We came to extend to these islanders an invitation similar to the title of the colorful Bible study aid You Can Live Forever in Paradise on Earth.

Many of the islanders eagerly accepted the book and said: “Thank you so much for coming. We never had anything like this to help us understand God’s Word.” They have available to them the Catholic Bible in Tahitian and three of the Gospels in Marquesian.

Some who accepted our offer sincerely requested that we visit others. For example, a young man urged my wife to follow him, saying, “Behind there! Behind there!” If he had not pointed it out, my wife would have missed the home of a sculptor who, as it turned out, greatly appreciated the instructive book.

In Hakaui, there were only two families, living on opposite sides of the narrow river mouth. When we arrived, the first family appeared to be quite busy. So, with the help of kindly sailors, we crossed by launch to the other family. As we drew up, we saw two women sitting in the midst of some pigs that were rambling around the house​—a humble sight indeed. Yet, when we showed them the book, they gladly offered what little they had in order to get one. We could not help but think of the poor widow mentioned in Luke 21:2-4 who gave all she had at the temple.

Many broad smiles and beaming eyes greeted our “invitation.” Frequently we heard the remark, “Mea kanahau!” (“It’s beautiful!”) The book so impressed many of the villagers that they gratefully insisted on stuffing our knapsacks with shells and fruits​—lemons, mangoes, oranges, and grapefruits. In Haakuti, a village perched high on the edge of a cliff, we found a woman and her daughter who were so enthusiastic about what they heard that they climbed all the way down to the boat-landing to tell everyone there to listen to our message and to take the beautiful book.

When we got to the main village, Hakahau, we were concerned about how to contact its over one thousand inhabitants on such a brief stop. To our great relief, one gentleman, who was delighted with the message, offered the use of his car: “I can take you wherever you want to go.” A few years earlier, the local priest collected and burned all the literature that Jehovah’s Witnesses had left. This had frightened the people. But our message proved to be so attractive that a dozen families banished their fear of man and accepted the book that we brought.

One lady was so enthused about the offer that she encouraged a friend to take the book. She even lent her friend the money for it. Another lady declared: “I’m beginning to understand that reading the Bible is more important than going to church to pray every evening.”

By dusk we were on Hanaiapa jetty talking to some of the people by lamplight. The conversation turned to the subject of hell. “Suppose you had a very bad child. Would you make a fire and throw him into it?” we asked. “No!” they replied. “Then, would God make his children suffer in a fire eternally?” Four women and a man were particularly interested in God’s loving “invitation” to live on an earth where “the wicked one will be no more” because of having been destroyed forever, not tormented eternally.​—Psalm 37:10.

From Hiva Oa, it was just a short hop to the little island of Tahuata. A sailor half jokingly told us that not much more than a hundred years ago some white people were eaten by the natives here. We, though, provided them only with interesting conversations. The man responsible for the charismatic movement in the village was reluctant to take the book but insisted that we accept a glass of water from him. “With the water I give you,” he said, misapplying Jesus’ words at John 4:14, “you’ll never get thirsty at all, but it will become a fountain of water bubbling up in you.” Thanking him, we replied: “This water is only water, and we accept it gratefully. But do you refuse life-giving water and spiritual food that we invite you to partake of?” Moved by these words, he took several books. Later, at the wharf, some people began to mock: “Is there even one person who accepted your offer?” Yet the head of public workers there asked to see the book and, right in front of everyone, decided to take it. How surprised they all were to learn that others, too, had accepted our offer!

In the main village, Omoa, we met a family that showed considerable interest. After we moved on to the valley, the mother went out to gather her friends together, so that when we returned they were all waiting for us with big smiles. They wanted the books in order to learn something about God’s Word in their evening Bible-study meetings. By the time we got back to the wharf, one of our knapsacks was empty, and the other was full of oranges and lemons.