Michael was happy that someone could help him understand the Bible. Unfortunately the school year was drawing to a close, and Michael would soon return to his home and family in the Reef Islands. By the time he was ready to return home, he had read only three chapters in the Truth book. However, in spite of such a limited understanding of the Scriptures, he began to preach back home.

Because Michael would not stop speaking publicly about the truth, the clergy pressured the education officers at Lata Station to have him fired, just as they later had James and Drawman fired. Michael decided to live off the land. He and his wife, Naomi, along with their children, were finally forced to leave their village as outcasts. Far from the village, they built a new home and later a Kingdom Hall.

To compound their problem, the people live in fear of their bishop and priests. The clergy would often visit the people to see if any of the Society’s literature was in their homes. If any was found, the homeowner was sure to receive a stiff dressing down and would be forced to hand over the literature so the priest could have it destroyed. Hence, it became extremely difficult to preach to anyone; people would run away as soon as they spotted the Witness coming.