At the age of 12, Gustavo decided that he wanted to be a Roman Catholic priest. With his parents’ approval, he entered a religious seminary. There he became involved in music, theater, and politics, which were promoted by the church to attract youths. He knew that a priest was supposed to devote himself to the people and that he could not get married. Yet, some of the priests and seminarians that Gustavo knew were engaged in immoral practices. In such an atmosphere, Gustavo soon began to drink heavily. Clearly, he had not yet found a spiritual paradise.

One day, Gustavo read a Bible tract that spoke about an earthly paradise. It made him think about the purpose of life. He says: “I started to read the Bible frequently, but I did not understand it. I did not even see that God had a name.” He left the seminary and approached Jehovah’s Witnesses, seeking help to understand the Bible. Thereafter, he made quick progress and soon dedicated his life to God. Gustavo was learning about the spiritual paradise.

Why, though, did Gustavo feel that he had found a spiritual paradise in association with Jehovah’s Witnesses? He says: “I compared what I had seen in the world and especially in the seminary with what I found among Jehovah’s Witnesses. The great difference is the love among the Witnesses.”