Year Book of Jehovah's Witnesses - Watchtower Archive

238 Yearbook
Probably one of the greatest expansion problems is to
provide the pure truths of God's Word in a language the
people can understand. The Philippine Republic Is no exception
to this difficulty. We constantly face the problem
of serving people who speak many languages and dialects.
The Society published four more booklets in the dialects
during the year, two in Hiligaynon-Visayan and one each
in Cebu-Visayan and Pangasinan. Now we have a special
treat in the form of the book "Let God Be True" in Tagalog,
released at the Theocracy's Increase Assembly in New York.
This will be a tremendous aid in training more publishers
among the Tagalog-speaking regions.
We have other problems too that are peculiar to the
Philippines. The executive departments of the government
are unable to cope fully with the situation they face throughout
the country. There are not enough trained and equipped
police to maintain law and order. The long and wasteful
civil war between the government forces and the Hukbalahaps
has spread terror throughout Luzon and Panay.
Life seems very cheap in this land, and the brethren have
to exercise the utmost in discretion in order to carryon in
the service. 'l'here are reports of five brethren being murdered
during the year, but the circumstances surrounding their
murders are unreported.
Theocracy's Increase Assembly climaxed our year. For
the first tillle li'ilipino brethren put forth the e1fort to
attend a convention on foreign soil. It took faith and a lot
of preparation as well as funds. But it was worth it. Three
graduates of Gilead and five other brethren made their own
arrangements to attend with the six who had been called
to Gilead. Their faith was well rewarded. Words are inadequate
to describe that thrilling event. It has made a deep
and lasting impreSSion on our minds. We are better equipped
to meet the problems that now immediately precede Armageddon.
We appreciate God's goodness and we want to
swell louder the song of praise to Him. We look forward to
better organization here and far grander increase when the
Gilead-trained Filipinos get back and put to use their
stored-up knowledge.
NORWAY
During the service year some unusual opportunities
presented themselves in connection with the preaching
of the gospel in Norway. Not only was the door-to-door
work very successful, but the preaching of the gospel
on the streets made much progress. This was due to