The Early Years in Thessaly

In Thessaly, a region in central Greece, the good news made early progress, most notably in two small villages, Kalamaki of Larissa and Eleftherohori of Trikkala. In November 1922, George Koukoutianos, a schoolteacher who had been fired because he was a Bible Student, was traveling when bad weather led him to spend the night in Kalamaki at the home of Dimitris Pardalos. He witnessed to his hospitable host. The result? Dimitris and two other townsmen, Theodoros Pardalos and Apostolos Vlahavas, came to know Jehovah.

These three began witnessing from house to house in the surrounding villages. They also spent two or three months every year preaching in outlying territories, returning to their village to renew their strength and to earn enough money to finance future campaigns. They traveled on foot, carrying a load of literature and any produce they were given in return.

Their lives were not without lighter moments, though. One of them related: “Once we had to wade across a river. It was winter, and the water was cold. As I was the larger of us two, I suggested to my companion that I carry him on my back. To save a second trip, I carried our literature bags in one hand and our shoes and socks in the other. At the same time, I clenched my teeth on the handle of a basket full of eggs. But when we came to the middle of the river, I made the mistake of asking my companion on my back if he was all right. Of course, the egg basket fell at once. As I tried to catch it, I dropped our shoes, socks, and literature. Then, as I tried to save these, the brother fell from my back into the river!” They laughed over that memorable crossing for years.

The work in the rural areas was challenging. When they distributed the tract Ecclesiastics Indicted, the Witnesses were sometimes detained in police stations and then brought before the courts. But persecution strengthened their faith and zeal for the Kingdom. The result was that from 1930 onward, the congregation in Kalamaki steadily increased in number.

But persecution strengthened their faith and zeal for the Kingdom. The result was that from 1930 onward, the congregation in Kalamaki steadily increased in number.