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In this update, I’d like to talk with you
about something very close to my heart
—Bethel.
When I learned the truth as a teenager,
I made Bethel service a goal.
After I was baptized,
I pioneered for two years
and then I came to Bethel.
And I’ve been here for 36 years now.
So I’m happy to talk to you
about how things are going at Bethel
and how the worldwide Bethel family
is coping with the pandemic.
No doubt you’ll be encouraged to hear
what helps them to remain joyful
in their service.
Many of you have expressed appreciation,
saying that during this pandemic,
we have continued to receive spiritual food.
This includes our weekly meetings,
news articles on jw.org,
new publications, monthly broadcasts,
convention programs, and more.
All of this is possible
because of the willing spirit
and hard work of our Bethel family
under challenging circumstances.
Around the world, the Bethel family
has been sheltering in place,
in most cases, for about one year.
Our Bethelites have sacrificed opportunities
to spend time in person
with family and dear friends,
and they’ve done this
with a cooperative and willing spirit.
Why?
Because they love Jehovah and Jesus,
and because they love you.
They want to serve the needs
of our worldwide brotherhood.
That’s been a sacrifice for them,
but we know that’s also been
a sacrifice for all of you
who have family and friends at Bethel
because you haven’t been able
to see them in person
during these difficult times.
In a sense, you’ve made
a contribution to the work
by helping members of your family
who are at Bethel
to be able to stay and concentrate
on their work.
What a beautiful gift your support has been!
Of course, when this all began,
few imagined it would stretch on for so long.
In the following video,
you’ll see what some
of our hardworking Bethelites have been doing
to maintain their joy
and keep the Kingdom work going
without interruption.
Three things that I miss are traveling,
playing sports,
and taco stands.
I really miss my family.
Well, as I’m living on my own,
the most difficult thing for me
is that I miss the brothers.
I don’t have as much contact with them
as I did before.
Most of all, I miss my two young nieces.
I am very close to them.
I really miss hugging the sisters
and the kids in the congregation.
Everything changed overnight
and very suddenly.
The brothers from outside Bethel
who came to help us with the recordings
could not do this anymore,
so the work increased considerably,
especially for the regional convention.
We had more work than ever.
Right before the pandemic,
I was assigned to a new branch.
That means learning a brand-new culture
and starting again, developing friendships.
I didn’t feel as busy as before
or as busy as I would have liked
to have been.
And I have to admit,
I sometimes have the feeling
that I’m just not as useful as I was before.
My dad had to be admitted to a hospital
because he became very ill,
and I felt helpless and guilty
because I couldn’t do
what I really wanted to do
—to be with my family.
Because we live in an apartment
right in the city center,
we can’t go out.
When you’re lonely
and trapped inside four walls,
it’s very easy to get lost
in negative thoughts.
I like to think
about the Biblical example of Joseph.
He did not concentrate
on the negative aspects of his situation,
but, rather, he always thought
of doing his best
with all the assignments he was given.
Of course, the Bible has helped me a lot.
I think about Bible texts
such as Psalm 94:18, 19,
where it says:
“Your loyal love, O Jehovah,
kept supporting me.
When anxieties overwhelmed me,
you comforted and soothed me.”
Thinking about the Paradise,
I picture myself with my Mom
and my sister Carol,
walking along the beach
and watching a beautiful sunset.
We’ll have all eternity to be together.
I do exercise every day,
and I also connect with the congregation
for the preaching work.
Increasing the time I spend
in the preaching work
has allowed me to focus
on helping other people.
Auxiliary pioneering has been
my window into the world outside.
When my friends and family ask me
how I’m doing, I tell them that I’m OK.
We don’t try to paint an unrealistic picture
that all is fine
and that there are no challenges,
but we try always to be positive.
My wife and I tell them to remain calm
because at Bethel, they take good care of us.
But they still know that it’s not easy.
And every time
I see them smile in a video call,
it’s as if they were giving my heart
a big hug.
Also, by doing practical things
for our parents,
for example, we would connect with them
and read the daily text together.
Being at Bethel during the pandemic
is a great privilege
because it gives me the circumstances
to be a source of encouragement
for those at Bethel
who are going through a rough time
but especially for the friends who are out
in the front lines of this battle.
Being at Bethel makes me feel
deeply indebted to Jehovah.
He’s been taking care of us
spiritually, emotionally, and physically.
And we are here serving at Bethel
(as it has been said) as the “supply line”
to support the brothers.
I’m doing this
at the most crucial moment of history.
And I’m seeing all of this up close.
That’s why every sacrifice I make
for this privilege is worth it.
We deeply appreciate our Bethelites
along with their families
and their congregations
for all the sacrifices they’re making
in support of the Kingdom work.
We keep all of you dear brothers and sisters
in our prayers.
As you saw from the video,
like you, our Bethelites
deal with anxieties during the pandemic.
It’s normal to have these feelings.
We know that the trials
that we’re experiencing are going to end.
But in the meantime, we’re dealing
with very real human emotions.
So, what can we do to cope?
First, be honest about it with Jehovah
and express to him what you’re dealing with.
When David prayed to Jehovah
in a time of crisis,
he said at Psalm 142:2:
“Before him I pour out my concern;
before him I tell about my distress.”
We can do the same.
Pour out your concerns and anxieties
to Jehovah.
He promises to help us cope if we have faith.
Pray for faith each day.
Along with this, keep in mind
that today’s problems are only temporary.
The last days had a beginning,
and the last days will have an end.
This pandemic had a beginning,
and this pandemic will have an end.
The apostle Paul called such trials
“momentary.”
And this is the case even more so
as we move toward the end
of this system of things.
At 2 Corinthians 4:17, 18, he said:
“For though the tribulation
is momentary and light,
“it works out for us a glory
“that is of more and more
surpassing greatness
“and is everlasting;
“while we keep our eyes,
“not on the things seen,
“but on the things unseen.
“For the things seen are temporary,
but the things unseen are everlasting.”
That inspired advice
benefited the early Christians,
and it can benefit all of God’s people today.
We commend all of you
for your faithful endurance
and for remaining busy
in your service to Jehovah.
Through your efforts
along with the power of Jehovah’s spirit
not only has the Kingdom work continued
but it’s also moving forward
and expanding in exciting ways.
One example of that
is the world headquarters project
at Ramapo, New York,
announced at the 2019 annual meeting.
Have you been wondering
how the Ramapo project
has been affected by the pandemic?
We’re happy to share
this behind-the-scenes report
on how things have been progressing.
On the January 2020 monthly broadcast,
our brothers around the world learned
that the Governing Body had determined
it was Jehovah’s direction
and approval had been given
for a site dedicated primarily
to media production in Ramapo.
Well, just three months later,
a once-in-a-generation event, COVID-19,
brought grinding to a halt
the plans that large institutions,
even nations,
had in mind.
How were the plans for Ramapo affected?
Was it really the right time
for Jehovah’s organization
to start a major construction project?
As we review the events of 2020, look out
not only for clear evidence
of Jehovah’s direction and blessing
but also the conclusion that Job once came to
when he said to Jehovah,
‘Nothing you have in mind
is impossible for you to do.’
For a period here in New York,
nonessential construction activities
were restricted.
However, at the exact time
our project schedule required it,
the town of Ramapo started holding
town board meetings
over (you guessed it) Zoom.
That meant that even though we were
in the midst of the unfolding global chaos,
we were still able to meet a milestone
on July 8, 2020,
when we had our first project meeting
with the town board.
And we have clearly seen Jehovah’s blessing
in the meetings we have had with them
since then.
We hit a second
and much more significant milestone
on December 9, 2020,
when the town approved
our scoping document.
Like the homework a teacher assigns a student
in order to pass an important grade,
we now know the information
we should provide the town
in order to obtain permission
to start construction.
When will that be?
Currently, we are on course
for the end of 2021.
That is a number of months earlier
than had originally been planned for,
even before the pandemic.
So just as Job said,
‘Nothing Jehovah has in mind is impossible.’
Since April 2019,
when the Construction Project Committee
was appointed,
the design of the site
and the first buildings to be constructed
has advanced tremendously.
Many key lessons taken
from recent large projects
have influenced the direction
that the Worldwide
Design/Construction Department,
under the direction
of the Publishing Committee,
have given.
The Ramapo site is 249 acres.
The buildings are about 160 feet
above Sterling Mine Road.
The primary interests off Sterling Mine Road
bring you first to the visitors’ center,
which will accommodate
1,200 visitors per day.
The studio building with its soundstages
is in the center of the site
and adjacent to the studios are workshops.
Over the ridgeline is the back lot
for outdoor sets and filming.
Next to the studios are the offices,
reception,
and the events building.
This building can be configured
as either a large assembly space
for 1,300 attendees,
a large dining room for 1,200 people,
or some yet-to-be-defined function.
On the west of the site are residences
for 1,290 volunteers.
Much time and energy have been invested
in the research
of the best energy options for the site.
This led to the decision to use electricity
as the primary energy source.
A vast geothermal well field
located beneath the studios
will heat and cool the entire complex,
and 120,000 square feet
of photovoltaic panels
will create electricity,
which is then stored
in an industrial-grade battery bank
and can thus be used at any time.
The result is that the site
has its own microgrid
with the ability to make, to store,
and then to redirect energy
around the site where it is needed.
Many of us who generally work
in an office environment
have gotten used to working from home
during the pandemic.
Will that affect the need for office space
on the Ramapo project?
Frankly, it’s impossible to predict
what the configuration of office space
will be in the future.
Therefore, flexibility in the layout
of future office space
is the most important design criteria.
The building is divided
into 10-foot by 15-foot modules.
Each module has a ceiling cloud above it
containing a heating and cooling unit
and lighting.
Power and data wiring are in a raised floor
to allow for a variety of configurations
and reconfigurations.
Demountable partitions extend from the floor
to the deck above.
They can transform one module
into a single office
or small conference room.
Partitions can group several modules together
to form a larger conference room,
or the floor can be free of partitions
to work as an open-plan work area.
More important,
as these demountable partitions
have no services in them,
these changes can be made at any time before
or after moving into the facility,
as office needs are better understood.
Maximizing the glass on the facades
and then the use of glass partitions
inside the offices
ensures that all offices
have plenty of natural light.
The ten residence buildings are oriented
in a north-south direction
so that all rooms will have
either morning or afternoon sun.
They are clustered around existing wetlands.
Careful research led to the decision
to pursue a different structural system
known as mass timber
—something we’ve not done
on previous projects of this scale.
Timber is bonded
in crossed directional layers
to form the structural elements
of the building.
This is an increasingly familiar system.
Robust and safe
—that means that the beams,
the columns, and the floors
can be prefabricated off-site,
making the structure of the building
faster to put up.
And apart from being economical, time-saving,
and reducing the carbon footprint
of the project,
it should also make
for some very attractive buildings.
As many filming
and recording projects
will be produced at the new Ramapo facility,
50 rooms in the residence building
closest to the center of the site
have been designed
to be smaller hotellike rooms
that will allow for comfortable
short-term stays
for those here to assist
as cast members
or other visitors.
As mentioned, many have worked
from home during the pandemic,
and some prefer it.
Will it be the wave of the future?
We cannot say.
However, the majority of the residence rooms
will have a separate room
—many with a window—
that can be used
either as an additional storage room
or home office.
Future updates will feature
the central focus of this new facility
—the new AVS studios building.
Although it will be the biggest
we have ever constructed,
more important,
it will bring what is presently done
in many different areas
—and, of course,
our hardworking brothers and sisters—
all under one roof.
Despite a number of challenges in 2020,
the Ramapo project kept moving forward.
As we look ahead, we eagerly await
even further evidence
that nothing Jehovah has in mind
is impossible for him to do.
The amazing progress we’re making
with Ramapo
—even in the middle
of such challenging circumstances—
reminds us of Psalm chapter 127
and verse 1:
“Unless Jehovah builds the house,
it is in vain that its builders
work hard on it.”
There’s no doubt that Jehovah is helping us
“[build] the house” at Ramapo!
You may have noted
that the video mentioned future updates.
So, in time, you can look forward
to more reports about the Ramapo project.
When we reflect on all
that’s been accomplished this past year,
it’s clear that Jehovah is blessing
the self-sacrifice
of our worldwide Bethel family.
They’re like the ones described
at Psalm 110:3,
where it says:
“Your people
will offer themselves willingly.”
These brothers and sisters
are truly “[offering] themselves willingly”
to Jehovah
day after day.
So please keep the Bethel family
and the Ramapo project in your prayers.
We’re confident that Jehovah
will bless your hard work
and your endurance during this pandemic,
whether you’re serving
in Bethel or in the field.
And we know that you’ll show the same zeal
during the campaign
to invite as many as possible
to the special talk
and Memorial of Christ’s death.
It’s our earnest prayer
that Jehovah continue to guide
and strengthen you
in the days ahead.
From the World Headquarters
of Jehovah’s Witnesses,
this is JW Broadcasting®.

2021 Governing Body Update #2