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COUNSEL

TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES

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(This booklet should be read through carefully the day you receive it.)

• ¹ The Watchtower Bible and Tract Society was formed for the purpose of bringing praise and honor to Jehovah's name and preaching "this good news of the kingdom" in all the inhabited earth for the purpose of a witness. In trying to fulfill this responsibility the Society sends missionaries to all parts of the earth. All the Society's missionaries have demonstrated by previous service and study that they qualify for missionary service.

• ² Such specially trained ministers are sent to different lands to expand the preaching work of Jehovah's witnesses and to point interested people to the way of life and to Jehovah's organization. Indeed, the people must be shown the way to worship Jehovah properly, for "how will they call on him in whom they have not put faith? How, in turn, will they put faith in him of whom they have not heard? How, in turn, will they hear without someone to preach?" (Rom. 10:14, 15) In carrying out this Christian duty and privilege in the missionary field you will operate under the direction of Christ Jesus to gather the "other sheep," to teach them in home Bible studies and to organize them into congregations.—Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 1:8.

• ³ In order for you to minister properly to those who love righteousness in your assignment you must love them, be kind to them and be extremely patient. From time to time it would be well for each missionary to read 1 Corinthians 13. As a special representative of the Society you must

try to understand the people and their need and take a keen interest in helping them into Jehovah's organization, regardless of their customs or language. You should studiously avoid criticizing their way of life or comparing it unfavorably with what you have seen in other lands so that it appears that they are inferior. Remember that millions of people in the world have not had the opportunity to enjoy the high standard of living found in the advanced countries. Rather, many that you will meet have been oppressed and kept in ignorance and poverty. Yet from among these humble ones come those who thirst after truth and who love righteousness, "For a certainty I perceive that God is not partial, but in every nation the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him." (Acts 10:34, 35) No missionary should ever become arrogant and superior in his attitude toward those among whom he serves. Rather, he will remain humble as he remembers that all men are made of one flesh. So whether an individual is bond or free, male or female, young or old, black or yellow, Jew or Gentile, he will be offered the message of the Kingdom.—Acts 17:26, 27.

• ⁴ Requirements. We do not expect you to adopt the customs and living standards of the people in any land to which you are sent. However, in serving the people you must take into consideration their ideas, eating habits, living conditions, traditions and problems, and if you will try to understand their point of view and their situation you will readily gain friends and will seldom offend anyone even in little things. Always remember that the BIG THING is the kingdom of Jehovah. If changes are going to be made in their lives, let the understanding of the Kingdom message make them.

  ⁵ You are now a missionary, a minister of Jehovah God trained for service in foreign fields. Your assignment and your responsibility are to help people of other lands to come to a knowledge of the truth. Try hard to succeed and make that your life. As a missionary you should endeavor to devote at least 150 hours a month to the field service. A reason must be stated on the home

  
  

report if 150 hours is not reached. Please keep in mind that 150 hours is by no means the maximum number of hours a missionary may devote to the field service. It is not wise for a missionary to adopt the attitude that when he has reached the 150 hours for a month his missionary obligations are fulfilled and he may sit back and engage in other pursuits. Instead, his love for Jehovah, for the people and for his missionary privileges should motivate him to devote as much time as possible monthly to the preaching activity. By becoming thoroughly absorbed in the work and wholeheartedly engaging in all features of the missionary service it should be possible for most missionaries to reach and surpass the requirement of 150 hours. As a missionary you should set an example in zeal.

• ⁶ During the vacation month when a missionary puts in 75 hours he is eligible for the allowance and bonus.

• ⁷ Missionaries required to learn a new language will receive an allowance and bonus for their first month even though they do not meet the hour requirement. They will have to put in 100 hours the second month to qualify for an allowance and bonus. However, on your third month of work you should have sufficient knowledge of the language, so beginning with the third month you will be required to work 150 hours in the field. Missionaries should remember they are not sent

4 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES to new countries to sightsee or just visit. Your first responsibility is to study the language, if you do not speak it, for two months and then get to witnessing. Be a good missionary!

• ⁸ Being Theocratic. Just because you are a missionary and may have graduated from. Gilead is no reason for you to think you know more about theocratic matters than others. Having studied should have made you more humble and theocratic. There is a difference between knowing theocratic matters and being theocratic. For example, a theocratic person will recognize the organization and look to the appointed elders for instruction and will cooperate with such appointed elders. Maybe you do know more concerning Jehovah's Word and how to do things, but if you do not have the oversight, then learn to be obedient and follow instructions given you by the elders appointed by the governing body. If the governing body believes you qualify as an elder, you will be appointed to such responsible position. In the meantime you should carry out theocratic instructions and cooperate with those who are appointed as elders. You are not better than your brother; you are only one more brother and should show love to all.—1 John 4:7, 8, 20, 21.

• ⁹ Always keep in mind that our goal is to have local brothers take on the responsibility for the local territory. That means that we must try to train the local people and then give them some responsibilities in the congregations. Do not forget what Paul said at Romans 15:1, 2: "We, though, who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those not strong, and not to be pleasing ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor in what is good for his upbuilding." When a local brother is appointed as an elder or ministerial if he is always criticized by a missionary or if he gets up before the audience with the constant ■fear that he is under surveillance or observation by the missionary. We have to tolerate some mistakes on the part of elders and ministerial servants, Paul built up local congregations and then left them on their own and later sent brothers to see them or wrote letters to them. So he set an example for missionary workers today to put responsibility on the local brothers. We want to build up the "other sheep." Do your part in upbuilding your neighbor. Show kindness and cooperate with those in positions of oversight.

  servant in a congregation it will discourage him

  
  

• ¹⁰ Personal Study. To remain spiritually strong every missionary should continue to take in lifegiving wisdom from the Scriptures. Though a missionary may have read the Bible through a number of times, he cannot discontinue studying it regularly. Set aside time to read portions of the Bible regularly and discuss it with others, Keep up with the study of the Watchtower articles continually for your own spiritual welfare. Leave no room to become spiritually weak or sick through the neglect of your studying God's Word. —Matt. 4:4,

• ¹¹ Society's. Assistance- So that you may enjoy the missionary service to the full and accomplish the required service each month, the Society always provides for each missionary group a home that will be of sufficient size to accommodate the entire family. Sometimes there is enough space in the missionary home for a Kingdom Hall. Welcome interested persons to this hall.

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In each home a home servant is appointed by the president of the Society to keep order and oversee the activity generally. The home servant is not a boss or the master of the home. He is simply one of the missionaries who acts as chair-

6 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES man in home discussion, takes the head of the table at mealtimes and handles certain reports for the Society. The home servant will care for a share of the work in the home, just the same as anyone else.

• ¹³ The home servant will receive a deposit of funds from the branch office of the . Society that has jurisdiction over the country in which the home is located. These funds are fixed by the president of the Society and will be of sufficient size to care for more than the monthly cost of living locally. The missionary home servant will sign .a receipt .in duplicate for this amount, the original of which he will send to the branch office of the Society having oversight of the home. The home servant is required to send a monthly home report in duplicate to the Society's branch office, keeping a third copy for the home files. The same form will be used by the home servant in making up his annual report. At the bottom of the annual home report the home servant should enter the figures snowing the average cost per meal per person in United States money, as well as .the average cost per month to maintain one missionary in the home, which figure will be based on all expenses, including rent, food and furnishings for the home, but not including allowances or bonuses.

• ¹⁴ On this home report, among other things, he will request the replacement of money spent for home expenses during the month covered by the report. In this manner he can balance the monies with the amount of the deposit for which he originally signed a receipt. Every home servant understands and agrees that when and if he should leave . a missionary home. all funds and records pertaining to the home will be turned over to his successor, and when these are proved to be bal-

COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES 7 anced the receipt originally signed will be voided and a new receipt executed by the newly appointed home servant,

• ¹⁵ If the personnel in a missionary home is increased, it may be necessary to increase the amount of the missionary home fund. In such case the president of the Society should be consulted by the branch office having jurisdiction of the home and, when his approval has been given, a new receipt can be drawn up to be signed by the home servant to cover the new deposit It is not the thought that the whole amount of the fund, is to be spent each month, but the fund is provided to take care of all necessary expenses, such as rent, food, light, etc. The monthly allowance to missionaries does not come out of this fund. It is sent each month by the branch overseer after he checks the home reports.

• ¹⁶ Home Equipment. In addition to providing a home, the Society will furnish a single bed for each missionary or one double bed for a married couple, if preferred. When once supplied and put into a home a bed will not be changed for something else of some other person's liking. Each one will have a chair, a dresser and a clothes closet (if this is not built into the room). Each bedroom should have a mirror and one table. The necessary sheets, pillows and blankets will be furnished. Blankets may not be needed in hot climates. If It is customary for people to sleep under nets for protection against mosquitoes, then the Society will furnish adequate netting for each missionary. When a missionary leaves his assignment, the one replacing him will use the equipment on hand.

• ¹⁷ Where there are several in a group, a dining room equipped with a large table and sufficient

  chairs for the family will be required. Cooking and eating utensils will also be needed. Often ’ ’      ’       ¹ m m m m ’ ment

  
  
  
  

missionaries take dishes and cooking equipment with them. If they wish to have these used b missionary home, that will be fine, but there is always a possibility that the dishes will be broken. The Society cannot be responsible for replacing ■ personal property that is broken; each missionary should understand this before permitting the use of his personal effects by the home in general. Such personal property of the missionaries remains their property and may be taken with them if

kitchen and dining room equipment mentioned in this paragraph is not available, then the Society will purchase the necessary table, chairs, pots and pans, cutlery, dishes, silverware, etc., and water filter if required. In very high altitudes a pressure cooker is a necessity and the Society will provide such.

• ¹⁸ Additional equipment the Society will provide includes bath towels, kitchen towels, soap, clotheslines, one iron and ironing board (if not available) , a large washtub (where there are no tubs in the home that is rented), a garbage receptacle, dishpan, brooms and mops. As the condition of the home requires, food storage cabinets or pantry shelving will be installed. Occasionally it is necessary to install electric light fixtures, and where such is the case then ordinary wiring, sockets and plugs will be purchased and put in. This equipment is the Society's property and will be removed when the home is vacated. The Society will provide a stove if there is none in the house when it is rented, according to the custom of the country and economy. If a refrigerator or washing machine is required in the home and the missionaries do not have such equipment of their own, the matter can9 be taken up with the office of the president

• ⁹ The Society cannot undertake to provide sewing machines, radios or lamps. Individuals may have their own if they desire. Such equipment remains the property of the individuals and it may be removed when desired. If such equipment is shipped to foreign countries at the time missionaries go on their assignment, the Society will pay the freight but not the duty when it enters the country to which they are going. The paying of the duty is the missionary's responsibility. If such things are shipped at a later date, that is, not with the original shipment of personal effects, the missionary will pay freight and duty.

0 Any equipment the Society pays for becomes permanent home equipment, the Society's property. It is requested that missionaries handle the home equipment with care and keep furniture and other things in repair. Of course, no one will break things purposely, but from time to time accidents do occur. When home equipment is broken it should be reported to the home servant and he will replace such equipment as necessary, at the Society's expense. As pointed out previously, the Society will not be responsible for breakage of personal property nor for replacing it. What the Society buys it keeps. The home servant should always have an up-to-date inventory of Society belongings.

• ²¹ Routine in the Home. The best way to arrange an orderly and pleasant family is for all the members of the missionary group to sit down and consider the problems once a month (not at every meal), say the last day of each month- Then adjustments can be made if necessary. Certain things must be done, such as home laundry, washing dishes, cooking, cleaning the rooms used by the entire family, marketing, care of the Kingdom Hall, hallways or yard, etc. Who will do these things? Make a schedule so that each person knows his work. Each one is required to make his own bed and keep his own room clean; and if two are in a room, which is generally the case, they will agree between themselves on cleaning their room and how they will arrange their furniture and Private things. Your standard of cleanliness should e as high as at the Brooklyn Bethel home. You learned how to do things at Gilead, so keep it up. Cleanliness will help the family keep healthy.

• ²² Experience has shown that most missionaries prefer to have the same day or days each week for their cooking, dishwashing, cleaning and laun-1              1 'T'l               J*         ^11             'T               X

dry work. This practice will permit them to arrange for their home Bible studies and other held activities on regular days. When a group is large this can easily be done. Some prefer to buy ood at the market for the meals they must prepare, each one in the home doing his own marketing for the days he must cook. Others have found it much more satisfactory to have one person do he buying for the entire family according to the menu that is made up in advance. Bulk food supplies should be stored in a dry place.

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The people in some countries eat their evening meal late at night, which leaves the early evening hours a splendid time for return visits and home Bible studies. Some missionaries find that the most desirable way to arrange their meal schedule in order to be free for evening service is to have breakfast and a large noon meal and let each person get his own meal at night from the noon leftovers or fruit, eggs and bread, etc., that may be on hand After each one eats he cleans his dishes and puts everything in proper order again. Others like to have the principal meal at night.

Much of this has to do with preference of the individuals, and so it is necessary to discuss matters and state preferences. It takes time to cook, time to market, time to clean the house, time to do the home laundry, and if the work is divided up evenly, according to time, everyone should be satisfied. But you must have a schedule; then live by it and be happy with it. Get an early start each day.

family, or the majority, then that arrangement will be put into effect and everyone should fall in line with what has been decided upon. If after several months it is found that the arrangement does not work out satisfactorily or to the welfare of most of the missionaries in the home, then the family can meet together again to consider the

problems and some changes can be made as the majority agree, always seeking ways and means to advance the interests of the Kingdom and get more time in the field. Much will depend upon the customs of the country and the habits of the missionaries. If each one willingly does his part the missionary home routine will work smoothly.

• ²⁵ Brothers and sisters can get along very well one with the other if they "follow the counsel of God's Word: "'You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart and with your whole soul and with your whole strength and with your whole mind,' and, 'your neighbor as yourself.' " —Luke 10:27.

• ²⁶ Pood. The Society provides the food that is needed for the proper nourishment of all the missionaries. The Society wants you to have wholesome, nourishing food and sufficient food. We are confident that you will not try to be extravagant. In most countries it is necessary for 12 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES someone to go to the market and buy the meat and vegetables daily. Staple foods like sugar, flour, rice, beans, etc., are usually purchased in larger quantities at wholesale prices and properly stored in the pantry or kitchen. You can usually buy more cheaply from the market than you can by trying to live by the use of canned goods, with the possible exception of countries in the far north. Food should not be wasted. You should learn to cook and eat the things that are in season, and not try to have all the delicacies or specialties, although occasionally it is all right to have something special for a change. But remember that it is these extras that make the expenses run high.

• ²⁷ When one of the missionaries gets sick and needs a special diet for a few days, like fruit juice or a no-starch diet, the home servant should make arrangements for someone to look after the ill one. The one sick may find it necessary to spend some time in bed to get over a cold or the flu, so arrange to take meals to the sick one. If special food must be bought during this time, get it and charge it to meals. If the case is chronic and a missionary is sick for weeks and months and always needs special attention, it would be well to write the facts to the president's office and get advice as to what should be done,

• ²⁸ When the Society sends out missionaries it is understood they are well and able to eat normal food and live in a well-ordered family—and they should not expect special attention nor demand it. But in cases of sickness for a reasonable period of time, such should certainly be cared for and love shown on the part of the home servant and others. However, the other missionaries have their field ministry requirements to meet and cannot be used as nursemaids for months at a time. Our work is preaching and helping those that mourn in this old system. Let us. therefore, be sure we can do the missionary work and have bodies that can support us in doing it before we take on the responsibility of missionary work.

• ²⁹ The Society does not want any missionary to lack proper food nor have the worry of locating living accommodations and paying for them himself. That is why the Society is happy to pay all these expenses. With these necessities of life already taken care of, it means that your attention can be devoted to preaching the good news and taking care of your necessary duties in the missionary home. If each missionary is genuinely friendly, and true Christian love is manifested daily, you will have a pleasant missionary home.

• ³⁰ Allowances. The missionaries receive literature at pioneer rates. It is fully appreciated that missionaries, after going over their territory the second and third times, will not place as many books and other publications as they did the first time. We know you need some allowance, so after a missionary has put in 150 hours a month he may request his allowance for the month. The allowances will be given in the various countries in the currency of the respective countries.

• ³¹ If for some reason you fall short of the hour requirement, but put in at least 130 hours, you may request 80 percent of the allowance for the month. These allowances will be given to the missionary each month, but only when requested. The allowance will usually be received in cash through the home servant or by check through the branch office.

• ³² The monthly field service report of each missionary in the home will be listed on the home report made out by the home servant. After this report has been compiled, each person whose field 14 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES activity is listed thereon will check his own record and initial his report.

. Bonus. In addition to the . allowance that is paid monthly when the requirements are met, the Society will give each missionary a bonus based on the following arrangement in a land where dollars are used: For every month the missionary devotes 150 hours or more to the field service he will be allowed a credit of $6.00 on his

ments for only ten months out of the year, 'then his bonus will be the approximate equivalent of $60.00. In countries where other currency is used, the rates for bonuses are established by the office of the president.

³⁴ The bonus will be calculated on the basis of each monthly report and not on yearly averages. Bonuses will be paid in whatever currency seems most suitable to the Society and will be sent out from the branch office annually sometime in November after the yearly reports on the activity of each missionary home for the year have been sent to the president's office.

⁵ These bonuses will be paid November 1st only to missionaries who are still working as of that date. If anyone quits his assignment during the year or at any time prior to the date of payment of the bonus, he cannot claim the bonus. These gifts are given to the missionaries to aid them to purchase such things as they may need, like shoes and clothing and other necessities, and to help them keep going in the work the following year. 11 anyone is on leave in harmony with what is stated later about leave of absence, he may receive his bonus, but then only when he has returned to his missionary assignment- He will not be given the bonus for leave-of-absence months.

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Also, anyone who is away from his assignment not in accordance with the Society's policy will not receive the bonus. If one leaves the full-time service as a special pioneer, missionary, circuit or district overseer for three months or more, his past service no longer counts toward large bonus ratings and he starts all over again if he reenters the missionary or special service field. An exception to this would be if the individual has been allowed to be away from his assignment on a regular leave of absence that is granted him by the Society and to which he is entitled, or if on a special leave of absence because of ill health, and an exception is made so the individual does not break his record of full-time service. If a missionary is assigned by the branch to do some special work during any month, his field hours plus hours of branch-assigned work should total 150 hours in order to qualify for the bonus. If any special circumstances arise affecting missionary activities, the branch overseer can decide if a bonus should be given for a particular month. Yearly reports will be made out in triplicate by the home servant on the home report, showing the full year's work,

16 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES and the branch office will show thereon the bonus to be paid to each one listed.

• ³⁷ Vacations. In view of the fact that the missionaries are in full-time service and under the direct supervision of the Society it seems advisable that every missionary who accepts an assignment should work fifty weeks out of every year in the field service. It is good for a person to have a change from the regular routine, however, so each missionary will be granted a two-week vacation a year, just as branch offices and the Bethel family at Brooklyn arrange for two-week vacations. The missionary may select the two weeks in each service year during which he wants to take his vacation. During the month in which the vacation is taken if the missionary devotes 75 hours in the field service he may request his full monthly allowance, and he will also be eligible for the bonus credit for that month. Each person is allowed to have one two-week vacation for each service year. Vacation time may be saved up and used later if so desired.

• ³⁸ Each missionary will inform the home servant and the branch office when he is taking his two weeks' vacation so that we shall know in which month he will be allowed to work the lower number of hours and still be eligible for allowance. This should be noted on the missionary home report too.

• ⁹ The rule of the Bethel home, branch office and missionary homes has always been and will continue to be that a two-day visit with meals and sleeping accommodations will be provided, if someone is invited. Of course, if missionaries are brought to a convention and live at a missionary home, then the local missionary home can provide food and accommodations for those assigned there COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES 17 during the period of the convention. If one missionary home invites a missionary, not otherwise, from another home to spend a vacation them, two days will be free, but the rest of the time the missionary should contribute for his meals on the basis of fifty cents a day. In addition to that the visiting missionary should be prepared to take on certain housekeeping duties as the home servant directs, to avoid placing extra work on the family that would keep them from their field service. The above applies only to missionaries.

• ⁴⁰ Leave of Absence. Each year hundreds of thousands of dollars are spent by the Society to maintain the missionary work throughout the world. Of course, the Society is very happy that it is possible to support the missionary work in this way. However, at the same time, we must endeavor to obtain the greatest returns for the money the brothers around the world contribute to this work. Understandably, then, certain restrictions must be placed on the time missionaries are away from their assignments. We believe the arrangement herein outlined is a reasonable one which will help each missionary fulfill his duties in connection with the foreign service and also allow him some time for himself.

• ⁴¹ Any missionary who is sent to a foreign country, that is, a country other than his home country, will agree before leaving that he will stay on his assignment three years before he goes on a leave of absence. It has been learned from experience that a person does not really appreciate the people or the language nor does he get accustomed to his foreign assignment before three years have passed; by the end of three years he learns to know the people and the customs of the country. Then he begins to feel more at home, That is why the Society firmly believes every missionary should stay in his assignment for three years before he even considers a temporary leave. As you know, the Society's arrangement is to give missionaries one-way tickets. We shall not arrange to send people back home for a visit at the end of three years* But if anyone who is in the missionary service feels as though he should return to his home country for a visit at the end of three years, the Society will grant permission for a leave of absence.

• ⁴² Permission for a leave of absence should always be asked of the president's office. If someone arbitrarily leaves without this permission, then his privilege as a missionary could be canceled. If an emergency situation arises, one may consult the branch overseer and later inform the office of the president. Of course, a missionary may go anywhere he wishes during his annual two weeks' vacation; and if he should go to his home country or attend an assembly in another country and return to this assignment in two weeks, that is no business of the Society. But if he stays away longer, then it does become the concern of the Society and corrective measures will be taken to ensure that the work in the assignment is carried on properly and the missionary home equipment is not wasted by idleness.

• ⁴³ Concerning leaves of absence by a missionary, the Society sets down the following policy: After three years if one at his own expense wishes to return to his native country or desires to travel elsewhere, the Society will allow him two weeks for each full year he has been in his foreign missionary assignment, counting from date of arrival* In other words, if he has been gone three years, then he would be allowed six weeks leave; and, if he wants to, he may arrange his annual vacation

for that same period and that will add two more weeks to the time he may take leave of his assignment Therefore at the end of three years, a missionary could arrange to be away eight weeks By taking such a leave of absence the A___ 1

automatically canceled and the missionary must begin anew accumulating time for a leave. That is say, if a missionary took a leave of absence at the end of five years and then again at the end of ten years, he could not claim 20 weeks at the end of ten years, because he had already taken advantage of a leave of ton weeks at the end of five years. After the first three years the missionary may request a leave of absence whenever he wishes to, as long as there is time to his credit that has not been used up by other leaves. Ail expenses in connection with leaves of absence (travel, etc.) must be borne by the individual, not the Society. If someone takes a leave of absence " "                     ...... ' i "is leave of

• ⁴⁴ Any exceptions to this policy due to unusual circumstances can be made only by the president.

• ⁴⁵ Security. Sometimes missionaries wonder what will happen to them when they get older. The Society would like to assure you that as long as you are in the full-time service of Jehovah and have been in a missionary home for fifteen or more years you may always consider that missionary home as your home as long as the Society is able to operate missionary homes and finance them and you are willing to abide by Society policies. This will be your home whether or not

  want them to make

  
  

you are able to put in the required hours. So any missionaries that stay in their foreign assignment for fifteen years and who want to stay there thereafter even though they cannot meet the requirements in field service should feel that they always have a home with Jehovah's organization as long as they believe the things Jehovah brings forth through his Word and are willing to abide by the Society's instructions and the branch arrangements. The Society wants the missionaries to make their foreign assignment their life's work and we want them to make their assignment their home. Missionaries should feel at home and be assured that they have a permanent home within Jehovah's organization.

Many missionaries put in 50 percent of their time in house-to-house witnessing. This is a good thing and is recommended by the Society so that missionaries and pioneers will have opportunity to place literature and find new interest, maybe more promising interest. However, if your health after years of missionary work does not allow for this, then get your time in through studies and return visits. Time spent preaching is the essential thing. What we want you to do is to be the most helpful to the greatest number of people and at the same time conserve your strength if you need to do that.

• ⁴⁷ Another thing as to time, always remember 150 hours is the minimum time for missionary work, so plan a 40-hour week and work so as to get in well over your 75 hours before the first two weeks of the month go by. Do not wait until the end of the month to put in your time and always be under a nervous strain. Those who work well the first three weeks of every month do not have the nervous strain of "will I make it?" twelve times COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES 21 a year. Quit thinking "minimum time." Just think of preaching the good news all the time, a 40-hour week. Make it your pleasure.

• ⁴⁸ Sick Leave. From time to time brothers have been stricken with an acute illness or have developed a trouble that requires special attention. This may occur in connection with some missionary who has been on his assignment for only a year and who does not qualify for a leave of absence. In such instances where special attention is mandatory and return to the home country is essential, the matter should be reported to the president's office. There may not be time to receive a reply, but if the matter is urgent, passage should be booked immediately and the trip made at the individual's expense. But the missionary should find out from the president's office as to whether or not it will be permissible for him to return to his assignment. If you are permitted to return to a foreign assignment it will be expected that you will be well and strong enough to carry on according to the arrangements in missionary homes. Time consumed for a trip home for sickness will be deducted from whatever time you have to your credit for a leave of absence. Future leaves would then begin counting on the date of return to one's foreign assignment,

• ⁴⁹ If there is any emergency illness or accident of a serious nature, it is the responsibility of the missionary home servant to see that proper medical or hospital attention is rendered. He may not have time to communicate with the Society's office or the president and he will have to act on his own judgment; but he should write and state what he has done and is doing. The important thing is to preserve the life of the missionary and avert as much suffering and pain as possible. It is true 22 COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES that such things often cost much money, but life cannot be valued in money. After the necessary things have been done, then the settling of the costs can be discussed in writing with the president. In minor things, of course, the missionaries are responsible for their own medical bills.

• ⁵⁰ Health Fund. All Gilead graduates that continue in the missionary field lor five consecutive years will be put on the Society's health fund. When one has served for five years an account will be opened in the branch under which he serves, and this account will be credited with $15 on January 1 for the previous five years of service. The next year his account will be credited with six more dollars, the year after that, with seven dollars, and so on, as long as he stays in his foreign assignment. After the account has been opened at the end of five years, the missionary may draw on this account toward the purchase of glasses, to pay for dental bills, or doctor bills and such expenses. The bills would have to be sent to the branch office and a check would be sent covering the expense up to the amount of credit remaining in the health fund. If all the money is used up, then no call for money can be made until a credit is put on the account at the start of the next year. In other words, if a person were in the missionary work for ten years and had no need for these funds he would have a credit of $55 on that account. The account automatically cancels out if a missionary leaves his assignment for more than three months, unless he is on a leave of absence. The branch office will open new accounts for those qualified and will add them to the list each year.

• ⁵¹ In some cases where a missionary is always low in hours in his early years of service, it may be advisable to have him leave the missionary COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER. MISSIONARIES 23 service and to send him back to his home country, because the missionary just is not suited for that territory. That is why we insist on good health before a missionary leaves and why graduates of Gilead should tell the Society the truth about their health. It will save them a lot of suffering. It would be better for some persons to serve in a climate to which they are accustomed.

• ⁵² Conduct. Always remember that Gilead graduates are no different from anyone else in the organization; and if they go against Jehovah's principles of truth and righteousness, perform acts that warrant disfellowshiping and are dis-fellowshiped, the Society will have nothing to do with them. We believe we are dealing with honest persons who have good morals, and we are not obligated to help them in a missionary home or send them back to their own country if something like this happens to them. Missionaries are taken care of by the Society to do preaching work and have agreed to do it according to instructions; so if they break with Jehovah and the Society he is using, we have no more responsibility toward them.

• ⁵³ Immigration. Upon arriving in a country a missionary should ascertain what immigration requirements he must meet, if any, and then take care to see that such matters are properly handled so that his stay in the land is not jeopardized. Before anyone on a foreign assignment leaves the country, if he is not a citizen of that country, he should make sure that he has the right to reenter. The local immigration officials should be contacted and all regulations complied with. If this is not done there may be difficulty for the missionary when he tries to return to his assignment. All expenses involved in making these arrangements for a leave must be borne by the individual missionaries.

• ⁵⁴ Occasionally there will be costs for such things as visa extensions, cedulas, carnets, renewing passports (if required to remain in the country) and permanencies. These will be paid by the Society and listed on the missionary home reports.

• ⁵⁵ Gilead Graduates Not in Missionary Homes. There are a number of graduates of Gilead who are circuit overseers, special pioneers or members of Bethel families. The field service reports for those who come within these categories will be listed by the branch overseer on a home report (A-24) which will be sent to the president's office each month. These brothers will send in their regular monthly reports to the branch office of the country in which they are working. Graduates who are not in special full-time service should not be listed on the home report.

• ⁵⁶ Gilead Graduates Assigned to Branch Work, Any graduate of Gilead assigned to a Bethel home in a country different from the one in which he was working when he came to Gilead will come under the same leave-of-absence arrangement as outlined on pages 17-19 of this booklet. However, graduates of Gilead assigned to a Bethel home in Canada or the forty-eight states of the continental United States do not come under this arrangement. Graduates of Gilead who are serving in a country of Europe that is less than 2,000 miles from their place of origin do not come under this arrangement

• ⁵⁷ In the cases of many brothers who have had training at Gilead and who have been sent back to their home country, two weeks vacation should be sufficient for them. All travel will be done at the expense of the individual,

⁸ Gilead Circuit and District Overseers. Leave-of-absence arrangements for them will be the same as for the missionaries. All Gilead graduate circuit and district overseers will be required to work according to the regulations applying to all other circuit and district overseers in their country, taking the lead in field service and spending much time working in the field with the congregation publishers and pioneers. Bonuses wilf be given to the circuit and district overseers at the end of the service year, with the same scale of increase for years of service applying to them as apply to missionaries. Any overseer leaving the service before November 1 will not receive a bonus for the previous service year. (See pages 17-19.)

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Marriage. Missionaries who are not married and who serve in their assignments as single missionaries may some day decide it is better for them to get married. If a missionary serves for two years or more and he wishes to marry another missionary who has served for two years, the couple should write to the president of the Society requesting that they be assigned as a married couple in some missionary home. Surely a single missionary going forth from Gilead knows two years in advance what he or she wants to do and such a one should serve at least that long single in the interests of the Kingdom and in view of the training received. If a missionary desires to marry someone who is not in the missionary service, not a graduate of Gilead, then he will have to leave the missionary home and may ask for assignment in the special pioneer work in the country to which he has been assigned. Of course, if other obligations arise or difficulties develop after marriage of two missionaries, then the president of the Society may have to advise on the course of action to be taken.

• ⁶⁰ Other Matters. It is suggested that once a month the missionaries in each home meet together to discuss their problems in the field or in the home, if they have any. Otherwise it is not necessary. Some groups find it advantageous also to arrange for an outing of some kind one day a month, or a day every other month, taking a picnic lunch and enjoying a little rest and relaxation. This is permissible. It will help, too, to make the group more like a family. This does not mean, however, that the Society will pay for travel to a picnic grounds or beach or for meals in restaurants. If the picnic lunch is prepared at the missionary home and taken along, the Society does provide that food; but other expenses are borne by the individual missionaries.

• ⁶¹ It is not advisable to have pets in missionary homes. Some persons do not like pets and it would be unfair to those for others to have them. Besides, they are an expense and cause extra work.

• ⁶² Visitors may be entertained in the home by members of the group. They may be invited to lunch if the cook is advised" the day before and there is no objection on the part of the home servant. Those who visit any of the rooms of the missionaries or who have a meal at the home should be registered in a guest book that will show name, city and date of visit- It is not proper, however, to have local publishers in every week, but an occasional visit is all right. An exception can be made, of course, when any of the relatives of the missionaries visit them. If there is room to house them and arrangements are made with the home servant, they are welcome to live in the home during their short visit.

COUNSEL TO WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES 27 83

In starting work in a new territory or city where the witness has never been given before, it is suggested that the missionaries first work the better sections of the city, residential and business. There they will meet the better-educated. people. Usually these people speak the best so you will learn the language properly if you are working among those people for a while. You may meet some who will be glad to aid you in learning the language. Of course, if there are already some local publishers there, you will spend time working with them in other parts of the territory ana they will help you to learn to speak the new language.

⁴ A definite arrangement outlined by the Society should be followed by all missionaries going to a foreign-language assignment to learn the language of the people quickly. The schedule for language study for the new missionaries should begin right after breakfast. The language of the country should be studied at least four hours each morning or at least until lunch time, with a ten-minute break after each two-hour period. At lunch there will be an hour off from studies and at both anguage of the country to the missionaries. After unch the new missionaries should return to their language study to complete the schedule of eight and one-half hours of study for the day. The missionaries will have homework assigned to them for two and one-half hours in the evening, except for nights when the regular meetings are held. The missionaries should attend these meetings and endeavor to take a part in them. This schedule applies Monday through Friday. Then on Saturday they will study for the full period between breakfast and lunch just as on weekdays. They will be given heavy lessons for the weekend, and Sunday they can go in the service with the other publishers to put into practice the information they have learned during the week. The missionaries should make rapid progress and be able to give a testimony within a week. This arrangement will continue for four weeks,

⁶⁵ After four weeks of this intensive study the missionaries should be able to get into the field service along with the other publishers, putting in 100 hours for the next month as missionaries.

arrange an instructor who will be able to devote four hours of instruction to the group each day and at least two hours on Saturday, Missionaries may be excused from classes for their missionary home and cooking assignments, which will probably occur once a week. No time should be taken for visiting or sight-seeing the first two months

while concentrating on the language of the country, in order to become effective in the ministry as quickly as possible. We want new missionaries to learn the language within three months if at all possible. In the first month they will study at least 250 hours, in the second month no less than 120 hours and in the third month 60 hours of

• ⁷ Too many missionaries are satisfied with just knowing enough of a language to get along. O the years you should always try to improve your speech and vocabulary. It would be a good thing to make a last of twenty new words each week and use them during the week in your table discussions. A different missionary can make up the list each week. Have questions at the table on any subject using these twenty words in their different forms. Study them. Make them part of your speech for seven days. In a year's time you would add 1,000 words to your vocabulary just by this method, in addition to those you pick up in the field. Think of the speech ability you would have at the end of five years! But it takes work. Do not excuse yourself by saying, "He has a gift for language." The chances are "he" had to study to get it, but are you trying as hard?

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• ⁸ The missionary service is a wonderful privilege. It is real pioneer work. Never let it become humdrum to you—just putting in time in the service. You will meet people who have never before heard of the truth or Jehovah's witnesses, so make the truth live when you talk to them. You will see fruits from your good labors as these people drink up the waters of truth and take heed to your teaching. They will rejoice to be associated with you and they will have great respect for you. Your deportment will be watched by the simple people and the well educated. They will want to see if you are real Christians. You will be a blessing to Jehovah's work in your territory by living a good life in harmony with Christian principles. (1 Tim. 4:12) Gilead graduates should not become proud or give the impression that they believe themselves better than other brothers. Remember that all are brothers serving Jehovah and all should be meek, showing love and being willing to work together as one man. Any other course will not bring success to the work.

• ⁹ It is understood that foreign service will bring its problems, some of which may not be covered in this Counsel. Unfortunately some missionaries cause themselves much distress and nervousness by worrying over their problems and never telling anyone about them. The longer they do this, the worse they feel. So feel free to communicate with the branch overseer or the president's office at any time, with the assurance that these matters will be held confidential. The Society is backing you in every possible way and we want to help you with your problems, large or small. But more than this, always remember that Jehovah our Almighty God is backing you up and supporting you with his everlasting arms. Be of good courage! "Droop not your hands."—Zeph. 3:16, Mo,

• ⁷⁰ Jehovah's blessing has certainly been upon the missionary service, and we rejoice in seeing the grand increases wherever the missionaries nave gone. I am sure you join me in joyfully looking forward to continued praise to Jehovah every day in lands throughout the earth. I am confident that you will enjoy to the full your share in this work. It is a genuine privilege to be associated with you brothers in the missionary field and my prayer is that Jehovah's rich blessing may ever attend you and that you will always abound in his love.

Your brother and fellow witness, President

WATCH TOWER BIBLE AND TRACT SOCIETY OF PENNSYLVANIA

124 Columbia Heights,Brooklyn, New York 11201,

IN AGREEMENT

• 71 If you are in complete accord with the counsel given in these pages, sign your name below. If not, please return this "Counsel" to the office of the president immediately. Should you at any time leave the missionary service, please fill in the date and return this copy to the office of the president.

Agreed:__

(Missionary)

Left assignment at

Booklet returned on:-----------------—-------------