In showing honor to one another, take

the lead JW Broadcasting Feb 2018

Contents 1. Introduction ........................................................................... 1

2. In showing honor to one another, take the lead .................... 1

2.1 Marriage mates showing honor ....................................... 4

2.1.1 Emil and Firuca Gârbovan from Romania ................. 9

2.2 Showing honor in the congregation ................................ 11

3. Dramatization – Kiara & Shaan ........................................... 14

4. Interview - William and Angela Samuelson ........................ 16

5. Grace Li, Great Britain ........................................................ 21

6. Bend, Oregon ...................................................................... 26

7. Music Video - You Can Count on Me .................................. 30

8. Malang, Indonesia ............................................................... 32

Feb 2018 Broadcast

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1. Introduction

Welcome to this month’s broadcast. Here are a few highlights of what we’ll enjoy on the program. What if changing circumstances in the family begin pushing mates apart emotionally? This dramatization of Shaan and Kiara may provide some timely guidance. Also, the story of Grace Li will be an encouragement to any who have faced severe emotional challenges for taking a stand for the truth. You’ll see the effect that her actions had on those around her. And this month’s music video will reassure us of the love, kindness, and support we enjoy as Jehovah’s people. All that and more on this February 2019 edition of JW Broadcasting!

2. In showing honor to one another, take the lead

The theme of this program is taken from the second part of Romans 12:10: “In showing honor to one another, take the lead.” What is honor? In the Hebrew Scriptures, the term translated “honor” literally means “heaviness.” So when we honor someone, we’re acknowledging that he’s weighty or that he amounts to something.

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In the Greek Scriptures, the word is related to setting a price on something, meaning that the one we honor is esteemed or has value. Whom should we honor? Of course, Jehovah is worthy of honor. Revelation 4:11 says this and gives us the reason for giving glory and honor to Jehovah. It says because he “created all things.” He is responsible for us having life in the first place. How do we give him honor? There are many ways: We honor him by doing his will — obeying his laws and principles. We honor him by extolling his qualities and promises — telling others about these gifts from God. We show him honor by contributing financially to the worldwide educational work that he’s directing through his Son and holy spirit. And just as Revelation chapter 4 said about Jehovah being worthy of the honor, Revelation 5:12 says that his Son, Christ Jesus, is worthy of the same. Verse 12 says of Jesus: “They were saying with a loud voice: “‘The Lamb who was slaughtered “‘is worthy to receive the power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing.’ ” How do we show honor to Jesus?

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One way is acknowledged in the verse we just read. He was “slaughtered” like a sacrificial lamb so that we might have the hope of everlasting life. We highly esteem, and value, that sacrifice. We honor Jesus by recognizing his role as an immortal “King of kings” in the heavens. And another very practical way to honor Jesus is to strive to imitate his life and personality as the model for us to follow closely. If we take the lead in showing honor, who else will we view as highly valued —to be treated with esteem? Ephesians 6:1, 2 says that children ‘honor their father and mother’ when they’re obedient to them. Matthew 15:4-6 makes it clear that adult children honor their parents and grandparents by giving material assistance to them as needed. First Timothy 5:17 urges us to give elders “double honor” because of their hard work in our behalf. Romans 13:1, 7 even extends the matter of showing honor to governmental rulers and others in authority. First Peter 2:17 broadens the meaning of honor even further saying: “Honor men of all sorts.” In addition to being kind and respectful to people in general, we also honor them by being willing to spend time sharing the good news with them.

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Ephesians 5:22-25 appeals to wives to honor their husbands by having Christlike subjection for them. Husbands are to honor their wives by showing them love and treating them just as Jesus treated the congregation. And what about our theme text for this discussion? Who was Paul addressing in Romans chapter 12 when he said: “In showing honor to one another, take the lead”? Who are the “one another” in that verse? Look at Romans 1:7 with me. Paul says he’s writing “to all those who are in Rome as God’s beloved ones, called to be holy ones.” So all of us in the Christian congregation are to have honor for each other.

2.1 Marriage mates showing honor

I’d like to spend the balance of my time discussing two of the many opportunities we have to show honor (they’re the last two that I just referenced): first, marriage mates showing honor to each other, and second, showing honor to one another in our congregations. Marriages in general today are seriously lacking in honor. Marriage mates often demean one another with harsh words and disrespectful attitudes. Some in the world resort to physical violence, as if that somehow makes the abusive one right in his view of whatever the issue is.

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And infidelity on the part of one or both mates is so common it doesn’t even raise eyebrows anymore. All of this is a gross lack of honor in marriage. But what about marriages of those professing to be Jehovah’s Witnesses? We’re blessed with so many marriages that are wholesome and honorable. True, none are perfect. But how blessed we are to have the truth and to have learned to be more and more Christlike with each other. We’ve learned to shed things that we heard when we were growing up. However, the matter of honoring our marriage mate needs to be discussed. While relatively few of our marriages end up with some kind of physical violence and relatively few end up in divorce, what about having honor in the marriage? After living together as husband and wife for many months or for years or even for decades, familiarity can cause us to treat each other with less respect or honor than when we were courting. That isn’t right. It isn’t Christlike. But with our inherited imperfection, we may succumb to dishonorable words and behavior with the one that we promised to treasure “until death do us part.”

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How can we get a grip on this trait and minimize the times that we have a clash of spirit and words? First, let’s consider the two basic responsibilities assigned to marriage mates. This is the foundation that we can then build on to improve. The role of the husband is clearly stated at 1 Corinthians 11:3. And while some wives in society may bristle at this thought, wives serving Jehovah are to embrace this thought. It’s the arrangement of God. First Corinthians 11:3 says: “But I want you to know that the head of every man is the Christ; “in turn, the head of a woman is the man; in turn, the head of the Christ is God.” God’s Word says that “the head of a woman is the man.” However, the head of the woman is not to be a domineering man, not an abusive man —verbally or physically. He is to imitate his head. And who is that? What did the first part of the verse say? “The head of every man is the Christ.” In fact, Ephesians chapter 5 strikes this fine balance between being a head of the wife and being a loving head like the Christ. Ephesians 5:22, 23 says: “Let wives be in subjection to their husbands as to the Lord, “[But what of the disposition of the husband?] “because a husband is head of his wife “just as the

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Christ is head of the congregation, he being a savior of this body.” That verse says it all. Verse 33 of the same chapter says this: “Each one of you must love his wife as he does himself; “on the other hand, the wife should have deep respect for her husband.” There’s nowhere in God’s Word that says that if one mate pushes the other mate’s button — emotionally — that it cancels the offended mate’s obligation to be Christlike. The problem is that when one mate is offended or hurt, it’s so easy to roll the eyes in disgust or to lash back with a verbal insult. Then the other mate fires back with another harsh, cutting remark. It’s like wind on a forest fire. Tempers blaze, and the evening goes up in smoke. It’s not at all Christlike. There is no honor shown in such a conflagration. It has to stop sooner rather than later. The January 15, 2015, issue of The Watchtower said this: “Remember that marriage is not a competition “to find out who is stronger, who can shout louder, “or who can think of the most cutting remark. “True, we all have flaws, and sometimes we upset others.

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“But there is never a justifiable reason “for either a husband or a wife “to use sarcastic and demeaning speech, or worse, to shove or hit each other.” How can we change the atmosphere? Someone needs to put out the fire with the water of God’s Word. Romans 12:10b, again: “In showing honor to one another, take the lead.” One of the mates must take the lead even if at the time they’re apologizing for their own behavior by acknowledging that they didn’t respond in a Christlike way saying, “Forgive me.” That same issue of The Watchtower cited two scriptures: one for the husband and one for the wife. We’ll first read Proverbs 17:27. Husbands, listen to this and apply it prior to a rift or even during the conflict. Proverbs 17:27: “A man of knowledge restrains his words, and a discerning man will remain calm.” Husbands, does that describe us? Now wives, please locate Proverbs 31:26. Does this describe your speech even when some altercation occurs? Proverbs 31:26: “She opens her mouth in wisdom; the law of kindness is on her tongue.”

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Usually after a misunderstanding and rash words have been said, we feel miserable and upset. We often chastise ourselves for adding fuel to the fire. How much better to train ourselves to restrain our words and remain calm and to speak in wisdom and with kindness of tongue.

2.1.1 Emil and Firuca Gârbovan from Romania Meet Emil and Firuca Gârbovan from Romania. They’re good examples of how the power of God’s Word can mold and change the attitudes of marriage mates who are willing to be guided by it. It was in 1983 when I met Firuca. I already had two little girls. One was seven years old, and the other one was three. I accepted to study the Bible. My husband worked as a warrant officer for the police, so at the beginning, I studied in secret. Then I decided to tell him the truth. When I found out that my wife was studying the Bible in order to become one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I became very sad. And I realized that our marriage and our family was in danger because I only knew bad things about Jehovah’s Witnesses. He threatened he would divorce me, and he did.

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The divorce was a very difficult time in my life because I was seven months pregnant with our third daughter. Following the divorce, my husband was given the house and custody of our two daughters. I had to leave the house, and I stayed for almost a year with two families of our brothers. I saw Jehovah’s love toward me, and I loved Jehovah very much, but I loved my husband too. One day, as I was walking and holding the little girl’s hand, I saw Firuca’s husband walking toward me. My heart stopped, and I said to myself, ‘He is going to hit me!’ But Emil was a gentleman. And he took the little girl in his arms, talked to her for a few minutes, and then he put her back down and left. When I saw him leaving, I thanked Jehovah because he didn’t beat me. In 1990, I looked for my wife and I told her that I would like to remarry her to reunite our family. And, after a while, she agreed and step-by-step I started to study. In 2003, I became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. I am very happy that I made this change, and I regret that I didn’t do it sooner. I personally saw how the truth can change a person’s life, even in my own family.

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Currently, I serve as an elder. And in 2010, I became a regular pioneer. When I see Emil conduct the Bible study next to me, I feel like kneeling rather than standing to thank Jehovah. So to married couples who love Jehovah we repeat: “In showing honor . . . , take the lead.” The principles just discussed can also be applied when showing honor to others in the congregation.

2.2 Showing honor in the congregation

Like the husband and wife that we just discussed, all of us should be improving in imitating Jesus and in ‘following his steps closely’ in all of our interactions with fellow believers in the congregation. How do we show honor to one another? One way is well described at 1 Corinthians 10:23, 24. We show honor when we put the other person’s feelings and needs ahead of our own. First Corinthians 10:23, 24: “All things are lawful, “but not all things are advantageous. “All things are lawful, but not all things build up. “Let each one keep seeking, not his own advantage, but that of the other person.” We show honor when we suppress our own rights. What we do or say might be lawful, but is it advantageous?

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Will it build up? Verse 24, then, concisely says it: “Keep seeking, not [our] own advantage [or right], but that of the other person.” We show honor to others when we do good deeds for them. Possibly, it’s even a humble task that an elderly publisher needs done. It could be offering to clean the house, take them to the store, or fill some other need. The principle is at Luke 22:26: “You, though, are not to be that way. “But let the one who is the greatest among you “become as the youngest, and the one taking the lead as the one ministering.” Earlier, I cited 1 Timothy 5:17, where we’re urged to give elders “double honor” because of their hard work in our behalf. They’re also part of our congregation and deserve honor. In our August program last year, Brother Lett helped us consider much of what is involved. You’ll recall that his subject was “Appreciating Our ‘Gifts in Men.’ ” We minister to or honor others when we readily forgive them if they’ve embarrassed us or hurt our feelings. Overall, Jehovah’s people do quite well in honoring one another in the congregation.

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But here is the question: Are we improving in this aspect of our Christian personality? In our theme scripture, Paul didn’t just say to honor one another. He said to “widen out” or reach out in this aspect of our Christian life. His words were to “take the lead.” If Paul had just said to show honor to each other, that would be like a teacher urging a group of literate students to learn to read. If they’re literate, they don’t need to learn to read. But what might the teacher be urging them to do? He might encourage them to read better, or to improve. Love is the identifying mark of Christ’s disciples. So honor is something we’ve learned to show. However, like the teacher, Paul is urging us to improve in this area. He said take the lead in showing honor. The footnote says this could be rendered taking the “initiative” in showing honor. Instead of waiting for some obvious reason to do good for others — to commend someone, to check on a shut-in — look for opportunities to take the initiative to show honor in the family and in our congregations. Yes, “in showing honor . . . , take the lead”!

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At times, changing circumstances can make it challenging to show honor.

3. Dramatization – Kiara & Shaan

In this dramatization, note how the husband and wife adjusted to a change while learning new ways to continue showing love and honor to each other. My name is Kiara, and that’s my husband, Shaan. Our son Akil moved out recently to help where the need is greater. I didn’t realize just how much he made us laugh. I miss that. It’s just more quiet now. But more than that, I felt we were growing apart. I tried talking to him. It didn’t go well. Ever since Akil left, things have been off between Kiara and I. She is so serious now. I wish she would just lighten up and laugh more, like when Akil was still here. As much as I hated to admit it, it felt like we were growing apart. Even Akil noticed.

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Anyway, can I ask you guys a question? Are you both doing OK? Because you don’t look OK. Of course, we’re OK. OK? We’re doing wonderful, right? Yeah, we’re doing good. Everything is good. Yeah. We weren’t fooling anyone — except maybe ourselves. And for the first time, we both revealed to each other just how we had been really feeling. We knew we were headed down a dangerous path. We had to do something — fast. We read aloud the scripture at Romans 12:10: “In showing honor to one another, take the lead.” We thought about Abraham and Sarah. They weren’t perfect, but they worked hard to show honor to each other by listening and by caring. I told Kiara, “I know I can do better.”

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And I wanted to because I love her so much. I told Shaan, “Let’s both try to do better.” So we did. A few months later, we decided to pioneer together. Now it seemed we had a lot to talk about. I felt like I was seeing a whole new side of Kiara. Like Abraham and Sarah, our marriage wasn’t perfect. There are going to be stressful times. But by working hard to apply Bible principles, we got through that rough patch and it drew us even closer together. First Corinthians 13:4, 7 tell us: “Love is patient and kind” and “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Our dramatization helped us to see how love can adapt to changing needs and circumstances. But wouldn’t it be nice to talk with some real-life examples of those who have developed such skills? Well, we have a special treat.

4. Interview - William and Angela Samuelson

A longtime faithful couple has joined us in the studio — William and Angela Samuelson, who serve at Patterson Bethel in the United States.

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Now, of course, we’ve known each other for decades, and I know you as Bill and Angie, so that’s the way I’ll refer to you. So nice that you could be here and be interviewed. What’s helped you both maintain a happy marriage? Well, we work as a team, so we always check with each other before making decisions, even in areas where we wouldn’t necessarily have to — it would be OK to go ahead. But just out of respect, we talk with each other about any decisions that we make. And, you know, Brother Morris, we’ve been married 60 years now, and we’ve never really had a real serious argument. We’ve had some disagreements but nothing ever serious. And whenever we have those kind of words, why, we never use demeaning language or say derogatory things about each other, and that makes me very happy. Yeah, that’s commendable. Early in our marriage, there was one occasion when Angie was upset with me about something — it could’ve been anything— and in the conversation, it obviously showed in her tone of voice. So I explained to her that she could say anything she wanted as long as she smiled when she said it. Well, she tried, and we both had a good laugh. It’s very hard to stay mad when you’re smiling.

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Smiling — very, very good advice. What about in the congregation? How have you been able to show each other honor there? Well, when we have assignments from the platform, either of us, we work together. Angie is much better with grammar and pronunciation than I am, and so I’ll check with her to make sure that I’m saying things as correctly as possible. And she checks with me on prophetic significance, for example, or theocratic understanding or procedure and timing. Yes, and something that’s very important is when we do check with each other, we’re not thin-skinned about the advice that we want to give each other. I’ll call it advice. And that makes life a lot easier. We don’t get angry because we’ve been told we need to improve on something. That’s excellent. You also spent a long time in the traveling work before coming to Bethel. We knew you in the traveling work — early ’70’s and then later when we were down South and you were assigned down there. What did you learn about showing honor in that avenue of service?

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Well, as you say, we were in the traveling work for 33 years, just over. And for most of those years, we would have other assignments. I would be working with the district — now regional— convention organization or other assignments, and it meant that Angie would be alone in the congregation. She never complained; nor did she become unduly inquisitive about my assignment, which sometimes would’ve been confidential. When we had an unexpected move that came up, a change of assignment somewhere, Angie would just pack and be ready to go. That’s right. That was my job — packing. And in the field ministry, Brother Morris, we would usually be in separate car groups because Bill would work with the brothers and I would work with the sisters. And I really appreciated the fact that he always made sure I had a safe driver. It worked out most of the time. And if we had a territory that was a little scary, why, he made sure that we were safe in the territory. So I appreciated that very much. In one congregation, (you know, things don’t always go the way we plan) the brother scheduling the meals had scheduled two families for the same noon meal for us.

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The one sister was deaf; and she had always had the traveling brother on a certain day; and she didn’t hear when she was told it wouldn’t be that day. So she had gone ahead and prepared a meal. In the meantime, we had been assigned to another home, where they served us a full course — or courses— of an Italian meal. While we were eating, we found out that the other sister was waiting for us. She would’ve been highly offended if somebody didn’t come. So I went to the Kingdom Hall and handled the meeting for field service after the meal, and Angie went to the sister. That sister would probably still be mad at me if Angie hadn’t gone. Boy, was I sleepy that afternoon after two big meals. I bet. Well, you handled that very Christlike. Now, as we mentioned, your current assignment is here at Bethel. How have you navigated the unique challenges of this form of service while still honoring one another? Well, as you know, we work in different departments, but we respect that some things are confidential to that department.

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So we don’t make the work of our department a major part of our conversation. We could have an energy problem at the end of the day after working all day, so Bill is very considerate about accepting too many social invitations. Isn’t that nice? And so we respect each other’s limitations when it comes to physical and just energy in general. Well, that’s certainly honoring each other. Well, Bill and Angie, those were practical and encouraging comments. We really thank you so much for taking the time and allowing us to interview you, and we really appreciate your good example all these decades. Well, thank you. Thank you. While the Samuelsons are a wonderful example to try to imitate, we know that many marriages may have a more difficult start, or in some cases, the mates may not share the same spiritual values.

5. Grace Li, Great Britain

What can be done if we find this to be true in our case? Notice how sister Grace Li from Great Britain dealt with these challenges in her marriage. I was born in Hong Kong in 1952.

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When I was just over 14 years of age, my mother sat me down and said, “Look, there’s a marriage maker, “and the gentleman has agreed to take you as his wife.” I was absolutely petrified! I had never met him before. There was actually a 20-year difference between our ages, but I was willing to go through with it because I love my mum. I wanted her to be able to have a chance of happiness. I came to England, and not long after that, we started our first Chinese take-away in that little town. I had to work very hard seven days a week to help my husband run the business. I was the only Chinese woman in the entire town. I had nowhere to ask for help or advice, so I had a really bad time. When my second daughter was born, one night she just stopped breathing. And a few minutes later, the nurse came out and said, “God wanted a flower for his garden, and that’s where your daughter has gone.” So at that moment in time, I was very angry. And I felt sad and sorrow and lonely. And I had horrible guilt: “It’s my fault. Or it’s God’s; it’s his fault.”

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So I stopped praying to God. One day, there was one very kind lady who came and knocked on my door. And then, eventually, one day, the ladies stopped and had a conversation, and the conversation led to why people die and what happens when they’re dead. Knowing it’s nobody’s fault —it’s just our imperfection— I found it a great relief. God did not punish me for that. And from then on, I started a Bible study with her. But my study was progressing very slow. By that time, I had six children. I also had to work full-time. And also, the lady didn’t speak Chinese, and my English was no better than her Chinese either. Since I dedicated my life to Jehovah, it’s not been easy. As far as my husband was concerned, his wife should be concentrating on looking after the family and the business and shouldn’t be wasting time on religions like that. My mum, as well, was very much against me becoming one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My husband shouted at me.

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Often he gave me a hard time because I wanted to take all my children to the meetings. One day, he wanted me to choose between him or Jehovah. And I prayed to Jehovah. I said, “Jehovah, now is the time I need your holy spirit to help me.” And I said, “My husband is a good man, “and he deserves to know why I chose this life.” And I just felt so calm, and then I turned around and asked my husband: “What do you think of me since I became a Witness? Am I a better wife, or am I getting worse?” So my husband said: “Oh, OK then. If that is the case, go serve your God, Jehovah.” Before my mother died, my mother actually prayed to Jehovah to thank him and to say that since I became one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, I became a better daughter. I remember, one day, one of my Bible students came to my house, and she was crying because she suffered persecution from her husband. And my husband was sitting next to me, and he turned around and said, “You just have to persevere, “because my wife went through the same experience, and look where she is now.”

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For the last ten years, my husband has come to all the meetings with me. Seeing my children happy is the most important thing for me. And they are happy not only for a short time but they also have a happy future. My life now— I’m no longer lonely; I’m no longer a fatherless child, because I know Jehovah cares for me. Jehovah helped a little woman like me, and I’m sure Jehovah will help anybody whose heart is toward him. Sister Li’s example helps us to see that even in spiritually divided homes, applying Bible principles in our life can often soften the heart of our mate toward the truth. Having seen some beautiful examples of showing honor within our marriage, let’s now look at ways of showing honor to one another in the congregation. For example, what if we’re serving in a foreign territory where the customs and culture are quite different from what we’re accustomed to? This is just one of many challenges often faced by ones involved in the international construction work. What have they found to be helpful when adapting to new environments? Did you notice the beautiful thought that every culture has its own strong points that we can learn from and apply in our lives? What an excellent way to cultivate an attitude of viewing others as superior!

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But what about ones outside the congregation? Do we show honor to them as well? Of course. Galatians 6:10 tells us: “As long as we have the opportunity, let us work what is good toward all.” The best way we can do this is by helping them cultivate and satisfy their spiritual needs.

6. Bend, Oregon

We now visit a town in the state of Oregon in the United States where the congregations had a unique opportunity to do just this. An exciting event took place in 2017 across the United States. August 21, 2017, has been on a lot of people’s calendars for a long time because of the total eclipse. As Jehovah’s Witnesses, we are constantly on the lookout for events where we can support community outreach. Brothers and sisters prepared well in advance to give a Bible education to the many travelers. What convinced us that this was an opportunity to give a great witness was that we did a little research, and we noticed the hotel bookings. The town was packed, so we could tell that this was going to be a big event. We needed to do something.

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We wanted to be in a position to share the wonderful things from the Bible with them. We needed to take a global approach. We had to identify all the resources in Bend and not just do it by individual congregation. So in our campaign we decided to feature three primary tools: first, What Does the Bible Really Teach? because many people wonder; second, Was Life Created? because with an eclipse event, people are thinking about the universe, and it’s a good opportunity to talk about our Creator; and third, jw.org, since we expect a lot of visitors from all over the world, we can reach them in their language. Over 200 brothers and sisters attended two seminars put on by local brothers to help prepare individuals for the massive campaign. We had examples of what not to do and what to do so as to benefit as many people as possible. We had an interview; we had demonstrations on how to speak to people in different languages. We’re expecting people from many different parts of the world. It’s actually an opportunity to be like a missionary in our own hometown. Some of the estimates that we have heard are conservative estimates of probably 200,000 visitors.

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It may be more than that. The local congregations made themselves available to work with city officials to prepare the parks for the large influx of people. So many of Jehovah’s Witnesses have volunteered to help with all kinds of things. These are really small communities that are having a very large influx of people. So all of that extra effort and help in kind of preparing and cleaning up is much appreciated. We have been working with Jehovah’s Witnesses for a period of years here at Smith Rock. It’s been a good experience for our staff and our volunteers, and we want to accommodate that in any way we can. There’s been a lot of good things happening with cart witnessing. One of the friends had a nice experience with an Arabic-speaking man, and she said the seminar is what helped her to be prepared. She knew how to work the app, how to find the video in the language, and she already had it downloaded and ready to go. Paul spoke about his ministry. He said: “Woe is me if I did not declare the good news!” So we don’t want to look back and wish we would’ve done more.

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Trying it for the first time can be scary. It can be nerve-racking, but it’s not so scary after you get started. What’s really been fun is what we are calling roving. We go into an area where there are a lot of people, and we just start conversations. We don’t carry any literature. We just have our device and the jw. org contact card. And then, hopefully, if the opportunity presents itself, we may share with them a video or tell them we’re Jehovah’s Witnesses. It’s just been a paradise for them — a preaching paradise— all these visitors coming in. We may not see the results of the seed that was planted when they took a look at our cart, but Jehovah knows and the angels know and can make that grow. This endeavor has really helped me to appreciate the need to be alert to ways to expand our ministry. Most communities have a calendar of events. Have we thought about looking at it and then making plans to give a witness by having our literature carts out? And, really, events like this, they have a bigger impact on us as Jehovah’s Witnesses because we have an opportunity to talk.

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We get excited about our work. We’re all working together shoulder to shoulder. It really builds our faith. Recently, a scripture that stood out to me was 1 Chronicles 28:20, where it says: “Be courageous . . . and go to work.” It helped me to realize that I just need to take the initiative and try. That’s what we all need to do, and then let Jehovah decide how things turn out. Jehovah will no doubt bless your efforts as you show an interest in others. The interest we show in others is most noteworthy within the bounds of our own brotherhood. Galatians 6:10, which we quoted earlier, ends its thought about working “good toward all,” saying that we should do this “especially toward those related to us in the faith.”

7. Music Video - You Can Count on Me

Our music video entitled You Can Count on Me provides a touching example of how this “good” can be shown. Time and circumstance Don’t always work in our favor.

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What might have been if we just had the chance Is something we may never know. But God looks down and sees; He knows us better than we do. He sees what we are and what more we could be. It’s all in the way that we go. He values all of us, No matter what talent or gift we possess. He wants each one of us To be as caring as he is. So you’re my friend ’cause you’re always there Through our ups and downs and through all we’ve shared. And I’m there When you need someone, when things are hard to bear. I’ll be the friend you need. You can count on me. We weep with those who weep, Sharing the things that we’re feeling. But sometimes our tears may be all that can speak, Expressing what words cannot say. Troubles can bring us down. Jehovah can lift us and carry us through. We all can do the same And help each other as friends do. And you’re my friend ’cause you’re always there Through our ups and downs and through all we’ve shared.

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And I’m there When you need someone, when things are hard to bear. I’ll be the friend you need. You can count on me. And you’re my friend ’cause you’re always there Through our ups and downs and through all we’ve shared. And I’m there When you need someone, when things are hard to bear. I’ll be the friend you need. You can count on me.

8. Malang, Indonesia

We conclude this month’s program by traveling to Indonesia. Composed of more than 17,000 islands, it consists of hundreds of distinct native, ethnic, and linguistic groups, with the largest being the Javanese. Let’s visit the city of Malang, which has some 370 publishers in 9 congregations. The territory here is productive, with many who are open to the Bible’s message. The largest challenge our brothers face here is economic hardship. It’s not easy to provide even basic necessities, so many people in the territory work long hours.

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However, the pioneers have found an ingenious way to make a living making milk, juice, and cakes from soybeans. A typical day will have them up at 3:00 a.m. making fresh soy products and then selling them on the street in the morning. In the afternoon they preach and go to the market that evening to buy fresh ingredients for the next day’s work. While the brothers in Malang have not yet been able to obtain a permit for an official Kingdom Hall, they often meet in private homes. Although it can be cramped and hot, attendance is nearly always well over 100 percent. The publishers in Malang send their warm love and greetings to our entire global brotherhood. This is JW Broadcasting from the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses.