“Jehovah’s Witnesses Take Care of Their Brothers”

On September 22, 1998, Hurricane Georges tore through the Dominican Republic with winds of 120 miles (190 kilometers) per hour, causing extensive damage. Thousands were left homeless, and over 300 were killed. A Disaster Relief Committee set up a relief center on a Kingdom Hall property in La Romana, with the help of a Regional Building Committee. Approximately 300 volunteers assisted with the relief work, including Witnesses from 16 other countries.

In total, 23 Kingdom Halls and over 800 homes of our brothers and sisters had to be repaired or rebuilt. For example, Carmen, an elderly regular pioneer, was devastated when the hurricane destroyed the house in which she had lived for 38 years. However, her joy could not be contained when a team of 15 brothers arrived to pour the foundation for her new home. “Jehovah always keeps us in mind,” says Carmen, “and he takes care of us. Look at this beautiful house that the brothers are building for me. My neighbors said: ‘Jehovah’s Witnesses take care of their brothers; they truly love one another.’” Similar expressions were heard countrywide as relief workers assisted their traumatized brothers and sisters.

Although Hurricane Georges was a major disaster, the loving efforts of Jehovah’s people brought physical and spiritual comfort to our brothers who were victims of that storm. Most important, the self-sacrificing effort of the volunteers brought praise to Jehovah, the source of genuine comfort.