Elson Site, formerly a circuit overseer and now a special pioneer with a family of eight children, explains what conditions are like in some of these areas: “It is the custom among the tribes to wear little clothing or none at all, and anyone wearing clothing who visits such a village is viewed with suspicion and often barred from entering the village.”

How would they tackle this sensitive situation? Elson continues: “On one occasion a group from a small congregation arrived at a village to preach, and the chief objected to the wearing of any clothing by either brothers or sisters while in the village. The brothers explained that it was not a Christian custom to go naked. Since they had traveled all this distance to share some important information from God’s Word, they would very much like to solve this small problem that was preventing his people from hearing some good news. The chief conferred with the older men of the village for quite a long time and finally decided that it would not be possible for the brothers to preach to the villagers on that day. But arrangements were made to make future visits more successful. The villagers promised to build a leaf house just outside the village boundary so that the brothers and sisters, fully clothed, could use the house to meet with any of the village people who wished to come to the house to hear what the Bible teaches. This system worked quite well, as the villagers enjoy talking about spiritual things.”

[Picture on page 233]

Elson Site, a special pioneer, and his family