The brothers designed a unique structure, using iron pipe for framework and aluminum sheets for roofing. There was room for 700 seats. And the entire “Assembly Hall” was portable! There were about 450 publishers in Guadeloupe at that time, so we felt that there would be plenty of room.

The structure was first used for an assembly in the vicinity of Basse-Terre, in January 1966. When it came time for the public lecture, an enthusiastic crowd of 907 persons crowded in and around the Assembly Hall to listen. Already it was too small! In the years that followed, we had to enlarge it again and again.

Circuit assemblies often fell in November, a rainy month. Because of bad weather, there was often much mud, and we learned that it was wise to come fitted out with high-top boots! The full-moon weekend was customarily chosen for the assembly so that the brothers could return home at night with the help of that natural lighting. The moonlight also made it easier to do some of the dismantling immediately following the closing session of the assembly.

The ability to move our hall and thus to hold our assemblies in any parish in our territory had an excellent effect on the preaching of the good news in Guadeloupe. Furthermore, setting up and dismantling that hall three times a year provided opportunity for our brothers to learn to work together and to cultivate the spirit of self-sacrifice. No doubt about it, the blessing of Jehovah was upon that arrangement!

[Picture on page 146, 147]

Guadeloupe’s portable Assembly Hall