SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Surviving the War's End 

On April 10,1945, as Allied forces approached Beendorf, we had to stand for roll call in the courtyard almost the entire day. Afterward, about 150 of us women were crammed into cattle trains, without food or water. The trains left for an unknown destination, and for days we traveled back and forth between the front lines. Some strangled their  fellow prisoners in order  to make more room in the cars, and as a result, many of the women suffered mental breakdown. What kept me going was my confidence in Jehovah's care.

One day our train stopped near a men's camp, and we were allowed to get out. A few of us were given buckets to fetch some water from the camp.  When I got to the tap, I first ha a long drink and then filled my bucket.  When I returned, the women charged at me like wild animals. All the water was knocked from the bucket.  The SS (members of Hitler's elite guard) just stood there laughing. Eleven days later, we ended up in Eidelstedt, a camp in a suburb of Hamburg. About half our group had died as a result of the rigors of the trip. 

One day while Eidelstedt, I was reading from the Bible to a few of the women. Suddenly the camp commander stood at the window. We were really frightened because the Bible was a forbidden book in the camp.  The commander came in, took the Bible, and said:  "So this is the Bible, eh?" To my great relief, he returned it saying:  "If one of the women dies, then you have to read something aloud from it." 

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD  - Reunited With Fellow Witnesses

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Refusal to Make Weapons

In the mines near the camp, some 1,500 feet below ground, prisoners were put to work making parts for bombers. When I refused to do the work, I received  a few hard blows.  (Isaiah 2:4) The guard snarled that I had better prepare to work the following day. 

The next morning I did not report for roll call, remaining in the barracks. I felt certain that  I would be shot, so I prayed that Jehovah would reward me for my faith. I kept repeating to myself the Bible psalm:  "In God I have put my trust.  I shall not be afraid. What can earthling man do to me?" -Psalm 56:11. 

The barracks were searched, and I was brought out. That is when one of the guards hit me repeatedly, asking" Who is it that does not allow you to work?"  Each time, I said that it was God. That is when another guard told her:  "You might has well stop. Those bibelforscher will let themselves be beat to death for their God."  Her words strengthened me enormously. 

Since cleaning toilets was assigned as punishment and was the filthiest work I could think of, I offered to do it. I was happy to receive that assignment because it was work that I could conscientiously do.  One morning the camp commander, who was feared by everyone, came along.  He stood in front of me and said: "So, are you the Jew that doesn't want to work?" 

"You can see that I am working," I replied.  

"But you will not work for the ward effort, will you?"

"No," I answered.  "God does not want that."

"But you would not be taking part in killing, would you?"

I explained that if I took part in making weapons, I would be violating my Christian conscience.

He took my broom and said: "I can kill you with this, can't I?"

"Oh, sure," I answered, "but a broom is not made for that.  A gun is."

We talked about Jesus' being a Jew and about the fact that even though I was Jewish, I had become one of Jehovah's Witnesses.  When he walked away, fellow prisoners came to up me, surprised  that I had the nerve to speak to the camp commander so calmly. I told them that  It was not a matter of nerve but that I could do it because my God had given me the strength to do so. 

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD -Surviving the War's End

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001 

SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Arrested and Imprisonment

One morning in May 1944 as I was about to start my ministry, I was arrested-not because I was a Witness but because I was a Jew. I was taken to a prison in Amsterdam, where I stayed for ten days. Then I was transported by train, along with other Jews, to the transit camp of Westerbork in the northeastern part of the Netherlands.  From there, Jews were transported to Germany.

In Westerbork I met up with my brother-in-law and his son, who had also been picked up. I was the only Witness among the Jews, and I constantly prayed to Jehovah for him to sustain me.  Two days later my brother-in-law, his son, and I sat in a cattle train that was about to depart for either Auschwitz or Sobibor, death camps in Poland.  Suddenly, my name was called out, and I was taken to a different train-a regular passenger train.

Aboard were former colleagues from the diamond trade. About a hundred diamond workers were transported to Bergen-Belsen in the northern part of Germany. Later, I learned that my trade had saved my life, for the Jews who went to Auschwitz and Sobibor usually went straight to the gas chamber. that is what happened to my husband, two of my children, and other relatives. At the time, though, I did not know what had happened to them. 

In Bergen-Belsen we diamond cutters were accommodated in a special barrack.  To spare our hands for our delicate work, we were not required to do other work. I was the only Witness in our group, and I boldly told fellow Jews about my new-found faith. However, they viewed me as an apostate, much as the apostle Paul was viewed in the first century. 

I had no Bible, and I craved spiritual food. A Jewish doctor in the camp had one, and he gave it to me in exchange for a few pieces of bread and some butter. I spent seven months with that 'diamond group' in Bergen-Belsen. We were treated relative well, which led to ill-feelings toward us on the part of other Jewish prisoners. Finally, though, it turned out that no diamonds were found for us to work on. So on December 5, 1944, about 70 of us Jewish women were transported to a women's labor camp on Beendorf.

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD - Refusal to Make Weapons

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

Hiding-Yet Still Preaching

The German occupation of the Netherlands was a dangerous time for me. For not only was I  a Jew, whom Germans were putting into concentration camps, but I was also one of Jehovah's Witnesses, a religious organization that the Nazis were trying to eliminate. Yet, I remained active, spending an average of 60 hours  a month telling others of my new found Christian home. -Matthew 24:14. 

One evening in December 1942, my husband did not come home from work. As it turned out, he had been arrested at work along with his colleagues. I never saw him again.  My fellow Witnesses advise me to go into hiding with my children. I was able to stay with a Christian  sister on the other side of Amsterdam. Because it was too dangerous for the four of us to stay at the same address, I had to leave my children with others.  

I often escaped capture with the skin of my teeth. One evening a Witness was taking me to a new hiding place on his bike. However, the light on his  bike was not working,m and we were stopped by two Dutch policemen. They shone their flashlights in my face and could tell I was Jewish. Fortunately, they simply said:  "Keep going quickly-but on foot." 

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD - Arrested and Imprisoned

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

A Change of Religion

Early in 1940, the year the Germans began their occupation of the Netherlands, a woman called at our door and talked with me about the Bible. I did not understand much of what she said, but I accepted literature from her whenever she came by.  However, I didn't read what she left because I didn't want to have anything to do with Jesus. I had been taught that he was an apostate Jew.

Then one day a man came to my door. I asked him questions such as "Why didn't God create other people after Adam and Eve sinned? Why is there so much misery?  Why do people hate one another and wage war?"  He assured me that if I had patience, he would answer my questions from the Bible. So a home Bible study was arranged. 

Still I resisted the idea that Jesus was the Messiah.  But then, after praying about the matter, I began  to read Messianic prophecies in the Bible, seeing them through different eyes.  (Psalm 22:7, 8, 18; Isaiah 53:1-12) Jehovah enabled me  to see those prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus. My husband was not interested in what I was learning, but didn't interfere with my becoming one of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD-Hiding-Yet Still Preaching

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

AS TOLD BY RACHEL SACKSIONI-LEVEE

WHEN A GUARD REPEATED HIT ME IN THE FACE BECAUSE I REFUSED TO WORK ON PARTS FOR NAZI BOMBERS, ANOTHER GUARD SAID TO HER:  "YOU MIGHT AS WELL STOP. THOSE 'BIBELFORSCHER' WILL LET THEMSELVES BE BEATEN TO DEATH FOR THEIR GOD." 

THIS occurred in December 1944 in Beendorff, a woman's labor camp close to the salt mines in norther Germany. Let me explain how I cam to be there and how I was able  to survive during the closing months of World War II. 

I was born in a Jewish family in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, in 1908, the second of three girls. My father was a diamond polisher, as were many Jews in Amsterdam before World War II. He died when I was 12, and afterward Grandfather came to live with us. Grandfather was a devout Jew, and he saw to it that we were brought up  in accordance with Jewish traditions. 

Following in Father's footsteps, I learned the diamond cutting trade, and in 1930, I married a colleague. We had two children-Silvain, a lively and adventurous boy, and Carry, who was a sweet, placid little girl. Unfortunately, our marriage did not last long. In 1938, shortly after the divorce, I married Louis Sacksioni, who was also a diamond polisher. In February 1940, our daughter Johanna, was born.  

Although Louis was Jewish, he did not practice his religion. So we no longer celebrated the Jewish festival that I had found so fascinating as a child. I certainly missed that, but in my heart I continued to believe in God.

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD -A Change of Religion

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

HOW WORK WINS PRAISE IN MOSCOW

In December 1998, the Witnesses purchased a large, two-story building adjacent to Mikhalkovsky Park.  It has previously served as a cultural center.  Some time ago Witness workers began renovating this large facility. It includes five Kingdom Halls, or meeting places, for 22 congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses. 

This past April 15, one administrator of the Golovinsky district requested that on April 21 the Witnesses clean up Mikkhalkovsky Park. In Russia it is common for residents  and community groups  to share in communal spring cleaning of parks and highways. On April 17, the Witnesses met to plan for the work. At the meeting it was decided that about 700 workers would be needed. 

Accomplishing the Work

On April 18 when the Witnesses notified the Golovinsky district officials as to how many rakes and other tools would be needed, the officials did not believe that anywhere near 700 workers would respond. Yet, by 9:30 a.m,, April 21, when administration employees arrived at the park, hundreds of Witnesses were already on hand, but there were only 200 garden tools for them to use. In time, some 200 additional rakes were obtained for use. Those without tools worked with their hands to collect garbage and put it into plastic bags. Witnesses even brought high fishing boots and a boat for cleaning out the large pond.

Administrations representatives were amazed at the work being done. They noted that the people labored as if they were cleaning their own property, doing the job with joy and enthusiasm. Altogether, about a thousand of Jehovah's Witnesses shared in the work of Mikhalkovsky Park , and more than 250 tons of garbage was removed. Those living in the area said that they had not seen the park so clean in a very long time. 

As noted at the outset, the officials were impressed by what was done and were very appreciative. One official in the Golovinsky district wrote:  "The Golovinsky District Administration of the North Administrative Region of Moscow thanks the religious community of Jehovah's Witnesses for their participation in the clean-up of the Mikhalkovsky Park." An associate official  expressed similar words of appreciation, concluding:  "This noble and necessary work brings benefit and joy to all park visitors."

Although Jehovah's Witnesses are pleased   to beautify areas around their properties-and to engage in such projects as here described -their principal work today is sharing with people the good news of God's Kingdom, the government that will bring Paradise conditions  earth wide.  (Matthew 34:14) As they were cleaning  up Mikhalkovsky Park, some were heard to remark that what they were doing was good training for the post-Armageddon work of beautifying  the whole earth. -Revelation 16:14, 16.
Indeed all lovers of the Bible look forward  to the time when the entire earth  will be a park-like place of beauty, even as God intended it to be when he first created  the first human pair. -Genesis 1:28;  2:8, 9, 15; Revelation 21:3, 4. 

Next time: SUSTAINED BY CONFIDENCE IN GOD

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

HOW WORK WINS PRAISE IN MOSCOW

IN 1998 a civil suit calling for a ban on the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses was brought before a municipal court in the Golovinky of Moscow. You may find it ironic, therefore, that the Witnesses were recently praise by local officials in the Golovinsky District  Administration.

Why did the Witnesses receive praise from Moscow officials when, at the same time, attempts were being made by some people to eliminate them from the city?  A brief review of the activity of the Witnesses there will provide answers. 

The Witnesses in Moscow

In the mid 1950's, Moscow was one of the few capital cities of the world where not one of Jehovah's Witnesses lived.  The reason? Because the Witnesses in Moscow had be deported, even as thousands of others in the Soviet Union had also been. Where to?  Most were taken to Siberian slave-labor camps. 

As years went by, a few Muscovites began to study the Bible with the aid of Witness publications, which at the time were banned in Russia. In the mid-1970's, the few who had then became  Witnesses were meeting for Bible study in the Moscow apartment of Murat Shakirov. In the  1980's, the members of this small group were able to interest many others in  Bible study. 

When the activity of Jehovah's Witnesses in the Soviet Union was legalized in March 1991, a large congregation of Witnesses in Moscow began functioning openly. Thousands of people were eager to learn why the Witnesses had been persecuted. And they wanted to know what the Bible really teaches. So when a a convention was held in Kiev, Ukraine, in August  1991, more than 2,000 from Moscow traveled about 550 miles to attend. Many of these were among the 1, 843 who were baptized there. 

When in 1993 a large international convention of Jehovah's Witnesses was held in Moscow's Locomotive Stadium, 23,743 persons from over 30 countries were in attendance. By the end of that year, the number of congregations in the Moscow metropolitan area had increased  to 21. Today, some eight years later,  there are 104 congregations in the same area. 

During June and July of this year, 18,292 persons attended four district conventions of Jehovah's Witnesses in Moscow, and 546 were baptized. The dramatic growth in the number of those joining the Witnesses in the Bible study has caused leaders of the Russian Orthodox Church to try to influence Moscow officials to ban their activity.

In the early part of 1998, the court case seeking to ban the Witnesses came before Golovinsky court. Finally, on February 23, 2001, the judge ruled against them. However, when the prosecution appealed the case to a higher Moscow court, it was remanded for reconsideration by the original court. 

Yet, why, despite  attempts by some people to ban the Witnesses, did local city officials of Moscow's Golovinsky District Administration praise the Witnesses? 

Next time: HOW WORK WINS PRAISE IN MOSCOW-New Meeting Place Involved 

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

How to Make Food Safe

Perfect Food From the Creator

The Bible contains vivid prophecies about living conditions under the coming system of things. The prophet Isaiah wrote: "[God] will certainly give the rain for your seed with which you sow the ground, and as the produce of the ground bread, which must become fat and oily. Your livestock will graze in that day in a spacious pasture. And the cattle and the full-grown asses cultivating the ground will eat fodder seasoned with sorrel, which was winnowed with the shovel and with the fork."

Isaiah's prophecy also states:  "Jehovah of armies will certainly make for all the peoples, in this mountain, a banquet of well-oiled dishes filled with marrow, of wine kept on the dregs, filtered."  The New American Bible renders that last phrase, "a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich foo and pure, choice wines." -Isaiah 25:6; 30:23, 24. 

Does that sound appealing to you?  Isaiah's prophecy assures us that everyone living under God's new system will have more than enough physical food. Will it be safe to eat? Without a doubt. Another prophecy assures us that God's people "will actually sit, each one under his vine and under his fig tree, and there will be no one making them tremble." (Micah 4:3) Such utter security will be guaranteed by God's Messianic Kingdom, which will take up ruling over all the earth in the near future. -Isaiah 9:6, 7. 

Never again will there be uncertainty about whether food is safe or not. On the contrary, we will delight in saying to one another:  "Enjoy your meal" or "guten Appetit" or "bon appetit." 

Next time: HOW WORK WINS PRAISE IN MOSCOW

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

How to Make Food Safe

Safe Food for Everyone

EATING wholesome food is a delight. But as we have seen, such food is not always easy to come by.  Worse yet, there are millions of people who do not have the luxury of worry about whether their food is sufficiently safe or healthful.  They are preoccupied with finding enough food just to survive. Can it be that God intended for things to be this way?

Think about it.  When God put man and woman on the earth, did they have any cause to worry about food?  No, not at all!  The account in the Bible book of Genesis says:  "Jehovah God made to grow out of the ground every tree desirable to one's sight and good for food." (Genesis 2:9)  So Adam and Eve had a delightful variety of foods as well as an  abundant, endless supply.  The God who created them knew precisely what they needed nutritionally, he also knew what would bring them joy. Granted, we are not in the garden of Eden today. But has God changed his original purpose for mankind and earth? 

We have sound reason to believe that  soon everyone on earth will enjoy healthful, wholesome food in abundance!  This belief can be a powerful aid to our keeping a balanced attitude on the issue of food safety today. Such a hope, if sure and reliable can help us to avoid developing fanatic or extreme views.

Why can we be so sure that life will soon be different?  Keen students of the Word of God know that we are currently living in "the last days" of this system of things.  The present system is governed by human wisdom, which in many fields of life is uncertain and relies on trial and error.  When it comes to techniques of processing food, there is considerable  uncertainty as to whether they are safe or hazardous.  Such uncertainty breeds fear, discord, and disunity. -2 Timothy 3:1-5.  

Mankind's Creator has promise to replace this present system of things with a completely new one. His original purpose-for the entire earth to ba  paradise like the garden of Eden, populated with a happy and healthy human family -will be fulfilled.  They unifying force of perfect godly wisdom will then fill the earth. (Isaiah 11:9) Uncertain human wisdom will no longer prevail. the new system of God's making will dispel all need for doubt about the safety of our food. Is it not logical to conclude that the God who created humans would also understand our nutritional needs?

Next time: Safe Food for Everyone - Perfect Food From the Creator

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

How to Make Food Safer

Making Balanced Choices

In view of the various risks and concerns about food, some people today decide to take the time to buy, prepare, and eat more fresh food. If the option appeals to you, seek out stores or markets in your area that sell fresh, untreated commodities. One consumer guide explains: "Many consumers seek contact with the producers-either at weekly markets [where fresh produce is sold] or where the food is produced-so as to buy the items when they are particularly fresh and to get a look at the production of the food and its origin."  This practice may be helpful when buying  meat products.

In a similar vein, it maybe best to purchase local foodstuffs in season, since they may be the healthiest. Realize, however, that if you adhere to such a standard, you will forfeit having a global selection of fruit and vegetables year around.

Should you switch to organic food?  That is a personal decision.Organic food  has many enthusiasts, some no doubt motivated by distrust of new technologies used in the food industry. But not everyone agrees that organic farming offers safer food. 

Whatever your preferences in food, carefully examine what you buy.  "Where food is concerned," laments one expert quoted in the weekly newspaper Die Zeit, "the consumer looks  only at the price." Being price conscious is laudable, but inspect the list of ingredients as well.  It is estimated that nearly half the people buying food in Western lands do not take the time to read the nutritional information printed on labels. Granted, in some lands labeling is not comprehensive. But if you want safe food, then do what you can to examine the ingredients. 

Whatever decisions you make regarding the foods you eat, you will probably need to be willing to bend at times, adapting to the realities of the land in which you live. For many people int his day and age, it is simply impossible -too expensive, too time consuming, too problematic-to make sure that they eat only foods that are verifiably safe in every respect.

Does that strike you as a rather grim assessment of today's world?It is simply  realistic. The good news, however, is that things will soon change for the better. 

Next time: How to Make Food Safe - Safe Food for Everyone

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

How to Make Food Safer

Steps You Can Take

Wash. Be sure to wash your hands in hot soapy water before preparing each dish. Always wash after using the bathroom, dealing with a baby's or a child's hygienic needs (such as changing a diaper or wiping a nose), or handling any animal, including household pets. Wash any utensils, cutting boards, and countertops with hot soapy  water after preparing each dish-especially after handling raw meat, poultry, or seafood.  "Wash fruit and vegetables in lukewarm water," suggests Test magazine, to get rid of insects and pesticide residue. In many cases skinning, peeling, and boiling are the best ways to cleanse foodstuffs.  With lettuce or cabbage, remove and throw away the outermost leaves.  

Cook thoroughly.  If the internal heat of food exceeds 160 degrees Fahrenheit, even briefly, almost all bacteria, viruses, and parasites will be killed. Poultry should be cooked even more than that, to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, or it should be hot and steaming. Avoid eating poultry that is still pink inside, eggs with runny yolks  or whites , or fish that is not yet opaque and that you cannot readily flake apart with a fork.

Keep foods separate.  Keep raw meat, poultry, or seafood separate from other food at all times-when shopping for it, storing it, and preparing it.  Do not let the juices flow or drip onto other foods. Also, never put cooked food onto a dish that formerly held raw meat, fish, or poultry, unless that dish has been thoroughly washed with hot soapy water.

Store and chill food properly.   The refrigerator can inhibit the growth of dangerous bacteria, but the temperature should be 40 degrees Fahrenheit. The freezer should be 0 degrees Fahrenheit. Put perishable food items away within two hours. If setting out food before the meat, cover all washed dishes to keep flies away. 

Be cautious when dining out.   By one estimate, from about 60 to 80 percent of the cases of food-borne disease in some developed lands originate in meals that are cooked  and bought outside the home. Make sure that any restaurant you visit satisfies  the health standards required by law. Order meat well-cooked. When it comes to take-out food, make sure to eat it within two hours of the time you buy it. If more time elapses, reheat the food to a temperature of 165 degrees  Fahrenheit.

Throw out questionable food.   IF you are in doubt as to whether some food item is good or spoiled, err on the side of safety and throw it out.  Granted, it is unwise to waste good food. Still, getting sick from bad food may prove even more costly.

Dr. Iain Swadling, food information officer for the International Food Information Service, about 90 percent of all cases of food-borne disease are caused by "probably less than two dozen" species of micro-organisms. How do the various disease-causing agents - the viruses, bacteria, parasites, toxins,m and so forth find their way into food?

Dr. Swadling lists five of the most common ways that food is contaminated:  "Using contaminated raw foodstuffs; infected/ill people preparing meals; inadequate storage combined with the preparation; insufficient cooking or reheating of food." Grim though that list may appear to be, it conveys  a potent  bit of good news. Most instances of food-borne illnesses are readily preventable. 

Next time: How to Make Food Safer-Making Balanced Choices

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

What Are We Doing to Our Food?

How to Make Food Safer

IS EATING dangerous? Some statistics might lead you to conclude that is. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 130 million people in the (WHO) European Region are affected by food-borne disease each year. In the United Kingdom alone, over 100,000 cases of food poisoning-causing about 200 deaths-were reported  in 1998. It is estimated that in the United States, some 76 million illnesses result from food-borne disease each year and that of those cases, 325,000 involve hospitalization and 5,000 end in death. \

Globally, careful estimates are harder to come by. However, WHO reports that in 1998, approximately 2.2 million people died  from diarrheic diseases-1.8 million of them being children.  The report notes:  "A great proportion of these cases can be attributed to contamination of food and drinking water."

Those figures may sound staggering. But should statistics cause you to panic about the safety of your own food?  Probably not. Consider another example. In Australia, there are some 4.2 million cases of food-borne illnesses every year-or about 11,500 every day!  Now that may sound like a  lot.  But look at it from a different prospective. Australians eat about 20 billion meals a year, those meals less than one fiftieth of one percent lead to illness. In other words, the risk involved in each meal is really very small.

Nonetheless, the risk is real and sobering. What causes food to bring illnesses, and what can be done to reduce risk? 

Next time: What Are We Doing to Our Food? - Steps You Can Take 

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

What Are We Doing to Our Food?

Making Balanced Personal Choices

In some lands as much as 80 percent of the food eaten is processed. Often additives are used to intensify or standardize flavor and color, as well as to lengthen shelf life. In fact, one reference work notes that "many modern products such as low-calorie, snack, and ready-to-eat convenience foods, would not be possible without food additives."  Such foods are also more likely to contain genetically modified ingredients.

For years agriculture worldwide has depended upon practices that many people view as harmful.  The use of toxic pesticides is just one example. Moreover, the food industry has for some time been using additives that may have caused allergic reactions in some consumers. Are new food technologies significantly more hazardous than these practices?  Even experts cannot agree. In fact, weighty scientific reports support opposite sides of the argument and seem to help polarize opinion. 

Because they view high tech foods as hard to avoid or because they view other concerns as more pressing, many people today decide not to worry about the matter. Others, though, are quite concerned.  What can you do if you and your family feel uncertain about eating processed foods that seem overly complicated by modern technology?  There are practical steps you may choose to take, some of which are discussed in the following article. First, though, if may be wise to make sure that we have  a balanced outlook on the issue. 

Food safety is like health. There is no current way to achieve perfection. According to the German magazine natur& kosmos, even among people who are known to take the utmost care in the selection and preparation  of food, nutrition is always a compromise. What is beneficial to one can harm another. Is it  not wise, then, to cultivate a balanced attitude and avoid extremes?

Of course, the Bible does not tell us what decision to make regarding today's high-tech foods.  But it does teach us about a quality to cultivate that will help us in this matter.  Philippians 4:5 says:  "Let your reasonableness become known to all men."  Reasonableness can help us to make balanced decisions and avoid extremes. It can hold us back from dictating to others what they should or should not do in the matter. And it can help us out of pointless, division debates with those whose thinking  on the subject may differ from our own. 

It must be admitted, though, that many of the hazards connected with food are not so controversial. What are some of these, and what safety precautions can you take? 

Next time: What Are We Doing to Our Food? - How to Make Food Safer

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

What Are We Doing to Our Food?

Genetically Modified Foods
Geneticists have for some time been able to transfer a gene from the DNA of one organism into the DNA of another within the same species. Today, however, geneticists can go much further. For example, there are strawberries and tomatoes that have been modified with a gene taken from a fish, making them less sensitive to low temperatures. 

Much has been said both for and against genetically modified (GM) foods. Proponents say that this type of biotechnology is more predictable and controllable than traditional methods of plant breeding that it will increase crop yields and reduce human starvation. But are GM foods safe to eat?  

Note: I do not believe in messing with God's creations. God made grains, animals, plants, people etc,  a certain way and no stupid scientist  or anyone else should mess with what God has created; and don't tell me he did not create these things. We may have a lot technology to do certain things, but that does not mean that it should be done or that God gave Humans the knowledge to do with as they please.  Satan also can manipulate the human mind as well, to come up with ideas that God would not want to be in existence or done.

A report on the subject was prepared by a team of scientists representing academies in England and the United States as well as Brazil, China, India, Mexico, and other nations of the developing world. Published in July 2000, the report stated:  "To date, over 30 million hectares [70 million acres] of transgenic [GM] crops have been grown and no human health problems associated specifically with the ingestion of transgenic crops or their products have been identified." (note: at least known that we are told about or know of, not that they would tell anyone about)   In some quarters GM products are held to be as safe as conventional foods. 

Elsewhere, though,  there is widespread uncertainty.  In Austria, Britain, and France, GM foods are viewed with mistrust by some.  A Dutch politician said of GM foods:  "There are certain types of food we simply don't like." Critics of such food also point to ethical questions and to possible dangers to the environment.

Some scientists feel that these are early days for GM food and that more testing ought to be done on the possible risks to consumers. For instance, the British Medical Association feels that genetic engineering promises great benefits for the population. Yet, it states that some areas of concern-such as allergic reaction to GM foods-mean that "Further research is needed."

Next time: What Are We Doing to Our Food? - Making Balanced Personal Choices

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

What Are We Doing to Our Food?

Irradiated Foods

Since trials started in Sweden in 1916, at least 39 lands have approved the practice of exposing such foodstuffs as potatoes, corn, fruit, and meat to low levels of radiation.  Why?  Irradiation is said to kill most bacteria, insects, and parasites, thereby reducing the consumer's risk of contracting food-borne disease. It also increases the shelf life of the product.

Of course, experts say that ideally, the food we eat should be clean and fresh.  But who takes the time to prepare fresh food regularly?  Ten minutes for breakfast and fifteen  minutes for lunch and supper"  is, according to Test magazine, the length of time the average person spends for meals. Not surprisingly, then, many consumers prefer food that is ready to eat and has a long shelf life. But are irradiated foods safe? 

In 1999 the World Health Organization published a study carried out by an international panel of experts.  They concluded that irradiate food "is both safe to consume and nutritionally adequate."   Note: Of course they will say that if paid to say that, especially if it  is the government that paid them.  Just like commercials; they are paid to say anything , be it lying or truthfully to get their product sold.  And who the heck wants adequately safe food. I myself want food to be more than adequate. But that is impossible in this wicked system of things, with the Devil running everything and most people. Supporters compare the irradiating of food to the sterilization-or the  passing of luggage through and electronic scanner at the airport. Critics, however, insist that irradiation reduces the natural goodness of food and may involve risks that are as yet unknown. 

Note; It is just like vegetables that are put in cans, are not nutritious. All the vitamins and nutrients are all cooked out and the vegetables overcooked. Fresh or frozen vegetable, if you can afford them are much better and healthier for you. 

Next time: What Are We Doing to Our Food? -Genetically Modified Foods

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001 

What Are We Doing to Our Food? -Harmones and Antibiotics

Since the 1950's, small doses of antibiotics have been added to the feed of poultry, pigs, and cattle in some places.  The purpose is to lower the risk of disease, especially where animals are kept together in close quarters. In some lands harmones are also added to animal feed to speed up animal growth. Hormones and antibiotics are said to protect animals against infection and to make intensive farming more profitable, with benefit to the consumer in the form of lower prices.   

Note: If everyone were so greedy.  Also the middle man needs to be eliminated. If these are lower prices, we are in deep  doo-doo, without a paddle.

So far, so good. But does meat from animals that are fed these alternatives carry an risk to the consumer:  A report by the Economic and Social Committee of the European Communities concluded that there is a chance that bacteria will survive the antibiotics and be passed on to the consumer.  "Some of these bacteria, such as Salmonella and Campylobacter, may be a direct cause of severe human diseases via the food chain," the report found. Furthermore, what if the food chain contains not only bacteria but also residues of antibiotics?  Fears have been raised that as a result, germs causing diseases in humans could gradually develop a resistance to antibiotics. 

Note: I believe this particular subject to be true. Also, it is known to some people that if you take some medications long enough, your body grows immune to those medications and will no longer work.    

What about harmone treated meat? A professor in  Munich, Germany, Dr. Heinrich Karg, comments:  "All experts  agree that  meat from harmone-treated animals  is not harmful to health, provided that the substances are administered in accordance with  the guidelines." However, the newspaper Die Woche reports that on the issue of of the safety of meat from harmone-fed animals, "for the past 15 years, researchers have been unable to agree upon a common viewpoint."  And in France the question of harmones in meat has been answered with a resounding 'No! Harmones should not be used!  Clearly, the controversy is far from resolved.

Next time: What Are We Doing to  Our Food? -Irradiated  Foods

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001 

HOW SAFE IS YOUR FOOD? -What Are We Doing to Our Food?

MAKING changes to our food is  not a new idea. In fact, for generations man has been skilled at altering foods. Careful breeding techniques have resulted  in many new variations of crops, cattle, and sheep.  Indeed, a representative of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration stated that "virtually every food you buy has been altered by traditional breeding." 

Note: Not sure I trust this technique, especially when the government has anything to do with it. The government wants to control us, so what is stopping them from poisoning us or using chemicals to make us all sick one way or another. They will do whatever it takes to do so. 

Breeding is not the only way to alter food.  The food industry has developed many procedures to treat and process food, whether to enhance its flavor or color or to standardize  and preserve it. People are accustomed to eating food that has been altered in one way or another.

But a growing number of consumers are alarmed at what is now being done to our food. Why? Some fear that modern techniques presently in use are compromising the safety of food. Is this alarm justified?  Let us examine three areas of concern. 

Next time: What Are We Doing To Our Food? -Hormones and Antibiotics

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

HOW SAFE IS YOUR FOOD?

Causes of Concern

Each year, food-borne illness affects about 15 percent of the population of Europe. In the early 1980's, for instance, toxic cooking oil in Spain killed about 1,000 people and made another 20,000 seriously ill. In 1999 the population of Belgium was aghast when it was reported that such items as eggs, poultry, cheese, and butter were possibly contaminated by a poison called dioxin. More recently, Britain's consumers were horrified-and its beef industry was shattered-when cattle  became infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). Then there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which required  the slaughter and disposal of millions of cows, sheep, pigs, and goats. 

Grave though such risks are, there are other factors that worry people when it comes to food. Consumers are troubled  by new techniques that are now being used in the growth and processing of foodstuffs.  The European Commission  wrote in 1998:  "Novel technologies like food irradiation and genetic engineering of food crops have caused a lot of controversy."  Do such modern scientific techniques improve our food or adulterate it?  And what can we do to increase the safety of our own food?  

Next time: HOW SAFE IS YOUR FOOD?  - What Are We Doing to Our Food?

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

IS YOUR FOOD SAFE?

How Safe Is Your Food?

DO YOU eat three meals a day?  If so, by the time you are 70 years old, you will have consumed over 75,000 meals. For a typical European, that will mean eating-among other things-some 10,000 eggs, 5,000 loaves of bread, 100 sacks of potatoes, 6 sides of beef, and 2 sheep. Does all that eating amount to a chore?  Far from it!  How we relish hearing such expressions as "enjoy your meal" or "guten Appetit" or "bon appetite?! The head of a cooking school went so far as to say:  "Food is the essence of life.'

Most of the time, we may tend to take it for granted that the food we consume is wholesome and healthful. But if just one of those 75,000 meals were to contain something harmful, we  could get seriously ill. Can we be sure that what we eat is safe? (Not in my opinion) These days, more and more people seem to have doubts on that score. In some countries food safety has become a major concern. Why? 

Next time: IS YOUR FOOD SAFE? -Causes of Concern

From the AWAKE! magazine, 2001

Should You Be Easygoing?

Most people would probably feel that it is a compliment to be thought of as an easygoing person, one with a relaxed, placid, tolerant nature. However, there is another side to being easygoing.  The Bible says:  "The easygoingness of the stupid is what will destroy them." (Proverbs 1:32)  What does that mean? Other Bible versions render the original Hebrew word with such expressions as "careless ease" (American Standard Version), "smugness" (The New American Bible), and "complacency." (The New English Bible)  In  this sense, easygoingness is linked to laziness and carelessness and thus to stupidity or foolishness. 

In the first century, Christians in the congregation in Laodicea  were blithely unaware of or complacent about their spiritual deficiencies.  They smugly boasted that they "[did] not need anything at all."  Jesus Christ corrected them, calling for a revival of their Christian zeal. -Revelation 3:14-19. 

Easygoing complacency was also characteristic of the people in Noah's day.  They were preoccupied with the mundane things of life, "eating and drinking, men marrying and women being given in marriage . . ., and they took no note until the flood came and swept them all away." Jesus then added:  "So the presence of the Son of man will be. -Matthew 24:37-39. 

Fulfilled Bible prophecies indicate that we are living during "the presence of the Son of man," Jesus Christ.  May we never become complacent, careless, smug-easygoing in the wrong sense. -Luke 21:29-36. 

Next time:  IS YOUR FOOD SAFE? 

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002/How Safe Is Your Food?

"Be Training Yourself"

'Grease Him With Oil'

Part of the athletic training in ancient Greece was done by the anointer. His job was to anoint with oil the bodies of the men who were about to to exercise. The trainers "noticed that a skilled massage of the muscles before training had beneficial effects, and also that  a careful light massage assisted the process of winding down and recovery by an athlete who had completed a long training session," observes The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece.

As the applying of literal oil to one's body can be soothing, therapeutic, and healing, the application of God's Word to a tired Christian "athlete" can correct, comfort, and heal him. Thus, under guidance from Jehovah, the older men of the congregation are admonished  to pray over such a man, figuratively "greasing him with oil in the name of Jehovah," an essential measure in affecting spiritual recovery. -James 5:13-15; Psalm 141:4.  

Next time: Should You Be Easygoing?

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

"Be Training Yourself"

Well-Aimed Efforts

Paul illustrated his single-mindedness and sharp focus in pursuing spiritual goals, saying:  "The way I am directing my blows in so as not to be striking the air." (1 Corinthians 9:26) How would a contestant direct his blows or thrusts?  The book The Life of the Greeks and Romans answers:  "Not only rude strength was required, but also firmness of eye in finding out an antagonist's weak points. No less useful were certain dexterous thrusts learned at the wrestling- schools, and quickness in outwitting an antagonist."

Our perfect flesh is one of our antagonists. Have we identified our personal "weak points"?  Are we willing to see ourselves as others see us-especially as Satan might see us?  That requires honest self-analysis and self-appraisal and the will to make changes.  Self-deception occurs very easily.  (James 1:22)  How easy it is to justify an unwise course of action!  (1 Samuel 15:13-`5, 21, 21) That is tantamount to "striking the air."

In these last days, those who would please Jehovah and gain life cannot afford to hesitate in making the choice between right and wrong, between God's congregation and the corrupt world.  They must avoid wavering, being 'indecisive, unsteady in all their ways.'  (James 1:8) They should not waste their efforts on fruitless pursuits.  When a person follows this straightforward, single-minded course, he will be happy and his "advancement will be manifest to all persons.' -1 Timothy 4:15.

Yes, the Christian race continues.  Jehovah-our Grand Trainer-lovingly provides the instructions and assistance necessary  for our endurance and ultimate victory.  (Isaiah 48:17) Like athletes of old,m we need to cultivate self-discipline, self-control, and single-mindedness in our fight for the faith.  Our well-aimed efforts will be richly rewarded. -Hebrews 11:6.

Next time: "Be Training Yourself" - 'Grease Him With Oil'

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

"Be Training Yourself"-"Self-Control in All Things"

Of course, more was needed to succeed than merely a good trainer. Much depended on the athlete himself and on his commitment to the rigorous training.  The regiments was severe, since the training included strict abstinence and dieting. Horace, a poet of the first century B.C.E., said that contestants "abstained from women and wine" to "reach the longed for goal."  And according to Bible scholar F.C. Cook, participants in the games had to undergo "self-restraint [and] spare diet . .  . for ten months."

Paul used this analogy when he wrote to Christians in Corinth, a city very familiar with nearby Isthmian Games:  "Every man taking part in a contest exercises self-control in all things." (1 Corinthians 9:25)  True Christians avoid the materialistic, immoral, and unclean life-styles of the world.  (Ephesians 5:3-5; 1 John 2:15-17)  Ungodly and unscriptural traits must also be stripped off and replace by Christlike qualities. -Colossians 3:9, 10, 12.

How can this be done?  For one thing, note Paul's answer by means of a forceful illustration:  "I pummel my body and lead it as a slave, that, after I have preached to others, I myself should not become disapproved somehow. - 1 Corinthians 9:27.

How forceful a point Paul made here! He was not recommending physical mortification. Rather, he admitted that he himself had internal conflicts. At times, he did the things he wished not to do. But he fought never to allow his weakness to get the upper hand. He 'pummeled his body,' vigorously subduing fleshly desires and traits. -Romans 7:21-25. 

All Christians need to do the same. Paul told of the changes made by some in Corinth who had formerly indulged in fornication, idolatry, homosexuality, thievery, and so forth. What enabled them to change?  The power of God's Word and holy spirit coupled with their determination to conform to it.  "But you have been washed clean," said Paul "but you have been sanctified, but you have been declared righteous in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and with the spirit of our God."  (1 Corinthians   6:9-11)  Peter wrote similarly of those who had left off such bad habits. As Christians, they had all made real changes. -1 Peter 4:3, 4. 

Next time: "Be Training Yourself" - Well-Aimed Efforts

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

"Be Training Yourself"

A Sympathetic Trainer

One of the jobs of an ancient trainer was "to judge the type and number of exercises that were needed for the individual athlete and the particular sport," notes one scholar. As God trains us, he takes into account our individual circumstances, abilities, makeup, and limitations. Quite often during our training by Jehovah, we implore him, as did Job:  "Remember, please, that  out of clay you have made me." (Job 10:9) How does our sympathetic  trainer respond? David wrote of Jehovah:  "He himself well knows the formation of us, remembering that we are dust." -Psalm 103:14. 

You may have a serious healthy problem that limits what you can do in the ministry, or you may be struggling with low self-respect. Perhaps you are striving to bread a bad habit, or you may feel that you are unable  to face up to peer pressure in the neighborhood, at the workplace, or at school. Whatever your circumstances may be, never forget that Jehovah understands your problem  better than anyone else-including you! As a concerned trainer, he is always there to help you if you draw close to him. -James 4:8. 

The ancient trainers "could distinguish exhaustion or weakness that derived not from the exercises but from other, psychological causes, bad humour, depression and so on. . . .The jurisdiction  of the [trainers] was so wide that they even followed the private lives of the athletes and intervened where they thought it necessary." 

Do you sometimes feel exhausted or weak because o the unrelenting pressures and temptations of this world? As your trainer, Jehovah is keenly interested in you.  (1 Peter 5:7) He is quick to discern in you any sign of spiritual weaknesses or fatigue. Although Jehovah respects our free will and personal choice, out of concern for our eternal welfare, he provides ample help and correction when needed.  (Isaiah 30:21) How? Through the Bible and Bible-based publications, the spiritual elders in the congregation, and our loving brotherhood!

Next time: "Be Training Yourself"-"Self-Control in All Things"

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

"Be Training Yourself"

A Superb Trainer

An athlete's success depends to a large extent on the trainer. Regarding the ancient games, Archaeologia Graeca says:  "The contenders were obliged to swear they had spent ten whole months in preparatory exercises." Christians too need rigorous training. Paul advised Timothy, a Christian elder:  "Be training yourself with godly devotion as your aim." (1 Timothy 4:7) Who is the trainer of a Christian "athlete"? None other than Jehovah God himself!  The apostle Peter wrote:  "The God of all undeserved kindness .  .  . will himself finish your training, he will make you firm, he will make you strong." -1 Peter 5:10. 

The expression 'will finish your training' comes from a Greek verb that according to the Theological Lexicon of the New Testament, basically  means "to make an object  [or person] fit for its purpose, prepare it and adapt to it usage." Likewise, Liddell and Scott's Greek-English Lexicon comments that this verb can  be defined as "prepare, train, or furnish it thoroughly."  In what ways does Jehovah 'prepare, train, or furnish us thoroughly' for the demanding Christian race? To understand the comparison, let us consider some of the methods trainers employed.

The book The Olympic Games in Ancient Greece says:  "Those concerned with training the youth employed two basic methods, the first of which was aimed at encouraging the pupil to make the greatest possible physical effort so as to achieve  the best results, and the second at improving his technique and style." 

Similarly, Jehovah encourages and strengthens us to reach our higher potential and to improve our skills in his service.  Our God invigorates  us through the Bible, he earthly organization, and mature fellow Christians. Sometimes he trains us through discipline.  (Hebrews 12:6) At other times he may permit various trials and hardships to come upon us so that we can develop endurance.  (James 1:2-4)  And he provides the needed strength. says the prophet Isaiah:  "Those who are hoping in Jehovah will  regain power. They will mount up with wings like eagles.  They will run and not grow weary; they will walk and not tire out." -Isaiah 40:31. 

Above all, God abundantly grants us his holy spirit, which strengthens us to continue rendering him acceptable service. (Luke 11:13)  In many cases God's servants have endure long, hard trials of faith. Those who have done so are ordinary men and women like any one of us. But their complete reliance upon God has enabled them to endure. Indeed, 'the power beyond what is normal is God's and not that out of themselves.'-2 Corinthians 4:7. 

Next time: "Be Training Yourself" -A Sympathetic Trainer

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

"Be Training Yourself"

CITIUS, altius, fortius-faster, higher, stronger!  These were the ideals to which athletes in ancient Greece and Rome aspired. For centuries, in Olympia, Delphi, and Nemea and on the Isthmus of Corinth, grand athletic events were held with the "blessing" of the gods and under the gaze of thousands of spectators. The privilege of competing in these games was the result of many years of hand work. Victory would heap glory on the winners and on their home city.

It is not surprising that in such a cultural context, the writers of the Christian Greek Scriptures compared the spiritual race of Christians to athletic events. To convey powerful points of teaching. The apostles Peter and Paul both skillfully employed illustrations based on the games. In our day, the same intense Christian race continues. The first-century Christians had to deal with the Jewish system of things; we today have to 'contend ' with a worldwide system on the brink of destruction. (2 Timothy 2:5; 3:1-5) Some may find that their individual  "race of faith" is unrelenting and exhausting.  (1 Timothy 6:12,  The New English Bible) An examination of some of the athletic comparisons in the Bible will prove most beneficial. 

Next time: "Be Training Yourself" -A Superb Trainer

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

Still Adjusting to Circumstances

Another blessing came when Esther and I were asked to return to serve at the Denmark branch office. By then, however, preparations were under way to build a much larger branch facility in Holbaek.  I had the privilege of sharing in overseeing the construction work, all of which was done by unpaid volunteer workers. In spite of a severe winter, by the end of 1982, the project was essentially completed, and we were all delighted to move into the enlarged, improved facilities! 

I was soon involved in office work, which gave me much satisfaction, while Esther was operating the telephone switchboard. However, in time she had to have hip-replacement surgery, and a year and a half later, she underwent a gallbladder operation.  Despite kind consideration shown to us by the branch personnel, we decided it would be better  for all concerned if we left the branch. We moved to the congregation  to which our daughter and family belonged.

Today Esther's health is not good. Yet, I can truly say that through all the years of our service together, with so many changes  in circumstances, she has been a marvelous support and companion. In spite of declining health, both of us still have a modest share in the preaching work. When I reflect on  my life, gratefully I recall the words of the psalmist:  "O God, you have taught me from my youth on." -Psalm 71:17.

Next time: "Be Training Yourself"

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002 

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

The Joys of Family Life

Rakel soon became engaged to Niels Hojer, a zealous full-time pioneer minister. After they married, Niels and Rakel continued as pioneers until their children came along.  Niels has been both a good husband and a fine father, taking a real interest in his family. Early one morning he took his son on his bicycle down to the beach to watch the sun rise. A neighbor asked the boy what they had done there.  He answered:  "We prayed to Jehovah." 

A few years later, Esther and I witnessed the baptism of our two oldest grandchildren, Benjamin and Nadja. Among the observers was Niels, who suddenly stood face-to-face with me. He looked at me and said, "Real men don't cry."  Yet, the next moment we were both crying in each other's arms. What a joy to have a son-in-law with whom you can both laugh and cry! 

Next time: LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION-Still Adjusting to Circumstances

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

Changes of Circumstances

In 1957, Esther learned that she was expecting a baby, and since a branch is not set up for parents with children, we decided to move to Denmark, where Father welcomed us to stay with him. Esther cared for both our daughter, Rakel, and my father, while I helped out with work in the newly built branch office. I served as an instructor for the Kingdom Ministry School for congregation overseers and also continued to serve as a zone overseer. 

The zone work meant extended periods of travel, which unfortunately resulted in long absences from our daughter.  That had its consequences. I once spent some time in Paris, where we established a small printery. Esther and Rakel came by train to see me and arrived at the Gare du Nord. Leopold Jontes from the branch and I went there to meet them. Rakel stood on a step of the railroad car, looked at Leopold, then at me, and back at Leopold again, and then threw her arms around Leopold! 

Another dramatic change occurred when, at 45 years of age, I left the full-time ministry to earn a wage to support my family. With  my experience as a minister of Jehovah's Witnesses, I was able to obtain employment as an export manager. After I had worked  for the same company for about nine years and Rakel had finished school, we decided to respond to the encouragement to move to where the need for Kingdom preachers was greater.

Surveying the opportunities in Norway, I asked at an agency about the possibility of a job. The answer was not encouraging.  There was very little hope for a 55-year-old man.  Still, I contacted the branch office in Oslo and then rented a house near the town of Drobak, trusting that an employment opportunity would present itself. One did, and a time of very enjoyable Kingdom service in Norway followed.  

The best times were when most in our congregation took trips north unassigned territory.  We rented cottages at a camping site, and every day we made calls at scattered farms in the glorious mountains. It was sheer pleasure to tell these friendly people about God's Kingdom. A lot of literature was placed, but return visits had to wait until the following year.Yet, the people did not forget us!  Esther and Rakel still remember the time when we returned and were embraced as long-lost family members. After three years in Norway, we returned to Denmark. 

Next time: LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION -The Joys of Family Life

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

New Joys in Switzerland

No long after arriving in Switzerland, I met Esther during a convention, and soon we got engaged. In August  1954, Brother Knorr directed me to come to Brooklyn, where the nature of a new, exciting work was revealed to me. Since the number and size of the branch offices around the world had increased so much, a new arrangement was being introduced. The world was divided  into zones, with each to be served by a zone overseer. I was given two of these zones to serve: Europe and the Mediterranean area. 

Soon after my brief visit to Brooklyn, I returned to Switzerland and prepared for the zone work. Esther and I were married, and she joined me in serving at the branch office in Switzerland. My first trip too me to missionary homes an branches in Italy, Greece, Cyrus, countries of the Middle East and along the coast of North Africa, and Spain and Portugal-13 countries in total. After a stay in Bern, my travel continued to all other European countries west of the Iron Curtain. During our first year of marriage, I was away from home for six months, serving our Christian brothers. 

Next time: LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION - CHANGES OF CIRCUMSTANCES

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

Applying Instructions to Branches

When I arrived in Wiesbaden, Germany, in July 1949, many German cities were still in ruins. Those taking the lead in the preaching work were men who had been persecuted from the time Hitler took power in 1933.  Some had been in prisons and concentration camps for eight to ten years or more!  I worked with such servants for three and a half years.  Their unique example reminds me of a comment by the German historian Gabriele Yonan, who wrote:  "Without the example of this steadfast Christian group under the National Socialist dictatorship, we would-after Auschwitz and the Holocaust-have no doubt whether it was possible at all to fulfill the Christian teachings off Jesus." 

My job in the branch was the same as it had been in Denmark: to introduce a new, uniform way of handling organizational matters. As soon as the German brothers understood that the adjustments were in no way a criticism of their work-but that the time had come for closer cooperation between the various  branches and headquarters-they were enthused and filled a fine spirit  of cooperation.  

In 1952, a letter arrived from Brother Knorr's office, directing me to move to the branch in Bern, Switzerland. I was assigned to serve as branch  overseer there, beginning January 1, 1953. 

Next time: LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION - New Joys in Switzerland

From the Watchtower magazine, 2002 

LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION

Gilead and Post-Gilead Training

Gilead provides opportunities to make wonderful new friends. One evening while strolling around the campus with Harold King from England, we talked about where we might be sent when our training was finished.   "I don't believe I have see the white cliffs of Dover for the last time," Harold said. He was right, but it took 17 years before he saw those cliffs again, and four and a half of those years were spent in solitary confinement in a Chinese prison!

After our graduation, I was sent to Texas, U.S.A., to serve as traveling overseer, visiting congregations of Jehovah's Witnesses to help them spiritually. I was received with open arms.  For the brothers in Texas, it was interesting to have a European fellow who had just been through Gilead School.  But after only seven months in Texas, I was called to the world headquarters of Jehovah's Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York. There Brother Knorr assigned me to the office, with instructions to learn the work flow in all departments.  Then, when I returned  to Denmark, I was to apply what I had learned, making sure that everything was done the same way as it was in Brooklyn.  The idea was to unify operations in the branches worldwide for more efficiency. Later, Brother Knorr transferred me to Germany.

Next time: LIFE STORY/A PRIVILEGED SHARE IN POSTWAR EXPANSION - Applying Instructions to Branches 

From the Watchtower magazine, 20002