INDONESIA
Fifty Years a Special Pioneer
Alisten Lumare
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BORN 1927
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BAPTIZED 1962
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PROFILE A former police inspector who served as a special pioneer for over 50 years.
IN 1964, I was assigned as a special pioneer to Manokwari, West Papua, where a small congregation faced fierce opposition from the local clergy. Soon after I arrived, a Protestant minister stormed up to my house.
“I am going to destroy this house and rid Manokwari of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” he thundered.
Because of my police training, I was not intimidated by his bluster. Nevertheless, I answered him calmly, and he eventually left in peace.
Back then Manokwari had eight publishers. Today, some 50 years later, there are seven congregations in the area. More than 1,200 people attended the local convention in 2014. When I see what Jehovah has accomplished in this remote region, I feel truly satisfied at heart.