One day when he was crossing a bridge over the Hagneck Canal in the canton of Bern, Brother Weber met a man to whom he was able to witness. But as he lowered his knapsack, a book slipped out and fell into the shallow water at the edge of the canal lock, right before the rakes. Later on, when the lockkeeper came to clean the rakes, he found the book, dried it, and started to read. It was a copy of Brother Russell’s Studies in the Scriptures, Volume I. The lockkeeper and his wife marveled at what they were learning and they became convinced that they had found the truth.

Among the first persons to receive the truth through Brother Weber was Mrs. Anna Bachmann in Basel. Although she had regularly attended the Evangelical Reformed Church, her interest in Bible study was aroused when Brother Weber talked to her about God’s purpose for mankind and the fundamental truths of the Bible. She accepted the Divine Plan of the Ages and studied it all by herself, since there was no one around to help her.