The Women Proclaiming the Good News

JW Broadcasting Aug 2017

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

2. Was It Designed? .................................................................. 1

3. Agapita Reyes - Monterrey, Mexico ...................................... 3

4. The Women Proclaiming the Good News ............................. 7

4.1 Victory over Pharoah ....................................................... 8

4.2 Victory over Philistines..................................................... 9

4.3 Prophetess’ .................................................................... 10

4.4 Mary ............................................................................... 13

5. Bertille Kupelian – West Virginia USA ................................. 14

6. Dramatization ...................................................................... 19

7. Music Video – Precious Daughter ....................................... 22

7.1 Summary ....................................................................... 23

8. Morning Worship - Husbands, Love Your Wife as Yourself . 23

9. Scandinavian Branch .......................................................... 30

9.1 Bjarne Andersen – singing coach .................................. 31

9.2 Helena Ryden – singing coach ...................................... 31

9.3 Marlene Cordes – recording tech .................................. 31

9.4 Oystein Marcussen – singing coach .............................. 32

9.5 Frederick Zether – recording tech ................................. 32

9.6 Henrik Granat – recording tech ..................................... 32

10. Greetings from Saipan ...................................................... 34

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1. Introduction

Welcome to JW Broadcasting. We have some encouraging things to look forward to in this month’s program. We’ll hear the experiences of Sister Agapita Reyes. As a Christian wife and mother, she successfully met the challenges of raising a family by applying Bible principles. What helped her to remain steadfast throughout her life? How can you maintain focus even after you achieve a spiritual goal? Could subtle temptations and distractions take you off course? We’ll discuss an important quality that can help you. Parents are proud of young ones who give their best to Jehovah. Their feelings are a reflection of how Jehovah feels and are the inspiration for this month’s music video. This is JW Broadcasting for August 2017. The complexity found in nature has inspired amazing achievements in technology.

2. Was It Designed?

But it has also moved people to ask, Was It Designed? That’s the title of an Awake! series that first appeared in 2008. It’s been a powerful tool to turn people’s attention to Jehovah, the Creator of all things.

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We’re pleased to introduce the first in an exciting new video series based on those articles. The trunk of the African elephant is an impressive multitool. It is both flexible and strong. It can pick up a blade of grass or uproot a tree. Some elephants can use their trunks to feed themselves around 270 kilograms (600 lbs) of vegetation every day. With their trunks, they can suck water like a straw, spray like a fountain, and swim with a snorkel. The trunk can give a gentle touch, give a strong push, or sound a warning trumpet. Engineers admire the elephant trunk’s remarkable flexibility. This comes from having no bone. Instead, it contains about 150,000 muscle units ‘an incredible marriage of strength and structure. Inspired by the elephant’s trunk, researchers are designing robots for the future with greater flexibility. Industrial design often can be made better by copying the perfectly beautiful solutions in the natural world. What do you think? Did the elephant’s trunk evolve? Or . . . This new video series can help you to see the proof that there is a Creator. It can especially help you young ones to recognize and reject the false teaching of evolution.

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Use these new videos in your personal study and share them with classmates and teachers. They’ll help you give an effective witness and bring honor to Jehovah. You’ll find them in the Video on Demand section of JW Broadcasting. Young ones need strong faith in this difficult system of things, but they are not alone. They have Jehovah’s holy spirit, a congregation of brothers and sisters, and very often, loving Christian parents.

3. Agapita Reyes - Monterrey, Mexico

In Monterrey, Mexico, Sister Agapita Reyes set a beautiful example in building up the faith of her children. What circumstances made that effort a special challenge? It’s not easy raising kids in the truth, and I had ten. I learned the truth when I was 19. Some Witnesses came to preach in our town, and my father offered them a place to stay. He spoke with them all through the night and then announced excitedly that he had found the truth. Eventually, I was baptized in the 1950’s. My husband was favorable toward the truth but got involved in political affairs in the community, and from there he began his political career.

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When I read 1 Peter 3:1, 2, I understood that I needed to be in subjection to my husband, with the hope that he could be won over ‘without a word’ by means of my conduct. When my children were young, I made a weekly Bible study program for each of them, and as they grew up, the older kids helped me with their younger siblings. I remember Mom always made an effort to teach me how to preach. I would write presentations for the ministry on pieces of paper, and the kids would practice while they did their chores around the house. We set aside time one day a week for our family study. It could be anything ‘a sack of potatoes, a sack of flour, or a house plant. She would tell me: ‘Imagine that this is a person you meet in field service. What would you say to them? When I finished, she would say to me, ‘The way you did it just now, do it like that when you go out in the ministry.’ My mom was very creative. She would assign us to play the part of different Bible characters. My mom taught us to appreciate the truth through her example. I served as a regular pioneer for many years, and I encouraged my kids to reach out for spiritual goals.

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My daughter left home at the age of 18 to serve as a special pioneer. Later, my oldest son did the same. These two proved to be excellent examples for their younger brothers. Raising my son Noe was a challenge. He was the youngest, and at a very young age, he was diagnosed with epilepsy. Despite his limitations, he was able to serve as a ministerial servant and regular pioneer. He fought his illness for more than 40 years, before passing away recently. Losing my husband in death dealt me another blow. Now my health and my memory are fading. I can’t do as much in the ministry as before. But even so, thanks to the help of the brothers in the congregation, I’m not giving up. Even though my husband was not a Witness, I respected him as the head of the family. I will never forget the moment when my husband asked me to study the Bible with him. I remember that my eldest son gave the talk, and his father was among the candidates for baptism.

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Forty-two years after I received the Kingdom message, my husband was baptized. Another great blessing was seeing my children grow in the truth and use their youth to serve Jehovah. Some have served as special pioneers, circuit overseers, or in Bethel. If it wasn’t for her help and the support of my siblings, perhaps we wouldn’t be part of the organization today. But thanks to her, we started out on the best course in life. Words cannot express how grateful I am to her. I now find great joy in seeing my grandchildren and great-grandchildren follow their parents’ example. Thinking about all I have experienced in over 60 years of service to Jehovah ‘raising my ten children in the truth, my husband becoming a servant of Jehovah, and seeing 30 members of my family in full-time service’ I can do nothing but thank Jehovah for his blessings. It’s been worth all the effort. Sister Reyes continues to serve Jehovah faithfully at 86 years of age. Have you personally experienced some of her more difficult struggles? She’s felt the heartbreak of losing her husband and a child in death. In recent years, she’s battled failing health.

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But through all of that, Sister Reyes remains a motivating example for Christian women. Her story is an excellent start to our discussion.

4. The Women Proclaiming the Good News

Ralph Walls – Helper to the Personnel Committee The theme for our program is ‘The Women Proclaiming the Good News.’ Sadly, throughout human history women have been subjected to injustice, violence, and abuse. Why is that? The Bible explains. In the latter part of Genesis 3:16, notice what God says: ‘Your longing will be for your husband, and he will dominate you.’ When God said that Adam would ‘dominate’ his wife, God was not indicating his approval of the subjugation of woman by man. He was simply foretelling the sad consequences of sin on the first couple. So abuse of women is a direct outcome of the sinful nature of humans, not of God’s will. Right down to our day, rarely have women been accorded the dignity that God wants them to receive. However, Jehovah makes clear in his Word, the Bible, that women and men have equal standing before him. In fact, he indicated that women would play a vital role in the outworking of his purpose.

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Our theme is based on Psalm 68:11. Let’s read it: ‘Jehovah gives the command; the women proclaiming the good news are a large army.’ Those words were inspired by God. But what did the psalmist have in mind when he penned them? The context of Psalm 68 shows that David was praising Jehovah as a God of saving acts. From the time of their Exodus from Egypt, the men of Israel often had to fight against enemy nations. With Jehovah’s help, they defeated them. And the entire nation would then rejoice over the victory Jehovah had given them.

4.1 Victory over Pharoah

The first of the victory celebrations recorded in the Bible was at the time that Jehovah gave his people the victory over Pharaoh and the Egyptians who were pursuing them. Exodus 15:20, 21 tells what happened after this miraculous victory: ‘Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, ‘took a tambourine in her hand, ‘and all the women followed her with tambourines and with dances.’ Miriam sang in response to the men: ‘‘Sing to Jehovah, ‘‘for he has become highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. Picture that scene. There were an estimated three million people in the nation of Israel.

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Imagine ‘out of that large number, ‘all the women’ were dancing and singing praises to Jehovah. That was undoubtedly a large army! What a great shout of praise to Jehovah that was!

4.2 Victory over Philistines

Another example was when King Saul and his general David returned from victory over the Philistines. Let’s read the account at 1 Samuel 18:6. ‘When David and the others would return ‘from striking down the Philistines, ‘the women would come out ‘from all the cities of Israel ‘with song and dances to meet King Saul ‘with tambourines, with rejoicing, and with lutes. Notice that the account says that the women came out of ‘all the cities’ to greet them with music, song, and dance. Occasions such as these were not simply expressions of rejoicing that originated with human emotion. Recall that under inspiration, David said: ‘Jehovah gives the command; the women proclaiming the good news are a large army.’ Yes, and Jehovah valued their expressions of praise, just as he valued the contributions of the men who had engaged in battle. What about today? The report for the 2017 service year shows that there were over 8.3 million publishers proclaiming the good news throughout the earth.

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Keep in mind that in most lands, it is not unusual for our dear sisters to make up over half of our special pioneers and nearly three quarters of those who serve in the regular pioneer work. In addition, many other sisters are wholeheartedly spreading the good news of the Kingdom to the best of their ability within their circumstances. There are many single-parent families where our sisters are providing materially and spiritually for their children. Many of our faithful single sisters are expending themselves in Jehovah’s service in theocratic construction and maintenance work, Bethel service, and serving where the need is greater - - -- which includes serving in foreign-language fields. Faithful wives loyally support their husbands as well as fulfil their own roles as preachers and teachers. Yes, how Jehovah must be pleased to see all of you who serve in various ways! And we’re grateful for the warm spirit and positive influence our dear sisters have on our congregations. Clearly, Jehovah values this ‘large army’ of sisters. But does he take note of the individual circumstances and sacrifices of each sister? We do not have to wonder. By means of his Word, Jehovah makes it evident that he sees and appreciates each of his servants.

4.3 Prophetess’

For example, did you notice when we read the scripture in Exodus chapter 15 that Miriam was described as a ‘prophetess’?

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Evidently, she was privileged to be used as an instrument of divine communication. In some instances, this no doubt included singing songs that were inspired by Jehovah. Miriam was not the only one in the Scriptures with this designation. Other women in the Bible record, such as Anna and Isaiah’s wife, were also spoken of as prophetesses. In the book of Judges, another faithful servant, Deborah, is identified. Let’s read Judges 4:4, 5: ‘Now Deborah, a prophetess, ‘the wife of Lappidoth, ‘was judging Israel at that time. She used to sit under Deborah’s palm tree ‘between Ramah and Bethel ‘in the mountainous region of Ephraim; the Israelites would go up to her for judgment. Evidently, Deborah was assigned to settle disputes that arose among Israelites by giving Jehovah’s answer to problems that came up. Much later in Israel’s history, during the reign of faithful King Josiah, Huldah served as a prophetess. At 2 Kings 22:8, we read that while the temple was being repaired, the original book of the Law was found. When it was read to Josiah, he was distraught at seeing how far off the nation had strayed from Jehovah’s Law. In verse 13, he directed the priest, the secretary, and other influential men: ‘Go, inquire of Jehovah in my behalf, ‘in behalf

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of the people, ‘and in behalf of all Judah concerning the words of this book that has been found. How did they accomplish this? Verse 14 continues: ‘So Hilkiah the priest, ‘Ahikam, Achbor, Shaphan, and Asaiah went to Huldah the prophetess. It’s interesting that Jehovah used this faithful woman to convey his direction and that prominent men and priests sought her divinely inspired advice. The Christian Greek Scriptures, however, do not permit sisters to serve in such a capacity as did Deborah and other prophetesses in the nation of Israel. However, Titus 2:3, 4 encourages ‘older women’ to display spiritual qualities, ‘so that they may advise the younger women’ in spiritual matters. Let’s read those verses: ‘Likewise, let the older women be reverent in behavior, ‘not slanderous, not enslaved to a lot of wine, ‘teachers of what is good, ‘so that they may advise the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children. How we appreciate the spiritually mature sisters among us who provide such fine assistance to younger sisters or those who are newer in the truth! However, today Jehovah has delegated authority to men. They Scripturally qualify to serve as elders and ministerial servants in order to serve, guide, and protect his people. It is obvious that this is not due to a lack of respect for the gifts of our sisters in the congregation.

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In fact, many responsible brothers will acknowledge that they have benefited from the experience and practical wisdom of our humble, spiritually mature sisters.

4.4 Mary

Finally, think of the outstanding faith of another woman mentioned in the Bible, Mary. What an awesome responsibility Jehovah entrusted her with ‘bearing and raising his own Son as a human! We can only imagine the thoughts that were going through her mind when she was told of this assignment. But the account in Luke chapter 1 tells us much about her spirituality. In verse 38, after the angel Gabriel finished speaking with her, Mary’s response was simply: ‘Look! Jehovah’s slave girl! May it happen to me according to your declaration.’ She must have wondered how Jehovah would accomplish these things, but she was humble and obedient. Faithful men such as Moses and Jeremiah hesitated when given a challenging assignment from God. Not Mary! What a beautiful example she set for all of us ‘men and women! Clearly, Jehovah has always highly valued women. And we are privileged to serve today with millions of hardworking sisters. How pleased Jehovah must be to see dear sisters serving him humbly and faithfully! We urge you sisters, please keep up your good work and continue to be a positive influence in the congregation.

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God has indeed granted you faithful women the privilege of participating in the fulfilment of the psalmist’s words: ‘Jehovah gives the command; the women proclaiming the good news are a large army.’ Thousands of our sisters have been active for many years in that ‘large army’ of women.

5. Bertille Kupelian – West Virginia USA

Bertille Kupelian, a special pioneer in West Virginia, in the United States, entered the full-time service in 1958. In that time, she’s helped more than 60 people to baptism. How has her outlook toward the ministry kept her going for almost 60 years? My father was opposed to the truth as I was growing up, but my mother was very, very zealous. I knew the things my mother was teaching me was the truth. I knew that this was what I was going to do. And it was not easy, but we did it. I was Daddy’s girl, but my mom made sure that I and my siblings knew the truth. And she studied with us when no other children in the congregation had Bible studies at home. Of course, we kind of kicked and didn’t like it, but I was glad she did it.

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My mother was a very, very positive person, and although she had the opposition, I saw how she dealt with it and how firm and determined she was. And that was something she taught us. It’s a mind-set. You know, your mind is a wonderful thing. It can really influence you toward good or maybe not so good. And so then, I was determined in my mind that I was going to serve Jehovah then. In our congregation, there were brothers and sisters of the anointed. They were always very kind to me, and they encouraged me. I worked in service with them. And I thought, ‘That’s the way I want to be.’ Children like attention. And so then, if you give them attention ‘you talk with them and ask if you could work with them in the ministry and help them prepare a presentation and go over it and over it so that they’re ready for the ministry ‘then they’ll enjoy it more. That was one of the things that the anointed did in the congregation where I was. They paid attention to me, and I loved it. How I learned to teach was I think about the person, and I think about their situation, and I try to think in my mind what they are

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thinking, and I work on that and think of what kind of scriptures I can find to help them. And so then, I try to pattern our studies to incorporate some of those things. There are always challenges. Some of the winters right on the lake where I lived were very harsh. And my trailer was parked in such a way that every time the wind blew and the snow came and the ice came, it sealed the door. And so then, I carried a big knife in my car, and I would have to cut around the door to get the door to open ‘break the ice seal.’ It was interesting. I had some opposition in the territories, and one was this lady who was very irate. And she went to kick me, and she kicked me right in the stomach, and so then, anyway, I dismissed myself. Then, a while later, it was time to work the territory again. Nobody wanted to go there, and we didn’t have do-not-calls, I don’t think, at that time, at least there wasn’t any in the territory. So then anyway, I called by and I mentioned to her: ‘Why, hello there. I know I’ve had the opportunity to talk with you before.’ Yes, she remembered. And I said, ‘Well, perhaps you were having a bad day that day.

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I hit a lull when I had few Bible studies, and so I prayed diligently to Jehovah: ‘Jehovah, help me. I need Bible studies.’ And then you have to be out there looking for them. Well, I’ve lost my father, my mother, my sister, my brother. Well, naturally you feel at a loss, but Jehovah strengthened me, and the friends strengthened me, and I kept busy in the ministry. But again, it goes back to that mind-set. Are you going to let the challenge beat you, or are you going to beat the challenge? You and Jehovah can beat the challenge. You know, discouragement is one of Satan’s biggest tools. And I always tell myself, ‘I’m not going to let Satan beat me down.’ As far as health is concerned, my everyday health is very good. But I have a leg that drives me crazy. I think back to Jacob. He served Jehovah with a limp. And then I think of Paul. And so then, those things keep you humble. I’ve prayed and prayed and prayed about it, but just like with the apostle Paul, it didn’t disappear.

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And so then, I just say: ‘Patch me up till Armageddon. It’ll disappear then.’ If your mind is made up that this is what you’re going to do, this is your life, this is what Jehovah wants you to do, and so then you do it. I’ve seen how he’s kept me going. You know that I’ve needed work; I’ve needed money; I’ve needed strength. I’ve needed companionship because a lot of times I’m in the ministry by myself. I talk to Jehovah. And so then, he’s always there for me. I definitely want to keep pioneering or serving Jehovah the best I can, regardless of what comes up. There is nothing more joyful than to see that you have helped somebody to live forever. Well, how much better could it be? Sister Kupelian had a profound effect on those she witnessed to. I know this because she found me in the door-to-door ministry when I was 14 years old. At that age, I had the goal to be a doctor. One night after the meeting, Bertille said to me, ‘Well, you know, in the new world, we won’t need doctors because Jesus will do all the healing.’

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Honestly, that hit me hard because I wanted to help people as well as provide for my mother. But she added, ‘What we will need are teachers.’ I thought that was a good idea. Still focused on a career, I had one type of teacher in mind, but she had another. Through her patience and reasoning, she helped me to become the most important kind of teacher ‘a teacher of God’s Word. Is there someone like Sister Kupelian in your congregation? We are grateful for these sisters’ zealous spirit and for the personal interest they show toward us. And we’re sure Jehovah values them like we do. One of Sister Kupelian’s strengths is her perseverance. Perseverance means to continue resolutely in the face of adversity, being tenacious, not giving up. If not careful, we could reach a spiritual goal, only to let something distract us away from it.

6. Dramatization

In this dramatization, a young sister is pioneering and working toward new goals. How, though, is she in danger of losing her focus? When I started learning sign language, it just seemed to come natural for me.

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After I transferred to the congregation, I remember feeling so happy. I was pioneering and really enjoying this new way of communicating. It’s funny how the thing you love can also be the thing that tests you. Soon, I took the test for a sign-language interpreter. I couldn’t believe I passed! I loved my new job. My hope was that it would support my pioneering and maybe allow me to travel one day to a country and preach where there was a need for sign language. My boss was very happy with my work, so much so that he began to give me more. Everyone seemed appreciative, and the extra money didn’t hurt. I was handling it all fine. Ahh, OK, for a while. My boss asked me to work full-time for a few months to get some extra training. The raise could help me with planning my trip abroad. I knew my parents would be concerned. I knew because I felt it too. I was already dragging physically.

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But then again, it would only be for a few months. I was really torn. Dad kindly commended me for having good goals and trying my best to work toward them. Then he showed me a scripture that really helped me, ‘Pay constant attention to yourself and to your teaching. ‘Persevere in these things, ‘for by doing this you will save both yourself and those who listen to you.’ He helped me to see that Timothy set spiritual goals for himself while growing up. But Paul was now telling him, ‘Don’t stop!’ Even though Timothy was a grown spiritual man, Paul encouraged him to continue setting new spiritual goals, in fact, to ‘persevere in them.’ What was I persevering in? I kindly turned down the offer and explained to my boss that I’d like to keep my hours to a minimum so I could support my number one job. It might take me longer to save my money, but I’ll make that trip one day with Jehovah’s help and a little perseverance. It’s interesting that the skill she used to expand her ministry and support her pioneering became her distraction. That wasn’t easy for her to see at first. Who helped her to see the problem clearly? It was her parents, especially her spiritually-minded father.

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The interest you family heads show in your daughters is well worth the effort. It can point them in the right direction when they need guidance.

7. Music Video – Precious Daughter

Everything you do for them shows how precious they are to you and to Jehovah, and that’s the feeling expressed in the music video Precious Daughter. Through all her tender years, He watched her grow. Many the joys and tears, She would come to know. But when she gave her best And came through each test, She made His heart feel so good. Precious daughter, He’s so proud of you. Time won’t alter His love for you. Hard work and sacrifice’ That’s just her way. Thinking of His advice Helps her through the day, And she’s so glad to know That He loves her so. It means so much to hear him say: ‘Precious daughter, I’m so proud of you. Time won’t alter my love for you. Yes, Jehovah sees And Jehovah knows All the work you’ve done And the love you’ve shown. No, He won’t forget How you’ve loved His name For all this time.

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Precious daughter, He’s so proud of you. Precious daughter, He’ll be there for you. Precious daughter, He will care for you. Precious daughter, He loves you.

7.1 Summary

The apostle John wrote that he had no greater joy than to hear that his spiritual children continued ‘walking in the truth.’ You fathers feel that same joy when you see your daughters mature as Christian women. Raising your children to love Jehovah is just one of the many things you do for your family.

8. Morning Worship - Husbands, Love Your Wife as Yourself

At a Bethel morning worship, Brother Lett focused on the special relationship between a husband and wife. What can a husband do to show that he shares Jehovah’s view of his wife? My theme for this little discussion is ‘Husbands, Love Your Wife as Yourself.’ What did Jesus say was the second greatest commandment? Well, you’re familiar with it. At Matthew 22:39, he said: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’

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Now, what an excellent illustration is contained in this second greatest commandment! If you think about it, we just naturally, inherently, love ourselves, don’t we? And we show love in many ways. So Jesus is saying, ‘Work hard to show the same love for others you show for yourself.’ But, now, thinking of husbands as addressed in our theme, who is a husband’s closest neighbor? Well, his wife. So especially must a husband work hard to show the love that he shows for himself just naturally and then to show that love for his wife. Now, what are some specific ways that husbands just naturally love themselves? Well, let’s talk about five. And undoubtedly you can think of many others that could be discussed during this discussion. But number one: A husband feeds himself. Ephesians 5:29 says in part: ‘For no man ever hated his own body, but he feeds . . . it.’ Well, what does loving our wife, now, as ourself require? Well, for one thing, we certainly would make sure we provide for the food and for other material needs that our wife has.

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And regarding this, I think of our brothers in concentration camps in Nazi Germany. Food was very scarce. But our brothers, even then, from their meager food ration would share food with other brothers, even, in some cases, with worldly people. Well, similarly, a husband would do without himself, if necessary, in order to provide what his wife really needs. But even more importantly, an extended application, he would make sure that she is well-fed spiritually. He must make sure that she has opportunity to benefit from periods of personal study, congregation meetings, assemblies, conventions, and family worship. But now let’s talk about a second way that a husband just naturally loves himself: We cherish ourselves. Ephesians 5:29 says in part: ‘For no man ever hated his own body, but he . . . cherishes it.’ Now, what does cherish mean? Well, according to the dictionary, it means to treat with affection and tenderness, treasure, value, attach importance to. See, because of this feeling we have toward ourselves, we try to get rest when we’re sick or tired; we try to be with friends and loved ones; we play games; we exercise; we do things we enjoy. Periodically, we treat ourselves, don’t we, because we cherish ourselves?

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So, what does loving our wife as ourself require? Well, it certainly means more than just being able to put up with our mate. It means cherishing her, cultivating affection, or fondness, for her. Think of this: At Proverbs 8:31, it says that Jesus in his prehuman existence was fond of humans. Now, don’t you think that fondness he had for us made it easier for him to come to the earth, take the difficult assignment he took, and even die for us because he was fond of us? Well, similarly, if wives are cherished by their husbands ‘if husbands are fond of their wives’ it’ll make it so much easier to forgive them, to even die for them, if necessary, in the future. But if we’re going to have this proper feeling, like Jehovah, we have to focus on the good qualities of our wife, see, not the flaws, the imperfections. And as one of the brothers commented on (I love the thoughts in The Watchtower comments): ‘Love is best sensed when it is expressed.’ How vital that marriage mates ‘not allow the activities of daily life to rob them of exchanging expressions of affection!’ But now let’s get a third way that husbands just naturally love themselves: We adorn ourselves. First Timothy 2:9 speaks of women ‘adorn[ing] themselves in appropriate dress.’ Well, husbands try to do the same thing.

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And in adorning ourselves, we try to cover over and minimize our flaws and cover our bulges, our blemishes. We try to make ourselves look as good as possible, don’t we? Well, what does loving our wife as ourself require? For one thing, we certainly wouldn’t shine a spotlight on her flaws. We wouldn’t do this in the presence of others. We would try hard not to even do it in our own mind. Rather, we seek to cover over minor sins and transgressions, as encouraged at Proverbs 19:11, where it says: ‘It is beauty . . . to overlook an offense.’ So we work hard to adorn our wives ‘make her look as good as possible’ in the eyes of others, even in our own mind. Well, let’s get a fourth way that husbands just naturally love themselves: We take steps to heal ourselves when we’re sick or injured. Mark 5:26 talks about a woman who was very sick. ‘She suffered at the hands of many physicians; ‘she spent all her resources; she didn’t get any better; she got worse.’ But the point is, she was really trying hard to heal herself. Well, husbands try to do the same thing. So if we’re sick or injured, we try to get extra rest, we’ll buy medicine, we’ll take vitamins, we’ll make an appointment with the doctor, we’ll pursue therapy.

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See, we try to get well. What does loving our wife as ourself require then? Well, we would certainly do all within our power if she’s sick or injured to try to help her get well. But even more importantly, if she happens to be ailing somewhat spiritually, we would do everything we can possibly do to help her get well spiritually. What would be something, perhaps, we could do? Well, Proverbs 12:18 says: ‘The tongue of the wise is a healing’ so the using of wise expressions. Also, Proverbs 16:24: ‘Pleasant sayings are a honeycomb, ‘sweet to the soul and a healing to the bones.’ So, ‘pleasant sayings,’ we would use these to try to help her get well spiritually. But now here’s one more, a fifth way that husbands just naturally love themselves: We make allowances, excuses, if we make mistakes. Husbands who make mistakes are often heard blaming it on their heredity or maybe the environment, their blood-sugar level, how much sleep they got or didn’t get the night before, the weather, and so forth. We tend to well understand our own limitations, don’t we? And we allow for that. Well, what about loving our wife as ourself?

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We’d make the same allowances for her ‘being positive, imputing good motives to her. If she speaks a little roughly or acts a little thoughtlessly, we’ll try to discern the feelings behind the words or actions. We’ll make allowance, especially if we can discern that she’s under some kind of emotional pressure. We’ll make that allowance for her like we would for ourselves. Well, there we have five ways that we as husbands show love for ourselves. We feed, cherish, adorn, try to heal ourselves; and we make allowances, excuses, when we make mistakes. Let’s work hard to show the same love in those five areas for our dear, beloved wives. And I’m sure, as we said, you can think of other ways that husbands just naturally love themselves. But what a rich illustration Jesus gave! And interestingly, he took it even a step further. He further expanded the illustration at John 13:34. You’re familiar with this, 13:34. He said: ‘I am giving you a new commandment, ‘that you love one another; ‘just as I have loved you, you also love one another.’ So he’s saying that we should have even deeper love for our brothers ‘which would definitely include our Christian wives’ a deeper love than we have for ourselves.

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And that deeper love would move us to treat our dear wives even better than we treat ourselves. Husbands, we know your wife will never grow tired of your efforts to apply that counsel. Really, the whole family benefits when each member loves their closest neighbor as themselves. And when a family is happy and spiritually strong, they can do so much for Jehovah.

9. Scandinavian Branch

At the Scandinavia branch, families from 19 congregations in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden participated in children’s choruses to record theocratic music. The children worked hard to prepare for each session, but that meant hard work for the parents too. The results, however, are a chorus of praise to Jehovah. You get so happy when you sing with others! Jehovah created us like that. The birds also sing. I feel that Jehovah is proud of me. The Scandinavia branch office supervises nine languages in audio and video production. In the three largest languages ‘Swedish, Norwegian, and Danish’ there are also three children choruses that help us with the recordings of the songs for the Become Jehovah’s Friend series.

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9.1 Bjarne Andersen – singing coach

First, I listen very carefully to the American adult chorus. I try to spot where they breathe, where they pause, and the overall mood in their way of singing. Then, I listen to the music we have received.

9.2 Helena Ryden – singing coach

I have a piano at home to practice the voices and figure out where the high notes and low notes are, where the challenging parts are, and how I can pass this on to the children. I also think about what the goal with the recording is ‘how other children who listen to the song can feel the same joy as we feel when we are singing and recording it.

9.3 Marlene Cordes – recording tech

Before the children arrive, we make sure that all the equipment is prepared and tested so that everything is ready when they come here. When we receive the assignment to participate in the recordings of a new song, I feel that our girls have been full of initiative to practice. And we have made it our custom to sing the songs at our family worship. When we are driving, like to the RTO for the recordings and on other occasions, we usually sing in the car. I like to sing the songs because they are good and have nice melodies. I especially like the new songs because they are so different.

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One has African drums in it, and the next is a bit Irish and like you are walking in a valley and on a mountain. Alma plays the cello and has asked to get the sheet music for the new Kingdom songs, which are her favorites right now. It’s been a challenge for Andre and me because we are not that musical.

9.4 Oystein Marcussen – singing coach

There is also a serious part, so we start with a prayer to Jehovah. Then, we watch the video and talk about the point of the video and how other children and families can benefit when listening to them. Then, we need to loosen up a bit, so we warm up with some exercises, and then we’re ready to sing.

9.5 Frederick Zether – recording tech

It is clear to us that they appreciate their privilege more and more. They actually see it as praise to Jehovah.

9.6 Henrik Granat – recording tech

The joy they have of singing for Jehovah rubs off on us who work with them. When the children sing with joy and express themselves freely, it has an effect on us as parents and the ones in the congregation.

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Jehovah becomes happy when he sees it, and also many brothers and sisters and children become happy. It is fun to make the recordings. You get so happy, and then it’s more fun to sing at the meetings. I see more clearly why we sing and why it is a part of our worship. We don’t go there just to spend time with our friends; we go there to sing. It is a part of praising Jehovah. Singing is like a prayer to him. I have been humming the songs, and people around me wonder what it is I am always humming. So it has helped me, and it is an easy way to give a witness. My faith in Jehovah is stronger now. I think that I am happier knowing Jehovah after I began singing. You understand that singing is a huge part of our worship, and Jehovah wants us to use it. When children sing out joyfully to Jehovah, they draw closer to him. The choruses in Scandinavia are a good example of that fact. Their excitement for singing even gave them opportunities to witness to their classmates.

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You probably already include singing as part of your family worship and agree that we feel a special warmth when the family sings to Jehovah together. As you look ahead at the August midweek meetings, you’ll notice a part for the week of August 28 that asks: ‘When Can I Next Serve as an Auxiliary Pioneer?’ You’ll want to prepare by watching the video With Jehovah, I Can Do Almost Anything. It’s the life story of Sister Sabina Hernandez, which appeared in the December 2015 program. You’ll find it in the Video on Demand section under ‘Interviews and Experiences.’ At the midweek meeting, you’ll be ready to share how Sabina’s example encouraged you. Our program has shown us how much Jehovah values what women do in the family, in the congregation, and in the ministry. To all of our sisters, please be assured that we love you, and it’s our prayer that Jehovah continues to bless your work.

10. Greetings from Saipan

We want to conclude with greetings from our brothers and sisters on the island of Saipan. Part of Micronesia, in the western Pacific Ocean, Saipan is a popular destination for thousands of tourists. But make no mistake, this is a preacher’s paradise.

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After early opposition to the preaching work, the truth is now flourishing with an average of 200 Kingdom publishers in three congregations throughout the island, including 33 regular pioneers. The relaxing atmosphere and tropical climate make public witnessing carts an effective way to reach the hearts of receptive ones. The large number of tourists ‘many from Asian lands’ are finding our literature in Japanese, Korean, Tagalog, Chinese, and other languages. Among the first baptized publishers in Saipan are faithful sisters who are now in their 80’s. Sister Taeko Castro was baptized in 1970, and Tomasa Mafnas was baptized in 1973. They continue to be zealous Kingdom proclaimers and are fine examples of ‘the women proclaiming the good news.’ We send our love and greetings to these congregations in Saipan and warmly commend them for their positive spirit and hard work to make Jehovah’s name known. Thank you for watching. From the world headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses, this is JW Broadcasting.