• Belize
    2010 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • ASSEMBLING TO BE TAUGHT BY JEHOVAH

      In the late 1960’s, the use of a tent made it possible for assemblies to be held in various places in the country. Yet, it takes days of hard work to put up a large tent. Santiago Sosa explains: “We started work early in the week, putting up the tent, bringing benches from the Kingdom Hall, and borrowing chairs. We had a cafeteria at assemblies then, so we borrowed pots and pans and often stayed up all night to cook and complete the work. Sometimes we would have everything set up, only to have it all blown down by a violent squall during the night. The next day we simply had to put everything up again. But nobody complained.”

      Jeanne Thompson remembers a convention held in a rural community between Belize City and Orange Walk. The brothers had to chop out the bush next to the Kingdom Hall before the tent could be erected and the benches set in place. “It ended up raining for the whole district convention,” says Jeanne, “and it flooded under the tent. So we sat with our feet propped up on the bench in front of us. Little did we realize that the area was infested with coral snakes. Thanks to the rain, we were compelled to stay in the tent and close to the Kingdom Hall. It would have been dangerous to venture out into the bush.”

      In the 1970’s, Bird’s Isle, a small tropical island about 400 feet [120 m] off the southeast tip of Belize City, became available for assemblies. The owner had built a thatched auditorium with electricity, water, and toilet facilities with the idea of using it for entertainment. The brothers built a wooden bridge from the mainland, providing ready access to a quiet and peaceful place for many assemblies.

      In March 1983, land was leased from the government for an Assembly Hall in Ladyville. At first, the brothers built a temporary structure for circuit assemblies, special events, and district conventions. Then, in 1988, a steel building was purchased in Guatemala that could be used as a permanent Assembly Hall on the Ladyville property.