International Conventions
International conventions are similar to the regional conventions held each year with the following exception: International conventions are held in various lands including the United States about every five years or so. With these conventions, missionary ministers that are assigned to preach all over the world are invited to return home to reunite with family and friends as well as provide encouraging reports on their preaching activities.
International Convention Delegates - Tel Aviv, Israel
Stephanie and George were blessed to be selected to attend the International Convention held at the Nokia Arena in Tel Aviv, Israel. Tel Aviv is about an hour outside of Jerusalem.
It was the first time since Pentecost of 33 C.E. for Jehovah's Witnesses [or in Hebrew "the witnesses of Adona'i"] to meet for worship in a large assembly setting in the Jerusalem area.
A member of the Governing Body of Jehovah's Witnesses released for the first time the availability of the entire New World Translation of the Bible [all 66 books] in the Hebrew language.
Previously, the New World Translation Committee of Jehovah's Witnesses had never published a Hebrew translation of the "Greek Scriptures". Up to that point the brothers in Israel had been using translations of the "Greek Scriptures" that did not have the accuracy of the New World translation. All of the delegates from the US were shocked to learn that. Needless to say the Brothers in Israel were ecstatic to receive a complete rendering of the entire bible in their mother tongue that was reliably accurate. Truly a historic event!
Additionally, what made this convention really special for George and Stephanie was the opportunity to see, tour, and share in the culture [including the food] of places or locations mentioned in the bible that they had read about as children and still are learning about today.
Some of those areas include: City of Jerusalem, Port City of Caesarea, Mount of Olives, Nazareth, Garden of Gethsemane, Jordan River, City of David, Tel Aviv Bethel Branch, the Sea of Galilee, Mount Sinai, Joppa, Hezekiah's Tunnel, the Dead Sea Scrolls and more...
International Convention Delegates - Dallas, Texas
AT&T Stadium [located in Arlington a suburb of Dallas Texas] is the current home of the Dallas Cowboys professional football team. However for a week, it was used as one of the host venues for a International Regional Convention of Jehovah's Witnesses.
Sunday's final attendance at the convention was over 50,000, and 468 individuals symbolized their dedication as ministers of Jehovah by means of water baptism. Despite using two large swimming pools there were so many that got baptized that the baptism was completed only 5-10 minutes before the start of the afternoon session!!
An unexpected blessing was in store for George and Stephanie one week after their relocation from Jacksonville Florida to Dallas Texas. Two of the English speaking congregations at their Kingdom Hall were selected to host about 30 each of the international delegates that would be attending the international convention.
A special service day was arranged by the congregations that involved accompanying the international delegates in the field ministry the Thursday before the convention, sharing a noon meal with them, and hearing the delegates relate upbuilding experiences from all over the world including the Wakill/Watchtower Farms, Patterson, and Brooklyn Bethel.