³ Are you reluctant to include telephone witnessing in your ministry? One brother admits: “I don’t like anyone calling me at home to sell me anything, so I have a mental block about this type of witnessing.” However, after making just two phone calls, he said: “I love it! I never thought that could happen, but I love it! People are relaxed on the phone, and you have everything you need within reach. This is great!” A sister had a similar reaction: “I was really not excited about telephone witnessing. To tell you the truth, I did not want to do it. But I tried it and found it to be very fruitful. I have 37 return visits from phone witnessing and more studies than I can care for!” If you are willing to try telephone witnessing, you too can be successful.

¹⁶ Taking the Initiative: A 15-year-old sister started her morning service with a phone call. She talked to a woman who agreed to accept a Knowledge book. When the sister delivered the book to the home, the woman wanted to know how the youth knew her phone number, since it was unlisted. The sister had dialed it by mistake! The woman welcomed a study and is now an unbaptized publisher.

¹⁷ A sister signed out a telephone territory but held off working it for three weeks because of fear. What gave her the courage to start? She remembered the January 22, 1997, Awake! article entitled “When I Am Weak, Then I Am Powerful.” It was about a Witness who preaches by telephone in spite of physical limitations. The sister said: “I prayed to Jehovah and asked for strength. I asked him to give me the proper words to give my presentation.” What was the result of her first day of telephone witnessing? She reports: “Jehovah answered my prayer. The people gave me their attention, and I arranged for a return visit.” Later her telephone witnessing resulted in a Bible study. She concludes: “Jehovah has taught me once more to trust in him and not in myself.”​—Prov. 3:5.