In a small town some 10 kilometers (6 miles) from San José, there were no witnesses of Jehovah. A number of parents there sought family guidance from the Catholic Church, but all in vain. Impressed by certain Watch Tower publications (including the Truth book) that directed them to the Bible, all agreed that they would use our literature to study the Scriptures and would apply the things learned. Then they would simply ask Jehovah’s Witnesses to let them join as a congregation. They began calling themselves “Jehovah’s worshipers.” However, false ideas and practices began creeping in, such as naming 12 apostles​—women as well as men. After a time, the branch office arranged for a Bible study with one family and good progress was made. Later, the remaining members of the group also asked that a study be conducted with them. On arriving for the first study, a missionary found 17 people waiting, all with Bible in hand and Truth books opened. Soon, individual family studies were arranged in place of one large meeting, and progress became more rapid.

Some years ago, two young inmates on San Lucas​—one a convicted thief and the other serving a long sentence for murder—​took their stand as Christians beside those who had patiently helped them. One of these men states: “Imagine the impression made on the other convicts when whole boatloads of brothers came just to visit me and another interested inmate. Of course, they talked about the Bible to other convicts and the guards; but afterward they would spend a lot of time building us up and just being with us. How those visits fortified us! After all the visitors would leave, my companion and I would try to teach inmates and guards alike as we had seen the brothers doing this. Years later, we found that two of the guards with whom we had sown the first Kingdom seeds had become Jehovah’s Witnesses too. Due to my conduct, my sentence became shorter and shorter and I was freed after just three and a half years.” Both of these young men continued to make good progress outside prison, were baptized and are serving Jehovah faithfully.