Gilead Graduation — Stay Hungry, Stay Thirsty

Stay Hungry, Stay Thirsty

Introduction

  • Graduation day for the 157th class of Gilead.
  • 54 graduates from 28 countries.
  • The day has highs and lows, like a wedding and a funeral in the same day.
  • During the past five months, they have developed a spiritual feeding program.
  • Theme: Stay hungry, stay thirsty.

Stay Hungry

Hunger for Spiritual Food

  • Matthew 5:3: Happy are those conscious of their spiritual need, since the kingdom of the heavens belongs to them.
  • Be like a bear before hibernation (hyperphagia), consuming 20,000 calories a day, searching for food 20 out of 24 hours a day.
  • You're not going into hibernation, but instead, like a bird before migration, preparing for the work ahead.
  • John 6:11: Jesus multiplied five loaves and two fish and fed possibly over 15,000 people.
  • Millions are being fed spiritually today; they can have as much as they want.
  • JW Library: Over 330 morning worship programs, over ten years of broadcast, over 120 hours of spiritual content, three complete years of regional conventions (2020-2022).
  • Written publications: Watchtower magazines go back to 1950, Awake! magazines go back to 1970. There are 1,815 Watchtower and 1,011 Awake! magazines available in JW Library.
  • Isaiah 25:6: Jehovah will make for all the people a banquet of rich dishes and fine wine.
  • Although we like to hear new things, it's good to go back and review what we already know.
  • Go back to your Gilead notes, continue to drive in the nails.
  • Never become satiated or fully satisfied at the end of a study period.
  • Crave the next study period.

Hunger for Jehovah's Righteousness

  • Matthew 5:6: Happy are those hungering and thirsting for righteousness since they will be filled.
  • Those who long to see corruption and injustice replaced with God's standards of right and wrong.
  • Spiritual hunger and thirst for righteousness will be fully satisfied in the new world.
  • The world's moral decay is evidence that God's kingdom and his righteousness are close at hand.
  • Stay hungry for God's righteousness, confident that you will be filled.

The Inside Story: Interviews of Gilead Students

Brother Fernando Samal from Brazil

  • Serving in the Amazon Region.
  • The people there really accept the truth and have a good heart to serve Jehovah.
  • They accept the truth.
  • Preaching involves talking about matters related to their life in the jungle and how the new world will solve their challenges.
  • He first visited the Amazon after being invited by a brother who went to MTS and was serving in a boat.
  • Preaching campaigns have resulted in new congregations and circuits.
  • Some brothers who came to support the campaigns decided to stay and took the lead in the congregations.
  • SKE schools are helping brothers to serve in the Amazon region.
  • Video about preaching in the Amazon region.
  • New congregations and new circuits are being formed every year with approximately 25,000 people getting baptized each year.
  • In the past two years alone, 54 classes have been held.
  • The school is very focused on the Amazon region because there's such a need there.
  • The local brothers would say, brother, you need more time here for us to go into the interior. And I thought, I'm already in the interior.
  • Graduated from SKE on 10/06/2024
  • Longest trip to the Amazon region: more than twenty days.
  • Travel involves more than one day by boat (slow boat).

Carla and Judah Curran from Central America

  • Serving in Mexico at the Central America branch.
  • Judah lived in Honduras since he was 15, his parents moved there to serve where the need was greater.
  • The ministry became his life, he started pioneering and was assigned to isolated areas, including Guanaja Island in the Mosquito Coast.
  • Carla is from Ireland, her parents were special pioneers and moved to Ireland from England.
  • She wanted to expand her ministry, so she went to Honduras after being invited by a friend to serve on Wanaha Island.
  • Judah and Carla married within a year.
  • Honduras feels like home because of the people.
  • His family arrived in Honduras during Hurricane Mitch, and a local sister took them in and provided hospitality.
  • Hospitality: Straight away you're in with them: the members are happy to invite you and make you feel like family.
  • They'll say, "Just come on in. We'll add more water to the soup."
  • There is respect for the Bible, making it easy to start conversations.
  • They appreciated that everybody wants to hear the Bible.
  • You'd arrive at their house. They weren't expecting you, but they sat you down. They got their bible out, and as you were speaking, they would take notes and lines.
  • Coming from Ireland to Honduras, just getting to know your bible.
  • Video about Central America: Central America diversity is also its beauty.
  • By September 2012, the preaching work in Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama all came under the supervision of the Central America branch in Mexico.
  • Training at the School for Kingdom Evangelizers emphasizes empathy and listening.
  • Use of jw.org and videos in their language amazes people.
  • Mexico City has a population of over 9,000,000 and many languages, including indigenous languages.
  • Public witnessing and special metropolitan witnessing help reach people in their native language.
  • Two groups were formed in Haitian Creole.
  • They endured not because they do not have a choice. They endure because they are happy, doing God's work, and loving people.

Christian and Corina Zagetti from The Philippines

  • Transferred from Brazil branch to the Philippines branch for a computer project initially for two years, and stayed for almost fifteen years.
  • Appreciated the brotherhood, the love from the brothers in the congregation and in the Bethel family.
  • The food arrangement in Bethel.
  • Brother offered them hamburger and fries for breakfast instead of fish and rice.
  • Serving in the branch in Manila, one of the most densely populated cities in the world.
  • People have a real respect for the Bible.
  • Arrangements include street witnessing, metropolitan witnessing, cart witnessing, business territories, and mall witnessing.
  • Video: The Philippines is a preaching paradise.
  • Metro Manila is a city of contrast: high buildings and informal settlements.
  • Congregations are assigned to work on many apartment buildings.
  • Haggai 2:7 is being fulfilled.
  • Nearly 20% of those who were baptized in the Philippines were coming from this particular area in Manila.

Conclusion

  • The fields are white for harvesting.
  • The intrepid spirit of our brothers and sisters in preaching the good news of God's kingdom, and also to see the support of the School for Kingdom Evangelizers to help this work grow worldwide is evident.