Can You Serve Where the Need for Kingdom Publishers Is Greater?

“We led a comfortable life in the United States but were concerned that the materialistic environment there could eventually have a negative influence on us and our two sons. My wife and I had formerly served as missionaries, and we wanted to enjoy that simple but happy kind of life again.”

SPURRED by that desire, in 1991, Ralph and Pam decided to write to several branch offices to express their desire to serve where the need for Kingdom publishers is greater. The branch office in Mexico responded that there was an urgent need for Kingdom publishers who could preach to the English-speaking population in that country. In fact, that field, noted the branch, was “white for harvesting.” (John 4:35) Before long, Ralph and Pam, with their sons, then aged 8 and 12, accepted the invitation and began to make preparations to move abroad.

A Vast Territory

Ralph recounts: “Before we left the United States, some well-meaning brothers and sisters told us: ‘Moving abroad is too dangerous!’ ‘What if you get sick?’ ‘Why move to preach in an English-language territory? English-speaking people there will not be interested in the truth!’ However, our minds were made up. After all, our decision to move was not an impulsive act. We had been planning it for years. We had avoided long-term debts, saved money, and had many family discussions about the difficulties we might encounter.”

First, Ralph and his family visited the Mexico branch. There, the brothers showed them a map of the entire country and told the new arrivals, “This is your territory!” The family settled in San Miguel de Allende, a town with a considerable foreign population, located some 150 miles [240 km] northwest of Mexico City. Three years after their arrival, an English-speaking congregation of 19 publishers was formed in that town. That was the first English-speaking congregation in Mexico​—but more work was waiting.

There are an estimated one million citizens of the United States living in Mexico. Additionally, there are many Mexican professionals and students who speak English as a second language. Ralph explains: “We prayed for more workers. We always kept an extra bedroom in our home available for brothers and sisters who came to our area to ‘spy out the land,’ so to speak.”​—Num. 13:2.

They Simplified Their Life to Expand Their Ministry

Soon more brothers and sisters who wanted to expand their ministry arrived. Among them were Bill and Kathy from the United States. They had already served for 25 years in territories where the need for publishers was great. They were thinking of learning Spanish, but their plans changed after they moved to the town of Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala, which is a haven for retirees from the United States. Bill explains, “In Ajijic we got ever more involved in seeking out English-speaking people who wanted to learn the truth.” Within two years after arriving in that town, Bill and Kathy had the joy of seeing the formation of a congregation​—the second English-language congregation in Mexico.

Patrick and Roxanne from the state of Texas in the United States were excited to learn about a missionary field not too far away where people speak English. “After visiting Monterrey, a town in northeastern Mexico, we felt that Jehovah was directing us to help there,” says Patrick. Within five days they were able to sell their home in Texas and to “step over into Macedonia,” as it were. (Acts 16:9) Making a living in Mexico has not been easy, but in just two years, they had the joy of seeing a small group of 17 Witnesses grow into a congregation of 40 publishers.

Jeff and Deb are another couple who simplified their life to expand their ministry. They sold their spacious home in the United States and moved into a small apartment in Cancún, a city on Mexico’s east coast. In the past, they were accustomed to attend assemblies in air-conditioned comfort close to home. Now they had to travel eight hours to attend the nearest assembly in English, held in an open-air facility. But they had the deep satisfaction of seeing in Cancún the formation of a congregation of some 50 publishers.