February 22

Page Two

This century has witnessed profound social changes. Former generations were largely confined to small villages. Because work centered on the home, travel was a luxury. But industrialization changed that.

As a result, the pace of life has speeded up. People find themselves rushing to get to work, hurriedly shopping, hastily dropping off their children at nurseries or day-care centers, and speeding away on weekends​—supposedly to relax. Life seems controlled by time clocks, train schedules, and store hours.

What can you do to gain more control of your life so that you can cope with today’s hectic pace?

In a Hurry​—But Getting Nowhere?

THE DRIVER cruised along at what he considered a comfortable speed: 80 miles (130 km) an hour! His passengers, though, used to the restrictions of a fixed speed limit, were thoroughly unnerved by the fast-moving traffic on West Germany’s autobahns. For there, except in designated sections, no speed limit exists. Indeed, even at 80 miles per hour, cars and motorcycles were whizzing by! Able to restrain herself no longer, one of the passengers demanded: “Why is everyone in such a hurry? Where is everyone going?”

“Probably nowhere,” her smiling host replied, obviously in jest. Because it was apparent that everyone was going somewhere​—and rather fast at that!

Nevertheless, why is everyone in such a hurry? Have they forgotten that half the pleasure of traveling is in taking time to enjoy the scenery? Was life really meant to be a breathtaking hundred-yard dash?

Fast cars, fast-food chains, and supersonic planes are the earmarks of an age that makes ever-increasing demands: Faster! Quicker! More efficient! True, few would opt to return to the horse-and-buggy era. And most will agree that some amount of rushing has its place. After all, call for a doctor or a policeman, and you certainly hope they won’t head your way in a casual manner.

Still, is all this rushing around necessary or beneficial? Some feel that it isn’t. Says a writer for the Los Angeles Times: “Harried, hurried and haunted, [many people] rush through their lives under the tyranny of the clock in an Age of Haste.”

The current preoccupation with speed has also contributed to what The Toronto Star called “an epidemic raging out of control”​—stress! Stress seems to affect people like an evil potion. It is blamed for an awesome array of maladies, ranging from dandruff and split nails to high blood pressure and heart attacks. Human relations also sour under the pressure of the clock.

Why, then, is ours what is termed “an Age of Haste”? If you feel harried and pressured now, what will your life be like in a few years? Is there any way of gaining more control of your life​—of coping with today’s hectic pace?

Why the Hectic Pace?

WHY, though, is our age such a hectic one? It is a far cry from the utopia of tranquillity with plenty of leisure time that industrialization was supposed to bring. The “less work and more play for everyone” predicted by many economists, sociologists, and futurists simply hasn’t worked out.

Indeed, writer A. Kent Macdougall observes: “Work consumes as much of the average wage earner’s time as it did a generation ago, while commuting to and from work takes more.”

Rather than simplifying life, modern technology has contributed toward making it more hectic. Says marketing professor Harold H. Kassarjian: “Mass communications and mass transportation are doing us in. We are put under more pressure because we have created artificial reasons to be in a hurry. We are digging ourselves into our own high-pressure graves.”

Major Factors

Today many fathers are burdened with overtime work or two jobs just to support their families. There are also record numbers of women who have been forced to enter the job market. Wrote Paul Johnson in the Daily Telegraph: “Indeed, it is ironic that, at the very moment in history when women’s traditional chores have been dramatically reduced by commercial technology, . . . they work as hard as they ever did; perhaps harder.”

So after spending all day at a paid secular job, many women come home to a second job​—caring for the home and the children. Studies indicate that husbands do relatively little to ease their wives’ increased work load. As a result, for working wives, time is often a scarce and elusive resource. The authors of Working Couples quote a working wife as saying: “I feel lots of pressures because of not having enough time for the things I want to do or those that have to be done.”

For many, changing sexual mores and skyrocketing divorce rates have also contributed to the hectic pace of life. How so? Explains an article in Family Relations: “Our society [U.S.] has seen a 79% increase in the number of single parent families over the past nine years . . . The incidence today is far greater than at any time in the past.” For a parent who single-handedly must train youngsters, shop, cook, and clean, life may seem to be a nonstop, hectic rush.

Other Factors

Other less tangible reasons also contribute to today’s hectic pace of life, such as the following:

Life Is Short​—“Man, born of woman, is short-lived and glutted with agitation,” says the Bible. “Like a blossom he has come forth and is cut off, and he runs away like the shadow and does not keep existing.” (Job 14:1, 2) Realizing the truth of this Bible verse, many people rush through life, trying to crowd as much action into it as possible. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we are to die” is their philosophy.​—1 Corinthians 15:32.

Life Is Uncertain​—“The swift do not have the race,” said wise King Solomon. Why? “Because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all,” he explained. (Ecclesiastes 9:11) Thus people seemingly hurry to reach their goals for fear some unforeseen occurrence will prevent them from doing so.

Fear of Missing Something​—Like little children, many adults are fidgety, have short attention spans, and always have to be rushing off into something new. They cannot relax to enjoy the present because of their hurry to experience the future.

Nervousness and Impatience​—Add to this nervousness, impatience, and you can perhaps better understand that driver you eye in your rearview mirror from time to time. Apparently considering every car ahead of him a personal affront, he tries to pass all of them as soon as possible, often for no good reason. Sometimes you meet him again at the next traffic light!

Boredom​—Finding their secular work or daily routine boring and uninteresting, some people rush through these so-called necessary evils as fast as possible so as to have more time for leisure activities.

“Time Is Money”​—Some people live by this principle—​and by the clock​—forgoing free time or vacation lest it cost them a dollar. Seldom satisfied, they are always in a hurry to pile up material possessions that they scarcely have time to enjoy.

Whatever the reason, perhaps your life is a hectic race. If so, the question is . . .

Where Does It Get You?

For one thing, the hectic pace of modern life has resulted in many stress-related illnesses. But the truthfulness of the proverb that “haste makes waste” is borne out in other realms of human endeavor also. For example, the German journal Ärztliche Praxis reports: “The number one cause of traffic accidents is still excessive speed.”

A youngster in school who is hasty about mastering basic skills will have a hard time getting and keeping a job. A hasty eater can develop a nervous stomach, poor digestion, and a host of physical ailments. A man “hasty with his words” can cause embarrassment, hurt feelings, or even broken friendships. (Proverbs 29:20) And one hasty in seeking a marriage mate may find himself hastily seeking a divorce.

What of those who are in a hurry to obtain material possessions, to get ahead in a career, to set up a family, or to get the most out of life? True, the pursuit of such things may not in itself be wrong. But when the pursuit becomes a frantic race, how does it benefit people in the long run?

Ancient King Solomon engaged in such pursuits, but he concluded: “I, even I, turned toward all the works of mine that my hands had done and toward the hard work that I had worked hard to accomplish, and, look! everything was vanity and a striving after wind, and there was nothing of advantage under the sun.”​—Ecclesiastes 2:11.

Is there a way, therefore, to cope with today’s hectic pace and lead a relatively calm life?

[Box on page 5]

Today’s Hectic Pace

“The image of the harried overachiever is [ever-present] in today’s stressful society,” observed The New York Times. “Typical is the person running for the subway when another will follow in a few minutes, the executive who is obsessed by goals to be met and surpassed, the doer who is compulsive about staying ahead of the pack, indeed who goes out of his way to take risks that give him a charge.”

Coping With Today’s Hectic Pace

A WORKING man spends his weekends watching football games on TV and then complains he has no time to take his children to the zoo. A housewife religiously follows a TV serial week after week and then bemoans having so little time to care for her household chores. Is the problem a lack of time or the poor use of it?

Good management of time requires following the principle stated in the Bible at Philippians 1:10: “Make sure of the more important things.”

Yes, first set your priorities so that if something must be neglected, it will be something relatively unimportant. Try making a list of all the tasks to be performed in, say, a week and divide them into two categories: (1) What I must do and (2) What I would like to do.

Secular work, shopping, and household repairs, as well as spending time with the family, would fall into the first category. For the true Christian, attending congregation meetings, sharing one’s faith with others, and Bible study should also be given priority.​—Matthew 6:33.

If the list seems overwhelming, perhaps some must-be-done activities are really not so necessary after all. Or you might try combining activities. For example, if you have household chores, why not teach your children how to do some of them? This not only will increase your capacity to get things done but will give you precious moments to enjoy with your children.

But what about the list of things you would “like to do”? The possibilities are enormous. Yet you simply cannot do everything. So calculate the expense of such activities. (Luke 14:28) Will they reduce​—or add—​stress to your life? Will they add to the burden of household expenses? Might they interfere with things that need to be done?

Avoid the snare of overscheduling yourself​—cramming in so many things that you run around frantically. Allot yourself sufficient time in which to accomplish your tasks. A retired building contractor gave a sound piece of advice to a young man whom he had invited for a cup of tea. The young man declined the invitation, saying: “I have to be downtown at 4:50 p.m.”

“What kind of appointment is that?” the contractor asked. “Try to make your appointments for full hours,” he advised, “or otherwise you can run yourself to death.”

Why Coping Is Difficult

These suggestions may prove helpful. But remember that stress and hurry are just the legacies of the “hard to deal with” times in which we live. (2 Timothy 3:1-5) Today’s world is truly a world in a hurry. But the fact that human relations are deteriorating and world problems are proliferating shows that all this hurry is getting people nowhere.

Actually, the world is living on borrowed time. “The time left is reduced,” the Bible warns. (1 Corinthians 7:29) Jesus Christ pointed forward to this very time in which we are now living, saying that the present world distress is evidence that his Kingdom is at hand. (Luke 21:10, 11, 28-31) Satan the Devil therefore has “great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” (Revelation 12:12) His entire world system is rushing toward destruction, and all his attempts to prevent this are for nothing!

True, there is little you can do about the direction in which the world is heading. But you can do much to ensure peace and tranquillity in your own life. No, tranquilizing drugs are not the answer; nor do time-management techniques work for everyone. Far more helpful are knowledge and understanding of the Bible. The Bible?

Yes, for the Bible indicates that it is desirable for Christians to go on leading “a calm and quiet life with full godly devotion and seriousness.” (1 Timothy 2:2) Is that possible? It is, for though you are still subject to the pressures of these critical “last days,” the Bible can help you develop a fresh perspective on life.

Take your job as an example. If your life revolves around “godly devotion and seriousness” rather than material things, you won’t be in a big hurry to accumulate things your cannot afford. Knowing that “the love of money is a root of all sorts of injurious things,” you can be content with “sustenance and covering.” (1 Timothy 6:8, 10) And because your job will occupy only a secondary place in your life, you may even make time for needed rest and relaxation. “Better is a handful of rest than a double handful of hard work and striving after the wind.”​—Ecclesiastes 4:6.

Some are able to cut back on their secular work. One man who was the director of a large firm recalls: “After 23 years of exertion, I had a good salary, free health care, good pension, and so forth. But to get all these things, you have to spend more and more time and energy at your job. Eventually you have no time of your own. And anytime something other than work is set before you, you find yourself saying, ‘I am sorry, but I am much too busy.’” So this man left his prestigious post. True, this meant a simpler life-style. But it also meant more time for his family and Christian activities.

Setting Proper Priorities

In view of the critical times in which we live, a true Christian cannot have a casual attitude toward spiritual matters. Consider Zacchaeus, a man the Bible calls a rich tax collector. Desiring to know more about Jesus, he once climbed a tree to get a better look at him as he passed through town. The account reads: “Now when Jesus got to the place, he looked up and said to him: ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and get down, for today I must stay in your house.’ With that he hurried and got down and with rejoicing he received him as guest.”​—Luke 19:2-6.

Imagine the benefits Zacchaeus received by entertaining Jesus and discussing spiritual matters with him! Jesus helped Zacchaeus set his priorities in order, so that Zacchaeus stopped placing emphasis on obtaining material things. “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor,” he told Jesus, “and whatever I extorted from anyone by false accusation I am restoring fourfold.”​—Luke 19:8.

True Christians today are likewise eager to take advantage of opportunities to discuss spiritual things. No longer is gaining material things a major priority with them. Rather, when they receive Christian publications that help them to learn about God and his purposes, reading them becomes a priority. And when there are meetings of fellow Christians, they strive not to miss a single minute of instruction and upbuilding fellowship.

Another good example for us is that of Lot. God’s angel had warned him that Sodom and Gomorrah were to be destroyed. Showing loving interest in others, Lot “began to speak to his sons-in-law who were to take his daughters, and he kept on saying: ‘Get up! Get out of this place, because Jehovah is bringing the city to ruin!’” But Lot himself “kept lingering,” prompting the angel to urge him to escape to God’s place of safety without delay, saying: “Hurry! Escape there, because I am not able to do a thing until your arriving there!”​—Genesis 19:14, 16, 22.

Today’s world has taken on global Sodom and Gomorrah dimensions and likewise faces destruction. That is why warning others about this coming destruction foretold in the Bible is a priority in the lives of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Will you put as a priority in your life the investigation of this warning?

Hurrying about in vain pursuits will surely gain you nothing but heartache and nervous distress. Far better it is to learn about God and his purposes to bring about a new system of things wherein life will no longer be a mad rush!​—2 Peter 3:13; Isaiah 65:17, 21-25; Psalm 37:10, 11.

In the meantime, learn to be productively, not frantically, busy. And when it comes to learning about God’s purposes, don’t delay! Put it as your first priority!

[Box on page 8]

Wise Warnings Against Improper Haste!

“He that is hastening to gain riches will not remain innocent.”​—Proverbs 28:20.

“The plans of the diligent one surely make for advantage, but everyone that is hasty surely heads for want.”​—Proverbs 21:5.

“Have you beheld a man hasty with his words? There is more hope for someone stupid than for him.”​—Proverbs 29:20.

“Do not hurry yourself as regards your mouth; and as for your heart, let it not be hasty to bring forth a word before the true God.”​—Ecclesiastes 5:2.

[Picture on page 7]

Haste is often caused by poor scheduling of time and having too many things in one’s schedule

[Picture on page 9]

Jesus helped Zacchaeus set proper priorities in his life

Young People Ask . . .

Can’t I Do Something About My Acne?

‘HEY, “crater face”!’ ‘Hey, “pizza face”!’ How utterly devastated, how ashamed, you feel! You want to creep away and hide. If only the ground would suddenly open and you could disappear!

Why such unkind, cutting words​—words that bring titters from some standing nearby? Because you are suffering from the teenage scourge of acne.

Acne is a disorder of the skin that causes it to be spotted, even disfigured, by pimples, blackheads, and red swellings, or cysts. Often it is more than a passing discomfort that lasts a few months; it is a serious skin disorder. People of all ages can be afflicted with it, but teenagers suffer the most, some 80 percent developing acne in varying degrees, according to some experts. Acne sufferers thus have plenty of company.

Not surprisingly, when 2,000 teenagers were asked to say what they disliked most about themselves, problems with skin far outnumbered every other complaint. F. Philip Rice, in his book The Adolescent, tells of young Jim who began getting acne in his early teens. By the time he was 14, his face was so badly affected that pus at times ran down his cheeks. He changed from secure and outgoing to withdrawn and self-conscious.

Sandra, who had a bad case of acne while still in high school, later told of her ordeal in the magazine Co-Ed. She said: “I had such bad acne, I was always hiding my face from other people. I was shy because I was embarrassed about the way I looked. . . . I looked so bad.”

Of course, we all like to look our best. But it is good to remember that there is much more to life than personal appearance. It may encourage you to know that physical attractiveness does not influence God in any way.​—1 Samuel 16:7; Galatians 2:6.

What Causes Acne?

Why, though, does this scourge appear during your teenage years​—at the very time you want to look your best? Because you are growing up. With the onset of puberty, skin glands increase their activity. The World Book Encyclopedia explains in simple terms what happens: Each gland empties into a hair follicle​—that is, the little bag surrounding each hair. Normally the oil would drain out through a pore of the skin, but sometimes a pore gets clogged and the oil cannot get out quickly enough. The clogged pore now forms a blemish called a blackhead because the trapped oil oxidizes, dries, and turns black.

If the pore is so clogged that no air at all can get to it, then instead of a blackhead, a whitehead develops. A pimple develops when pus forms. Cysts are formed when germs breed in the backed-up oil. It is the cysts that leave permanent scars. Pimples do not scar unless they become infected because of squeezing or picking​—so don’t squeeze or pick!

Interestingly, tension and emotional upsets can activate the skin glands. Some experience the blossoming of a large pimple just before an important event or before and during exams. Sound advice, though, on the futility of undue anxiety is found in the well-known Sermon on the Mount: “So, never be anxious about the next day, for the next day will have its own anxieties. Sufficient for each day is its own badness.” (Matthew 6:34) It’s not always easy to follow this advice, is it? But if you can follow it, you may find that it at least helps with the emotional aspect of the acne problem.

Is There a Cure?

Sad to say, there is no single treatment for acne. Dr. Sidney Hurwitz, an authority on the subject, points out that there are medications available that can, in most cases, gradually help bring acne under control. Of course, if the outbreak is severe and persistent, you should not wait to outgrow it, but you may wish to consider seeking the help of a dermatologist. He or she may prescribe one of the several acne preparations available or even antibiotics.

Patience seems to be a key to successful treatment. Remember, the trouble built up over quite a period of time, so it will not clear up overnight. Unfortunately, many do not stick to their treatment plan after they see initial improvement. For worthwhile results, it is important to apply carefully any instructions given by your physician.

Teenage Sandra, mentioned earlier, says in her article for Co-Ed: “I guess it took about a year for my skin to completely clear up, but I could see changes in my skin within six weeks.” Thus her doctor had warned: “Don’t expect results overnight. Have patience.”

Some have found that by taking care of their overall health, such as by getting plenty of exercise, being out in the fresh air as much as possible, and getting enough sleep, their complexion benefits and their acne condition improves. It will also help to cleanse your skin thoroughly to prevent perspiration mixed with dirt and pollution from clogging pores. Some doctors claim that diet plays a big part in controlling acne and recommend eating as little fat as possible.

Develop the Right Attitude

Dr. James Dobson recounts a conversation he had with a teenager, Darrell, who said: “When acne does flare up, it can be devastating​—it really can knock you out. And even though you tell yourself, ‘I know where my priorities are and I know that beauty isn’t the most important thing,’ it still affects your self-confidence.”

However, if you cultivate an outgoing attitude rather than becoming introverted because of self-pity, you will find that it helps a lot. When you do something for someone else, you become aware that other people also have problems, often much greater than your own. This can help you to feel better about yourself and at least helps keep things in the right perspective. Jesus’ teaching highlighted the effectiveness of doing things for others when he taught that “there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving.”​—Acts 20:35.

Yes, there is something you can do about your acne. True, in some cases scars develop and remain long after the disease has gone. However, remember the importance of inner beauty: a pleasant personality, kindness, helpfulness, and qualities like these. Inner beauty​—unlike physical beauty—​never fades; rather, it increases as the years go by. Strive for this inner beauty, and you will find it easier to keep physical appearance and skin problems in their proper place.​—1 Peter 3:4.

Perhaps, though, you are one of the 20 percent of teenagers who are not troubled with skin blemishes. If so, you may not fully comprehend the trauma and self-consciousness of those battling with such an embarrassing problem. Try hard not to tease, even in a good-natured way. Certainly, such cruel comments as “crater face” or “pizza face” would be uncalled for, no matter how humorous they may seem to some.

One day soon there will be no more scars and skin problems, for we are assured that everybody’s flesh will “become fresher than in youth.” (Job 33:25) Until that blemish-free time, try to keep a positive, happy spirit. And do what you can for your acne right now.

[Box on page 11]

Self-Treatment Tips for Acne Sufferers

◻ Estimate the severity of your case by counting the number of lesions: 10 or less, a mild case; 11 to 30, a moderate case; over 30, a severe acne problem

◻ Plan skin-care regimen to meet your special needs

◻ Discuss matter with your pharmacist

◻ Wash affected parts gently with hands or soft washcloth

◻ Avoid any beauty products that cause aggravation​—oil-based makeup makes skin oilier

◻ Trouble spots need extra attention

◻ Stick to your skin-care plan every day, even if results are slow

[Picture on page 10]

“Oh, no! Not another pimple!”

Cambodia​—Surviving a Nightmare

As told by Khem Sou

FOR many years Cambodia (or, Kampuchea) was at peace. Then, in 1970, Lieutenant General Lon Nol seized power. As a result, communists known as Khmer Rouge, or Red Khmer, rose up in revolt. Lon Nol mobilized everyone he could throughout Cambodia to fight the communists.

At the time, I was studying law and medical science at Phnom Penh University, as well as working as a writer. Actually I wrote my first book, Tears of Orphans, when I was only 15. It was mainly the compilation of diaries that I had kept since I was seven. The book sold very well, and since I didn’t need the money, I donated the royalties to the orphanage.

While at the university, I was well known as an author, songwriter, and singer. Altogether I wrote about 20 books and many songs. My penchant for writing could be due to the influence of my mother, who was a professor of French literature at Phnom Penh University. She wanted me to be a lawyer.

However, when Lon Nol mobilized to fight the communists, I had to discontinue my studies and decide whether to join the military or the police force. Although my stepfather was a top-ranking general, I wanted nothing to do with the military. So I joined the police force, and by 1973, at the age of 22, I had attained the position of first lieutenant.

Yet, while doing police work, my dissatisfaction with life grew. In fact, I was moved to write a book entitled Life Has No Purpose. Sadly, this was my verdict even after having given much thought to Buddhism and a number of French philosophies, as well as pursuing careers as a writer and a policeman.

Early Background

While very young, I had lived with my grandmother, an uncle, and two aunts​—but not with my parents. In time my mother remarried, so when I was 12, I was able at last to live with my mother, my stepfather, and my two sisters.

My grandmother reared me as a Buddhist. At the age of ten I was sent to a monastery for three months to receive religious training. Outside the monastery, I noted, the monks walked about with their heads bowed and appeared to be the very personification of meekness, but inside not a day passed without their quarreling with one another.

At our pagoda, there was a small golden statue of Buddha that from time to time was not in its place. Where was it on those occasions? The monks said that the statue could fly and that it visited various pagodas in the vicinity. After watching carefully, I discovered that a monk would remove the statue and hide it. It distressed me that the monks practiced such a deception. When I told my grandmother, she became very angry with me because she wanted to believe in the flying statue.

Upon leaving the monastery, my disbelief grew. In high school even the religious teacher taught that Buddhism is divided into many schools and that it is nothing but a philosophy. I turned to the teachings of several French philosophers, hoping to obtain answers to my questions about life. But these actually increased my doubts about the existence of God. What was a person to believe? I did not know, but I asked myself repeatedly why I was living.

End of Lon Nol’s Administration

During 1973 and 1974 the turmoil of the war increased, and people in all walks of life became more distressed by the injustices they saw. Since as a policeman there was little I could do about the grievances, I tried to do something as a writer. I wrote a critical social novel, The Sky Is Dark.

That was the last book I ever wrote. I went to prison for it. My sentence was for two years, but thanks to my kinship to both the royal family and one of Cambodia’s ambassadors to a nearby Asian country, I was freed after only a few days. The ambassador used his influence in my behalf.

Obviously, I preferred freedom to imprisonment, but I did not really feel free. The establishment, which tried to impose a certain way of thinking and living on everyone, was almost as repugnant to me as imprisonment. Life in the capital, Phnom Penh, the place of my birth, seemed so unnatural. The corrupt, materialistic, and pleasure-seeking society sickened me, and I wanted to escape. No longer wanting to serve in the police force, I resigned.

Soon afterward I moved to the province of Pailin near the border of Thailand. To earn a living, I began working for a company that mined for precious stones. The country way of life appealed to me a little more, but I could not enjoy it for long. That was because in April 1975 the communist Khmer Rouge marched into Phnom Penh, ousted Lon Nol, and immediately tried to create a completely new society.

To this end, all officials who had served in the former regime had to report so that they could be sent to special camps for retraining purposes. I did not report because I did not want to become a police officer again. This failure to report saved my life. I learned later that “retraining” really meant execution. All who reported were killed.

A Time of Horror

According to estimates, in the months that followed, from one to two million Cambodian people were put to death. I personally witnessed executions, saw mass graves, as well as rivers and lakes literally red with blood and full of dead bodies. Families were torn apart and driven from their homes and land. An unprecedented revolution swept away Cambodian traditions of more than two thousand years. No Cambodian would ever have thought such radical change possible.

Disconcerted and filled with horror, I asked myself if there was any purpose left in living in such an inhuman society. I resolved to flee to a foreign country. The Red Khmer had already been searching for me; I was on their blacklist. Since leaving the police force, I had been living under an assumed name, and this had delayed their finding me. However, since I was well known as a songwriter and author, many people knew who I was and would even call me by my real name. So I realized I was in great danger.

Even so, the decision to flee to Thailand was by no means easy. Whatever the ruling regime, I still loved my home country. Also, I knew that once I left, I could never expect to come back to see my parents, my brother, and my sisters. Besides, there was no way to find routes to Thailand. I couldn’t ask. I had seen the corpse of a man who had been shot and left lying on the ground because it had become known that he was planning to flee the country.

The Flight​—and Faith in God

EXACTLY two months after the Red Khmer took power, another man and I attempted to flee. However, we got lost and had to return. But I didn’t give up. A few days later, I set out again with a former police colleague. We were later joined by seven others, including a three-year-old child.

In the jungle, we heard the bloodcurdling roars of tigers. But even more frightening than tigers and poisonous snakes were supporters of the Red Khmer, who were constantly combing the jungles in search of refugees. Sometimes we saw them. The slightest noise would have attracted their attention and meant death. At times fear deprived us of sleep.

On the third day of our flight, we mistakenly thought that we had crossed the border. We were so happy that we cooked and ate up all the rice we had. That was a serious mistake! For the next four days, there was no food available. We were beginning to lose both hope and strength when suddenly we saw a group of monkeys jumping from tree to tree with bunches of bananas. Hungry as we were, we begged the monkeys for their bananas. And believe it or not, one of the monkeys dropped us a banana! Then the others started imitating him, so that altogether they gave us 20 bananas.

Because of the exciting events of the day, I found it hard to sleep that night. I gazed up at the cloudless heavens and saw a full moon poised in the dark-blue velvet sky. Myriads of stars sparkled. It was to become an unforgettable night for me.

My thoughts for quite some time had been occupied with questions regarding the existence of God. When I observed all the wonderful and intricate processes in nature, I wondered why we should not give honor for this to a wise Creator. Now, as I admired the beauty of that night, I felt the urge to pray. Knowing that God must be far above the sky, I looked heavenward, and with the same intimate feeling I would have if I was talking to my own father, I prayed from my heart for the first time in my life. That prayer proved to be an important turning point.

After I had opened the door of my heart to God, things began to fall into place, and I became convinced that (1) God does exist and that (2) life does have a meaning. My reasoning was that all natural processes give evidence of intelligent design. Should not then the Originator of these meaningful laws have put man on the earth to serve a certain purpose?

Next, the question presented itself: Since God evidently possesses the power and wisdom to eliminate human suffering, why has he permitted so much misery until now? I also wanted to know which religion truly worships the living God. The search for answers to these burning questions was to have priority in my life. I could not believe that God would be so unloving as to withhold from man the answers to them.

As we continued our struggle through the jungle, I thought of my mother. She had shown some interest in Christianity. Missionaries from France had been frequent visitors to our home. Sometimes Mother talked to me of that strange religion whose followers did not eat blood. She also spoke of “good news” about righteous, even paradise, conditions that God would bring. In those days I had not believed one word. But now I asked myself: ‘Do I have reasons to disbelieve? Is not my mother an intelligent woman who weighs and examines these things?’ I wanted to find out. But first I would have to get out of Cambodia alive.

I was scantily clad, wearing only a sarong. By this time my bare feet and legs were badly swollen. All of us were exhausted and half starved. We chewed tree leaves to stay alive. On the tenth day of our trek, we had to climb a mountain. From the top we looked down on what we thought was Thailand. Coming down the mountain we came across a shack that stank of rotten meat. Inside was a half-rotten human corpse as well as a skeleton! Around the shack were the telltale footprints of the Red Khmer’s shoes. Terrified, we fled! We were not safe yet. Those corpses must have been victims who had tried to escape from Cambodia.

Farther along in the jungle, we came to a river that we thought was at last the border. But a waterfall was about 30 yards (27 m) downstream! An argument broke out between my friend and me. In view of the risks, he insisted that only adults should attempt to cross. Yet, ignoring him, I waited for darkness, and with the little girl tied to my back, I struck out for the other side. The water was deep and I went under, but I finally made it! All of us were safe!

The next day we came to a small village where there were cornfields. To ease our hunger we helped ourselves, eating the corn raw. Nearby was a small hut, and in it we found a matchbox. The label showed it had been made in Thailand, not Cambodia. Can you imagine how we felt? Here was proof! We were in Thailand!

How beautiful the mountains and rivers looked to us now! Shortly afterward I ran a high fever and became unconscious for three days. Apparently I had contracted malaria in the jungle. Even so, we thought that we must be the happiest people on earth.

Finding the Purpose of Life

IN THE refugee camp in Thailand, we were accommodated with 200 other Cambodians. Here I was able to study the Bible with a member of a Protestant denomination called Children of God. This group perceived my interest in Christianity and wanted to baptize me right then and there. I refused baptism, since I was still lacking in conviction. Many Cambodians were baptized quickly because they were given clothes after being baptized.

From the “Children of God,” I obtained a Bible translation in my mother tongue, the Cambodian language. I learned from this that God has the personal name Jehovah and that this God who revealed himself in a special way to the ancient Jews is also the God of Christians. It was this God that I wanted to get to know more fully.

In December 1975, after I had been five months in Thailand, the International Committee of the Red Cross helped me to emigrate to Austria. First I was put in a refugee camp, where I studied German. After six months I was transferred to Linz, where I began living in an apartment. I continued my German studies by night and worked in a packaging factory by day.

During this period, I became involved with the Evangelical and Catholic churches, but there was no one who could give satisfying answers to questions such as, “What happens after death?” and, “What is God’s Kingdom?” I asked a Catholic priest for the meaning of the “good news” and whether there was something like a “good news religion.” He had no answer. I wondered, ‘What is that good news my mother tried to tell me about?’

Twice, while I was alone at home, I prayed to God, and each time after praying, I found handbills pushed under my door. They were invitations to attend meetings at a place called Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The name Jehovah already meant something to me, but who were “Jehovah’s Witnesses”? Of what were they witnesses? Full of questions and curiosity, both times I set out to find the Kingdom Hall. Both times I ended up in churches. The Kingdom Hall was located on a second floor above a disco hall, and I was unable to find it.

A few days after my second attempt, I was visiting the home of a friend from Thailand when two persons identifying themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses came to his door. As I saw my friend turning them away, I told him that I would like to talk to them. First, I asked them what God’s Kingdom is. They explained from the Bible that it is a heavenly government by Christ to rule over the earth. They again used the Bible to answer my next question concerning the condition of man after death. I was deeply impressed by their logical Bible-based answers and immediately asked for a Bible study. The same day, my friend and I went to the meeting at the Kingdom Hall.

I listened to the talk, although I did not understand the greater part of it as I was still learning German. However, I understood it was about the good news, the good news of God’s Kingdom. By means of Jehovah’s Kingdom, the earth was to be made a paradise where people will no more shed tears of grief and where God will ‘make all things new.’ (Revelation 21:3-5) I recalled that my mother once read these same words to me from the Bible. A world free from all the evils of this world was exactly what I expected from a mighty and righteous God.

Now, however, I wanted to know why Jehovah had not created such a world long ago. These and many other questions were answered to my satisfaction in the course of regular Bible discussions. I rejoiced in having found a religion that was not asking blind belief from me. Moreover, Jesus Christ’s teachings and his way of life appealed to me very much.

In sharp contrast to my experience with the “Children of God,” the Witnesses did not ask me to get baptized after a short time of instruction. I understood that baptism was a Christian requirement, so I asked them if they would baptize me. I expected them to do so before I changed my mind. To my surprise, they wanted me to take time in deciding that I really wanted to take the step. I realized that quality counted with the Witnesses rather than quantity. Finally, after studying the Bible for about seven months in the German language, I was baptized in July 1977, at the Linz convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Realizing the Purpose of Life

At this same convention, a new book was released. Four years before this, I had published my book called Life Has No Purpose. Now Jehovah’s Witnesses were releasing the book, almost like an answer to mine, Life Does Have a Purpose. Recognizing the nonsense that I had written, I welcomed that new book with all my heart.

How I longed to make known this good news to the grief-stricken people of Cambodia! This good news would offer them an unfailing hope and a wonderful goal in life. Since it was not possible to return to that country, I did my best to publish the good news to Cambodians living in Austria. I prayed as Isaiah did, “Here I am! Send me,” hoping that Jehovah would use me to help my fellow countrymen.​—Isaiah 6:8.

In 1980 I married a Japanese witness in Vienna. I met her at a wedding of Jehovah’s Witnesses. My wife, too, had found what she was searching for when a fellow Japanese student at the Vienna Academy of Music, one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, helped her to understand the Bible. After our second child was born, my wife had health problems, and it seemed best that she return to Japan. We made the move in 1983 and settled in Tokyo.

My sincere desire to help Cambodian refugees has not changed. There are about 600 of them in Japan, mostly scattered in the suburbs of Tokyo. It brings me great joy to work among them and help them to understand Jehovah’s loving purpose for mankind. I have the great privilege of helping with about a dozen home Bible studies with Cambodians, either conducting studies myself or assisting the Japanese conductors. Twice a month our entire family spends whole days serving only Cambodians. Although this involves driving almost 180 miles (300 km), we receive great encouragement from seeing the steady spiritual progress that some of them are making.

After a long interval without communication with my family in my home country, I received a reply to a letter I wrote in 1981. I learned that my stepfather and a sister had been killed in the civil war. Three of my family, my mother, my brother, and a sister, are still alive. We are able to correspond a few times a year now, but it is hard to tell from their letters just what the religious situation is in Cambodia.

I can say with confidence that my search for the purpose of life has certainly been richly rewarded. Having found life’s true meaning and purpose, I am so very happy to have a loving family united in serving our great God, Jehovah. How I look forward to the day when I can be reunited with my mother, brother, and sister! In the meantime, what a privilege it is to have a share in bringing the good news of God’s Kingdom to the downtrodden and oppressed!

[Maps on page 16]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

Kampuchea and adjoining countries, with inset of the path of my flight into Thailand

CHINA

VIETNAM

LAOS

THAILAND

KAMPUCHEA

Andaman Sea

[Map]

THAILAND

Battambang

Pailin

KAMPUCHEA

[Picture on page 15]

One of the buildings of the royal palace in Phnom Penh. As a boy, I danced here before the king

[Picture on page 18]

My wife and me, studying with our two children

Good Health Is Good for Business

THE annual cost of health care in the United States has skyrocketed to $400 billion, many times more than it was in the 1970’s! Not only do rising medical costs threaten the financial security of families but they also take a tremendous slice from business profits. For employee health-insurance premiums alone, businesses in the United States pay out over $80 billion a year!

Ford Motor Company, for example, estimates that during 1980 the cost of health care for employees added $290 to the price of each automobile. General Motors spends in a year more money on health insurance and disabilities than for steel from the USX Corporation (formerly U.S. Steel), one of its principal suppliers.

It is estimated that backaches alone are costing U.S. business firms $1 billion a year in lost productivity. Because of ailments such as this, as many as a million American workers fail to report for work each day. Especially devastating is heart disease. About 700,000 Americans​—many in the prime of life—​die of a heart attack every year while another 700,000 survive such an attack and may miss work for months afterward. The cost to business is tremendous.

“A single employee who undergoes quadruple [heart] bypass,” explains Dr. Richard H. Stein, “is going to cost the employer, depending on salary base, conceivably up to $100,000. An all-encompassing disease prevention program for an entire corporation could cost less. I think the possibility of reducing the burden for corporations makes good economic sense.”

Does Prevention Make Sense?

Much of the $400 billion health bill goes for ailments resulting from potentially controllable problems, such as being overweight, smoking, having high blood-cholesterol, and hypertension.

As you may be aware, most businesses invest in a maintenance program to keep their machinery in good working order. They do so because it makes good economic sense. What, then, about a program to prevent the breakdown of the health of their employees? Does it make sense?

‘Keeping healthy is the individual’s responsibility,’ an employer may argue. Yet in our modern, stressful society that fosters deplorable eating, drinking, and sleeping habits, not to mention a sedentary life-style and an emphasis on the use of medication, business firms are rethinking the matter.

In 1974 the Association for Fitness in Business was formed by two dozen industry fitness directors. Now the Association has over 3,500 members! The consensus is that a disease-prevention program does make sense​—both economic and humanitarian sense.

Coping With Tragedy

Dr. John Bagshaw lamented: “There’s nothing more frustrating than seeing someone in your office, knowing they’re headed for trouble, advising them how to take better care of themselves, and then seeing no improvement​—or, worse, seeing them in the hospital with a heart attack.”

The sad situation moved Dr. Bagshaw to make an adjustment in his medical practice and develop a disease-prevention program. That such a shift in emphasis makes sense is illustrated by a dream that another doctor said he had.

“I was standing by a river,” he reports, “and a man drifted by. He was drowning. So I jumped in, swam out to him, pulled him back to shore, gave him artificial respiration, and saved him. By then, another man was calling for help. So I jumped back in to save him, only to have more drowning men appear. Before long the riverbank was covered with people I’d saved. What made the dream memorable is I recall thinking ‘What I really need to do is to go upstream and find out who’s pushing all these people in.’”

Actually, people are pushing themselves in the doctor’s dream “river” by smoking, abusing drugs, eating improperly, and neglecting to exercise. This is confirmed by figures of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control that show that of all deaths of people under 65, more than half are directly attributable to unhealthy life-styles.

Nevertheless, most American medicine is concerned primarily with the treatment of illness rather than its prevention. Unlike many other countries, the United States has given little attention to disease-prevention programs​—until recently. Now even Ronald Reagan, the president of the United States, encourages learning from the programs of others.

“We are all aware of the fitness programs in Japanese companies,” he said. “A healthier work force means higher productivity. In the long run, it also means a reduction in the cost for employee health benefits.”

What Corporations Are Doing

Certain Japanese corporations have invested heavily in programs to protect the health of their employees, placing emphasis on physical exercise. The Nissan Motor Company, for example, has built a vast $41 million fitness center easily accessible both to its main factories and its head office. At the new head office of Tokyo Gas, the entire 27th floor has been made into a fitness center that includes even a running track.

Rather than building its own fitness facility, Nomura Securities, the large Japanese stockbroking firm, provides its employees tickets to the finest health clubs and urges that they make maximum use of them. NEC, the computers and electronics giant, stops its production lines twice a day so its employees can participate in isometric exercises.

In the past few years, many American companies have started making similar provisions for their employees, principally for their executives and those in white-collar jobs. Besides providing classes that feature guidance in proper nutrition and help for employees in stopping smoking, the General Foods Corporation included a sleek, in-house fitness center at its beautiful new corporate headquarters in Rye Brook, New York. The facility contains a squash court, a racquetball court, weight-training equipment, exercise bikes, and treadmills. And outside there is a jogging track amid pleasant surroundings. Supervisory personnel and an exercise physiologist regularly monitor the progress of members.

In 1979 Pepsico began a wellness program at its corporate headquarters in Purchase, New York. The program has since been put in operation in about a dozen of its other locations. The AT&T Communications Corporation has a similar program known as “Total Life Concept.” These company programs, besides monitoring physical exercise, include diet-weight management, nutrition instruction, and relaxation techniques.

Dr. Dennis L. Colacino, director of Pepsico’s program, noted that experts in various health fields are invited to give lectures to company employees on a wide range of health-related subjects. In the company cafeteria, he said, healthful eating is promoted by providing a calorie guide to the various foods. “We have a salad bar and a fruit bar. We make a choice available.” However, he emphasized: “We use exercise as our hub and driving force.”

Many other corporations do the same. Tenneco, the large United States oil and gas conglomerate, installed exercise facilities in 17 of its locations in a recent three-year period. Even certain small companies have made the provision of such facilities for their employees.

For example, Siegfried Tunger, owner of a business employing five persons, built a combination tennis-volleyball court next to his factory. For the last five years, the employees have played volleyball at the end of the workday. “The work we do can be monotonous at times,” Tunger explained. “It’s good to get out and move around​—everyone looks forward to it.”

On the other hand, since it is expensive for smaller companies to have a really adequate fitness center, many pay, either in full or in part, for their employees to use nearby gyms or health clubs. In larger cities such fitness centers have recently been built to serve the needs of employees of a number of corporations situated in the area. According to Dr. Jerome Zuckerman, a promoter of this concept, “in the next ten to 15 years, the future of corporate fitness in the 50 largest cities in the country lies in the multicorporation fitness center.”

Is Exercise Really That Valuable?

Some people, however, question that regular exercise can actually ward off disease and improve an employee’s productivity. Yet evidence that it does continues to increase. Dr. Peter Lindner, a specialist in treating the overweight, notes: “Exercise has been shown to produce endorphins, natural brain chemicals which relieve depression and produce a sense of well-being.”

But besides simply making one feel better, regular exercise can actually make one healthier and hence more productive. It can even lengthen one’s life. Under The New York Times front-page heading “Study Indicates Moderate Exercise Can Add Years to a Person’s Life,” a feature article last March said:

“Men who participated in activities such as walking, stair-climbing and sports that used 2,000 calories or more a week had death rates one-quarter to one-third lower than those in the study [of nearly 17,000 Harvard alumni] who were least active.” And, significantly, the risk of death for such active men with high blood pressure was less than half that for inactive men with hypertension.

Director of the study, Dr. Ralph S. Paffenbarger, Jr., noted: “There are lots of skeptics who say people are active because they are healthy.” However, he emphasized: “You’re healthy because you’re active.”

This, too, seems to be the consensus at companies where fitness programs are being operated successfully. Of their program, Russ Cunningham, personnel manager at Pacific Gas & Electric, observed: “We think of it as an insurance policy against disaster.” And he added: “In our view, it has paid for itself several times over.” John Sculley, former president of Pepsi-Cola, a division of Pepsico, was quoted as saying: “Fitness is the department with the best return on investment.”

At Exxon, the huge oil company, a study of executives also confirmed the benefit of the fitness program. Three quarters of the participants were found to have experienced an enhanced sense of well-being, 29 percent lost weight, and 27 percent of the smokers quit smoking. Similarly, the Control Data Corporation determined that health-care costs for their personnel who regularly exercise were $115 less each year than for those who did not exercise.

A 1982 study at the University of Toronto, Canada, revealed that a company having a wellness or fitness program would save $233 annually in health costs for each participating employee. And a 1983 survey by the Health Research Institute showed that corporations sponsoring fitness programs paid $1,061 each year for health care for their employees while those without them paid $1,456. That is a 37-percent saving, or $395 per employee!

Promoting Participation

Realizing the benefit of wellness and fitness programs, many business firms are trying to get more of their personnel involved in them. But this is often not easy. Even though people may realize that they are endangering their lives by smoking, overdrinking, eating improperly, abusing drugs, and not exercising, it’s hard to get some to change their unhealthful life-styles.

Often less than 30 percent of a company’s employees take advantage of its fitness program. So to get more employees involved, some companies offer various incentives, including monetary rewards. For example, Hospital Corporation of America pays participants 24 cents for each mile (1.6 km) run or walked and for each quarter mile swum or four miles biked.

To discourage smoking, SpeedCall Corporation gives employees $7 a week for not smoking at work. Significantly, at the end of four years, the number of smokers had declined by 65 percent and the number of insurance claims filed by those who had quit smoking had dropped by 50 percent.

Important to the success of a company’s fitness program is its support by top management. If persons in positions of oversight exercise, others are more likely to do so. Dr. Lindner urges people not to begrudge the time spent exercising. “You’ll actually have more time,” he says, “because the exercise gives you so much energy that you’ll accomplish more work in a shorter period.”

What You Can Do

Regardless of whether you work for a company that has a fitness program or not, you may be motivated to begin exercising. However, a word of caution. If you have not done so for some time, take it slowly. Too much at one time can do more harm than good.

Also, thinking that you can engage in vigorous exercise on a weekend without exercising during the week can even be fatal. Dr. Lawrence Power noted: “Too many people drop dead around the weekend. One study indicates that 26 percent of sudden deaths occur on Mondays and 25 percent on Saturdays. That’s half the week’s deaths in two days.”

To be a real health benefit, exercise must be practiced regularly, preferably three or more times a week for a period of 20 to 30 minutes or more each time. Making a regular habit of walking is a fine way to begin. One doctor explained: “Vigorous walking, if practiced from youth on, would in itself drastically reduce the disability and early deaths due to coronary heart disease.”

Since the good health of employees is good for business firms, the good health of its members certainly is good for the family. As family heads, therefore, why not encourage some form of regular exercise, especially if you, your wife, or your children spend a lot of time watching television or in other nonphysical activity. Regular exercise will be good for the whole family.

[Pictures on page 23]

Japanese companies provide facilities such as these for their employees

[Picture on page 24]

Exercising regularly is also good for the family

Further Expansion at Watchtower Farms

EARTH WIDE the preaching work of Jehovah’s Witnesses is expanding remarkably. In 1986 there were 3,229,022 of these Kingdom publishers, about three times the number 20 years before! And last March 24 over 8,100,000 Witnesses and their friends attended the Memorial of Christ’s death!

To keep pace with such growth, the facilities at the international headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn and Wallkill, New York, need regularly to be expanded. October 18, 1986, saw the dedication of a recent major addition, the triple-wing, 176-room residence building at Watchtower Farms seen below. It will accommodate 346 of the more than 900 headquarters personnel living there.

The afternoon dedication program highlighted the history of Watchtower Farms, located about 95 miles northwest of the principal printing facilities of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Brooklyn, New York.a

The first farm near Wallkill was obtained in January 1963, and the second, four miles away, was purchased in 1967. However, besides these two farms of about 3,000 acres (including leased land), there is a 550-acre farm near South Lansing, New York, a 150-acre farm near Port Murray, New Jersey, and a 670-acre farm at Patterson, New York.b

‘But why does a publishing society have farms?’ you may ask. They are for the production of quality food at low cost for the more than 3,500 headquarters workers, over 2,500 of whom eat in ten dining rooms linked by closed circuit television in Brooklyn. Feeding the entire staff of headquarters workers is comparable to feeding a small town! For example, at a typical meal about 275 gallons of milk, 400 quarts of vegetables, 20 bushels of potatoes, and 1,100 pounds of roast beef are consumed!c

Hence the extensive facilities at Watchtower Farms. Over 40 types of fruits and vegetables are grown there, and most are processed at the on-site cannery. The dairy herd produces, on the average, about 775 gallons of milk a day; the hens lay over 4,500 eggs daily; and each year some 535,000 pounds of meat are obtained from the processing of about 500 beef cattle, more than 1,300 pigs, and about 25,000 chickens.

More Than Food Production

When construction of the first residence building of about 40 rooms was completed in 1968, it was intended that Watchtower Farms remain only a farm. But space for printing became limited in Brooklyn, so that in 1970 construction began at Watchtower Farms on a one-story 200- by 300-foot printery, as well as another residence building to accommodate about 60 persons.d

However, even before these buildings were completed in March of 1971, construction had begun on an adjoining three-story 350- by 350-foot factory addition and a six-floor residence for about 450 persons. On April 3, 1973, the completed new home was dedicated.

Printing began at Watchtower Farms with the March 1, 1973, issue of The Watchtower. By 1980 there were in use 15 large rotary letterpresses, weighing between 40 and 50 tons each, that turned out over 17 million magazines a month. By this time, faster offset presses had been installed at the Brooklyn printery, so a complex program of replacing letterpress printing with offset printing was also begun at Watchtower Farms.

Each of the three huge new offset presses now operating at the farm factory is 101 feet long, 25 feet wide, 15 feet high, and weighs 197 tons! Each can produce 60,000 magazines an hour, or a combined production of well over a million magazines a day!

To accommodate such giants, a 27-foot-high ceiling section that is 350 feet long and 125 feet wide was added to the pressroom. This brought the total factory area to 812,625 square feet of floor space, almost equal to 19 acres, or 14 United States football fields of 360 by 160 feet![5, p. 2]

Earlier the Kingdom Hall had been increased in size to accommodate 916 permanent seats. And in 1986 the dining room was doubled in area, so that over 1,200 can now be comfortably seated.

In 1979 a team of Jehovah’s Witnesses at Watchtower Farms began developing a computerized system, called MEPS, for producing literature in many languages. By May 1986, when the project was completed, a total of 79 MEPS computers, 45 MEPS typesetters, and 181 MEPS terminals, or work stations, had been manufactured and shipped to 27 different branches. In the past few years, 131 Witnesses from 31 countries have been trained at Watchtower Farms in the use and maintenance of MEPS.

Dedication Day

The Watchtower Farms family was delighted to have over 800 invited guests share the dedication program with them. Most of these were from the Brooklyn headquarters, but others came from Canada, England, Ireland, Taiwan​—altogether from 15 countries! Many arrived during predawn darkness to attend the morning worship program. When it began at 7:00 a.m., over a thousand had assembled in the spacious, enlarged dining room to hear the comments of Karl F. Klein, a member of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Guests by the hundreds continued to arrive, and during the morning hours, they were treated to a special tour of the expanded farm and factory facilities. In the Kingdom Hall, the 45-minute slide program “Watchtower Farms​—Sharing Joyfully in the Harvest” was shown at intervals throughout the morning, which provided a welcome rest from the walking tours. The program gave a progressive history of the expansion at Watchtower Farms over the past 23 years.

After a break for a delightful cafeteria-style lunch, 958 packed out the Kingdom Hall for the dedication program that began at 2:00 p.m. Overflow seating in the factory accommodated another 758, who watched the program on two huge screens. Another 217 in Brooklyn listened to the proceedings over the Watchtower Society’s telephone tie line, making a total attendance of 1,933.

The first two parts of the program reviewed the fascinating history of the progressive developments at the Farms, especially of the construction work. Short talks by five members of the Governing Body followed, and then Milton Henschel, one of the Watch Tower Society’s vice presidents, gave the stirring dedication talk.

How grand it is to see the expansion of the facilities at Watchtower Farms, since it is just further evidence of the blessing of Jehovah God on the worldwide work of Kingdom preaching!

[Footnotes]

[Pictures on page 25]

[Pictures on page 26]

Rotary offset press, with an inset of its control room

From Our Readers

Salty Drink That Saves Lives

I am writing to thank you for the article “A Salty Drink That Saves Lives!” (September 22, 1985) I left a copy of the magazine with a person with whom I had been discussing the Bible. She told me that a short time later, the infants living next door to her got very sick. They both had parched lips and diarrhea, which indicated dehydration. The doctor told the mother on the phone to buy the prepared solution at the drugstore, but it was out of stock. The woman I had been calling on went next door and mixed some solution, following the recipe in Awake! The children responded quickly.

L. A. C., United States

The Tragic Saturday

Upon reading the article “A Tragic Saturday That Shattered My Family,” I was confused and wondered why you would print such a gruesome story. (October 22, 1986) Truthfully, was an article dealing with the needless murder of five innocent children by a crazed suitor the most uplifting experience you could have printed? I think not.

R. G. M., United States

We agree that it was a tragic story with strong impact, but still we believe that there were a lot of positive things in the account. For example, though his family was shattered, William Cox did not allow himself to be overcome with bitterness and hopelessness. Though he could not understand why this had happened, he prayed for help. Though he did not receive from Catholic and Protestant clergy satisfactory answers to his anguished questions, he kept searching. Further, a woman in California who had read about the case in the papers took the kind initiative to send him the book “The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life” and subscriptions for “The Watchtower” and “Awake!,” which helped him to find the answers to his questions. Yes, the experience on that Saturday was tragic, but all of us can benefit from observing how William Cox was helped to cope by getting strong grounds for faith in God’s purposes.​—ED.

I would like to thank both you and William Cox for the article “A Tragic Saturday That Shattered My Family.” I lost a daughter earlier this year in a similar situation, and I really needed to read about this experience and about the resurrection.

V. W., United States

I have just finished reading the article “A Tragic Saturday That Shattered My Family,” and my heart hurt so much for the parents of these five murdered children. Six years ago my husband and I lost our son in an automobile accident. He was at the tender age of 14. It still hurts unbearably at times. Isn’t it wonderful that we have the hope of the resurrection? It’s so comforting.

G. V., United States

I feel compelled to write to you after having read the article “A Tragic Saturday That Shattered My Family.” If only I could let William Cox and his wife know how I feel for them and their children. When I look at the pictures of those five smiling young faces, full of the joy of living, my heart rejoices with the family over the hope of the resurrection. As James 5:16 states: “A righteous man’s supplication, when it is at work, has much force.” What a wonderful privilege we have in prayer for “the whole association of brothers.”​—1 Peter 2:17.

D. M. F., England

Watching the World

Italy Recognizes Jehovah’s Witnesses

In October 1986, with a presidential decree, Jehovah’s Witnesses in Italy became a legally recognized religion. “Italy has one more ‘official’ religious confession, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, who have become by right the second religion of the land,” reports La Stampa. Prior to that, under Italy’s “friendship treaty” with the United States, Jehovah’s Witnesses enjoyed a legal standing, but this did not give them the same status as will official recognition. In 1908 the first congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was formed in Pinerolo, a town in Piedmont, Italy. Ten years ago Italy had 60,000 active Jehovah’s Witnesses. Today they number more than 141,000.

Drugs in the U.S.S.R.

“Drug-taking has contributed to the death of dozens of people in Krivoj Rog, an industrial city of 600,000 inhabitants in the Ukraine,” states the French daily La Croix. Based on a report published in the Soviet weekly Sobessednik, the article noted that “this upsurge in drug-taking is a result of idleness of youths, extreme industrialization in Krivoj Rog, and the fact that it is impossible for people to spend all their pay in view of the scarcity and poor quality of available goods. Most drug victims are not rich adolescents but working-class youths.”

Topaz Record?

After digging a tunnel over 260 feet (80 m) long, workers in Brazil were able to bring to the surface what may well be the world’s largest topaz, reports the Daily Express of Scotland. The stone weighs approximately eight tons, stands over six feet (1.8 m) tall, and is nearly that wide. White in color, its value is estimated at $4.5 million.

Smart Oldsters

A ten-year study by a University of Florida psychologist has revealed that, contrary to popular opinion, people do remain intellectually sharp in advanced age. The researcher tested 1,100 people between the ages of 51 and 92 in 30 Florida cities. Of that number, 450 were still available ten years later for retesting to determine if there were any changes in their intellectual abilities. While the study revealed that there was some decline of intellectual abilities among these older people, the decline was minimal. No significant reduction in verbal comprehension was observed, although there was a modest decline noted in basic arithmetic skills as well as in the ability to recognize incomplete or scrambled words. Researcher Walter Cunningham observed that “the exercise of intellectual abilities helps preserve them.”​—AARP News Bulletin, a publication of the American Association of Retired Persons.

Rapists Speak

How can a potential victim perhaps prevent being raped? Rapists themselves recently answered this question in Japan. The answer was found in the 1985 Crime White Paper published by the government, which included results of a psychological survey on criminals. “Seventy-two percent of the rapists surveyed said that they raped victims who happened to be near them. However, 45.1 percent of them also said that they would have stopped immediately if the victims had made any resistance,” reports Yomiuri Shimbun, a Japanese newspaper. A surprising 71.1 percent said they would have stopped their assaults had they been faced with “strong resistance.”

Sudden Infant Death

Hundreds of babies die suddenly for no apparent reason. However, research carried out by British doctors seems to provide a partial explanation for this phenomenon. Notes L’Express, a French weekly: “Autopsy findings from 200 babies revealed that 14 died because their bodies did not digest dietary fat. An enzyme . . . is chiefly to blame. This enzyme is normally useful for turning fatty acids into energy. Because of a malfunction, the child’s brain is deprived of its ‘nutrients’: sugars and acetone bodies. Muscles and the heart also suffer as a result.” Commenting on the benefits of this discovery, the article explains: “Enzyme-deficiency detection could save nearly 100 children a year in France.”

Ending “Dream Weddings”

Japanese couples are disappointed. A tropical island in the Pacific no longer will be their haven for Western-style “dream weddings.” The Catholic Church of Guam decided to bring such ceremonies to a halt. Why? For 15 years the church hoped to spread the Catholic faith by performing Western-style weddings for Japanese visitors but has never “successfully produced results to date,” states a letter from the archdiocese of Agana, the island’s capital. The Daily Yomiuri, commenting on the decision of the church, says: “Most Japanese appear to merely savor the ceremony or want to save money.” Weddings in Japan can cost from ¥1,500,000 to ¥3,000,000 (from about $10,000 to $20,000, U.S.), while in Guam a Western-style wedding would cost a Japanese couple only from $600 to $700, of which $50 goes to the church.

Tuna Migration

In August of 1968 a 2 1/2-year-old southern bluefin tuna weighing 13 pounds (6 kg) was tagged and put back into the sea at Bermagui on the south coast of New South Wales, Australia. In June of 1985, nearly 17 years later, the same fish, now weighing 150 pounds (68 kg), was netted off the coast of Cape Town, South Africa. The Sydney Sun-Herald reports that the Japanese fishermen who made the catch recovered the two dated tag disks that gave proof of the fish’s epic swim​—a distance of 8,125 miles (13,000 km)!

Lifesavers Punished

During a strike among medical professionals in Brazil, a doctor performed an urgent, life-or-death cesarean section. Since none of the medical staff were available to provide needed assistance, she enlisted the aid of a hospital janitor to hold surgical instruments during the operation. Though the life of a baby was saved, the doctor was punished with a suspension. It was annulled by a court order. However, when similar punishment was given by the hospital administration to the janitor, his suspension was not revoked. Regarding the incident, the Latin America Daily Post ironically stated: “He helped save a life without being employed expressly for this purpose, which is a crime incompatible with medical professional interests.”

Religion and War

Last October an interfaith call against war was issued at Assisi, Italy, by Pope John Paul II. But what do people think about religion and war? The results of polls carried out in six different countries were published in the French daily La Croix. In France “nearly half the French people (47 percent) consider religions in general to be a war factor, whereas barely a third of them think religions are a peace factor (31 percent).” Interestingly, in Catholic countries Islam and Judaism are held by many to be war factors, but in Israel nearly a quarter of the population feel that Catholicism is a war factor.

Teachers’ Example?

“Teachers themselves smoked in the staff room” was the pointed response of schoolchildren being taught the harm of direct and indirect smoking. This student reaction was aired at a meeting of teachers to promote antismoking education in Japan last summer. Stressing the importance of nonsmoking education from an early age, Takaharu Hayashi of the Tokyo Sanitarium Hospital explained: “Once people have formed the habit of smoking, it is very difficult to get rid of it.” Still, some teachers who smoke do not fully understand the importance of nonsmoking education at schools. Physical-education teachers, who teach health, were cited among those who use tobacco. Their view was: “Why should we have to listen to students and quit smoking?”

The Marvel of Snow

Many consider the earth to be at its prettiest when it is draped by a blanket of dazzling snow. But snow provides more than beauty. Animals can burrow into this fluffy natural covering and keep warm. Snow holds heat in the lower ground levels, and preserves seeds from freezing to death. It provides such fine insulation that Eskimos within their igloos can keep warm from the heat of their own bodies. It is with significance, then, that the Bible says that God “is giving snow like wool.”​—Psalm 147:16; Job 37:5, 6.

“Look! I Am Making All Things New”

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