There are only two Jehovah’s Witnesses at Westlake that sophomore Katherine Aldama knows about, herself included. While the religion boasts around 8 million worldwide, there is no Westlake community to speak of. The greater Austin area, however, has around 50 Kingdom Halls – the places of worship.

Jehovah’s Witnesses are a Christian denomination.

“We believe that God is the father of Jesus Christ and that he uses his Holy Spirit to help us,” Katherine said. “Another belief we hold is that God made a promise that in the future we would live in a world without crime and without pain.”

It is typical for a Jehovah’s Witness to go to services twice a week, on Sundays and Mondays. Services normally last one and a half hours and end with a song and a prayer.

“On Sundays we have a speech based on the Bible off a certain topic, and then we have a magazine study off of a magazine called The Watchtower, which helps us with something specific in our lives using examples from the Bible,” Katherine said.

Another feature of Jehovah’s Witnesses is that the layout of the services is different on each day.

“Mondays we have what’s called a Split-Theocratic Ministry School, where some of the members give presentations on how to preach,” Katherine said.

Katherine’s religion typically does not celebrate holidays except for weddings and anniversaries – this includes birthdays, Easters and Christmases. However, like any religious organization, they have traditions of their own which they consider very special.

“We commemorate the death of Jesus Christ each year, and the day varies,” Katherine said. “We invite people to come join us, even if they’re not a part of the organization. Anyone is welcome to attend our services at any time.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses are known for going door to door in what people perceive as an attempt to convert others. However, Katherine said this is not their intention.

“What we truly wish to accomplish by going door to door is not to convert people, but to encourage people to read their Bibles and know what God offers,” Katherine said.

Katherine enjoys many aspects about her religion, especially the tendency of the members to welcome anyone.

“Being a Jehovah’s Witness is something that helps me remember every day what God expects of me and what my morals and values are,” Katherine said. “We’re all united, and anywhere we go in the world we know one of our members is going to receive us like family.”

Katherine, who was born into the religion, is sure she will continue to be active in this faith for many years to come.

“It makes me feel good that I’m attached to something that I am truly passionate about,” Katherine said. “I believe that I will continue to be a Jehovah’s Witness for the rest of my life because it’s something that will always be part of me.”