Printing Goes Underground

Throughout this period, the Governing Body continued to give aid and direction to the brothers in Nicaragua via the Costa Rica branch and the Nicaragua country committee. But literature imports were banned, so how was the “food at the proper time” to be provided? (Matt. 24:45) Once again, Jehovah opened the way.

In 1985 the brothers were able to obtain Watchtower study articles and other Bible-based material with the help of a commercial printer. However, this avenue was risky, for it exposed our work to opposers. Hence, it was decided to employ the offset press that had been used to print assembly programs and Memorial invitations right up to the closing of the branch. The machine was put to work at the home of a sister who lived outside Managua.

Sadly, in November of that year, the press fell into the hands of the government. Not letting this setback hold up the work, the brothers promptly rebuilt an old mimeograph machine, which they nicknamed The Rooster. Previously, it had been used to print handbills, letters, and programs. When replacement parts became hard to get, the brothers were able to acquire locally another used mimeograph, naming this one The Chicken. Later, the El Salvador branch also provided them with a machine. Sticking to their barnyard nomenclature, they dubbed it The Hen.

A less sophisticated, but by no means less successful, printing method involved the use of mimeograph boards, which the brothers called las tablitas, or the little boards. Made by Pedro Rodríguez, a cabinetmaker baptized in 1954, the devices consisted of two rectangular frames joined by hinges that held a piece of cloth mesh in the top frame and a pane of glass or wood in the bottom frame, or base. The design was simple, as was the printing process. A typed paper stencil was inserted in the top frame against the cloth mesh and a sheet of clean paper was placed in the bottom frame. Ink was applied to the mesh with a roller, and after each impression a fresh sheet of paper was inserted.

Although tedious, this printing method produced several items, including the songbook Sing Praises to Jehovah, with its full complement of 225 Kingdom songs. “Once the brothers became adept at using the little boards,” recalls Edmundo Sánchez, who was involved in the printing, “they turned out 20 pages per minute. All told, we produced about 5,000 copies of the songbook alone.”

Edmundo’s wife, Elda, was among the first sisters to help prepare paper stencils for the mimeograph machines. Using her own manual typewriter, Elda, who was also a mother, started in the early morning hours and often worked late into the night typing Watchtower study articles on stencils for the mimeograph machines. She recalls: “Edmundo would give me a copy of the magazine he received from Costa Rica. I never knew how many printing groups there were or where they operated; I only knew the portion of the work I was assigned to do. I was also aware that if we were discovered, our house, our furniture​—everything—​would be confiscated and we would be arrested, possibly even ending up as ‘disappeared ones.’ Yet, our love for and fear of Jehovah dispelled any fear of man that we might have had.”

The Printing Workshops

Guillermo Ponce remembers what the printing workshops were like. He was a proofreader and a liaison between the brothers who prepared the stencils and those involved in printing and distribution. Brother Ponce explains: “The workshops were set up in the homes of certain Witness families. Each workshop was a room built within a room, which made for a small working space. In order to disguise the sound of the mimeograph, we put a tape player or a radio just outside the workshop and turned up the volume.”

Drenched in sweat, the brothers worked nine- to ten-hour days inside these tiny rooms mimeographing The Watchtower or other publications. Often, when the neighbors got curious or when someone informed the authorities, an entire operation had to be moved to another home at a moment’s notice.

The work was considered Bethel service, and those sharing in it were young, single brothers. Felipe Toruño was 19 years old and newly baptized when he was invited to serve in one of the printing shops. “My first impression,” Felipe says, “was of entering a tiny, almost airtight room that had a strong odor of stencil correction fluid. The heat seemed unbearable, and light was provided by a small fluorescent lamp.”

There were other challenges too. For instance, when a machine needed repairs​—which was often—​one could not simply take it to a repair shop. People would ask: ‘Who owns this mimeograph? What is being printed? Is the work authorized by the central government?’ So the brothers had to make their own repairs and sometimes even fabricate parts. Another problem was the frequent power outages. “Because the printing teams never wanted to fall behind in production,” recalls Brother Ponce, “I would sometimes find them working by the light of a kerosene lamp, their noses stained with soot. The appreciation, disposition, and self-sacrificing spirit shown by these fine young men motivated me to keep going.”

Some Precious Memories

Felipe Toruño looks back with fondness on his four years as an underground printer. “I always kept in mind that the brothers were eagerly awaiting this vital spiritual food,” says Felipe. “So despite the many limitations imposed upon us, we served with joy.” Omar Widdy, who shared in this work from June 1988 until its conclusion in May 1990, recalls: “One of the things that impressed me most was the atmosphere of brotherly affection. New ones were willing and eager to learn and were taught the various jobs patiently. Working conditions were not ideal, but the volunteers, although young, were spiritual men who had a deep appreciation for the sacrifices involved in this avenue of service.”

Giovanni Gaitán also served in the printing workshops. He recalls: “What helped to sustain us was appreciation for Jehovah and his organization. None of us received a monetary reimbursement at the time, but that didn’t worry us; we had what we needed. Personally, I had already been in many situations where I had to depend fully on Jehovah. So I was not too worried about my material needs. Such brothers as Guillermo Ponce, Nelson Alvarado, and Felipe Toruño, although young, were excellent examples for me. The older brothers who took the lead also strengthened me. Yes, in looking back, I have to say that the whole experience truly enriched my life.”

All involved in the underground activities saw Jehovah’s backing in many ways, even in regard to the printing work itself. Says Brother Gaitán: “Normally, one stencil lasts for 300 to 500 impressions. We made them give us 6,000 impressions!” Why was it necessary to extend the output of stencils and other printing materials? Besides being in limited supply in the country, they were available only at state-controlled shops where the purchase of unusual quantities would have been noticed, exposing the buyer to the risk of arrest. Yes, Jehovah blessed the efforts of the brothers, for with the exception of the original offset press, the authorities neither found nor closed down any of the workshops.

Brothers who had secular jobs in order to provide for their families also helped with the work, often at great risk. For instance, many delivered printed matter throughout the country, using their own vehicles. Sometimes they traveled all day, passing through many military checkpoints. They knew that if caught they could lose their vehicles, be arrested, and even imprisoned. Yet, they were undaunted. Naturally, these brothers needed the full support of their wives, some of whom also played a vital role during this difficult period, as we shall now see.

Courageous Spiritual Women

Many Christian women showed outstanding courage and loyalty during the years of restriction in Nicaragua. In cooperation with their husbands, they made their homes available for underground printing, often for months at a time. They also prepared meals for the workers, using their own resources. “A close Christian bond developed between us young brothers and these sisters,” reminisces Nelson Alvarado, who helped to coordinate the printing. “They became mothers to us. And we, like sons, caused them a lot of work. At times, we labored until four in the morning to meet quotas and deadlines, especially when extra jobs were scheduled, such as the booklet Examining the Scriptures Daily. Two of us sometimes worked shifts of almost 24 hours. Yet, without fail, the sisters would have a meal ready for us, even in the wee hours of the morning.”

Families that had a printery in their home also took care of security. Housewives usually cared for this assignment, since most husbands worked secularly during the day. One sister recalls: “To camouflage the noise coming from the machines, we had a radio blasting away at full volume. When someone came to the gate, we alerted the brothers in the workshop by means of a switch that turned on a special light bulb.”

Often the visitors were fellow Witnesses or relatives. Even so, the sisters tried to dismiss them as quickly and tactfully as possible. As you can imagine, this was not always easy to do, for these sisters were normally very hospitable. Consider the example of Juana Montiel, who had a cashew tree in her yard. Because fellow Witnesses often came to take fruit from the tree, Juana’s yard had become an informal meeting place. “When we had the privilege of having the printing operation in our home,” recalls Juana, “my husband and I had to cut the tree down. We couldn’t explain to the brothers why all of a sudden we seemed to be less sociable, but we knew that the printing operation had to be protected.”

Consuelo Beteta, now deceased, was baptized in 1956. Her home was also used for printing. However, the brothers could not park in front of her house to pick up literature without arousing suspicion. So they stopped at a safer location​—a brother’s home about a block away. In an interview prior to her death, Sister Beteta recalled those days. With a twinkle in her eye, she said: “The magazines were rolled up and stuffed into sacks destined for the different congregations. Each sack weighed about 30 pounds [15 kg]. To get to the brother’s place, my daughter-in-law and I carried the sacks on our heads and crossed a ditch behind my house. My neighbors never suspected anything, for the sacks looked no different from what most women carried on their heads.”

How the brothers treasured those loyal, courageous sisters! “It was truly a great privilege to work with them,” says Guillermo Ponce, speaking for the many brothers who served with him back at that time. Understandably, such fine Christian women, along with their husbands, were excellent examples for their offspring. So let us now reflect on some of the challenges children faced during those eventful years.

Loyal, Trustworthy Children

Like their parents, the children of those who were involved in the secret printing operations and literature distribution also showed remarkable loyalty. Claudia Bendaña, whose two children were still at home at that time, recalls: “We had a press going in a back room of our house for five months. As soon as the children came home from school, they wanted to help the brothers. But what could they do? Instead of turning them away, the brothers allowed them to staple together mimeographed sheets of The Watchtower. How the children loved being with those young men, who encouraged them to memorize Bible texts and Kingdom songs!”

“In the interests of confidentiality,” says Sister Bendaña, “my husband and I explained to our children that we were in difficult times, that this work was for Jehovah, and that it was very important for us to remain loyal. They were not to talk about this to anyone​—not to relatives or even to our Christian brothers and sisters. Thankfully, the children were faithful and obedient.”

The home of Aura Lila Martínez was one of the first to be used as a printing center. Her grandchildren shared in collating pages, stapling, and packing. They too grew very close to the brothers working in their home. And they never discussed the work with others. Eunice recalls: “We went to school and played almost every day with the Bendaña and Eugarrios children, yet we never knew that literature was being printed in one another’s homes until years later. ‘Really? In your house too?’ we asked one another in amazement. Here we were growing up as best friends, yet none of us said a thing to the others. Evidently, this was Jehovah’s way of protecting the work.”

Those early experiences continue to have a positive influence on these young ones. Emerson Martínez, now a ministerial servant in special full-time service, says: “The brothers in those workshops were my role models. They were only 18 or 19 years old, but they taught me to appreciate spiritual responsibilities, no matter how small, and I learned the value of doing quality work. If I missed even one page while collating, someone would miss out on that information. This instilled in me the importance of doing my very best for Jehovah and for our brothers.”

Elda María, daughter of Edmundo and Elda Sánchez, helped out by delivering stencils that her mother had typed of The Watchtower and other publications. She carried these on her bicycle to Brother Ponce’s house five blocks away. Before giving the stencils to her daughter, Sister Sánchez carefully wrapped them and placed them in a little basket. “Ever since I was very small,” says Elda María, “my parents trained me to be obedient. So when this period of restriction came, I was accustomed to following instructions carefully.”

Did she understand the dangers faced by the brothers​—including her father—​who were involved in the oversight of the printing? Says Elda María: “Often Father would tell me before he left the house that if he was arrested, I must not be afraid or sad. Still, when he was late coming home, I remember praying many times with Mother for his safety. We often saw people from State Security parked in front of our house watching us. If Mother had to answer the door, I would gather up all her materials and hide them. I am very grateful for the example and training my parents gave me in showing loyalty to Jehovah and to our brothers.”

Having laid a solid foundation in their youth, many young ones of that era are now in full-time service, and many serve in positions of responsibility in the congregations. Their advancement is evidence of Jehovah’s rich blessing on his people, none of whom went without spiritual food during that difficult period.

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Brothers who printed literature while under ban, with their mimeograph machines The Rooster, The Hen, and The Chicken

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Elda Sánchez fearlessly prepared stencils

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These sisters prepared food and kept watch while the brothers were printing