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Video above © Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania

00:00 Welcome to JW Broadcasting! 00:04 In this month’s program, we’ll meet a brother who preaches 00:07 in the Indian Sign Language field. 00:09 What can we learn from his view of the challenges he faces 00:12 in his assignment? 00:15 Jehovah’s sheep belong to him. 00:17 This dramatization shows a special way 00:20 that Jehovah uses shepherds in the congregation 00:23 to care for his flock. 00:26 And have you witnessed 00:28 the life-changing moment when someone 00:30 first learns God’s name? 00:33 We’ll see the results of this sister’s lifelong search to know the true God. 00:38 This and much more is ahead 00:41 on the June 2016 edition 00:43 of JW Broadcasting! 01:04 Jehovah’s people have always considered the studying of his Word 01:08 to be an essential part of life. 01:10 God’s Law to Israel commanded that the king “must read from [the Law] 01:15 all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear Jehovah his God.” 01:20 In the Mayan territories of Yucatán, Mexico, 01:23 our brothers are helping people learn to read God’s Word for themselves. 01:28 People’s lives change when they can finally read the Bible on their own 01:33 and more readily ‘learn to fear Jehovah their God.’ 01:47 One out of every six people on earth doesn’t know how to read. 01:52 Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world 01:54 have organized literacy classes to help such ones. 02:02 I don’t like to read. 02:05 I used to sleep at the meetings. 02:14 In our territory, 02:16 most people speak the Mayan language, but very few can read it. 02:21 On occasion I would give a talk, and when I would 02:24 cite a scripture, most of the audience would look it up. 02:27 But then I would see a blank stare on their faces 02:30 because they couldn’t read the text. 02:34 I was moved to learn how to read 02:37 because I wanted to learn about Jehovah and study his Word, the Bible. 02:43 So a sister came to my house to teach me. 02:48 Literacy classes are often conducted on an individual level. 02:52 After a person has had their Bible study, they can spend some time 02:56 to practice reading skills. 02:59 But when the local elders notice 03:03 that there are many that can benefit from this training, 03:06 they can schedule a larger class 03:09 at the Kingdom Hall. 03:11 The study material used for this purpose is the brochure 03:14 Apply Yourself to Reading and Writing. 03:17 It’s available in 30 languages in the Central America branch territory. 03:23 Other study materials can be used as well, as long as they help 03:27 the development of the students enrolled in the class. 03:32 And we use a board on which we write, 03:34 for instance, words that are difficult to pronounce. 03:37 This helps in the reading of complicated words. 03:41 There are some who are, well, very quick learners. 03:46 On the other hand, others go word by word. 03:49 But as they practice, they start getting the hang of it. 03:54 I’m good at masonry work, 03:57 but learning to read 04:01 is not easy. 04:03 Reading at his age is a big challenge. 04:07 You need to understand that each student learns differently. 04:11 With some, you need to be very patient. 04:16 The first word I learned to write was Jehovah. 04:20 “It’s like this,” I tell him. 04:22 He says, “It’s ‘cause you’re not being patient with me!” 04:26 Having a sense of humor is a big help in the learning process, 04:30 so as not to focus on errors and mistakes. 04:34 Since 1946, when records began being taken in Mexico, 04:38 more than 152,000 people have learned to read and write, 04:42 thanks to these training efforts. 04:44 The Secretary of Public Education 04:46 in the State of Mexico has recognized the work and the great help 04:50 these literacy classes have been to the local citizens. 04:54 The skills they learn help in their day-to-day life, 04:57 but also it helps them to learn more about Jehovah 04:59 and to be able to teach others. 05:03 I used to have to memorize everything I was going to say, 05:07 but now I can read 05:09 short scriptures to people directly from the Bible. 05:15 As the students progress in the class, they demonstrate 05:18 the words found at 1 Timothy 4:15, 05:21 which says in part 05:24 “so that your advancement  may be plainly seen by all people.” 05:28 And these benefits are plainly seen in the students. 05:33 My husband was an alcoholic, 05:35 he smoked, and he used bad language. 05:38 But he made big changes in his life, 05:41 and we see that this training has been a big help. 05:45 We really see these great blessings. 05:49 Reading helped me to get baptized. 05:53 Helping other people to improve their reading skills 05:58 makes me feel very happy. 06:00 I feel great because I see on their face the joy they get 06:04 from reading and understanding the information. 06:08 Well, I’ve benefited so much. 06:11 For instance, 06:13 now we read the Bible together as a family. 06:17 It makes me very happy. 06:19 We’re more united as a family. 06:22 Our children respect my husband more, 06:25 like the father he is. 06:30 Now I’m a ministerial servant. 06:32 When I go preaching door to door, 06:36 some people say, “I don’t know how to read.” 06:40 But then I tell them, 06:43 “I didn’t know either, but I learned about Jehovah. 06:46 And you can too!” 06:51 If I learned to read, anybody can. 07:14 Our theme for this month 07:17 is “Consider, Incite, and Encourage One Another All the More So.” 07:22 JW Broadcasting 07:25 —why do we enjoy it so much? 07:28 Many of you have expressed how the monthly broadcast draws you closer 07:33 to our brothers and sisters and to Jehovah’s organization. 07:36 If you’re homebound or isolated, you especially treasure these programs. 07:41 And yet, while we appreciate the advances in technology 07:45 that have made all of this possible, we know that your sincere desire 07:50 is to be present with your brothers and sisters in person 07:53 at our congregation meetings. 07:55 Jehovah’s Witnesses around the world share this feeling. 08:00 In northern Finland, for example, winters are especially cold, 08:04 even by Finnish standards. 08:06 At times, temperatures plummet to minus 50 degrees Celsius, 08:10 or minus 58 degrees Fahrenheit! 08:13 Under those conditions, it’s very difficult to drive, 08:16 much less walk long distances. 08:19 Still, the brothers love to gather together. 08:22 How do they manage it? 08:24 In one small village, there is a brother who lives near the Kingdom Hall 08:28 and has a warm garage. 08:31 On meeting nights, he uses his car 08:33 to bring each family in the congregation to the hall. 08:36 Then he parks in his garage and runs the short distance back to the Kingdom Hall. 08:41 When the meeting is over, he returns all the friends safely to their homes. 08:46 In the Bible, gatherings for pure worship 08:50 were occasions for personal association with fellow believers. 08:54 Such association required travel to a designated place. 08:58 This involved work, sacrifice, even risk. 09:03 Consider what is stated at Exodus 34:24. 09:08 This verse has to do with the command that every Israelite male 09:13 should gather three times a year for the festivals in Jerusalem. 09:17 What would that mean in practical terms? 09:20 Wouldn’t the nation be left vulnerable to attack 09:22 if no men were left to guard the land? 09:25 And if word spread among the surrounding nations 09:27 that practically everyone congregated in Jerusalem 09:30 three times a year, like clockwork, year after year, 09:34 wouldn’t it be just a matter of time before some invading army 09:37 would come and pillage an Israelite city? 09:40 At Exodus 34:24, 09:43 we find Jehovah’s remarkable answer: 09:47 “For I will drive the nations away from before you, 09:51 and I will enlarge your territory, and nobody will desire,” 09:56 yes, even desire, “your land 09:59 “while you are going up to see the face of Jehovah your God 10:03 three times a year.” 10:05 Jehovah kept that promise. 10:08 It’s a historical fact that from 1513 B.C.E. 10:13 all the way down to 66 C.E. no foreign nation ever came 10:18 to invade Israelite territory during those three annual festivals. 10:23 Jehovah placed high value on having his people 10:26 gather together in the same space. 10:30 In the Christian era, the apostle Paul wrote 10:33 at 1 Corinthians 14:23 about ‘the whole congregation 10:37 coming together to one place.’ 10:40 Now, although modern broadcasting technology didn’t exist in those days, 10:44 there were other viable methods of communicating, such as writing letters, 10:49 that didn’t require people to be physically present in the same location. 10:54 Still, the apostle John, though a capable writer, 10:58 preferred face-to-face interchange with fellow Christians 11:02 as he expressed at 2 John 12. 11:06 Or consider what is stated 11:08 at Job 1:6: 11:11 “Now the day came when the sons of the true God 11:16 entered to take their station before Jehovah.” 11:19 Job 2:1 speaks of another such day. 11:23 Just imagine! 11:25 Here Jehovah himself, 11:27 though having all conceivable methods of communication at his disposal, 11:31 set specific days for his spirit creatures in heaven 11:35 to assemble in his immediate presence. 11:38 Clearly, the Scriptures encourage regular personal association 11:43 with fellow servants of God. 11:45 Virtual attendance through modern communication technology has value, 11:50 and we’re happy to use it, but it’s no substitute for being together. 11:54 And why not? 11:56 Because of what association with the congregation achieves. 12:00 It’s not just that we receive nutritious and varied spiritual food. 12:04 Meetings inform us, but so does JW Broadcasting. 12:08 Meetings encourage us, but so does JW Broadcasting. 12:13 Fellow Christians who offer comments and sing from the heart build us up, 12:18 and yet we can hear that also on JW Broadcasting. 12:22 It’s when we’re together —all together in one place— 12:26 that others can hear us and draw encouragement 12:28 from our heartfelt convictions, our smile, our handshake. 12:33 Meetings give us opportunities to show our brothers and sisters 12:37 that we esteem them as worthy of our time, 12:41 attention, and concern. 12:44 That is why we go and visit our brothers who are homebound or isolated 12:48 because we want to show them that we love them. 12:52 Moreover, in a special way, 12:55 our meetings bring us under the influence of holy spirit. 13:00 At Revelation 2:7, 13:03 the glorified Jesus said: 13:06 “Let the one who has an ear hear 13:09 what the spirit says to the congregations.” 13:14 We need that spirit to help us resist temptation, 13:17 to embolden and equip us for the ministry, 13:21 and to enable us to make sound decisions. 13:24 Still, there’s a reason to attend meetings 13:28 that’s even more important than the pleasant company, 13:31 the peaceful atmosphere, the genuine refreshment, 13:34 the sense of belonging, the opportunities to give, 13:37 or even the fact that meetings are a means by which 13:39 we receive Jehovah’s holy spirit. 13:41 The key reason why we gather together 13:44 is stated at Psalm 26:12: 13:48 “My foot is standing on level ground; 13:52 in the great congregation, I will praise Jehovah.” 13:57 Yes, the principal reason why we gather together in person 14:01 is to give Jehovah what he deserves 14:04 —praise, glory, yes, worship. 14:08 Our meeting attendance shows Jehovah 14:11 that we want to draw close to him and his Son. 14:15 In his abundant love, Jehovah invites many more to serve him and keep living. 14:19 Because he lives eternally, 14:21 Jehovah can nurture those relationships forever. 14:25 The Adversary can offer no such hope of endless life, 14:28 so he promotes selfishness, pride, and other negative traits 14:31 that isolate people from one another, even when they are in the same room, 14:34 engaged in the same activities. 14:37 In contrast, our great God is drawing his people 14:41 closer to himself, to his Son, 14:44 and to one another so that we “may all be one,” 14:48 as Jesus prayed as recorded at John 17:21. 14:52 And it’s not just the act of converging 14:55 on the same location that unites us either. 14:58 Lots of people coexist in the same space when they go to a market, 15:02 attend a sporting event, or use public transportation. 15:05 Crowding of itself does not equate with unity. 15:09 What makes the true Christian congregation different? 15:13 Notice how Hebrews chapter 10, 15:15 verses 24 and 25 answers this question. 15:19 Now here we find the divinely inspired standard 15:23 for all our gatherings: 15:26 “And let us consider one another so as to incite 15:30 “to love and fine works, not forsaking our meeting together, 15:35 “as some have the custom, but encouraging one another, 15:39 “and all the more so as you see 15:41 the day drawing near.” 15:44 Now, what does it mean to “consider one another”? 15:48 What does it mean “to incite to love and fine works”? 15:51 And in what way might we ‘encourage one another’? 15:55 The verb “consider” could also be rendered 15:59 “be concerned about; pay attention to.” 16:02 So when we “consider one another,” 16:04 we show interest that goes far beyond a brief greeting. 16:08 And when we pay careful attention to one another, we’re better prepared 16:11 to incite, that is, to motivate one another, to stir one another to action. 16:16 And how might we do this? 16:19 Not by making comparisons or shaming our brothers, 16:22 for that would hardly be “encouraging one another,” 16:24 we endeavor to lift one another’s hearts when we’re together. 16:28 And when we do this to the best of our ability, 16:31 then we can be confident that Jehovah’s spirit will do the rest, 16:35 and that our brothers will feel strengthened. 16:38 It’s evident, then, that true worship 16:40 means participation; it requires a response. 16:45 Another noteworthy example of this is the encouragement we both give 16:50 and receive when we sing together with our brothers and sisters. 16:54 In ancient Israel, at times they had a chorus, 16:58 such as the one described in Nehemiah chapter 12 17:00 that we talked about in our midweek meeting back in February. 17:03 Much of Israel’s group singing was antiphonal, 17:07 that is, some of the singers prompted others to respond. 17:12 For instance, Psalm 106 which begins and ends with the words 17:15 “Praise Jah!” or “Hallelujah!” 17:18 encouraged the people to say in response: “Amen!” 17:23 Psalm 136 was written 17:26 to allow for different choruses to answer one another. 17:30 Now just imagine responding choruses 17:33 singing these alternating lines: 17:37 “Give thanks to Jehovah, for he is good; 17:40 “his loyal love endures forever. 17:44 “Give thanks to the God of gods, 17:46 “for his loyal love endures forever. 17:49 “Give thanks to the Lord of lords, 17:52 for his loyal love endures forever.” 17:55 And on it went for 26 verses! 17:58 To this day, singing demonstrates 18:02 our heartfelt response to the goodness of Jehovah. 18:06 What a joy it is to sing in company with others who are moved 18:09 to pour out the depths of their feelings to Jehovah! 18:13 And now at our Kingdom Halls, we’re accompanied by orchestral renderings 18:17 of many of our songs —another reason to sing out 18:20 at our midweek and weekend meetings. 18:23 And speaking of the midweek meeting, how are you enjoying the new format? 18:27 More of the program is devoted to delving into the Bible itself. 18:31 Time spent on preparing us for our public ministry 18:35 focuses more than ever on situations we face in field service. 18:40 And the meetings move along at a satisfying pace. 18:44 Yes, JW Broadcasting is a wonderful blessing, 18:49 a powerful means to talk to and fortify our brothers 18:53 around the world —simultaneously. 18:55 Still, nothing can replace the experience 19:00 of worshipping Jehovah in concert 19:02 with our fellow servants of God at congregation meetings. 19:06 When a meeting concludes and we lift our heads 19:10 after the final prayer, we find ourselves surrounded 19:15 by others who love Jehovah and support his sovereignty. 19:19 These important benefits are detailed 19:22 in the April 2016 study article 19:25 “Why Should We Meet Together for Worship?” 19:28 This month, we’re studying that article worldwide. 19:31 Later, in October, we begin a special campaign 19:35 to invite the public to our meetings. 19:38 If you do not yet regularly associate with Jehovah’s Witnesses 19:42 or if you travel away from your congregation, use jw.org 19:46 to find a meeting you can attend. 19:49 Click: “About Us,” “Meetings,” 19:51 and “Find a Location Near You” 19:54 or simply scroll to the bottom 19:57 of any jw.org page 19:59 and click “Attend Our Meetings.” 20:02 At our meetings, you’ll experience what it means 20:06 to consider, incite, and ‘encourage one another all the more so 20:11 as we see the day drawing near.’ 20:15 We’ve discussed vital ways we benefit 20:19 when we come together for worship at Christian meetings. 20:22 What many notice 20:24 when they first attend meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses 20:28 is that they hear God’s name, Jehovah. 20:32 In this life story, Soten Yoeun relates the impact 20:36 that learning God’s name had on her 20:39 after surviving the killing fields of Cambodia. 20:45 On the killing fields in Cambodia, 20:50 I prayed to God, 20:53 but I didn’t know his name. 21:05 When I was a very young girl, 21:08 they separated our family 21:10 and they put me to work in the rice field 21:13 from five in the morning till nine in the evening. 21:17 When you see some other children that get killed, 21:21 you really desperately cry for help inside. 21:26 You always think that you are next. 21:29 But in my heart I always believed that there had to be a true God 21:33 somewhere, somehow that can help me get through this. 21:37 One year later, my family decided to escape Cambodia. 21:43 We walk close to six or seven months to Thailand. 21:50 And I have 20 brothers and sisters 21:55 —only 4 of us survived. 22:01 I have a blind aunt that holds on my shoulder all the time. 22:06 But one day, we got caught. 22:12 As they start shooting, I push my aunt down to the ground 22:17 and try to pretend that we are dead. 22:20 And when I get up, 22:22 I had no idea where my parent was. 22:28 We spent many months in the jungle. 22:31 As I try to survive, 22:33 I eat whatever I can find, and I also help my auntie to survive. 22:37 One day when I go out to look for food, 22:41 I walked so far away 22:44 I couldn’t find my way back. 22:46 I start crying really hard underneath a tree 22:50 and look up to the sky 22:53 and pray to the true God. 22:56 I was raised as a child to pray to Buddhas. 23:00 But on this night 23:02 when I start praying, I specifically said 23:06 that I’m not praying to Buddha 23:09 —I’m praying to the true God. 23:13 And I say, 23:15 “True God, if you are really here, 23:18 “please help me 23:21 “because I am really scared 23:23 and I’m hungry and I’m cold.” 23:27 After I pray, I just fall to sleep under the big tree. 23:34 Eventually, I make it into the refugee camp in Thailand, 23:38 and I was reunited with my family. 23:41 We lived in the refugee camp in Thailand 23:45 for about ten years before we come to United States. 23:50 My searching for the true God, it didn’t stop there. 23:54 We tried to go to different churches, 23:58 but we didn’t understand anything. 24:00 One day when I come home from school, 24:03 I met this gentlemen named Herold, 24:05 and he asked if he can talk to me about God. 24:08 I agree because I saw he have a Bible; he must be a good man. 24:13 When he talked to me, I tried to pay attention so hard, 24:18 but I still didn’t understand what he was saying. 24:23 And he went very slow. 24:26 And then he said, “Your name?” I said, “My name Soten.” 24:29 And then he said, “Your name, Soten; my name is Herold. 24:33 God’s name, Jehovah.” 24:37 I never thought that God had name. 24:41 And ever since that day on, I never forget Jehovah’s name. 24:45 It’s superglued in my heart. 24:48 He gave me his phone number. 24:50 He say he gonna ask his wife to stop by someday, 24:53 but then I move away from where I lived. 24:56 Even though I didn’t do the truth at that time, 25:00 I always pray to Jehovah. 25:03 After I learned God’s name, I went back to the church. 25:08 The priest would start out 25:11 with “heavenly Father” but leave out Jehovah’s name. 25:15 So I raised my hand. 25:17 I asked him, “Sir, 25:19 “when you pray “heavenly Father,” why don’t you say 25:21 “‘heavenly Father, Jehovah’? 25:23 Why you not using God’s name?” 25:28 And then he told me that God does not force me to be here, 25:32 so I’m welcomed to leave 25:35 or stay if I want. 25:38 So because I realized 25:40 that they don’t use Jehovah’s name, 25:43 I left and never returned. 25:48 And after many years, I tried to call Herold, 25:52 but no one picked up the phone. 25:55 So I leave a message. 25:57 I was hoping that they remembered me. 26:01 Two weeks later, Herold comes to my door, 26:07 but at the time, I was working at night and asleep during the day. 26:14 But Herold never give up; he come back. 26:19 And I keep on praying to Jehovah, 26:21 asking for someone to knock on my door. 26:25 And finally, one day 26:28 I open the door, and when I saw him, 26:31 I almost couldn’t talk. 26:33 I was teared up. 26:35 I was so happy to see him 26:38 because this is the man who introduced me to Jehovah’s name. 26:41 Eventually, I start to study with a sister, 26:45 and she helped me grow spiritually. 26:49 To know that you have a heavenly Father 26:52 that cares about you 26:55 —that was the best feeling on earth. 26:57 It makes me want to know more about him —want to learn more about him. 27:02 I would ask questions: “Did he like this? 27:04 Did he like that?” 27:06 And then when I go to the Kingdom Hall, 27:11 I hear Jehovah’s name so many times. 27:16 I feel, that’s it! 27:18 I found my place. 27:21 I got baptized in 2013. 27:24 My blind aunt that I help her survive through the jungle, 27:28 she’s still living until today. 27:31 And now that I can get a chance to talk to her about Jehovah, 27:35 that was a blessing. 27:37 And I can’t stress enough 27:40 how wonderful 27:42 and big privilege that I receive from Jehovah 27:46 —just to know who he is and to learn 27:50 that there is true God. 27:53 He have a name, 27:56 and his name is Jehovah. 28:08 Sister Yoeun still carries painful memories 28:10 from what she and her family suffered because of man’s ruthless wars. 28:15 But she now has hope for the future 28:17 and the comfort of knowing her heavenly Father, Jehovah 28:21 —something we all share with her. 28:24 Sister Yoeun has the added joy of worshipping the true God 28:27 together with her husband and young daughter. 28:30 When we’re at our meetings, 28:32 we help the congregation to stay close together, 28:36 part of the “one flock” that follows the “one shepherd.” 28:40 In the following dramatization, note the way in which one young man 28:44 receives Jehovah’s love through faithful undershepherds. 28:50 I always loved music. 28:53 I got my first guitar when I was 15, 28:56 and since then it’s been my way of expressing myself. 29:01 When they asked, 29:03 “Dave, do you want to join the band?” 29:06 I didn’t have to think twice. 29:09 Making music, that’s all that really mattered to me. 29:15 I thought being a musician would make me happy. 29:18 So that is the path I followed. 29:26 Only it is not what I thought it to be. 29:36 I work here during the day to pay the bills. 29:40 I thought my life would turn out better. 29:44 But something was missing. 29:47 Instead of being happy, I just felt lost. 29:57 Man, I’m distracted! 30:08 They are friendly and look happy. 30:18 He gave me a tract and said: 30:22 “Many people are searching for true happiness. 30:26 Maybe you are one of them.” 30:30 This could help. 30:38 I quickly wrote down my address 30:42 and asked whether they would mind passing by after I finished my shift. 30:50 I was searching all right. 30:54 Actually, the answers were in front of me all along. 31:03 How come I only get it now? 31:11 You see, 31:15 I was baptized. 31:17 But I never gave the truth a chance. 31:26 Roy did come as promised. 31:32 I told him, “I’m a baptized brother.” 31:41 He really listened to me. 31:46 Then he shared Psalm 100:3: 31:48 “Know that Jehovah is God. 31:52 “He is the one who made us, and we belong to him. 31:55 We are his people and the sheep of his pasture.” 32:00 In the Bible, Jehovah is likened to a shepherd. 32:04 He knows every single one of his sheep, 32:07 and he knows when one goes missing. 32:11 A lost sheep is not a lost cause; it still belongs to him. 32:16 And Jehovah doesn’t spare any efforts 32:18 in searching for it until he finds it. 32:27 I was like one of those lost sheep. 32:30 But I still belonged to Jehovah, 32:35 and he has never forgotten about me. 32:44 Roy promised we would keep in touch 32:47 and invited me to the Sunday meeting. 33:00 Man, I was nervous that morning. 33:02 I wanted to look my best. 33:11 Roy and Matthew were waiting for me, 33:15 giving me a warm welcome 33:18 —something I’ll never forget. 33:22 How I missed this! 33:27 This is indeed Jehovah’s congregation. 33:30 This is where I belong. 33:39 The truth has never been so clear to me. 33:48 How I enjoy the close company of my brothers and sisters! 33:55 What I enjoy most is helping others 33:58 to find our loving Father, Jehovah. 34:06 With Jehovah’s help, I will never be lost again. 34:18 The November 2015 broadcast stressed 34:21 that there is no better place to be than in Jehovah’s protective arms. 34:26 Those who have drifted away from Jehovah were then, and are still now, 34:31 warmly encouraged to act without delay. 34:34 As we saw depicted, Jehovah provides shepherds 34:38 who care for his sheep and lovingly guide them 34:40 back into his organization. 34:43 When the preaching work was getting started 34:46 in such countries as South Korea, 34:48 Jehovah often used missionaries to help strengthen our brothers. 34:52 In an archived interview, Brother Chong-il Park 34:55 describes the effect this had on his sacred service 34:59 and how it prepared him for the trials he would face. 35:05 From 1939 on, our brothers 35:08 didn’t have any contact with Jehovah’s organization, 35:12 and they thought that no organization existed. 35:16 Then, in 1948, 35:19 a brother read from a newspaper 35:22 about the activity of Watchtower Society. 35:25 And it surprised the brothers. 35:28 So brothers wrote the Society, and the Society 35:31 was so happy hearing from Korean brothers, 35:34 and they answered 35:36 with many booklets in Korean. 35:41 There were two different reactions. 35:43 Some brothers was excited about preaching work. 35:47 Yet, another group questioned: 35:50 “Is that true organization of Jehovah?” 35:54 First missionary group —Brother and Sister Steele— 35:58 arrived on August 9, 1949. 36:03 All the questions were answered 36:05 by Brother Steele, and then 36:09 right away brothers were preaching 36:12 in unity. 36:14 I began pioneering 36:17 in January 1950. 36:20 And then in March 1950, 36:23 six more missionaries arrived from Gilead School. 36:26 We had only one congregation in Seoul. 36:29 And the missionaries were busy for many Bible studies. 36:34 So many interested persons coming to the meetings. 36:38 The public talk was arranged 36:41 in school auditorium —first time. 36:44 And there were 36:47 over 360 people attended, 36:52 whereas the publishers was 36:57 about 60. 37:02 The same day, Korean War broke out, 37:05 and the missionaries had to leave 37:09 on 27th of June 37:12 to Japan. 37:15 And then our brothers had to take refuge 37:20 to southern part of Korea. 37:23 I was hiding in the country. 37:26 Then few days later, 37:28 the secret police from Communist found us. 37:32 We explained to him 37:34 as a Christian we cannot participate in the war, 37:38 so we had to hide ourselves. 37:45 And then he says: “Well, I do not know much about religion, 37:49 “so I better take one of my friends 37:53 “who knows about religion. 37:55 “So I will come back tomorrow. 37:58 Don’t leave from here.” 38:01 So, then, we waited until next day, 38:05 and he came with another. 38:07 So I started preaching from the Bible 38:10 about why this war broke out 38:15 and the many problems in the world 38:17 and so on, because the fulfillment 38:20 of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24. 38:23 And then they say, “Well, thank you very much 38:25 for your preaching.” 38:28 And then say, “Goodbye.” 38:30 Then two days later, the latter one came 38:34 with another friend so that we could preach to them. 38:37 During three months they were staying in Seoul, 38:41 and, in fact, they protected us. 38:47 I was picked by South Korean army 38:52 to serve the back support 38:57 of the military in front line to carry arms 39:02 to the soldiers, 39:04 which I could not accept, 39:08 so I refused it. 39:11 And then 39:14 I was beaten. 39:19 And then one day 39:21 this company has to move to another place. 39:24 I hide myself 39:26 in behind the ceiling 39:28 so that they don’t notice 39:32 when they leave the place. 39:35 And the next morning when I came down, 39:39 there was nothing left. 39:41 I walked on one street, toward one direction, 39:47 and then I found a sign 39:50 that said “International Bible Students Association.” 39:54 So I stayed with the brothers for six months. 39:58 Brother Steele came back from Japan 40:03 by himself to take care of the brothers. 40:07 In 1952, Brother Steele recommended me 40:11 to Gilead School. 40:14 So that I was invited in 22nd class. 40:19 So I took the steps 40:23 to get the passport. 40:25 And then the government find out that I didn’t serve in military. 40:30 They gave me draft notice instead of passport. 40:35 So I had to stand for the neutrality 40:40 instead of going to Gilead School, which made me to be confined 40:44 in military prison for two years. 40:48 Then 1958, I was enrolled 40:52 in Gilead School in 32nd class. 40:57 I really appreciate 40:59 that great Gilead School training. 41:03 Since my job in the branch, especially in translation work 41:08 —and translation work involves much deep knowledge— 41:12 the Gilead training 41:15 has certainly helped in translation work. 41:18 The real appreciation 41:21 about the truth and the organization, 41:24 the brothers’ qualities, the humbleness and meekness, 41:29 certainly it helped me 41:33 to follow the examples 41:35 to apply in the full-time service. 41:43 Did you note what Brother Park said he appreciated most 41:47 even after enduring persecution and prison for his faith? 41:51 It was the Christlike qualities of his brothers 41:54 and the training he received from Jehovah’s organization 41:58 —another example of the benefits that result from our meeting together. 42:02 If you’d like to find more ways to imitate Brother Park’s faith, 42:06 you can read his life story beginning on page 12 42:09 of the December 2008 issue of Awake! 42:13 Like many older ones before them, 42:15 younger brothers and sisters are taking on challenging assignments 42:19 that bring them rich spiritual rewards. 42:22 We go next to India to hear from Brother Francis Rodrigues. 42:27 He’s using his training from the School for Kingdom Evangelizers 42:31 to teach people in the Indian Sign Language field. 46:07 Brother Rodrigues searches for those rightly disposed for everlasting life 46:11 wherever he can find them despite the obstacles. 46:15 And you may have noted that his joy comes from directing people 46:18 to the congregation to be part of our true spiritual brotherhood. 46:23 That example is repeated millions of times over through the diligent efforts 46:27 of publishers and pioneers around the world. 46:31 Why not examine your ministry to find ways to help 46:34 yet more people to build a good relationship with Jehovah? 46:38 As we’ve seen just in this program, 46:42 examples of faith come in a variety of forms. 46:46 In the April 2016 program, we saw the first two installments 46:50 in the series “Viewpoints on the Origin of Life.” 46:54 We’ll now enjoy two more examples of those whose backgrounds in scientific study 46:59 enabled them to cultivate strong faith in the Creator. 47:08 My name is Rocío Picado Herrero. 47:11 I studied chemistry at the University of Salamanca, in Spain. 47:16 I specialize in organic chemistry. 47:20 This field focuses on the study of the carbon atom 47:23 and all the compounds that are derived from this atom. 47:28 I believed that life came about through evolution. 47:32 I remember seeing a picture in a natural science book 47:35 that depicted the embryos of different vertebrates, 47:38 and in the early stages of development, the similarities were outstanding. 47:43 But when I started studying at the university, 47:46 I began studying in detail the process 47:49 on which the evolution theory is based. 47:51 To my surprise, I discovered that these processes 47:55 were not proven facts. 47:57 As a chemist, I’m fascinated 47:59 by the distribution of atoms within a molecule. 48:02 In living creatures, the 20 amino acids 48:06 that are vital for the synthesis of life, 48:09 the basic proteins required for life, 48:12 interestingly, are all levorotatory or left-handed. 48:16 So when a ray of polarized light arrives, 48:20 these amino acids divert the light toward the left. 48:24 There is no explanation for this because the logical thing would be 48:29 that if this were a random process, half would be right-handed 48:33 and the other half would be left-handed. 48:40 I asked myself, ‘How could evolution produce compounds that are levorotatory 48:45 and precisely the ones essential for life?’ 48:53 In the end, I had to conclude that there must be a force, 48:56 a Designer, a Creator of life and of the elements 49:00 and the amino acids required for life. 49:03 Even though I had a religious upbringing, 49:05 my ideas were not clear as to who God was. 49:09 I merely viewed him as a Supreme Being 49:12 before whom we would be held accountable. 49:16 The Bible is not a science textbook. 49:18 Its purpose is not to describe the universe we live in 49:22 or the laws that regulate our universe. 49:24 But when it does mention science, 49:27 and when it discusses scientific matters, it does so with great accuracy. 49:31 And undoubtedly the greatest benefit is that it allows me to enjoy 49:35 a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe 49:38 —a universe that fascinates me from a scientific perspective. 49:46 My name is Davey Loos. 49:48 I studied biochemistry at the University of Leuven in Belgium, 49:51 and after that time I did a PhD in the same area. 49:55 When I was a young child, I believed in the Bible. 49:59 But growing up, I kind of lost my interest in it. 50:03 When you go to university and you study life sciences 50:06 or biochemistry, for example, 50:08 you get introduced into the idea of the origin of life very quickly 50:12 and also into the principle of evolution. 50:14 The professors who taught these courses, 50:17 they were really scientists with long careers, 50:19 and they were well-established scientists, and we had a lot of respect for them. 50:23 So there was just no way to really question the principle of evolution. 50:29 In 1999, there was a war in Europe—in Kosovo— 50:33 and I remember reading in the Bible as a child 50:36 about the future events that would take place, 50:41 and I started wondering whether the war in Kosovo was one of those events. 50:45 So that lead me to pick up the Bible again. 50:49 At the time, I felt that I had to reexamine my beliefs about the origin of life 50:53 and also about the principle of evolution. 50:58 Based on the theory of evolution, we would expect to see 51:01 an abundance of transitional forms to be present in the fossil record. 51:05 But when we do look at the fossil evidence, we just don’t see that. 51:09 We see that the major species 51:11 come into existence at specific times, 51:14 and their form and structure is still exactly the same 51:16 as their form and structure today. 51:19 It was actually Darwin himself who wrote in his book 51:23 that the biggest objection that could be brought against this theory 51:27 would be the fact that the fossil record 51:30 does not show an abundance of transitional forms. 51:34 And that’s what really happens if you look at the set of data 51:39 —the fossil record seems to prove the opposite of evolution. 51:43 As a biochemist, I had the opportunity to learn about 51:48 and study many different biomolecules. 51:50 And I observed that pretty much every biomolecule 51:54 is really a complex molecule. 51:56 We can look at them as nanoscale molecular motors 52:00 or machines that are performing very complex and specific tasks. 52:06 For me, the complexity that we see in nature and the complexity in those molecules 52:11 points to the fact that there really is a Creator. 52:15 Did you see common ground that could help you 52:17 in your next discussion with someone who believes in evolution? 52:21 When Sister Picado Herrero’s chemistry research 52:24 showed evidence of design, 52:26 she called to mind her view of God from her religious upbringing. 52:31 The person you meet who believes in evolution 52:33 might also have unanswered questions about God from their upbringing, 52:37 and they may respond to the simple evidences 52:40 of a Creator that you present. 52:42 Brother Loos was moved by world events 52:45 to pick up the Bible and reexamine his beliefs. 52:48 Everyone we meet, even firm believers in evolution, 52:52 are affected by world conditions and may listen to our message of hope. 52:57 So when someone says that he believes in evolution, 53:00 don’t be quick to assume that he’ll reject the good news. 53:03 Really, our ministry and other aspects of life often improve 53:08 when we slow down, take our time, 53:11 and as our music video admonishes: 53:14 “Don’t Run Fast.” 53:24 You can walk, but please don’t run. It’s hard to do when you’re having fun. 53:32 But there’s a reason we don’t race; When you’re with the friends, 53:38 It’s not the time or place. 53:42 Don’t run so fast. Take your time and make things last. 53:58 Learn to love the things you do. Just don’t run fast. 54:10 You’ve got things you have to do, People to serve, who depend on you. 54:19 But don’t forget why you’re here; Learn to love the friends; 54:25 Let them know you care. 54:29 Don’t run so fast. Take your time and make things last. 54:44 Learn to love the things you do. Just don’t run fast. 54:57 You can run to someone’s door. Is there someone home? 55:04 Well, you’re not real sure. But look around and see everyone, 55:10 People walking by. Can you talk to one? 55:17 Don’t run so fast. Take your time and make things last. 55:32 Learn to love the things you do. Just don’t run fast. 55:45 Oh. Just don’t run fast! 55:57 Of course, we shouldn’t run at all in the Kingdom Hall. 56:01 But in a figurative sense, this counsel, not to run fast, 56:05 applies to more than just our young ones. 56:07 As we saw, even when we’re busy with important theocratic work, 56:12 we can still take the time to consider, incite, 56:16 and encourage our brothers. 56:18 And rather than rushing through our field service, 56:21 we want to imitate Jesus’ focus on finding people 56:24 and reaching hearts. 56:26 Jehovah reaches our hearts in ever so many ways, 56:29 such as when we attend our spiritual gatherings. 56:32 By now, some of you have already attended 56:35 the 2016 “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” regional convention. 56:39 But millions of us still have an exciting three days ahead 56:43 with 47 well-prepared talks, 56:46 18 songs that we’ll sing to Jehovah, 56:49 and more than 50 audio and video presentations, 56:52 including 2 feature-length dramas. 56:55 All of these program parts have been prepared to help us 56:58 remain loyal to God despite serious challenges. 57:02 For instance, how can we maintain our loyalty 57:05 when under stress or temptation? 57:08 What did Jehovah personally teach Job 57:11 that can strengthen our loyalty? 57:13 And why does the Bible say that Jehovah’s loyal love 57:16 is more precious than life itself? 57:19 To find out more of what you can expect, 57:22 review the full convention program, 57:25 which can be downloaded from jw.org. 57:28 You won’t want to miss any part 57:30 of the “Remain Loyal to Jehovah!” convention program! 57:34 As we close, we bring you greetings 57:37 from the Las Perlas-Ngäbere congregation in Panama. 57:41 The Volcán region is the highest point in the country, 57:44 enjoying a cool climate for growing coffee 57:48 and a variety of vegetables. 57:50 The busy harvest work from October to December 57:52 brings large numbers 57:55 of Ngäbere-speaking people to the area. 57:58 Their kind nature gives our brothers excellent opportunities 58:01 to teach them about God’s Kingdom. 58:03 Local brothers and sisters 58:05 provide regular support to the Ngäbere Remote Translation Office. 58:10 And some are making the effort 58:12 to learn the language to assist in the congregation’s spiritual harvest. 58:20 We send them our warm Christian love 58:23 and greetings in return and pray for them to continue in their zealous spirit. 58:28 We thank you and hope you’ve enjoyed our program. 58:32 This is JW Broadcasting 58:35 from Brooklyn, New York!