Of course, growth in the number of Witnesses also requires enlargement of branch facilities in order to provide needed literature and supervision. Large new branch facilities were under construction this past year in Poland, Puerto Rico, and Zambia, also in Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Mexico, and Taiwan. In the United States, major enlargement of facilities has been continuing in Brooklyn, and excellent progress has been made on the Watchtower Educational Center at Patterson. Extensive expansion has also been under way in Britain and Canada, as well as in Australia, Brazil, Germany, Korea, New Zealand, South Africa, and Spain. New branch buildings of smaller size have been going up in Hungary, Jamaica, Mozambique, Paraguay, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Tahiti, and Western Samoa. Many thousands of brothers and sisters have made themselves available to share in this work. What a year this has been!

Branch Dedications

After the dedication of Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem in the days of Solomon, the people returned to their homes “rejoicing and feeling merry of heart over all the goodness that Jehovah had performed” for his people. (1 Ki. 8:66) Likewise in modern times, there is great rejoicing in connection with the dedication of branch offices of the Watch Tower Society, which are also used to promote true worship. Where were branch facilities dedicated during the past service year?

Colombia

Nearly 9,000 feet [2,700 m] up in the Andes Mountains of South America, at Facatativá, Colombia, La Torre del Vigía (The Watch Tower) has a new office and printery, as well as housing for the volunteer workers. These were dedicated on November 1, 1992. The setting is beautiful, 26 miles [42 km] northwest of Bogotá, on the edge of the plateau where the Colombian capital lies. Here, full-color editions of The Watchtower and Awake! are being printed in Spanish for use in Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Ecuador, and Peru.

When construction began on these new branch facilities, there were 34,261 of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Colombia. During the five-year construction period, the number of Witnesses in the country increased by 63 percent, to 55,693. Home Bible studies are now being conducted with 100,927 individuals and family groups. In 1993, at the Memorial of Christ’s death, 249,271 were in attendance. This truly is a joyful time of spiritual harvesting in Colombia.

Four hundred Witnesses from Colombia, along with a hundred international servants, made up the core of the construction team that transformed what was formerly a poultry farm into a center for theocratic education. Another 3,000 volunteers from nearby congregations helped on holidays and weekends, and some 1,500 others from abroad came​—some for a few weeks, others for a few months—​at their own expense. Local businessmen could hardly believe that this was the case, and one of them personally questioned both Colombian Witnesses and foreigners to make sure that it was so. Another businessman, deeply impressed by what he saw and heard, accepted a Bible study. Now he and his wife are baptized Witnesses.

There were 1,500 guests, from 14 lands, for the dedication program. Included among them were Milton Henschel and Daniel Sydlik of the Governing Body. What joyous reunions there were! And what happiness over the spiritual prosperity that Jehovah has brought to his servants in Colombia!

Poland

The same month, on November 28, another branch was dedicated, this one in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw, Poland. Theodore Jaracz, of the Governing Body, who was on hand for the occasion, declared: “This dedication is truly historic. . . . It is the first new branch constructed and now being dedicated in territory formerly known as ‘behind the Iron Curtain.’ But that so-called Iron Curtain could not prevent the onward march of Jehovah’s organization! And the evidence of it is right here!”

Some of the guests had personally waited decades for this occasion. Among them were Witnesses who had faithfully served Jehovah, despite severe trials, for 45, 50, or more years. A number of these had carried out Bethel work underground for more than 40 years. Their hearts were deeply moved as Zygfryd Adach, coordinator of the Branch Committee, said: “Beloved, you were going to great pains to share in the work of God’s organization in distributing spiritual food during hard times, even exceptionally hard. After years in prison, you often willingly offered to continue the work. Sometimes this was repeated four or five times and even more. All of us remember that time, so with absolute conviction we quote the words at Psalm 124: ‘Had it not been that Jehovah proved to be for us when men rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up even alive . . . Blessed be Jehovah, who has not given us as a prey to their teeth. Our soul is like a bird that is escaped from the trap of baiters. The trap is broken, and we ourselves have escaped.’”​—Ps. 124:2-7.

When announcement was made that a branch was to be built, the response was spontaneous. Congregations brought in coal and wood, refrigerators, food supplies, and tools. Brothers and sisters qualified in various trades and professions eagerly volunteered their services. There were older ones who had spent years in prison. Numerous young ones, too, offered themselves willingly. International servants came from ten countries. Again and again, the hearts of the workers were thrilled as they saw evidence of Jehovah’s direction and blessing. A “stop work” order from the Commune Council was reversed. Seemingly unobtainable supplies were made available. In just two years and six months after receiving the construction permit, the site of a despoiled motel was transformed into an attractive complex of buildings for the Poland branch.

New Zealand

During the six years since a new branch in New Zealand had been dedicated, the number of Kingdom proclaimers there had increased by over 30 percent. To care for their needs, the facilities had to be enlarged. But there was more to it. As explained at the dedication program, over half of the new offices would be used for translation work, because literature is translated here into Samoan, Maori, Rarotongan, and Niuean, to benefit people on various South Pacific islands. Thus, on February 27, 1993, extensions to the office and the services buildings, as well as additional housing, were dedicated.

On hand for the occasion was Lloyd Barry, a member of the Governing Body who grew up in New Zealand and began his service to Jehovah there. All the members of the Bethel and construction families, as well as traveling overseers and their wives, were present. There were also guests from neighboring South Pacific countries. The majority, however, were New Zealand residents who had been baptized before 1955. As one of the speakers pointed out, it was these older ones who did the work that laid the foundation for what was taking place at that dedication program. But how appreciative they are for the excellent support and hard work of the newer ones who have joined with them in praising Jehovah!

Puerto Rico

The branch facilities erected 24 years ago in Puerto Rico had long been overcrowded. The number of publishers on the island had increased from 5,400 in 1969 to over 25,000 by the time the new branch was dedicated on April 17, 1993. Four years of hard work by thousands of brothers and sisters resulted in a fine complex of buildings in paradisaic surroundings.

Those on hand for the program felt specially privileged to have as speakers for the occasion Karl Klein and Albert Schroeder, of the Governing Body, as well as other representatives from Brooklyn. During the week leading up to the dedication, the new facilities had already been put to use for a seminar attended by representatives of 14 branches. Then, following the dedication, the Spanish Translation Department, with its international team of workers, was moved from Brooklyn to these new facilities.

Zambia

One week after the dedication in Puerto Rico, a new branch complex of 13 buildings was dedicated on the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia. Why there?

Seeds of Bible truth had been sown in this country as early as 1911. By 1924, small study groups had been formed. Now there are 80,488 publishers associated with 1,993 congregations in Zambia, and Memorial attendance in 1993 was 362,204. This is a fruitful field for Kingdom expansion.

The building of the new Zambia branch was possible because of the international cooperation that is typical of Jehovah’s organization. Designing and engineering were done at the Society’s offices in the United States, Europe, and Japan. Cranes were donated by brothers in America. Radio equipment that made possible telephone installations was sent as a gift from New Zealand. The only building materials readily available locally were sand, cement, stone, and wood. But, on an average, two large truckloads of other supplies were sent in each week from South Africa​—a round trip of 2,200 miles [3,500 km]. And the Zambian Witnesses were wholehearted in giving of themselves and their resources to get the job accomplished. At the time of the dedication program, both Milton Henschel and Theodore Jaracz, of the Governing Body, were present to share with the Zambian brothers in that happy event.

Hungary

It was a specially happy day for our brothers in Hungary on July 31 when Lyman Swingle, of the Governing Body, dedicated their newly built facilities for additional residence and a translation office. These had been constructed in just five months, with the help of local congregations as well as Witnesses from eight other lands, and the completion had been announced by the Hungarian National News Agency.

After decades of harsh persecution, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hungary were granted legal recognition in 1989. That year, a peak of 9,990 publishers reported some share in the field ministry. Since then Jehovah’s Witnesses have devoted upwards of 8,300,000 hours to the field ministry in Hungary, and the number of Kingdom proclaimers has risen to 14,347.

Britain

The first branch office of the Watch Tower Society was established in London in 1900. Its facilities have had to be enlarged many times. On August 7, 1993, the latest addition, a 200,000-square-foot [18,600 sq m] factory and administrative complex, was dedicated.

The factory buildings at the rear of the site were constructed in just 17 months, using the tilt-up method for concrete wall panels. Some 5,000 volunteers shared in the work. The administrative block is a brick building. Some 133,000 bricks were used. How many bricklayers were required to do that job? Just seven sisters, with two brothers to supervise. A contractor who visited the site shook his head in disbelief when told who did the work.

Albert Schroeder, of the Governing Body, was present to share in the dedication program. He delighted the audience by relating details of the growth of the Kingdom work in Britain since 1937, when he was sent to the British Isles to supervise the work and to encourage at least 1,000 to enroll as pioneers. What a joy to see that there are now 127,395 Kingdom proclaimers in Britain and that, on an average, 12,803 of them are in the pioneer service each month.

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New office and printery at Facatativá, Colombia

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Expanded branch facilities in New Zealand

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At the top, Zambia; center above, Puerto Rico; at the right, Hungary

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Poland branch in Nadarzyn, near Warsaw

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Added branch facilities in London, England