[Picture on page 78]

Left to right: Russell and Hazel Yeatts, graduates of the 6th class of Gilead,

The First Missionaries Arrive in Curaçao

On May 16, 1946, Thomas Russell Yeatts and his wife, Hazel, graduates of the sixth class of Gilead, arrived in Curaçao, a territory that had barely been touched. Brother Yeatts was to have a tremendous impact on the work in the islands, remaining in his assignment for over 50 years until his death in 1999. With the exception of a brief interruption, he had oversight of the branch from 1950 until 1994. A man of unfailing good humor, boundless optimism, and unshakable faith, he was privileged to see the Kingdom-preaching work expand greatly.

Hazel, a loyal supporter of her husband, has remained faithful to her assignment until today and is a source of encouragement to all. She recalls arriving at the airport and being warmly greeted by Brothers Naarendorp and Van Marl along with Clement Fleming, an interested person.

Clement, by the way, had acquired the book Children, read it, and was convinced that he had found the truth. When he was young, he left the Roman Catholic Church because he did not agree with many of its teachings. Later on, he started to associate with the Witnesses, so he was on hand to welcome the first missionaries. In July 1946, new missionary Russell Yeatts baptized him. Brother Fleming is still a Kingdom publisher and says: “At age 93, I haven’t given up the hope of being among those who go through Armageddon into the new system without ever having to die.” What a wonderful example of faith and endurance!

Sister Yeatts says: “We were taken from the airport to a two-room apartment over a shop that sold pig’s tails and salt fish. The apartment had no furniture and no bathroom, so we had to shower downstairs for the next six months until we found better lodging.” Though Hazel had one spell of dysentery after another, she and Russell did not become discouraged. Years later, Brother Yeatts wrote: “What makes life interesting, especially for Jehovah’s ministers, is not the conditions, not the scenery, not even the language, but the people. And you have them in every assignment.”

While learning the native tongue, Papiamento, these courageous missionaries were to teach the pure language, the lingua franca of the truth, to people of Curaçao. One of these was Camilio Girigoria, the first of the local people to be baptized, in 1950. Employed at an oil refinery, he had come into contact with the truth by talking to various brothers, including Henricus Hassell, an ardent proclaimer of the good news. Camilio, now 78, is an elder and has assisted 24 people to the point of dedication. In 1946 the missionaries organized the first English-speaking congregation in Curaçao, but it was not until 1954 that the first Papiamento-speaking congregation was started.