May 15th,,,,Korea Bethel Tour and Lunch

One of our favorite days and sights in Korea!  A beautiful day at the Korea Bethel Branch.  Approx. 300 brothers and sisters.

The entrance sign.

Fleshly brothers: Russel and Jude Wilson, outside Korea Bethel

Yoonwha and Jude going into Bethel

Ready and waiting to start the short movie before our Bethel tour

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This building was used as a missionary home from August 1948.  In 1953 the Korea Branch was formed and it was located here until the Bethel family moved to Ameong in 1982.

Expansion.

The branch office moved to Anseong and a missionary home was set up in the former branch office in Seoul.

Due to standing for their Christian neutrality and refuse to bear arms against their fellow man, Korean men, and women, were imprisoned for several years, sometimes for several sentences.  Prison sentences have changed thru the years.  Right now it's 1 1/2 years, and only men are required to enlist for military service, thus, only Brothers are imprisoned at this point.

SISTERS sometimes were handcuffed together.  Notice the sister who is on her own, her right arm goes OVER her shoulder.  She was in this position for 7 days.

Specialized solitary cells designed for Jehovah's Witnesses

Noted in this picture, " Men who were of the age to be drafted were forced into the army, by officials waiting in front of the Kingdom Halls.

The Wilsons in front of a collage of various sacred service activity.

The printery.  Always so impressive.

Each department made their own "Welcome to" sign.  Note: the brothers in the Pressroom are standing on ROLLS of paper!!

The brothers of the Mechanics Department.

Why does he have a smile on his face?

The grounds were so well kept.  Other pictures follow.

Landscaping Deparment

An outdoor picnic area with picnic tables.

Jude and Yoonwha Wilson

Us. 

Lunchroom with our tour guide.  We'll have more pictures of the Lunchroom later. : )

A Bethelites room.  We have pictures from other room later.  All rooms have oven/stove.

A brother in the Legal Department.

Our "host", Ryan (American name) Kang.  He just transferred from the New Zealand branch.  He works in the Service Deparment.

A map of Congregations Korea.

Total Congregations in Korea: 1,381

8 Districts and 72 Circuits

Ratio of Publishers to Regular Pioneers. 13% of Witnesses WORLDWIDE are Pioneers.  In Korea, 36% of Witnesses are Pioneers!!

Pioneers by the Ages: (how many are 90-99? how many are 100 or older?)

The ratio of Male: Female Pioneers.
26.1% : 73.9%

We found this to be so interesting...

Witnessing to a householder (Yoonwha)

Our host and our tour guide.

Guess where were going now.

Lunch time!  300+

In this picture: tofu, rice and dessert (not sure what it is)

Sitting at our table was a brother who was on the cover of (Study Edition) December 15, 2012.  He is the brother playing checkers, on the right.

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After lunch, we were invited up to a Brother and Sister's room for homemade yogurt and fruit and chocolates.

The Brother making coffee for us.

Our hosts.  They didn't speak much English.

Leaving Bethel.

Thank you for taking a tour with us thru Korea's Bethel.