In December two missionaries arrived in the capital, Vientiane. Four more followed in March 1959.

It was therefore timely when the Crawfords were reassigned to Vientiane after they had to leave Cambodia in May 1965. George Crawford remembered: “After only a few days in Vientiane, we noticed that there was a strange attitude toward meetings and the way they should be conducted. Some in the group were following men, and it appeared that they were associating for material gain. We made an effort to instill a proper viewpoint and appreciation for Jehovah’s organization and the need to work closely with the branch office in Bangkok. With Brother Timothy Bortz’ help, a switch was made to conducting meetings in conformity with the Society’s suggested manner and schedule. The Laotian language started to be used. Those who were following men slowly drifted away in spite of concentrated efforts to build them up spiritually.”