During the summers of 1972 and 1973 Morris Charland and Bryce Smith, two full-time ministers from Sept Îles, Quebec, set out to visit twenty-seven villages in the northeastern part of that province. Did they find residents of these places eager to hear the “good news” of God’s kingdom? They report:

“Many villagers were not content with hearing the message only once. They followed us from door to door until a large procession developed. In one house it became so crowded that I had trouble bending down to get literature from my briefcase. There must have been at least thirty gathered in that house to hear the Kingdom message.”

But even where opposition is shown, the “good news” is reaching responsive hearts. In fact, some former opposers are now zealous witnesses of Jehovah. For example, in eastern Quebec one of Jehovah’s witnesses called on a young married man who was hostile at first, accusing the Witness of trying to ‘sell his religion.’ When it was explained that Jesus himself preached from “village to village,” the man accepted a copy of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life. (Luke 8:1; 13:22) He read it in one night and then suggested having a meeting with the local Catholic priest. Here is how it turned out:

“The priest was very polite. I directed the conversation to subjects that I knew interested this young man, including the Trinity. The priest continually agreed with the Bible, asking many questions. Unable to contain himself any longer, the man insisted that the priest defend himself. ‘Defend myself?’ he replied. ‘I am looking for the truth just as much as you are!’

“The next morning at Mass this priest announced that if anyone wanted to learn the Bible, he should talk to Jehovah’s witnesses. A few months later I was surprised to learn that the young man had heartily embraced Bible truth, even going from house to house on his own to tell his neighbors about it. I do not know what happened to the priest, as he was transferred to another district shortly after our conversation.”