I Have Seen That Jehovah’s Hand Is Never Short

Years later, my father met a Bible Student, as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called, at a relative’s house. My father asked him quite pointedly: “Can you explain the Trinity so that I can understand it?” The Bible Student replied: “No, I can’t.” My father then said: “That’s what I thought.” The man continued by saying: “Wait a minute. I cannot explain the Trinity because it is not in the Bible.” They talked the entire night, and my father went straight to work the following morning without getting any sleep.

After reading the books he received from the Bible Student, my father was convinced that he had found the truth. In time, my father got married, and eventually he and my mother, Kathryn, got baptized. They taught me to love Jehovah, and I got baptized in 1945, just before I turned nine years old.

Following My Parents’ Advice

My father once told me: “When you are asked to do something new in Jehovah’s service, never say, ‘I don’t know how.’ Rather, say, ‘I’m willing to learn, and I’ll do my best.’ Jehovah will help you, and his hand is never short.” (Numbers 11:23) My parents always set an excellent example in making the ministry their priority in life. That led them to move to where there was a need for publishers in Oklahoma. Their example encouraged me to enter the full-time service. So in 1956, I began serving as a regular pioneer.

I also followed my parents’ advice when looking for a wife. They encouraged me to find someone who was serving Jehovah. One day, my father told me: “When you start dating, take your girlfriend to meet your mother. If she likes the girl, you have a good chance of being happy. If not, be careful!” My mother wasn’t too pleased with the first girl I brought her. But she liked Arlene, the second girl I dated.

Arlene had left the farm she grew up on to be closer to the Kingdom Hall. To support herself, she received her room and board by working at a residence for the elderly. She was serious-minded and became a zealous regular pioneer. In 1959, we got married. My mother and Arlene got along very well. In fact, when Arlene and I had disagreements, my mother would often side with Arlene!

I have always appreciated Arlene’s willingness to adapt to new circumstances for the sake of the good news. For example, one summer while Arlene and I served in unassigned territory in Kansas, we could not find accommodations. So we lived in a small tent that was only big enough for sleeping. We set up the tent in a state campground with a five-day limit. When we explained to the campground manager why we were in Kansas and what work we were doing, he said, “You can stay here as long as you like.” We loved the experience!

To Gilead and Brazil

One day we received in the mail two applications for Gilead School. It was a surprise because we had not requested the applications. But, we already felt like missionaries because we were living in a tent. So why not apply to Gilead and become real missionaries! Soon we received an invitation to join the 38th class of Gilead, and we graduated in November 1963. Our foreign assignment was Brazil!

In 1964 when we arrived in Brazil, space was extremely limited in the missionary homes. So we were asked to stay temporarily at the branch office in Rio de Janeiro and to serve as missionaries in the surrounding area. Our biggest challenge in Brazil was learning the language. The first month, we studied Portuguese for 11 hours most days. In the second month, we studied half the day and shared in the ministry the other half. When I started using the language, I made a few embarrassing mistakes. For example, one day in field service, a woman told us that her husband had died, using a word that we had not yet learned. I replied, “We are glad to hear it.” However, the householder was very understanding as she could tell that we were foreigners learning Portuguese.

Enjoying Bethel Service

After a few months as field missionaries, I was asked to work one day a week in the Bethel Printery. About one year after we arrived in Brazil, we were reassigned from the field to Bethel service. At Bethel, I worked in the maintenance shop and Arlene worked as a housekeeper. I must admit that I was slightly disappointed when we were called into Bethel. We loved the field service and had hoped to qualify for circuit work eventually. Nonetheless, we accepted the assignment change and learned to love Bethel. After some years, the Bethel operations were moved to a new location in São Paulo.

Over the years, I have seen how Jehovah has blessed our efforts to keep up with Brazil’s growing literature demand. For example, I was once asked to look for an additional printing press. I found a used flatbed press at a very low price and went to inspect it. I asked the operator why they were selling it. He replied that the paper feeding mechanism didn’t work. We bought it anyway, since the rest of the press was in good shape. Once the press was in our Printery, I removed some of the larger parts and climbed inside. Then I saw that the only thing wrong with it was a broken hose! We replaced the hose, and the press functioned perfectly for many years.

The Power of Prayer

In time, we needed to expand the Printery facilities because the preaching work in Brazil was growing rapidly. Adjacent to one of our Printery buildings, there was an empty lot. But even after a year of searching, we were unable to locate the property owner. Unbeknownst to us, he lived more than 1,000 kilometers (621 mi) away in a rural area without phone or mail service.

Our persistent prayers were answered when a visitor told us that the manager of a nearby store knew the property owner. We went to see the manager, who said: “Do you see that man drinking a beer in front of the tavern across the street? He is the owner.” We immediately walked over to talk to the man, who readily agreed to sell his property. That day was the only day in years that he had been in town! We quickly started work on a Printery addition.

Later, we unexpectedly received word from world headquarters that we would receive two new rotary printing presses. We soon realized the new presses would not fit inside our Printery building. Again, we turned to Jehovah in prayer. The very next day, we saw another of our neighbors, a printer, moving printing presses out of his building. He was consolidating his equipment to another location and wanted to sell the building next to our property. The building was exactly the size we needed for the new presses!

By the mid-1970’s, the branch outgrew the buildings in São Paulo. This time, the Governing Body directed the Branch Committee to search for land in the countryside where future expansion would be possible. We decided on a plot of land near Cesário Lange, about 150 kilometers (90 mi) from São Paulo. We then sent construction plans for a new Printery to the Governing Body. But they answered us, saying: “You are thinking too small! You should build about twice as large as you have planned!” They also included drawings for a much larger Printery, which we built.

Lessons in Humility

As a member of the Brazil Branch Committee, I have sometimes thought that my opinion on a subject was the best. However, after discussing the matter with other committee members, I have frequently found that the opposite is true. I have seen that “many advisers” produce a better solution.—Proverbs 15:22.

On one occasion, a brother who worked delivering literature was accused of speaking harshly to others. After hearing only one side of the story, I recommended that the brother return to his home congregation. Shortly afterward, I learned that things didn’t happen exactly as I was told. Although difficult, I admitted my mistake, and the brother returned to Bethel, where he thrived for several years. What a lesson! I experienced the truthfulness of Proverbs 18:13: “When anyone replies to a matter before he hears the facts, it is foolish and humiliating.”

When Arlene and I arrived in 1964, Brazil had about 28,000 publishers. Presently, we have more than 926,000! Seeing how Jehovah has sped up the work is delightful! (Isaiah 60:22) Now that we are in our 80’s, we are grateful that we entered full-time service as young people and remained willing to do our best. As a result, we have seen that Jehovah’s hand is never too short.