Jehovah’s Witnesses travel to Hawai‘i for outreach to Tagalog residents

Jehovah’s Witnesses have organized to travel to Hawai‘i for the Tagalog-speaking community during the month of May.

More than 220 Tagalog preachers from all corners of the United States will travel to the major islands and join local Witnesses to share their beliefs.

According to the Hawaii State Department of Business, Economic Development and
Tourism, about 58,000 people in Hawai‘i spoke Tagalog at home during the 2017-2021 period. The current estimate may be higher.

To reach as many Tagalog residents as possible, volunteers from as far away as Alaska, Massachusetts and Florida will join six Tagalog congregations of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Hawai‘i in their door-to-door and public ministry.

“We want to help draw people to the Bible using the language that reaches their heart,” said campaign coordinator and Hawai‘i resident Roel Tuzon.

Tuzon, a local-born Filipino who learned to speak Tagalog 23 years ago to support his Tagalog Bible education work, will join other campaign participants in sharing Bible scriptures and translated literature and offering a free interactive Bible study course in Tagalog. Volunteers will also be inviting the public to local Tagalog congregation meetings.

“I’ve been able to visit Hawai‘i a few times, and I love the place itself—it’s beautiful—but I mostly love the people,” said Shayne Torrijos, who, together with her husband Joshua, took time off from their jobs in Portland, Oregon, to participate in the campaign on the Big
Island.