• Ecuador
    1989 Yearbook of Jehovah’s Witnesses

    • A Cyclist Enters a Different Race

      Mario Polo, a lifelong resident of Cuenca, was renowned for winning the nationwide cycling competition for several years in succession and retiring undefeated. For good reason, the city of Cuenca was quite proud of its native son.

      When Mario’s wife, Norma, began to study with the Witnesses, he decided to sit in once to see if he could get some of his own questions answered. The first thing he wanted to know was: “Who is the harlot mentioned in the book of Revelation?” (Rev. 17:3-5) The missionary replied that we usually start with simpler things of the Bible. But, since Mario had brought up the question, the missionary explained that the Bible uses the symbol of an immoral woman named Babylon the Great to represent the worldwide association of religions that do not keep separate from the world.​—Jas. 4:4; Rev. 18:2, 9, 10.

      From then on, Mario took a keen interest in the Bible study and made great efforts to attend even though his work was some distance out of town. Then one night he came to the missionary home with a very worried look on his face. He had obtained some literature from the Evangelists that made strong accusations against Jehovah’s Witnesses. The missionary replied that if those charges against us worried him, the best way to answer the accusations would be to request an Evangelist to be present to see if he could sustain them. That seemed quite fair to Mario. So he and the brother paid a visit to the Protestant pastor who was distributing the literature.

      Mario requested that the pastor come to his house to defend what he had said against Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was obliged to accept the invitation, otherwise his absence would have been an admission that the accusations were false.

      There were ten people, including Mario’s friends and relatives, waiting when the pastor accompanied by another preacher from his church showed up. The Trinity was selected for discussion. Every time a scripture was quoted to support the doctrine, Mario, his wife, or one of their friends would show the pastor why this did not apply. The missionary hardly had to say anything.

      After about a half hour, the pastor looked at his watch and said that he had another appointment. “But, Sir, you haven’t proved a thing yet,” protested one of those present. “Don’t tell us that you are now leaving us at the mercy of these wolves, as you call them!” The pastor left, saying that he would see about some future arrangement, but he refused to commit himself as to when it would be.

      He did return one day and told Norma Polo that he would come back​—but at a time when Jehovah’s Witnesses were not present. This seemed unjust to Mario, who went over to the pastor’s house and advised him that he would be welcome to his house only when Jehovah’s Witnesses were there to defend themselves. It was now very clear to Mario as to who had the truth and the courage to defend it.

      From that time on, Mario continued to make steady progress. Before long he was sharing in the field ministry right there in his own community, and later his wife and daughter joined him.