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“INVASION OF THE STREETS”

In 1943 the Witnesses put on sandwich signs to advertise the “Free Nation’s” Theocratic Assembly held in 12 Mexican cities. * Two placards were attached at the shoulders and hung, one in front and one behind, an advertising method that had been in use by Witnesses since 1936.

A 1944 magazine clipping showing a sandwich-sign parade in Mexico City

Commenting on the success of the sandwich-sign parade in Mexico City, the magazine La Nación stated: “The first [assembly] day, [the Witnesses] were asked to invite more people. The following day, they had outgrown the venue.” The impact of these parades did not please the Catholic Church, which led a campaign against the Witnesses. Despite opposition, fearless brothers and sisters kept taking to the streets. La Nación also reported: “The whole city saw them . . . men—and women—transformed into advertising ‘sandwiches.’” The article featured a picture of brothers on the streets of Mexico City. Below the picture was the caption: “Invasion of the streets.”

“BEDS SOFTER AND WARMER THAN THE CEMENT FLOOR”

In those years, most Witnesses had to make great personal sacrifices to attend the few conventions held in Mexico. Many delegates came from isolated rural villages, beyond the reach of trains or even roads. One congregation wrote, “The only line that passes near this place is a telegraph line.” Thus, delegates had to ride mules or walk for days just to reach a train that would take them to the convention city.

Most Witnesses were poor, barely able to pay for a one-way trip to the convention. On arriving, many stayed with local Witnesses, who lovingly opened their homes to their brothers. Others slept in Kingdom Halls. On one occasion, about 90 delegates stayed at the branch, where they had “as beds 20 cartons of books apiece, in rows.” The Yearbook account commented that the grateful guests found these “beds softer and warmer than the cement floor.”

For those appreciative Witnesses, gathering in joyful Christian assembly was unquestionably worth all the sacrifices. Today, as the number of publishers in Mexico steadily climbs toward the one million mark, that grateful spirit still prevails. * A 1949 branch report from Mexico stated about the brothers: “The difficult times they have do not dampen their Theocratic spirit because each assembly we have is one of their main topics of conversation for a long time afterward and the question the brethren continually ask is, When are we going to have another assembly?” That report is as true today as it was back then.—From our archives in Central America.

^ par. 9 According to the 1944 Yearbook, this assembly “put Jehovah’s witnesses on the map in Mexico.”

^ par. 14 In Mexico, 2,262,646 people attended the Memorial in 2016.

VBE November 1932 vbe ẹvbo na tie ẹre Mexico City, arriọba keghi mu ukpa nọ dia okotọ (traffic lights) ye ẹvbo nii. Ọ keghi wa gbe iran otiti ighẹ emwa ni gberra ẹbo ọkpa ni rre ẹvbo nii. Sokpan uzọla ọkpa ghi gberra nẹ, emwi ọvbehe ẹre ọ ghi vbe gha gbe emwa ni rre ẹvbo nii otiti. Ọ kegha re otuẹ ne orhunmwuyẹn ne kpataki mu die ẹvbo nii. Orhunmwuyẹn na kegha re Joseph F. Rutherford, nọ ghaa re ọkaolotu ọghe Watch Tower Society. Emwa ni winna vbe ugha iyẹn, keghi gbae ehe ne okọ erhẹn na kun sie. Iran viọ kamẹra ne iran khian ya munọ efoto. Avbe Osẹe Jehova ni rre ẹvbo nii vbe do gbe ọbokhian ne Ọtẹn Nokpia Rutherford nọ rrie asikoko ne a khian ya ikpẹdẹ eha do vbe ẹvbo nii.

Ne ebe The Golden Age keghi kha wẹẹ, “Vbene ẹmwata, asikoko na keghi re ugie nai sẹtin mianmian rhunmwuda ọ wa ya odẹ ọghe Ẹmwata vẹwae vbe otọ ẹvbo e Mexico.” Sokpan orhunmwu 150 kẹkan ẹre ọ rrie asikoko na. Vbọ ghi zẹ ne ọ na ru ekaptaki sẹrriọ?

Vbene ọ te sẹ ẹghẹ ne a ya do asikoko na, ibozẹghẹ emwa ẹre ọ ghaa ga e Jehova vbe odẹ ọghe ẹmwata. Ukpo 1919 ẹre a suẹnrẹn gha do asikoko vbe Mexico, sokpan vbene ẹghẹ ya khian, iko ni rre Mexico na gha dibu. A ghi mu abotu gbọọ ye Mexico City vbe 1929, etẹn ne a te gha roro ẹre wẹẹ, ọ gha ye alaghodaro gha rre iwinna arriọba vbe ẹvbo nii sokpan edogbandogban eso kegha rrọọ. Adia ghi ke obọ otu rre wẹẹ, ne avbe arọndẹ ghẹ gha do ẹki vbe iran ghaa kporhu, ohu keghi mu arọndẹ ọkpa sẹrriọ wẹẹ, ọ na kpa hin otu e Jehova rre ya mu ẹsọsi ọghẹe gbọọ. Vbuwe ẹghẹ na ẹre ọgbaroghe ọghe abotu ya zowẹ ihan. A keghi rhie ẹre obọ sotọ, a na ye ọmwa ọvbehe rhihe ẹre. Etẹn ni mudia ẹse wa gha gualọ igiọdu rhunmwuda ena hia nọ sunu.

Vbe Ọtẹn Nokpia Rutherford mu otuẹ rre, ọ keghi ye ọta eva nọ gua ọmwa kpa rhie igiọdu ne etẹn na vbe asikoko nọkhua. Ọ na vbe ya ọta isẹn guan vbe ẹkpẹti ọta. Ọna ọre ẹghẹ okaro ne ugha iyẹn ọghe ẹkpẹti ọta ya mu iyẹn nọ maan ne emwa hia na danmwehọ ẹre vbe ehe hia vbe otọ ẹvbo e Mexico. Vbe iyeke asikoko nii, a keghi zẹ ọtẹn ọvbehe nọ gha dia abotu vba. E Jehova keghi fiangbe emwamwa ọgbọn ne ọtẹn na ru. Etẹn na werriegbe gha zọghae vbe iwinna ikporhu iyẹn nọ maan.

Asikoko na do vbe Mexico City vbe ukpo 1941

Vbe ukpo nọ ghi lelẹe, asikoko eva nọkhua ẹre a do vbe Mexico. Iran na do ọkpa vbe Veracruz vbene iran na do nọkpa vbe Mexico City. Ẹrhiọn ne etẹn loo ro vbe ikporhu iyẹn nọ maan na ghi suẹn gha biẹ ọmọ esi. Vbe ukpo 1931, etẹn 82 ẹre ọ ghaa ya iyẹn wewe vba. Ukpo igbe nọ ghi lelẹe, etẹn keghi ye igba igbe muan sayọ. Etẹn ni rrie odẹ 1,000 ẹre ọ rrie asikoko na do vbe Mexico City vbe 1941.

“IRAN KEGHI GBA IDUNMWU HIA”

Vbe ukpo 1943, ebe ne Avbe Osẹe Jehova ya wewe asikoko nọ mwẹ uhunmwuta na, “Free Nation’s,” na do vbe ẹvbo 12 vbe otọ ẹvbo Mexico, * keghi re ebe ne ebo tiẹre placard ne etẹn ghaa yọ vbene a yọ ẹwu. A keghi gbẹnnẹ emwi ye odaro ọre kevbe iyeke ẹre. Ukpo 1936 ẹre Avbe Osẹe Jehova suẹn gha loo obẹlẹ na ya wewe asikoko.

Ebe iyẹn nọ mu efoto ọghe etẹn ni ghaa ye asikoko wewe vbe Mexico City vbe ukpi 1944

Obẹlẹ ne avbe Avbe Osẹe Jehova ya wewe asikoko vbe Mexico City keghi mu otọ sẹrriọ wẹẹ, ebe iyẹn na tie ẹre La Nación na kha wẹẹ: “Vbe ẹdẹ nokaro ọghe ne asikoko, a keghi rhie igiọdu ne iran, ne iran gie na tie emwa. Ẹdẹ ghi gbe, eke ne a na do asikoko ma ghi gua emwa ni rre.” Emwa ugamwẹ ọghe Catholic ma zẹdẹ ghọghọ ye alaghodaro na, iran na suẹn gha kpokpo Avbe Osẹe Jehova. Ọna ma zẹdẹ ye ohan mu etẹn. Iran na ye gha wewe asikoko nii. Ebe iyẹn ne a ka yunu kaẹn ban ighẹ La Nación yevbe kha vbekpae Avbe Osẹe Jehova wẹẹ: “Te emwa hia wa bẹghe iran vbe orere ẹvbo nii, . . . Ọ na yevbe na miẹn wẹẹ, te ikpia vbe ikhuo ghi khian ebe ne iran ya wewe asikoko khian.” Ebe iyẹn na keghi mu efoto ọghe etẹn ni ghaa ye asikoko wewe vbe idunmwu ye ototọ uhunmwuta nọ khare wẹẹ: “Iran keghi gba idunmwu hia.”

“AVBE EBẸDI NI KHUẸRHẸ SẸ KEVBE NI MWẸ ỌGHAE SẸ OTỌ KẸKAN”

Vbe ẹghẹ nii, ọ keghi wa gha lọghọ etẹn nibun iran ke sẹtin rrie asikoko vbe Mexico. Igue ne etẹn nibun ye keghi wa khian rree ne odẹ ne imọto la kevbe ehe ne okọ erhẹn sẹtin sẹ. Etẹn vbe iko ọkpa keghi gbẹn wẹẹ, “Uwaya etẹlifoni ọkpa kẹkan, ẹre ọ sikẹ ẹvbo ima.” Ọna ẹre ọ zẹe ne etẹn eso na gha hin ekẹtẹkẹtẹ, eso ghi vbe ya owẹ khian vbe ọwara ikpẹdẹ nibun, iran ke sẹ ehe ne a na la okọ erhẹn nọ gha mu iran gha rrie asikoko.

Obọ ma vbe sẹ etẹn nibun re. Iran ke do miẹn igho hae sẹ asikoko, te ọ ba. Iran gha ghi sẹ ẹvbo na khian na do asikoko, iran ghi dia owa etẹn ya. Etẹn nii ghi wa rhan obọ miẹn iran yi. Eso vbe vbiẹ uwu Ọgua Arriọba. Ọ mwẹ asẹ ọkpa ne etẹn 90 ya vbiẹ abotu. Uhunmwu e katọn na viọ ebe yi, ẹre iran vbiẹre. E Yearbook keghi kha wẹẹ etẹn nii wa gbọyẹmwẹ ye ehe ne iran vbiẹre. Iran keghi kha wẹẹ, “avbe ebẹdi ni khuẹrhẹ sẹ kevbe ni mwẹ ọghae sẹ otọ kẹkan” ẹre ima vbiẹre.

Etẹn nii, wa tie asikoko ekhuarho. Iran rẹnrẹn wẹẹ, ẹrhiọn ne iran loo ro i re na mu rhia. Do fi ebanban, etẹn ni rrie ẹbo ọkpa ni rre Mexico wa ye mwẹ ekhọe na ya gbọyẹmwẹ ye emwi orhiọn. * E Yearbook ọghe 1949 keghi kha vbekpae etẹn ni rre Mexico wẹẹ: “Isievẹn ne etẹn nii werriẹ aro daa ma gbe amuẹtinyan ọghe iran mu otọ. Ẹghẹ ke ẹghẹ ne iran ya yo asikoko, iyẹn ẹmwi ne iran họn vbọ ẹre iran ghi wa na uhiẹn vbe ọ gha kpẹẹ ne a do ne asikoko. Iran gha nọ wẹẹ, De ẹghẹ ne ima khian ya do asikoko ọvbehe?” Etẹn ni rre Mexico wa ye gbọyẹmwẹ ye emwi orhiọn do fi ẹdẹnẹrẹ.—⁠Nọ Ke Aza Ima Nẹdẹ Rre Vbe Central America.

^ okhuẹn 9 E Yearbook ọghe 1944 khare wẹẹ, asikoko na ẹre ọ ghi “ye emwa nibun do rẹn Avbe Osẹe Jehova vbe Mexico.”

^ okhuẹn 14 Emwa ni rrie Ugie Ayere Ọghe Uwu e Kristi na do vbe 2016 vbe Mexico kegha re 2,262,646.

The Watchtower—Study Edition | August 2017

“When Are We Going to Have Another Assembly?”