come to our missionary home every Monday night to continue their studies. They both speak some English, the one who speaks it especially well translates for the other and they are making good progress. We look forward to their taking their stand fully with the New World society.”