The progress of the disciple-making work also required more places of worship. During previous years, Assembly Halls had been built in Salvador, Bahia; Duque de Caxias, Rio de Janeiro; Ribeirão Pires, Cosmópolis, and Sertãozinho in São Paulo; and Betim, Minas Gerais. The largest Assembly Hall in the country is located near Vargem Grande Paulista, São Paulo; its construction was finished in October 1992. Shortly thereafter, another hall, with a capacity of 4,000, was completed in Queimados, Rio de Janeiro. In September 1993, five more Assembly Halls were dedicated simultaneously in Fortaleza, Ceará; Itaboraí, Rio de Janeiro; Quatro Barras, Paraná; Recife, Pernambuco; and Sapucaia do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. At the present time, 16 Assembly Halls are in use, and 5 more are in the planning stage.

[Pictures on page 192]

Sixteen Assembly Halls now serve the needs of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brazil