"We warmly welcome you to another edition of JW broadcasting" "And this broadcast is historic" "In what ways?" "Well think about this..." "The first broadcast on this station was in October of 2014" "It is hard to believe but 7 months have already flown by that means that each member of the Governing Body has had the opportunity to host one of our monthly programs" "And we are now starting over again" "But what is truly historic about this month's program is that the Governing Body has approved JW broadcasting to be broadcast, now listen to this... in over 40 different languages" "While these are not all available at this time many additional languages are ready for viewing this month!" "The list of languages can be found on the tv.jw.org homepage by clicking on the language symbol at the top right hand corner of the screen" "That takes you to the page with the various languages that can be selected" "This month we will find out what Bible principle can help us make a sound decision when forced to choose between our secular job and theocratic activities" "Also to what lengths does Jehovah's organisation go to reach the blind with the good news?" "This documentary will assure us of Jehovah's love for everyone no matter what our circumstances in life might be" "And we have a music video about giving our time and resources to Jehovah" "Yes this is the May program of JW broadcasting" "# JW Broadcasting theme music plays (Song 101) #" "The Governing Body has asked me to use" "Prov. 3:9 as the theme for the message they would like to be shared with the entire household of faith this month" "Let's read that text together Prov. 3:9" "And after we read it we want to consider" "What are your valuable things?" "And what does the verse mean by giving the firstfruits?" "Let's read Prov. 3:9" ""Honor Jehovah with your valuable things," "With the firstfruits of all your produce"" "Let's first talk a little bit about what it means to offer our firstfruits" "In Bible times it meant the earliest fruits of a season" "So way before an Israelite knew what kind of a harvest he would have whether it would be a bumper crop or very meagre returns" "With full faith and confidence he was to give the firstfruits to Jehovah" "Not just left overs at the end of the harvest season" "Furthermore the Hebrew word for firstfruits is in the sense of being the best of that early season" "So the idea conveyed is not only first chronologically but also first in quality" "In fact Ex. 23:19 says this" "It says: "You are to bring the best of the first ripe fruits of your ground to the house of Jehovah your God"" "The best of the firstfruits would truly honour Jehovah" "And the Greek term for firstfruits comes from a root word having the basic meaning of primacy or pre-eminence" "Again the idea - the best we have!" "Prov. 3:9 also indicated that we can honour or show respect and appreciation for Jehovah with our valuable things" "And as stated at Rev. 4:11" "Jehovah is truly worthy of all the honour we can give him" "Not only do we owe it to him because he is our creator" "He is worthy of it because of the kind of God he is" "But what are the valuable things with which we can honour Jehovah?" "What first might come to mind are our material possessions our finances" "Well that is true, and we want to talk about this a little bit later" "But there are many other valuables that a Christian can offer to Jehovah to give him the honour that he is worthy of" "For example our time" "Mr Benjamin Franklin a scientist and statesman once said:" ""Do not squander time, for that is the stuff life is made of"" "Yes time is a valuable resource" "And many of you dear ones are offering your valuable time in the ministry each month" "Some of you are able to give to Jehovah 70 or more hours a month in the ministry as regular pioneers" "While others of us are not in a position to spend that amount of time in the field ministry" "We rejoice with those who can" "And interestingly under the law given to Moses" "The quantity of firstfruits to be offered was not fixed" "It was left to the generosity and circumstances of the giver" "He was to give his best though no matter how much or how little that proved to be" "No matter what the amount then can we give the firstfruits of our time in the ministry?" "We do this by scheduling some time early in the month" "Not just leftovers, the last few days of the month" "Remember we give Jehovah our firstfruits" "What other valuable things do we posses that we can give to Jehovah thus honouring him?" "Well many have construction skills and other talents that they are willing to offer for the building of Kingdom Halls" "Assembly Halls, Remote Translation Offices and Branch facilities including the large World Headquarters complex in Warwick NY" "Jehovah is magnified by such voluntary contributions of energy and skills" "These are truly valuable things" "But now I would like to address the valuable things that may have first come to mind material possessions or financial giving and support" "As you know for over 130 years this organisation has never solicited for funds" "And it is certainly not going to start now" "We don't send out monthly statements to each of Jehovah's Witnesses specifying a dollar amount that should be submitted to finance the work worldwide" "Most donations in fact are contributed anonymously" "Over the years I have told various Bible students that a person could attend our meetings for 20 years and never put a penny in the contribution box and we would not know it" "Jehovah of course would know it but we would not" "Because the donations are anonymous, but from the heart" "We don't know who gives what" "But for a certainty any donations received do not line anyones' pockets and are not misappropriated" "They are all used in supporting theocratic endeavours worldwide" "As described in Matt 24:45-47 the Governing Body prayerfully and sincerely endeavours to be not only the 'faithful slave' but also the 'discreet slave' in wisely managing the master's resources" "And please dear brothers and sisters pray for Jehovah to help us to be successful in being not only faithful but also discreet" "But often a member of the Governing Body will be heard to say:" ""In spending Jehovah's money, we have to be more careful than we are in spending our own money"" "And that is truly how we feel about the matter" "Yet as you can well imagine millions of dollars are required each month to finance the colossal Kingdom work that is being supported by this organisation in some 239 lands" "Where does all of the financial support come from?" "Largely from you dear brothers and sisters" "Most funds come from what you voluntarily put in the contribution box in your Kingdom Hall" "Yes that little box with a slot that is labelled "Worldwide Work"" "is primarily what finances all of the theocratic initiatives that have been implemented" "Of course there are many other ways to contribute as explained usually in the Nov. issue of The Watchtower each year" "Sometimes we may feel a little shy to talk about the financial needs of the organisation" "That is understandable because we in no way want to be categorised with other organisations religious and otherwise that coerce their supporters to donate" "However because all of us have the privilege to donate funds we would like to let you know something about our current situation" "Then you can respond as your heart impels you" "As you might have sensed I am not shy about his subject" "And why not?" "It is because we have many Scriptural examples of Jehovah's faithful servants making known the financial needs of the congregation only when supporters of the Kingdom know the needs can they respond accordingly" "For example turn with me please to Ex. 35:" "Now think about this as you are turning there;" "The Israelites were in Sinai" "They were marching through a wilderness" "They did not have fields or businesses with money flowing in" "They just had what they had brought with them when leaving Egypt" "Nevertheless Jehovah instructed them to build a place of worship" "Was Jehovah shy about letting the people know about the material needs?" "Well read with me Ex. 35: 4, 5" "Moses then said to the entire assembly of the Israelites:" ""This is what Jehovah has commanded,"" "Now it wasn't Moses command" ""This is what Jehovah has commanded," "'Take up a contribution for Jehovah from among yourselves" "Let everyone with a willing heart bring a contribution for Jehovah:" "gold, silver, copper,'"" "You see the people would not have known this need if Jehovah had not informed them" "Very interesting is it not?" "The Governing Body very much feels the urgency of accomplishing as much as we possibly can in behalf of Kingdom interests knowing that the Great Day of Jehovah is near" "So in an effort to keep you informed of the support that is needed for this great work" "I have the following information to share" "We have looked forward to this next fiscal year and projected the expenditures for all of the theocratic initiatives we are scheduling" "In doing the math we found that the amount of money flowing out will be much greater than the amount of money that we have coming in at this time" "Well why is that?" "Does this represent a lack of appreciation for spiritual things?" "No!" "Absolutely not!" "To the contrary" "We are witnessing unprecedented enthusiasm among the brotherhood for all the spiritual bounty that is coming our way" "We have up-to-date Bibles and an abundance of printed literature" "And there is so much appreciation for the new and continually improving jw.org website" "From around the world we receive letters thanking the Governing Body for JW Broadcasting" "Many comment that it has brought us closer together as a people" "And as mentioned starting this month" "JW Broadcasting is available in multiple languages" "We are thrilled about this development" "There is also excitement about public witnessing using literature carts" "And with such great success" "No the financial circumstance has nothing to do with a lack of spirituality or appreciation" "However there are some facts that we want to make you aware of" "For one thing the financial needs in the field have accelerated at a pace unlike any time in the recent past" "A recent analysis of the need for Kingdom Halls here in the US showed that some 1,600 new Kingdom Halls or major renovations are needed" "Not some time in the future but right now" "And worldwide we are in need of more than 14,000 places of worship" "Not including ongoing future growth" "In the past 15 years 30,000 Kingdom Halls have been built" "Now if you figure that up that averages about 2,000 Kingdom Halls every year" "But in an effort to relieve this serious backlog more quickly" "We intend Jehovah willing to complete 3,000 Kingdom Hall projects every year going forward" "Now that's a 50% increase" "Additionally adjustments are being made to simplify the Kingdom Hall design in order to accelerate the construction schedule and to save funds" "Though the design will be simplified the sheer number of Kingdom Halls requires considerably more funds in the budget than in times past" "Additionally please think about this:" "Today how many publishing companies print publications in the many languages that Jehovah's organisation does?" "The answer" " None!" " And why is that?" "It is because they cannot make a financial profit" "We however are accelerating our method of translating our publications into indigenous languages" "This involves building or purchasing" "Regional Translation Offices or RTOs" "These will strategically located in a part of a country with a highest concentration of native speakers of the language" "Providing these structures in various regions of a country reduces the need for costly construction expansion at the Local Branch Office" "But in the next 2 years however upwards now think-about-this" "170 of such facilities RTOs are needed" "Depending on the country and the cost of materials an RTO can cost for about $1 million to several million dollars each" "Hence we have another reason we need to increase our finances" "We just felt that you dear brothers and sisters needed to be made aware of these expenditures that we are facing in the coming months and years" "We also have heard from COs and others that some of the brotherass and sisters may have a misconception about some of the recent policy changes that have been instituted" "For example" "All congregations that had a Kingdom Hall or Assembly Hall loan to pay off were informed that their mortgages were cancelled" "Now if you think about it that is amazing isn't it all their loans were cancelled" "Can you imagine a bank telling home owners that all their loans were cancelled?" "And that they should merely send in to the bank each month whatever they can afford?" "Only in Jehovah's organisation could such a thing happen" "However according to some of our cos" "Some of us took this to mean that the organisation had a surplus of funds" "And thus took this action" "As if the loans did not need to be reimbursed" "Could this misconception have affected the amount that some have chosen to donate each month?" "In actuality the mortgages were cancelled so as not to be a hardship on some congregations and circuits" "The policy was founded on the Scriptural principle stated in 2 Cor. 8:" "Please turn there with me" "In an effort to help fellow Christians who were facing financial hardship in the 1st Century" "An arrangement had been put in place to accept contributions from others to help offset the deficiency" "About a year later Paul is again writing to the Corinthians about this policy of contributing to offset the financial needs of others" "Now please read with me 2 Cor. 8:" "Now we're gonna read 2 Cor. 8: 10-15" "Here the apostle Paul under inspiration said this verse 10: "And in this I give my opinion:" "This is for your benefit, seeing that already a year ago you not only initiated the action" that is of contributing" ""but also showed your desire to do it." "11 So now, also complete what you started to do, so that your readiness to act," or contribute," ""may be completed according to" now notice:" ""the means you have available." "12 For if the readiness is there first, it is especially acceptable according to what a person has, not according to what a person does not have." "13 For I do not want to make it easy for others, but difficult for you;" "14 but that by means of an equalizing, your surplus at the present time might offset their need, so that their surplus might also offset your deficiency, that there may be an equalizing." "15 Just as it is written:" "'The person with much did not have too much, and the person with little did not have too little.'"" "So that was the Scriptural basis for cancelling all loan repayments" "It was not because the organisation had a large surplus of funds and thus could "afford" to cancel these mortgages" "As explained at the time" "It was to equalise the reimbursement of such expenditures over the entire brotherhood" "Some businessmen in the secular world might think this was a disastrous policy change" "However we know the spirit of Jehovah's faithful servants" "We all feel privileged to be able to help the growing brotherhood to have comfortable places to meet and praise Jehovah" "Think about this comparison" "Back in 1990 when the decision was made to distribute our literature free of charge" "Some within the organisation and many outside the organisation thought this would be financial suicide" "However" "You dear brothers and sisters have proved those predictions completely wrong" "Jesus said at Matt. 11: 19" ""All the same, wisdom is proved righteous by its works."" "Our individual voluntary donations have combined to take care of the costs associated with producing our literature" "And we are confident that the same will prove true regarding the decision to cancel all Kingdom Hall and Assembly Hall loans" "So instead of conveying the message that the organisation needed less in the way of donations" "The intent was really just the opposite" "But we have confidence that our hearts will be moved to contribute what we can each month to offset the necessary expense of building new meeting places for our brothers worldwide" "Another misimpression that has been brought to our attention is that the sale of property in New York City means that fewer donations are needed" "To help put things in proper perspective however" "Selling one of the significant properties in NY for a few weeks" "Now that's one significant property" "And in actuality, the sale of property in NY city is basically only financing the construction of World Headquarters in Warwick and the purchase of other properties that are needed to facilitate the move from Brooklyn in the future" "But on top of that as mentioned we are planning on accelerating the building of Kingdom Halls and RTOs in coming years" "It is our desire Jehovah willing to hold to the accelerated schedule for these projects if at all possible" "Rather than having to scale back such progress because of a lack of available funds" "Again we are not in anyway desirous of creating a hardship on anyone" "However we felt that if you knew the circumstances accurately" "You would apply Prov. 3:27 to the situation" "There we're encouraged 'not to withhold what is good'" "But then the scripture adds: 'if it is within our power to help'" "And I might mention that this is true even of publishers in less affluent countries" "It is encouraging to note that even in lands with limited resources" "The very poor contribute to the cost of their Kingdom Hall and its maintenance" "We're all Jehovah's united people even if we do not have much materially" "If our heart is willling there is usually something we can do even if it is merely offering two small coins of very little value as the poor widow did" "And how did Jesus feel about her for doing this?" "He highly praised her in Mark 12: 42-44" "And if we think about it a small donation from each of many of Jehovah's people adds up to a large amount of dedicated funds that can be used powerfully by Jehovah's organisation" "Please turn back to Ex. 35" "As mentioned Jehovah was not shy about informing his people of the financial needs for true worship" "But once the need was known what was the initial result?" "Ex 35: 21, 22a" ""Then everyone whose heart impelled him and everyone whose spirit incited him came, and brought their contribution for Jehovah to be used for the tent of meeting, for all its service, and for the holy garments." "22 They kept coming, the men along with the women, each with a willing heart"" "And what were the final results?" "Well look at Exodus 36" "Were gonna read v. 7" "Let's see did Jehovah have to scale back on the amount of work because of a lack of material support?" "Ex 36: 7 "The goods were enough for all the work to be done, and more than enough."" "Yes when the hearts of Jehovah's people are motivated wonderful things happen" "The Governing Body wanted to make you aware of the financial needs in the world field" "And we are confident that with this knowledge your appreciative hearts will move you to do what you can to support the work at hand" "Yes we can honour Jehovah with our valuable things including the financial support of true worship" "But as we mentioned at the outset" "Our valuable things include much more" "For example" "Our time as we talked about spent in the ministry" "May we all give our individual firstfruits the best we can do with our present circumstances" "Some are honouring Jehovah by moving to places where the need for Kingdom preachers is greater" "That's commendable" "We spoke of giving our skills and energy to theocratic construction projects" "We appreciate all of you who have honoured Jehovah in this way in the past tirelessly working with regional building committees and in the Lands with Limited Resources program" "And we thank all of you who will continue to support the construction of buildings that will bring praise to Jehovah" "What other valuable things bring honour to Jehovah?" "Many thousands are learning new languages to be able to help spread the good news to yet more deserving ones" "It may well be, now think about this that this organisation has the most multilingual speakers of any organisation on Earth" "That's amazing isn't it?" "Still others honour Jehovah by expending themselves on Hospital Liaison Committees and Patient Visitation Groups" "Though you do so often behind the scenes with no limelight" "Be assured that those you help know what you do and the Sovereign of the Universe sees you and receives your gift honourably" "It is just as is stated at Heb. 6:10" "Jehovah does not "forget your work and the love you showed for his name by ministering and continuing to minister to the holy ones."" "There are also Circuit Overseers and Bethel Family members around the Earth who give their best to Jehovah daily" "Some of you are faithful care givers of sick or elderly servants of Jehovah" "There is a wear factor that is hard to quantify" "But know that your God accepts such a gift of love with full knowledge of what you have done" "Well at this point I will borrow the words of Paul as he enumerated in Heb. 11: many men and women of faith but then said as recorded in verse 32" ""And what more will I say?" "For time will fail me if I go on to relate about"" "and then he listed others who had honoured Jehovah with their valuable things" "Similarly time would fail us if we tried to enumerate all of you dear ones and all of the many ways that you are honouring Jehovah with your valuable things" "But may Jehovah continue to bless each and every one of you who are doing so" "We have now touched on some of the ways that we can bring praise to Jehovah and support our dear brothers and sisters worldwide" "In a few minutes we will see some real life examples that highlight the results of our giving spirit" "But first we would like to share with you a summary of how the organisation uses our donations" "In ancient times when an Israelite made a heartfelt offering to support the temple" "That offering was referred to as a 'gift in hand' to Jehovah" "Today in Kingdom Halls of Jehovah's Witnesses around the world there are small boxes marked for voluntary contributions" "When we give our valuable things where does it actually go?" "Each year hundreds of thousands become our new brothers and sisters" "To accommodate our growing numbers funds are provided to help construct new places of worship as well as Branch facilities all over the world" "One thing that I really appreciate about being here is to see family heads um fathers and husbands choose to use their vacation time" "So thank you to the families and the congregations that support all of this and us to be here" "What's just as impressive is seeing millions of brothers and sisters voluntarily give of their funds so that we can keep building" "Just that in itself is an amazing act of Jehovah's holy spirit" "Large doors leading to greater activity are being opened by means of Theocratic Schools" "Training is provided to help those enrolled to develop spiritually and take a zealous lead in the evangelising work" "When you think of the organisation and the education, the divine education that it provides" "There is no government on Earth today that educates its citizens like the Kingdom" "It has strengthened my relationship with Jehovah in ways I never considered before" "The training is wonderful and motivates spiritual growth" "Voluntary contributions help support the thousands of special full-time servants worldwide" "These include Bethelites" "While working in the printery, it's abundantly clear that none of this would happen without Jehovah's support" "Uh shown by what the friends can give" "I love my assignment and serve with the knowledge that my sacrifice wouldn't be possible without the sacrifice of brothers and sisters in the field" "Also included are missionaries, travelling overseers international servants and special pioneers" "All that support makes it possible and makes our assignment a great joy and a privilege something that we look forward to um each and every week each and every month, each and every year that we're able to uh devote our full-time efforts" "in preaching the good news of the Kingdom" "It allows us to be here so that we can help as many people as possible to want to learn about Jehovah" "Every year we look forward to receiving rich spiritual gems at our conventions" "Funds are provided for equipment and other needs to help everything run as smoothly as possible" "It was a delight this year to see how technology was used to promote the unity" "Having the different cities involved where video streaming to them for the key talks by Governing Body members and their helpers received tremendous response from those cities" "We've seen more people in their seats during the program because they were afraid to get up even for a moment 'cause they might miss something that was special" "When disaster strikes your donations help give immediate relief for our brothers and sisters in need" "Food, clothing, building materials and much more are shipped over as quickly as possible" "I have come to really appreciate Jehovah's organisation" "No other organisation can compare in how it provides support in such a loving way" "I know now, you know, like Jehovah does look after his people so" "I'm really grateful for that and I've been praying and giving thanks" "Yes all our contributions have a meaningful share in supporting Kingdom interests worldwide" "Each donation is like a 'gift in hand' to our heavenly father Jehovah" "When we give from our heart we are expressing our love for him and that is the best gift we can give him" "Our organisation is truly multi-faceted" "The brotherhood is constantly giving of themselves literally day and night when we consider the global effort that is involved" "At times though some family heads face a dilemma that involves making a decision about how they will support their family without putting themselves in spiritual jeopardy" "You are about to meet a brother who was in a quandary as to what to do" "What Bible principle helped him to continue to put Kingdom interests first?" "Let's find out" "I've always enjoyed my work and even the people I worked with" "# clock ticking and sound of chopping of vegetables # # pan sizzles #" "# bell rings #" "It's hard to balance work and meetings but since I was baptised I've always done my best to be there" "My wife is a great support" "And we work hard to teach our children" "They've been my greatest joy" "I want to make sure that they're cared for" "I believed that if I worked hard enough" "I'd always be able to provide for my family" "But my boss wanted more than I was willing to give" "He insisted that I work Sundays during my meeting" "I needed this job" "My wife and I were worried" "What would happen if I lost it?" "I was determined to take a stand for my meetings" "I spoke to my boss and explained my decision but he refused to compromise" "I was shocked" "I didn't think this was how it was supposed to go" "How would I support my family?" "Paul studied the Bible with me" "We've been close ever since" "He invited me out and" "I guess he'd heard about what happened # sound of tenpin bowling #" "He really listened as I poured out my concerns" "I wondered if I should have just done what my boss insisted" "I would have missed my meeting but I still could have attended an evening meeting at a different congregation" "My skills were limited and there just weren't that many jobs out there for me" "I told him I was seriously considering a job that would involve a lot of travel" "Paul read to me from Matt 6:25-33" "He reminded me that as a newly baptised Witness my prayers are much more readily received and Jehovah was ready to respond" "He encouraged me to include Jehovah in my decision" "Patience is not easy for me but I decided to look to Jehovah to provide the right job" "So everyday I kept looking" "but work never came" "I never thought that it would go on so long" "Eventually I had to go on unemployment insurance so we could get by" "I knew that I was doing the right thing but" "I couldn't help feeling that I was letting my family down" "One night I was reminded of Jesus words in Matt. 6:" ""Observe intently the birds of heaven;" "they do not sow seed or reap or gather into storehouses, yet your heavenly Father feeds them." "Are you not worth more than they are?"" "I realised that I was still relying on myself and not fully throwing my anxiety on Jehovah" "My skills may be limited but Jehovah's are not" "So, I kept on looking but I used my extra time to auxiliary pioneer" "It was just what I needed" "Eventually Jehovah opened the door and blessed my patience with a job that was nearby with good hours for my meetings" "I even had more time for the ministry with my family" "It was not an easy experience but my faith in Jehovah was stronger than ever" "I saw him act in my behalf and I know that he really does care for me and my family" "Did you notice how the brother honoured Jehovah with his valuable things?" "For one he sacrificed his job so as not to interfere with spiritual activities" "And second although he was unemployed he took the opportunity to auxiliary pioneer" "He was balanced" "Keeping his spiritual focus while diligently seeking other employment" "Jehovah made sure that the brother and his family had what they needed" "And in time he was blessed with another job" "Let's now look at some of the specific examples of how our donations are put to good use" "When the preaching work prospers the need increases for branch facilities to organise the work and to translate and print our literature" "Recently one such project started in Cameroon a country in Central Africa" "After approval for construction was given this video was shown in all congregations in that country" "By preaching from house to house the public witnessing effort our campaigns in local languages and in other aspects of the ministry each of you has done good work." "Well done" "Here at Bethel we are happy to work shoulder to shoulder with you during this period of rapid increase" "The Governing Body is very interested in the progress of the work in our territory" "Because of this we would like to share with you a historic announcement that was made to the Bethel family just a few days ago" "We are happy to inform you that the Governing Body has approved the construction of a new Bethel" "# Loud applause #" "The World Headquarters is already working very hard for the success of this important project" "But what can you do to support this work?" "First the most important thing is to pray every day for the success of this project" "That Jehovah directs the choice of the location" "And that he blesses all of the work that will be accomplished" "Second you can give financial support by your voluntary contributions to the world wide work" "Third the building of a new Bethel is a huge undertaking" "We will need many volunteers to help with the construction project" "If you are able, please ask your elders for a construction volunteer application form" "We are living at a unique time in the history of the preaching work in our branch territory" "We would like to thank you in advance for your prayers your contributions and your volunteer spirit during the exciting months ahead" "Obviously excitement runs high in the country of Cameroon" "But think about it" "Cameroon is just one of some 90 branches world wide" "All of such facilities need to be well maintained and at times they need to be renovated" "If you would like to see the plans for another branch construction project go to the Video on Demand section of JW Broadcasting" "There you will find an interesting report on plans for the France Bethel facilities" "That construction project will benefit the brothers and sisters in the many countries that the France branch oversees" "Although many of our construction projects are the result of growth in a branch territory" "Our donations also are put to good use when disasters strike" "The organisation is quick to respond to the needs of our brothers and sisters in affected areas" "This includes the distribution of relief supplies" "It also involves helping our brothers repair or rebuild their homes and Kingdom Halls" "This was the case in 2011 when a large tornado ripped through the state of Missouri in the US" "When a disaster strikes the Disaster Relief Desk takes the lead in caring for the needs of the field" "This done by using volunteers" "Our bros know how to work together" "We are using volunteers who are used to crawling over each other and working in a Kingdom Hall" "So they have the ability to get into a disaster situation and take direction and just take care of it" "It's an evaluation process to see what's needed" "Then the Purchasing Department locally will go ahead and start buying materials" "Those will be delivered" "And volunteers will come to to prepare the home back to liveable conditions" "So that our bros and sis can get back into their homes" "So we stabilise the friends" "We stabilise the houses" "We can stabilise the congregation" "We had a group of brothers that went into" "Joplin Missouri after the tornado destroyed 30 percent of the city" "We had probably 30/40 volunteers working on a house" "And a woman comes down the street from the neighbourhood" "She sees all the volunteers working" "She thinks it's a construction organisation" "She says "Can I pay you to come over and fix my garage?"" "It was basically a shed that had been picked up off the slab and turned upside down and had moved a few feet away from the slab" "So the bros said, "Well, let's go take a look at it."" "So they went over there and took a look at it and it wasn't that hard" "The shed was still intact" "They said, "We could do this in a few minutes."" "So they went and got all their volunteers" "They went over there, they picked the shed up" "They got about 30 bros on it and they turned it over and put it on the slab" "And uh the woman was so thankful she says, "Okay, so what do I owe you?"" "And they said, "No, we're all volunteers." "We're Jehovah's Witnesses." "We're working through the local" "Kingdom Hall here a relief centre"" "And she says, "You're kidding me!" "You're all volunteers?"" "He says, "Yeah." "And we're out..."" "She says, "Well, what are you doing here?" "He said, "We're out working on our brothers and sisters homes and trying to help them get stabilised."" "She was in tears" "She came back down the street a few minutes later with a wad of money in her hand" "She said, "I want to tell you a story."" "She said, "I called my church after this happened and I asked them to come work - to do this work for me to put this shed back on its slab" "They said, 'We can do that." "We'll be there in about 3 weeks and it's gonna cost you this much.'"" "She says, "And here you folks come over to my house you don't charge me;" "you don't even know who I am;" "and you put my home back together" "What I needed to have done."" "She says, "Here's the money" "You have this" "You put it in your contribution box."" "When someone helps in building a Kingdom Hall" "When someone helps in building an Assembly Hall" "When someone aids in caring for a natural disaster" "Their lives are changed forever" "When someone is benefited by one of these programs" "Their lives are changed forever" "But as stated earlier we provide help in many other ways by means of our voluntary donations" "The primary focus though is helping people spiritually" "In contrast to Jehovah's organisation" "Many publishing companies do not provide literature for the blind" "Why?" "Well they've determined that it is not cost effective" "However Jehovah wants everyone to have a hope for the future" "Notice how our organisation works hard to make the truth more readily available for those who are blind" "# birds twittering # I can't wait to see birds" "I can't wait to see their little beaks chirp # birds twitter # when I hear the sound of them" "I was fully sighted until I was 9 and then gradually started losing my sight" "When I was young I loved skiing" "I skied and enjoyed the outdoors" "We're really very busy in our life" "We have my mother who's 85 and my aunt who's 92 that live here also" "So we have their lives to work around - doctors and meals" "We have our theocratic life and we have our studies our field service our personal study" "I lead a very very full life I just happen to be blind" "In my early 30's I uh lost the use of my right eye" "It was quite sudden and I went to the doctor and ah following the examination he took me into his office" "And let me know that I would be blind in both eyes and ah" "Its immediate response by me was fear" "But it was the ministry that gave me the greatest strength and confidence to go forward" "Throughout the US Branch territory there are about 20 million persons that are either blind or suffer from low vision" "And in response to that the organisation has produced" "Braille literature in a number of languages" "Also audio files as well as electronic screen reader files" "Our principal function is to transcribe publications into Braille" "The transcription is done electronically" "By a program that has been produced in-house" "And is part of the Watchtower translation system" "We produce Braille files that can be embossed into paper publications" "The screen reader and notetaker files are uploaded to the jw.org website for use by blind and visually impaired persons" "Not being able to read uh and having to learn to get the spiritual truths in in a different way is is quite a challenge" "That's where the audio recordings being able to hear" "I am able to do exactly what I used to 1 Cor 9:22 says "I have become all things to people of all sorts that I might by all possible means save some"" "And we've taken those words to heart" "We want persons outside of our organisation to benefit from the literature that we are producing for the blind" "Now after attending an expo for the blind" "Janet recognised the vast potential that exists in the blind community for the good news" "The amount of blind people at the expo it was astounding" "And the first thing that we thought of was 'These people need Jehovah'" "And immediately we came home and we called Bethel and told them what we saw" "We appointed a Sign Language Circuit Overseer to organise our participation at the event" "And this was also beneficial because some persons who attended are both blind and deaf" "Thus could only benefit from tactile sign language" "We got together the week before and discussed how we were going to set up the table and the booth" "Some blind people prefer Braille and others prefer audio" "So we had to have both available for them" "Anything that would attract those who are blind so they could come up to the table" "They could feel the Braille ah literature" "They could feel the visual aids" "They could listen to a scripture about God's hope for the future" "So everything was tailored to those who were blind or visually impaired" "Our participation at these expos has been tremendously successful" "Many times these individuals that are present are learning the truth for the first time" "61% of the people that we talked to gave us their contact information" "Everyone was very appreciative" "They all ah enjoyed what we had to show them and teach them" "Many of them left the booth ah with multiple pieces of literature" "Ah, some of those who approached the booth were so appreciative they gave us hugs they ah" "Some sat down right then and there to have their first study" "It was a very special experience and it felt like we were opening a new form of ministry" "It felt like we were contacting a group of people that hadn't had the opportunity to know Jehovah before" "They can see the truth" "They can see the ring of truth in their mind's eyes" "So many people thanked us for being there" "This ministry really is unbelievable" "It's unlike anything I have done in my life # birds twittering #" "This is just one of many examples that shows how innovative witnessing initiatives can help people of all backgrounds and circumstances to draw close to Jehovah" "One of our favourite segments on this program is hearing how our brothers and sisters came in contact with the truth" "Often times the truth completely transformed their lives" "We are happy to share one such story with you now" "Brother John Lewis was raised in a non-religious household" "However he was exposed to the truth at a young age" "But what caused him to later draw closer to Jehovah?" "And how does his story tie in with our theme for this month" ""Honour Jehovah with your valuable things?"" "Brother Lewis himself will answer that question for us" "# Sound of garage door opening #" "# Motorcycle engine starting #" "# Rock music playing #" "American motorcycles were my passion" "We make them louder faster and with lots of chrome" "It wasn't just the bike" "I had a great American sports car" "I had a brand new house" "I had a good job" "Really I had the American Dream" "And I had a great life" "I was always looking for fun and I always seemed to find it" "Even though I thought I had everything" "There was still something missing" "The Vietnam war was brewing was raging people were dying and it really bothered me" "When I was 6 years old my aunt who had just become a Witness she showed me this book" "And there's a picture inside I remember so well" "It's of Armageddon and that scares a little kid" "I thought 'I don't want to be there'" "But a few pages later there's a picture of the paradise" "I never forgot it and I always thought 'I wanted to be there someday'" "So I thought 'maybe my aunt has something" "What have I got to lose?" "'" "So I called her and said 'Send over some Witnesses'" "So I had a couple of studies with the brother" "But it didn't really make sense yet and my lifestyle hadn't changed" "I was 21 riding my motorcycle" "Doing about 75 miles an hour because uh speed limits were for wimps" "I hit a parked truck" "I nearly died" "And as a result I now use this to walk" "Two days prior I actually had Witnesses over" "But then my aunt invited me to a special talk given by the Watchtower society's president in San Francisco" "And I said 'Okay." "I'll see'" "Well you gotta remember at this time the drug culture was in full swing and it was part of my life too" "And so I partied" "Got home after 2am" "But I tried something I prayed to Jehovah" "I said 'If you're real, if this is true, get me up in the morning'" "Well at 6am I woke up, could not sleep and I thought" "This is really weird" "And so I thought I'd better go" "So I went with my aunt to this function" "And I thought if nothin' else" "I'll just check out the chicks" "Hey I was 21" "But you know what I found when I got there?" "Everybody paid attention" "When the brother said to turn to a scripture" "They all turned to that scripture" "It was such a unified group of harmony" "Something that I always wanted" "So I made rapid changes in my life" "I soon qualified to go out in the public preaching" "Soon after that I was baptised and 6 months later" "I started in the full-time ministry" "And so for over 40 years now my wife and I have enjoyed this work of going door to door and teaching others the Bible" "In 1998 I was dignified with the opportunity to serve as the Apostle Paul did" "Visiting and encouraging congregations" "I've had the chance to do that in different parts of the US as a travelling overseer" "So really I've gone from a life of pursuit of happiness" "That I never found it" "I tried to make it happen but it wasn't there" "Now I have a life of purpose" "I have a family worldwide and I have a secure future" "What's better than that?" "Did you notice how Brother Lewis' story ties in with our theme for this month?" "Bro and Sis Lewis have served in the circuit work since 1998" "As special full-time servants they are honouring Jehovah to the full with their time and energy" "We truly appreciate our hard working circuit overseers and their wives" "Something that makes our literature so unique is the unity it produces" "Our literature doesn't focus just on one country or one continent" "Instead it fulfils the spiritual needs of our brothers and sisters worldwide" "How is that accomplished?" "One very important factor is that branches around the world contribute to the content that we publish" "Let's visit one such branch and find out more # music #" "The Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses provides spiritual food through our publications and website" "The writing desk supplies material to the Writing Dept." "at the world headquarters for publication" "We also archive historical material" "Newspaper clippings and experiences are sorted and filed in cabinets" "These are translated into English and sent to the Writing Dept at the world headquarters" "Also we arrange the shooting of photographs for articles" "These photographs help us to get a better understanding of what is being taught" "The archive team collect historical material of the Witnesses in Japan such as photos publications from the early days and other mementos which brothers have donated" "# Japanese phonograph sound recording #" "We take protective measures to save these precious items from damages caused by such things as light and humidity" "Also we computerise our collection of items numbering tens of thousands so that we can immediately find any of them from the database" "We use these items for exhibition displays as well as video programs produced at this branch or at the world headquarters" "Like a family album of memories the collection in the archives tells us much about our spiritual family" "About their faith courage joys challenges" "And about Jehovah's guidance and support" "After a publication is published or a video is produced considerable effort is expended to make it available in hundreds of languages" "As we mentioned earlier in the program 170 Remote Translation Offices need to be constructed in the next two years alone" "The purpose is to make sure people from all over the world have access to Bible truth" "Rev 7:9 speaks of a great crowd composed of many tongues or as the footnote reads:" "languages" "This Bible prophecy has taken on new meaning in the past century of Kingdom rule" "With translation now taking place in over 700 languages" "Many of these languages are operating from" "Remote Translation Offices or RTOs" "One example is the country of Mozambique" "These offices are located in the area where the language is spoken rather than at the Branch" "Remote Translation Office guidelines outline how the Branch Committee works along with the Writing Committee" "Publishing Committee" "Translation Services and the Worldwide Design Construction department in considering relocating or starting a translation team in a remote location" "RTOs are presently functioning in different ways in various parts of the world" "At times the personnel live in one location and work in another" "This includes using full time and part time commuters for both translation and support services" "The standard of the facilities provided or the operation of the RTO may not be the same as the local branch" "At times the fastest way to start operation is to rent or purchase existing facilities and if needed carry out renovation work" "For example this method was used to acquire the housing units for the American Sign Language RTO in Fort Lauderdale Florida" "If building a new RTO is the only option in an area then standard plans have been developed for use" "Construction servants work along with the" "Regional Design Construction department in planning a project" "And then travelling to the chosen location and working along with local construction servants and volunteers in building the RTO" "RTO construction gives both the local brothers and construction workers the joy of knowing they also are playing a part of reaching the hearts of people in their language" "The positive results in constructing RTOs is experienced by those involved in their construction and those who translate from them" "We just love the project" "The RTO family is so much fun to work with" "It's a small family and so as we're caring for the needs of each other throughout the days and the weeks and the months" "We just really find a lot of joy in it" "It's been a ton of fun and we get to do it all in the shadow of a palm tree" "The greatest joy is that our brothers give out their energy and above all they work with much happiness for Jehovah" "Our recent relocation to the RTO home and office will fit so many of our translation needs going forward" "Its helps us to hear and to speak the language every day because we use it in the ministry and at meetings" "So that help us to translate in a way our audience can easy understand" "When you go out in the ministry you find that there are so many different ways something can be said" "So you can have flavour in your translation work as well" "Attending a congregation meeting with so many Deaf really helps with translation" "Being in the audience when the information is presented at the meetings" "A translator can see by the facial expressions of those around him if the information is clear and understandable" "Seeing them comment gives us an insight into whether they really understand" "In just the last few years over 300 RTOs have been established worldwide" "We have ahead of us plans for over 100 RTOs to be established in the next few years" "Jehovah is truly blessing this work so that people of all languages in the most distant parts of the Earth may come to know him" "Our objective has always been to make our literature available to as many people as possible" "Recently a secular book fair was arranged in the city of Guadalajara in Mexico" "Our brothers thought it would be the perfect opportunity to help the visitors learn more about the best book ever written" "The Bible" "# Background piano music and talking #" "Preaching where the people are is crucial and here there are thousands" "In a short time we can reach people that we wouldn't normally find at home" "A lot of young people visited us here" "I really like that you have it set up with books and brochures" "Teenagers have a lot of questions but they don't ask them" ""If God is so powerful why does he let us suffer?"" "That's a question that a lot of people ask themselves since we think of God as the Almighty and a lot of times that's why many people lose their faith" "One of my students is a Jehovah's Witness" "I was once able to get a hold of a copy of the book Young People Ask and I found the information there very interesting very complete" "It's really helped me in particular to raise my daughters" "Many people were surprised to learn that our publications are distributed completely free of charge" "What caught my attention is your generosity" "Offering publications without expecting anything in return" "In fact one person even seemed a bit annoyed" "He said "How is it possible that you don't charge for this?"" "He said "This is worth a lot"" "We were very surprised by the public's response" "Around 30,000 publications were distributed" "In fact just between volumes 1  2 of the book" "Young People Ask" " Answers That Work some 8,000 copies were placed" "One of the main objectives of our booth was to draw attention to the content on our jw.org website" "To begin with what really caught my attention were the videos" "What has really drawn peoples attention is their being able to watch the videos for themselves" "That really attracts them" "Kids learn through videos so its very important for us as humans to teach our kids values using these different tools" "As parents our duty is to mould our children to pursue good principles good values" "A teacher watched the whiteboard animation we use and that's what most impressed her" "She said she's going to use 'em in her classroom" "From what I saw to me the site is very good very educational" "I think it's great you can help thousands of people from the intimacy of their homes where they're comfortable to consult Bible based information" "If they had knocked on my door I probably would have shut it on them but I think this method is very different, to me it's a lot more dynamic" "I was one of those persons who would just take the literature and I was like "Just leave it with me, maybe I'll read it later"" "I think that when we get a hold of a tablet or a laptop and we start opening web pages and especially the Jehovah's Witnesses site you start seeing what you need without having to ask questions and especially because the pages are so eye catching" "What's happening here is really important and I think what you people are doing is great" "I was a completely different person before but this has helped my family to be more united" "# Musical conclusion #" "What find results will undoubtedly come from this new initiative!" "The Central America Branch received approval from the Service Committee of the Governing Body for this event" "Such requests are reviewed on a case by case basis" "We discussed earlier the new program for the entire brotherhood to share in funding the building of Kingdom Halls" "Congregations with less financial resources would otherwise never be able to afford to build an appropriate Kingdom Hall but with our joint efforts it is possible and very much appreciated" "The fact is highlighted in this report that was recently given to the Bethel families in the US and Canada" "This year Lynelda and I had the privilege to travel to South East Africa" "And visit the branches in Madagascar" "Mauritius and Zimbabwe" "Our first stop was Madagascar" "Madagascar is simply a wonderful branch for preaching" "There are 30,400 publishers conducting over 79,000 Bible Studies" "And what helps is that the Malagasy people have a tremendous appreciation and respect for the Bible" "It is not uncommon for individuals to give a donation for our literature with the last bit of money they have in their pockets" "Even if it means that they'll have no money for the next day" "And their typical response is: "It's OK, its for God"" "And that level of appreciation has resulted in many progressive Bible studies" "One experience involved and elderly pastor named Lefty" "He met Jehovah's Witnesses for the first time in a neighbouring village about 20 miles away from where he lived" "He readily accepted a Bible study" "And even urged members in his church to travel to the meetings with him when they could" "Well sadly Lefty became sick and died" "However before his death" "He instructed the 74 members of his church that they should never leave Jehovah's Witnesses because they really read and study the Bible and they truly have the true religion" "He even left his house with them to use as a place for worship" "Well did they heed his advice?" "They did" "Every Sunday a group would meet together in Lefty's house" "And with no-one to study the Bible with them" "And not always able to travel the 20 miles to the neighbouring village" "They took whatever Watchtowers they had" "And each week someone delivered a talk on one of the articles" "They knew a few Kingdom songs from attending the meetings" "So they just sung what they remembered" "2 months ago special pioneers were sent to this village" "This picture shows many of the children who live in the village" "And that's Lefty's house in the background" "The pioneers reported that 78 people were regularly attending the meetings in Lefty's house" "They found that some in the group were drunkards smokers tradition followers" "But they had all made changes in their lives from what they read reading the Watchtower" "The house built by Lefty was now too small they had to use a public school for the meetings" "And of course when the pioneers came" "Bible studies were started right away" "In fact the folks in this village were so excited about studying the Bible" "That instead of waiting for the pioneers to come to their home" "They all went to the home of the pioneers" "They sit in the yard and they'd check in just like a doctors office" "And they sit and wait until it's their turn to study" "It really is a beautiful thing to see how" "Jehovah can draw his people to him" "One of the highlights of this visit were the children who came to the branch to sing or record the Malagasy rendition of song #95 which is "Taste and See That Jehovah Is Good"" "And as you know this song was recently posted on jw.org" "So we thought you might enjoy seeing part of that rehearsal" "# Speaks Malagasy #" "# Song 95 music begins #" "Malagasy:" "Ny fa - no - mpoa - na a - tao - ntsi - ka" "To - mbo - ntsoa tsy ma - nam - paha - roa" "Zay tsa - ra a - mi - ntsika ny fo - toa - na - ntsika" "Dia ho an' i Je - ho - vah a - vo - koa" "'Tsa - ra Je - ho - vah, a - ndra - mo a - nie," "A - ndra - mo dia ho hi - ta - nao.'" "Sa - mba - tra foa - na 'reo maha - foy tena" "Sy ma - nao 'zay a - zo a - tao." "Our next stop was Mauritius" "The first Bethel in Mauritius was established in 1988" "But since 1997" "They relocated to the beautiful facilities that you see here in the pictures" "And there are 40 bros and sis that make up the Bethel family" "The women are truly a large army in Mauritius" "Of the nearly 1,800 publishers 116 are pioneers and of that number over 100 are sisters" "They work so hard to carry out their ministry" "And they engage in various forms from public witnessing to preaching in the mountains" "And Jehovah is truly blessing their efforts they are doing this with much good success" "Much of the work in the Mauritius branch involves translation" "And something that has had a tremendous impact on the brothers was receiving for the first time the song book in their native language Mauritian Creole" "And a number were able to express their feelings of appreciation" "Jehovah has blessed us so much I'm so grateful" "It's a wonderful gift from Jehovah" "We've got the songbook in our mother tongue we can really praise Jehovah" "We are very happy that we've got the songbook in our mother tongue" "Our final stop was Zimbabwe" "Zimbabwe continues to be abuzz from the success of last year's International Convention" "And evidence of this has been the amount of increase in many aspects of the ministry" "This includes all-time peaks in magazine placements" "Bible studies and memorial attendance" "One nice experience involves a 20 year old young woman named Blessed" "She obtained literature from one of our preaching carts and she was drawn to the truth right away" "She was a progressive student and quickly began attending the meetings" "In fact Blessed was so touched by what she saw and heard at the meetings" "It moved her to approach a sis in the cong. and express to her" "Just how fortunate she was to be raised by Christian parents" "When Blessed was given the invitation to attend the convention" "She readily accepted" "But imagine the scene on the 1st day of the convention" "When she bumps into her parents during the intermission" "Both were equally surprised to see the other" "But blessed was so excited she began interrogating her father with a barrage of questions" "And so she started asking him:" ""Well what are you doing here?"" ""Who invited you?"" ""How did you know about this?"" ""Why did you never say anything?"" "Well the father could not bear the interrogation any more and he eventually confessed:" ""Your mother and I are Jehovah's Witnesses" "We've been inactive since you were born in fact your mother used to serve as a regular pioneer"" "Well as you can imagine the young woman was in total disbelief and later admitted just how angry she was at her parents for not raising her and her siblings in the truth" "But this motivated her to progress even more" "In 4 months she qualified to become an unbaptised publisher" "She ended her relationship with her boyfriend" "Even had the courage to terminate her employment since she worked for an organisation that was against Bible principles" "She became baptised" "And the best part is her parents who were clearly affected by her example have since been reactivated" "Even one of her siblings who used to make fun of her for studying the Bible is now an unbaptised publisher" "Another aspect of the work that is meeting with good success is the building of Kingdom Halls" "It is very difficult to get construction servants into Zimbabwe so much of the work is done by local brothers" "And as you'll note from these clips the work that they have been able to accomplish is tremendous" "Currently a Kingdom Hall can be completed in 6 weeks in the rural areas" "And 2-3 months in other locations" "And over the past year 12 Kingdom Halls have been built" "And another 115 are scheduled across the country" "It was the rainy season in Zimbabawe during the week of the branch visit and it rained all day every day" "And some of the hardest rains were on the day of the special program" "But despite the inclement conditions 29,411 were in attendance" "And it was just so touching to see so many paying attention" "And all the smiling joyful faces" "Despite the unfavourable conditions" "It even moved one news reporter who was there covering the program to ask" ""What is it about you people?"" ""How is it that this many people would come together to sit in the rain to listen to some talks about the Bible?"" "Well the bros quickly arranged for someone to follow up on his interest" "The visit to these branches was evidence that Jehovah is accomplishing wonderful things and blessing the work and the diligent efforts of his people" "And all along the way the bros. and sis." "enthusiastically expressed their love and appreciation for Jehovah to the Governing Body" "And all of the hard work that is being done and accomplished by the Bethel families here in the US as well as in Canada" "And it is such a privilege to be able to pass on to you their warm love and greetings" "Don't you agree that this program has provided us with a number of examples of how we can honour Jehovah with our valuable things" "Yes we can give of our time our skills and other resources to further Kingdom interests" "As a summary we will enjoy a beautiful music video entitled" "Yes you guessed it" ""Honour Jehovah With Your Valuable Things"" "# Music begins #" "There's nothing Jehovah could possibly need" "He made everything from the start" "So what can I give him or how can I live" "In a way that brings joy to his heart" "Now I know what it takes so with each day that breaks" "Here's what I will do" "I'll give to you Jehovah the best I have to give" "I'll live for you Jehovah as long as I may live" "No matter what life brings" "I'll honour you with my valuable things" "With love in your heart" "You have given us life and I treasure the joy that it brings" "What more can I do to give honour to you" "Than to give you my valuable things" "Yes I know what it takes so with each day that breaks" "I know what I will do" "I'll give to you Jehovah the best I have to give" "I'll live for you Jehovah as long as I may live" "No matter what life brings" "I'll honour you with my valuable things" "The words of Prov 3:9 are etched in our minds and hearts after this months program" "We want to give our first fruits to Jehovah" "May all of us take the time to prayerfully consider what we can do to continue to live up to our dedication to Jehovah" "In all of the areas we have discussed" "To conclude our program we would like to share these greetings from the Tallinn North congregation in the country of Estonia" "The 101 publishers meet in a Kingdom Hall in the medieval old town" "Their territory is visited every year by thousands of tourists and farm students" "And the congregation makes full use of literature carts in their ministry" "There are 14 congregations in the city of Tallinn that meet in 3 separate Kingdom Hall complexes" "The work in Estonia is supervised by the Finland branch" "But there is a remote translation office in the country which also hosts classes of the School for Kingdom Evangelisers" "Students come from nearby countries" "Such as Finland and Russia" "Although these images were recorded earlier this year when it was colder" "A Special Convention is planned in Tallinn this summer" "When it will be much warmer" "Our Estonian brothers and sisters are giving of their valuable things in preparing to welcome the International Delegates when they arrive in July" "We love you all very much and thank you for joining us this month" "This is JW Broadcasting from Brooklyn New York" "# JWB Theme song fades out #"