00:01 In recent times,
00:04 a very popular segment on the Gilead graduations
00:09 has been a video presentation
00:11 that features one of the instructors along with the students
00:15 called The Inside Story.
00:18 And we’re happy to present such a program today.
00:22 The instructor who is going to serve as the moderator of this discussion
00:26 is Brother Trent Lippold,
00:29 and the students are going to get a chance to see what they look like on camera.
00:33 Enjoy the program.
00:41 February 1, 2018, marked an anniversary
00:44 for the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead.
00:46 Over the past 75 years,
00:48 Gilead graduates have been going out to the ends of the earth
00:51 to strengthen and stabilize Jehovah’s organization.
00:54 And we just love reading yearbook experiences,
00:57 and many of them are from those places that Gilead graduates have gone to.
01:01 Well, today, we have the special opportunity
01:04 to see and to hear some of the experiences
01:07 of the 144th class of Gilead.
01:10 So it’s my pleasure to welcome you to this edition of The Inside Story.
01:42 Well, we’d like to introduce, right away, our first guest,
01:44 and it’s Brother Alejandro Bascope from Bolivia.
01:54 Welcome, Alejandro.
01:56 It’s great to have you with us today.
01:58 You and your wife, Ivon, serve together at the Bolivia branch.
02:02 Can you tell us a little bit about what you do there?
02:04 For the last 11 years, I have been working in the Service Department
02:09 helping to organize the preaching efforts in the country.
02:11 Very nice.
02:12 And before you came to Bethel, what were you doing?
02:15 Before Bethel, my wife and I spent some years in the circuit work,
02:19 and before that, we were special pioneers.
02:22 Very nice.
02:23 So being at the branch, in the Service Department in Bolivia,
02:27 must give you a nice opportunity to see the work that’s going on in Bolivia.
02:30 Would you mind giving us a little update of how the work is going in Bolivia?
02:33 Of course.
02:34 Currently, we have more than 27,000 publishers in Bolivia.
02:39 And last year, we had an increase of 4 percent.
02:43 And we can see a great potential for the future
02:46 because we are conducting more than 43,000 Bible studies.
02:52 Wow, that is amazing!
02:53 It sounds like the truth is reaching everywhere in Bolivia.
02:58 Well, actually, not everywhere, but we are improving.
03:02 So, what do you mean by that, not exactly everywhere?
03:05 Bolivia has about 11 million people.
03:07 And while most live in urban areas,
03:11 there are about 35,000 living in isolated spots
03:15 along three main rivers in the north
03:18 —Madre de Dios River, Beni River, and Mamoré River.
03:22 So, what are you doing to reach those people?
03:24 Well, in 2015, brothers started to organize
03:28 the “four by four” preaching campaigns.
03:31 “Four by four” —that’s interesting.
03:32 Here we preach two by two.
03:33 So is that . . .
03:35 Yes, “four by four” refers to our vehicles.
03:39 Of course!
03:40 Last year, we had more than 300 vehicle groups
03:45 participating in this campaign.
03:47 We were able to reach many villages,
03:50 but not all of them
03:52 because some had no road access at all.
03:55 Wow, that isolated.
03:57 So how do you reach these places then that have no road access?
04:01 Well, we began renting boats.
04:04 We were able to reach many villages for the first time.
04:08 We started many Bible studies.
04:12 And after that, we reported the success
04:14 to the Service Committee of the Governing Body.
04:17 Wow, that sounds—
04:18 I mean, it sounds like you solved the problem.
04:20 Yes and no.
04:22 We realized that in order to continue preaching there,
04:26 we needed just a small thing
04:29 —our own boat.
04:31 Your own boat—
04:32 What was wrong with the rented boats?
04:34 Was there a problem?
04:36 Well, not a problem, but many problems.
04:40 Here’s an example of the boats we used to rent.
04:43 You can see they are wooden, old;
04:47 people and supplies are all crammed together.
04:51 And in order to be more effective,
04:53 we realized that we needed our own boat.
04:56 It would be a little bit safer too, I suspect.
04:58 Yes, you cannot be effective if you are squished.
05:03 So tell us, did you get your own boat?
05:06 Yeah, and we even gave it a name,
05:09 Messenger of the Kingdom, or, in Spanish,
05:12 Mensajero Del Reino.
05:14 Very nice.
05:15 So, what’s it like?
05:16 How does preaching with boats work?
05:19 Well, can I show you?
05:21 Sure!
05:24 Bolivia’s river witnessing started with wooden boats.
05:28 But Jehovah says that instead of the wood,
05:32 he would bring in better, stronger materials.
05:36 Messenger of the Kingdom is custom-made for river witnessing.
05:41 It’s small, so it can be taken to different towns
05:45 and launched closer to where we’ll preach.
05:47 The roof holds literature and supplies.
05:52 Over 200 pioneers applied to help.
05:57 They meet plenty of creatures on the river.
06:01 With some, you don’t want to get too close.
06:04 Jehovah’s beautiful creation is part of the journey.
06:08 But the brothers and sisters are looking for people,
06:12 ones “rightly disposed for everlasting life.”
06:17 They’ll often find interest in the morning,
06:19 make return visits in the afternoon,
06:22 and invite them to a meeting that same evening.
06:29 A trip lasts seven to ten days.
06:35 All the work and preparation
06:38 is worth the effort.
06:41 And before they know it, it’s back on the river
06:44 and on to the next village.
06:55 Alejandro, that looks very exciting.
06:56 Yes.
06:57 Of course, there are many potential dangers,
07:00 like animals, strong currents, rocks.
07:03 But it’s worth it.
07:05 For example, in the village of Barranquilla,
07:07 brothers met Alessandro the first time they came.
07:11 And the next time,
07:13 the whole village was waiting with Alessandro
07:16 —over 40 people.
07:18 All of them wanted to hear the good news,
07:21 and many Bible studies were started.
07:24 What a tremendous response!
07:26 I think, Alejandro,
07:28 that you’re going to have a lot more applicants
07:30 to go on these boat-preaching tours.
07:34 So, what would you say has been the effect
07:36 on the publishers who make the trips to preach?
07:40 Well, honestly, at first we were concerned
07:43 about sending pioneers to the jungle.
07:46 But they actually thanked us
07:50 because they said it was very encouraging
07:54 to share the truth with many interested people.
07:57 They said it was a spiritual gift for them.
08:03 For me and other brothers at the branch,
08:05 it was very faith-strengthening to see how Jehovah removes any obstacles
08:10 in order for the people to hear the good news.
08:13 Very nice.
08:14 And it’s faith-strengthening to us to be able to see those experiences.
08:17 I can see why those pioneers thanked you for that opportunity.
08:21 You have the nice privilege of organizing this work
08:25 by working in the Service Department.
08:26 But let me ask you, Alejandro, how many trips have you been on?
08:30 None yet.
08:32 My wife, Ivon, says that I need to become a good swimmer first.
08:38 Your wife, Ivon, is a smart woman.
08:41 Thank you very much, Alejandro, for sharing your experiences with us.
08:52 So we’d like to invite out our next guest,
08:54 and it’s Brother Arlindo Tito from Mozambique.
09:07 Welcome, Arlindo.
09:09 Arlindo, you are coming from Mozambique.
09:11 Would you mind sharing a little bit of your background with us?
09:14 Sure,
09:15 I inherited the truth from my parents and my grandparents.
09:19 And for the last seven years,
09:22 I have been working at the branch in Mozambique
09:24 —for some time, in the Audio/Video Department,
09:27 but for most of the time in the Accounting Department.
09:30 That’s a beautiful spiritual heritage that you have
09:32 —and now Gilead School.
09:35 But I understand that one of your assignments at Bethel
09:38 was connected with part of the rich spiritual history of Mozambique.
09:42 Yes, I had this privilege.
09:43 But I could say that it all started with singing.
09:47 Singing?
09:48 How was that? Could you explain that?
09:50 Well,
09:51 there was a time when singing was like a spiritual anchor
09:54 for the brothers in Mozambique.
09:56 Before 1991, we were under ban in Mozambique.
10:00 So because the brothers didn’t want to get involved in politics,
10:04 they were sent to a concentration camp.
10:07 It was a reeducation camp
10:09 —the government was trying to change their minds.
10:12 So the life there could be very difficult,
10:15 but the brothers would find a way to worship Jehovah.
10:19 They would meet secretly.
10:21 This is an example of a meeting that was held there
10:24 in the middle of the forest at that time.
10:27 It must have been very anxious for them
10:29 —anxious moments having to meet together in secret like that.
10:31 Yes, and it was at that time when singing
10:33 became like a spiritual anchor for them.
10:36 Right at the beginning, they were singing to stay courageous.
10:39 In fact, the authorities were surprised
10:41 because the brothers, instead of crying, they were singing.
10:45 And at that time, there were older brothers
10:48 who would teach other brothers to read the musical notes,
10:52 and they would memorize the songs.
10:54 And when they had no Bibles or songbooks
10:57 and they were together, they would just sing.
11:00 Wow, that is absolutely beautiful —the power of Kingdom songs.
11:03 Very nice.
11:04 So we know that after the ban in 1991,
11:07 the brothers were now free to worship.
11:10 So did singing continue to be an important part of their worship?
11:14 Well, that’s what we wanted.
11:16 It sounds like there’s a story.
11:18 Would you mind explaining that?
11:20 After the ban,
11:21 we had many new ones coming into the truth.
11:24 But in many rural areas in Mozambique,
11:27 we have no electricity, no sound system,
11:30 no recording of the songs.
11:32 So at that time, it became a real challenge
11:36 for the brothers to sing at the meetings.
11:39 What about the older ones, the ones who sang in the camps,
11:41 couldn’t they help the new ones?
11:44 Yes, but many of them had moved away,
11:46 especially to the cities.
11:48 So in rural areas, there was a great need.
11:52 OK, but what about songbooks? Surely you had songbooks.
11:55 Yes, we had them.
11:56 But most could not read the musical notes.
11:59 So they would sing, yes,
12:01 but the melody would sound a little bit different from what we know.
12:05 Yeah, so now we had freedom; they could worship Jehovah.
12:10 But because of not having a sound system,
12:13 they couldn’t fully enjoy the meetings
12:15 because they couldn’t hear clearly what was being taught at the meetings.
12:19 That must have been very discouraging in a sense.
12:22 Well, did they get the help they needed?
12:25 Yes, they did.
12:26 And this is the beauty of this organization.
12:28 Jehovah really takes care of everyone in his organization.
12:33 In 2011, the Global Purchasing Department
12:36 found a player that would really fit our needs.
12:40 What do they call the player?
12:43 We call it the unity player.
12:44 It comes from the idea of singing in unity
12:47 with our worldwide brotherhood.
12:49 OK. Unity player —what does it look like?
12:53 It’s not big. I have one here.
12:54 Can I show you?
12:55 Absolutely.
12:57 Here it is.
12:58 I was wondering what that was.
12:59 I thought it was your lunch.
13:02 Probably, my lunch would be bigger than this.
13:05 But as you can see,
13:09 it’s very easy to carry, very easy to operate,
13:12 and it’s very practical.
13:14 It can be plugged in if they have power,
13:17 but if they don’t have power, it comes with a small solar panel,
13:22 so it can be charged by the sun.
13:25 You charge it with the sun.
13:26 Yes.
13:27 OK.
13:28 Yeah, and we have plenty of sun, so that’s not a problem.
13:31 But even if the sun fails, it comes with this hand crank,
13:36 so it can be charged manually.
13:38 Charge it by hand.
13:39 Yeah, exactly.
13:40 OK. Very nice.
13:41 That’s very useful for us there in Mozambique.
13:44 And it has a little place here
13:47 where we can insert a micro SD card with all the songs.
13:51 So now it’s just play and sing.
13:54 Very nice. But it looks like that’s not all.
13:57 Yes, it comes with this microphone.
14:00 So after singing, this unity player can be used as the sound system;
14:04 so they can hear clearly what is being taught at the meeting.
14:08 It sounds like it does a lot more than your lunch would.
14:10 Exactly.
14:12 You know, I think it would be so neat to just be able to see a congregation
14:16 when they get a unity player for the first time.
14:18 Well, actually, you can see that.
14:21 Just take a look.
14:22 OK.
14:26 This is the Nhantshembene Congregation in the south part of Mozambique.
14:30 Psalm 33 tells us to “sing praises” to Jehovah,
14:35 “along with shouts of joy.”
14:38 But with no sound system, if they shout joyfully
14:42 or sing fully from the heart like they want to,
14:45 they will not hear the music.
14:47 Listening to the spiritual food can also be difficult.
14:54 To help, the brothers send a request for a unity player to the branch.
15:06 The Broadcasting Department tests the new player.
15:09 SD cards are loaded with all of the audio and video material
15:13 available to them in Changana.
15:17 Everything they need is packed inside
15:20 and is soon on its way to the congregation.
15:31 Setup is easy, and they quickly learn
15:34 how to use the solar panel to charge the unit.
15:39 This meeting will be different.
15:41 Now they are able to sing to Jehovah
15:43 the way their hearts move them.
15:49 The Nhantshembene Congregation greatly appreciates this blessing
15:53 and sends their love.
16:03 It’s beautiful to see the joy on their faces when they get a unity player
16:06 and they’re able to sing again.
16:08 So it will be interesting to see what new technology is available
16:11 that will be able to help Jehovah’s people even in the remotest parts of the earth
16:15 to benefit in their true worship.
16:18 Thank you so much, Arlindo, for being with us today.
16:27 Many of us have a favorite Kingdom song or original song,
16:31 often because it evokes in us a certain emotion.
16:35 Well, we’d like to invite some of the students to the stage now.
16:38 And they’ve specially arranged and are prepared to perform for us
16:42 one of our Kingdom songs.
16:44 Let’s listen to them.
16:57 How can we endure
17:01 When trials come, as Jesus said?
17:08 Through his pain he saw
17:13 The joy of better things ahead.
17:26 God’s promise, God’s justice,
17:32 Were thoughts on which he fed.
17:38 We need to have endurance.
17:44 Our faith we must defend.
17:50 His love is our assurance.
17:56 So we will keep enduring to the end.
18:08 Though the passing years
18:13 May bring us sorrow, bring us pain;
18:21 There beyond the tears,
18:25 We see the life that we can gain.
18:38 To be there, feel free there,
18:44 Determined we remain.
18:50 We need to have endurance.
18:56 Our faith we must defend.
19:02 His love is our assurance.
19:08 So we will keep enduring to the end.
19:20 We will not give up
19:26 Nor see the need for doubt or fear.
19:33 Faithfully we’ll serve
19:38 Until Jehovah’s day is here.
19:50 Let’s keep on enduring.
19:56 That time is very near.
20:01 We need to have endurance.
20:08 Our faith we must defend.
20:15 His love is our assurance.
20:20 So we will keep enduring to the end.
20:50 What a touching song!
20:52 And it very nicely introduces our next couple and their amazing story.
20:57 Let’s welcome Brother Laddie and Cecelia Sandy.
21:11 Brother and Sister Sandy, you are coming from Sierra Leone.
21:15 And I understand that in 1997,
21:17 you participated in the construction of the branch
21:20 and soon thereafter began serving there.
21:22 Is that correct?
21:23 Yes, very correct.
21:25 We are happily serving at the branch.
21:27 But I understand that things didn’t remain that way, did they?
21:31 No, things changed really quickly
21:33 because our country was divided into civil war,
21:37 and then just a month after the branch dedication,
21:41 the rebels attacked Freetown.
21:44 So, Laddie, what happened?
21:47 The foreign missionaries were evacuated
21:50 to a safer place in neighboring Guinea,
21:53 and the expatriate Bethelites also left the country.
21:59 So who was left at the branch then, Laddie?
22:01 Just seven of us
22:03 —Cecelia, three single brothers, a couple, and myself.
22:10 OK, so did just the seven of you then stay in the branch?
22:13 No.
22:14 As things started getting worse,
22:16 the brothers kept coming to the branch to seek refuge.
22:21 There were so many that we couldn’t keep them all at the branch.
22:25 We started distributing them
22:27 to the different missionary homes in Freetown.
22:31 So how many were you then at the branch?
22:34 We were about 70 to 80 brothers and sisters at the branch.
22:39 Wow! That’s amazing.
22:41 So, Cecelia, how did you care for all those brothers and sisters?
22:45 Well, we shared the food that we had,
22:48 and the Bethel family kept eating less and less
22:52 so our dear brothers had what they needed.
22:57 OK. Well, they look happy in that photograph.
23:00 Although, Laddie, the picture doesn’t look so good.
23:02 That’s true. It survived the war.
23:05 That’s why it has some scratches on it.
23:07 OK, right, I understand.
23:09 So when you were there, Cecelia, were you able to go out at all?
23:14 Yes, we did.
23:15 We did our best to go out in the ministry.
23:18 But before going out in the morning, we had to listen to the news
23:23 —the government’s radio and bush radio.
23:27 Ah, OK, government radio I understand but bush radio?
23:30 I’m not sure I understand what that is.
23:32 Oh, it’s the news that you get by word of mouth.
23:36 So the brothers would give their news,
23:41 passersby would give their news,
23:43 and then you decided where it was safe to go on that day.
23:47 OK, I get it. Bush radio—interesting.
23:50 Did you ever feel in danger?
23:52 Were you in danger at the branch?
23:54 Yes.
23:55 One night, a brother and myself were in the lobby
24:00 and two armed rebels appeared
24:04 demanding that we open the door to them
24:06 to get access into the branch.
24:10 We were so frightened; we ran to safety.
24:14 And they started shooting at the door —the locks on the door.
24:18 But the door remained firm,
24:21 and they didn’t think of shooting into the glass,
24:26 because the door had two glass panes
24:28 and that would help them to get easy access into the building itself.
24:34 That was a very close call.
24:35 Yes.
24:36 So was that the end of it?
24:38 No, they came again.
24:40 They jumped the fence, as you can see in the picture.
24:43 And this time, about 20 or more well-armed rebels
24:47 shot their way into the branch.
24:50 They started looting everything in the branch
24:54 that they could lay hands on.
24:57 It was a big mess.
24:59 And that must have been absolutely terrifying.
25:00 It was.
25:01 What happened is that the brothers before that time
25:05 prepared a safe room for us to hide in,
25:09 in case of any emergency.
25:11 But that room was never my favorite.
25:14 I didn’t want to go into that room.
25:17 Did you have another room that you thought you might like to go to?
25:19 I did. I had my room that I preferred.
25:22 It had food inside.
25:24 It had AC inside —very nice and clean.
25:28 It was very comfortable for me.
25:30 Cecelia, did you tell Laddie about that?
25:33 No, I didn’t tell him.
25:34 I didn’t mention it to anybody.
25:36 I just told Jehovah what I wanted to do,
25:40 and I kept telling Him that I hoped the brothers would change their decision.
25:46 But why didn’t you tell Laddie?
25:47 I really didn’t want to influence him about how I felt and what I wanted,
25:52 because it was not about us;
25:56 it was not about me;
25:58 it was about Jehovah and his people.
26:01 That’s very nice.
26:03 Laddie was responsible for many there,
26:06 and you didn’t want to put that pressure on him.
26:08 Very interesting. Thank you.
26:09 So, Laddie, what happened now?
26:11 You’re down in the room.
26:13 What happened next?
26:15 We were in that safe room trying very hard to stay out of sight,
26:20 and one of the rebels came to the door where we were hiding
26:25 trying to gain access into the room.
26:27 While he was pushing on it, forcing his way,
26:31 I heard one of the other armed men yelling at him:
26:36 “Come from that place! You seem to be too greedy.
26:40 We have more than enough. Come, let’s go!”
26:43 And they just left like that.
26:45 You came out then?
26:46 No, we were still there until the following morning.
26:49 It must have been terrifying there in that room.
26:52 So was that the end then of troubles?
26:55 No, that was not the end.
26:57 The rebels also launched another operation
27:02 known as Operation No Living Thing.
27:05 Hang on, Operation No Living Thing.
27:07 What would that mean, Laddie?
27:10 Well, this was an operation that they decided
27:12 to just kill anybody
27:15 that came their way, any living thing
27:18 —dogs, animals, humans.
27:21 They just sprayed it like that.
27:23 That was the operation that was launched.
27:25 Wow!
27:26 You said there were other refugees in the missionary homes.
27:29 How were they faring at this time?
27:33 They were not doing fine.
27:34 They were suffering just like us.
27:37 But we had some money with us at the branch.
27:40 So I decided to take some money for them
27:44 because if they have money, they can get food to survive.
27:48 Although it was expensive
27:50 and also very dangerous to take such a journey,
27:54 Cecelia decided to go with me.
27:57 Cecelia, why did you decide to go with Laddie?
28:01 I decided to go because I thought
28:05 if Laddie was willing to die for his brothers,
28:09 if that’s what it meant for him to help them,
28:12 then I might as well die with him.
28:15 I didn’t want to live and have to explain what happened.
28:19 Can you tell us, Laddie, what happened?
28:20 Were you able to reach the missionary home?
28:22 Yes. We put the money into a bag,
28:26 and because there were a series of roadblocks
28:30 —checkpoints— that we had to go through,
28:33 we decided to put some dirty clothes
28:36 and stinky rags on top of the money.
28:39 That would prevent them from going deep down
28:42 to get access to the money.
28:44 And by having access to the money,
28:46 they would either kill us or take the money.
28:49 So we made it through several of these checkpoints.
28:52 As we were approaching the missionary home,
28:56 at the last checkpoint there,
28:58 we saw a group of boys,
29:02 men, and women jubilating
29:04 —just jumping up and down in the streets.
29:06 You mean celebrating. They were celebrating.
29:08 What were they celebrating?
29:09 Well, they were chanting:
29:11 “We’ve dropped the enemy jets. We’ve dropped the enemy jets.
29:14 We’ve done it again. We’re happy.”
29:17 What did you do then to get through the checkpoint?
29:19 So we started to jump up and down with them as a strategy
29:24 just to get our way through to the missionary home.
29:27 Ah, so it’s the theocratic strategy.
29:29 Yes.
29:30 That’s a little bit like David when he went to the city of Gath
29:32 and disguised his sanity.
29:34 OK.
29:34 I wonder, though, how did you think of that?
29:36 Well, it just came spontaneously
29:40 that Jehovah directed us to do that
29:43 because this was not our plan.
29:45 And we were not expecting anything like that to happen.
29:48 Sure.
29:49 Well, Jehovah helps in every situation, excellent.
29:53 So you got through the checkpoint now.
29:55 So, what happened? You made it to the missionary home?
29:57 Yes.
29:58 As we were very close to the missionary home,
30:02 we threw the bag into the compound
30:06 —the missionary home.
30:09 The brothers came and took the bag
30:11 while we gained access safely into the missionary home
30:15 and delivered the money.
30:17 And we tried to go back to the branch.
30:19 And you were able to make it back to the branch?
30:21 Yes.
30:22 Safely?
30:23 Yes.
30:23 That is an absolutely incredible story, Laddie and Cecelia.
30:27 Thank you so much for sharing it with us.
30:29 Well, we know that in 2002, the civil war ended.
30:34 And how has Jehovah blessed the brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone
30:38 after enduring so much since that time?
30:41 We have a video that we would like to show.
30:44 Do you want to see it?
30:45 I thought you might have one. I’d love to see it.
30:47 OK, let’s watch.
30:50 Many believe that some 200 years ago,
30:54 freed American slaves founded Freetown under this cotton tree.
31:00 For nearly a hundred years,
31:02 Jehovah’s Witnesses have comforted people
31:04 with hope of a better freedom
31:07 —“the glorious freedom of the children of God.”
31:12 During the 11-year civil war,
31:16 700 people were baptized.
31:18 And since the war’s end in 2002,
31:21 the number of publishers has more than doubled.
31:27 Here at the branch, we welcome visitors
31:30 to see how we are serving Jehovah
31:33 and caring for people’s spiritual needs.
31:37 Where soldiers once ransacked,
31:39 literature is being shipped to 40 congregations.
31:45 Other Bethelites continue to work hard for Kingdom interests.
31:50 This is Edward,
31:53 a hardworking brother in the Bethel Office.
31:56 He was one of the many who found refuge at the branch.
32:00 Back then, someone told him to always remember
32:04 how Jehovah protected and fed him.
32:06 He did remember.
32:09 And he serves with joy, along with his brothers
32:12 and sisters in Sierra Leone.
32:25 Thank you so much for that.
32:27 Jehovah really has blessed the brothers and sisters in Sierra Leone.
32:30 Now, you two, through your experience, endured so much.
32:33 I wonder if you could share with us
32:35 some of the lessons that you learned from your experience.
32:38 Cecelia, what would you say?
32:40 For me, it’s obedience.
32:43 I forcefully—
32:45 I forced myself to obey when the brothers said
32:49 to go into that room that I didn’t like.
32:52 And I’m glad that I forced myself to obey
32:56 because as things turned out,
32:59 the room that I really, really preferred
33:02 was the worst damaged in the branch.
33:05 The food was all taken away.
33:07 They destroyed the door; they gained access inside;
33:10 they destroyed the air conditioner.
33:12 They destroyed everything beyond repair in that room.
33:16 Obedience saves our lives.
33:19 And we’re really happy too, Cecelia.
33:21 And I understand that that other room
33:23 now is your favorite room.
33:25 It is my favorite. That’s where the commissary is.
33:29 And the very spot where we were hiding,
33:32 that’s where they put the bread shelf.
33:34 When I collect my bread, I remember my story.
33:39 Laddie, what would you say?
33:41 What lesson did you learn?
33:43 No matter how challenging the assignments may seem
33:45 or how dangerous the situation may seem,
33:48 Jehovah is there —and the international brotherhood too.
33:52 Their prayers in our behalf help us.
33:55 And if any other assignment
33:59 like that comes our way,
34:01 we’re willing to take it up because Jehovah is there for us.
34:05 And our brothers will also pray in our behalf.
34:08 Thank you so much, Laddie and Cecelia,
34:10 for sharing your beautiful experience with us.
34:22 It has been a very encouraging program,
34:24 and we are so happy to have been able to get to know some
34:26 of the members of the 144th class of Gilead.
34:30 We look forward to seeing and hearing experiences
34:33 of our brothers and sisters living their faith
34:35 and displaying courage and enduring in their service to Jehovah.
34:39 We thank you very much for being with us,
34:41 and we look forward to seeing you on another edition of The Inside Story.
