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Happy Experiences in the Pioneer Ministry

TYPICAL of the happy experiences one can have in the pioneer ministry are the following from a pioneer sister in Quebec, Canada:

“In the month of November, Mrs. A—— accepted the booklet offer. On the first back-call she was encouraged to read her Bible. On the second back-call she had a whole page of Bible questions she wanted answered. On the third back-call we arranged to have a systematic Bible study in ‘Let God Be True’ after we placed this and the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained with her. The day after we called she phoned to order another Paradise book and a Bible for her sister, Mrs. B——.

“When we arrived to start our first Bible study with her, before we could even take off our coats, she led us over to the piano where she had lined up all her crucifixes, rosaries, prayer books—even her big $35.00 Catholic Bible. ‘What of all this should I keep? What should I destroy?’ she asked. We advised her to keep her Bible and the Catechism for comparison.

“Mrs. B——, in the meantime, was contacted by a Witness in our congregation and arrangements were made to call some evening when her husband would be home. The Witness asked me to come along as the husband speaks nothing but English. A study in the booklet ‘This Good News of the Kingdom’ was started and literature was placed.

“The following week Mr. B—— posed many, many questions. Then he said, ‘Don’t call on me for two weeks. There is no doubt we will become Jehovah’s witnesses, but I must do a lot of thinking and a lot of reading first. This is going to mean a big change in our lives, and I want to make sure I’m doing the right thing. My wife can continue studying with you, but I want to wait for two weeks.’

“During these two weeks there was a showing of the Society’s film in our Kingdom Hall, so Mr. and Mrs. B—— and Mrs. A—— went. They were very impressed by the film even though Mr. B—— could not understand the commentary in French. He is already asking where he can attend meetings in English.

“During these two weeks he had to go on a trip for his company. He packed his New World Translation Bible, ‘The Truth Shall Make You Free’ and Paradise books, which he read completely. When he was leaving on his trip his little girl wanted to give him a medal, saying, ‘This will bring you good luck, daddy.’ He said, ‘We don’t need those medals anymore, dear, we have God with us now. Throw it in the incinerator.’ We are now starting our first study in the English ‘Let God Be True’ with the family.

“Mrs. A——, in the meantime, has obtained a big looseleaf binder and as she learns a new truth she enters it into her binder, as Truth number 1, Truth number 2, etc. She is up to 62. Each one is followed by a scripture to prove it. She is talking to her neighbors, and as she learns a new truth she shares it with her sister.

“Mr. B——, right at the second visit, after he had read the booklet Living in Hope of a Righteous New World, said, ‘The whole object is that we become preachers of this good news. How many hours a month should we devote to the ministry?’

“This is but one of our many wonderful experiences we have been enjoying lately. There is the professor who came to the service center to find someone to study with him. He had obtained two magazines and no one came back to explain them to him. He had so many questions and wanted to get to the root of our beliefs. So we are studying with him in between his school classes and the university course that he is taking.

“Additionally, there is the Sunday-school teacher who wanted so much to understand the Bible that she even said to her husband, ‘It looks like I’ll have to go and get one of those Jehovah’s witnesses to come and teach me. They seem to be the only ones who know their Bibles.’ When my daughter called at her home, she said, ‘I’m sure God sent you in answer to prayer.’ She is a very ardent student.

“We are so grateful to Jehovah for giving us all these joyful experiences. It is a real pleasure to serve Him in this day, directing others to the Kingdom hope.”