He Would Have Been Happy

IN 1972 Robert Romero, a young man whose parents were living in Honduras, began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses in California. His progress in Bible knowledge was rapid, and he began encouraging his fiancée to investigate Bible teachings with him.

This girl was a prominent member of the community, since her father is the superintendent of the Madera high school. At first she was not particularly interested, but as a result of Robert’s persistence she began to involve herself more and more in Bible study, despite the opposition of her parents.

Robert also encouraged his older sister to study the Bible. Her husband was strongly opposed, yet she was soon studying fervently and attending most of the congregational meetings.

Robert’s father returned from Honduras to the United States in the spring of 1973. His government wanted him to complete his education in agriculture and farm administration at the California State University in Fresno. Since both Robert and his father were attending college at Fresno, they would drive to school together every morning.

One very foggy morning a light drizzle left the highway slippery. Suddenly their Volkswagen bus skidded off the road and flipped over several times. Mr. Romero was seriously injured, his back being broken. Robert was killed instantly.

What developed thereafter was exactly the opposite of what many in the local congregation anticipated. His former fiancée, instead of dropping her interest in the Bible truths that Robert had been helping her to learn, was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses a short time later. She has been a “pioneer” (as full-time proclaimers of the good news are called) for over two years now. And she has even seen her family’s opposition toward her activity mellow considerably.

Robert’s sister is now thrilled that her husband has finished studying the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life, and he attends most of the congregation meetings. And Mr. Romero, after recuperating from the accident, was later baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Honduras. He has already helped another man to the point of baptism.

Robert would surely have been happy to see these fine developments in people’s lives to which he, by his faithful course, had contributed.