When Preaching Is Especially Memorable

“The sun is beating down. The mountainous trail seems unending. After overcoming numerous obstacles, we at last reach our goal: the most distant village. Fatigue turns to joy when we knock on the first door and are received hospitably. By the end of the day, we have placed all the literature we brought and have started several Bible studies. The people are eager to learn. Now we have to leave, but we promise to return.”

SUCH experiences are common among one group of pioneer ministers in Mexico. These are intent on sharing zealously in the fulfillment of the commission that Jesus Christ gave his disciples: “You will be witnesses of me . . . to the most distant part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8) In Mexico, special preaching campaigns​—called pioneer routes—​are organized in order to reach territories that are not assigned to a congregation and, therefore, are not regularly receiving the good news of God’s Kingdom. Generally, these are remote or hard to reach territories. Help is also given to isolated congregations that have an extensive territory to cover.

In order to determine what areas of the country will be covered by the pioneer routes, the branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses examines the needs of the territory. * Once this has been done, groups of special pioneers are assigned to cover the territory. They are provided with vehicles suitable for the rugged, unpaved roads. The vehicles also serve as literature storehouses and sleeping quarters when necessary.

Readily Responding

Since October 1996, invitations have been extended to other preachers of the good news to share in this activity, accompanying the special pioneers. Kingdom publishers as well as regular pioneers who are willing to serve where the need is greater, join the campaign at different stages. Some are assigned to congregations along the route in order to take care of the territory and cultivate the interest found. Many young publishers and pioneers have accepted these invitations and have been enriched with very encouraging experiences.

For example, Abimael, a young Christian who had a well-paying job in a mobile-phone company, decided to share in the preaching activity in those outlying regions. When his employers found out that he was going to quit, they offered him a promotion and a raise. Workmates pressured him, insisting that it was a unique opportunity and that it was foolish of him to turn it down. However, Abimael was determined to support the special preaching campaign for three months. After enjoying this service, Abimael has decided to stay indefinitely in an isolated congregation where the need for Kingdom publishers is great. He now has a modest job and has learned to simplify his life.

In another case, Julissa had to travel 22 hours by bus to get to her assignment. On the final leg of her trip, she missed the last bus of the day. However, there was a pickup truck that transported workers. Julissa mustered up  courage and asked them to take her. Understandably, she was apprehensive, being the only woman among so many men. When she began to preach to a young man, she realized that he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses! “Besides that,” recalls Julissa, “the driver of the pickup turned out to be an elder in the congregation to which I was assigned!”

Older Ones Participate

This activity, however, is not just for the young. Adela, an older sister, had always wanted to devote more time to the preaching work. The opportunity presented itself when she received an invitation to participate in this special preaching activity. She relates: “I enjoyed my assignment so much that I asked the elders in the congregation to let me stay indefinitely. I am happy because even though I am older, I can still be useful to Jehovah.”

Similarly, moved by appreciation for Jehovah and love for her fellowman, 60-year old Martha made herself available to share in the campaign. Observing that the distances involved and the difficult terrain of the territory prevented her group from reaching all the people, she bought a car for the pioneers to use. This sister’s contribution made it possible to cover more territory and to share Bible truth with more people.

Heartwarming Response

The goal of those who participate in these special preaching campaigns is to “make disciples.” In this respect, the results have been excellent. Isolated people have received life-saving truths from the Bible. (Matthew 28:19, 20) Many Bible studies have been established. These are cared for by publishers in the area or by evangelizers who have stayed in the territory. In some cases, groups of publishers have been organized, and in others, small congregations have even been formed.

Magdaleno and his companions used public transportation to get to the isolated territory where they were assigned. On the way, they took advantage of the opportunity to preach to the driver. “This man told us that the week before, some Witnesses had come to his home while he was away. When he returned, his family repeated to him what they had heard. We told him that we were not  from the vicinity but had come from several states in the country in order to support this special preaching campaign and that all of us had paid our own way. Impressed, the driver said that he would begin to study the Bible along with his family that same week. He even contributed to the work by not charging us for the trip.”

Magdaleno was also very impressed by the response of the native peoples of the Chiapas mountains. “My wife and I had the experience of sharing the Kingdom message with a group of 26 young people who attended the Presbyterian Church. All of them listened attentively for 30 minutes. They took out their Bibles, and we were able to give them a thorough witness about Jehovah’s purposes. The majority of the people have their own Bibles in the Tzeltal language.” A number of progressive Bible studies were started.

Opposition Softened

A certain community in Chiapas had not been visited with the Bible message for over two years because of the opposition of some people. Teresa, a full-time evangelizer, noticed that some Witnesses were apprehensive about preaching in that village. “To the surprise of all, the people were willing to listen. When we finished preaching, it began to rain very hard. Looking for shelter, we came to the home of a hospitable person named Sebastián, who allowed us to go inside and find shelter from the rain. Once inside, I asked him if he had already been visited. When he said no, I began to witness to him and started a Bible study using the book Knowledge That Leads to Everlasting Life. * When we finished, Sebastián begged us with tears to come back to study with him.”

Another group of pioneers who visited Chiapas reports: “Thanks to Jehovah, we had good results. In the first week, we started 27 studies; in the second, we invited the people to see our video The Bible​—Its Power in Your Life. Sixty were in attendance. Everyone loved it. At the end, we proposed to start a group Bible study. Surprisingly, two study groups were formed in this village.

“After we finished working the assigned territories, we returned to visit the village to strengthen the interested ones and to see how the organized Bible study groups were doing. We invited them to a public meeting and to the Watchtower Study. However, there was no place big enough to hold the meetings.  The person who offered his home for the study group pointed to the backyard of his house and said: ‘The meetings can be held in the backyard.’”

That weekend both the visiting pioneers and the interested people enthusiastically pitched in to prepare the yard so that it could be used for the meetings. There were 103 persons in attendance at the first meeting. Now 40 Bible studies are being conducted in that village.

“A Wonderful Experience”

Aside from having excellent results in the preaching work, those who have participated in this evangelizing activity have been greatly benefited themselves. María, a young pioneer who participated in one of these campaigns, expresses her feelings this way: “It was a wonderful experience for two reasons. My joy in the preaching work increased, and my relationship with Jehovah became closer. Once when we were climbing a mountain, we felt tired. After asking Jehovah for help, we experienced what Isaiah 40:29-31 says: ‘Those who are hoping in Jehovah will regain power.’ So we got there and conducted studies with people who received us very hospitably.”

Another young pioneer, 17-year-old Claudia, tells us: “I have benefited a lot. I have learned to be more proficient in the ministry, which has given me a lot of joy, and this has led to my setting spiritual goals. I have also matured spiritually. At home my mother did everything for me. Now, with more experience, I have become more responsible. For example, I used to be very picky about what I ate. But now that I have had to adapt to different circumstances, I no longer complain about food. This form of service has helped me to cultivate very good friendships. We share everything we have and help one another.”

A Joyful Harvest

What are the results of this special effort? By early 2002, some 28,300 pioneers had participated in these pioneer routes. They had conducted more than 140,000 Bible studies, devoting more than two million hours in the preaching work. To assist people to learn Bible truth, they had placed almost 121,000 books and close to 730,000 magazines. It is not unusual for some pioneers to conduct 20 or more Bible studies.

The recipients of this kindness are deeply grateful for the extra effort made to reach them with the Bible’s message. Despite their poverty, many insist that the publishers accept donations. A needy 70-year-old lady always offers something to the pioneers who visit her. If they refuse to accept it, she cries. A family of little means tells the full-time evangelizers that the hen laid some eggs specifically for them and urges them to take the eggs.

More important, those sincere people show genuine appreciation for spiritual things. For instance, a young lady walks alone three-and-a-half hours to attend Christian meetings, not missing any of them. Despite having problems with her knees, an elderly interested woman traveled two hours in order to receive instruction from the Bible during the visit of the traveling overseer. Some who were illiterate wanted to learn to read and write so that they could benefit more from Bible education. Their efforts have been richly blessed.

In the book of Acts, Luke describes a vision that the apostle Paul saw: “A certain Macedonian man was standing and entreating him and saying: ‘Step over into Macedonia and help us.’” Paul willingly followed through. Today, in the outlying areas of Mexico, many have responded with the same spirit, making themselves available to declare the good news “to the most distant part of the earth.”​—Acts 1:8; 16:9, 10.

[Footnotes]

[Picture on page 9]

Many Mexican Witnesses have shared in special preaching campaigns