In 1953, Peter Vanderhaegen was assigned to the circuit work in Indonesia. His circuit included the whole country and stretched some 3,200 miles (5,100 km) from east to west and 1,100 miles (1,800 km) from north to south. To cover this vast area, he often had many hair-raising experiences.

In 1954, Brother Vanderhaegen traveled to the eastern region of Indonesia, a religiously diverse area including the islands of Bali, which has a large Hindu population; Lombok and Sumbawa, with a predominantly Muslim population; Flores, which is mainly Catholic; and Sumba, Alor, and Timor, which are mostly Protestant. Traveling by rickety boat, he preached briefly at several islands along the way before arriving at Kupang, the capital of Timor. “I preached in Timor for two weeks,” Brother Vanderhaegen related. “Despite heavy rain, I placed all of my literature, obtained 34 magazine subscriptions, and started several Bible studies.” Special pioneers followed up on this interest and established a congregation in Kupang. From there the good news spread to the neighboring islands of Rotè, Alor, Sumba, and Flores.

When missionaries Piet and Nell de Jager and Hans and Susie van Vuure arrived in Papua in 1962, they too were opposed by Christendom’s clergy. Three senior ministers confronted the missionaries and demanded that they preach elsewhere. From the pulpit, in print, and over the radio, the clergy falsely accused Jehovah’s Witnesses of stirring up trouble against the government. They also cajoled, threatened, or bribed any parishioner who started studying with the missionaries. And they pressured local community chieftains to oppose the preaching work.

These efforts backfired when one chief invited the missionaries to speak at his village. “After the chief assembled the villagers, Piet and I gave two short talks explaining our work,” recalled Hans. “Then our wives demonstrated how we would knock at their doors, accept their invitation to step inside, and share a short message from the Bible. The chief and his people responded favorably to our presentation and allowed us to carry on our work freely.”