00:00:02 But now, we’re moving to a part of our program
00:00:06 we’ve truly grown to love.
00:00:09 It’s entitled The Inside Story,
00:00:13 and Brother Trent Lippold will be our host.
00:00:18 So let’s give Brother Lippold our attention as he presents this:
00:00:23 The Inside Story.
00:00:52 Welcome to another edition of The Inside Story.
00:00:55 Today, we’re going to meet four guests from three continents,
00:00:58 representing the 148th class of Gilead.
00:01:01 We’re going to hear stories of isolation,
00:01:03 a remarkable gift, and obedience.
00:01:07 In each case, we will see different faces of integrity.
00:01:11 Curious?
00:01:12 Well, let’s meet our first guests then,
00:01:14 Salvador and Isabel Domingos from Angola.
00:01:23 Welcome, Isabel.
00:01:24 Thank you.
00:01:26 Please, Salvador, welcome.
00:01:27 Thank you.
00:01:29 Yes, again, welcome.
00:01:30 So you’re both from Angola, serving in the branch.
00:01:34 Sister Isabel, what is your assignment in the branch?
00:01:38 I work in the Translation Department.
00:01:40 I do composition for one of our vernacular languages.
00:01:43 OK, which language is it?
00:01:45 I work with the Chokwe language.
00:01:47 Chokwe?
00:01:48 Yes.
00:01:48 All right. How do you say “Watchtower” in Chokwe?
00:01:51 Kaposhi wa Kutalila.
00:01:52 But, you know, Brother Lippold,
00:01:54 we don’t need to learn the language to do composition
00:01:57 because it’s a technical process.
00:01:59 Well, thank you for learning to say “The Watchtower” anyway.
00:02:01 Good.
00:02:02 And Brother Salvador, what is your assignment?
00:02:05 I work in the Service Department with the Preaching Needs Desk,
00:02:08 and I also give support to the branch office.
00:02:10 OK, the Preaching Needs Desk in Angola —what’s the preaching like in Angola?
00:02:14 Well, the preaching work in Angola is wonderful.
00:02:18 We have been seeing the fulfillment of Haggai 2:7.
00:02:22 Jehovah is “shaking the nation.”
00:02:25 Many people are coming into the truth.
00:02:28 And since people respond well to the good news,
00:02:31 we usually say that Angola is a paradise
00:02:35 for all publishers but especially for pioneers.
00:02:39 OK, so He’s “shaking” Angola.
00:02:40 Yes.
00:02:41 So how many are coming in in Angola?
00:02:44 Well, right now we have
00:02:46 more than 165,000 publishers
00:02:51 and more than 720,000 Bible studies.
00:02:56 Seven hundred and twenty thousand Bible studies?
00:02:59 Yes, more than that.
00:03:00 More than?
00:03:01 That is absolutely amazing!
00:03:02 Yes.
00:03:03 Isabel, with the kind of growth that you have in Angola,
00:03:07 what touches your heart about this?
00:03:10 What touches me most is seeing young ones come into the truth
00:03:14 —young ones who are at seven, eight, nine, ten years old.
00:03:19 They start studying the Bible.
00:03:21 They start going to the meetings,
00:03:23 and many of them without their parents,
00:03:26 and they make progress in the truth.
00:03:28 They start preaching with the congregation.
00:03:30 They get baptized.
00:03:32 And some of them, they start working as auxiliary pioneers.
00:03:36 So this is something amazing to see.
00:03:38 This really touches my heart.
00:03:40 That’s beautiful, yeah.
00:03:42 And Salvador, for you, when you look at the growth,
00:03:45 how does it affect you?
00:03:47 What touches you?
00:03:49 Seeing how Jehovah has been blessing
00:03:52 the work in our branch territory, it’s something amazing.
00:03:56 For example, I remember when I was invited
00:03:59 for the first time to attend a meeting.
00:04:02 That meeting was held in a brother’s home,
00:04:05 and we used a bedroom
00:04:08 as a place to hold the meeting because we were under ban.
00:04:12 But sometime later, since more people were coming,
00:04:16 we needed to move from that bedroom in the same house
00:04:20 to the dining room.
00:04:22 And some months later,
00:04:26 with more people coming
00:04:28 (there was a little bit more freedom),
00:04:30 we needed to move from that dining room to the courtyard.
00:04:34 Same house?
00:04:35 The same house.
00:04:36 OK.
00:04:37 And from that time on, many congregations in Angola
00:04:40 started using courtyards of brothers’ homes
00:04:44 to hold meetings.
00:04:46 But now the situation is completely different.
00:04:49 So seeing the transition
00:04:52 from the courtyard of a brother’s home
00:04:55 to a nice Kingdom Hall
00:04:57 built with the help of Jehovah’s organization
00:05:01 is something that touched my heart
00:05:04 —seeing how Jehovah takes care
00:05:06 of his people by means of his organization.
00:05:09 That’s beautiful.
00:05:10 So, what is the situation like with Kingdom Halls in Angola?
00:05:13 Well, right now we have many congregations
00:05:16 that are sharing one Kingdom Hall.
00:05:20 For example, in one Kingdom Hall with one auditorium
00:05:25 there are 10, 11, 13.
00:05:28 Even right now, we received information about a Kingdom Hall
00:05:31 where there are 14 congregations using it.
00:05:35 So we have a huge need for more Kingdom Halls in Angola.
00:05:40 Would you say that’s one of the biggest needs right now in Angola?
00:05:42 Yes, since many people are coming into the truth,
00:05:45 theocratic facilities are a big need in Angola.
00:05:49 We need space in Bethel; we need more Assembly Halls;
00:05:52 we need a facility for SKE,
00:05:55 and especially Kingdom Halls.
00:05:57 OK, yes.
00:05:58 And we have a video that shows
00:06:01 the big need for Kingdom Halls that we have in Angola.
00:06:04 You will enjoy seeing this video.
00:06:05 OK, excellent. Let’s watch it.
00:06:12 On the southwest coast of Africa sits Angola
00:06:16 —home to lush jungle hillsides,
00:06:19 vast desert plains,
00:06:22 and tropical Atlantic beaches.
00:06:26 But even more beautiful is the love that the people of Angola
00:06:30 demonstrate for Bible truths.
00:06:33 The growth rate of Kingdom proclaimers
00:06:36 has vastly outpaced Kingdom Hall construction,
00:06:40 with some Kingdom Halls hosting as many as 14 congregations.
00:06:47 Imagine the coordination challenges this creates for the publishers
00:06:52 and for the bodies of elders.
00:06:54 To accommodate all the weekend meetings that must take place,
00:06:59 some begin at 6:30 in the morning
00:07:01 and they continue to be held all day long.
00:07:04 For midweek meetings, some congregations
00:07:07 must start early in the afternoon.
00:07:09 Supporting these schedules
00:07:11 could potentially jeopardize our brothers’ employment.
00:07:15 Therefore, they prayerfully negotiate with their employers to get off work
00:07:20 one or two hours early on meeting days.
00:07:25 The later meetings that follow can last well into the night.
00:07:30 The elders cooperate
00:07:32 so that everyone can get the best.
00:07:35 They decide that the congregation
00:07:38 that stays far from the Kingdom Hall
00:07:41 has priority to choose the right time for them,
00:07:45 so that they can feel comfortable because of the distance.
00:07:49 Once the Kingdom Hall is full,
00:07:51 the congregation spills outside the building,
00:07:54 forming lines at the windows.
00:07:58 In all cases, our dear brothers and sisters
00:08:03 lovingly put the needs and welfare of others ahead of their own.
00:08:07 With the building in constant use,
00:08:10 when do the congregations schedule time for maintenance and cleaning?
00:08:15 It takes careful coordination
00:08:17 under the direction of the Kingdom Hall Maintenance Committee
00:08:21 to ensure that the building stays
00:08:23 clean, safe,
00:08:25 and very comfortable.
00:08:28 Our brothers and sisters in Angola
00:08:31 are “aglow with the spirit” and cooperate
00:08:35 together in beautiful ways,
00:08:37 providing a witness to all onlookers
00:08:41 that Jehovah is a God of order and peace.
00:08:50 Thank you. I mean, that was very, very interesting.
00:08:53 When I look at the flexibility and the cooperation
00:08:55 of the brothers and sisters in Angola with the Kingdom Hall,
00:08:58 I will appreciate whatever meeting time our congregation is assigned.
00:09:02 It’s just so beautiful to see the spirit
00:09:06 of preaching in Angola.
00:09:08 Many brothers “step over” into unassigned territories,
00:09:12 and others go to seldom-worked territory
00:09:16 to help congregations with fewer publishers.
00:09:19 That is why, for example, Brother Lippold,
00:09:21 last service year
00:09:23 we had 20 new circuits
00:09:27 —last service year.
00:09:29 Twenty.
00:09:29 Yes.
00:09:30 This service year, from September until now, we have already . . .
00:09:35 Should I hold on?
00:09:37 . . . we have already 97 new congregations.
00:09:42 Ninety-seven?
00:09:43 Yes.
00:09:44 That’s almost a hundred new congregations in just a few months.
00:09:48 Yes.
00:09:48 That is a tremendous, tremendous spirit,
00:09:50 just to see the obedience of the brothers and sisters in Angola for preaching.
00:09:54 What a beautiful example for all of us!
00:09:56 Well, thank you both for being here and sharing these experiences with us
00:09:59 and the spirit of the brothers and sisters in Angola.
00:10:02 Thank you.
00:10:02 Thank you so much.
00:10:07 Let’s introduce our next guest.
00:10:09 It’s Brother Ho Chong from Korea.
00:10:19 Welcome, Ho.
00:10:20 Thank you.
00:10:21 Nice to have you on The Inside Story.
00:10:22 Thank you very much.
00:10:24 So Brother Chong, you are serving in the Korea branch.
00:10:27 And what is your assignment?
00:10:29 I work with the Legal Department.
00:10:31 And last year, our branch renovated
00:10:34 the historical museum of our branch,
00:10:36 and I had the privilege to participate in the project
00:10:41 —especially working with the “Integrity” section of the historical museum—
00:10:45 with two other brothers.
00:10:47 And we had very encouraging experiences.
00:10:50 Very nice.
00:10:51 Integrity, Korea
00:10:53 —we think of young brothers and conscientious objection.
00:10:57 Is that what the “Integrity” part of the museum is about?
00:10:59 Yeah.
00:11:00 To renovate the section,
00:11:03 brothers and sisters were invited to donate
00:11:06 meaningful historical artifacts.
00:11:09 So we received a lot of valuable items from them.
00:11:12 One of them was very, very special to us.
00:11:15 What was it?
00:11:16 It was a photograph
00:11:18 that we received from a special pioneer brother.
00:11:22 This is the photo.
00:11:23 Very interesting.
00:11:24 Brother Lippold, what do you think?
00:11:26 What is this picture, and where was it taken?
00:11:30 Well, it obviously looks like at a military —some kind of military place.
00:11:36 It looks like a young brother.
00:11:39 He’s being offered a uniform,
00:11:41 and this is him refusing the military uniform.
00:11:44 Yeah, that’s right. It was in a military camp.
00:11:47 It is not a reenactment; it is a real situation.
00:11:50 Brothers in Korea were forcefully taken to the military camp for enlistment,
00:11:55 sometimes from home and sometimes even from the Kingdom Halls.
00:12:00 And as we can see in this picture,
00:12:02 they were forced to take arms to be a soldier.
00:12:05 So this is not—
00:12:06 He has not been brought from court or anything like that.
00:12:09 Right on the spot he has to take his stand for Jehovah.
00:12:14 Yes, that’s right.
00:12:16 So you said that a special pioneer sent the photograph.
00:12:19 How did he get the photo?
00:12:21 Actually, this photo was taken in 1988
00:12:25 by a military police investigator.
00:12:28 He wanted to use this photo as evidence
00:12:32 to charge this brother.
00:12:34 But he was so touched by his firm standing,
00:12:38 he kept this photo for almost 20 years.
00:12:42 And in 2007,
00:12:44 the special pioneer visited him during the house-to-house ministry.
00:12:48 He gave this photo to him, even recalling the name of the brother,
00:12:52 and he said, “Please give this back to him.”
00:12:56 Wow!
00:12:57 So when you received the photograph (you and the other two brothers),
00:13:02 when you saw it for the first time,
00:13:05 what did you think?
00:13:07 We all just agreed that it is a gift.
00:13:11 It is a special gift from Jehovah.
00:13:14 Without him, it is impossible.
00:13:16 Just the existence of this photo is impossible,
00:13:19 and it has been kept for almost 20 years.
00:13:23 And then through the special pioneer, we have it.
00:13:26 It’s also impossible.
00:13:28 Why did you feel so strongly that it’s impossible?
00:13:32 We didn’t take this picture.
00:13:34 The investigator took it, and he kept it.
00:13:37 And now we have it.
00:13:39 But the timing is also very important
00:13:42 because it’s after the two monumental decisions
00:13:46 in the highest courts,
00:13:48 and then all the imprisoned brothers were released,
00:13:51 and then we now have this photo.
00:13:54 So this was just last year in 2019?
00:13:56 Yes.
00:13:57 So we thought that Jehovah was commending
00:14:01 all the brothers who did their best,
00:14:03 according to their Bible-trained conscience,
00:14:06 to keep their integrity.
00:14:08 And Jehovah was saying:
00:14:10 “I still remember your integrity. Thank you so much.”
00:14:14 We felt that way.
00:14:15 It’s very powerful.
00:14:17 I can feel that also.
00:14:20 Were you able to find the brother?
00:14:22 Yes, we did.
00:14:24 He is now serving as an elder.
00:14:27 He has three children.
00:14:29 He never expected that he would see this picture.
00:14:34 He knew that it was taken.
00:14:37 He knew the photograph was taken?
00:14:39 Yes.
00:14:40 And he remembered the investigator
00:14:43 because he was favorable to him,
00:14:45 and he relayed one encouraging story about him.
00:14:49 The investigator, for his work,
00:14:51 attended the convention in 1988.
00:14:55 Our convention?
00:14:56 Yes, for his work.
00:14:58 And then he received a book.
00:15:01 Do you remember the book,
00:15:02 the Revelation book?
00:15:04 In 1988.
00:15:05 Yes, and he gave this book to this brother.
00:15:08 In the camp?
00:15:09 Yes.
00:15:10 And he said:
00:15:11 “Maybe here you may be relaxed.
00:15:14 “Maybe in prison it is more severe.
00:15:17 Just enjoy this book.”
00:15:19 That is unbelievable.
00:15:20 Yeah. So he missed the convention but . . .
00:15:24 . . . he got the release.
00:15:26 Yes.
00:15:27 That’s quite a story.
00:15:28 So, what happened when the photo was shown?
00:15:30 What was the response of his children?
00:15:32 They were all surprised at this.
00:15:36 The eldest son was surprised
00:15:38 because his father was always happy and smiling,
00:15:43 but he was so serious in this picture.
00:15:45 So he was able to understand
00:15:47 how determined his father was in order to keep his integrity
00:15:52 And the second son found out
00:15:55 that his father looked very similar.
00:15:59 So the two looked alike, the younger son and the father.
00:16:01 Yeah. So he found himself in this photo.
00:16:05 So all the family members
00:16:09 were able to visualize what it would be like in keeping integrity.
00:16:14 And it was really encouraging to all of them.
00:16:16 Well, I think it’s really true
00:16:18 what the younger son has said about seeing himself in this picture
00:16:21 because in many ways it is him in this picture.
00:16:25 And it’s you in this picture, and it’s me in this picture.
00:16:27 It’s all of us
00:16:29 —when we take our stand for Jehovah and when we’re loyal to him—
00:16:32 whether it’s a young person in school not saluting the flag,
00:16:37 or not participating in a false religious holiday
00:16:41 with worldly relatives,
00:16:43 or at work (again not participating in things)
00:16:47 taking a stand for Jehovah.
00:16:49 So, really, Ho, this is a gift for all of Jehovah’s people
00:16:53 to remind us of what it means
00:16:55 to show our integrity and be loyal to Jehovah.
00:16:58 Thank you very, very much for sharing this with us.
00:17:00 Thank you very much.
00:17:06 Well, let’s meet our next guest.
00:17:08 He’s from Chile, and his name is Allen Kim.
00:17:21 It’s nice to have you on The Inside Story.
00:17:23 Thank you very much for inviting me.
00:17:27 So, Brother Kim, you were born in Chile and raised in Chile?
00:17:29 Actually, I was born in Chile,
00:17:32 but I was raised in Brazil, and then we moved to Chile.
00:17:36 And my parents are Korean.
00:17:38 OK.
00:17:39 Did you speak Spanish when you came back to Chile?
00:17:43 I had to learn Spanish, yes.
00:17:46 When did you come back to Chile?
00:17:49 I was about 14 years old when I moved with my family.
00:17:53 OK, so, what was that like —fourteen years old, you speak Portuguese
00:17:57 and then coming to Chile and having to learn Spanish?
00:18:02 It wasn’t easy at first
00:18:04 because Chile is not a country
00:18:08 that was used to receiving many foreigners.
00:18:11 So just seeing our family,
00:18:14 an Asian-looking family,
00:18:17 caught much attention in Chile.
00:18:20 So when we were walking on the streets
00:18:22 or going to a store,
00:18:25 many people used to look at us, point at us,
00:18:29 and also talk about us.
00:18:32 We had some bad experiences also.
00:18:34 Hmm.
00:18:35 So as a young person, how did that make you feel?
00:18:37 As a teenager, you know that it’s not easy to receive
00:18:42 that kind of treatment in some places.
00:18:45 And also added to that,
00:18:48 you have to be acquainted with their food
00:18:52 —it’s a new place, a new culture.
00:18:54 So you have a problem of identity
00:18:58 because you are in one country,
00:19:01 but you have another culture, you were raised in another culture.
00:19:05 So it wasn’t easy to find myself—my place.
00:19:09 So sometimes even among many people,
00:19:12 you can feel a little bit isolated
00:19:15 and that you don’t belong anywhere.
00:19:18 Hmm, that’s interesting.
00:19:19 Probably a lot of people (a lot of brothers and sisters even)
00:19:23 can relate to what you’re saying, sometimes feeling that way
00:19:25 and not being sure where you fit in for various reasons.
00:19:30 What changed for you?
00:19:32 Yes, a big help was association with brothers and sisters.
00:19:37 I especially remember that our congregation was invited
00:19:42 to attend a special international convention
00:19:45 in Chile in 2003.
00:19:48 And that was a very special moment
00:19:51 because it was my first time
00:19:54 at such a big event of Jehovah’s Witnesses
00:19:57 and seeing brothers from all around the world.
00:20:02 No one was judging you by your looks or having differences.
00:20:06 Just being there and seeing everyone happy and united
00:20:11 —that was a very big moment for me.
00:20:14 And I could understand well that this is really Jehovah’s organization.
00:20:18 This is the place I should be.
00:20:21 OK, we have a picture here of you.
00:20:22 This is at the international convention?
00:20:25 That’s right.
00:20:25 That was the same year that we arrived to Chile,
00:20:28 and it’s my family attending at that location.
00:20:30 OK, very nice. You’ve changed your hair since then.
00:20:33 Yes.
00:20:34 So you found your place now in the congregation
00:20:38 and things really started to progress for you?
00:20:42 Yes, as I started to progress spiritually,
00:20:45 I would meet many brothers and sisters.
00:20:48 That was a big help for me.
00:20:50 For example, I remember one single brother
00:20:54 that was from our congregation, a Korean brother raised in Chile.
00:20:58 He went to MTS,
00:21:00 and he was assigned back to our congregation
00:21:02 with another Chilean brother,
00:21:05 and, well, just seeing their example
00:21:08 and later many other brothers’ examples helped me
00:21:10 to find my place in the organization.
00:21:14 So the congregation, was this a Spanish congregation you were in?
00:21:16 It was a Korean congregation.
00:21:18 OK, so you’re in a Korean congregation,
00:21:20 and you had a Chilean-Korean brother assigned to your congregation
00:21:25 together with a Chilean brother.
00:21:27 Did he speak Korean?
00:21:28 Yeah, he was learning Korean when he arrived.
00:21:30 He had to learn.
00:21:31 So the three of you, then, you found that you made a good partnership.
00:21:36 Yes.
00:21:37 A really positive influence on you —that’s absolutely beautiful.
00:21:39 So you’re working at the branch now in Chile?
00:21:41 Yes, I’m working at the Chile branch in the Service Department.
00:21:46 I help in the Preaching Needs Desk.
00:21:48 OK, a bit like Salvador then, the Preaching Needs Desk
00:21:51 —what’s the preaching like in Chile?
00:21:54 We have many places, remote areas,
00:21:57 especially in the southern part of Chile, where territories are very big.
00:22:01 So brothers have to (sometimes they have to) travel for many hours by car.
00:22:06 There are even places that they can’t reach by car,
00:22:11 so the congregation has to arrange a preaching campaign
00:22:16 that can be days —seven days—
00:22:19 of walking, sleeping in tents,
00:22:22 and sometimes even washing themselves in the river.
00:22:26 And they try to reach those places,
00:22:28 remote places, with two to three houses.
00:22:31 Wow, that sounds exciting!
00:22:33 The first photograph you’ve brought for us, where is this?
00:22:37 This place is called Aysén Region.
00:22:40 And in this place, the brothers have to drive for many hours
00:22:45 just to reach a small town
00:22:47 where a few people live in these remote areas.
00:22:50 Good. In the next photograph, where is this area?
00:22:52 Well, this is a southern part of Chile;
00:22:55 it’s called Araucanía Region.
00:22:58 And many people live there,
00:23:00 especially people that speak Mapudungun.
00:23:02 They also have many remote areas
00:23:04 that the brothers have to walk to reach.
00:23:08 OK, and the next photograph you have, I mean, that’s quite appealing.
00:23:11 Yes, this is one of the most remote areas
00:23:15 in the most southern part of Chile,
00:23:17 and the brothers also arrange to preach in those places.
00:23:22 This is called Torres del Paine.
00:23:23 Very nice.
00:23:24 It’s amazing to see the efforts that the branch is making
00:23:27 to reach these really remote areas in Chile.
00:23:30 Yes, brothers and sisters are working hard
00:23:33 even to reach a few people.
00:23:37 So we can say that they are doing a good work.
00:23:39 Good, yeah.
00:23:40 It’s very, very remote in these places.
00:23:43 So is that—?
00:23:44 This is in the most southern part of Chile.
00:23:46 Is that as far as you go?
00:23:47 Actually, this is not one of the most remote areas.
00:23:50 We have other places that are more isolated than that area.
00:23:55 I brought a video that I want to show you.
00:23:57 Do you want to see it?
00:23:58 Yes, please.
00:24:06 More than 2,000 miles of open ocean separate Easter Island
00:24:11 from the west coast of South America.
00:24:16 Yet, even here on this remote island
00:24:19 with less than 8,000 inhabitants,
00:24:23 the good news of God’s Kingdom is being preached.
00:24:27 And the publishers in this seemingly isolated field
00:24:32 feel the full support of Jehovah’s organization.
00:24:36 This Kingdom Hall and translation office was built in 2016.
00:24:41 Here five brothers and sisters
00:24:43 work to translate spiritual food
00:24:46 into the native Polynesian language of Rapa Nui,
00:24:50 ensuring that local publishers receive the same spiritual food as their brothers
00:24:55 and sisters around the world.
00:24:59 Translation personnel receive benefit from Bethel spiritual programs
00:25:04 despite being two time zones away
00:25:07 from the branch office in Santiago, Chile.
00:25:10 Here in the middle of the ocean,
00:25:13 I feel how Jehovah loves me
00:25:15 and gives me his strength.
00:25:17 Jehovah is taking care of all of us on the island.
00:25:22 The Chile branch also supports
00:25:24 Kingdom publishers on Robinson Crusoe Island.
00:25:28 Although much closer to the mainland,
00:25:31 just over 400 miles away,
00:25:34 it’s more challenging to reach.
00:25:41 The journey involves a flight and then a boat ride
00:25:45 from the isolated airport to the inhabited part
00:25:48 of the island, which can only be traveled
00:25:51 when the seas aren’t too rough.
00:25:56 But despite these challenges, our brothers and sisters
00:26:00 receive constant and timely spiritual food,
00:26:04 LDC support, and shepherding.
00:26:10 For years, Robinson Crusoe Island was home
00:26:12 to just five spiritual sisters.
00:26:15 With the help of the LDC, a small Kingdom Hall
00:26:18 was remodeled and a two-room apartment was added.
00:26:22 This made it possible
00:26:24 for two single elders to move to the island,
00:26:27 where they now assist with preaching and shepherding.
00:26:31 Although traveling here is not for the faint of heart,
00:26:34 this congregation of eight publishers receives a visit
00:26:38 from their circuit overseer twice a year.
00:26:40 The visit lasts for two or three weeks each time,
00:26:45 providing extra spiritual support to these faithful ones.
00:26:49 It doesn’t matter where you live,
00:26:52 if you are in the city,
00:26:54 in the countryside, or even in a place like this
00:26:56 in the middle of the ocean,
00:26:58 Jehovah is with us.
00:27:00 Those who preach and those who respond to the good news
00:27:05 receive abundant spiritual care,
00:27:08 resulting in a unified worldwide brotherhood
00:27:13 that praises our great God, Jehovah.
00:27:26 That’s beautiful, Allen, to see the efforts that the branch is making
00:27:30 to care for brothers and sisters on such remote islands.
00:27:33 And I thought it was interesting as well that,
00:27:36 for example, on Robinson Crusoe Island,
00:27:38 the circuit overseer will stay there for two or three weeks
00:27:41 because it is so isolated.
00:27:43 Most of the time he spends two weeks
00:27:47 just to encourage the brothers that are so isolated,
00:27:50 and sometimes he even spends one additional week
00:27:54 (almost three weeks)
00:27:56 to combine with a circuit assembly.
00:27:58 OK, very nice, very nice.
00:27:59 So it’s a nice arrangement that the branch has
00:28:01 to care for this particular island.
00:28:04 Yes.
00:28:04 And there’s another island
00:28:06 that circuit overseers from Chile are visiting,
00:28:09 and that’s the Falkland Islands.
00:28:12 In this area, we have an arrangement
00:28:14 to send a circuit overseer
00:28:16 to encourage the brothers and sisters.
00:28:19 That’s amazing, very nice.
00:28:20 I mean, you brothers in Chile,
00:28:22 you’re not afraid of remote places, that’s for sure.
00:28:24 Yes.
00:28:25 Actually, these places that we just saw
00:28:27 are not the most remote areas.
00:28:30 We have one place that we also reached a few years ago,
00:28:35 and that’s Antarctica, as you can see in the photo.
00:28:38 You’re kidding me.
00:28:40 You mean the branch in Chile has supported the work in Antarctica?
00:28:42 Yes.
00:28:43 I imagine it’s very difficult to get there.
00:28:45 Yes, it’s very hard
00:28:47 because first we need permission, and we have to fly.
00:28:50 So the branch has to make
00:28:52 some arrangements to reach a couple in that area.
00:28:56 Very nice. Well, thank you very much, Allen.
00:28:57 Thank you for sharing this information with us
00:29:00 and helping us to see that even though we’re isolated,
00:29:02 we’re not alone.
00:29:04 Do you really feel like Chile is your home?
00:29:07 Yes, of course.
00:29:08 As you can see, Chile is a beautiful place
00:29:11 with many good brothers and sisters.
00:29:14 Also, it really doesn’t matter where we are physically.
00:29:19 If we are with Jehovah and his organization,
00:29:22 we are in the great spiritual temple.
00:29:25 So we can feel—
00:29:26 Wherever we are, we can feel that’s our home.
00:29:29 Beautiful.
00:29:29 Thank you very much, Allen, for sharing that with us.
00:29:35 Integrity has been described as ‘wholehearted love for
00:29:39 ‘and unbreakable devotion to the Person of Jehovah,
00:29:43 so that his will comes first in all of our decisions.’
00:29:47 And our guests today have shown us different faces of integrity,
00:29:51 like obedience and cooperation
00:29:53 in preaching and meeting together
00:29:56 and maintaining loyalty when you come face-to-face with tests.
00:30:01 And if you feel isolated
00:30:03 or are literally geographically isolated,
00:30:07 you can maintain unbreakable devotion to Jehovah.
00:30:11 The psalmist wrote:
00:30:13 “If I would fly away with the wings of the dawn
00:30:15 “to reside by the most remote sea,
00:30:18 “even there your hand would lead me
00:30:21 and your right hand would take hold of me.”
00:30:23 Clearly, Jehovah sees our acts of integrity,
00:30:28 and he loves us for it.
00:30:30 Please join us on another edition of The Inside Story.
00:31:03 You would think that we have about 500 here in the audience.
00:31:08 But that was again a faith-strengthening program.
00:31:13 It’s amazing, some of the experiences
00:31:15 and things happening in various parts of the earth.
00:31:18 What a treat that was!
