Nicaragua

NICARAGUA is situated in the very heartland of Central America; it is the largest of the five Central American republics. Most of its population live in the southwestern portion of the country, roughly paralleling the Pacific coast. The major part of this area consists of coastal and lake plains, with some low mountains and spectacular volcanoes. The volcanic soil is very fertile, and the climate is tropical. As for seasons, there are two: the warm dry season from November to April, and the warm rainy season from May to October.

 The Spanish conquest, early in the sixteenth century, implanted the Roman Catholic religion and the Spanish language here. The inhabitants are therefore mainly descendants of the Indians and the Spanish conquerors. They are, in general, of friendly disposition and have a deep reverence for the Bible and for God. They are good listeners. Though a happy, jocular people, they are not disposed to make fun of religion. Even those who are at first opposed will respond to kindness and enter into a discussion. In a word, they are warmhearted.

ARRIVAL OF FIRST WATCH TOWER MISSIONARIES

It was on June 28, 1945, that Francis Wallace and his brother Fred arrived at Las Mercedes airport. It was a warm morning when the wheels of the twin-motor DC-3 touched down on the black asphalt runway. These two young men, both over six feet tall, noted the intense green of the grass that carpeted the surrounding fields, and the pleasant smell of the light breeze. Within a day or two they located an apartment for rent, settled in and began their missionary work. Thus the first missionary home was established in Managua, which has been the capital of the country since 1855.

Would you have enjoyed that work in a territory where not one publisher was reporting? It is true that a pioneer sister had visited Nicaragua about two years before and had placed literature in different parts of the country. Also, a man in the mining zone of the country had ordered a carton of Children books to distribute. However, most of the people of Managua had never heard of Jehovah’s witnesses.

These brothers had brought along a portable phonograph and a few records. So, for about two months, or until the records were worn out, they used this instrument in their ministry. It was quite novel to the people. Practically everyone would listen​—705 heard the message by phonograph the first month—​and they took whatever literature was offered. At first the brothers could only show a copy of “The Truth Shall Make You Free” and take orders, or place a few booklets they had brought with them. Workmen at the construction site of a new theater gathered around and listened to the record, and most of them ordered the book. It was very easy to place books; the difficulty was maintaining sufficient stock. In July that year one missionary placed 98 books and 164 booklets; in August, 53 books (the supply ran out on August 13) and 621 booklets; the record was 34 books in one day.

 Home Bible studies, using “The Truth Shall Make You Free” as a textbook, were arranged in many households. Honest persons recognized the ring of truth in the publications of the Watch Tower Society. One lady, formerly Adventist, told a missionary that her conscience was never easy as an Adventist; she knew she was not keeping the sabbath properly, and she knew that other Adventists were not keeping it either; she was tired of being a hypocrite. A young tailor needed only a few studies to convince him that his Evangelist religion had not taught him the whole truth. This man, Juan Beteta, later became a special pioneer. Dolores Abaunza, a young girl who sold shoes at the Central Market, heard with appreciation and accepted a study. She eventually became a pioneer and is still serving happily in that full-time ministry.

In October 1945, more missionaries arrived, bringing to full occupancy the apartment that the original missionaries had rented over a downtown business establishment. In this second group of missionaries were two married couples and four single sisters, including Jane Wallace, the fleshly sister of the first missionaries. Suitable territories were mapped out and an intensive campaign of house-to-house witnessing got under way.

Managua at that time was a small city of about 120,000 (today, 1971, it has grown to 400,000). Only the center of the city, a section about twelve blocks square, was paved. The rest of the streets were deep dust in the dry season, or filled with water during the torrential downpours of the rainy season. After a rain the children would make money by placing planks across the streets and charging each person having to cross a fee. The hot sun and blowing dust carried by the trade winds of the dry season were a severe ordeal. Malaria, typhoid, hepatitis and other tropical diseases were common.

Though nominally Roman Catholics, large numbers were by no means practicing Catholics. There were the great processions of “Holy Week” and the “bringing in of the saint” on August 1, when thousands of persons from all over Nicaragua would go to a small town about five miles out of Managua, spend the night in revelry, drinking and gambling, and the following day bring into Managua the small image of “Saint” Dominic, the patron saint of Managua. Another great festival for them was on December 8, supposed date of the “immaculate conception” of Mary, when many people would sing songs to the “Virgin” around an altar, and the streets were filled with thousands of persons shooting off firecrackers and rockets, and shouting. This Catholic custom peculiar to Nicaragua has become  known as the gritería, which, literally, means “shouting.” Other than participating on these special occasions, many persons paid little attention to the Catholic Church.

Hence the work progressed well. Persons who had never had the Bible in their hands began to learn from it and to love it. The weekly Watchtower study and service meeting were organized at the missionary home in Managua soon after the arrival of the second group of missionaries. By April of 1946 there were thirty-four attending the service meeting on Thursdays and forty-five at the Watchtower study on Sundays. One of the earliest to attend regularly was a young carpenter, Arnoldo Castro, and two friends. When it was announced that there would be an international assembly in Cleveland, Ohio, in August 1946, Arnoldo decided to attend. He states: “Now I realize how Jehovah blessed my effort, because the money I got together was in no way sufficient for a trip of six or seven thousand miles. Jehovah’s guidance put me in contact with persons who, though they gave me no financial help, showed me how to realize my purpose. The aid of these kind persons, all dedicated witnesses of Jehovah, made me even more sure that I had found Jehovah’s true organization. So at the ‘Glad Nations’ Theocratic Assembly I was baptized in the waters of Lake Erie.” He was the first Nicaraguan to attend an international assembly outside the country. Now he and one of his sons are special pioneers.

The year 1946 was a very happy time for the missionaries and the new publishers who were beginning to participate in the work of witnessing. Brothers Knorr and Franz, president and vice-president respectively of the Watch Tower Society, visited Nicaragua in April. Arriving on Thursday, the visitors attended the service meeting and then, through Brother Franz as interpreter, Brother Knorr spoke to an audience of thirty-four, including the missionaries. Missionary William E. Call, recently transferred from Costa Rica, was among them. On Sunday afternoon Brother Knorr spoke at a public meeting on the theme “Be Glad, You Nations!” A total of 158 persons filled the roof garden of one of the tallest buildings in Managua to hear this message of hope.

Before his departure Brother Knorr established a branch of the Watch Tower Society in Nicaragua, naming Brother Call as branch servant. At that time he was a young man of twenty-six, his black hair prematurely graying at the temples. Two years later a special representative of the Society, J. M. Steelman, visited the Nicaragua branch​—something in the nature  of a zone servant visit. This gave further impetus to the work.

In May 1946, the Wallace brothers went to León to try to locate a brother who was known to have participated in the work with the pioneer sister who visited Nicaragua two years before the missionaries arrived. This man accompanied the two missionaries in the house-to-house ministry in León and several neighboring towns. He was later assigned to witness in the city of Chinandega​—our first special pioneer!

In February 1948, the branch servant, Brother Call, and two other missionaries made a trip by place to the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua, to determine if there was need for missionaries there. Much interest was observed and thousands of pieces of literature were left with the people in their week-long trip that took them to Bluefields, Puerto Cabezas and Siuna, a gold-mining city in the mountains.

Hearing reports of interest in the Rivas area, on the southern shores of the Great Lake of Nicaragua, a group of missionaries went to investigate. They found that in the town of San Jorge many persons were willing to listen. It was decided that the nearby city of Rivas would be a good place for special pioneers when available.

In July 1948, a basis was laid for Kingdom work in Granada, the third-largest city of Nicaragua, when special pioneer José Estrada was sent there. Granada was the principal port of the Great Lake, a city of about 30,000.

THEOCRATIC EXPANSION

Meantime, in December 1946 the missionaries moved into a new rented home. A two-story structure with all-tile floors, it had an excellent large room for a Kingdom Hall, and facilities for the Society’s office. This house became the center of the theocratic work in Nicaragua for five years.

Early in 1947 Francis Wallace was appointed part-time circuit servant. At that time there was a congregation in Managua and, also, there were interested persons in Chinandega and the Pacific port city of Corinto. There was no highway to these western cities of Nicaragua, but a narrow-gauge railroad tied them to the capital. He recalls one of his train rides to serve a week in Chinandega:

“The train was to leave Managua at 5 a.m. There was no possibility of getting a taxi at that hour, nor a coche (horse-drawn taxi, then very common in Managua). So I walked the ten blocks to the railroad  station, carrying my heavy suitcase. The train was a local, mixed freight and passengers, with third-class cars, open to the wind, many of the passengers being market women with their baskets of produce. It was nice to sit and watch calm Lake Xolotlán (Managua) as the train rattled along its shores and the dawn dyed the sky with a rosy light. But when we left the lakeshore and the sun got hot and dust stirred up by the train rose, it was not so pleasant. Due to the heat we had to keep the windows open most of the time. At stations along the way people would enter the train selling fried fish and quesillo, a delicacy made from cheese and served on a banana leaf.

“On the trip I was reading the new book ‘Let God Be True’ and some of my seat companions took interest in it. I placed a copy with a friendly lady and got her name and address for a back-call. The train reached Chinandega at noon. I was hot, tired and dusty, so I engaged a coche, went to a pensión and had a refreshing shower. Then after lunch and a short nap I went to the house of the brother, and we called on interested persons. Some of them were members of the Pentecostal Church, and they wanted me to give a talk in the church that night. This place was on the last street and there were no street lights. Oxcarts with their very heavy wooden wheels had been using this street and the dust was inches thick. I hit a hole in the dark and went sprawling. Soon I came to the church, lit by a carbide lamp that sputtered and flickered in the breeze. About fifty persons listened intently, punctuating the talk occasionally with Amens! Then there were some questions and answers and they asked me to pray. The brother and other interested persons walked back with me to the pensión and we continued the conversation until nearly midnight. I just knew that those interested persons would soon be brothers.”

The water in the small towns was often contaminated, and flies and mosquitoes invaded the hotels, so circuit servants often returned from such trips with malaria or dysentery. But medicines were available and when they recovered they were ready to go again.

In July 1947 the first circuit assembly was held in Managua, with an attendance of fifty; three persons were baptized. The sessions were held at the missionary home, and the public talk was given at the Trebol (Clover) Theater, a large open-air theater about two blocks away.

The year 1949 witnessed the first circuit assembly to be held outside Managua. This was arranged at Corinto, where a fine audience listened to the public talk  around the bandstand of the central park. That year, too, Brother Knorr and Robert Morgan visited in December, and that was the occasion for the largest assembly until then. Six large cloth banners advertising the public talk were stretched across the principal streets and 50,000 handbills, plus information and store cards, were used. The speech, “Liberty to the Captives,” with its thrilling exposé of the Inquisition, brought much comment. Brother Knorr’s visit is remembered especially for his counsel to the brothers on “Preach the Word.” He was pleased that the work was reaching out to other parts of Nicaragua, there being at the time four congregations and five isolated groups. He made arrangements for further expansion of the work in the form of missionary homes.

MORE MISSIONARY HOMES

In July 1949 Brother Sydney Porter and his wife Phyllis and two single sisters were assigned to a missionary home at Jinotepe, located in the center of the coffee-growing zone thirty miles south of Managua. Although much effort was expended to give a thorough witness, it appeared that the literal soil was more productive than the spiritual. Five years passed and only a handful of publishers were reporting. It appeared to be more practical to transfer the home to a more productive area, so the Jinotepe home was closed. However, the fine seed had been sown. In 1969 the spark of interest ignited into flame and by April 1971 the congregation was reporting forty-four publishers and three special pioneers. Property was later purchased and the brothers have now finished building their own Kingdom Hall.

León, the second-largest city in Nicaragua, about fifty miles west of the capital, is an agricultural and university center. It is a very ancient city, founded in 1523 by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba. Its Roman Catholic cathedral, begun seven years later, reportedly cost five million dollars. West of the city fertile plains extend to the Pacific coast. To the east, mountains and jungle shelter a chain of active volcanoes. Cotton is king throughout this area. But crops have suffered much damage from several recent volcanic eruptions. In December 1968 Cerro Negro (Black Peak) erupted, covering the fields, already white for the cotton harvest, with black sand and volcanic ash. Then in February 1971, a more severe eruption belched forth millions of tons of sand and ash upon León and the surrounding area. Many roofs collapsed from the weight before the sand could be cleared off.

 Upon the arrival of more Gilead graduates, the third missionary home was opened, in León, on September 1, 1952. León was a Catholic stronghold and it became difficult for the six sisters to locate a home to rent. The work had been misrepresented as being communistic and landlords were threatened with reprisals if they rented to us. The missionaries had to show much patience to overcome the widely circulated falsehood that ‘Jehovah’s witnesses are Communists and receive a check from Russia every month.’ But a home was eventually located and the work continued. Five years later a congregation of fifteen publishers was formed. By April 1971 there were two units, with a total of 120 publishers active in and around León.

A generous contribution had made it possible for the congregation to purchase property in 1963 and construct their own Kingdom Hall. A few years later a missionary home was added at the back of the property. Although the original six missionary sisters are no longer in the home, others have taken their place, but now there is no concern over having to move due to pressures brought to bear against landlords. However, there are other problems to overcome, with Jehovah’s help. León is an area plagued by malaria, and few missionaries have escaped this scourge. But steps to eradicate malaria and medicines to combat it have improved, so it is no longer as great a problem.

The repeated eruptions of Cerro Negro also have been a great burden. One missionary reports: “For days on end during the eruption we felt unclean, gritty. On Bible studies, even when the wind blew gently, the volcanic ash and sand would sift down from the tiled roofs all over our necks and backs and over our literature so that we would have to blow everything off and start again . . . until the next breeze. The brothers found it very trying to keep their homes clean. Even sweeping four and five times a day was not sufficient to remove the grit and the crunch, crunch under your feet. But during all this time the brothers did not forsake the assembling of themselves together or participating in the service. They endured and delighted in the ministry.”

Rain, too, can add to the difficulties in this land. In November 1960 heavy rains for ten days produced flood conditions throughout the area. Water supplies were contaminated. Homes in the rural areas were washed away. Some of the brothers lost everything and were in urgent need of assistance. Missionaries and other brothers went into the flooded sections, crossing rivers by holding tight to ropes so they would not be  swept away downstream. They treated brothers sick with malaria and helped them to move to higher ground. Spiritual encouragement was given, and then in January material assistance arrived from generous brothers in the United States who had contributed clothing to meet their needs. More than 1,300 articles of clothing were distributed from eleven different Kingdom Halls to over 535 publishers and others studying the Bible with them.

A fourth missionary home was established when the missionaries were transferred from Jinotepe to Granada, thirty miles southeast of Managua. The home here was opened in January 1955. Granada is the third-largest city and dates back to 1523, having been founded by Francisco Hernández de Córdoba, who also founded León. A lake port, it is located on the west shore of Lake Nicaragua, one of the ten largest lakes in the world. Granada boasted of being solidly Catholic, but now due to internal disunity, clergy corruption and hypocrisy church influence is on the wane.

Three sisters were assigned to this home. They had a difficult assignment. It was here that organized mob action took place at the beginning of a public talk in a park in January 1951. Fear of neighbors saturated the city. It was difficult to start home Bible studies. But regular friendly visits and the placing of the magazines softened up the territory and located interested persons. A congregation had been formed in 1949 before the missionary home was established, but it was rather weak. There was no phenomenal growth, just a slow trickle of interest was evident throughout the years. Perhaps this was due in part to the fact that for eleven years the home and Kingdom Hall were located in the literal shadow of a Catholic church and school just across the street. The brothers determined to build their own hall, and in September 1966 the project was finally realized. Now a large, spacious hall, along with living quarters for pioneers, was erected. Local brothers have proved themselves capable of caring for the work. In April 1971, forty-four publishers rejoiced to see 174 attend the Memorial​—nearly four times their own number!

Midway between the cities of Managua and Granada lies Masaya. Located beside a large, deep lagoon or crater lake, it could well be called the “souvenir” city, as it is the center for small articles manufactured for tourists​—articles made from seashells, turtle shells, various woods, straws, bamboo, cotton and leather. Brother Francis Wallace, one of the two original missionaries, had married a missionary sister. It was decided to assign them to Masaya and open a home there,  as there appeared to be good interest and prospects for a congregation. In August 1952 the home was established. For two years missionary work was carried on in the city. Like León and Granada, it was Catholic-dominated. Much seed was sown and good work done but with very little response. So the home was closed. Still a foundation had been laid, and in February 1965 two local publishers, a fleshly brother and sister, were assigned as special pioneers directly from the publisher ranks. The territory proved to be ripe and the small congregation grew. Four years later it became necessary to form a second unit due to the increasing meeting attendances. To prepare for this new unit a Kingdom Hall was constructed on donated property. Now, just six years after special pioneers were assigned to Masaya, there are over eighty publishers in each unit.

The cool city of Matagalpa, nestled in the mountainous coffee section of northern Nicaragua, became the site of our sixth missionary home, in September 1957. A married couple and two sisters were assigned here. The people here are socially inclined and very conscious of social levels. The missionaries worked hard for five years and gave a good witness, but ended up with only one publisher reporting field service. As in the case of Masaya, it was decided to discontinue the home and to use local special pioneers. Perhaps they would be better received than North Americans. Four specials were assigned after the missionary home was closed. From 1963 to 1971 the special pioneers have worked industriously, but so far only six publishers are reporting and it has not seemed advisable to form a congregation. But the witness is being given and we are well known throughout the entire area.

WORK ON THE EAST COAST

Jungles and forests laced with rivers blanket the eastern section of Nicaragua. Zelaya, one of the sixteen departments of Nicaragua, extends from near the Costa Rican border on the south almost to the border of Honduras on the north, and not only is the largest but is equal in area to the other fifteen departments combined. In this vast region, sprinkled with a few gold and silver mines, only 6 percent of the population of Nicaragua live, the majority on the Caribbean coast.

Many of the small settlements bear strange-sounding names, due to the influence of the Miskito Indians that inhabit this part of the country. They are not fierce and the majority profess to be Christians due to the work of Moravian missionaries who located in this area more than a hundred years ago. So the religion  here is predominantly Moravian. Later, the Roman Catholic and other religions established themselves.

The two principal towns are Bluefields and Puerto Cabezas, at one time called Bragman’s Bluff. This section of the coast between the two cities, under British control since 1655, is sometimes referred to as the “Mosquito Coast.” In 1860 a treaty was signed by which England relinquished all its claims in Nicaragua, but it was not until 1893 that Nicaragua took over complete control. The name Bragman’s Bluff was then changed to Puerto Cabezas. The Bluefields area has become famous for its heavy tropical rains; in fact, it is not uncommon for 200 inches of rain to fall during a year.

Most of the people here are dark-skinned, many having originally migrated from the West Indies, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Barbados to work in the banana plantations. Lumber mills were also constructed to cut and export the abundant mahogany, pine and cedar that grew in the forests. But gradually the forests became depleted or too distant from the coastal areas for profitable exploitation. The banana plantations were struck with plagues and blights, so much so that today no bananas are exported from the east coast. Attention was next turned to growing rice and beans and also to the riches of the sea. A large fleet of shrimp and lobster boats now operates out of Bluefields and this has become the principal industry, tons of seafood being shipped out annually.

As previously mentioned, some missionaries had made exploratory visits to the east coast as early as October 1946. Travel was very primitive by land but the national airline did furnish a connection. Reports brought back indicated a great amount of interest. Cartons of books were placed even on the street corners. In a letter to the branch dated September 22, 1947, Brother Knorr suggested that two missionaries might be assigned to Bluefields, but it was not until five years later that two brothers became available to go there and open a missionary home. At the time Casimir Garbinski and Edwin Statland little realized that they would be objects of the wrath of the Catholic clergy, resulting in a temporary ban on our work.

In six years a small congregation was formed, but the brothers needed more training. However, as one of the missionaries married and left, it was felt that special pioneers could care for the work in Bluefields, so the home was closed in July 1958. Some special pioneer sisters were assigned to work with the congregation but were unable to take the lead in organizational matters. Later a brother was appointed as overseer and  special pioneer, but the work was almost at a standstill. However, it is interesting to note that in practically every home the people have a Bible and many of our books. They take the magazines regularly. It appears that the brothers were just not experienced enough themselves to bring others on to maturity. The work really gained impetus when a family from the United States moved in to serve where the need was greater. Later others came and now the congregation is growing and meetings are being conducted in both Spanish and English. Almost thirty publishers are reporting, and on May 15, 1971, what a joy to see 107 persons attend the dedication program for their new Kingdom Hall!

The second major east coast city, Puerto Cabezas, is located some 140 miles up the coast. This town of 8,000 likewise became the center for a missionary home in November 1957. Casimir Garbinski was transferred to this home when the Bluefields home was closed in 1958. He was instrumental in starting a congregation and became known all over the east coast and especially in Puerto Cabezas where he traveled around by bicycle. In April 1961 he became partially paralyzed due to contact with DDT, and almost died. As he was unable to walk and even to feed himself, he was brought to the branch in Managua, where the missionaries cared for him and where he was able to receive medical attention. When it became evident that his condition would prevent him from carrying on missionary work, he was taken to New York Bethel. There he improved and became a cheerful asset to the Bethel family. He worked whole-souled at his assignments until his death in August 1970. Many persons at Puerto Cabezas still inquire about him and speak fondly of “Brother Charlie,” as they called him.

Literally tons of literature have been placed in this area. Everyone will stop to listen and talk about the Bible. But the Moravian religion still has a strong influence on the people; although it is not so much a fear of leaving the Church that makes it difficult to bring new ones into Jehovah’s organization as it is the social affairs that the people are accustomed to and governed by. Many Bible studies can be started, and it is not uncommon to place 1,000 magazines in a month, but most persons will not separate from their false religion. Everybody knows everybody else, and they find it difficult to separate from persons close to them. But the work has made progress, and a congregation was formed in November 1959. Since the closing of the home in December 1963, the local brothers have carried the responsibility of the preaching work. Due to the  local economic conditions some of the brothers have moved away, so there are fewer publishers now than ten years ago. But many may yet respond if they are taught properly. We hope a family or two will be available to serve here and help our humble brothers who beg for more training so they can assist others.

Other areas of this vast department have been almost untouched. In January 1966 six missionaries did visit a region where the message had never been heard before. They traveled by panel truck and riverboat through dense jungle, the home of boa constrictors, monkeys and alligators, to Bluefields on the Atlantic coast. There they were able to connect with various boats going northward along the “Mosquito Coast.” At, Prinzapolca, at the mouth of the river of the same name, they transferred to an ore barge for the upriver trip through more wild territory to Siuna. There they could get a flight back to Managua. During the trip they presented at least one showing of the Society’s film and placed 823 bound books and Bibles as well as vast quantities of magazines and small booklets. They found many who were truly interested in the Bible in this territory that is predominantly Moravian as to religion. (See “When Preaching Becomes an Adventure,” August 8, 1966 Awake!) But to date we have been unable to concentrate on these areas as they are so scattered.

PREACHING ALONG THE GREAT LAKE

Early in 1950 a very colorful person visited the branch in Managua. This was Abraham Downs, son of an Adventist pastor, then living at San Carlos at the southeast end of Lake Nicaragua. Because he wore a full beard, Mr. Downs was called “Father Abraham” by some. Having received some of our literature, he found that it made clear things that his father’s religion could never answer. As no Witness lived at or visited San Carlos, he determined to visit us at Managua and get a clearer understanding of the truth. Come he did! We all enjoyed his manner of speech, which sounded like the English language of King James’ time, and his seemingly endless fund of information about the Great Lake. Mr. Downs was convinced that Jehovah’s witnesses had the truth, and asked to be baptized.

In March 1950 the circuit servant visited this brother and the group of persons that he had interested in the truth. The trip led by bus to Rivas, coche to San Jorge on the coast, then by the old double-decked lake-boat “Victoria” to San Carlos, a sixteen-hour boat trip.

 CLEANING UP THE ORGANIZATION

In Nicaragua morals in general are low. Many men and women live openly in concubinage; and many men have mistresses besides their legal wife. About 53 percent of the children born are illegitimate. It is observed that many persons marry young and later separate; as a divorce is hard to get and expensive, they drift into loose consensual arrangements. Some of such persons respond to the Bible message and study with Jehovah’s witnesses.

From 1945 to August 1951 some persons who had not arranged their marriage affairs were attending the meetings of Jehovah’s witnesses and some were participating in the field service. One tailor, irregularly active, was living with a woman not his wife. Later he left her and took up with another. As the second arrangement did not prosper, he came back to the first woman. Another baptized brother who was pioneering invited a woman to come live with him without marrying her. By August 1951 it was estimated that of 133 publishers the marriage status of thirty-five or forty was not in conformity with the Biblical standard. The work had shown an increase in publishers every year, but what about those publishers who were practicing immorality? Neither their dedication nor their service could be acceptable to Jehovah, who says: “And you must prove yourselves holy to me, because I Jehovah am holy.” Nor would Jehovah continue to bring his “sheep” into an unclean organization.

On October 31, 1951, Brother Knorr gave instructions to straighten out all irregularities and clean up the organization in Nicaragua. He stated that we were not just trying to build up numbers; the important thing is a clean organization. Then the following January a special representative of the Society, T. H. Siebenlist, spoke to the brothers in assembly and explained the Bible’s standard on morals and marriage. He explained to them that those who were not willing to clean up would be disfellowshiped and that no more reports would be received from newly interested persons until their lives conformed to the Bible’s standard.

This cleanup was not accomplished in a day, of course, or even in a few months. One difficulty at first was that some thought it was only talk and no action would be taken to remove wrongdoers. But they found that, though they were treated kindly, if they would not clean up their lives they would be put out. As a result, the number of publishers decreased 7 percent in 1951, 7 percent in 1952 and 4 percent in 1953. Then, with a clean, strengthened organization and renewed  evidence of Jehovah’s blessing, the work went forward in 1954 with a 20-percent increase in publishers. As for individual reactions, the publishers found that a clean conscience brought joy. One reported that he was having many difficulties, financial and otherwise, and decided that the cause was his living in fornication. After marriage things went much better for him. Others who legalized their marriages were happy over it.

The low standard of morals continues to exist in Nicaragua; in fact, it has worsened, as is true world wide. But among Jehovah’s people a good spiritual condition exists, and many persons are aware of this. One young man stated to a missionary: “I could never be a Jehovah’s witness; I am too worldly.” But within a month a study was started with him and now, about four years later, he is a very active congregation servant.

OPPOSITION

From the beginning of our work in Nicaragua the majority of the people, although nominally Catholic, displayed tolerance. Many government officials were sympathetic toward our work and were magazine subscribers. José Frixione, Minister of the Distrito Nacional, gave us a permit to use the city parks to give public talks, and several Sunday afternoon lectures were given in the Central Park of Managua, located in front of the National Palace and the Roman Catholic cathedral, with no opposition. But when public talks, well advertised, were given in the principal theaters of the city, threats of a Catholic boycott caused one owner to refuse further use of his theater by Jehovah’s witnesses.

Missionaries who graduate from the School of Gilead are trained to speak under trying conditions, and this training was put to a severe test on election day, February 2, 1947, when several hundred persons, for unknown reasons, picked on the street where the Kingdom Hall is to demonstrate against the government. Truckloads of armed guards came to disperse the demonstrators, and all during the public talk there was rioting and shooting just outside the door, but the ones inside listened attentively to the Bible truth. There was talk of armed revolt the following week, and coincidentally the Witnesses were distributing invitations to a talk on the theme “Arm for Defense.” Many persons came to hear this, but the “arms” they learned about were spiritual.

Our zealous activity and the steady growth of the work began to rouse the hatred of the clergy. They  published several booklets and leaflets slandering our work. Then in January 1951 came an outright attack on the work and the brothers. This happened during a circuit assembly held in Granada. As the concluding feature a public talk was to be given in Columbus Park. Permits were requested and received from the Mayor and the local military Commander. All was calm as the brothers began to arrive at the park, but as soon as the speaker uttered a few introductory words cars all around the park began to sound their horns, and several Catholic processions, led by priests and carrying images, converged on the group of Witnesses and listeners. The noise increased to bedlam, with cries and shrieks from the Catholic fanatics. Rocks began to fly and the speaker was covered with spittle. The Witnesses found it prudent to retreat.

La Noticia of January 30, 1951, carried the headline: “Catholics Unleashed Religious War Against Protestants in Granada.” The article said: “This city was plenty upset yesterday . . . the origin was the public talk that Mr. W. E. Call was to give in the Columbus Park at 4 p.m. The Catholics, . . . arriving at Columbus Park when the speaker began, did not allow him to give his talk due to the great racket, insults, threats, mockery, and even the horns of the cars that the Catholics brought cut loose against the speaker. The Protestants protested . . . but happily everything calmed down. The authorities arrived when everything was over.”

Flecha of February 6, 1951, printed verbatim a long letter from Jehovah’s witnesses presenting the facts, which letter concluded: “Sincere and honest persons are shocked by this happening just when freedom and culture should be at their peak. Jehovah’s witnesses are jailed, beaten and killed in Communist-dominated countries . . . but in a Christian city whose inhabitants are outspoken opponents of godless Communism, why do they suffer the same wicked and cruel treatment?”

Perhaps the Catholic Church had not counted on the many voices of shocked protest. At any rate, Jehovah’s witnesses were not molested again in Granada. On the other hand, official opposition was growing. Thus it came about that, when the branch servant Brother Call was transferred to the Costa Rican branch, and Brother D. R. Munsterman took his place in Nicaragua, the new branch servant was faced with a big problem.

KINGDOM WORK UNDER BAN

The first hint of trouble came from Bluefields. The missionaries, Casimir Garbinski and Edwin Statland,  had been assigned to this city and had been well received by the people. Then at the end of September 1952 they were called into the office of Major Carlos Silva M., Political Chief (corresponding to governor) of Zelaya Department. Major Silva told the missionaries that they were in the country illegally and gave them three days to get their papers in order or get out. The branch servant took the matter to Captain Arnoldo García, head of the Immigration Department, who stated that the papers of the brothers were in order. At Captain García’s request for information, Major Silva sent a long telegram that Captain García showed to Munsterman. The telegram said that Jehovah’s witnesses attacked the Catholic Church unmercifully and that he, Major Silva, had received many complaints from the ecclesiastical bodies of Bluefields. At that time Catholic missionaries from the United States were active in Bluefields.

The branch servant was told that he must have permission for the work from the Minister of Government and Religions, Dr. Modesto Salmerón. Dr. Salmerón considered the matter and rejected the application for permission to carry on our work. As a result, on October 17, 1952, an order was issued prohibiting all activity of the ministers of Jehovah’s witnesses in Nicaragua. This order was signed by Captain García of the Immigration Department and sent to the military commanders of all the departments of Nicaragua. Missionaries in Bluefields, León, Jinotepe and Managua were notified of the ban.

The branch servant, after unfruitful appeals to the Ministry of Government and Religions and to President Anastasio Somoza García, took some emergency steps. He expected the missionaries to be deported any day and the local publishers to be arrested and jailed. As a reasonable precaution the Kingdom Hall, a rented building, was closed and the brothers began to meet in smaller groups. Street magazine work was discontinued and the branch literature was distributed to various safe locations. A lawyer was engaged and the decision made to appeal the matter to the Supreme Court of Justice of Nicaragua. The lawyer, Dr. Eduardo Conrado Vado, was then a member of Congress, belonging to the opposition or Conservative Party. For the purpose of the appeal he made a thorough study of our literature, and liked what he read. As he stated: “You know, it wouldn’t take much for me to be one of you.”

A Petition for Injunction was presented to the Supreme Court on December 2, 1952. After presenting a short history of the Witnesses and a résumé of their  beliefs, the Petition stated the facts that led up to the ban, as follows: “Catholics of the Nicaraguan Diocese have unleashed a systematic campaign against . . . Jehovah’s witnesses. Such campaign has reverberated and found an echo in the criterion of some officials and authorities of the Nicaraguan government . . . in such a manner that they have endangered freedom of worship with a flagrant violation of the constitutional principle which guarantees it.” After stating the seven articles of the Constitution that guarantee freedom of religion and belief, the Petition called on the Court to annul the unconstitutional order against the activity of Jehovah’s witnesses.

The ban on the activity of the Witnesses and the Petition for Injunction against it resulted in a flood of newspaper publicity. As an example, El Gran Diario, Managua, December 6, 1952, carried this headline in large type: “Nicaragua the same as Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Soviet Russia.” The article said, in part: “Would Nicaragua like to be listed in the rolls of the anti-democratic countries of America which trample the universally consecrated principle of Freedom of Religion? Such is the question the missionaries of Jehovah’s witnesses sect put in an extensive document presented to the Supreme Court of Justice in a Petition for Injunction . . . In another part of the document and under the title, ‘Where are they persecuted?’ they say: ‘It is very worthy of notice, Honorable Magistrates, that Jehovah’s witnesses are only persecuted or their rights restricted in anti-democratic and totalitarian countries, as in all countries behind the Iron Curtain, in the Fascist Italy of Mussolini, and in Nazi Germany. On the other hand, they enjoy all freedom in democratic lands.’”

Newspapers also hinted at the source of the pressure on the government that resulted in the ban. For example, La Prensa quoted Nicaraguan Catholic Archbishop Gonzales y Robleto as saying that Jehovah’s witnesses were Communists. At the time, our work was banned in the Dominican Republic under Dictator Trujillo, and the Nicaraguan ambassador to the Dominican Republic sent information against us, as stated in Flecha. The ambassador “sent a clipping from the (Dominican) newspaper El Nacional, making public that said sect is political, of Communist origin . . .” Our religious enemies wanted to bring about the same condition in Nicaragua as existed in the Dominican Republic.

The ban and the resultant publicity certainly brought Jehovah’s witnesses into the limelight. What would be  their reaction? Would they boldly uphold Jehovah’s great name and continue to preach? The majority of the brothers did. But the reports reveal that some failed to strengthen themselves by regular meeting attendance and personal study and became fearful. If Bible truth or the Kingdom work were mentioned, they spoke in whispers. The number of publishers dropped 4 percent. The missionaries, due to their maturity and fearlessness, were a tower of strength to the local brothers.

Early in January 1953, during the ban, missionaries began to work from door to door using only the tracts “What Do Jehovah’s Witnesses Believe?” and “Jehovah’s Witnesses​—Communists or Christians?” as an answer to the charges against our work. The newspapers heard about this activity and La Prensa as well as El Gran Diario brought it to the attention of their readers. El Gran Diario of January 5, 1953, carried the headline: “Jehovah’s Witnesses will continue their preaching in the accustomed manner.” Also, on January 17, it compared our work under the ban to the activity of the first-century Christians and their meetings in the catacombs. As the local brothers had not been molested in their preaching, and work with the tracts had not brought any reprisals from the authorities, the missionaries started using literature from house to house again on February 1, 1953, with no difficulties.

Then on May 17, 1953, the lies and misrepresentations leveled against Jehovah and his people were publicly exposed and swept away when all five justices of the Supreme Court of Justice voted unanimously in favor of Jehovah’s witnesses, reaffirming their constitutional rights of freedom of religion and of speech. The decision, as officially released on June 9, 1953, states, in part: “It is a well-known fact that the persons who belong to the sect called Jehovah’s witnesses, appellants, have done nothing more than emit and publish in the nation their own thoughts and beliefs that in the intimacy of their conscience they believe to be better and more beneficial for the welfare of the spirits of men, without the authorities against whom this appeal has been directly directed having proved, or attempted to prove, that in the exercise of the freedom that Jehovah’s witnesses have exercised, they committed or intended to commit acts that the laws punish or forbid . . . Consequently it is evident that the constitutional precepts cited by the appellants have been violated, and that therefore the Injunction should be granted.”

The unanimous decision of the Supreme Court was the signal for more newspaper comment. El Gran  Diario of May 19, 1953, said that as a result of the decision, “Jehovah’s witnesses can preach their religion free from fear.” It also stated that the decision had “surprised the public, as they supposed that the case would remain pigeon-holed. One of those surprised was the Archbishop of Nicaragua.” El Gran Diario declared that in the opinion of the archbishop all of Jehovah’s witnesses should be excommunicated; also that the bishop of León stated that the Witnesses were Communists and that therefore they would soon be excommunicated. As Jehovah’s witnesses are not Roman Catholic, and those of their number that were Catholics in the past have voluntarily left their communion with Catholicism, it is obvious that his statement displayed no real understanding of the position.

The evidence is plain that the conspiracy against freedom of worship failed. Why? Because Jehovah’s witnesses continued in their preaching work; and because many sincere persons of Nicaragua, notably the five justices of the Supreme Court, stood up for freedom. Thereafter our relations with the government returned to their former status and have, in fact, improved. Officials have been friendly and cooperative. Our missionaries have been granted free entry to the country and the work has suffered no interference. Jehovah has opened a door for service, and his witnesses have entered it. From just over 100 publishers of the good news in December 1952, under the ban, the 1971 annual report revealed that 1,654 are now carrying the truth to the people.​—1 Cor. 16:9.

IMPROVED ORGANIZATION SPEEDS PROGRESS

On March 1, 1962, Brother L. E. Witherspoon replaced Brother Munsterman as branch servant. Brother Witherspoon and his wife had served as missionaries in Guatemala since September 1960. Shortly prior to his arrival arrangements had been made for the first two classes of the Kingdom Ministry School. This training provision has proved to be a major factor in aiding the servants in the congregations. Missionaries, special pioneers and overseers were invited to these classes. Brother A. Bivens, the branch servant of Costa Rica, was assigned by the Society as instructor. During April and May of 1962, thirty-nine brothers and sisters took the course. Then in October 1967 the course was reopened and thirty-one brothers in two classes received the many fine benefits of this training. This time the branch servant, Brother Witherspoon, was assigned as instructor. This proved very advantageous, as many questions and local problems could be worked in to  coordinate the work between the branch office and the congregations.

The final class to date of the Kingdom Ministry School was conducted during November 1970, with seventeen servants receiving this special training. So during an eight-year period eighty-seven ministers have attended the school. The results of this training have been very evident. Not only is there a smoother working organization in the circuits and congregations themselves, but also the assistance that the branch office can render has improved due to the improved coordination between brothers in the field and the branch office.

CONSTRUCTION OF BRANCH HOME AND OFFICE

From the beginning of the work the Society has rented various buildings in Managua for missionary homes and Kingdom Halls. However, really adequate buildings for our purposes did not exist. How joyful we were, then, when, in March 1961, Brother Knorr authorized the building of a branch building and Kingdom Hall. Property was purchased in April and the actual construction began in February 1962. Surprisingly, this concrete and steel structure was built without the use of power tools. Even the thick concrete roof was poured by the use of a bucket brigade, brothers forming a chain and handing the cement-filled buckets from one to another until they reached the top. The foundations were dug by hand, wood was planed by hand, and all holes were drilled by hand. Almost one year later to the day, this earthquake-resistant home was finished and dedicated February 16, 1963, bringing rejoicing to over 300 who packed out the new Kingdom Hall for the program.

Six dormitories comprise the second floor, where the missionaries live, while the first floor contains the Kingdom Hall, branch office and literature storage, and kitchen. A large patio in the back and on the side separates the garage from the main building. The city code stipulates that 30 to 40 percent of the area of any building site must be open patio. When the home was built the total space allowed by law was used. But as the work grew, more space was needed for literature storage. The patio space between the kitchen and garage was ideally suited for the construction of a 350-square-foot addition. But would the city officials grant permission? Brother Witherspoon took the plans down to the Minister of Urbanization, explained our problem and asked for his suggestions. The Minister asked several questions about the nature of our work  and then granted us a special exemption from the Code and permission for the addition immediately. He initialed the plans and said that this would constitute a building permit, thus relieving us from having to file blueprints and pay for a building permit. The much-needed structure for literature storage was finished after two months, in January 1970.

1966 INTERNATIONAL ASSEMBLY

The 1966 international assembly in Latin America, “God’s Sons of Liberty” District Assembly, was scheduled for December of 1966 and January of 1967. The assembly in Managua was held on December 17-21 at the Exposition Fairgrounds. A highlight of the assembly was the visit of foreign delegates who were on a special tour. These brothers began arriving on December 16; in all, about 320 arriving in six planeloads.

Nicaragua put on its best face for the visitors, earning its appellative, “the land of eternal summer.” Many of the visitors came from ice and snow to find warm, sunny days, blue skies without a cloud and cool pleasant nights. Some of the foreign delegates decided that they could enjoy this climate indefinitely, and have since come here to serve where the need is greater.

As most of the foreign delegates spoke no Spanish, a special program was arranged for them in English on three of the assembly days. At the very spacious Fairgrounds the visitors seated themselves on the concrete tiers that rose from both sides of the wide arena. Behind the flower-decked platform rose a huge relief map of Nicaragua, flanked by banana palms. At the other end of the arena stood a typical Nicaraguan rural house with cane walls and straw thatched roof, which housed many departments of the assembly. High above rose the roof of the arena. Open at both ends, the arena was cooled by a constant northeast trade wind that at times became quite strong.

Some of the missionaries presented the history of the work in Nicaragua. Then another, using the relief map, pointed out where the work was established and where there was still isolated territory. Finally, a musical program, featuring accordions played by missionary sisters and a choral rendition of some of the songs in the new songbook, was presented. The visitors were very pleased with the program. Brother Knorr stated that tears came to his eyes at the beauty of the song “God’s Loyal Love.”

The assembly, which began with 575 in attendance, swelled to 1,654 for Brother Knorr’s public talk on Sunday. This talk, “Mankind’s Millennium Under God’s  Kingdom,” was translated into Spanish by Brother Witherspoon. The local brothers greatly appreciated having with them the Society’s president and vice-president and members of the board of directors, and receiving their counsel.

A feature enjoyed by most of the visiting foreign delegates was the “Venice of the Tropics” tour to the islets of Lake Nicaragua. A motor launch took them through some of the 300 or more little islands formed when an eruption of the massive volcano Mombacho poured a river of lava into the lake. The pounding waves have cut channels through the lava islands, which are now covered with tropical trees, creeping vines and multihued flowers.

All too soon the assembly ended and we were waving to the hundreds of visiting delegates as they took off for the next assembly in Costa Rica. But the effects of that assembly are still being noted as year after year new increases in our ministry are registered.

OTHER DISTRICT ASSEMBLIES

Our district assemblies for 1967, 1968 and 1969, which were really national assemblies, were held in Cranshaw Soccer Stadium in Managua. This stadium is open to the sun, so the brothers put a large cloth sun-break over a large section of the stands. As the assemblies were held in the dry season, there was very little danger of showers. The Cranshaw Stadium is near the center of the city, and the ease of reaching it is reflected in the excellent attendance at these assemblies as follows: 1967 . . . 1,407; 1968 . . . 1,657; 1969 . . . 2,020.

The next national assembly was scheduled for January 1-3, 1971. It was decided to hold the assembly in the Hippodrome at León, our second-largest city. So this assembly had the distinction of being the first large assembly to be held outside of Managua. Would our attendance be lower? On the contrary, 2,513 attended the public talk, our best attendance ever. In all these assemblies the well-presented dramas added intense interest and educational value to the programs.

SERVING WHERE THE NEED IS GREATER

A four-page article in the June 15, 1968, Watchtower invited persons who could do so to “let down their nets” in more productive areas in the work of “fishing for men.” About Nicaragua, with its many lakes, the article said: “Sounds like a place where ‘fishing for men’ would be rewarding. And it is.” Hundreds of inquiries were received, and in 1969 some families began to arrive. Most of the arrivals bent their first efforts to  learning some Spanish; then, as they were able to present the message, they began to participate in the field work. Publishers that for some time had been unable to obtain or keep a study going in Canada and the United States had more than enough studies here.

At the present time (May 1971) nineteen families with sixty-one members are serving with ten congregations in Nicaragua. For many families with small children it took a great deal of faith to uproot themselves and come several thousand miles to a completely new environment. One Canadian congregation servant consulted with his family, and they decided that there were two principal things they wanted to do before Armageddon: serve where the need was greater and pioneer. Now they are happily doing both. There is still room for many more to enjoy these privileges.

How would you like to work in a territory where two priests on separate occasions encouraged their members to study with us, as they feel we are doing an excellent work? In one village, a distraught widow sought comfort and hope from her priest shortly after the death of her husband. And hope he did, indeed, give her! He handed her a Paradise book along with a New World Translation Bible, stating that these books contained the real hope she needed.

Or, have you heard of someone learning the truth by lifting up and looking under a man’s robe? One sister reports how she received a shock that led her to the truth. One day while cleaning in the church she lifted up the robe of the image called Jesus the Nazarene to clean underneath. To her horror he had no body, just a few slats nailed together. This started her thinking. She had had her curiosity aroused now and went from church to church looking under the skirts and gowns of the “saints” to see what was there. The misshapen plaster-of-Paris bodies and the dusty, cockroach-infested slats reduced her faith in the “saints” to a pile of rubble. She puzzled over this until, shortly thereafter, a Witness called at her home. Needless to say, a study resulted and she is now a sister whose faith does not rest on slats any longer.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS OF EXPANSION

The following chart illustrates graphically our expansion during the past twenty-five years plus one. Note the results of the cleansing of the organization from 1950 to 1955. Although there was no increase in publishers in that period, the publishers were growing spiritually, for the hours increased by almost 100 percent. The increase since then to 1971 has been steady.

 YEAR PEAK PUBS. TOTAL HOURS CONGREGATIONS GILEAD

GRADUATES

1945 3 2,571 0 2

1950 190 27,245 4 8

1955 190 50,034 9 19

1960 388 92,910 12 23

1965 692 154,075 18 16

1971 1,654 371,681 31 22

While the final figures for the April 1971 Census have not been released, it is calculated that Nicaragua has about 2,000,000 inhabitants. Is the good news being preached to them? Publishers to the number of 1,654 made a determined effort to reach as many as possible in 1971 and in this one year they placed 30,847 Bibles and bound books, 10,328 booklets, 262,103 Watchtower and Awake! magazines, as well as getting 1,472 new subscriptions. They were also teaching 1,913 households weekly, on the average, through home Bible studies. But many towns, villages and extensive rural areas have not had a witness. More special pioneers will be needed to reach these areas, and we have approval for eighty special pioneers​—we have only fifty-seven at present.

The fact that there are still a great many persons who want to hear and to follow the Bible, if we can reach them by home Bible studies, is shown by the fact that 4,710 persons, almost triple our peak of publishers, attended the Memorial on April 9, 1971.

So twenty-five years plus one of theocratic expansion have ended, but we know that this is just the beginning of greater things for Jehovah’s faithful servants, because “to the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end.”​—Isa. 9:7.