In 1997 two special pioneers were making their weekly visit to the Najayo Prison in San Cristóbal when they met Gloria, a 23-year-old Colombian woman who had been imprisoned for drug trafficking. She had been having discussions with a sister who was wrongly imprisoned. To help answer Gloria’s Bible questions, the brothers brought her the book Reasoning From the Scriptures and other publications. Her enthusiasm and zeal for learning affected other prisoners, so the group that received the weekly visit kept increasing.

The truth produced extraordinary changes in Gloria, and in 1999 she qualified to be an unbaptized publisher. Each month she spent more than 70 hours preaching in her prison territory, and she conducted six progressive Bible studies with other inmates. Then, in 2000, she applied for and was granted a presidential pardon because of her good conduct. She was released and sent back to Colombia. In 2001, shortly after arriving in her home country, she was baptized, even though her family strongly opposed her decision.

After Gloria’s baptism, she began pioneering. She married a brother who is an elder, and they are both regular pioneers. They are currently serving in an area of Colombia where the need is greater. Gloria has helped several of her students to the point of dedication and baptism. She says that she feels indebted to Jehovah, and the best way to repay him is to do for others what was done for her​—help them to know the truth.