Not Ashamed of the Goodnews Assembly was a success

3 times a year, Jehovah's witnesses attend larger gatherings known as Assemblies and conventions. This year, 2025 is not an exception. We have began this year's larger gatherings and just last Sunday, February 23rd, 2025, we attended the first for the year titled: Not Ashamed of the Goodnews. It is a gathering that anyone who is truly a Jehovah's witness will not like to miss. Yes, not even my family.

Hence, preparations were made to enable my family and I to attend this Assembly. We got this ready like

• Put the car in order by washing and brushing
• Get our clothings ready through ironing since they were washed already
• Get out shows ready by cleaning and polishing those that were supposed to be polished
• Buy foodstuffs for lunch
• Get enough rest in preparation so that no one sleeps during the meeting.
• Prepare our mind to accept the instructions

Once these things were ready in advance, we waited for the day to arrive.

The program of event were to begin by 9.40 am and as such, there was no need to wake up too early as I used to. I was able to wake up by past 6 am to begin the food preparation. Meanwhile, I already seasoned and prepared the meat the night before. So that morning, I began with the parboiling of the rice. Yea, it was fried rice that I planned preparing. After parboiling the rice, I fried my chicken, the veggies and then prepared the rice. After which, I mixed the veggies and packed in the lunch cooler as you can see below

I finished by 7.30 am. I was using double burner cooking gas to make it faster. Then, it was time for breakfast. We took bread and tea that morning as breakfast. After which we all began taking our bathe quickly. Thankfully, we were all dressed by 8.20 am and zoomed off. We went in company of @leosmart and her 3 kids. Here are my selfies in the vehicle and on arrival

	my selfie in the vehicle
My selfie with keosmart on arrival

We arrived there by 9.15 am and found a place to seat. Other delegates were also arriving at the same time. We got a place where we can get a clear view and the kids too can enjoy the program though you can always enjoyed programs from any seat since there were monitors all over the auditoriums. There are auditoriums A, B and C. We sat in the B that directly faced the platform.

We took pictures too as friends came around to exchange pleasantries

_{picture description from right to left:1. Is my family and that of leosmart, @dorismos. 2. My selfie with my little friend. 3. Dorismos with fortwis09 and 4. @elco and I}

The program was handed over to us before it began though it was also in soft copy at jw.org website which I already downloaded. But I still needed to write down something on the hardcopy to help me stay awake throughout the program. Here are the pictures of the 4 pages printed program

It is just a single leaf that is made in a way that it can be folded to achieve 4 pages. The above picture is the front and back. At the back you will also notice review questions that will be answered in course of the programs.

At exactly 9.40 am, the programs began with an opening song and prayer. Then the chairman for morning section introduced the first speaker who gave an enthusiastic talk that paved way for the rest of the programs. He gave highlights of the rest of the programs and prepared our minds in anticipation of the rich spiritual instructions to be received.

In course of the programs, the following points were gathered

• The world has goodnews but not in comparison to the one the Almighty has for us. For instance, while the world has goodnews that through the advancement in technology and researches, there is improvement in the life expectancy of citizens, some diseases can easily be controlled and food is more available than before and improved . But the almighty has a better goodnews which is that sickness will be gone, food will overflow and humans will life forever.

• The world has no goodnews about death because they can't help it. But the Almighty has promised that death will be no more (Revelation 21.4 of the Holy scriptures)

• We are proud to associate ourselves with the rulers of this world as to let people know how we are related to them. Should we not be more proud to be associate the Almighty as those who proclaim his goodnews? We should be more proud of that.

• The way we live our lives will make it easier for us not to be ashamed of the Goodnews. If our conduct is fine, then it speaks for itself. And we can have the boldness to speak up when opportunity calls for it.

• If we regularly study God's word, then we will also be prepared to know what to talk about the goodnews.

And so many other highlights.

There was a break that enabled us to eat our lunch and share with family and friends that came around. I got 2 plates of food from friends around me wile I also shared mine with those that came around. It was a wonderful moment and a happy one at that as we all were lie one family as if we came out from the same home. No worries, no concerns about anything bad. We all ate and drank with joy and happiness 😊.

The afternoon section began at the right with interviews and experiences. Closely followed was the watchtower study of which I was also a participant. Then there is the last symposium and the last talk that climaxed the program. Before 4pm, we were done. And after exchanging pleasantries again, we went to clean up the assigned place before leaving.

The answers to the review questions that I jotted down can be seen on the picture below

The points are

1. The good news comes from Jehovah and it brings salvation to those who accept it.
2. We courageously share the good news and boldly defend our God and his son
3. Motivated by love, we share the truth from God's word in a natural way that appeals to others
4. When faced with persecution, we rely on Jehovah's power, show love and work hard to remain sound in mind
5. By our words and actions, we support God's moral standards, his kingdom and his representatives.
6. We praise God for how he supports and guides us and we proudly tell others about him

These are the answers to the questions at the back page of the program leaflet that highlight the main points of the assembly. It is indeed a privilege to be in attendance.

Some other pictures I took are below

We zoomed back home in the company of all those we came with but we first of all dropped them in their own house before going home. We were hungry again and thank goodness that the rice remained a little at home and we were carving for it already. We ate it and then the kids prepared their school stuffs to start school on Monday after a week midterm break.

It was a wonderful day for me and my family including friends at that assembly. I am looking forward to the second assembly for the year and the third which will be a convention and a bigger one than the 2 assemblies.

All pictures were taken by me with my own device

The event took place at the Assembly hall of Jehovah's witnesses Mbiokporo Uyo Akwaibom State and I have used the SteemAtlas to locate it.