John Green, the first branch overseer, served until November of that year, when Robert Tracy arrived. Green had to return to the United States because of his wife’s failing health.

Robert Tracy was a graduate of the sixth class of Gilead. After serving a few months in circuit work, he received training in Brooklyn Bethel before moving to Colombia. Friendly and energetic, Brother Tracy was to play a key role in developing the organization in Colombia.

Language Limits No Barrier

In early 1948 Robert Tracy was witnessing near the business district in Bogotá when he called on the Rojas family. The father was a radio repairman. He and his wife and four children all lived in one room, the same room where he did his secular work. “Despite my limited use of Spanish,” recounts Brother Tracy, “the family progressed and gradually all became Kingdom publishers, Luis, the oldest, taking up special pioneer work, followed by Gladys and Marlene.”

In December 1949 three new Gilead graduates, Dewey Fountain and wife Winnie, along with daughter Elizabeth, arrived in Bogotá, bringing the total count of missionaries in the country to nine. By then the majority of the Kingdom publishers were on the northern Caribbean Coast, and the work was beginning to bloom there.

In view of this, in December 1951 the Society transferred the branch office from Bogotá to Barranquilla. Robert Tracy continued as branch overseer there until April 1952, when he returned to Bogotá to marry “Libby” (Elizabeth) Fountain.