Back on the streets of Bonners Ferry after pandemic pause

If you happen to be near the Bonners Ferry Gateway Visitor Center this week, you may notice that a pre-pandemic fixture is back on the sidewalks: smiling faces standing next to colorful carts featuring a positive message and free Bible-based literature.

Thousands of these carts will be rolling down the streets of communities like Bonners Ferry all across the world as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommence their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.

“It’s nice to be face-to-face again,” said Daniel Hilden, a Bonners Ferry resident.

He and his wife, Briana, have regularly volunteered at the carts and expressed their happiness to once again engage with the community in this way.

“It’s a visible way to spread a positive message without people feeling like they need to make a commitment,” Briana said. “The world is filled with problems, but we share good news that can help us to cope, have a positive attitude and find lasting happiness.”

The Christian organization is returning 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, the local Bonners Ferry congregation is now reopening its cart locations at the Visitors Center, across the street from the post office and at the Georgia Mae Plaza.

The Bonners Ferry congregation also resumed free in-person Bible studies along with personal visits to those who have invited them back to their homes. This comes 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. In 2018, Witnesses in Bonners Ferry began offering a selection of Bible literature at the carts several times a week to be accessible to community members. For the Hildens, this work is a cherished means of giving back to the community.

“The carts help us to share good news in a world full of bad news,” Daniel said. Briana is delighted to be back. “We’ve had many in the community express that they are glad to have us back and thank us for the work we do.”

“Stop by,” she invited her neighbors, “even if it’s just to say hello! You may just find what you have been looking for.”

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.