Mobile displays of Bible-based literature have been part of Jehovah’s Witnesses’ public ministry in the U.S. Since 2011.

LAHAINA — If you happen to be on Front Street 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 rolled down the streets of communities like Lahaina all across the world last week, as Jehovah’s Witnesses recommenced their global public preaching work some 24 months after putting it on pause due to the pandemic.

“Getting to see our neighbors face to face again is so nice,” said Whitney Shimokawa, a regular volunteer at the site.

“I realize how much I missed having personal contact with the community. It’s so rewarding to see the face of someone who appreciates our message of hope. This is my personal way of showing my love of neighbor.”

The Christian organization will return 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, congregations in the local area are now beginning to reopen their cart locations on Maui, including near Banyan Tree Park in Lahaina.

The local congregations will also resume 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!”

While “cart witnessing” began in large metropolitan areas around the world, the practice quickly spread to the tens of thousands of smaller communities, becoming a fixture in rail and bus stations, airports, harbors and main streets.

“Our public ministry has given us the opportunity to spread a message of hope to our neighbors on their own terms,” said Shimokawa.

“When they see our sign, many want to come up and talk. We get the chance to meet a lot of people who appreciate the work we are doing and have been positively affected by it.”

To learn more about Jehovah’s Witnesses, their history, beliefs and activities, visit their official website at jw.org, featuring content in more than 1,000 languages.