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These are challenging times, aren’t they?
Think of the challenges
this pandemic has created.
It has closed down businesses,
delayed school openings,
postponed sporting events, and more,
but it has not stopped
the flow of spiritual food.
Jesus knew long ago that his followers
would find themselves in the time of the end,
facing the most distressing period
in human history.
And he assured them
that through a faithful slave
they would receive “food at the proper time,”
which would give them hope
and strengthen them to endure.
True, we’ve had to adjust
how we prepare and serve this spiritual food.
However, we’ve continued to receive
the Watchtower and Awake! magazines,
meeting workbooks,
new original songs and videos,
an entire convention program,
and even the release
of the New World Translation
in more languages.
This is exactly
what Jehovah promised he would provide,
as stated at Isaiah 65:13:
“Therefore this is
what the Sovereign Lord Jehovah says:
“‘Look! My servants will eat,
“‘but you will go hungry.
“‘Look! My servants will drink,
“‘but you will go thirsty.
“‘Look! My servants will rejoice,
but you will suffer shame.’”
Those words aren’t just a reassurance;
they’re a promise.
Despite all the chaos in the world around us,
we will have the spiritual food
that we need to stay strong.
So you might wonder:
‘What adjustments
has the Governing Body made
‘to provide spiritual food
at the proper time despite the pandemic?
‘How have we seen
Jehovah’s blessing on these adjustments?
‘And on a personal level,
‘what can each one of us do
to show our appreciation
for these provisions?’
Restrictions and lockdowns
haven’t stopped the work
of writing and publishing
spiritually upbuilding food.
One example of this is the recent update
to the study edition
of the New World Translation
of the Holy Scriptures.
Galatians and Ephesians
are now available in English,
with over 340 new study notes,
a video, media gallery items,
and new articles in the Appendix.
Now, how about the jw.org® website?
The brothers have been
hard at work there too.
Articles such as
“What Does the Bible Say About Pandemics?”
and “How to Deal With Isolation”
have been added.
Other articles about distance learning,
domestic abuse, and alcohol consumption
have also been added
—the very issues
that are on many people’s minds right now.
How has the pandemic affected the production
of our various video projects?
As you can imagine,
with Bethel facilities on lockdown
and with physical distancing
measures in place,
we’ve had to rethink
how videos can be safely produced.
In the following video report,
Brother Bob Batko, a member
of the Central America Branch Committee,
explains adjustments
the regional video team has made.
To keep the cameras rolling,
the regional video team
hosted here at the branch
had to overcome some pretty big challenges.
One of them was casting.
We couldn’t invite local brothers and sisters
to come in to play roles,
nor could the Bethel team
go out to shoot on location.
So, what did it require?
Adapting to the local circumstances.
That meant shooting on Bethel property
with Bethel personnel.
And that may seem limiting,
but they found a solution—the green screen.
That meant that they could shoot in studio
and the actor could virtually be anywhere.
When working on a set here,
rigorous safety precautions need to be taken.
Cast and crew members
get their temperature checked
at the beginning and the end of each day.
And everyone (everyone)
wears face masks, including the actors
—unless they’re being filmed.
The actors maintain physical distancing
when with anyone
other than their mate or roommate.
To minimize contact
with the hair and makeup team,
they’ve taken advantage of videoconferencing.
So they would teach the wives
how to put beards
on their husbands in their Bethel rooms.
This way, only touch-ups
need to be done on set,
and even then,
personal protective equipment is used.
And everything is disinfected
before and after each session.
In doing all of this,
there was a wonderful spirit of unity.
During the lockdown,
no commuters have been able to come in;
so, many from other Bethel departments
have been made available
to help with the work.
Some are helping on the production team,
others by sewing wardrobes and building sets.
And nobody went hungry.
All the meals were provided.
In all of this, it’s obvious
that Jehovah blessed
not just these arrangements
but also the Governing Body
so that they could provide
the much needed spiritual food
right on time.
As you can see,
we’ve had to adjust
many aspects of video production,
and we’re grateful
for the hard work of all involved.
In fact, all of our video teams,
including the ones at world headquarters,
are taking similar steps
to keep production going
while remaining safe.
But do you see the point?
The menu of spiritual food
prepared well before the pandemic
will be presented just as planned.
You might say that we’ve had to adjust some
of the “kitchen utensils”
and “cooking methods,”
but the meal itself
is unchanged and just as nourishing.
So you won’t miss a thing!
Another vital part of the process
in providing spiritual food
to Jehovah’s people worldwide is translation.
And that hasn’t stopped either.
Translation teams
have been able to continue their work
by videoconference,
and the results have been thrilling.
For example, since the start of the pandemic,
the New World Translation has been released
in whole or in part in 19 languages.
Some of these releases had been planned
in conjunction with regional conventions
that were to be held later this year.
But when the decision was made
to present
a global convention program by video,
the Teaching Committee asked
if these newly translated Bibles
could be released
before the convention began in July.
That way, translators
could use the new Bibles
when translating the convention program,
and publishers could follow along
with all six sessions
using their newly released Bibles.
Well, through a tremendous effort
and with Jehovah’s blessing,
13 Bibles were released in digital format
at special meetings
in the weeks leading up to the convention.
You can imagine how thrilled the brothers were
to receive these Bibles
in their local languages
just in time for the convention.
One of those new translations
was in the Oromo language.
In this video report,
Brother Delroy Williamson,
a member of the Ethiopia Branch Committee,
describes the challenges that they faced
and how they overcame them
with Jehovah’s help.
We were very excited to learn
that despite the COVID-19 pandemic,
the complete New World Translation
would be released digitally
in the Oromo language.
So all congregations in Ethiopia
were invited to attend a special meeting,
which would be streamed countrywide
over the Internet.
But just five days before the release date,
civil unrest broke out in the country,
and because of this,
the government shut down the Internet.
Suddenly, there was no way
to access the program online.
But this is where we really saw
Jehovah’s hand in matters.
When the program was being planned,
the Branch Committee received approval
to prerecord the released talks
and to broadcast the program via satellite.
This would enable the meeting
to reach the most distant parts
of our branch territory.
Well, that satellite broadcast
became the main way
for over 12,000 of our brothers
to view the special meeting.
And in the areas of the country
not covered by the satellite,
the brothers listened
to the program by telephone.
Just two days after the program,
Internet access was restored
and the brothers with an Internet connection
downloaded the Bible
and then transferred the file
to those without Internet access.
It was really faith-strengthening to see
how despite a pandemic, despite unrest,
despite the country being
in a state of emergency,
our spiritual food supply continued to flow.
What a blessing
for our Oromo-speaking brothers and sisters!
Besides new Bibles, our translation teams
have also been busy with other projects.
For example,
the 2020 Governing Body Update Reports,
such as the one you’re watching right now,
have been a landmark
in simultaneous communication.
The second report was uploaded
in about 400 languages simultaneously.
That’s the largest simultaneous
multilanguage video release
in our history.
And this turned out to be a dry run
for an even bigger task:
The first day
of the 2020 “Always Rejoice”! Convention
was also uploaded in about 400 languages
within 24 hours of English.
Preparing translations for every talk
was a massive effort
on a very tight schedule.
Many local brothers
used their own resources to assist
and worked tirelessly
to provide quality translations.
In many cases,
the dubbing of the talks
was so well synced
that some brothers actually thought
the talks were being delivered
in their language.
Here’s just one example from Kenya
in the Kikamba language.
Now, don’t be fooled:
Brother Schafer hasn’t mastered Kikamba.
But thanks to the skills
of our translation team,
the results were convincing enough
for some to say,
“It’s so wonderful that these brothers
learned our language!”
Well, regarding all this work
being done in writing,
video production, translation, and more,
we might ask,
‘How has all this been possible,
especially now?’
We find the answer
at Zechariah 4:6:
“‘Not by a military force, nor by power,
but by my spirit,’ says Jehovah of armies.”
None of this would be possible
without Jehovah’s holy spirit.
How can we all show appreciation
for the way we’re being spiritually fed
during this difficult time?
Consider three ways.
First and foremost, take full advantage
of this spiritual banquet
that Jehovah is providing.
Read the Bible every day;
and to the extent that you can,
read each new magazine and publication
and watch each new video available
in your language.
Not long ago,
receiving our spiritual food digitally
would’ve been hard to even imagine,
and yet now we probably wonder
how we’d be coping with this pandemic
without tools like JW Library®.
Jehovah has been preparing us over the years
to be ready for something like this.
Even the older ones in our congregation
have gotten more comfortable
with their electronic devices.
Even though some of our brothers
have very limited access to this technology,
just think about how much these tools
are helping us as an organization
to study, share, and distribute God’s Word
in the face of this crisis.
Keeping ourselves well-fed spiritually
will help us to focus our minds
on what Paul described
at Philippians 4:8:
“Whatever things are of serious concern,
“whatever things are righteous,
“whatever things are chaste,
“whatever things are lovable,
“whatever things are well-spoken-of,
“whatever things are virtuous,
“and whatever things are praiseworthy,
continue considering these things.”
Second, we can show our appreciation
by praying for those working hard
to support the Kingdom work
at world headquarters and in the branches
and remote translation offices
around the world.
Many Bethel families
have been on lockdown for over five months.
Our Bethel family members
have willingly obeyed the direction given
in order to protect the Kingdom work
and the flow of spiritual food.
We’re very proud of them
and truly appreciate their cooperation
as well as that of their families
and congregations.
Third, we can be generous
with our spiritual food.
Have a full share
in preaching and teaching
despite the limitations
we’re facing right now.
Also, if you find a verse you love
in your Bible reading
or a point that stands out
in an article or video,
don’t keep it to yourself.
Share the good things Jehovah has given us
with your brothers and sisters.
One aspect
of our spiritual food is our songs.
While you may have missed singing together
at your meetings or the convention,
our brothers and sisters
are still finding ways
to sing together—virtually.
The following video clip
of the song “Our Joy Eternally”
was made by brothers and sisters
serving as remote volunteers in France
while they were under lockdown.
Each person recorded
his or her part individually,
and then they were edited together
to create one virtual chorus.
I’m sure you’d agree that
that was a very refreshing way
to end our program.
Our love for Jehovah
and our determination
to live by his standards
are being tested each day.
And yet, because we’re being
well-fed spiritually,
we have everything we need
to meet those tests with joy.
Dear brothers and sisters,
please be assured of the warm love
of the Governing Body
and our prayers in your behalf.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting®.

2020 Governing Body Update #6