Most of those who have made themselves available had to overcome certain obstacles. For example, William and Sandra, who are in their early 60’s, were settled, enjoying their life in Pennsylvania. They had a successful precision machining company that employed 17 people. They were serving with the same congregation they had been in since they were little children, and most of their relatives lived in the area. So when the opportunity arose to serve as commuters at Wallkill, they knew that it would mean saying good-bye to almost everyone and everything familiar to them. “Without a doubt, the single greatest challenge for us has been leaving our comfort zone,” says William. However, after much prayer, the couple decided to go ahead with their move —a step they do not regret. “The joy of being directly involved and serving alongside the Bethel family cannot be compared to anything else,” says William. “Sandra and I are happier than we have ever been!”

Some of the couples who are working at Wallkill

Ricky, a construction project manager in Hawaii, was invited to serve as a commuter Bethelite to assist with the Warwick project. His wife, Kendra, wanted him to accept the invitation. However, they had a legitimate concern: the welfare of their 11-year-old son, Jacob. They wondered if it would be wise to relocate the family to New York State and if their son would be able to adjust to a totally different environment.

“One of our priorities was that of finding a congregation with young ones who were doing well spiritually,” says Ricky. “We wanted Jacob to have plenty of good association.” As it turned out, the congregation where they ended up has very few children but several Bethelites. “After our first meeting there, I asked Jacob how he felt about the new congregation, especially since there weren’t any young ones his age,” says Ricky. “He told me, ‘Don’t worry, Dad. My friends will be the young Bethel brothers.’”

Jacob and his parents enjoy association with Bethelites in their congregation

Sure enough, the young Bethelites have befriended Jacob. With what effect? “One night, I was passing my son’s room and saw that the lights were still on,” Ricky relates. “I expected to catch him playing an electronic game, but he was reading the Bible! When I asked him what he was doing, Jacob said, ‘I’m being a young Bethelite, and I’m going to read the Bible in one year.’” Needless to say, Ricky and Kendra are thrilled, not only because Ricky can share in the construction work at Warwick but also because their move is contributing to their son’s spiritual growth. —Prov. 22:6.