In 1949, Joshua Steelman, a special representative of headquarters in Brooklyn, visited Bonaire, where by now Jacobo Reina and Matthijs Bernabela, a farmer, were actively preaching. Neither of them had been baptized. Arrangements were made for the first public talk in Bonaire. About 100 people came, but only 30 entered the hall. The other 70 had been sent by the local Catholic priest to disrupt the meeting. Russell Yeatts once reminisced: “Stones began to rain on the tin roof like hail in Egypt. Firecrackers went off, and the people beat on buckets.” This effort was unsuccessful, for seeds of truth were spread and took root.

In 1951, Russell and Bill Yeatts organized meetings at the home of Brother Bernabela,