FROM FISHERMEN TO FISHERS OF MEN

In 1940 Josephine Steele journeyed to Moín, just north of Puerto Limón. To begin her witnessing, she set up her phonograph at the train station in Moín. She wound the phonograph’s motor with a number of hardy turns of the crank, gingerly placed the needle on the first groove of a recording of Judge Rutherford, and flicked the starter switch. “Religion is a snare and a racket,” boomed the voice from the phonograph. A large group of men gathered. One of the group, Vincente Sanguinetty, sent for his fisherman friend, Silbert Spence. Silbert, with pants rolled up, approached the cluster of listeners, put his hands on his hips, looked at his friend Vincente, and asked: “Who’s that talking?”

“It’s the Judge, silly!” answered Vincente, referring to Joseph F. Rutherford, the Watch Tower Society’s second president.

Since Vincente had already read some of Brother Rutherford’s books, the two men kept Josephine busy all day with their Bible questions. Vincente told Sister Steele that one day at sea in the midst of a terrible storm he prayed to the Lord for help and promised to serve him if he survived. He still wanted to fulfill his promise to God, but the two “D’s” were bothering him​—damsels and drugs. A Bible study was started with these two men, and soon afterward, on September 21, 1940, both were baptized, as was Silbert’s wife, Valmina.

“My joy began to increase as I came to realize that Jesus’ words to Peter and Andrew were being fulfilled in me,” said Silbert. “I was now fishing for men.” Joshua Steelman, visiting as a special representative of the Society, asked Silbert: “When do you plan to go pioneering, when Armageddon is knocking at the door?” Silbert saw the urgency of the times. He and Valmina started pioneering November 1948.

Even though Silbert had a hard time speaking the Spanish language, he was assigned as the Spanish circuit overseer. At first, all his talks were in English, and someone would translate. One day a Spanish-speaking brother reassured Silbert with the words: “Brother Silbert, don’t be worried about your Spanish. We realize that you have trouble, but at the same time we learn the truth more easily from you.” Thus love has no language barriers.

Silbert’s wife worked faithfully with him in the circuit work until her death in 1974. He faithfully served as a member of the Branch Committee until his death in May 1985.

[Pictures on page 225]

Silbert Spence, moved by the recording by Brother Rutherford “Religion Is a Snare and a Racket,” started pioneering with his wife, Valmina, in 1948. Member of the Branch Committee until his death in May 1985