“Glorify Jehovah – The One to Whom Every Family Owes Its Name” JW Broadcasting May 2016

Contents

1. Introduction ........................................................................... 1

2. Theme: “Glorify Jehovah—The One to Whom Every Family Owes Its Name.” ....................................................................... 1

2.1 Ephesians 3:14-19 ........................................................... 1

2.1.1 Insight Book- “Family” ............................................... 2

2.1.2 Ephesians 3:17 – Immersed in God’s Spirit .............. 2

2.1.3 Ephesians 3:18 - Spiritual Peripheral Vision ............. 3

2.1.4 Ephesians 3:19 “the love of the Christ” ..................... 3

2.1.5 Family Life - Diabetes Illustration .............................. 4

2.1.6 Organisational Provisions for the Family .................. 5

2.1.7 Psalm 23 Family Heads Imitate the Great Shepherd 6

2.2 Review ............................................................................. 8

3. Family Worship ...................................................................... 8

3.1 Dramatisation .................................................................. 8

3.2 The Challenges................................................................ 9

3.3 Family Worship Appropriate to the Needs of the Family . 9

3.3.1 Noah’s Example ...................................................... 10

3.3.2 The Needs of the Family ......................................... 10

3.4 Review ........................................................................... 12

4. Freddie and Linnette Ortiz - A Family Counteracts Satan’s Attacks .................................................................................... 13

4.1 How They Got the Truth ................................................ 13

4.2 The Family ..................................................................... 15

4.2.1 Keeping the Family Spiritually Strong ..................... 16

4.3 Challenges ..................................................................... 17

4.3.1 Health Problems ..................................................... 18

4.4 Favourite Scriptures ...................................................... 19

4.5 Setting a Good Example ................................................ 20

4.6 Review ........................................................................... 24

5. Experience: Unassigned Territory in Siberia ....................... 25

5.1 Lake Baikal .................................................................... 25

5.1.1 Living in a Tent ........................................................ 26

5.1.2 Spiritual Routine ...................................................... 26

5.1.3 How the Ministry is Accomplished ........................... 26

5.1.4 Blessings ................................................................. 27

5.1.5 Combining Ministry and Relaxation ........................ 28

5.1.6 The Benefits ............................................................ 28

5.2 Review ........................................................................... 29

6. Seldom Worked Territory ..................................................... 29

6.1 One Family’s Experience ............................................... 29

6.1.1 Challenges .............................................................. 30

6.1.2 The Discreet Man .................................................... 31

6.1.3 Preparation for the Move ........................................ 31

6.1.4 The Move ................................................................ 32

6.1.5 Advice to Others ...................................................... 33

7. Making Wise Decisions When Young - Dating .................... 33

7.1 Introduction .................................................................... 34

7.2 Dramatization ................................................................ 34

7.3 Review ........................................................................... 38

8. Brother Erich Frost – “Forward You Witnesses” .................. 38

8.1 Introduction .................................................................... 38

8.2 Transcript Brother Frost’s Experiences ......................... 39

8.2.1 The Sachsenhausen camp ..................................... 39

8.3 Review ........................................................................... 41

9. Music Video – “Blessings of Learning a Language” ............ 41

9.1 Introduction .................................................................... 42

9.2 Lyrics - “Blessings of Learning a Language” ................. 42

9.3 Review ........................................................................... 43

10. Bethel Morning Worship .................................................... 43

11. Brochure- Answers to 10 Questions Young People Ask .... 44

12. Postcard from L’viv Ukraine .............................................. 45

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1. Introduction

Welcome to our program! What are the benefits of making the effort to serve in an unassigned territory? Join this family as they travel to a distant area to support the Kingdom preaching work. We will see how such a decision builds their faith. And our young ones, have you started noticing the opposite sex? And yet, you know you’re not old enough to get married. What can help you to take control of such natural feelings? We will find out later in the program. We’ll also hear the fascinating story of Erich Frost—a brother who was sent to a Nazi concentration camp during World War II because of his faith. How did he and his fellow brothers help each other to remain faithful? You will find this story very encouraging. That, and much more, is coming your way on this May program of JW Broadcasting!

2. Theme: “Glorify Jehovah—The One to Whom Every Family Owes Its Name.”

2.1 Ephesians 3:14-19

Anthony Morris III – Governing body I would first like to read to you some passages from the Bible found at Ephesians chapter 3, verses 14 through 19. This will also establish the theme for my comments this month.

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Ephesians 3, starting with verse 14, Paul said: “For this reason I bend my knees to the Father, to whom every family in heaven and on earth owes its name. I pray that he may grant you through the abundance of his glory “to be made mighty in the man you are inside, “with power through his spirit, “and that through your faith you may have the Christ dwell in your hearts with love. May you be rooted and established on the foundation, “in order that with all the holy ones you may be thoroughly able “to comprehend fully what is the breadth “and length and height and depth, “and to know the love of the Christ, which surpasses knowledge, “so that you may be filled with all the fullness that God gives.” Now, verse 15 is the inspiration for my theme, namely, “Glorify Jehovah—The One to Whom Every Family Owes Its Name.” The family unit is under a vicious attack in these last days.

2.1.1 Insight Book- “Family” The Insight book lived up to its name under the heading “Family.” The very insightful comment reads this way: “The inspired Scriptures have foretold a vicious attack on the family institution with a consequent breaking down of morality and of human society outside the . . . congregation.” The article pointed out that in “‘the last days’ “a condition in which disobedience to parents, disloyalty, and absence of ‘natural affection’ would be rife, even among those ‘having a form of godly devotion.’ ”

2.1.2 Ephesians 3:17 – Immersed in God’s Spirit How can married couples, parents, and children counteract such a diabolical attack? Do you remember those verses we read in Ephesians chapter 3? Verse 16 said that the One to

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whom every family owes its name, Jehovah, would ‘grant us to be made mighty in the person we are inside.’ Yes, Jehovah can give us the internal spiritual strength to fight back against Satan’s efforts to destroy the family. How? By being immersed in God’s Word. In particular, by imitating the loving way that Jesus treated his disciples. Did you note that Ephesians 3:17 said we are to “have the Christ dwell in [our] hearts with love”? Yes, if each of us cherishes the Christ in our hearts to the point that he dwells, or resides, there constantly, our family will not only survive but it will truly thrive. This will be so evident that verse 17 further states that we will “be rooted and established on the foundation.” We will be solid! And keep in mind that 1 Corinthians 3:11 says that the “foundation” on which we build “is Jesus Christ.”

2.1.3 Ephesians 3:18 - Spiritual Peripheral Vision Then verse 18 of Ephesians chapter 3 indicates that our spiritual peripheral vision will be enhanced. We will not have spiritual blind spots that could allow the spirit of the world to creep into the family. That verse says that we will “be thoroughly able “to comprehend fully what is the breadth and length and height and depth.” All aspects of Jesus’ personality will come into play as we interact with family members.

2.1.4 Ephesians 3:19 “the love of the Christ” Finally, verse 19 sums up the result when it says that we would then have come “to know the love of the Christ, which

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surpasses knowledge.” Granted, knowledge is important, but it is the application of Christlike love that will preserve our family, keeping it vibrantly intact.

2.1.5 Family Life - Diabetes Illustration Family life in these critical last days could be likened to those who suffer from diabetes. It is believed that diabetes is caused by both genetic and environmental factors. Similarly, all in the family have inherited sin and imperfection from our first human parents, Adam and Eve, as if genetically. However, we are also exposed to the ever more toxic environmental factors of Satan’s evil world. Most who suffer from a serious case of diabetes need to use two methods to successfully relieve the symptoms and lead a normal life. They have to watch their diet and, in many cases, take an injection of insulin daily. Spiritually, we need to avoid the sickly, sweet junk food that the world promotes in movies, talk shows, the Internet, and in print. Just as with the person who has diabetes, this requires a permanent lifestyle change from what we might have exposed ourselves to in the past. In addition to avoiding unwholesome junk food from Satan’s system, we also need to take daily “injections” of God’s Word and other wholesome provisions. This has become more and more important the deeper we get into these last days.

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2.1.6 Organisational Provisions for the Family How has our organization provided this when it comes to family life? Well, in the early 1900’s, the focus was on preaching the good news. Little attention was given to building strong Christian marriages and families. For a time, marriage was even discouraged well beyond the intent of the Scriptures. I did some checking, and commendably between 1919 and 1921 there was a feature in the Golden Age magazine once or twice a month called the “Juvenile Bible Study.” In 1920, a brochure was released called The Golden Age ABC. Then it wasn’t until 1941 that the now famous book entitled Children was handed out to all young ones at the convention that year. But as the last days progressed, more and more information for families was produced. For example, in the 1970’s, the book Making Your Family Life Happy was released. About the same time, the books Listening to the Great Teacher and Your Youth—Getting the Best out of It were published. In 1982, Awake! began a regular series that has run for decades entitled “Young People Ask.” We now have two up-to-date books with the same title, and the series of articles continues on the jw.org website.

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We have the book Learn from the Great Teacher and so many features and activities for young ones on the website that I would be out of time if I tried to enumerate them all. There are also regular articles in our magazines about marriage and family life. And I will certainly never forget the privilege I had in 2012 to introduce the animated series Become Jehovah’s Friend. That has proved to be a blessing for both young ones and their parents. What a teaching tool for both! In 2014, I attended the international convention in Atlanta, Georgia, here in the United States. After a little two-year-old girl saw my face on the big jumbo screen giving a talk, she eagerly started searching all around her for someone. When her parents asked her who she was looking for, she said, “Caleb. He must be here because I saw his grandfather giving a talk.” Many children ask to meet Caleb in person when they visit Bethel. Two postings of an item every month is making quite an impression on little hearts. With Bible principles being impressed on the minds and hearts of children so early, we prayerfully anticipate many spiritually-minded teenagers in the years to come.

2.1.7 Psalm 23 Family Heads Imitate the Great Shepherd

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We have so much healthy spiritual food for counteracting family “diabetes.” For this, we give all glory to Jehovah, the one “to whom every family . . . owes its name.” One of the favorite passages of Scripture that anyone professing to be Christian loves is the 23rd Psalm. Family heads, can we benefit from imitating not only the Fine Shepherd, Jesus, but also the Great Shepherd, Jehovah God? I am going to borrow the text of the 23rd Psalm and adjust the words so that we can sense a family’s tranquillity when headship is exercised properly. In fact, you husbands, as the script is read, imagine it is your wife’s voice describing the effect your headship has on your family. ‘[My husband] is [our] shepherd. ‘[We] will lack nothing. ‘In grassy pastures [refreshing recreation] ‘he makes [us] lie down; he leads [us] ‘to well-watered resting-places [meetings and conventions]. ‘He refreshes [us]. ‘He leads [us in the ministry] ‘in the paths of righteousness for the sake of [Jehovah’s] name. ‘Though [we] walk in the valley of deep [economic] shadow, ‘[we] fear no harm, for [Dad is] with [us]; ‘your rod and your staff [loving discipline] reassure [us]. ‘You prepare a table [of family worship, helping the children] ‘for [us] before [our] enemies. ‘You refresh [our] head[s] with oil; ‘[Our] cup [of family well-being] is well-filled. ‘Surely goodness and loyal love will pursue [our family] ‘all the days of [our] life, and [our family] will dwell in the house of Jehovah for all [our] days.’

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No further application called for. We feel the sense of security that envelops the interior rooms of such a home, don’t we?

2.2 Review

Do you remember the point made in Ephesians chapter 3, which we read earlier? We are to treasure Jesus’ personality and let it “dwell” in our hearts. If all in the family make a determined effort to treat each other like Jesus would, we can conquer the world! Yes, we—His spiritual family in heaven and all humans on earth who dedicate their lives to Him —give glory to Jehovah! Indeed, we thank Jehovah for all the spiritual provisions he has made through his Word and organization to protect every family who takes up his name. May Jehovah bless all of you families as you strive to win the war that Satan wages against you in these last days.

3. Family Worship

An important aspect of keeping the family’s spiritual health intact is by making full use of the Family Worship arrangement. In this dramatization, pay attention to how the family head is aware of the needs of the family and how he plans accordingly.

3.1 Dramatisation

Hi, my name is Joe.

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A few weeks ago, we all sat together for supper.

3.2 The Challenges

I was so tired, and my wife, Jenny, felt the same way. She always does it all, taking care of the children so well, but it was not easy for her in recent weeks. Sarah felt that we are too restrictive on how she dresses. She just does not understand. It was hard to convince her. And to motivate her to share in the field service is becoming a challenge. It was not always like this. She used to enjoy going out in field service. And Tom, he is such a good boy, but all of a sudden, he was raving about the games his classmates have on their phones. It’s always about having supernatural powers, and it fascinated him, even though he is small. But when I asked him to take out the garbage, suddenly his superpowers left him. And Mike, our smallest, it was hard to get him to go to bed or clean up his room.

3.3 Family Worship Appropriate to the Needs of the

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Family

I realized there are a few things we need to speak about. Joe came to me, and we talked a lot about our children that same evening. We wondered, ‘What would be the best for them?’ We prayed together.

3.3.1 Noah’s Example Then we had an idea! The following day we asked our children if we could consider Noah as the theme for our next family worship. All of us liked the idea. Each one of us should prepare something. Mike, Tom, and I wanted to build the ark. And, of course, we need the animals. And Sarah should collect pictures for the story from our publications.

3.3.2 The Needs of the Family I also had to take time to think again about the story of Noah and how it can help our family. Jenny and Sarah were responsible for the wardrobe and food. While preparing, I got the chance to speak with Sarah about her dress in a more relaxed setting.

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She understood that, like Noah, when it comes to Jehovah’s commands, we need to do “just so.” Then the evening arrived. We talked about how it was before the Flood and what kind of world Noah and his family lived in. Noah’s family needed real courage to preach. They had to explain about the rain and how the ark would be needed to survive the Flood —something that had never happened before. All the people thought they were crazy! And while we were talking about this, it came out that Sarah felt embarrassed when she met a schoolmate in the field service recently. I realized Noah must have felt the same as me, and yet, he was so courageous.

3.3.2.1 Genesis 6:9 Dad read Genesis 6:9: “Noah walked with the true God.” So he could have every confidence in his Friend, Jehovah. I want to be just like that! For Tom, I found a great picture. Dad told us that the world at this time was very bad. People were fighting and many were afraid, and that is why Jehovah brought the Flood. It made me think about the games from my schoolmates. I like to play those games, but I know that Jehovah does not like that.

3.3.2.2 Genesis 6:19

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So why do I? And the best part was when we got inside the ark! Then I read Genesis 6:19: “And bring into the ark two of every sort of living creature.” Dad showed us how the animals went into the ark. Each one had its own place, and they went inside two at a time without any chaos. I explained that we also need to keep our rooms clean like the ark. I saw that Mike got the point.

3.3.2.3 Genesis 6:22 We wanted to keep in mind Genesis 6:22: “And Noah did according to all that God had commanded him. He did just so.” And then the rain came, but we survived! That was great! We all realized Noah also must have been tired sometimes, but he never gave up. This was a good lesson for us. We must take care of our family as Noah did, also by having a regular family worship like this.

3.4 Review

That example really showed many of the great benefits of family worship. In addition to the obvious —coming together to learn more about our heavenly Father —we saw how family worship gave the daughter an opportunity to open up about matters that had been bothering her.

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And thanks to the good work of the parents, all of the children learned something they could apply in their daily lives.

4. Freddie and Linnette Ortiz - A Family Counteracts Satan’s Attacks

https://tv.jw.org/#en/video/VODFamily/pub-jwbiv_201605_2_VIDEO

We’ve now invited Brother and Sister Ortiz from New Britain, Connecticut, to visit our studio. Brother Ortiz serves as an elder and as a regular pioneer. He’s had many additional privileges of service over the years. And Linnette has been regular pioneering for over six years.

4.1 How They Got the Truth

However, the reason we wanted to talk with them is that thus far they have successfully countered Satan’s attacks on their family. We’d like to hear how they accomplished this. First of all, Freddie, tell us a little bit about your family. Neither Linnette nor I were raised in the truth. However, we met, and we fell in love. At that time, marriage was not for me.

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So we started a romantic relationship for two years before we started attending the first meeting at the Kingdom Hall. Soon thereafter, we started studying the Bible; and we took two studies per week; we knew this was the truth. But also we learned how Jehovah sees immorality, so we needed to do some changes. Linnette’s parents wanted her to continue with her education, so we needed to change our behavior. So two years after, we did the changes. Number one because we did love Jehovah. Number two because we loved what we were learning. It was worth it to follow Bible principles. So two years later, we got married and we got baptized —and we got married. Very good. So, Linnette, you were raised without a knowledge of Jehovah God. What changes did you both have to make to ensure your own family would have a fine foundation and be successful? Well, prior to our baptism, Freddie had a serious drinking problem. And based on the way we were raised, there was a lot of jealousy going on and, I would say, a lack of confidence and trust in each other. My Bible teacher, thankfully, suggested to us to study the book Making Your Family Life Happy.

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And we ended up studying that book twice. That publication and the Bible principles in it became the foundation of our wonderful marriage and the happy family we enjoy today. Very nice.

4.2 The Family

So, Freddie, maybe you can tell us about your children and what they are doing with their lives now. We have two sons. Gabriel, he’s the oldest one. He started regular pioneering when he was 14 years old. At 18, he was appointed as a ministerial servant. At 22 years old, he has been working in the Plumbing Department at the Warwick construction for more than two years. Adrian is now 18 years old. And he also started regular pioneering when he was 14. Currently, he handles the accounts for the congregation and other privileges as well. Well, they both have had an early start in their theocratic careers. That’s commendable.

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I’m sure you’re both proud of them. And we’re confident that Jehovah, the One “to whom every family . . . owes its name,” is pleased that they are giving an answer to his taunter.

4.2.1 Keeping the Family Spiritually Strong In addition to the Family Life book, what else contributed to the success your family has experienced, Linnette? The Governing Body has provided us with so many publications with direction for families, of course, all based on Jehovah’s Word. So we decided early on that whenever a question or an issue came up, we would not make any decision based on impulse. Instead, we would research it in the publications. We pray to Jehovah for him to give us wisdom. And we even pray for him to guide us to find the right time to talk to each other or to counsel the boys. I have always heard that there are stages in the child’s life and personality development. So I researched in advance as to what to expect. In that way, we were not surprised when we saw changes in attitudes or ideas. And that helped us realize what needed to be addressed or corrected as opposed to what was normal for that stage in the boys’ lives. Very practical.

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Freddie, what can you add? Over the years, I have learned how essential it is to become a good listener —also understanding. I tell my family how much I love them every day because we never know when circumstances might change. Family worship is very important for us. I know it is easy to put off, but the benefits are hard to beat. Well, before this arrangement started, we as a family, we valued the Bible study with the family. I learned that a fetus that is six months, he can recognize the family’s voice. So I started a Bible study with my sons when they were still in the womb . . . Isn’t that nice. . . . and continued to do so after that. I know that secular work and other activities can block a regular program, but we need to fight that tendency if we want to succeed in family worship. Very good. Well, it seems your efforts paid off when we consider how well your family has done spiritually and the close relationship you have with each other.

4.3 Challenges

Now Linnette, it sounds as if the family is perfect —no challenges. Is that the case? No, not at all.

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First Corinthians 10:13 says that Christians will face challenges that are “common to [all] men.” And we have faced the normal challenges that come with raising a family. The same verse indicates that if we do things Jehovah’s way, we may increase the opportunity for him to “make the way out” for us.

4.3.1 Health Problems One unexpected challenge that has changed our family dynamics over the years now, was when Freddie was diagnosed with cancer in 2012. The treatment was aggressive and took its toll on his health. Our whole lifestyle changed. We had to move out from our house . . . Oh, boy. . . . to an apartment, we gave away our dog, Spike, and we have to watch our expenses really closely to keep going. This could have put a lot of strain in our family, in our marriage, and in our spirituality. But, again, by praying to Jehovah constantly and applying Bible principles, I can say my marriage and my family have never been better. Wow. Spiritually, we kept our routine, and we all stayed in full-time service throughout the ordeal. The boys have cooperated very well.

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They have offered to work to give us money. But we prefer for them to keep focused on the Kingdom because we are confident that Jehovah will add on to the things we need. Freddie has been a great example for all of us because he pushes himself to keep his spiritual routine. You never see him complaining or in a bad mood. And that has been very inspiring for the rest of the family. Boy, that is quite a story. You folks will certainly relate to the convention drama video that was advertised on our April program. Freddie, we’re very sorry to hear about your physical condition.

4.4 Favourite Scriptures

Are there any favorite scriptures that you use to help keep you going spiritually and to stay strong? There are many of them. Just to mention a few, Philippians 4:6,7 has been my life since 2012, where I have to pray to Jehovah constantly so that he can give me the strength that I need to overcome my health. And also, Philippians says that he will give us peace of mind. In addition, he will safeguard our heart. And that’s something I’ve been seeing from Jehovah.

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Also, Isaiah 41:10 states: “Do not be anxious, for I am your God.” Those words give me comfort that he will keep on helping us in these different circumstances in our life. I do understand that my wife has a lot of responsibilities in the household, so I had to reread Proverbs 31 verses 10 to 31, where it describes all of the responsibility a good wife might have to shoulder for the family. So Brother Morris, she is my Proverbs 31 wife! A good wife for sure. You’ve obviously shown how much you love and respect each other. That’s commendable. And your focus on being the best parents you could be is a good example for parents viewing the program at this time.

4.5 Setting a Good Example

This will come as a surprise to you, but we would like to invite your two sons out to see what they remember from growing up in the family. We have Gabriel and Adrian with us. Mom’s getting a little teary-eyed. That’s understandable. It was a surprise, see. So Gabriel, since you’re the oldest, we will start with you.

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What do you remember about your family life, first in Puerto Rico and later here in the United States? I remember faithfully going to all the meetings and going out in service every Saturday —that was just the routine. In Puerto Rico, my dad had to work a lot though, and like he said before, that’s easy to get in the way of a good family worship routine. But I can honestly say that once we made that transition of moving over here, that helped us to have a good family worship routine, and it has helped us to get closer and closer each day. Now, isn’t that nice? Now, Adrian, anything you can add about the homelife? Yeah, my mom and dad have always shown a great love for Jehovah but also for each other. So as kids, you could just sense that. So love and respect is what we’ve always known. Even now that my brother and I are older, we have a great bond with each other. We love each other and we can tell each other everything about our lives. And it’s due to that love and respect that they have shown. And even if there are disagreements, which there are always going to be disagreements because it’s an imperfect family, but that love is always there to bridge those differences. I also would like to add, something that helped me a lot was a routine that my dad and I had right before going to school; we would always read the daily text.

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And he would always say, “Behave, and remember that Jehovah loves you.” I don’t think he knows how much that really helped me go through everyday challenges at school. That’s priceless. Now, very nice observations. Gabriel, I’m interested in understanding what prompted you to regular pioneer when you were only 14 years old? It was at a point where my dad lost his job. Rather than stressing about it —worrying about it —he looked at things with a spiritual perspective. So he started to pioneer. And since our schedules matched perfectly, I was his little pioneer buddy. I would go out in service with him whenever he needed it. And I feel like if spiritual families, you know, focus on spiritual matters, it helps them to become closer. And I can’t imagine how our relationship and respect for one another can be any better than what it is now. Very nice. Now, Adrian, you began pioneering when you were 14 as well. How do you think that affected you as a person? Well, first of all, the reason why I started pioneering was because I was going out in service with the rest of my family, and since they were already pioneering, I was getting the time in.

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But I do think that taking on the responsibility of getting at least 70 hours a month in the service does make you think differently at 14 than it would have otherwise. I think it has helped me mature spiritually, and it has contributed to me being used to my full potential in the congregation. And honestly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything, well, maybe going to Bethel. Gabriel, back to you. Tell us what was it like when you learned that your dad had a serious health problem and would not be able to provide for the family like he used to? That was probably one of the biggest challenges I have ever faced. When my dad got diagnosed with cancer, it was about the same time that I got my call to Bethel. And I was torn; I was divided. I felt like if I was to go to Bethel now, it would be selfish of me to leave my family at a time like that. But my family always had a spiritual view on things and cited scriptures like Matthew 6:33 constantly. It helped me to see as a whole—as a family —we put Kingdom interests first; that Jehovah was going to provide because he’s a loving father and friend. And then my dad lost his job, and again all these feelings came up. But my family was adamant.

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They let me know that the congregation had been taking care of them for months now, and then doing some simplifying on their own helped them as well. And I didn’t have to worry about anything. I do know that there’s a scripture that says that we’ve got to take care of our own. So I do anything I can to help my family back home. The only thing I hope is that I can have a good faith like they’ve shown through these difficult times.

4.6 Review

Well, thank all of you for joining us. I think all of us are feeling that emotion and feel very close to you for sharing that. Now, as a father, I can appreciate all that Freddie is trying to do as head of the family. And, Linnette, your support beyond normal is very much to be commended. We can tell your family is thriving spiritually, and we pray Jehovah will continue to bless your efforts, come what may. And we thank you, Gabriel and Adrian, for your surprise to the studio. Thank you very much for taking the time to be interviewed. Thank you for the privilege.

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Thank you for the privilege. Thank you.

5. Experience: Unassigned Territory in Siberia

As we just learned, an excellent way of maintaining the spirituality of the family is by spending quality time together in the ministry. We would now like to introduce you to a family from Russia. They travelled far away to work together in unassigned territory in Siberia. Their experience confirms how spiritual activities not only build up our faith but can also bring our family closer to each other. We are traveling to a very interesting territory.

5.1 Lake Baikal

It is on the shores of Lake Baikal. From where we live, it is 600 kilometres. We have so many memories to take home. The scenery is always stunning in all types of weather. Here there are beautiful cliffs and valleys. We cross several mountain passes. Then we go by ferry.

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It felt very strange being in the car while crossing the river. When we have the opportunity, we witness to people we meet on the way. Why do sincere people trust the Holy Scriptures? Please have a look at what it says here: “All scripture is inspired of God.” We usually serve in isolated territory for a week or more. We have come to the same place where we were last year, so we already know a lot about it.

5.1.1 Living in a Tent Living in a tent is very different from living in the city. Here we don’t have any conveniences, like a toilet or a shower. The only place to wash is in Lake Baikal, which is freezing. This simple life is like an adventure.

5.1.2 Spiritual Routine As we have quite a big group —there are 12 of us —we have also organized our spiritual routine. We consider the daily text together and take part in discussing our publications using the questions. We have a friendly, relaxed atmosphere. Everybody enjoys it.

5.1.3 How the Ministry is Accomplished Our isolated territory, where we are preaching, is a rural area.

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Here we don’t have any prepared maps. So when we have our meetings for field service, we divide up, all taking different streets. We also think about what clothes to wear. Experience has shown that our clothes can help us to win over these people. So we try to dress simply. We don’t wear ties. The people there are kind. Sometimes they even invite us in. We can have discussions with some of them—sometimes long ones. There you meet more receptive people than unresponsive ones, and that really is encouraging. It makes you just want to keep on preaching without stopping. The trips have helped our son make spiritual progress.

5.1.4 Blessings For us as his parents, that is the greatest blessing. For example, after one of these trips, he became an unbaptized publisher. This territory is different from what I am used to, so I was worried.

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I didn’t know what sort of people lived there or what their attitude was toward Witnesses. But after praying when knocking on the first door, my fear disappeared. I was able to place 270 tracts. While we were witnessing, we showed the people the addresses in our publications so that they could write if they found what they had read interesting.

5.1.5 Combining Ministry and Relaxation We usually start witnessing about 12 noon, and we finish around 5:00 p.m.

Then the relaxation part of our day begins. We have a campfire, some games, some music, and fun. Early in the day, we used our energy in the ministry, and afterward we were able to relax and enjoy each other’s company. So we combine both our ministry and relaxation. One of the delights of these trips is the fish —the famous Baikal omul.

5.1.6 The Benefits These trips really strengthen the unity in our family. We really have drawn closer together. It is invigorating and enriches us spiritually.

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We experience pure joy from knowing that Jehovah has blessed our efforts. We feel like we have our batteries charged for the entire year.

5.2 Review

It is very encouraging to see such a spiritually focused family. And did you notice that it was after one such trip that their son became an unbaptized publisher? I’m sure that brought much joy to his parents.

6. Seldom Worked Territory

Are you interested in a preaching assignment in territory seldom worked? If so, form a group of no more than 20 publishers and ask the elders in your congregation for further instructions and an Application for Territory Seldom Worked. Once you have filled out the form, the Congregation Service Committee will review it and submit it to your local branch. Theocratic activities, such as family worship, spending time in the ministry together, along with balanced amounts of recreation, can truly fortify our family. As we saw in the interview with the Ortiz family, such spiritual preparation helps us when we face challenges.

6.1 One Family’s Experience

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In this dramatization, a family followed Scriptural counsel when they faced the challenge of having to relocate to another city.

6.1.1 Challenges For 23 years, we’ve called this place home. We’ve raised a family here —two beautiful girls. Six months ago, my boss called me into his office. The company was restructuring. They valued my work, but if I wanted to keep my job, I would need to move. It was a difficult decision. My job allowed me to support my family well, and it had never interfered with our spiritual routine. We said many prayers about it. We discussed it as a family, and we decided to move. But we were anxious. My family has only ever known one home, one congregation. My girls have many friends in the congregation, good examples who are helping them to serve Jehovah. This is going to be hard on all of us. A brother in our hall had moved into the congregation a few years ago. I asked him how his family coped with the challenge.

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He said that the key to staying grounded is maintaining the one thing that should never change —our spiritual routine. But that requires work and planning to make sure our move doesn’t stop us from getting to the meetings, sharing in the ministry, spending time with our brothers and sisters, and looking after our family. His advice was spot-on. After some research, I found a scripture that illustrated our situation.

6.1.2 The Discreet Man “And the rain poured down and the floods came “and the winds blew and lashed against that house, but it did not cave in, for it had been founded on the rock.” The discreet man built his house on good foundations. It took a plan, and he worked hard. When the storm came, his house survived. As a family, we needed a plan that would help us stay spiritually grounded through our move. So we wrote our own plan. Just like the discreet man, we wanted to build our move on a strong spiritual foundation.

6.1.3 Preparation for the Move So we made a visit to our new congregation ahead of our move.

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Over the years, it becomes a comfort to walk into a Kingdom Hall and see familiar faces. Walking into our new congregation reminded me how much we are going to miss everyone. But the Bible tells us that ‘with the measure we measure out, others will measure to us in return.’ So we resolved to show love first. Hello, I’m Jessica. Hi, I’m Samantha. Nice to meet you. The best way to get to know our new congregation is to work with the brothers and sisters in the ministry. No matter where we go, we’ll find people that love Jehovah and each other.

6.1.4 The Move Moving day finally arrived. The last boxes were packed. We locked the door one final time and began our journey to our new home. It took effort, but visiting the congregation ahead of time was well worth it. Look! We already have friends here.

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Unpacking seemed to never end, but the one thing that we all promised ourselves at family worship was that we would not let our move affect our spiritual routine. Has anyone seen my ties? Found them! We planned that we wouldn’t let anything stop us from going to the meetings. The ministry is very different. We’ve had to adapt and learn new techniques. The brothers and sisters are different too.

6.1.5 Advice to Others It’s important not to focus on negative comparisons. Instead, be positive. During this transition, it is especially important to be sensitive to our spiritual needs. Family worship is vital. Keeping spiritually grounded through such a big transition isn’t easy, especially with a family. It took a lot of time and energy to care for our needs, not just spiritually, but emotionally too. Planning ahead, like the discreet man, helped our family to stay spiritually grounded.

7. Making Wise Decisions When Young - Dating

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7.1 Introduction

Having a spiritually strong family prepares us also for other changes in life. Perhaps you are in your teens and you’re starting to notice those of the opposite sex. Such emotions are natural and are part of growing up. But if you’re not old enough to get married, what do you need to keep in mind? This young sister made wise decisions with the loving help of her parents.

7.2 Dramatization

Uhh, yours? Yeah. Thanks. You’re Lily, right? Yeah. And you’re Sean. Yeah. I’ve seen you around. You play good basketball. Thanks. So do you. So you want to hang out sometime? Sure. My name is Lily, and I sorta had this problem.

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There’s a boy named Sean that recently moved to our school. I know I’m not supposed to like anyone who is not a Witness. The trouble was, he is a Witness. Sean and his family moved into our congregation. And the more I saw of him, the more I liked him. “My strength is exhausted because of my sighing. “If only I knew where to find God! “I would go to his place of dwelling. I would present my . . .” Like I said, “I had a problem.” Every day I see couples my age at school. To me, they look happy. Honestly, I wanted that happiness too. My parents noticed my problem too and talked about it that night. And pretty soon I didn’t feel alone anymore. The next day, my mom invited me to go with her to run an errand. Afterward, we went to a little café. She asked me how things were going. At first, I didn’t want to tell her, but she made me feel really comfortable.

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So I told her my feelings for Sean, expecting her to think bad of me. But she didn’t. Everything you’re feeling is natural, Lily. I remember having these same feelings when I was your age too. Really? It’s true. That’s just how Jehovah created us, Honey. And because he created us, he knows the best way for us to be happy. And that’s all he wants for us. And that’s all Daddy and I want for you too. She didn’t scold me; she didn’t make me feel embarrassed. And most importantly, she didn’t seem to be in a rush. My mom wasn’t the only one helping me. My dad was preparing to help me with my problem too. That evening, we had family worship. And once again, they just let me talk. They told me I didn’t have to hold back, so I didn’t. I just don’t know what to do. Lily, thank you for telling us how you feel.

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Let me ask you something: Why do you think Jehovah created us with these natural feelings toward the opposite sex? So that one day a man and woman could marry. That’s right! In fact, a good marriage is like two skaters on the ice. A beautiful performance can seem effortless, but is it really? No. No one would even attempt that without practice, a capable partner, or the right kind of guidance, right? Yeah. Well, it’s the same with a good marriage, Sweetie. It doesn’t just happen. It too depends on a good partner, coordinated effort, but most importantly, wise counsel from Jehovah.

7.2.1.1 Psalm 32:8 In fact, could you please turn with me to Psalm 32:8 and read that for us. Sure. It says: “I will give you insight “and instruct you in the way you should go. I will give you advice with my eye upon you.” Lily, Jehovah loves us very much. And if we listen to him, we’ll make good decisions in our life with absolutely no regrets. We talked some more, and then I got some homework.

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My dad gave me some articles he printed out for me to read, so I did. And as I read the words and started meditating on them, I realized something. By holding off dating a little longer, I wasn’t missing out. Rather, I was preparing myself. I could use the time now to focus on something much more important —my relationship with Jehovah. I could also gain Christian qualities and experience that will help me later if I ever do get married.

7.3 Review

A strong spiritual upbringing can truly be a protection for us when young but also strengthens us as adults.

8. Brother Erich Frost – “Forward You Witnesses”

8.1 Introduction

Brother Erich Frost was a young man in Germany who set a good example in making wise decisions early in life. He was born in 1900, baptized 23 years later, and entered the full-time ministry in 1928. Not long after, he was put in charge of the underground work of the persecuted Witnesses of Jehovah

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in Germany, caring well for that assignment for eight months until he was incarcerated. In this archived audio recording, you will hear the fascinating experience of how Brother Frost composed a Kingdom melody in the middle of Sachsenhausen —a Nazi concentration camp.

8.2 Transcript Brother Frost’s Experiences

I always had the desire to compose music. As everybody knows, we had the hardest work and suffered the hardest in the concentration camps. We were starved, the labour exceeded our strength, and the harassment was often unbearable. So, as usual, I wanted to find a way to build up the brothers.

8.2.1 The Sachsenhausen camp We had such a fine unity there in the Sachsenhausen camp. I felt moved to compose a song that we could sing together for our mutual encouragement. Every morning we marched to the construction site of a sewage plant in Oranienburg. Our labour group consisted of about 40 brothers under the strict watch of the SS. While marching, my mind went back and forth and “Bum Bam Badam Bam Tarambambamba.” And gradually, a melody formed. That’s how the music was developed.

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But how could the verses enter the camp without being able to write them down? I found a few brothers who helped me. I repeated the first verse to one of them until he knew it by heart, either while marching or while driving the wheelbarrow at work. I told the second verse to another brother, still to others the third and the fourth. In the evening, I asked each of the brothers to recite his verse. That’s how the song came to life. In the mornings, when the 40 of us were marching through the streets of Oranienburg, we already felt worn out. When one started humming that melody, the entire labor group trembled with excitement. We had to control ourselves to not break out in loud singing. That would have been dangerous, of course. They would have brought us back to the camp and severely punished us. As we sat together in the evenings and someone started humming that melody, quite a number of us sang along, and we rejoiced. Our eyes were shining. This gave us new courage and hope. We also had evenings of worship.

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Talks were given, and we had copies of The Watchtower that we studied together. So we were able to have some real times of peace and special encouragement and felt uplifted by that song.

8.3 Review

Brother Frost, who was one of the anointed, finished his earthly course in 1987. After World War II and nine years of imprisonment, he served as the overseer of our branch office in Germany for ten years. This was before the arrangement was instituted of having a Branch Committee oversee the work. The very descriptive paintings that you saw in this segment were painted by a brother who was imprisoned in a concentration camp similar to the one Brother Frost was in. And I’m sure you recognized the song. You can find it in our songbook, though the tune is a little different. When Brother Frost found out that his song had been included in it, he was overjoyed and said, “My clumsy lyrics were transformed into three wonderful verses.” If you turn to song 17 in your songbook, you’ll find the song originally composed by Brother Frost —“Forward, You Witnesses!”

9. Music Video – “Blessings of Learning a Language”

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9.1 Introduction

Like Brother Frost, we want to do our best to expand our ministry for Jehovah. One way of doing that is by learning a language. In this music video, pay close attention to the blessings that resulted from this couple’s heartfelt desire to serve in the foreign-language field.

9.2 Lyrics - “Blessings of Learning a Language”

You may be contemplating, ‘Should I make the move?’ Prayerfully meditating, ‘Jehovah, what should I do?’ So let’s just take a moment And try to help you decide. ‘Cause if you step on over, You’ll be so happy you tried! You gotta step on over And leave your worries behind. ‘Cause when you step on over, You will be blessed if you try, oh. Step on over. Step on over that Macedonia line! The preaching work is amazing, With overwhelming success. You’ll be appreciating How strangers give you their best. And you will draw even closer To Jehovah each day. ‘Cause he will always be there To help you learn every step of the way. You gotta step on over And leave your worries behind.

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‘Cause when you step on over, Oh, the treasures you’ll find. Maybe you’re thinking it over And wondering if it’s right, oh. You gotta step on over. You will be blessed if you try, oh. Step on over. Step on over.

9.3 Review

You gotta step on over that Macedonia line! Did you notice some of the blessings this couple enjoyed as the result of learning a new language? Not only were they able to expand their ministry and show their love for neighbor but they also spent a lot of time together as a couple, reaching the goal of learning a language as a family.

10. Bethel Morning Worship

Bethel Morning Worship By working hard to build up and protect our family spiritually, we can all take part in glorifying Jehovah —the One “to whom every family . . . owes its name.” You’ll also enjoy a Bethel morning worship that is now available on Video on Demand. It ties very well into the theme of this month’s program. The video is entitled ‘Practice Godly Devotion in Our Own Household’ and is presented by Brother David Schafer, a helper to the Teaching Committee.

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11. Brochure- Answers to 10 Questions Young People Ask

But we have more in store for you. We’re also pleased to announce the release of a new brochure entitled Answers to 10 Questions Young People Ask. The content of this 32-page, full-color brochure is based on articles in Awake! and the two volumes of Questions Young People Ask —Answers That Work, as well as the “Young People Ask” articles on the jw.org website. This new brochure will be particularly helpful to those who speak a language in which that material is not available. However, all young people can benefit from this new brochure because the original articles have been updated and rewritten. Each section of the brochure addresses one question. After stating the question, the section begins with a pointed statement under the feature “Why It Matters,” letting the reader know why that question is relevant. Then, a “What Would You Do?” scenario is presented, putting the reader in a hypothetical situation related to the topic. After discussing various principles, Scriptural advice directs the reader to the best answers for that particular question. The 10 Questions brochure is interactive, allowing the reader to write responses to the various questions presented. The final topic, “How Can the Bible Help Me?,” is designed to invite readers who are not Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept a Bible study.

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The brochure makes numerous references to the jw.org website and directs readers to more information that can be found there. Also, the brochure is designed in such a way that young people can be comfortable sharing it with their peers and with others in the ministry. This brochure is already approved for translation into 324 languages. Of these languages, and 262 have not produced the Young People Ask books. So we expect that Answers to 10 Questions Young People Ask will help many more youths benefit from the Bible’s practical wisdom. Following this program, digital formats of the brochure will become available on the jw.org website, the JW Library app, and on Watchtower ONLINE LIBRARY as they are produced in each language. Additionally, printed copies of the brochure can be requested through your congregation at the conclusion of this program.

12. Postcard from L’viv Ukraine

Before we finish, we’d like to share this postcard from the city of L’viv, in Ukraine. The city has approximately by beautiful forests. But L’viv is also the home of 5,000 of our dear brothers and sisters.

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One of the 49 congregations in L’viv is the Topolna Tsentralnyi Congregation. This congregation has 107 publishers, including 42 regular pioneers. Last year, during the month of August, in some form of pioneer service, despite the fact that this congregation has [one of] the smallest territories in the city. Public witnessing using carts has proven very effective, and the publishers also cover remote territories in small villages outside the city. The publishers of the Topolna Tsentralnyi Congregation send their warm Christian love to all of us worldwide. This is JW Broadcasting from Brooklyn, New York.