00:00:05 Now we have the opportunity
00:00:08 to enjoy this edition that we’re accustomed to of The Inside Story,
00:00:13 and it’s hosted by another instructor,
00:00:15 Brother Trent Lippold.
00:00:18 Enjoy it.
00:00:46 The past year has been a period of change for all of Jehovah’s people.
00:00:49 We’ve had to show flexibility, caution, and reasonableness.
00:00:54 Here at Gilead, for us too,
00:00:57 Class 150 has presented us with change.
00:01:00 For example, all the students of Class 150
00:01:03 are from or serving in the United States.
00:01:07 Five couples and one single brother
00:01:09 all serve in the circuit work.
00:01:11 That represents approximately
50 percent of the class.
00:01:15 Today we’re going to meet three couples
00:01:17 from different parts of the United States
00:01:20 and see how they learned to cope with change in their lives
00:01:23 and how they, like the apostle Paul,
00:01:27 worked to ‘become all things to all people.’
00:01:30 So let’s meet our first guests,
00:01:32 Joey and Taylor Bornschein, from the state of Texas.
00:01:47 Joey and Taylor, welcome to The Inside Story.
00:01:49 Thank you. Thank you.
00:01:51 You’re from the big state of Texas.
00:01:53 Where specifically are you from?
00:01:55 From Dallas.
00:01:56 Dallas, Texas. All right.
00:01:58 Well, again, nice to have you with us.
00:02:00 You know, to come to Gilead (here you are in the 150th class),
00:02:04 it all starts with regular pioneering.
00:02:06 So how did you both start regular pioneering?
00:02:08 Maybe, Joey, how did you start?
00:02:10 So for me, I feel very grateful that my foundation
00:02:13 started a long time ago with my family,
00:02:16 especially with my grandparents.
00:02:19 They were the couple that after they got married,
00:02:21 really just wanted to serve Jehovah the best way they could.
00:02:25 They would ask circuit overseers where they could move that needed help.
00:02:28 If they were ever asked to go to another congregation,
00:02:31 they would always do it right away.
00:02:33 And so that really affected my mom, which in turn affected me.
00:02:37 How did that affect you?
00:02:40 So for a while after my parents got married,
00:02:43 they might have just gotten a little distracted with marriage,
00:02:46 family, taking care of the family.
00:02:48 But at one point, they made a move across the country,
00:02:51 and they used that as an opportunity to simplify.
00:02:55 And my mom was able to start regular pioneering at that time.
00:02:58 And I just— I remember as a child
00:03:01 how different both of my parents were,
00:03:03 just in their happiness and in life in general
00:03:07 because they were able to do more for Jehovah.
00:03:09 Nice.
00:03:10 How old were you when that happened,
00:03:12 when your mom started pioneering and you saw this change?
00:03:15 I was about nine.
00:03:16 OK.
00:03:17 And so when did you start regular pioneering then?
00:03:19 So, actually, the next year
00:03:21 my sister and I both got to join her in pioneering.
00:03:24 So you were 10 years old?
00:03:27 Yeah.
00:03:27 That is amazing!
00:03:28 Thank you.
00:03:29 Ten years old when you started pioneering? Great!
00:03:31 What about you, Taylor?
00:03:32 How did you get your start in regular pioneering?
00:03:35 So we pioneered in Texas, but I’m originally from Colorado.
00:03:40 So my parents, like Joey’s, set a really good example for me.
00:03:43 Most of my life they pioneered as a couple.
00:03:45 And so pioneering was always just something
00:03:48 —full-time service was something— that I grew up with.
00:03:50 When I was in my mid-teens,
00:03:52 my parents got appointed to the substitute circuit work.
00:03:55 So that was fun.
00:03:57 On the weekends, I would travel with them to visit congregations.
00:04:00 I was in public schools, so I couldn’t go with them during the week.
00:04:02 And I appreciated about them
00:04:05 that it wasn’t just what they said, but they set the example by what they did.
00:04:08 OK.
00:04:09 I mean, that must have been cool.
00:04:10 You had your parents, and they were in the substitute circuit work.
00:04:12 But personally, how did that affect you?
00:04:15 Yeah, so that was just some good motivation for me to start pioneering.
00:04:18 I graduated about six months early,
00:04:20 a semester early, and then started pioneering.
00:04:22 And then as soon as I was able to, I hit 19
00:04:25 and submitted an application for Bethel, and soon thereafter
00:04:28 I was accepted and was able to spend a few years in Brooklyn.
00:04:31 OK.
00:04:32 After that, I know you left Bethel.
00:04:34 The two of you got married.
00:04:35 You’re there regular pioneering in Dallas.
00:04:39 What made the difference for you to reach out
00:04:42 and progress in Jehovah’s service?
00:04:44 So we were pioneering as a young couple.
00:04:47 We had goals, but it can be hard when you’re new
00:04:50 and trying to figure marriage out with some distractions
00:04:53 or with maybe even just knowing what direction you should take.
00:04:55 So we just feel so thankful to Jehovah
00:04:57 that we had some very instrumental circuit overseer couples
00:05:01 that came just at the right time.
00:05:04 We’ve tried to express it to them, but I don’t think
00:05:06 they’ll ever fully understand the impact that they’ve had on our lives.
00:05:10 Well, that is one of the great things about the impact
00:05:13 of those in the circuit work: what they do for young people, for young ones.
00:05:17 And we’re all— I think we’re all so grateful for that.
00:05:19 Would you say then—?
00:05:20 Was that your inspiration to get into the circuit work?
00:05:24 Not really.
00:05:26 We actually had different goals.
00:05:28 We really wanted to go to Bethel together as a couple,
00:05:31 so we applied and applied, and it just didn’t seem to happen.
00:05:35 But you ended up in the circuit work.
00:05:37 So I wonder what changed then.
00:05:39 Did it just grow on you, or what happened?
00:05:41 Well, one day we opened up a piece of mail, and it was a questionnaire
00:05:45 for the substitute circuit work.
00:05:47 So while that might not have been the direction
00:05:50 that we thought we would go down,
00:05:52 it seemed like that was the path that Jehovah laid out in front of us.
00:05:54 So we happily accepted, and little by little
00:05:57 it started to grow on us —the idea of the circuit work.
00:05:59 We were then able to attend
00:06:01 the School for Kingdom Evangelizers.
00:06:03 We just continued to get training and motivation
00:06:06 to do what Jehovah wanted us to do.
00:06:09 And so after our graduation, within just a few months,
00:06:11 we were appointed to the circuit work,
00:06:14 and we love the circuit work.
00:06:16 Where was your first circuit, Joey?
00:06:18 So we went to the suburbs of Chicago,
00:06:20 so it was great—from the big city of Dallas
00:06:22 to the big city of Chicago.
00:06:24 What did you think of Chicago?
00:06:27 It was everything that I could want in a circuit
00:06:30 —so two big-city people from Dallas now going to Chicago, an even bigger city.
00:06:35 We love diversity of background, culture, race, and it had everything.
00:06:39 So we were just eating it up.
00:06:41 We loved being in the Chicago area.
00:06:43 It sounds like a “but” is coming—a change.
00:06:46 What changed for you both?
00:06:48 So after just about six months of being in that circuit
00:06:51 and still falling in love with the circuit work, we got a call
00:06:53 from the branch office that we were
00:06:55 now being reassigned to a different circuit farther north
00:06:59 and a more rural circuit in Wisconsin.
00:07:02 OK, Wisconsin.
00:07:04 Well, what did you think? Tell us about it.
00:07:06 What was Wisconsin like for you, Taylor?
00:07:10 So it was very different for big-city people
00:07:12 going into a rural circuit that was
00:07:14 mostly dairy-farm communities.
00:07:18 So, out of our element, we would drive for miles and miles
00:07:22 when we were out in service with no stores or shops
00:07:25 or bathrooms or coffee shops.
00:07:28 So it took a little getting used to.
00:07:30 Probably, timing now became something you had to learn.
00:07:33 Good.
00:07:33 What about for you, Joey, coming from Dallas,
00:07:35 what was it like for you?
00:07:37 For me, the big change was the weather —the winters.
00:07:41 We didn’t have extreme winters in Dallas,
00:07:43 and Wisconsin had very long, very cold winters.
00:07:47 So we invested in really good coats,
00:07:50 wool leggings, great boots.
00:07:53 I jokingly told Taylor that some mornings I would wake up
00:07:55 and feel exhausted just getting dressed in the morning.
00:07:58 Putting on so much, I guess, also affected bathroom breaks and things like that
00:08:02 —new skills you were learning in Wisconsin.
00:08:04 Right.
00:08:05 What helped you to adjust to this new change?
00:08:09 So although it was a different environment, it was just beautiful to see that, yeah,
00:08:14 it was cold outside, but that didn’t affect the friends, their hearts.
00:08:17 They were warm in their service to Jehovah.
00:08:20 They were so warm in the way that they treated us.
00:08:22 They just adopted us so quickly into a different environment.
00:08:27 We very, very quickly fell in love with the friends in Wisconsin.
00:08:31 Jehovah’s people are amazing, aren’t they?
00:08:33 What about you, Joey?
00:08:34 What would you say helped you to adjust?
00:08:36 Well, of course, like Taylor said,
00:08:38 the love from the friends; it helped us immediately.
00:08:41 But we also actually learned new ways to have fun that we never had in Dallas.
00:08:46 Yeah, you brought a picture.
00:08:47 This photograph is a great picture.
00:08:49 You’re obviously having fun there.
00:08:50 Joey, what can you tell us about it?
00:08:52 So this is actually a gathering that we went to
00:08:54 on the middle of a frozen lake, and this is actually us ice fishing.
00:08:58 Did you catch anything?
00:08:59 We did.
00:09:00 You’re telling yourself, ‘You’re not in Dallas anymore.’
00:09:02 Right.
00:09:03 Great!
00:09:04 There’s also another photo, and I love this one.
00:09:06 What can you tell us about this, Taylor?
00:09:08 So there’s a brother in the circuit who raised beef cattle,
00:09:11 so I got to spend some time getting to pet the little guy and also hand-feeding it
00:09:17 —so an amazing experience and not something that I would have been able to do
00:09:20 in downtown Chicago or downtown Dallas.
00:09:23 You were really there, just ‘becoming all things to all people.’
00:09:27 What would you say you learned
00:09:29 from the changes you’ve gone through in your lives?
00:09:33 So if I’m just being honest, the circuit work
00:09:35 was not something that I had a desire to do.
00:09:38 I didn’t feel like it would make me comfortable or happy.
00:09:42 But Jehovah at times puts things in front of us
00:09:46 that we might not think that we would like or make us comfortable.
00:09:49 But it does.
00:09:51 And I’m so glad that he did allow us to have the opportunity
00:09:54 to be in the circuit work because we love the circuit work.
00:09:58 So it’s just a nice little reminder
00:09:59 that Jehovah will choose things for us or put things in front of us
00:10:03 that maybe we don’t think is going to make us happy
00:10:05 or is not going to make us comfortable in how we
00:10:08 feel with the circumstance or environment.
00:10:10 But Jehovah always chooses what’s best for us if we just let him do it.
00:10:14 What would you say, Joey? What did you learn?
00:10:17 I think for me, anytime there’s a change
00:10:19 there’s always going to be a little bit of anxiety,
00:10:22 uncertainties, worries.
00:10:24 I just really learned to just leave it in Jehovah’s hands
00:10:27 —to pray to him about it— because a lot of times those things
00:10:29 never even happen; they never even come true.
00:10:32 So whatever Jehovah asks of us,
00:10:34 we will be able to get through it because either they won’t happen
00:10:38 or Jehovah will help us and bless us through them.
00:10:41 Those are two great lessons that you’ve learned.
00:10:43 Thank you so much for sharing them with us, and those are two lessons
00:10:46 that will probably help you out in the changes that are to come in your life.
00:10:50 Taylor and Joey, thank you so much for being with us on The Inside Story.
00:10:53 Thank you.
00:10:55 Let’s welcome our next guests coming from the state of Michigan,
00:10:58 Ben and Whitney Frey.
00:11:13 Ben and Whitney, thank you for being with us on The Inside Story.
00:11:16 You’ve come to Gilead from the circuit work,
00:11:19 and the circuit work also starts with regular pioneering.
00:11:22 So maybe you can tell us: How did you, Whitney, start regular pioneering?
00:11:26 So my mom taught me the truth when I was growing up.
00:11:29 And I loved Jehovah,
00:11:31 but by my late teens, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do with my life.
00:11:34 I had a girlfriend who invited me
00:11:36 to support her at a funeral of a young brother
00:11:39 who had passed away in a tragic accident.
00:11:42 That’s interesting.
00:11:42 Maybe you could make—
00:11:44 What’s the connection of starting to pioneer and a funeral?
00:11:47 Maybe you can make the connection for us.
00:11:49 Yeah.
00:11:49 So for me, when I got to the funeral of this young brother,
00:11:52 even though I didn’t know him personally, I had seen
00:11:54 that he had just started regular pioneering
00:11:57 and that he had the goal of going to Bethel when he got old enough.
00:11:59 And I just compared his life to mine.
00:12:02 He was going to give everything he had to Jehovah.
00:12:04 And I had the circumstances to do the same thing, but I wasn’t doing it.
00:12:08 And so I just thought, you know, ‘He didn’t get to finish his story.’
00:12:12 So I wanted to pick up where he left off.
00:12:15 I wanted to start pioneering.
00:12:16 And so when I went home, I prayed about it and I turned in
00:12:19 my auxiliary pioneer application with the goal
00:12:22 of starting to regular in September.
00:12:23 Well, that’s really encouraging —something so tragic
00:12:26 and yet something very positive came out of it.
00:12:28 What about you, Ben? How did you get your start?
00:12:30 So, similar to Whitney, my mother taught me the truth.
00:12:33 My dad was not in the truth during my youth.
00:12:35 I grew up in a rural congregation in Michigan,
00:12:39 and while I respected the truth
00:12:41 in my late teens and early 20’s,
00:12:43 I struggled spiritually.
00:12:46 And the reason is because I wanted a lot out of life
00:12:49 and, at that point, the truth felt very restrictive to me.
00:12:53 It felt like it was holding me back and not allowing me
00:12:55 to get the rich life that I wanted.
00:12:57 What changed in your life then? What helped you?
00:13:00 We had a couple of pioneer elders move into our congregation
00:13:03 who were a great source of encouragement to me.
00:13:06 They helped me to see that serving Jehovah is not about what you can’t do;
00:13:10 it’s about all the things you can do.
00:13:12 And the way I illustrate it is with a board game.
00:13:15 If all you did was just learn the rules of that game
00:13:18 but you never played it, that wouldn’t be a lot of fun.
00:13:22 And that’s really how my view was at that time of the truth.
00:13:25 I knew the rules, so to speak, of the truth.
00:13:27 I respected the truth, but I wasn’t involved in it.
00:13:31 So with the encouragement of these two brothers, I really got involved.
00:13:34 I started playing the game, so to speak,
00:13:36 and I started studying the Bible like I should have all along.
00:13:40 And then I also started regular pioneering shortly thereafter.
00:13:43 Nice.
00:13:44 Well, we’re happy you “got in the game.”
00:13:45 Was there anything else, Whitney, that helped you
00:13:48 or maybe inspired you to reach out?
00:13:51 Yeah, when I started wanting to pioneer, I also got into studying more.
00:13:56 And one thing that really affected me was the video To the Ends of the Earth.
00:14:01 I remember watching it and, as I watched it, thinking: ‘That’s it.
00:14:04 ‘That’s what I want to do.
00:14:05 I want to go to Gilead, and I want to be a missionary.’
00:14:08 Very nice.
00:14:08 Well, that video is still available on jw.org in the video library.
00:14:13 And that video probably, like for you,
00:14:16 inspired hundreds of people to reach out
00:14:19 and enter missionary service and attend Gilead.
00:14:23 And many of them are still out there
00:14:26 strengthening and stabilizing the brotherhood.
00:14:28 So you both then had
00:14:30 the goal of foreign service —missionary service.
00:14:34 Did you keep pursuing that goal?
00:14:36 Yeah, we certainly did.
00:14:38 After we got married, six months later,
00:14:40 we served where the need was great in the country of Guyana in South America.
00:14:43 Nice.
00:14:44 And you brought along a couple of pictures.
00:14:47 Maybe you can explain these.
00:14:48 Well, the first one is obviously your photo, Ben.
00:14:50 What can you tell us?
00:14:51 So we were motivated by the motorbike scene
00:14:55 in the To the Ends of the Earth video.
00:14:57 So we got a motorbike when we were down there
00:15:00 —not quite as big or as cool as the one
00:15:02 in the To the Ends of the Earth video, but it served its purpose.
00:15:05 We were able to travel the territory efficiently
00:15:08 to our different Bible studies and return visits.
00:15:10 Good.
00:15:11 And the next photo —what can you tell us about it, Whitney?
00:15:14 So when the bike couldn’t take us any farther,
00:15:17 we would park it and then we walked.
00:15:19 And a lot of times, that meant through mud across the trenches.
00:15:22 But we didn’t mind. It was fun.
00:15:24 We were enjoying it.
00:15:25 So Ben is being careful on the bridge.
00:15:27 Yeah, you had to be careful because there were black caiman,
00:15:29 which is a form of alligator, that was in those trenches,
00:15:32 so you chose your steps carefully.
00:15:34 Sure.
00:15:34 Well, I know you came back from Guyana.
00:15:37 Did you continue to pursue Gilead?
00:15:38 We did.
00:15:39 Once we returned to the United States after serving in Guyana,
00:15:42 we applied for Gilead, and to our surprise,
00:15:45 we were invited to serve as special pioneers
00:15:48 in the state of West Virginia here in the United States.
00:15:51 OK, so did Gilead remain your goal, though, even though you were there in West Virginia?
00:15:55 It did.
00:15:56 We continued to apply for Gilead,
00:15:58 but then instead we were invited to the Bible School for Christian Couples.
00:16:02 Very nice —so more theocratic education, though.
00:16:05 Uh-huh.
00:16:05 And from there you returned to West Virginia?
00:16:09 That’s correct.
00:16:10 So we continued special pioneering in West Virginia,
00:16:13 and we also got training for circuit work.
00:16:15 Good.
00:16:16 Did you end up in the circuit work?
00:16:18 So we were invited to start circuit work
00:16:21 in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin, area
00:16:23 similar (close by) to the Bornscheins.
00:16:25 And we loved it.
00:16:26 We loved the friends there, and we loved that circuit.
00:16:28 Nice.
00:16:29 But, of course, change came —didn’t it?—a big change for you.
00:16:33 Yeah.
00:16:34 So one day Ben came home.
00:16:36 We’d been there about four years.
00:16:37 We were loving it.
00:16:38 And he came home and told me that we got field missionary applications.
00:16:42 There it is—foreign service.
00:16:44 So how did you feel? Ben, how did you feel?
00:16:47 At that point in our life, we were really enjoying
00:16:50 the circuit work and we loved the friends.
00:16:53 So admittedly at that point, the idea of now going foreign
00:16:57 and having another change maybe lost a bit of its luster.
00:17:00 And we had gotten so comfortable that we had potentially gotten too comfortable.
00:17:03 What about you, Whitney?
00:17:05 Yeah, I thought, you know: ‘It had always been my goal.
00:17:08 ‘But now, Jehovah?
00:17:10 ‘Now after I got into circuit work
00:17:12 and am enjoying it, now you want me to go foreign?’
00:17:14 So, what helped you?
00:17:17 So we were explaining what was happening
00:17:19 and talking to my family and telling them how we felt.
00:17:21 I was talking to my sister and my brother-in-law,
00:17:24 and he said, “You know, Whit, you feel like you got trained for circuit work,
00:17:28 but maybe circuit work was training you for the next assignment.”
00:17:31 And just shifting my thoughts in that way really helped me.
00:17:34 Yeah.
00:17:34 That’s great advice.
00:17:35 What about you, Ben?
00:17:36 Was there something in particular that helped you?
00:17:38 There was.
00:17:39 I spoke with a brother in the Service Department at Bethel,
00:17:42 and he said that ones in our situation come across his desk frequently.
00:17:46 And he said: “You’re at a crossroads.
00:17:48 “And there are some who turn down the opportunity
00:17:51 to accept this form of foreign service.”
00:17:53 He said, “But for those that accept it,
00:17:56 “who take that step of faith,
00:17:58 “they receive blessings that they
00:18:00 could never have imagined from Jehovah.”
00:18:03 And we can rightly say that has been completely accurate.
00:18:07 We feel exactly that way.
00:18:08 Well, it shows.
00:18:10 So you went off to a foreign assignment.
00:18:12 You continued in circuit work there.
00:18:15 What would you say, Whitney?
00:18:16 How did foreign service help you?
00:18:19 In so many ways.
00:18:20 But a couple of them are just getting to express our faith and trust
00:18:24 in Jehovah in a way that we never would have if we didn’t go.
00:18:28 And one of the greatest gifts was the people that we met
00:18:30 —the local brothers and sisters,
00:18:32 our fellow missionaries, and circuit overseers.
00:18:35 Their faith and self-sacrifice taught us so much.
00:18:38 Beautiful.
00:18:39 And now you’ve come to Gilead.
00:18:40 How has Gilead training helped you?
00:18:42 Again, in so many ways.
00:18:45 While we loved our foreign assignment, it did have challenges.
00:18:48 And I remember praying to Jehovah, asking him for help
00:18:51 with certain things that I struggled with.
00:18:54 And the first week that we were here in Gilead, I saw the answer
00:18:56 to those prayers —specific things that I had prayed about—
00:18:59 answered right in week one, and it never stopped since.
00:19:02 Yeah.
00:19:03 And I’m sure Gilead training will just keep helping you in the future.
00:19:06 You said at the outset, Ben, that you wanted to get a lot out of life.
00:19:09 And I think we would all agree:
00:19:11 You’ve gotten a lot out of life —both of you so far.
00:19:15 And maybe in the next 30 minutes, you’ll find out
00:19:17 just how much more out of life you’re going to get.
00:19:19 Thank you both for being with us on The Inside Story.
00:19:22 Thank you.
00:19:23 Let’s welcome our final guests.
00:19:25 They’re also serving in the United States.
00:19:27 It’s Joshua and Solaydi Rechanek.
00:19:41 Josh and Solaydi, welcome.
00:19:42 It’s nice to have you.
00:19:43 You’re our final guests on The Inside Story for today,
00:19:46 and I should clarify that although you’re serving in the United States,
00:19:48 you are actually from Puerto Rico, correct?
00:19:51 That’s right.
00:19:52 It’s a beautiful tropical island in the Caribbean.
00:19:55 So my mom and dad moved there
00:19:58 before I was born to serve, and that’s where I was raised.
00:20:01 And they were a tremendous example
00:20:04 for entering full-time service for me,
00:20:06 because when I was one, they actually started in the circuit work.
00:20:10 So it’s just that from a very young age,
00:20:13 it just seemed very natural to have that as a goal, and I’m very grateful.
00:20:17 OK, Solaydi, were you also born and raised in Puerto Rico?
00:20:22 That is right.
00:20:23 I have an older brother, Rafi,
00:20:25 and we both were raised by our mom,
00:20:28 Lydia, as a single parent.
00:20:30 She raised us in the truth, and a little bit
00:20:34 after Joshua came to our congregation, I started to pioneer.
00:20:38 And also I had the privilege to serve as a commuter
00:20:42 in the Puerto Rico branch,
00:20:44 but we were happy to have him in our congregation.
00:20:49 But something happened.
00:20:51 OK, before we get to what happened, we have a nice photograph.
00:20:53 There it is.
00:20:54 So that’s you with your mom, Solaydi?
00:20:55 Yeah, that’s my mom, Lydia.
00:20:57 So, Josh, just to clarify this also,
00:20:59 how did you get to Solaydi’s congregation?
00:21:02 So after I started pioneering, I went to what was called
00:21:05 the Ministerial Training School in 2003,
00:21:08 and after a little bit, I got assigned to this lovely rural congregation,
00:21:12 where I just happened to meet a very beautiful sister.
00:21:15 I like the way you say lovely congregation.
00:21:17 But a change came.
00:21:19 You said, Solaydi, that something changed.
00:21:20 What changed?
00:21:22 Well, I had gotten some training as a substitute circuit overseer,
00:21:26 and then there was a need for a circuit overseer.
00:21:30 But it wasn’t in Puerto Rico; it was in a Spanish circuit in Ohio.
00:21:34 And so I prayed about it,
00:21:37 and off I went from Puerto Rico to Ohio.
00:21:39 What was that like, Josh? Tell us about it.
00:21:41 How did you feel when you got there?
00:21:43 I was— It was very different.
00:21:45 I remember dropping my dad off at the airport (because he helped me move up),
00:21:49 and then when I was driving away, I said,
00:21:51 “I know nobody and nothing even nearby after that plane takes off.”
00:21:56 Because not only was the place different but also everything was different.
00:22:00 It’s very interesting because the congregations
00:22:02 in the U.S. in Spanish tend to be very mixed culturally.
00:22:06 And so I got to be with brothers from many different cultures
00:22:09 that I hadn’t experienced before.
00:22:11 I even had to learn to speak Spanish in a way that everybody would understand
00:22:14 instead of just the brothers from Puerto Rico.
00:22:17 So that’s a huge change for you
00:22:19 —a change of culture coming to the United States and then,
00:22:21 as you say, all these other cultures.
00:22:23 You brought along a really nice picture, Josh.
00:22:25 What can you tell us about this?
00:22:27 I learned this day a very important skill,
00:22:30 which is to check the weather report before you leave home to preach.
00:22:33 Right.
00:22:34 Do you not check the weather in Puerto Rico?
00:22:36 Nope.
00:22:37 It’s either going to be sunny, or it’s going to rain.
00:22:39 Two choices.
00:22:40 Interesting.
00:22:41 What about you, Solaydi?
00:22:42 So Josh has come to the United States.
00:22:46 How did that affect you?
00:22:48 Well, I was happy for the assignment.
00:22:50 It was a privilege, so I wanted to support him.
00:22:54 So we kept in touch.
00:22:55 And in 2010, we got married.
00:22:58 And after that, we received an invitation
00:23:01 to continue as a couple in Ohio.
00:23:04 Well, that’s a big change for you then.
00:23:06 Again, just like Josh, you came to a new country, in a sense,
00:23:10 a new marriage, and a new assignment in circuit work.
00:23:15 What were some of the hard moments for you?
00:23:16 Maybe, Josh, you could share first.
00:23:18 Well, as I said, there was a lot of adaptation.
00:23:21 When you start a new assignment, I don’t think you ever really feel
00:23:25 qualified for it or prepared for it.
00:23:28 And so we were very young when we started the circuit work,
00:23:31 visiting congregations where sometimes there were brothers that had been serving
00:23:35 as regular pioneers longer than we’d been alive.
00:23:37 And then all of a sudden, we’d have the responsibility
00:23:40 to encourage them and help them.
00:23:42 So that could be a bit intimidating.
00:23:44 Sure.
00:23:45 And you brought along another photo.
00:23:47 You can see the confusion of the adaptation.
00:23:50 What can you tell us about this, Josh?
00:23:52 So this was a field service day
00:23:55 shortly after getting married.
00:23:57 And it wasn’t that I was distracted or anything, but we rushed out the door,
00:24:01 went to field service, took the group out, and made all the arrangements.
00:24:04 And then a dear brother, a very good friend, came up to me,
00:24:08 and he put his arm around my shoulder, and he took me over to Solaydi.
00:24:11 And he said: “I’m not going to say anything.
00:24:14 I’m just going to look.”
00:24:14 And he looked down at my shoes,
00:24:16 and, well, it just turned out that I had
00:24:18 put two different shoes on.
00:24:19 And he was kind enough
00:24:22 to point that out before I went out in service.
00:24:23 But he didn’t point it out before he took the picture.
00:24:26 Of course.
00:24:27 Solaydi, what were you thinking?
00:24:29 I was like: “Baby, what happened?
00:24:31 What did you do?”
00:24:34 So you always check his shoes before he goes out then.
00:24:36 Yes, I try to check him before leaving home.
00:24:39 But maybe in all seriousness, Josh,
00:24:42 what would you say were the keys that helped you?
00:24:46 I got some really good advice
00:24:48 from brothers with more experience, including my father.
00:24:51 And there are really two keys we found.
00:24:54 One is to love the brothers, because that’s really what they need.
00:24:58 They need love and affection and your time.
00:25:01 And the other is to be humble,
00:25:04 because the brothers greatly appreciate the arrangement of the circuit overseer,
00:25:07 whoever the circuit overseer is.
00:25:09 So as long as you remain humble, Jehovah can use you
00:25:13 to encourage the friends and then all glory goes to him.
00:25:16 It’s very nice to love humility,
00:25:18 and that’s really what helps us to “become all things to [all] people.”
00:25:21 What about for you, Solaydi?
00:25:23 What were challenges for you?
00:25:25 Well, for me it was the emotional part.
00:25:29 Because it is true: It is a beautiful privilege
00:25:32 to be able to know so many brothers and sisters
00:25:36 and make bonds with them, but at the same time, you face reality.
00:25:41 You see all the struggles that they are going through.
00:25:43 So some are dealing with health problems
00:25:47 or economic problems
00:25:49 or even their status in the country.
00:25:51 So I was not able to help them
00:25:53 in the way that I wanted, so I felt helpless.
00:25:56 So, what could you do for them?
00:25:59 So I had to leave that part
00:26:02 in Jehovah’s hands and give them my time.
00:26:06 So I try to go
00:26:08 with them in service, try to encourage them.
00:26:11 Sometimes we laugh, sometimes we cry,
00:26:15 but I try to show them my love
00:26:17 —and even more important that Jehovah loves them.
00:26:20 Nice.
00:26:21 Well, I’m sure you left a little bit of your heart with all of them.
00:26:24 That’s very nice.
00:26:26 Now you’re here in Gilead.
00:26:27 Was that a surprise for you?
00:26:28 Yes, a big surprise.
00:26:31 And, Josh, I know Gilead actually has a special place in your heart.
00:26:34 Why is that?
00:26:35 It does.
00:26:36 It’s because my parents attended Gilead,
00:26:39 and that’s actually what brought them to Puerto Rico.
00:26:41 They attended the 52nd class.
00:26:44 Right. Good.
00:26:45 So having parents who went to Gilead, did they
00:26:48 keep Gilead in their heart even after they had a family and were raising you?
00:26:52 They did. Absolutely.
00:26:53 I remember they had their graduation photo
00:26:56 up in the hallway, where all of us would walk every day.
00:27:00 So every day of my life growing up I walked past that photo.
00:27:03 There it is, the 52nd class.
00:27:05 That’s them.
00:27:06 And also the way they were,
00:27:09 the way they served Jehovah, the love and zeal that they have:
00:27:13 It’s clear to me—even clearer now—
00:27:17 that Gilead had a big impact on them.
00:27:19 What would you say that impact was on them?
00:27:21 How did you see Gilead training in them?
00:27:24 I think of two things.
00:27:25 One is that they’re excellent students of the Bible and always have been.
00:27:30 My mom’s Bible has so many notes that I don’t think it can hold any more.
00:27:33 And my dad, I remember he would be reading the Bible with us at night,
00:27:38 and he had an envelope that he’d mark the family Bible with.
00:27:42 And all of a sudden he’d stop reading and stop to make a note on the envelope
00:27:45 because he came across a scripture that he wanted to use for a talk
00:27:48 or a shepherding call or just a point that he liked.
00:27:51 So that was an excellent example.
00:27:53 And also they’ve always worked very, very hard for Kingdom interests.
00:27:57 They’ve always had the goal to do as much as they can for as long as they can,
00:28:01 and that just kind of became the family motto.
00:28:03 So it’s interesting now going through Gilead
00:28:06 and seeing so much emphasis placed on exactly those things
00:28:10 —to feed your love for Jehovah and do as much as you can for the organization.
00:28:13 Yeah, I was going to ask you that as well.
00:28:16 Here you are sitting in class, and you’re hearing
00:28:19 to a great degree the same things your parents heard.
00:28:22 Has that helped you at all?
00:28:24 It has.
00:28:25 They must have had those qualities to an extent when they came to Gilead.
00:28:29 But I think, listening to the classes now,
00:28:32 it’s clear that Gilead stirred that up in them
00:28:36 and kept that flame burning for many, many years.
00:28:38 That’s beautiful.
00:28:39 And they must be very proud of both of you
00:28:41 as you apply yourselves and as you will apply the training
00:28:45 and look forward to applying it in your future assignments.
00:28:48 Thank you both very much for being with us today.
00:28:50 Thank you.
00:28:51 In the introduction, we quoted Paul’s words
00:28:54 at 1 Corinthians 9:22.
00:28:57 He said: “I have become all things to people of all sorts,
00:29:01 so that I might by all possible means save some.”
00:29:05 The apostle obligated himself to adjust his life
00:29:09 and personal tastes “for the sake of the good news.”
00:29:13 We hope today’s program has been encouraging to you,
00:29:16 whether it’s trying something you just don’t prefer
00:29:20 or something you didn’t think you could do in Jehovah’s service.
00:29:23 Maybe it’s just getting in the game, so to speak,
00:29:26 or giving someone a little piece of your heart to encourage them.
00:29:30 Today’s guests have shown us
00:29:33 that by adjusting our life
00:29:36 and personal tastes for the sake of the good news,
00:29:39 with Jehovah, we can cope with any change
00:29:42 or make any change for Jehovah’s service.
00:29:46 Thank you for being with us, and we look forward to seeing you
00:29:49 on another edition of The Inside Story.
00:30:19 It was very encouraging and nice
00:30:21 to see a picture of that 52nd class
00:30:24 that I mentioned in the introduction.
00:30:27 Josh wasn’t there.
00:30:32 They were rewarded with him later, there in Puerto Rico.
00:30:37 So that was so encouraging.
00:30:40 We really appreciate The Inside Story,
00:30:43 and we thank Trent and all of those participants.
00:30:46 And now,
00:30:48 we look forward to another member of the Governing Body.
00:30:51 Brother Geoff Jackson is going to speak on the subject
00:30:55 (and this is for you students, particularly)
00:30:58 “Now Share What You Have Learned!”
00:31:04 The graduation of the 150th class of Gilead:
00:31:09 Who would have thought that we would have
00:31:11 150 classes of Gilead?
00:31:15 And probably, for you students, you were wondering if you would survive
00:31:18 to the 150th graduation.
00:31:22 Over the years,
00:31:24 graduations of Gilead have taken various forms.
00:31:28 If you look at this photograph,
00:31:30 you’ll notice that for the 7th class,
00:31:34 the graduation was in 1946.
00:31:37 And what do you notice?
00:31:38 The guests who came along were
00:31:41 in the open air, hoping for good weather.
00:31:45 And I’m told there was no—
00:31:47 It wasn’t a ticketed event.
00:31:49 So just those that wanted to come along
00:31:51 came along.
00:31:52 And then notice in the next one here
00:31:54 that we’ve got the president
00:31:55 giving one of the talks
00:31:57 on the stairs leading up to Gilead.
00:32:00 Well, things have changed.
00:32:02 In 1953, the 21st class
00:32:06 graduated at Yankee Stadium,
00:32:10 and you’d imagine that was a huge event.
00:32:13 And in fact, it commemorated
00:32:15 the tenth anniversary of Gilead
00:32:17 and was very appropriate because that was
00:32:19 a very special year, 1953.
00:32:22 That was the year that the U.S. government
00:32:25 granted us legal status
00:32:27 so that we could have foreign students
00:32:29 come and join the school.
00:32:31 And then, of course,
00:32:32 no matter what graduation we’ve had,
00:32:34 there’s always the joyous look
00:32:36 on the faces of those graduating.
00:32:38 That’s the common denominator.
00:32:41 Of course, in recent years, we’ve had some very different graduations as well
00:32:45 —haven’t we?—with no live audience.
00:32:49 But aren’t you happy that we’ve got a live audience today?
00:32:58 Now, after the last few months,
00:33:00 you’ve been through so many lessons
00:33:04 and written exams and so on.
00:33:07 There’s been a lot of training.
00:33:09 And what has been the purpose of all of that?
00:33:12 Well, when we think of worldly institutions and education,
00:33:16 usually it’s all about the students, isn’t it?
00:33:20 It’s all about the dreams, as Brother Morris mentioned.
00:33:24 It’s all about their ambitions
00:33:27 and their success that they’re looking forward to.
00:33:30 But what about Gilead?
00:33:32 Well, you’ve learned very clearly, I’m sure, that it’s not about you.
00:33:37 And if you haven’t, maybe we need to enroll you in the next class as well.
00:33:42 No, as dedicated servants of Jehovah,
00:33:46 we see that nothing is about us.
00:33:49 It’s not all about us.
00:33:51 It’s about what we can accomplish
00:33:53 in praising our heavenly Father, Jehovah.
00:33:56 So now you’re at this point where you’re about to graduate.
00:34:01 Now what?
00:34:03 Now is the time for you to share what you’ve learned with others.
00:34:08 Now, what does that involve?
00:34:10 Does this mean you’re going to go to different assignments
00:34:13 and start up little Gilead classes (you know, informally)
00:34:17 in the back rooms of Kingdom Halls?
00:34:20 I wouldn’t advise that.
00:34:24 So, what does it mean to share what you’ve learned with others?
00:34:28 Well, as has already been highlighted in this program,
00:34:33 your example —working hard—is going to help others
00:34:37 to see in action what you learned at Gilead.
00:34:42 But also we see a very interesting scripture
00:34:45 in the second book of Timothy,
00:34:47 so please turn with me to 2 Timothy chapter 2
00:34:50 and verse 2.
00:34:52 And here Paul is speaking to Timothy,
00:34:55 but he captures the thought of what else we need to do.
00:34:59 In verse 2, it says:
00:35:01 “The things you heard from me that were supported by many witnesses,
00:35:05 “these things entrust to faithful men, who, in turn,
00:35:10 will be adequately qualified to teach others.”
00:35:15 What do we see from this particular verse?
00:35:18 Well, yes, you will teach by your example by doing the hard work,
00:35:22 but also you need to take an interest in others
00:35:26 and, perhaps in a more informal setting,
00:35:29 help them to see the principles and the lessons that you’ve learned
00:35:33 from your Gilead training.
00:35:35 And that’s a very important thing.
00:35:38 We can take the example of our Lord Jesus Christ.
00:35:42 Of course, Jesus’ main focus
00:35:44 was the preaching of the good news of the Kingdom, wasn’t it?
00:35:47 But that’s not all he did.
00:35:50 If we turn to Mark chapter 9,
00:35:53 notice in Jesus’ busy schedule
00:35:56 what he made time for.
00:35:59 This is Mark 9:30, 31:
00:36:04 “They departed from there and went through Galilee,
00:36:08 but he did not want anyone to get to know about it.”
00:36:11 So this was a time when he wanted some peace and quiet.
00:36:15 Why?
00:36:17 Well, verse 31 says
00:36:19 “for he was teaching his disciples.”
00:36:23 So Jesus took time from his busy schedule to show interest
00:36:28 in those who he was training to help them to be prepared for the future.
00:36:33 So that’s a wonderful example for us.
00:36:36 When we look through the Scriptures, we see many examples,
00:36:39 but for the next few minutes, we’re going to think about Barnabas
00:36:44 and how Barnabas
00:36:46 was able to share what he learned with Paul.
00:36:50 And as we think about what happened
00:36:52 in that interaction between Barnabas and Paul,
00:36:56 we’re going to learn five lessons
00:36:59 —five lessons that teach us
00:37:01 how to handle training others and passing on what we’ve learned.
00:37:06 So the first lesson: If you turn with me, please, to the book of Acts
00:37:10 —Acts chapter 9—
00:37:13 this takes us to around the year 36 C.E.
00:37:17 So Saul has already become a Christian.
00:37:21 Now, after a while, he arrives in Jerusalem.
00:37:24 So, what happens?
00:37:26 In verse 26 of chapter 9, it says:
00:37:28 “On arriving in Jerusalem, he [that’s Paul]
00:37:32 “made efforts to join the disciples,
00:37:35 “but they were all afraid of him [I wonder why],
00:37:39 because they did not believe he was a disciple.”
00:37:42 They were thinking, ‘This is going to be a very dangerous thing.’
00:37:46 But now, what happened in verse 27?
00:37:50 “So Barnabas came to his aid
00:37:53 and led him to the apostles.”
00:37:56 So we see, as pictured here,
00:37:59 Barnabas saw the potential in Saul
00:38:03 and believed that, really,
00:38:06 he could be useful in Jehovah’s service.
00:38:08 So he risked his reputation, you might say,
00:38:12 by supporting, or sponsoring,
00:38:14 Saul and taking him to the apostles.
00:38:18 So, what’s the lesson that we learn from this?
00:38:22 Try to see the potential in others.
00:38:26 And don’t worry about if you
00:38:29 perhaps encourage them
00:38:30 and if you give them support
00:38:32 —you sponsor them, you might say—
00:38:34 and then they don’t really turn out well
00:38:36 and that now all of a sudden your reputation
00:38:38 is going to be tarnished.
00:38:39 Remember, it’s not all about you.
00:38:42 It’s what is good for the work.
00:38:44 So that’s the first lesson.
00:38:46 Try to see the potential in others.
00:38:50 Now, if we turn across to Acts chapter 11,
00:38:54 this is about nine years later,
00:38:57 around the year 45 C.E.
00:39:00 Now, in chapter 11 of Acts,
00:39:02 the work is going ahead in the Gentile field
00:39:06 and particularly in the city of Antioch.
00:39:09 So Barnabas was assigned by the brothers
00:39:13 to go and help the congregation in Antioch.
00:39:18 Well, let’s look down in verses 25 and 26,
00:39:21 because as soon as Barnabas arrived there,
00:39:24 he realized he needed help.
00:39:27 So, what did he do?
00:39:29 Well, in verse 25, it says:
00:39:32 “He [that’s Barnabas]
00:39:34 went to Tarsus to make a thorough search for Saul.”
00:39:39 So he went to find Saul.
00:39:42 He remembered that this was a man
00:39:44 who could speak Greek and was well-educated.
00:39:48 He’d be able to help him with the Gentile field.
00:39:51 It’s interesting that when you look at a map, you’ll notice
00:39:55 that it’s about 120 miles
00:39:58 from Antioch to Tarsus, or about 200 kilometers.
00:40:03 It mentions here in verse 25 that he made “a thorough search for Saul.”
00:40:07 Why?
00:40:08 Well, if we compare 1 Corinthians, where Paul lists all the things he did,
00:40:13 many of those, it appears, happened in those nine years.
00:40:17 He was shipwrecked several times, put into prison, and so on.
00:40:21 So he was very busy.
00:40:23 Barnabas sought him out, and then what did he have to do?
00:40:27 Well, in verse 26, it says: “After he found him,
00:40:30 he brought him to Antioch.”
00:40:32 So, what did he have to do?
00:40:34 He had to convince Saul.
00:40:37 You can imagine that may have been a little difficult
00:40:39 because Saul was having a productive ministry.
00:40:42 So he brought him to Antioch.
00:40:44 Then verse 26 says:
00:40:46 “For a whole year they assembled with him in the congregation
00:40:50 and taught quite a crowd.”
00:40:53 So Barnabas didn’t take Paul and say, “Now I’m going to teach you.”
00:40:58 He just had him work along with him.
00:41:00 And as they worked together, that would have given Saul some training.
00:41:05 So, what’s the lesson
00:41:07 that we learn?
00:41:09 Be willing to make the effort.
00:41:11 You see, Barnabas not only
00:41:13 saw the potential
00:41:15 but was willing to go and find Saul
00:41:18 and then convince him to come
00:41:19 and work with him,
00:41:20 and then they worked together.
00:41:22 So that’s the second lesson.
00:41:24 The third lesson is in Acts 13.
00:41:28 So after Barnabas and Saul were in Antioch for some time,
00:41:33 what happened in verse 2?
00:41:36 It says: “As they were ministering to Jehovah and fasting,
00:41:39 “the holy spirit said:
00:41:42 “‘Set aside for me Barnabas and Saul
00:41:45 for the work to which I have called them.’”
00:41:48 Well, now, this is a time when they’re going out in the missionary field,
00:41:54 but notice that the holy spirit mentions “Barnabas and Saul.”
00:41:58 So in this illustration, we see who is taking the lead—Barnabas.
00:42:02 Saul is following along.
00:42:05 But if we look down further in verse 13 of the same chapter,
00:42:10 we see there’s a little change.
00:42:12 Saul starts to use a name that is more common in that area—Paul.
00:42:16 But what does it say now?
00:42:18 “Paul and his companions put out to sea.”
00:42:21 And from here on, it seems that Paul took the lead.
00:42:26 Now, let’s just imagine for a little bit that you were Barnabas.
00:42:30 You know, maybe we could imagine ourselves saying quietly to Saul, or Paul,
00:42:35 or whatever he was calling himself at that time:
00:42:38 “Can I just have a few words with you?
00:42:40 “This is not a big issue, but do you remember
00:42:44 “when holy spirit said we were going out?
00:42:46 “It was ‘Barnabas and Saul.’
00:42:50 “Now, now, I don’t have a big problem with this.
00:42:53 “But, you know, I appreciate your enthusiasm.
00:42:56 But, really, I was the one designated to take the lead here.”
00:43:00 No, he didn’t say that, did he?
00:43:02 The Bearing Witness book mentions that he wasn’t envious at all.
00:43:07 So, what’s the lesson?
00:43:10 Well, if we’re working along with someone and training them,
00:43:14 the lesson is:
00:43:16 Don’t be envious if they start to excel.
00:43:20 And actually, what we’re helping them
00:43:23 to do is to blossom.
00:43:24 And they will get some of the privileges
00:43:26 that perhaps we would have liked
00:43:28 along the way.
00:43:29 So we won’t be saying, “Well, uhm, excuse me, uhm,
00:43:33 but I’m the one who went through Gilead.”
00:43:35 No, we won’t be envious.
00:43:39 The fourth lesson takes us to the book of Galatians.
00:43:43 So if you turn with me to Galatians chapter 2,
00:43:47 this is around the year 49 C.E.
00:43:51 Already, Peter and Paul and Barnabas
00:43:55 and Titus had all been to Jerusalem,
00:43:58 and they’d had the big discussion with the governing body about circumcision.
00:44:03 Interestingly, when they arrived in Jerusalem,
00:44:06 the account says that Barnabas and Paul were there.
00:44:09 Interesting.
00:44:10 Maybe Barnabas took note of that, that he was mentioned first again,
00:44:14 probably because the governing body remembered that was actually
00:44:18 the role originally.
00:44:20 But now we find that Peter, Paul, and Barnabas
00:44:24 and some others were back in Antioch.
00:44:27 And what happened just a few months after that special meeting?
00:44:31 Well, Paul had to tell Peter that he was doing something wrong.
00:44:36 But notice, please, what verse 13 says:
00:44:40 “The rest of the Jews also joined him in putting on this pretense,
00:44:44 so that even Barnabas was led along with them in their pretense.”
00:44:49 Now I just love this picture.
00:44:51 You see Paul telling Peter he’s wrong,
00:44:54 and have a look at Barnabas’ face.
00:44:59 He looks guilty.
00:45:01 Awkward!
00:45:05 Do you see?
00:45:06 He was caught in the crossfire.
00:45:08 He likewise was getting counsel because he was involved with this.
00:45:13 So, what lesson
00:45:15 do we gain from this?
00:45:17 Accept counsel
00:45:19 even from those whom we are viewing
00:45:21 as the ones whom we’re training.
00:45:23 Don’t feel that we’re
00:45:24 above accepting counsel.
00:45:28 Now, the final lesson is the one probably you thought about immediately
00:45:32 when we mentioned Paul and Barnabas.
00:45:34 I know what you were thinking—Acts 15.
00:45:36 So let’s turn there
00:45:38 —Acts 15:37-39.
00:45:45 And this is after the incident in Antioch.
00:45:49 And it says: “Barnabas was determined to take along John,
00:45:53 “who was called Mark.
00:45:55 “Paul, however, was not in favor of taking him along with them,
00:46:00 “seeing that he had departed from them in Pamphylia
00:46:03 “and had not gone with them to the work.
00:46:06 “At this there was a sharp burst of anger,
00:46:09 so that they separated from each other.”
00:46:13 Now, this is the instance that we usually remember
00:46:16 when we think of Paul and Barnabas.
00:46:19 What led to this problem?
00:46:21 Have you ever thought about that?
00:46:23 It mentions that Paul was very hesitant
00:46:26 about taking John Mark along with them.
00:46:29 Perhaps he remembered on that first missionary tour
00:46:33 when John Mark had gone back,
00:46:35 he and Barnabas continued on into Galatia.
00:46:38 And reading what Paul said to the Galatians,
00:46:41 it seems obvious that Paul had problems with his eyes
00:46:45 and that he was very sick at that point.
00:46:48 So, no doubt, you know, he missed having a young man available
00:46:52 to carry the luggage and to do all the things that needed to be done.
00:46:56 So Barnabas could understand why Paul was hesitant.
00:47:01 He didn’t want to lose the help again.
00:47:04 But then, on the other hand, what about Barnabas?
00:47:06 Why do you think he was so determined to take John Mark?
00:47:11 Well, it could be the fact that he was a relative
00:47:14 (that sometimes comes into a factor),
00:47:17 or it could be the fact
00:47:20 that Barnabas saw the potential in Saul
00:47:23 was the same thing he saw in John Mark.
00:47:26 “This is a good young man.
00:47:28 We need to give him a chance.”
00:47:30 Or could it be that he was still stinging a little bit
00:47:34 after the rebuke in Antioch?
00:47:38 Or could it be that he was still viewing
00:47:42 Saul, or Paul, as a student,
00:47:45 someone newer in the truth than him and someone from whom
00:47:48 he just found it hard to accept his opinion?
00:47:52 Now, we’re not going to play the “blame game.”
00:47:56 Some of us will be working with these brothers later.
00:48:06 But I feel safe in saying this:
00:48:11 I’m sure that Paul and Barnabas
00:48:14 when they think back to that day
00:48:16 would agree that they could have done things better.
00:48:18 Is that a safe comment?
00:48:20 I think all of us have times when we felt maybe we were right,
00:48:25 but we could have handled it better.
00:48:27 So, what’s the lesson?
00:48:30 Try to respect different opinions;
00:48:32 don’t overreact.
00:48:34 Don’t get upset.
00:48:36 Try to work through things
00:48:38 so that it doesn’t affect
00:48:39 our working relationship.
00:48:42 Well, when we’ve thought about Barnabas and Paul,
00:48:46 it really gives us a lot of food for thought, doesn’t it?
00:48:49 Remember those five lessons?
00:48:51 Try to see the potential in others.
00:48:54 Then be willing to put forward the effort that’s required to train them.
00:48:59 Don’t be envious if they get privileges.
00:49:03 Accept counsel if they offer you counsel,
00:49:05 and respect their opinions as well.
00:49:08 We know that you’ll try to implement those suggestions.
00:49:13 Yes, as you go to your assignments,
00:49:16 may Jehovah be with you and bless you.
00:49:20 May you try to help others by sharing what you’ve learned at Gilead.
00:49:24 And in that way, you will fulfill the purpose of Gilead
00:49:29 —to stabilize and strengthen others.
00:49:42 So you heard him nice and clear.
00:49:45 “Share What You Have Learned”
00:49:47 —beautiful lessons to keep in mind.
00:49:51 Now,
00:49:54 the students have certainly looked forward
00:49:56 to this point for over five months.
00:50:01 And they’re going to transition into Gilead graduates,
00:50:06 so this is what this is.
00:50:08 Now, Brother Ken Flodin,
00:50:10 a helper to the Teaching Committee,
00:50:13 is going to assist by introducing the graduates
00:50:16 and then letting us know where they’re assigned.
00:50:19 We’ll hand out their diplomas.
00:50:22 First, we have Brother and Sister Baker,
00:50:25 and they’re going to be serving in Angola.
00:50:40 This is Brother and Sister Barber.
00:50:42 They’ll be remaining in the United States,
00:50:44 where Ryan will serve as a member of the Branch Committee.
00:50:57 Brother and Sister Bell will also be remaining in the United States,
00:51:00 where Steve will be serving as a member of the Branch Committee.
00:51:14 Brother and Sister Bornschein
00:51:16 will be transferred to Angola,
00:51:19 where Taylor will be serving on the Branch Committee there.
00:51:34 And here we have Brother and Sister Frey.
00:51:36 They’re being transferred to the Philippines,
00:51:39 and Ben will be serving on the Branch Committee there.
00:51:54 And this is Brother Hess.
00:51:56 He’s going to be serving in the United States.
00:52:08 Brother and Sister Lopez will be remaining in the United States.
00:52:20 This is Brother and Sister Mani,
00:52:22 and they will be remaining in the United States.
00:52:34 Brother and Sister Martinez
00:52:36 —they’re going to now be serving in Paraguay,
00:52:38 where he will be serving as a member of the Branch Committee.
00:52:52 And this is
00:52:56 Brother and Sister Morris,
00:52:58 and they will be remaining in the United States,
00:53:00 where he will be serving as a member of the Branch Committee.
00:53:24 It’ll be hard to follow that one up.
00:53:28 This is Brother Morrison, and he’ll be remaining in the United States.
00:53:41 This is Brother and Sister Parmely.
00:53:44 They’re going to now be serving in the Philippines,
00:53:46 where he’s going to serve on the Branch Committee.
00:54:00 And finally, this is Brother and Sister Rechanek.
00:54:02 They’re going to serve in Paraguay,
00:54:04 where he’ll be serving on the Branch Committee.
00:54:20 Well, that went quick!
00:54:22 It was very good
00:54:25 —well, very special.
00:54:28 Jehovah blessed the program, that’s for sure.
00:54:32 I just want to share some concluding comments,
00:54:36 and I think you are supposed to raise that curtain, aren’t you?
00:54:42 Oh, you know what?
00:54:43 Yeah, I want to see Ryan.
00:54:45 Where is Ryan?
00:54:46 Oh, yeah.
00:54:47 So Ryan is going to read a letter
00:54:51 from the class for us.
00:54:53 We’re listening.
00:55:02 “To the Governing Body.
00:55:04 “Dear Brothers: Over 2,500 years ago,
00:55:08 “Jehovah addressed Jeremiah with the words:
00:55:11 “‘Here I am, Jehovah, the God of all mankind.
00:55:15 “Is there anything too wonderful for me?’
00:55:19 “Attending Gilead at this time in our lives
00:55:22 “and in the midst of a pandemic seemed too wonderful to us.
00:55:26 “But it was not too wonderful for Jehovah.
00:55:29 “Thank you for the undeserved kindness
00:55:31 “of being invited to attend this unique school.
00:55:35 “The pinnacle of education
00:55:37 “in this world is divine education.
00:55:40 “Through it, the depth of God’s wisdom
00:55:43 “has taken on new meaning for us.
00:55:45 “We feel a greater closeness to Jehovah than ever before.
00:55:49 “And we feel a closeness to our legacy
00:55:53 “—from Adam to the ‘faithful and discreet slave.’
00:55:56 “At the same time, Gilead has revealed ways
00:55:59 “in which we need to continue to grow spiritually
00:56:02 “while providing the blueprint and the motivation to do so.
00:56:07 “We love our dear instructors
00:56:10 “who brought out of their ‘treasure store things both new and old’
00:56:14 “as they journeyed with us through God’s Word.
00:56:17 “Their example and that of their wives
00:56:19 “helped us during these five months of molding.
00:56:22 “And yet, by the way the Scriptures were opened up
00:56:26 “and spiritual matters were explained by spiritual words,
00:56:30 “we could feel that we were really being taught
00:56:33 “by our ‘Grand Instructor,’ Jehovah, and our Exemplar, Jesus.
00:56:39 “Thank you too for taking precious time
00:56:41 “from your busy schedules to deliver lectures to us.
00:56:44 “Each one of you, as well as all of those assigned to give lectures,
00:56:49 “delivered information to us with warmth and enthusiasm.
00:56:54 “We saw Bible truth so much simpler and more clearly.
00:56:58 “Your humility, sense of humor, and kindness
00:57:02 “showed your tender affection for us.
00:57:05 “Like Paul, you were determined to impart
00:57:07 “not only the good news of God but also your very selves.
00:57:12 “We will never forget your love for Jehovah
00:57:16 “and the privilege we have had to learn from you in person.
00:57:20 “We also feel a deep debt of gratitude
00:57:24 “to the Bethel family for their living examples
00:57:26 “of kindness and hospitality
00:57:29 “—qualities we learn so much about in class.
00:57:32 “Even routine trips to the pantry or a walk around the complex
00:57:36 “turned into spontaneous interchanges of encouragement.
00:57:40 “For this, we consider the Bethel family’s example
00:57:43 “to be part of our education.
00:57:47 “We know what we have to do now
00:57:50 “—apply ourselves to strengthening and stabilizing
00:57:54 “by upholding Bible truth and caring for Jehovah’s precious sheep
00:57:58 “in the areas where we will serve.
00:58:00 “This is a humbling assignment,
00:58:03 “but it is one that we want to carry out
00:58:06 “by imitating your example and that of the Christ.
00:58:10 “We are fully confident that Jehovah will help us
00:58:14 “because we have seen that nothing is too wonderful for him.
00:58:18 “With warm love, your Brothers and Sisters,
00:58:21 150th class of Gilead.”
00:58:39 Ryan didn’t want to hug me.
00:58:42 It’s personal, you know?
00:58:49 Now, those are very touching sentiments,
00:58:52 and the Governing Body treasures those expressions from all of you.
00:58:57 Just some concluding comments for you,
00:59:00 some things to pass on that, of course,
00:59:03 all of us listening can benefit from.
00:59:05 We mentioned we’d talk about the SKE
00:59:10 (School for Kingdom Evangelizers),
00:59:12 and, see, everything changed with Gilead.
00:59:15 We’ll give you some statistics shortly.
00:59:18 The School for Kingdom Evangelizers
00:59:22 has just been so blessed by Jehovah.
00:59:25 Only two months, but they are just strengthening
00:59:30 the brothers and sisters in the field.
00:59:33 Some of them end up in the circuit work or as missionaries.
00:59:36 So He’s blessing that.
00:59:38 And what is another blessing is that as we deal with this side of Armageddon
00:59:43 (all these different languages),
00:59:45 they don’t have to learn English, which was always a struggle.
00:59:50 That’s the fault of language
00:59:54 but certainly not of those sincere individuals
00:59:57 wanting to come to Gilead.
00:59:59 So they’ve done wonderfully.
01:00:02 Jehovah has blessed the school.
01:00:03 Now, you’ve had these five months,
01:00:06 and these are some statistics that reveal how Jehovah has blessed
01:00:11 the Governing Body’s decision years ago.
01:00:15 Because, you know, Gilead has changed.
01:00:17 You see some of the history and appreciate it very much
01:00:20 —Brother Jackson’s review of some of these pictures.
01:00:24 But it was a missionary school, obviously,
01:00:27 and it did tremendous work after World War II.
01:00:30 But you may remember
01:00:33 (these are statistics
01:00:35 starting with class 132, October 2011)
01:00:39 that the focus of the school changed.
01:00:43 See, now He brought in special full-time servants.
01:00:47 So there was a time that you could go to Gilead
01:00:49 if you were a regular pioneer and you had good recommendations.
01:00:53 But these were all special full-time servants.
01:00:57 What was the thinking behind the decision?
01:01:01 It was to stabilize and strengthen
01:01:04 the field and branch organization
01:01:09 to help the brothers there in the branches
01:01:12 that they serve in to be sure to adhere
01:01:15 to Scriptural and theocratic direction.
01:01:18 So the school has really been blessed
01:01:21 by the decision that Jehovah helped the Governing Body to make.
01:01:26 And it’s his organization
01:01:28 —this earthly part, and it’s just been amazing
01:01:31 with what has happened to show the results:
01:01:34 “Wisdom is proved righteous by its works [or results].”
01:01:38 So here are some statistics:
01:01:41 There are 675 Branch
01:01:44 and 17 Country Committee members worldwide.
01:01:47 So that’s 692.
01:01:51 Of these 692 members,
01:01:54 355 are Gilead graduates.
01:02:00 So you’re talking about 51.3 percent already
01:02:04 since we started that.
01:02:07 Now, of the 355 graduates,
01:02:10 221 of them (which is 62 percent)
01:02:13 are from classes 132 to 149.
01:02:17 This is in these last ten years.
01:02:20 So these 221 brothers
01:02:23 represent 46.2 percent
01:02:26 of the 478 total brothers who are graduates
01:02:30 of classes 132-149.
01:02:34 And what happens, too, is that now we have some of you here
01:02:39 who are already going to be on Branch Committees.
01:02:42 That happened in past classes too,
01:02:44 but some of them who went to their assignments
01:02:47 weren’t on their committees right away.
01:02:50 But not too long after (some years),
01:02:52 they’re on the committees.
01:02:54 So Gilead made a big difference for them,
01:02:58 and it’s helping the organization.
01:03:01 They’ve been around headquarters,
01:03:03 like I’ve told classes in the past,
01:03:05 even though they’re way on the other side of the planet.
01:03:09 You just can’t make that appear in a video.
01:03:13 It’s not like being here and receiving that education.
01:03:17 So the numbers have gone up now,
01:03:20 and there are more of you on Branch Committees.
01:03:24 Others will take Jehovah’s training
01:03:26 and offer themselves and strengthen as they can.
01:03:31 So good results
01:03:33 —Jehovah gets all the praise and glory.
01:03:36 Gilead has been a blessing
01:03:39 to the earthly part of Jehovah’s organization.
01:03:43 Now, finally, just these brief comments for you
01:03:48 —very brief.
01:03:50 At the graduation, the 52nd class,
01:03:55 Brother Knorr stressed the need for the graduates to be humble.
01:04:00 Now, you’ve heard that quite a few times during class,
01:04:05 and they intensified this toward the last couple of weeks
01:04:08 if I know these instructors like I think I do.
01:04:12 “Be lowly in mind when you’re teaching others,” Brother Knorr told them.
01:04:16 You can’t overemphasize being humble
01:04:20 —you just can’t overemphasize it.
01:04:23 It’s crucial for Jehovah to use us continually,
01:04:27 and we believe
01:04:29 that same message goes for you in class 150
01:04:32 that Brother Knorr gave class 52.
01:04:35 Be humble.
01:04:36 Teach others with a lowliness of mind.
01:04:42 So you humbly rendering your sacred service
01:04:46 to Jehovah God
01:04:48 is going to cause your heavenly Father to rejoice.
01:04:53 So cause him to rejoice, and we know you will.
