“I Am His Eyes and He Serves as My Feet”

JOSÉ Luis Escobar and Artemio Duran serve as elders in a Christian congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses in Mexico. José Luis is blind, and Artemio cannot walk.

When he was 16 years of age, José Luis was fond of boxing. One day he was invited to substitute for a professional boxer in a fight. By the fourth round, the two had beaten each other so badly that the fight was stopped. Although the victory was awarded to José Luis, the beating he received resulted in the loss of his sight.

José Luis went from doctor to doctor and also visited spiritists. But no one could help him. Despondent, he several times attempted suicide. Later he was contacted by Jehovah’s Witnesses, learned Bible truths, and eventually dedicated his life to God. He was baptized in August 1974.

Artemio, on the other hand, was in a serious automobile accident in 1981. This occurred while he was living and working illegally in the United States. Representatives of different religious groups visited him in the hospital and told him that he was being punished by God for his bad way of life. Artemio too was later contacted by Jehovah’s Witnesses. He studied the Bible, made necessary changes in his life, and was baptized in May 1984.

Now these two men are companions in the same Christian congregation. They regularly accompany each other in the house-to-house ministry, make return visits together on interested persons, and call together on members of the congregation to strengthen them spiritually. José Luis pushes the wheelchair while Artemio directs him where to go. Artemio speaks of them as one unit: “I am his eyes and he serves as my feet.”