Jehovah s Witnesses containing report for the service year of

132 Yearbook
ever, one day the brothers managed to obtain from
a man an old translation of the Greenlandic Bible
published in 1820, where Jehovah's name is used, and
this has been helpful in identifying the true God and
showing all the blessings and purposes of God to come
in connection with the vindication of his name.
DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
Jehovah's witnesses who live in countries where
freedom still rings cannot realize the full privilege
that is theirs. The privilege of going from house
to house, not being molested, not being followed
by police and not having your nerves strained to
the limit is not deeply appreciated. Jehovah's witnesses
in the Dominican Republic for a number
of years have lived through the hard times aforementioned,
but this did not slow them down. In
1950 when the ban was placed on all of Jehovah's
witnesses and they were forbidden to preach the
good news there were 217 in the truth. At the beginning
of the service year, 1956, there were 469.
There was little thought in the minds of those publishers
in the Dominican Republic that the work
would increase during this particular year while
still under the ban. But each month the branch saw
reports showing increases, 481 in November, 506
in December and by June 563 out in the field
service work. Yes, it was all done quietly, but the
ministers of God were carrying on studies of the
Bible and doing house-to-house witnessing. Then
at the end of the year, as though in reward for
faithful service, the ban was lifted! The best way
to tell you about the joy and gladness of heart is
to quote from the branch servant's report.
The fifteenth and sixteenth of August were holidays;
then on Friday the morning paper carried the two·
column announcement that the work of Jehovah's wit·
nesses was declared legal and they would have complete
freedom to operate in the country. It was unbelievable,
but there it was. The night paper carried the same
statement, or rather a resolution abolishing the former
law prohibiting the work. The reaction on the friends
was interesting to see. Almost all the Latins are