"Fights Without, Fears Within"

When it comes to meeting attendance, we all have hurdles to get past. Maybe it's needing to turn down work and disappoint our boss. Maybe it's leaving behind family that won't be joining us. Maybe it's getting past exhaustion. Or perhaps, in some distant land, in a Kingdom Hall far, far away, it's something else entirely: a terrorist that comes into the Kingdom Hall with the sole purpose of frightening all those in attendance. Generally he comes in and goes directly to the speaker's podium. But when an attendant rushes to the rescue, he chooses his next victim from the audience. He hurls himself into the air, and where he lands is anyone's guess. Sometimes, during a suicidal mission, he even hurls himself toward the fan, only to be smacked down on some innocent below. You may try to convince yourself you're ready for him: you inhale, hold your breath, close your eyes and cling to the armrests in preparation. But when you feel the thud on your shoulder, and those clawed nasty feet cling to your clothes, he has won a victory. Because at that moment, there's a screamer in the hall, and it is you.

Last week it happened this way. One flew towards the speaker, and our hero Adolfo flung him outside. But then, two more of his nasty friends were creeping towards the front row. Towards ME. And the biggest of the two, oh, he was obviously experienced at this form of terror, because while his partner in crime distracted Adolfo, he ran directly underneath my seat between my legs, and I, like a panicked fool, lifted my legs into the air, and let out a muffled scream from the front row. After the ensuing commotion, confusion, and surrounding laughter, I put my feet down and relaxed. Oh but no, he wasn't finished terrorizing; within seconds I felt a large weight against my foot, and at that moment, during a talk I am sorry to say I have no recollection of, instead of waiting for help, I got up and ran straight out of the Kingdom Hall.







This, my friends, is the monster we must face here in Costa Rica. At times he even tries to sit among us for the nefarious purpose of gaining secret information. Look as he even tries to raise his hand to comment. But we are wise to him. We will continue to fight against him.