In November 1967, the missionaries were expelled from Malawi. Of these missionaries two couples were finally assigned to Zimbabwe, Keith and Anne Eaton and Hal and Joyce Bentley.

A UNIQUE ASSIGNMENT

The Bentleys had a unique assignment. This was to serve in Mozambique, which, until the ban, had come under the direction of the Malawi branch. If you check a map of Africa, you will see that Mozambique is a long, rather narrow country on the east coast of Africa. It stretches up from South Africa, along the eastern border of Zimbabwe, then up either side of Malawi. The Mozambique government has never recognized the organization of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Thus far, all efforts to get legal recognition have failed. But let us listen to Brother Bentley as he tells us about their assignment:

“It was about February 1962, when Joyce and I were first assigned to Mozambique. Our first trip was by plane from Blantyre in Malawi to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo), the capital of Mozambique. There we found a small group of interested persons meeting inside the army compound in the home of an army sergeant.

“After a few trips this way, it was decided we should travel by road and take our camping equipment with us, entering the country as tourists. To do this, we used a Volkswagen van. The roads down the coastline through Beira were mostly gravel and horribly corrugated. The distance is about 1,000 miles.”

Due to warring conditions in Mozambique, the Bentleys later found it necessary to go from Beira to Lourenço Marques via Salisbury. This meant a trip, one way, of over 1,300 miles. They made this journey every six months. Quite a bit of traveling by road! They were blessed, however, as they watched the congregation grow.

After a few years, the Bentleys limited their trips to the northern part of the country. “We learned later that this change was probably Jehovah’s maneuvering,” said Brother Bentley, “as the secret police in Lourenço Marques were waiting to pick us up the next time we visited there.”

The Bentleys had many exciting experiences​—arrests, near-arrests, orders to leave the country. But they were able to do a fine work, strengthening many new publishers and interested ones. Sister Bentley tells of one experience in Beira:

“A young woman who had been studying in Portugal moved to Mozambique. She wrote to the Society, asking if the study could be continued. We were given the name and address. When we called at the apartment a woman came to the door. We asked her: ‘Are you Clotilde de Gomes?’ ‘I am Clotilde but not de Gomes,’ was the reply. ‘I am Clotilde de Almeida.’ Not wishing to miss an opportunity to witness, we explained why we were asking for the other woman.” Quickly this woman went to call a neighbor. Later the original Clotilde was also contacted. What was the outcome?

Sister Bentley tells us: “The original one we wanted to see is now a dedicated Witness; her husband is an elder; her five children, her husband’s parents and brother are all Witnesses. The second woman is baptized as are also the neighbor woman, her husband and son.”

When asked how they felt about that assignment, Brother Bentley summed it up: “There were times when we felt that it would be nice to be somewhere away from the heat and humidity and free from the feeling that we could be arrested at any moment. Looking back, however, we realize that we had a wonderful privilege of service in that assignment and that Jehovah’s blessing and protection never failed to be with us.”

The Bentleys were later transferred to Botswana, where they continue setting fine examples as missionaries.

[Picture on page 151]

After serving in Malawi, Hal and Joyce Bentley were assigned to Zimbabwe