• Ecuador
    1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • One day when witnessing in Riobamba, Jack left the book “Let God Be True” with César Santos, a young married man. He became so fascinated by what he was reading that he could not put it down that night until he had read it all. The chapter that caused an immediate reaction was “Use of Images in Worship.” He read: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” (Ex. 20:3-5, KJ) Now, César was particularly devoted to San Antonio, a Catholic saint, and kept an image of him in his house. But as César continued reading he glowered up at the image of that once favorite saint and said, “I’m going to take you down right away.” He finished reading the chapter, reached up, grabbed the image, took it outside, and threw it away.

      When he began telling his relatives and friends what he had learned, they thought he had gone crazy. However, a week later he visited his younger brother Jorge and asked him to read the book. Jorge was impressed by the logic of it and was deeply moved by the prospect of a paradise earth. A month later he was out in the field service with the missionaries.

      Jorge still had some things to learn though. One day he was eating when Jack Hall came to visit. Jorge’s mother was serving some fried blood, a common dish in this part of the country. When Jack was offered some, he politely refused and took advantage of the opportunity to explain what the Bible says about blood. (Gen. 9:4; Acts 15:28, 29) Jorge promptly took it to heart. Much to his mother’s surprise, he refused to finish what was on his plate.

      Soon even more members of this family were to be benefited by the truth.

      Determined to Serve God

      Orffa, César’s 18-year-old sister-in-law, once had asked a Catholic priest to tell her who created God. He did not know, so she asked an Evangelist pastor. He could not answer her question either. Then she asked César, and he explained from the Bible that Jehovah has neither beginning nor end. (Ps. 90:2) This simple truth was enough to spark in Orffa a flame of interest that spread to her two sisters.