LIFE STORY - NORTHERN IRELAND-"THE LAND OF OF THE BOMB AND THE BULLET"/AS TOLD BY ROBERT LANDIS

 In 1972, I got baptized.  A year later, I  began to pioneer and joined a small congregation in Newry, Northern Ireland.  I rented an isolated stone cottage on a mountainside. There were cows in the adjacent field, and I practiced my talks in front of theme.  They appeared to listen attentively while chewing their cud.  They could offer counsel, they helped me with audience contact.  In 1974, I was appointed as a special pioneer and was joined by Nigel Pitt, who became a lifelong friend.

"The Troubles" plagued Northern Ireland at that time. Some aptly labeled the North "the land of the bomb and the bullet." street fighting, sniper attacks, shootings, and car bombings were common.  Political and religious issues were intertwined.  However, both Protestants and Catholics recognized that the Witnesses do not take sides in politics, so we were able to preach freely and safely. Householders often knew when  and where there would be violence, and they could warn us so that we could keep clear of it.

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