to give up Bible studies. The children, thoroughly alarmed, tearfully pleaded in their mother’s behalf. But she quietly and courageously stood up to him, saying: “You can kill me, but I will not quit studying the Word of God. First, you should know that our children are going to be witnesses of your act, and above all you will have to answer to Almighty God for the blood you are about to spill.” With that he strode out of the house. In time she was baptized, and is now busy preaching and attending meetings at the Kingdom Hall with her children. Her husband never again forbade her to study.

Three years ago I came to Medellín. This second city in the country is located high in the Andes. Here, too, I am privileged to live with missionaries who graduated from the Watchtower Bible School of Gilead. That is a great comfort, for I am now over seventy-nine years of age and no longer have the physical strength that I long enjoyed. We have no car and must walk a great deal to accomplish our ministry. However, several of the people with whom I study the Bible are so appreciative that they come to “my home” for each weekly session. That way I can conserve energy and fulfill my 100-hour goal each month. And Jehovah’s blessing is surely on our labors, for the congregation here grew so much that it became necessary to divide it into three separate congregations. At every meeting we see new faces.

In retrospect these twenty years as a “pioneer” minister have been happy ones, filled with hard work, but bringing also deep satisfactions. How marvelous to me that Jehovah drew me out of a deathlike state and granted me a new lease on life! Even now as my physical strength is reduced, he keeps the way open for me to serve in some small way the grand interests of his kingdom. He ‘does not throw me away in the time of old age,’ neither does he ‘leave me because my power is failing me.’ (Ps. 71:9) Always underneath are the everlasting arms! For my part, I am determined to be “steadfast, unmovable, always having plenty to do in the work of the Lord.”—1 Cor. 15:58.

“I Quit Smoking!”

IN THE first century James the half brother of Jesus wrote an inspired letter to those scattered about who wanted to serve Jehovah. Among other points, he counseled: “Become doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves with false reasoning.”—Jas. 1:22.

Just as in that century, persons today who learn about God’s will are becoming “doers of the word, and not hearers only.” Two experiences related at assemblies of Jehovah’s witnesses last summer illustrate this.

A Witness in Mississippi received a letter from a friend requesting that a call be made on a woman living in the area. The Witness made the visit and she was able to arrange to hold a Bible study with the family. The minister reports: “After the first study on the true God and idols, she discarded a large religious picture which had held a place of prominence in the room. Over a period of time I helped them to appreciate the importance of coming to the Kingdom Hall. But, alas, within a week they moved twenty miles into the country, and they refused to let me come so far to pick them up. Finally they obtained an automobile. The same week they attended the Sunday meeting at the Kingdom Hall.

“What was the result? A changed family. They were firmly convinced that this was the truth from the Bible and were amazed by everyone’s friendliness. It so impressed the forty-year-old daughter that she began to feel guilty about her bad habits. After her first meeting she said: ‘I quit smoking!’ She later commented: ‘After Jehovah gave me so much, how could I come home and do something he disapproves of? I was afraid to wait. We never know what will happen tomorrow, and if I waited I might never have the chance to quit and prove my love for Jehovah.’”

The Witness added: “The remarkable thing—this woman is crippled. Cigarettes have been like a crutch to her all these years, but from what she learned at the Kingdom Hall in one meeting she received the incentive to give up the bad habit. At the second meeting she held out her hand and said: ‘Isn’t it pretty? It’s not brown and stained anymore from tobacco.’ She is now a regular attender.”

At a convention at Rochester, New York, a couple explained about a Bible study they had held, saying: “The couple smoked heavily, and when coming home from the study we smelled like smoked herring. Gradually they started to attend meetings at the Kingdom Hall. Later they began to share in the field ministry and expressed the desire to be baptized. But their problem was that they were both heavy smokers.

“They thought that they could be baptized and then quit smoking. We told them that the fact that they had not broken the habit would not exclude them from baptism, but they might be sneaking smokes for a long time.

“They made up their minds to quit smoking in December, but then they procrastinated. Each time they tried to quit they got nervous and irritable. Finally one of the Witnesses showed them some articles in The Watchtower and Awake! dealing with smoking. When they realized the Scriptural aspects of the matter, they decided to quit smoking at the time of the coming circuit assembly. They stuck to their decision, but reported that it was trying for both of them as they were very irritable and nervous for the first two weeks. But as time passed the craving for tobacco subsided. At the last district assembly they were baptized in symbol of their dedication to God. And they did so with a clean conscience, having put away this filthy habit. Since then the wife has enjoyed the privilege of vacation pioneering twice, making her very happy.”

Questions From Readers

● As one who is studying the Bible with Jehovah’s witnesses, I am interested in pleasing God. Seventeen years ago my husband left me, and I have not heard from him since. He may be deceased by now. Am I free to remarry?—A. S., U.S.A.

We are happy when those studying God’s Word express genuine interest in pleasing Jehovah. In order for one to do this it is important to acknowledge and live by his inspired Word.

The Bible says that death dissolves a marriage. Speaking about a Christian wife, the apostle Paul commented: “If her husband should fall asleep in death, she is free to be married to whom she wants, only in the Lord.” (1 Cor. 7:39; Rom. 7:2) The same would apply if the wife died; the husband would be free to remarry.

In the case in question, apparently there is no concrete evidence that the husband is dead. Thus the legal marriage still stands. It would be both illegal and immoral for the wife to go ahead and remarry just because she felt her husband was dead.

However, in many lands there are laws to the effect that if an adult has been absent and not heard from for a period of years he may be legally declared dead. Volume 17 of the legal work Corpus Juris states: “At common law the rule was that a presumption of death arose from an unexplained absence of seven years, . . . although in a few jurisdictions a shorter period has been prescribed by statute.” (Pages 1167, 1168) But one cannot simply assume that, since the specified time has passed, he or she is free to remarry. Legal steps must be taken. This lawbook continues: “No presumption of death of a person arises from the mere fact of his unexplained absence unless diligent efforts have been made to find him.”—Page 1171.

Just what legal action is required would have to be determined locally. The “diligent efforts” might include contacting all relatives and friends who could be expected to have heard from or about the absentee, checking at his