IN THE face of widespread economic strain, national conflicts and social unrest, surveys indicate that confidence in the future is at an all-time low in many countries including the Philippines. According to the 2023 Edelman Trust Barometer, 24 of the 28 countries surveyed are seeing “all-time lows in the number of people who think their families will be better off in five years.”
Against this backdrop of pessimism, a special global program featuring the theme, "You Can Face the Future with Confidence!" will be held on the weekend of April 1 to 2, 2023. The free 30-minute presentation will be hosted locally at the Central and Eastern Visayas Kingdom Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses, with a video conferencing option available. Please check the “Attend a Meeting” section on the homepage of JW.ORG (https://www.jw.org/ for local addresses and meeting times.
“The challenges we face may seem overwhelming, but the Bible holds out a powerful hope for the future that can help us right now,” said James Morales, spokesman for Jehovah’s Witnesses. “This global program is designed to give all those who attend tangible reasons to face the future with confidence.”
Belinda Gabisay of Barangay Bonbon in Cebu, felt downhearted after being diagnosed with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, a lifelong, autoimmune disease that currently has no cure. This disease is affecting her life, making it hard for her to accomplish daily activities, even simple tasks, such as holding her cellphone. When she began to study the Bible in 2017, her outlook changed positively. “It did not take long for me to accept my circumstances. I felt hopeful about the future”, said Gabisay, who is looking forward to attending the upcoming special program. “I began to focus on positive things which helped me to remain joyful despite my situation.”
The special talk is the first of two free programs that will be held in all 118,000 congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses during the first week of April. The public is also invited to join nearly 20 million other global attendees for the annual observance of the Memorial of Jesus Christ’s death, to be held on the evening of Tuesday, April 4, 2023.
Admission to both programs is free, and no registration is required. Details on when and where these events will be held locally are available on JW.ORG (https://www.jw.org/, the official website of Jehovah’s Witnesses. (SPONSORED CONTENT)