KATHERINE grew up in the United States and at age 16 was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. She took her ministry seriously but found little response to the Kingdom message in the area where she preached. She says: “I read experiences about people who prayed to God to send someone to help them to get to know him. I often wished I could find a person like that, but it never happened.”

After preaching for years in that same territory, Katherine began thinking about moving to an area where people would be more responsive to the Kingdom message. She wondered, though, if she would be able to handle it. Only once in her life had she been away from her family​—and that for just two weeks—​and she had been homesick every day. Yet, her heartfelt desire to experience the joy of helping those who search for Jehovah won out. After considering several locations that she could move to, she wrote to the branch in Guam and received the information she needed. In July 2007, at age 26, Katherine moved to Saipan, an island in the Pacific Ocean, some 6,000 miles (10,000 km) from her home. How did her move turn out?

AN ANSWER TO TWO PRAYERS

Shortly after arriving in the new congregation, Katherine met Doris, a woman in her mid-40’s, who accepted a Bible study. After they had studied the first three chapters of the Bible Teach book, Katherine became concerned. “Doris was such a good student, and I didn’t want to mess that up,” she relates. “I had never conducted a regular Bible study and felt that Doris needed a more experienced sister to study with her, perhaps someone her own age.” Katherine asked Jehovah in prayer to help her find the right sister to whom she could entrust her Bible student. Then she decided to inform Doris about the change in study conductor.

“Before I could bring up the subject,” relates Katherine, “Doris told me that she wanted to talk with me about a problem. After listening to her, I told her how Jehovah had helped me to deal with a similar situation in life. She thanked me.” Then Doris told Katherine: “Jehovah uses you to help me. The day you first came to my house, I had been reading my Bible for hours. I was crying, asking God to send me someone to help me understand the Bible. Then you knocked at my door. Jehovah had answered my prayer!” Tears well up in Katherine’s eyes as she relives that touching moment. She says: “Doris’ words were an answer to my prayer. Jehovah showed me that I was able to continue the study.”

Doris was baptized in 2010, and today she conducts several Bible studies of her own. Katherine notes: “How grateful I am that my longtime wish to help a sincere person to become a servant of Jehovah came true!” Today, Katherine happily serves as a special pioneer on the Pacific island of Kosrae.

The feelings of these zealous workers are well expressed by Erica, who moved to Guam in 2006 at the age of 19. She says: “Pioneering in a territory where people are thirsting for the truth is so much fun. I’m very grateful that Jehovah helped me to take up this form of service. It’s the best way of life!” Today, Erica has the joy of serving as a special pioneer on Ebeye in the Marshall Islands.

Homesickness. Erica says: “I’m very close to my family, and I was worried that homesickness would negatively affect my ministry.” What did she do to prepare herself? “Before moving, I read Watchtower articles about homesickness. This really prepared my heart to deal with that challenge. In one article, a mother assured her daughter of Jehovah’s care, saying, ‘Jehovah can take better care of you than I can.’ That assurance really strengthened me.”

Erica says: “In the beginning, I felt left out, but that helped me to consider what my motive was for moving. I moved not for personal benefits but to do more for Jehovah.” She adds: “In time, I developed wonderful friendships, which I treasure.”