In the Soviet Union, 11 buses on their way to the convention in Usolye-Sibirskoye from nearby Angarsk were kindly escorted by two cars of the traffic police, one in front and one behind!

Efforts to Attend

Particularly did delegates to certain Soviet conventions travel long distances at great personal expense. Some saved an entire year to pay for their trip. A delegation came all the way from the Pacific Ocean port of Vladivostok, traveling over 2,000 miles [3,200 km] to Usolye-Sibirskoye. Twelve other delegates were from the island of Sakhalin in the Pacific Ocean north of Japan. One was a 20-year-old youth who was accompanied by three other youths with whom he conducts Bible studies.

A bus driver from Sayanogorsk, who intended to be baptized at Usolye, persistently asked his employer for a few days off to attend the convention, but his boss was unwilling to let him go. So the man drove to the city of Abakan and obtained a copy of the Soviet document of this past March 27 that officially recognizes Jehovah’s Witnesses as a religious organization. Despite seeing the document, his boss still would not grant him permission to leave. Early on the day of his departure, after fervent prayer, the man appealed again and finally received permission to go.

Soviet Union (7 cities) 74,252 7,820