They No Longer Fear the End

IN THE late 1970’s, Gary and Karen became convinced that the end of the world was near. So they moved out of the city into the country and decided to become completely self-sufficient. They wanted to survive.

To get the skills they would need, they bought books, attended classes and seminars, and spoke to as many people as possible. They planted a garden and 50 dwarf fruit trees. They stockpiled seeds and tools. They learned to grow and preserve food. A friend taught them to butcher and cure meat. Karen learned to identify plants and roots in the forest so that they could eat them if provisions ran out. Gary learned to make fuel out of corn, build a metal wood-burning stove, and construct a self-sufficient house.

“Because of the terrible world conditions at that time,” says Karen, “I felt that civilization would soon end.” Gary explains: “Like other young people, I was active in trying to fix racism, the Vietnam War, and corruption. But I quickly became disillusioned. It seemed to me that mankind was on a path to self-destruction.”

“One night,” Gary says, “I had some time on my hands, so I picked up a Bible and read from Matthew  to Revelation. Over the next four nights, I read it again. On the fifth morning, I told Karen: ‘We are living in the last days. God is going to act soon to clean the earth. We need to find those who will survive.’” Gary and Karen started going from religion to religion, looking for those people who wanted to prepare for the end.

Soon, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses called at their door, and a Bible study was started. “I was very excited,” Karen remembers, “because the Scriptures were really being explained to me. The truth about the time of the end was what I had been looking for, and I had finally found it. There was a sure hope for the future. But even better, I began to form a friendship with my heavenly Father, the Creator and God of the universe.”

Gary says: “My life took on real meaning. Once I started studying the Bible, I could not get enough. I read Bible prophecy, examined the proof that it was coming true, and became convinced that God is going to act soon. I thought, ‘People should be preparing, not for disaster, but for the life that God wants for us.’” Gary and Karen gained a positive view of the future. Instead of worrying about the end of the world, they became confident that God will remove the problems plaguing mankind and will restore the earth to a paradise.

What are Gary and Karen doing now, some 25 years later? Karen says: “I keep building my love for Jehovah God and my faith in him, and I try to help others to do the same. Gary and I support each other as we keep our family strong and united in worship of God. We try to stay organized, and we endeavor to keep our lifestyle simple so that we can focus on others and their needs.”

Gary adds: “I regularly pray for God’s Kingdom to come and bring relief to millions. Each time I share the good news of God’s Kingdom with others, I pray that I can impart at least some hope from the Bible to at least one person. For over 25 years, Jehovah has kindly answered that prayer. Karen and I believe that Jehovah will soon bring great changes to the earth, but we no longer fear the end.”​—Matthew 6:9, 10; 2 Peter 3:11, 12.

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Gary and Karen now enjoy helping others gain hope from the Bible’s message