The search to find land for a Kingdom Hall then became a priority. Upon hearing of this need, a sister named Maria donated half the land on which she had her small home. The plot was big enough for a large Kingdom Hall. Maria did not know that because she had no surviving relatives, this property was being eyed by ambitious developers. One day a prominent businessman came to talk to Maria.

“What I hear about you is not good!” he warned her. “I hear that you donated your land. Don’t you know that it is worth a lot of money because it is right here in the city?”

“If I offered the land to you, how much would you pay me?” asked Maria. When the man did not answer, Maria continued: “Even if you gave me all the money in the world, it would not be enough because money cannot buy life.”

“You do not have children, do you?” the man asked.

To end the conversation, Maria said: “The land belongs to Jehovah. He lent it to me for so many years, and now I have given it back to him. I am looking forward to living forever.” Then she asked the man: “You do not have everlasting life to offer, do you?” Without saying one more word, he turned and walked away.

The result was that a splendid two-story building was constructed with the help of qualified brothers from Portugal. It has a full basement, a spacious Kingdom Hall, and living quarters. It also has classrooms for holding schools for elders, ministerial servants, and pioneers. Two congregations now have their meetings in it, making it a fine educational center for pure worship in the capital.

In Mé-Zochi, there was a congregation of 60 zealous publishers. Since meetings were held in an improvised Kingdom Hall located in a banana grove, the need for an appropriate Kingdom Hall became obvious. This was made known to city hall, and sympathetic officials offered a choice lot on the main street. A fine Kingdom Hall was built in two months with the help of brothers from Portugal, using the quickly built method. The local people could hardly believe what they saw. A Swedish engineer involved in a building project in the city was amazed to see the brothers and sisters in action. “This is unbelievable!” he remarked. “Jehovah’s Witnesses, here in Mé-Zochi, using a quickly built method! This is the way we should organize our project.” The Kingdom Hall was dedicated on June 12, 1999, with an attendance of 232. The hall has become a principal attraction for visitors to the city of Mé-Zochi.

[Picture on page 9]

First Kingdom Hall in São Tomé in 1994

[Pictures on page 10]

1. Quickly built Kingdom Hall in Mé-Zochi