[Picture on page 90]

Right: Curaçao convention site for the same program

District conventions were held alternately in Aruba and Curaçao, and some of the delegates would fly by chartered plane to the convention island, while others went by boat. On one occasion, a large group of conventioners who traveled by the boat Niagara got seasick. In spite of this discomfort, their enthusiasm for the upcoming spiritual banquet remained undimmed.

Ingrid Selassa, who was 16 years old at the time, recalls that her grandmother sold a pig to finance the trip. The delegates stayed at the homes of the brothers and even slept on the floor. Lasting friendships were forged, and a joyful spirit of love and unity prevailed. In 1959 the first Papiamento-language convention took place at the Santa Cruz plantation house in Banda Abao. Ingrid reminisces: “We loaded up buses with food, cots, and equipment and set off for the convention. The program was a spiritual feast, and in the evening we played Bible games and sang Kingdom songs under the night sky. I shall never forget the three days spent there, where we truly felt part of a brotherhood.” Faith-strengthening international gatherings, such as the “Peace on Earth” International Assembly in 1969, also served to promote the spirit of love and unity among the brothers.