Soon thereafter, I started a Bible study with a young man named Fernando González. He lived in Algeciras, one of the towns where there were no Witnesses. Fernando would travel over 50 kilometers (30 mi) to Neiva to work. He prepared very well for each study and immediately started attending all the meetings. From the first week of his study, Fernando would gather others in his hometown and teach them what he had learned from his Bible study.

Fernando got baptized in January 1990, six months after he started studying. Thereafter, he became a regular pioneer. With one local Witness in Algeciras, it was now safe enough for the branch office to assign special pioneers to the area. In February 1992, a congregation was formed in that town.

Did Fernando limit his preaching to his hometown? No! After he married, he and his wife moved to San Vicente del Caguán, another town where there were no Witnesses. There they helped establish a congregation. In 2002, Fernando was appointed as a circuit overseer, and he and his wife, Olga, continue in the traveling work to this day.

JEHOVAH GIVES US “THE DESIRE AND THE POWER TO ACT”

In 1990 we were assigned to the traveling work. Our first circuit was in the capital city, Bogotá. The assignment intimidated us. My wife and I are ordinary people without any special talents. And we were not used to living in a bustling metropolis. However, Jehovah fulfilled his promise found at Philippians 2:13: “God is the one who for the sake of his good pleasure energizes you, giving you both the desire and the power to act.”

Later, we were assigned to a circuit in the area of Medellín, the city I mentioned at the outset. People there had grown so accustomed to street violence that it no longer alarmed them. For example, one time while I was conducting a Bible study, a shoot-out began outside the house I was visiting. I was about to drop to the floor, but the Bible student continued reading the paragraph, unfazed. When he finished reading, he excused himself and went outside. After a while, he came back with two little children and calmly said, “My apologies, but I had to get my kids.”

We had other close calls. On one occasion while we were in the door-to-door work, my wife came running toward me, looking somewhat pale. She said that someone had shot at her. That startled me. However, we later realized that the gunman was not aiming at Sirkka; he was shooting at a man who was passing right next to her.

In time, we learned to cope with street violence. We were encouraged by the resilience of the local Witnesses who faced situations like these and worse. We concluded that if Jehovah was helping them, he would help us too. We always heeded the advice of local elders, took precautions, and left the rest in Jehovah’s hands.

Of course, some situations were not as dangerous as we suspected. Once, I heard what sounded like two women screaming insults at each other outside the house I was visiting. I was not interested in watching an argument, but the householder coaxed me over to the patio. As things turned out, the “argument” was actually between two parrots that were mimicking the neighbors.

Later, I served as a district overseer. When that arrangement was discontinued, I returned to the circuit work. So for over 30 years, I have enjoyed serving as an instructor and a traveling overseer. These assignments have been a source of many blessings. However, it has not all been a bed of roses. Let me explain.

I have a strong personality. This has helped me face difficult circumstances. However, I have at times been overly zealous in trying to correct matters in congregations. On occasion, I have energetically exhorted some to be loving and reasonable with others. Ironically, though, it was in those moments that I lacked the same qualities.​—Rom. 7:21-23.

Because of my failings, I have sometimes felt very discouraged. (Rom. 7:24) At one point, I told Jehovah in prayer that it would be best for me to leave missionary service and return to Finland. That evening, I attended a congregation meeting. The encouragement I received there convinced me that I should stay in my assignment and keep working on my imperfections. To this day, I am touched by how clearly Jehovah answered that prayer. Additionally, I deeply appreciate how he has kindly helped me to overcome my weaknesses.

Soon I will turn 70 years of age and will relinquish my privileges as a field instructor and a traveling overseer. However, this does not dishearten me. Why not? Because I firmly believe that what honors Jehovah most is that we serve him with modesty and that we praise him from a heart overflowing with love and gratitude. (Mic. 6:8; Mark 12:32-34) To honor Jehovah, we do not need to be in the limelight.