The Other Side of the Handbill

THE following experience was related by a woman witness of Jehovah at a circuit assembly in Illinois: “I was born into a Catholic family and had gone to several churches when, finally, I decided not to go to any of them as there was ‘something lacking.’ Several years ago I returned home from work one day to find a handbill advertising a public lecture of Jehovah’s witnesses. I was not impressed with the title of the lecture, nor the name Jehovah’s witnesses, as I never heard of them before; in fact, I did not even know who Jehovah was! But the message on the other side of the handbill asked the question, ‘How Well Do You Know Your Bible?’ This impressed me.

“I always wanted to know the Bible, so I wrote out a check and sent for the New World Translation before making supper and went to the corner to mail it. After I received the Bible, a Witness called on me one Saturday morning. During our conversation I recognized she knew something about the Bible. I mentioned that I wished I knew the Bible, and a study was started immediately. After she left, my husband threw up his hands and said, ‘Don’t get me mixed up with these people!’ Not knowing anything about ‘these people,’ I read the book ‘Let God Be True’ almost in its entirety that night. In the morning I mentioned to him that this was the only book on religion I had ever read that made sense. It was not long afterward that he joined our Bible study.

“In the meantime my mother passed away. My sister called and said, ‘Don’t study anymore with these people. With mother’s death and your studying the Bible, you are so confused. I’m coming over to straighten you out and comfort you.’ That evening I placed the book ‘Let God Be True’ with her and started a study the following week, which continued until we were both dedicated to Jehovah and baptized on the same day. My husband, who did not want anything to do with ‘these people,’ was baptized fifteen months later. I thank Jehovah God for sending someone to spread the Word of life—and I thank that someone who left a little handbill at our door when we were not at home.”