Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

120 Yearbook
his invalid son in a refugee camp, and who endeavors to
report regularly to the branch office. Through him we have
learned that several more of the original 12 brethren, including
his wife, forming the Thinganaing company, have
died as a result of hardships suffered during the past year.
Brother Po Lay, however, still continues to witness to the
honor of Jehovah's name. May the day soon come, by Jehovah's
grace, when we can again get in personal contact with
these dear brethren and give them the aid and instruction
they so sorely need!
Many are the interesting experiences reported from the
Maymyo company and two pioneers in northern Burma.
Some of these brethren, too, were in the midst of severe
fighting for many days and spent several nights in trenches
while mortars barked in the background and machine-gun
bullets whistled overhead. By God's grace they came through
without a scratch and have done wonderful work since.
Our most encouraging experience with the Burmese people
of good will is as follows:
A person who was of a sheeplike disposition was contacted
and a book study was started with him in "Let God Be
True". His wife was a Burmese Buddhist who did not
understand English.
The husband advanced rapidly and was soon talking to
everyone he met, including all those in his office and anyone
who called at his home. Unfortunately, due to the language
difficulty and the fact that there was no literature at that
time in Burmese, the publisher was unable to explain the
truth to the wife, and the husband became so full of zeal
that he neglected his household chores. The wife became
violently opposed and interfered with the studies, so much
so that one day as the husband and publisher studied together
they were heavily bombarded with kitchen utensils
hurled by the angry wife. Obviously something had to be
done! Wisely the husband arranged for a Burmese-speaking
sister to call and explain the truth to the wife, using the
newly received Burmese booklet "The Kingdom of God Is
Nigh". Imagine the joy of the husband and the brethren
when the wife began to take an interest in the truth! In
fact, the time came when she was inviting publishers in
almost every day to assist her to understand the Bible and
also the English language. Now she, too, is filled with the
Lord's spirit, attends Kingdom Hall meetings with her four
small children, and has become a regular publisher, the
first Burmese publisher in Rangoon, if not in all Burma!
A sister reports a joyful experience as a result of following
up a magazine placement in territory which is largely Catholic,
and far from home. She writes: