• Papua New Guinea
    2011 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • CHILDREN WHO HONOR THEIR CREATOR

      By courageously adhering to their Bible-trained conscience, many children in Papua New Guinea have given a fine witness. For example, early in 1966 a primary-school teacher told seven children of local Witnesses that they would be expected to salute the flag during ceremonies to be conducted the following week. When the time arrived, in the presence of some 300 assembled students, all seven children refused to salute. As a result, they were expelled, even though their parents had requested in writing that their children be exempt from the ceremonies. An elder in the local congregation appealed the matter to government officials in both Papua New Guinea and Australia.

      On March 23 the Australian Administrator of Papua New Guinea telephoned the school authorities directing that the children be returned to school immediately. True worship had won a small legal victory. Today the Papua New Guinea government continues to respect the right of children to refrain from saluting the flag for reasons of conscience.

      “Babes and sucklings” can praise Jehovah in other ways too. (Matt. 21:16) Consider the example of Naomi from the highlands, whose parents, Joe and Helen, were not in the truth. When Naomi was about three years old, she stayed for about a year in Lae with Helen’s sister, a zealous Witness. The aunt regularly took Naomi out witnessing, often carrying her in a bag draped over her shoulder. Thus, Naomi became familiar with the Kingdom hope, and all the more so because her aunt made good use of the illustrations in My Book of Bible Stories.

      When Naomi returned to her parents, she took a Witness publication, stepped outside the house, and then knocked loudly on the door. “Come back inside,” her parents called out. Stepping inside, the little girl said: “Hello. I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I have come to talk to you about the Bible.” As Joe and Helen looked on in surprise, Naomi continued: “The Bible says that Paradise will come upon this land; and one King, Jesus, will rule over us. Everything we see around us is made by Jehovah.”

      Joe and Helen were stunned. “What will the neighbors think!” Joe exclaimed to his wife. “Tomorrow you had better keep her locked inside the house.”

      The following day, while her parents were sitting outside the home, Naomi knocked loudly on her bedroom wall. “Come outside,” said Joe. Naomi emerged and launched into another presentation: “Hello. I am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I have come to preach to you. Good people will live forever on the earth. But people who get angry and do bad things will not be in Paradise.” Totally baffled, Helen burst into tears, while Joe stormed off to bed.

      That night, his curiosity piqued, Joe paged through his old King James Bible and chanced upon the name Jehovah. The following morning, instead of going to work, he wrote a letter to the Witnesses and then drove 25 miles [40 km] to Mount Hagen to leave it at the Kingdom Hall.

      The brothers went to Joe and Helen’s home and arranged for a regular Bible study. They also taught Helen to read. Eventually, both Joe and Helen were baptized, and Helen was able to help other Bible students learn to read​—all this because a little girl’s heart overflowed with praise to Jehovah!