MY MISSIONARY ASSIGNMENT

Evelyn and I, along with Leo and Esther Mahan, arrived in our assignment in El Salvador in June 1946. We found that field “white for harvesting.” (John 4:35) The incident mentioned at the beginning of this story shows how infuriated the clergy were. Just a week earlier, we had held our first circuit assembly in Santa Ana. We widely advertised the public talk and were overjoyed to have nearly 500 in attendance. Rather than being scared out of town, we felt even more determined to stay and help honesthearted ones. Even though the clergy had warned people not to read the Bible and few could afford to own a copy, many were hungry for the truth. They appreciated our efforts to learn Spanish so that we could teach them about the true God, Jehovah, and about his precious promise of the restoration of Paradise on earth.

Rosa Ascencio was one of my early students. After she began studying the Bible, she separated from the man with whom she was living. Then he began to study the Bible. They got married, then baptized, and they became zealous Witnesses for Jehovah. Rosa was the first local pioneer in Santa Ana.b

Rosa owned a small grocery store. When she went out in the ministry, she would close her store and trust in Jehovah to provide for her needs. When she reopened her store after a few hours, customers flocked in to buy. She experienced firsthand the truth of Matthew 6:33 and was faithful until her death.

On one occasion, the local priest visited the man who rented a house to six of us missionaries and warned him that if he continued to rent to us, he and his wife would be excommunicated. The landlord, a prominent businessman, was already disgusted with the conduct of the clergy and did not yield to the pressure. He even told the priest that he would not mind being expelled from the church. He assured us that we were welcome to stay as long as we wanted.

A RESPECTED CITIZEN BECOMES A WITNESS

In the capital city, San Salvador, another missionary was studying the Bible with the wife of an engineer named Baltasar Perla. That good-hearted man had lost faith in God after observing the hypocrisy of the religious leaders. When the time came to build a branch office, Baltasar, although not yet in the truth, offered to design and construct the facility without charging for his services.

After associating with Jehovah’s people on the construction project, Baltasar became convinced that he had found the true religion. He was baptized on July 22, 1955, and his wife, Paulina, soon thereafter. Both their children are serving Jehovah faithfully. His son, Baltasar, Jr., has served for 49 years at Brooklyn Bethel, where he supports the ever-growing worldwide preaching work and now serves on the United States Branch Committee.c

When we began to hold conventions in San Salvador, Brother Perla helped us to get the use of a large gymnasium. At first, we used only a few sections of seats; but with Jehovah’s blessing, our ranks kept increasing year by year until we filled the gymnasium and even outgrew it! At those joyful events, I got to see those with whom I had studied the Bible. Imagine how I felt when my former students introduced me to my “grandchildren”​—newly baptized ones with whom they had studied!

At one assembly, a brother came up to me and said that he wanted to make a confession. I did not recognize him and was curious. He said, “I was one of the boys who threw stones at you in Santa Ana.” Now he was serving Jehovah with me! My heart swelled with joy. That conversation confirmed for me that the full-time ministry is the most rewarding career anyone could choose.

SATISFYING CHOICES

For nearly 29 years, I continued in the missionary work in El Salvador, first in the city of Santa Ana, then Sonsonate, next Santa Tecla, and finally San Salvador. In 1975, after much prayerful thought, I decided to leave my missionary assignment and return to Spokane. My faithful, aging parents needed my assistance.