The “Good News” Reaches Receptive Hearts in El Salvador
EL SALVADOR, a small country beautifully surrounded by lakes and volcanoes, is located right at the heart of Central America. This densely populated country with 203 persons per square kilometer (.4 of a square mile) is certainly receiving with great joy the “good news.”
It had a small start back on February 24, 1945, thirty-two years ago, when the first two Watch Tower missionaries arrived in El Salvador. They were soon followed by others. Some of these are still serving here, joyfully and faithfully, and, indeed, the work in connection with God’s kingdom has prospered. In the words of God’s prophet: “The little one himself will become a thousand, and the small one a mighty nation. I myself, Jehovah, shall speed it up in its own time.” (Isa. 60:22) Yes, the good news about his Kingdom has been extensively declared, and native Witnesses have also had a great share in planting the seeds and seeing how Jehovah keeps “making it grow.”—1 Cor. 3:6.
GOD’S SERVICE PREFERRED TO POLITICS
Some persons formerly involved in politics have let their hearts be softened by the “good news” and have made it their purpose in life to serve Jehovah instead of ‘serving men.’ A number of these have turned out to be true “gifts in men.” (Eph. 4:8, 11, 12; 6:6) Let us read about some of them.
Some years ago, a young engineer held a high position in government as a member of the cabinet. His wife was studying with a Watch Tower missionary. He had attended a postgraduate course at Harvard University, and, wanting to keep up his English, he asked the missionary to give him some private English lessons. He had no interest whatsoever in religion, as he had become disgusted with the political dabblings of the Catholic Church. However, since he was an unusually curious man and the missionary was very alert, they were soon talking in English about the Bible and the true religion. It interested him so much that he asked the missionary for a Bible study in Spanish, though as yet he was not convinced that Jehovah’s Witnesses had the truth doctrinally.
In due course, he offered to build a new branch building for the Watch Tower Society, expressing his desire to design, build and follow through on all aspects of the building without any professional fees. While drawing up these plans, he also began to make good progress in Bible knowledge and formed a very close companionship with the missionaries. He admired them and wanted his children to grow up to be like them. During a visit to the United States he was able to attend an assembly in New York, New York, and was baptized.
In recent years, he has been privileged to serve in various capacities as an elder. And now he serves as one of the elders on the Branch Committee of Jehovah’s Witnesses for El Salvador. His family has also grown to maturity, his son being a member of the Bethel family at the New York headquarters of Jehovah’s Witnesses. He has left behind the world and the apparent benefits it could offer, in order to serve Jehovah willingly and wholeheartedly.
This former politician was closely observed by another member of the president’s cabinet, who thought to himself, “This man has become insane.” But now he believes that he must have been the insane one. Why so? Because eighteen years later, this engineer, ex-minister of public works and onetime candidate for mayor, has received the good news into his heart. He is also sharing the truth with others, conducting twelve Bible studies, and is a ministerial servant in the congregation. In 1975 he received the award as professional man of the year in El Salvador. In his acceptance speech he said that his desire had always been to construct a better world. But then, with the use of Bible references, he showed to all those present, including the president and his cabinet, that God’s kingdom alone could accomplish this.
A SINCERE SEARCH REWARDED
Now, what made a young girl, the daughter of an ex-president of El Salvador, accept the truth of God’s Word? Let her express herself:
“I grew up in a nonreligious atmosphere, where false religion had been exposed. Neither my mother nor my father had any connection with the Catholic Church due to their previous personal experiences with the Church.
“My father assumed the presidency when I was thirteen years old, and I remember how the most prominent clergymen, like bishops and cardinals, desired to have a close relationship with the family. However, was it to help us spiritually? Well, my mother very frankly expressed that she would only attend church functions when they had to do with official State matters. The clergy never showed any interest in helping us spiritually. They only appeared on the scene when a political campaign was taking place or when a national problem arose.
“I had been trained to distrust everyone. It was proved to me that there was a reason for this mistrust, when one night there was an attempt to overthrow my father as president. I was the only member of the family at home with my father when the shooting started. I really experienced the fear of death as bullets almost hit me. I called for God’s help, for I did believe in his existence. I faithfully promised that if I came out of this alive, I would search for him and try to find him.”
She could not turn to the clergymen for guidance, as she had witnessed how they were so involved in politics. And now they became the mediators between the government and the rebels. This disappointed her deeply. Where could she turn for help? She associated briefly with various Protestant sects and with some Jews, but did not find God. Then she and her fiancé accepted a study with Jehovah’s Witnesses. Today, as a happily married Christian couple, they are so thankful to be among Jehovah’s people where they can serve God with their spiritual brothers and sisters in a climate of genuine trust.
ALL KINDS OF PERSONS ACCEPT TRUTH
These 1970’s have found Jehovah’s Witnesses very active in the entire country. There are now 118 congregations and 6,010 Witnesses compared to 1,300 six years ago. The attendance at the Memorial of Christ’s death in 1976 was 19,364. “This good news of the kingdom” is certainly penetrating to honest hearts throughout these territories.—Matt. 24:14.
Regardless of their social status, the Witnesses are busy in spreading the Word of God. Seeds of truth have taken root in the hearts of farmers, craftsmen, maids, executives, professional people, laborers, students and others. A woman doctor who is now a Witness remarked: “They cannot be stopped. They are everywhere and everybody is studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses.” (Joel 2:9) Indeed, the number of persons associating with the Witnesses has increased greatly during the last three years.
A traveling overseer of Jehovah’s Witnesses relates the following: The first time that he visited a bricklayer and his family, they lived very poorly in a little bahareque house (built from mud and sticks). It was almost falling apart. Now, four years later, they still live in the same little house, but it has been repaired, painted and is gradually being converted into a brick house. The surroundings are now clean. The newly acquired physical cleanliness of this family is a reflection of their spiritual condition. The husband now serves as a ministerial servant in one of the local congregations. Though a bricklayer’s wages are small in this country, he has achieved much through leading a well-balanced Christian life.
A young married couple who had used drugs extensively were being bothered by demons. On one occasion after the use of drugs the wife felt as if she were going to die. Her whole life flashed through her mind, and she made a promise that if she lived she would serve God. Previously she had studied the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses, and she remembered something of what it taught about the demons. Therefore, she again got in contact with the Witnesses, and this time her husband also joined in the study. He had been a national race-car champion, but soon he left his worldly associations, as well as giving up the use of drugs. Their lives began to change. Now they are both baptized, and they are sharing joyfully in the wholesome work of telling others about the Word of God.
A socially prominent woman had a hobby of collecting archaeological objects. She had many costly relics from churches, some made of silver and gold, besides a collection of antiquities. On learning the good news she realized that she could be opening herself up to demon influence by the presence of these false religious objects. (Deut. 7:25, 26) So she proceeded to throw these things away. This, after having had only two Bible studies with Jehovah’s Witnesses! Now she is participating in telling the good news to others of her community, many of whom had been inaccessible to the Kingdom message for a long time.
An executive noted the excellent conduct of two young men who were working in his office. So he asked them: “What is it that you have that I do not have, being that I am also a hardworking man?” They could explain that, as witnesses of Jehovah, they modeled their lives on Bible principles. As a result, this executive consented to having a Bible study and now he is a Witness himself.
“GOOD NEWS” SOLVES STUDENTS’ PROBLEMS
A Witness attending the university in El Salvador tells the following: “I had the privilege of knowing the truth since my childhood, but growing from childhood to adulthood was not easy. This was something I had to face during my high school years and only with Jehovah’s help was I able to overcome all the obstacles that were hurled at me to break my integrity to Jehovah. In time I had to make the decision of whether or not to go on to the university for further studies. Finally I decided to attend the university. But as the days went by I found that the university was full of politics. There was much hypocrisy.
“This rude awakening made me realize more fully that Jehovah alone has the way out of this deathly system of things and that mankind’s problems will be solved only through his kingdom. So I decided to serve Jehovah wholeheartedly. I took every opportunity to witness to my fellow students. The result is that some are attending the meetings, and two of them have already been baptized.”
The experience of one of these students is as follows:
“My life up to nine months ago was a worldly life engaging in sexual relations just to satisfy the desires of the flesh. For seven years I daily smoked marijuana and used other kinds of drugs like LSD, hashish and cocaine, and I drank heavily.
“Nevertheless, my life was completely empty and I felt like a boat in the middle of a storm. About a year ago, I thought I was in love with a girl, but this resulted in disillusionment that only made my situation worse. Life became hopeless—I ceased to take anything seriously. During this same time I had sexual relations with another girl for about two years, and as a result she became pregnant. Abortion was the solution to that problem. I will never forget those days. They left a terrible scar on my life.
“I had always rejected all religious ideas and believed in material and worldly philosophies. But suddenly I had a desire to know God. I was acquainted with one of Jehovah’s Witnesses who went to the university. So I approached him and asked him what the Bible taught and what he did as a Witness. He immediately invited me to the Kingdom Hall. As I watched those people I knew there must be a God. Their behavior was different from others in the world and in so-called Christian religions. I started to study the Bible with the help of the book The Truth That Leads to Eternal Life.
“I changed my bad habits and each day learned more about the truth. After a month I was going from house to house telling others about God’s kingdom. In six months I was baptized at the ‘Divine Sovereignty’ District Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. This indeed was the happiest and most important day of my life. At last I feel that I am doing what is right in Jehovah’s eyes. I am now enjoying the privilege of being an ‘auxiliary pioneer’ and intend to continue doing so. I am conducting many Bible studies with other newly interested persons. I thank Jehovah for his great undeserved kindness toward me and others.”
GRAND BLESSINGS AHEAD
No matter where we turn, we see zealous Witnesses proclaiming the Word of God to all kinds of people. This has proved to be wonderful good news for many honest persons in El Salvador. And soon all people who let the good news reach their hearts will rejoice to see the fulfillment of Jehovah’s promise at Revelation 21:3, 4: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.” This will be accomplished under the thousand-year Kingdom reign of Jehovah’s Son, Christ Jesus.
In the meantime, El Salvador is proving to be a fruitful field for gathering in those of the “great crowd” that will survive to enjoy those blessings.—Rev. 7:9, 14-17.