After about a year in Itu, I received a telegram inviting me to work temporarily at Bethel, the branch home of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Rio de Janeiro, in preparation for the national assembly. I gladly accepted.

Further Privileges and Challenges

At Bethel, there was no shortage of work, and I was happy to help in any way possible. How enriching it was to attend the discussion of the daily text each morning and the family Watchtower Study on Monday evenings! The heartfelt prayers of Otto Estelmann and other experienced members of the Bethel family affected me deeply.

After the national assembly, I packed my bags to return to Itu, but to my surprise, the branch servant, Grant Miller, handed me a letter inviting me to become a permanent member of the Bethel family. My roommate was Sister Hosa Yazedjian, who still serves in Brazil Bethel. In those days the Bethel family was small​—only 28 of us—​and we were all close friends.

In 1964, João Zanardi, a young full-time minister, came to Bethel to receive training. He was then assigned as a circuit servant, or traveling overseer, nearby. We sometimes met when he came to Bethel to hand in his reports. The branch servant gave João permission to attend the family study on Monday evenings, so we were able to spend more time together. João and I were married in August 1965. I happily accepted the invitation to join my husband in the circuit work.

[Picture on page 26]

With the Brazil Bethel family in 1963