It was on March 18, 1950, that an international group of missionaries dropped anchor off the island of Carriacou, the largest of the Grenadines. Among the crew members were Arthur Worsley, Stanley Carter, Ronald Parkin, and Gust Maki, who served as captain​—all of them zealous proclaimers of the good news. Before long the 7,000 people on this island of 13 square miles [34 sq km] had received their first organized witness.

The brothers found that, in spite of their being relatively isolated, there was a warmhearted spirit among the people. They did not have much materially, but this mattered little to the missionaries since they were there to give and to share. So to help these humble folks, the missionaries often exchanged Bibles and other literature for the local produce of peanuts, corn, and vegetables. On August 29, 1950, the first local Witness, a sister, was baptized. On September 22, 1952, a congregation was organized. Today that congregation has over 43 publishers, not to mention the scores of publishers who have moved away from the island and who are now in Europe, North America, and other Caribbean islands.

Help After Hurricane Janet

In September 1955, Hurricane Janet swept across the islands of Barbados, Bequia, Carriacou, Grenada, and St. Vincent. Like an angry bull, the wind, at a velocity never before experienced in the memory of those living in this area, ripped up trees and houses. Before moving farther north, Janet blew trillions of horsepower of destructive energy on these islands for a full week. Ninety percent of the houses and buildings in Carriacou were thrown down or destroyed.

The love that the brothers showed toward those affected by the hurricane was indeed outstanding. “During the hurricane we were with the vessel Light in the Puerto Rico area,” Gust Maki said. “The brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico gave us a lot of clothing and food items to carry to the brothers in Carriacou.” Recalling the people’s reaction, he continued: “Since the churches in Carriacou were all damaged, there were no religious services for several months. The Catholic priest was seen going to his members’ homes to offer Communion to them before he left the island. The Anglican priest called at one parishioner’s home to beg for money in order to repair the church; at the same time this person was living in a makeshift kitchen. She was heard to say, ‘My bishop comes to beg for money, while Jehovah’s Witnesses come to help their members.’”