In early 1925, Brother George Young arrived in Portugal and began sharing the Bible’s message. This was the first opportunity for many in that land to hear the good news. Soon after, on May 13, Brother J. F. Rutherford presented a Bible-based lecture entitled “How to Live on the Earth Forever.” In response to announcements in the local newspapers, some 2,000 people gathered in the Luís de Camões High School auditorium in Lisbon to hear Brother Rutherford’s discourse. Another 2,000 had to be turned away at the doors because of limited space in the auditorium. This event prompted many to take an interest in Bible truths and to begin serving Jehovah. Remarkably, later that same year, the first edition of The Watch Tower in Portuguese (Portugal) was published and a branch office was established in Lisbon. However, challenging times lay ahead for our brothers.

In 1926, a new dictatorial government came to power in Portugal. The government repeatedly opposed the branch’s attempts to obtain legal recognition for the preaching and teaching work. Nevertheless, our brothers and sisters courageously continued sharing the good news with others. Then the situation worsened in March 1961. Following a political uprising in Angola, which was a Portuguese colony at the time, our young brothers in Portugal faced intense persecution for their Christian neutrality. Many were arrested and mistreated for conscientiously refusing military service. Looking back, Brother David Mota, who endured harsh conditions while in prison for his neutral stand, said: “Despite facing unjust treatment for my convictions, being part of Jehovah’s organization has given me a meaningful, happy life.”

Finally, in 1974, the government of Portugal granted Jehovah’s Witnesses legal recognition, resulting in greater freedom for our brothers to share the Bible’s message with others. Then, on June 22, 2009, the government recognized Jehovah’s Witnesses as a long-standing religious community, granting them the highest legal status available to a religion in Portugal. Seventy-five-year-old Brother Carlos Reixa reflected: “It has been remarkable to see the growth of the work in Portugal. In 1961, there were about 1,000 publishers in the country. Today, there are more than 57,000!”

We can confidently say that Jehovah has lovingly cared for our brothers and sisters in Portugal over the past 100 years, proving that nothing can prevent him from ‘making the place of his tent more spacious.’—Isaiah 54:2.