Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

230 Yearbook
prevalent in the Canal Zone section; and, due to the
unsettled economic conditions, many of the Panamanians
are moving into towns in the interior. With
this migraHon, we find a number of Jehovah's witnesses
who are also on the move; so the witness of the
Kingdom is spreading throughout all the country.
About four-fifths of the population of the republic of
Panama live away from the cities in the Canal Zone,
and all of this multitude must also be preached to.
The branch servant gives us an interesting experience
that occurred in one of the interior towns. There are
wonderful prospects for Theocracy's increase to continue
in Panama.
Early in January we were favored with a visit by Brother
Knorr and his traveling companion Brother R. K Morgan,
which, of course, had a very stimulating effect in improving
the service In Panama, and arrangements were at that
time made to send more Gilead-trained ministers to aid in
the progress of the work here, along with other suggested
changes that would kf'ep the Increase moving ahead.
During the year we have had some well-attended and constructive
circuit assemblies and the companies have profited
from these in becoming better organized and equipped to
carryon the preaching work.
Two of the Gilead graduates from the Panama city missionary
home asked permission to spend a month or so in a
town in the interior where they were to be assigned after the
'l'heocracy's Increase Assembly in August. They had some
very interesting experiences. Here is one: As one of the
missionaries was working from door to door she noticed that
not far behind her was a Catholic priest watching and taking
note of what she was doing. Finally, he passed and sat down
in the doorway of a little shop where two men were talking,
knowing she would call there next. Surmising he was there
to start an argument, she directed her witness to the two men
and introduced the book "Sea Dios Vemz", explaining how
the book tells of the wonderful provision Jehovah has made
so that men may gain life eternal and live again, as Adam
and Eve did, in a beautiful paradise. The men kept nodding
in agreement while looking from her to the priest, wondering
just what to do.
Finally the priest butted in and asked what the keys
were that Jesus gave to Peter. He sat there with a smirk on
his face as she carefully explained. Then he said the keys
authorized the apostles to forgive sins and that the priests