border with all our belongings. On our arrival at the branch in Mexico City Brother Bourgeois helped us get started in our territory. Shaking, and with my pidgin Spanish, I went into the first apartment house, placed four books and arranged for a study, all in less than an hour! The brothers, enthusiastic, were glad to have us with them; their meetings were so lively. Soon we felt completely at home. Now we have been here twelve years. We have seen the two local congregations grow into thirty-four units. Many with whom we studied, as well as those with whom they later held studies, now are among that number. We have seen brothers who could hardly read and write grow into mature servants, causing us to overflow with joy that we had had a part in it.

Looking back now over more than twenty years of pioneering, truly I can say that I have never had one regret that I said to Jehovah, “Here am I; send me.” The World’s heartaches and headaches we just look at from the sidelines. Of course, I do not mean that there are no “downs” with all the “ups.” The joys of service entirely outweigh all passing moments of difficulty and hardship. Jehovah continually manifests his justice, his kindness. Besides his abundantly providing our daily needs constantly, there have been also the wonderful conventions we seldom miss, pleasant trips home, picnics among ourselves and, as feature events, the encouraging visits of the Society’s president, to which we always look forward. So while pursuing my purpose in life, to Jehovah I pray that I may be able to continue in my assignment with the New World society, to see all his enemies smashed at Armageddon, and then to live endlessly in his new world.

[On Sunday, July 28, 1957, Shirley Hendrickson was interviewed on the work in Mexico for four minutes on the television program presented 11 a.m. to 12 noon at Wrigley Baseball Field during the Los Angeles (California) District Assembly.]

Preaching Despite Handicaps

● One of the regular ministers of the Bell Gardens, California, congregation of Jehovah’s witnesses is undergoing trying experiences. He was stricken with a very bad case of polio about four years ago. He was kept in an iron lung for nearly one year following his attack of polio, and since coming out of the iron lung he has spent day and night on a rocking bed, and, with the help of a respiratory machine, he manages to stay alive. More important, he is very much alive spiritually. He is married to a loyal wife, who is assisting in rearing their small son in a theocratic manner. The service center of that community is located in his small apartment and the brother takes a lively part in the book study held there. He also takes his turn in giving instruction and student talks in the local theocratic ministry school by means of tape recordings. When he is frequently given service meeting assignments he does not say he is not feeling well or is too hard pressed but, rather, he tapes his assignment and sends it down to the Kingdom Hall with punctuality. In his field service he has good results. With the co-operation of the brothers he has a supply of names of persons to whom he sends letters (written by obliging witnesses) and a fine witness is given telling the persons of the kingdom of Jehovah. There is not a more cheerful brother in that congregation and he does a great deal to strengthen many of the publishers by his fine counsel. As his bed rocks back and forth day and night and his respiratory machine drones on, aiding him to breathe, instead of just lying there pitying himself this brother keeps his mind progressive and cheerful by feeding it daily on the truth Jehovah provides.