Jehovah’s Witnesses in area resume public ministry 2 years after going virtual

MUNDELEIN -- If you happen to be passing by Karina’s Bakery on North. Seymour Avenue this weekend, you may notice a pre-pandemic fixture just outside the entrance: smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message and free Bible-based literature.

Eduardo and Diana Aparicio are happy to resume offering Bible-based literature at a mobile display in Mundelein.

Thousands of these carts have been rolling down the streets of communities like Mundelein all across the world as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommenced their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.

Eduardo Aparicio and his wife, Diana, are two Jehovah’s Witnesses who are glad to be back at the carts with a message of comfort for their Mundelein neighbors.

“There’s a lot of bad news out there, and to be able to offer something positive feels so good,” Eduardo said.

Diana, who regularly volunteers at the cart with her husband, agreed. “I had missed the interaction with people, being able to see the expression on their faces when we share something comforting with them,” she said. “Even if we don’t have a conversation, just sharing a smile can make someone’s day.”

The Christian organization has returned to its public ministry for the first time since March 2020, when all in-person forms of their volunteer work were suspended out of concern for the health and safety of the community.

In response to the global decision, 25 congregations in the local area have opened their cart locations at places such as the Lake Forest Oasis, the Historic Woodstock Square and the McHenry Riverwalk.

The local congregations have also resumed free in-person Bible studies along with personal visits to those who have invited them back to their homes. This began two months after the organization began gathering at their Kingdom Halls once again for in-person meetings.

“While we understand that the pandemic is not over, we are entering into a phase of learning to live with COVID,” said Robert Hendriks, U.S. spokesperson for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “We are sensitive to the risks that still face our communities and our volunteers, which is why we will not resume door-to-door ministry at this time. Each volunteer will make a personal choice as to whether their ministry will remain strictly virtual or whether they are ready to make in-person visits again. We are excited that we all have a choice!”

Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ public ministry in the U.S. since 2011. While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, the practice quickly spread to tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets. The carts first appeared on Chicago streets in 2012.

The Aparicios said the reception from their community has been positive. “We’ve had people say hi, smile at us, and say, ‘It’s nice to see you all back.’ That makes us happy,” Eduardo said.

“The first day back doing cart witnessing, a man approached and expressed that he was going through so much in his life and felt like he needed to get closer to God,” Diana said. After sharing some encouraging scriptural thoughts, the couple invited the man to the local Kingdom Hall to learn more about the Bible.

“All of us are experiencing some sort of anxiety, stress or tension,” Eduardo said. “The Bible’s message helps us stay calm and have a peaceful heart.”

To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website jw.org, featuring content in more than 1,000 languages