From Seminary to ‘Pioneering’

“I came from a very Catholic family and was sent to study for the priesthood. In the seminary we took certain oaths of chastity, poverty and humility but I noticed that these did not mean much and that many were homosexuals. When one man tried to abuse me, I left the seminary. Then I began to live a very dissolute life. I was in a Latin-American country and became a smuggler of drugs, liquor, tobacco and arms. I was in prison various times. Finally, in Puerto Rico I set up a business and tried to change my life, but due to drunkenness I went bankrupt. Finally, in a very decrepit state I called on God for help. I asked a Pentecostal man to help, but he just told me to come to his church and receive the holy spirit.

“Then I opened up another business and found a man who would work with me. I asked his religion and he said he was one of Jehovah’s Witnesses. Right away I asked him to help me to read the Bible. He came to my home and we studied from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. one Sunday. I told him not to ask me to attend his church, as I was not interested in churches. He promised to respect my wishes. That afternoon I began reading the book that we had studied and at 12:00 midnight I had finished it. Next day when the Witness came to work I asked him to take me to his church. He was surprised, of course, but then I told him that I had read the book and wanted to attend a meeting to see if this was really the truth. I went to a meeting and was very impressed. Upon coming home I told my wife to prepare some nice clean, neat clothes because I wanted to go again to the meeting but wanted to be dressed like the rest. . . . Now my business is doing fine, I have paid my debts, am an auxiliary pioneer, daily telling others about God’s kingdom, and making plans for the regular pioneer work.”​—Contributed.