Ecuador

AT THE middle of the earth and yet farthest away from its center​—there lies Ecuador astride the equator. Steaming jungles in the lowlands contrast with the “cities of eternal spring” high up in the rocky Andes Mountains. Two different ocean currents along the Pacific Coast battle for their turn to revive the land. The chilly Peruvian Current dominates from May to December, bringing cool, dry weather to the central regions. Then from January through April, the warm current named El Niño prevails, blowing heat and humidity, though refreshing the land with new seasonal rains.

The Ecuadorean people are every bit as varied as the country in which they live. Among the dozens of Indian tribes, perhaps the most widely known are the Otavalo Indians. Usually with their hair twisted in a pigtail, the men are dressed in a dark felt hat and a navy-blue poncho over white pants and shirt. Some of them are world travelers, selling their woven blankets, shawls, and ponchos abroad. On the other hand, the Colorado Indians wear very little. Their men are identified by a bowl-shaped haircut, plastered down with a bright-orange paste.

Another important segment of the population, the blacks, can trace their roots directly to Jamaica and Africa. Spain, too, left its mark on both facial features and architecture as a result of the influence of the conquistadores who came in search of gold. Now, add large groups of Oriental, Jewish, Arab, and European merchants, and you have the Ecuador of today. These are a hospitable people who usually greet others with a handshake and a warm smile.  That friendliness has helped many of them to embrace a message that has greatly enriched their lives.

Good News Comes to Ecuador

It was first in 1935 that at least some people in Ecuador heard the good news of God’s Kingdom. That year, two of Jehovah’s Witnesses en route to Chile, Theodore Laguna and his partner, spent ten months preaching here. Then, in 1946, missionaries from Gilead School assigned to Ecuador arrived in the port city of Guayaquil. They were Walter and Willmetta Pemberton along with Thomas and Mary Klingensmith.

After caring for necessary legal formalities, these first missionaries were soon on their way to the capital city, Quito, which lies on a plateau of volcanic ash about two miles above sea level. Since no passable roads led up to that altitude, they took the railroad from Guayaquil to Quito. Recalling their trip, they said: “We were fortunate not to have to ride on the roof or hang on the sides, as many did. Not a few carried bananas, pineapples, and chickens to sell farther along the line.”

To negotiate the abrupt climb over what was called The Devil’s Nose, the train trundled through a series of switchbacks. It seemed that they were riding on a narrow ledge dug into the side of a cliff. The train would angle up the steep slope in one direction for a while, stop, and then move backwards up the next section of the zigzag. This was repeated again and again until they reached the top. After two days, as nightfall approached, they neared their destination. Struck with awe, they viewed snow-mantled volcanic peaks, the most striking of which was Cotopaxi​—one of the world’s highest active volcanoes, 19,347 feet [5,897 m] high.

True missionary life now began. A home had to be  rented. Food was bought daily because there were no refrigerators. A wood-burning stove was used for cooking. How were the clothes washed? Not with an automatic washing machine. Bare knuckles scrubbed the clothes up and down on a washboard, piece by piece. But as one of the missionaries said: “I don’t remember that we ever complained much. We just got on with the preaching work.”

This too was a challenge because their knowledge of Spanish was very limited. Nevertheless, with faith in Jehovah  they started out from house to house using a testimony card, phonograph records, and a lot of self-invented sign language. Good results were not long in coming.

First Ecuadorean Finds the Truth

Late one evening when Walter Pemberton was walking down a narrow back street in Quito to scout out the territory, a small boy ran up to him to ask for the time and then ran back into a doorway. On looking inside, Walter noticed a man making a pair of shoes. In broken Spanish, Walter introduced himself, explained that he was a missionary, and asked the man whether he might be interested in the Bible. “No, but I have a brother who is very much interested,” was the reply. The man’s brother turned out to be Luis Dávalos, an Adventist who was beginning to have serious doubts about his religion.

Early the next morning Walter called on Luis. Walter relates: “With my limited knowledge of Spanish, I explained to him God’s purpose to make the earth a paradise where mankind would live forever under God’s Kingdom.”

On hearing this, Luis replied: “How can that be? Jesus said that he was going away to heaven to prepare a place for them.”

Walter showed him that Jesus had in mind a little flock and that this little flock was limited to 144,000. (Luke 12:32; Rev. 14:1-3) He also explained that Jesus spoke of other sheep who are not of this fold but who would have the hope of living here on earth.​—John 10:16.

“All my life I have been taught that all good people go to heaven,” Luis said. “I need more proof about this earthly group.” So together they looked up other scriptures, after which Luis exclaimed: “It’s the truth!”​—Isa. 11:6-9; 33:24; 45:18; Rev. 21:3, 4.

 Luis was like a man dying of thirst in the desert, but his craving was for waters of truth. Immediately he wanted to know what the Bible taught about the Trinity, immortality of the soul, hellfire, and other doctrines. Needless to say, Walter was not able to leave until late that evening. The very next day Luis got busy witnessing to all his friends and telling them, “I have found the truth!”

“The Answer to My Prayer”

About this time Ramón Redín, one of the founders of the Adventist movement in Ecuador, had also become disillusioned with his religion. Divisions in the church disturbed him. In reality Ramón was doubtful about all religions. One day he prayed to God: “Please show me the truth. If you do, I will serve you faithfully the rest of my life.”

Shortly after this, one of his friends, Luis Dávalos, said that he had something very important to tell him. “Ramón, did you know that the Seventh-Day Adventists do not have the truth?” Ramón replied: “Luis, I appreciate your concern for me, but the fact is that none of the religions teach the truth of the Bible, and for that reason, I’m not interested in any of them.” However, Ramón did accept a Watchtower magazine as well as the address of the missionary home and promised that he would at least talk with the missionaries and see if they could answer his questions. His seeming indifference did not convey his true feelings; he had a deep-down desire to find out if there was such a thing as true Christianity. So on leaving his friend’s home, he spent two hours searching for the missionary home.

Walter Pemberton, who was still struggling with Spanish, did his best to answer the questions Ramón asked, such as: “Do Jehovah’s Witnesses allow people the freedom to  reason on the Scriptures?” Walter replied: “We oblige no one to go against his conscience. We want people to reason on the Scriptures, as this is the way we come to correct conclusions.”

“Well, do the Witnesses keep the Sabbath?” asked Ramón. “We observe what the Bible says on the Sabbath,” Walter answered.​—Matt. 12:1-8; Col. 2:16, 17.

Surprisingly, despite Ramón’s halting English and Walter’s limited Spanish, the truth began to crystallize in Ramón’s mind. Ramón recalls: “I was so impressed by that first hour that I remember saying to myself, ‘This must be the answer to my prayer!’”

Day after day the discussions continued. Walter would look up the texts in his English-language Bible, and Ramón would follow along in his Spanish one. Fifteen days after his initial visit, Ramón Redín, along with Luis Dávalos and three other Ecuadoreans, was among those who participated in the first organized group witnessing in Ecuador. God had answered his prayer to show him the truth, and Brother Redín has been doing his utmost to keep the vow he made that he would serve God faithfully for the rest of his life. Now at 87 years of age, Brother Redín enjoys being a special pioneer.

Pedro Finds the Answer

This tiny but fast-growing group was soon joined by a young man who had been searching for the truth for over 17 years. When Pedro Tules was ten years old, he heard a priest try to explain the Trinity. Not understanding it, Pedro asked him how three persons could be one god. The priest’s reply was a blow on the head with a ruler, and a series of insults. Pedro said to himself: ‘Some day I am going to learn what this is all about.’

 Eventually, after spending some time with the Adventists, he began attending the meetings of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The “mystery” of the Trinity was cleared up almost immediately. It was not a mystery but a falsehood, he learned. Jesus Christ is not, as some say, “God the Son,” but he is “the Son of God.” (John 20:31) He was impressed with the fact that the Witnesses all preach from house to house, a work he had once tried to convince the Adventists to do. He believed this form of evangelism was necessary in order to follow the example of the apostles. (Acts 5:42; 20:20) Still, Pedro straddled the religious fence.

For four or five months he kept attending the Adventist meetings while also associating with the Witnesses. Finally, Walter Pemberton told him: “Pedro, you have to make a decision. If the Adventists are right, then go with them. But if Jehovah’s Witnesses have the truth, then stick with them. The truth should be above everything.”​—Compare 1 Kings 18:21.

“This helped me to make the best decision I have ever made in my life,” says Pedro, “and so I was baptized in symbol of my dedication on August 10, 1947.” The following year Pedro began pioneering, and he has continued faithfully in the full-time service ever since. He was the first Ecuadorean to receive training at Gilead School, after which he returned to Ecuador to help with the work here.

More Help From Headquarters

In 1948 the preaching work received a real boost when 12 more missionaries were assigned to Ecuador, six of these going to Quito and the other six to the country’s largest city and main port, Guayaquil. Albert and Zola Hoffman were among those sent to Guayaquil. Never before had  they seen so many curious and interested people! Albert Hoffman describes it this way:

“Sunday afternoon we did our first witnessing as a group along the riverfront, where people could regularly be found. We used the phonograph with Spanish records. First we would tell them that we had a wonderful and important message and then we set the phonograph going. Soon a large crowd would gather around to listen.”

Similarly, when doing magazine street work, if the missionaries stood still in the crowded business sections, they were quickly surrounded by a friendly crowd. Some had questions, and others wanted to obtain the magazines. This was a thrilling experience for the new missionaries inasmuch as they were not accustomed to seeing such demonstrative interest.

An occasion that is specially remembered by those early missionaries took place in March 1949. What was it? The first zone visit to Ecuador by N. H. Knorr, the Watch Tower Society’s president, and his secretary, M. G. Henschel. In Quito, 82 persons gathered to hear the talk “It Is Later Than You Think!” In Guayaquil, the same talk was scheduled. When Brother Knorr noticed the new missionaries’ enthusiasm for advertising, he said, “Don’t be too discouraged if not many people come.” After all, they had been  working there for only two and a half months. But it was everyone’s turn to be surprised when 280 people showed up, and countless others heard the discourse by radio.

Earthquake Changes Missionary Assignment

In 1949 it seemed appropriate to begin directing attention to some of the cities around Quito in the Andes highland. Ambato was chosen. However, in August this city and the towns surrounding it were struck with the most devastating earthquake this country had experienced in generations. Entire villages disappeared. It was estimated that more than 6,000 people lost their lives. Ambato was in shambles.

The desolation was so great that by the following year suitable living quarters were still not available for the new missionaries. So it was decided that they would be sent to Riobamba, the next city to the south. Jack Hall and Joseph Sekerak had the task of opening up this virgin territory. But progress was slow in this isolated and very Catholic town.

Applying What They Learned

One day when witnessing in Riobamba, Jack left the book “Let God Be True” with César Santos, a young married man. He became so fascinated by what he was reading that he could not put it down that night until he had read it all. The chapter that caused an immediate reaction was “Use of Images in Worship.” He read: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image . . . Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them.” (Ex. 20:3-5, KJ) Now, César was particularly devoted to San Antonio, a Catholic saint, and kept an image of him in his house. But as César continued reading  he glowered up at the image of that once favorite saint and said, “I’m going to take you down right away.” He finished reading the chapter, reached up, grabbed the image, took it outside, and threw it away.

When he began telling his relatives and friends what he had learned, they thought he had gone crazy. However, a week later he visited his younger brother Jorge and asked him to read the book. Jorge was impressed by the logic of it and was deeply moved by the prospect of a paradise  earth. A month later he was out in the field service with the missionaries.

Jorge still had some things to learn though. One day he was eating when Jack Hall came to visit. Jorge’s mother was serving some fried blood, a common dish in this part of the country. When Jack was offered some, he politely refused and took advantage of the opportunity to explain what the Bible says about blood. (Gen. 9:4; Acts 15:28, 29) Jorge promptly took it to heart. Much to his mother’s surprise, he refused to finish what was on his plate.

Soon even more members of this family were to be benefited by the truth.

Determined to Serve God

Orffa, César’s 18-year-old sister-in-law, once had asked a Catholic priest to tell her who created God. He did not know, so she asked an Evangelist pastor. He could not answer her question either. Then she asked César, and he explained from the Bible that Jehovah has neither beginning nor end. (Ps. 90:2) This simple truth was enough to spark in Orffa a flame of interest that spread to her two sisters. In spite of strong family opposition, she and her younger sister, Yolanda, began to  study the Bible and secretly attend the meetings. For this they were given beatings by their parents every time they returned home from the meetings.

Up until this time César’s wife, Lucía, who was Orffa’s sister, was indifferent to the Bible’s urgent message. Then one day Orffa reprimanded her, saying: “Just look what I have to go through for the truth!” as she lowered the back of her dress to reveal welts and bruises. From that time on, Lucía made rapid progress.

In the meantime, the priest had given orders to Orffa’s mother to throw her out of the house, and the mother obeyed. However, this turned out to be a blessing. Now on her own, Orffa began to prepare for baptism, as did Lucía. At the next assembly who should join them among the baptismal candidates but their youngest sister, Yolanda. Without a thought as to how she would be received on returning home, she had traveled over 100 miles by bus to be baptized with her sisters. The three of them stood together and expressed their determination to serve Jehovah come what may!

Clergy Opposition Protested

With the arrival of more missionaries in the early 1950’s, the preaching of the good news quickly began to spread out to the isolated towns in the coastal lowland​—Manta, La Libertad, Milagro, Machala, and others. Rapid growth and the large groups of publishers that were sharing in the ministry caused the Catholic Church to get alarmed. This was territory she had conquered with the help of the conquistadores, and she was not about to tolerate any rivalry. On the other hand, true Christians have the backing of Jehovah’s invincible spirit, and no amount of persecution is able to quench their burning  desire to spread the good news of God’s Kingdom. What was the outcome?

Pedro Tules recalls: “In the suburbs of Quito in the section called Magdalena, after the priest had stirred up a mob of people against us, a man walked up and said, ‘Mr. Priest, what are you doing here?’ The priest replied: ‘I am protecting my flock from these people. I am the only one that has the right to teach them about God.’ The man replied: ‘No, you have a right to teach in the church, but out here in the streets and parks they have complete freedom to teach the Bible. They are not harming anyone. Until now I did not know of such people, but I want all of you to know that they are welcome in my home anytime.’”

In yet another community near Quito, a priest endeavored to run the Witnesses out of town. As they were crossing a bridge, the priest and his mob threatened to throw the publishers into the river. Just at this moment a man appeared whom Pedro had visited a number of times. “Hello, Pedro,” he said. “What’s going on here?”

In reply, Pedro said, “We were peacefully teaching the Bible to people, but this man has stirred up the people against us and he is running us out of town.”

At this, the man pulled out a revolver, walked over to the priest, and shouted: “Hey, what are you doing? Don’t you know that these people have the same rights as you? What you are doing is a violation of the law.” When the priest tried to defend his actions, the man replied: “What has occurred here is going to appear in El Comercio tomorrow!” He happened to be working for that newspaper, and true to his promise, that priest’s unchristian conduct was in the headline of Quito’s leading paper the next day.

 Government Warns Opposers

Alfred Slough recalls another incident that occurred while he was serving as a missionary: “A ‘brave’ fellow pretended interest but then snatched a copy of The Watchtower out of the hands of one of the missionary sisters and proudly tore it to shreds. About this time I noticed the priest on his bicycle with skirts flying, approaching rapidly to verify our presence.

“Shortly after his arrival, a mob was formed, headed by the man who had torn up The Watchtower and assisted by two nuns. The rest were mostly youngsters who could be seen filling their pockets with stones. As a group, we started walking slowly the several blocks to the bus stop with the mob right on our heels. During this tense walk they contented themselves with throwing smaller stones into our group. Fortunately, no one was seriously hurt. When the bus stopped, the mob finally developed a great surge of courage and charged, throwing rocks as they approached. By the time they arrived alongside the bus, all the sisters and youngsters were on board, so I hopped on. We left in a shower of stones and mud thrown into the bus, while residents of this area who were also on the bus angrily shouted at the mob, calling them savages. The people on the bus kindly gave us their seats and helped us to wipe off the mud, thus demonstrating that what had occurred was the action of only a misguided few, who unquestioningly did the will of the priest. We had a wonderful opportunity to witness all the way back to town.”

The reaction of the press was immediate, with such headlines as: “PRIEST INSTIGATES CRIME,” “IN MAGDALENA FANATICS ATTACK MEMBERS OF  SECT OF JEHOVAH’S WITNESSES,” “RELIGIOUS INTOLERANCE.”

Of course, the priest denied having any part in the mob action, saying that he had been in another part of the neighborhood. Some Catholic societies and committees in this area also signed a petition declaring their innocence. But the Ministry of Government directed the chief of police to reply: “The Constitution and laws of the Republic allow freedom of religion, and for this reason, we as authorities are obliged to be on the watch to see that the rights of citizens are not threatened. . . . It would be very desirable that from now on there be no repetition of incidents similar to what happened the sixth of this month, otherwise this authority will be obliged to punish according to the law the responsible ones.”

Nevertheless, more harassment was to come, because the Church was not about to let her captives go.

Difficult Cuenca

Cuenca, the third-largest city in Ecuador, with a population of 152,000, was a veritable fortress of the Catholic Church. Since the population had not yet received a witness, Pedro Tules and Carl Dochow, a more recent Gilead graduate, were assigned there in October 1953. It was a very difficult and often discouraging assignment.

Carl remembers a fanatic maid who excitedly said, “You don’t believe in the Virgin.” When he opened the Bible to Matthew 1:23, she began to tremble and said, “We are forbidden to read the Bible.” At that she abruptly went back into the house and left Carl standing at the door. On another occasion a maid was listening with interest, but when the woman of the house came home and took one look at what was happening, she kicked Carl’s book bag  down the stairs. Another time he was chased off a patio by an irate householder brandishing a piece of firewood. Each time the missionaries witnessed in the San Blas area, the priest would ring the church bells; and when the children came running, he would urge them to throw stones at the missionaries.

In three years, not one person in Cuenca had the courage to take a stand for the truth. Many a time Carl would take a sad stroll down by the river and pray that Jehovah would give him a more productive assignment. Finally he was assigned to the coastal city of Machala, populated by easygoing, open-minded people. However, this was not the last that Cuenca was to see of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

Mob Violence at an Assembly

Riobamba, the city where Jack Hall and Joseph Sekerak had been sent in 1950 to open up the territory, was in the news in 1954. In March a circuit assembly was held there in the Iris Theater. All went well until a Jesuit priest  denounced Jehovah’s Witnesses on the radio and said that they had no right to hold an assembly in the “Catholic city of Riobamba.” He called on the people to prevent the public meeting scheduled for the following day. But the brothers alerted the police to his threats.

The public talk entitled “Love, Practical in a Selfish World” began as scheduled with 130 persons present. But within ten minutes, cries of “Long live the Catholic Church!” and “Down with the Protestants!” could be heard in the distance. Minute by minute the noise grew louder as the mob neared the theater.

Eight policemen blocked the theater entrance. As the furious crowd of opposers grew in numbers, the police drew their swords and pushed them back to the intersection; from there the crowd kept hurling stones at the entrance. Despite this commotion, however, the program was carried out to its conclusion. Appropriately, the final discourse was “Enduring to the End.”

As the audience left the hall, they found about 40 policemen there to protect them. But as the brothers moved away from the area of police protection, the situation became more tense. The location of the missionary home and Kingdom Hall was well known, and an even larger mob had gathered there. Once again it was necessary to request police protection. Officers accompanied the missionaries to their home and surrounded the house all night. Not being able to get at the Witnesses, the mad mob vented its fury on the apartment building, throwing stones and breaking practically all the windows facing the street, much to the disgust of the other six families who also lived there and who were not Jehovah’s Witnesses.

 National Protest Against Intolerance

As the brothers walked the streets the following day, they were repeatedly approached by people who, in spite of having little interest in the work of the Witnesses, wished to express their disapproval of what had happened the previous evening. By the second day the entire nation was protesting. A wave of newspaper articles in favor of freedom of worship and championing the rights of Jehovah’s Witnesses swept the country for an entire week.

El Comercio, the newspaper of greatest prestige in the nation’s capital, described the attack and then called to mind the Inquisition, Hitler’s pogroms, and other savage events of history.

A columnist for the principal newspaper of Guayaquil, El Universo, wrote on the “Fruits of Intolerance” and said:

“My purpose in this article is to put, in direct form, a question to the Rector of San Felipe High School, where they teach intolerance to the point of launching their young students to attack with sticks and stones the patient . . . Jehovah’s Witnesses. The Rector Reverend Jesuit Father ought to answer this question, if he is a man able to face up to the consequences of his actions. The question, very simply, is the following: How would it seem to the Rector if in the nations where the Catholics are in the minority they proceeded in the way that he makes his students proceed with the Protestants? . . . Catholics in the whole world, headed by the Supreme Pontiff, are asking for tolerance. They demand it in all tones; they ask for it in the United Nations, at the Berlin Conference, and at all of the conventions and in all of the meetings where East and West get together. The Holy Pontiff and chief of Catholicism, in intimate accord with Churchill (Protestant) and Eisenhower  (Protestant), asks of Russia and her satellites tolerance, the freedom of the imprisoned archbishops and cardinals . . .

“What difference is there between a group of Communists in Czechoslovakia who, sticks in hand, attack Catholics who are praying in a temple, and the students of San Felipe who, sticks in hand, attack Jehovah’s Witnesses in Riobamba while they are listening to a sermon on ‘Love in This Selfish Era’?”

The curses of the Jesuit priest of Riobamba had resulted in a blessing just as in the case of Balaam, for Jehovah was with his people.​—Num. 22:1–24:25.

Greater Affection for Christ

During this time Carlos Salazar, a young Ecuadorean who had learned the truth in the United States of America, took up the full-time ministry.

Carlos was just 16 years old when a pioneer sister in New York City placed a Bible and the book “This Means Everlasting Life” with his mother, who gave them to Carlos to read. Since he was not interested in religion, he put them on the shelf. However, one day while playing in Central Park, he broke his leg and so was laid up at home. With time on his hands, he reluctantly accepted the pioneer’s offer to study the Bible, but  only on the condition that she teach him some English. He says: “The more I read the book, the more I was convinced that this was the truth.”

Soon Carlos began to attend meetings and share in the field service, even standing on street corners offering the magazines. True, his mother had given the book to him, but when she saw him reading it, she became so angry that she threatened to send him back to Ecuador. She was imagining that Ecuador had no Witnesses. So in 1953, escorted by his devout Roman Catholic great-aunt Rosa, Carlos returned to Ecuador.

“Carlos, now that you are back in Ecuador, you must begin attending Mass again,” his great-aunt said.

But Carlos was not about to give up something as valuable as the hope of everlasting life. (John 3:36) Jesus’ words, “He that has greater affection for father or mother than for me is not worthy of me,” had real meaning for him. (Matt. 10:37) He replied: “Aunt Rosa, you do not understand at present what I am doing. But now that I am here in Ecuador, I intend to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and you must respect my wishes.”

After Carlos was baptized in 1954, he began pioneering. In 1958 he became the second Ecuadorean to be invited to Gilead School. He was assigned back to his home country, where he has continued in the full-time service. Finally after ten years of patient witnessing to her, he saw his great-aunt also accept the truth; and at the age of 84, she continues to be an active Witness.

Courageous Sisters Defend the Good News

In 1958 two sisters who were graduates of Gilead School were also sent to Ecuador. Unn Raunholm from Norway and her partner Julia Parsons from Newfoundland were  assigned to Ibarra, a beautiful city nestled in a valley north of Quito. Here another valiant defense was made for freedom of worship. Unn has these vivid memories of what happened:

“As we began covering our territory in the city of Ibarra, we found that there were small towns nearby that we could not work, like San Antonio, where they made beautiful carvings of wood along with many religious images. As soon as word got to the local priest that we were there, he would either turn up on horseback or come running with a string of people behind him and cause such an uproar that we would have to leave. So we decided to concentrate on another small town nearby called Atuntaqui.

“One day while working near the church, we noticed a group of people outside but did not pay any attention until the local sheriff came over. He was a friendly man I had visited before; in fact, he had even taken some literature. However, this time he excitedly urged me, ‘Miss, please leave town at once! The priest is organizing a demonstration against you, and I do not have enough men to defend you.’ It turned out that the  priest of San Antonio had been transferred to Atuntaqui, and he was up to his tricks again.

“As there were four of us preaching that day, it took some time to round up everyone to leave. Then we learned that the bus for Ibarra would not be going for another hour. So we headed for a hotel, hoping to find protection there until the bus would arrive. On our way there we began to hear shouting. The crowd was coming after us! The Vatican flag of white and yellow was waved before the group while the priest shouted slogans like ‘Long live the Catholic Church!’ ‘Down with the Protestants!’ ‘Long live the virginity of the Virgin!’ ‘Long live the confession!’ Each time, the crowd would echo the slogans word for word after the priest.

“Just as we were wondering what to do, a couple of men came toward us and invited us into the local Workers’ House. It belonged to the union, and they assured us that here no one would harm us. So while the mob stood outside shouting slogans like ‘Down with the Masons!’ ‘Down with the Communists!’ we were inside busily witnessing as curious people came in to see what was going on. We placed every piece of literature we had.

“Recalling the fine amount of interest we had found in Atuntaqui, we decided to visit it again, but this time starting to work cautiously on the outskirts of town. However, someone must have reported us, as the church bells began to ring frantically and we soon heard a loud voice warning us that the priest was coming this way with a mob of people behind him. The priest came up to me and blurted out: ‘Miss, how do you dare come back after what happened last time!’ I tried to reason with him, explaining  that the country’s constitution guaranteed freedom of religion. ‘But, this is my town!’ he said. ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘but I have a right to talk to these people, and they have a right to listen if they wish. Why not just tell your people that if they do not want to listen, they do not have to open their doors when we call, and we will go on to the next person.’

“The priest then turned to the crowd and said: ‘I shall for sure leave this town if these people take another step forward!’ At this, several that were listening urged us to continue on with our work and promised to back us up against the priest. However, as we did not want to start a civil war, we decided that it would be best to leave and return another day.”

Back to San Antonio

“Seeing that this fire-breathing priest had been moved to this town, we decided to visit the other town, San Antonio, again,” Sister Raunholm continues. “Before we had made many calls, the church bells began ringing and several women started gathering in the streets with sticks and brooms in hand. One householder invited us in, and as we were talking, a loud knock came at the door. It was the local sheriff. He urged us to leave town and said: ‘You know what happened in Atuntaqui, and you know that there is no need to come here as we are already Christians.’ I asked him if he thought that coming against people with sticks in hand was what true Christians would do. I suggested that he go outside and ask the people to go home. He said that he would try, but he came back almost immediately saying that they would not listen to him.

“At this, another neighbor invited us to his house to talk  to his family, even escorting us on the way there. While inside, we heard another knock on the door, and it turned out to be the police armed with rifles. They had been summoned from Ibarra by the sheriff. They said: ‘We have been told about your troubles. You just continue going from house to house, and we will be right there behind you.’ We thanked them for their kindness and suggested that they visit the local priest, as he was the instigator of the whole matter.”

The police followed through on the suggestion. From that time on, our sisters had no more problems with witnessing in the town of San Antonio.

Areas on the Coast

Two other missionaries, Ray and Alice Knoch, were assigned to bring the Kingdom message to villages on the Pacific Coast. To reach Manta, a fishing village with a population of about 10,000, they traveled by bus for 16 hours from Guayaquil. En route they had to ford streams where there were no bridges. At times the road was so slippery with overgrown vegetation that the passengers  had to get out and push in order to get the bus up the steep grades.

Preaching from house to house was unlike anything they had experienced. Dozens of curious children, never having seen a foreigner before, followed them from house to house. Because the people were receptive to the Bible’s message, a congregation was established in short order.

Next, Ray and Alice moved to La Libertad, another fishing village down the coast. Travel to this village was by cattle boat. By the time they arrived, clothing, furniture, and everything else had the odor of a barnyard. But here in La Libertad they met Francisco Angus, a man of Jamaican origin who listened intently to the message. He accepted a Bible study. In about six months he and his wife, Olga, were ready to share in field service. Alice says: “What impressed me about Francisco was that after working all night long, he would come home in the morning, wash up, and be ready for service.” Later he went into the pioneer work with his wife, then became a circuit overseer, and now is serving as a member of the Branch Committee.

Machala Bears Fruit

Meanwhile, Carl Dochow and Nicolas Wesley, another missionary, also began to find hearing ears in Machala, the banana capital of Ecuador. Joaquín Palas, a burly saloon owner, listened with keen interest as Carl explained about the hope of living on a paradise earth. Joaquín readily accepted a study. Such was his appreciation that he would close down the saloon during the time for the study. When he learned that there was no burning hell, he became so excited he began to visit some of his neighbors to share  what he had learned. However, he was a bit taken aback when a neighbor said: “Joaquín, you had better clean up your own house first before you come talking about the Bible. You are not even married to the woman you live with.”

When Joaquín asked Carl what he should do, the answer was that he should get legally married. The very next day he and his live-in companion went down to the authorities to arrange their papers. Next he decided that he really ought to change occupations. The beer saloon was sold, and he began making charcoal to support himself and his wife. Later they both entered the pioneer work.

The Kingdom Hall in Machala was a modest structure that had split bamboo walls through which daylight and air could pass freely. Unknown to the brothers, a curious woman​—a neighbor—​had made a small opening in the wall to observe what was going on. For two months she watched how the brothers would greet one another and how they enjoyed visiting before and after the meetings. This friendly, loving environment was something she had never experienced in the religions to which she had belonged. She wanted to be a part of it. So, Floricelda Reasco began attending meetings and soon became a sister in the faith and then a zealous pioneer.

Stiff Opposition in Portovelo

A few miles from Machala lies the gold-mining town of Portovelo, nestled in the foothills of the Andes Mountains. Here lived Vicenta Granda, a devout Catholic lady who was one of the most faithful attenders at Mass. On the so-called Holy Week, she strictly followed a ritual known as rezar  viacruzes. For seven days in a row she would pray in front of 12 paintings depicting the sufferings of Jesus from the time of his arrest until his death. Devotees were taught that performing this ritual gave them full pardon for all their sins committed during the year.

Well, Vicenta Granda wanted to know more about God, so she acquired two Bibles, the Valera and Torres Amat translations. She had already read them through twice and now was full of many questions. When Alice Knoch called at her home, offering the book “Let God Be True,” she took it immediately and promptly became so absorbed in reading it that she entirely forgot about Alice’s presence. On Alice’s return visit, Vicenta could hardly wait to ask her questions. “Did the ‘Virgin Mary’ have other sons?” “What is the name of the Father? I have always wanted to know, but our priest says that his name is not Jehovah.” Just a few verses in her own Bible answered her questions. She was satisfied. (Matt. 13:53-56; Ps. 83:18) An occasional visit from the circuit overseer and his wife gave her further personal help.

Meanwhile, when the priest saw that she had abandoned the Catholic religion, he had her expelled from the church publicly. One day when she went to the market, a group of her former friends surrounded her and were going to beat her up for leaving her religion. But a courageous bystander called the police. It was practically impossible for anyone to witness from house to house in this town without being stoned. But Vicenta Granda said: “Even if it costs my life, I will never stop studying the Bible!”

In time she moved to Machala, where it was easier for her to progress spiritually. In 1961 she was baptized and  later that same year became a pioneer; she has continued in the full-time service ever since.

Later, Joaquín Palas and his wife were assigned to Portovelo as special pioneers. Being no exception, they, too, received bitter opposition from the priest, who felt that he ruled this town. At one time the priest told Joaquín that if he did not leave town by a certain date, he was going to send the people to burn his house down. But before the priest could carry out this threat, his own house caught on fire!

In spite of efforts to stop the Kingdom work in this town, a congregation was established in the early 1970’s, and today our brothers are able to meet and carry on their lifesaving work peacefully.

Not All Embrace the Truth

In a setting of breathtaking beauty on the western slopes of the Andes Mountains lies the small village of Pallatanga. It was here that Maruja Granizo first came in contact with the truth 24 years ago when her sister visited her. She was impressed by what was said about ‘the end of the  world.’ But she did not react as favorably when told that God’s name is Jehovah. Nevertheless, she still wanted to learn more about spiritual things. So she asked the local priest about the condition of the dead and the resurrection. The priest scornfully brushed her question aside by replying that the only kind of people who believed in the resurrection were those who had nightmares from eating too much. But that sarcastic remark did not dampen her interest.

Her sister later returned with Nancy Dávila, a young sister from Machala. Nancy had such a kind and loving manner that Maruja was moved to say to herself: ‘This is the kind of friend I want for my children.’ Among Maruja’s first questions were, “Where are the dead? And is there a resurrection?” Maruja recalls that on receiving the answer that the dead are unconscious in the grave and awaiting a resurrection, she was so overjoyed she wanted to tell this newfound truth to everyone. (Eccl. 9:5; John 5:28, 29) So she asked Nancy to accompany her in visiting her neighbors up in the mountains.

But, as was true in other areas, the priest was like a king in these villages. So while they were on their way to visit Maruja’s native village deep in the mountains, the priest’s orders had evidently preceded them. At one home they were greeted by a large sign scrawled with obscene words.

At another home, a relative remarked: “The priest says that those who go about preaching should be killed with sticks and stones.” Maruja replied: “If you kill us, then who will go to prison​—you or the priest?”

“We will,” answered the relative.

“But think about your children,” reasoned Maruja. “Who will care for them when you go to jail? The priest  doesn’t worry about whom he orders to be killed, since he is not the one who will have to answer for it. We are not dogs. If we are killed, then someone is going to press charges and you will have to answer for it.”

A Record of Endurance

After a two-month stay in Pallatanga, Nancy had to return to Machala, and Maruja was again left alone with her four children and elderly mother. Yet, she felt an urgent need to associate with Jehovah’s people. So she went to Riobamba to look for the Witnesses. There she was able to attend a circuit assembly and get baptized.

For some time she traveled to Riobamba for association whenever she had the money. Later, in spite of the neighbors’ threats to harm the Witnesses or even kill them, the brothers from Riobamba began assisting her to witness in Pallatanga.

Things came to a head one day when the brothers from Riobamba made plans to show one of the Society’s films in the Pallatanga town square. All was quiet until the first mention of the name Jehovah. Suddenly the people began to shout: “Maruja Granizo had better get out of here, or we will not be responsible for her life!” Someone tore down the sheet that had been hung up as a screen for the projection. Church bells began to ring frantically, and people started coming out of their homes with sticks and rocks in hand. So the brothers quickly gathered up their equipment and got on board the bus to leave town. As the bus started up the road a head count was taken, and it was noticed that one of the Witnesses, Julio Santos, was missing! Had he been caught by the mob?

Suddenly they saw a large man running toward the bus, leading the mob, throwing stones, and shouting: “Give it to  them with sticks and stones!” It was Julio! The mob had somehow got between him and the bus, so in a desperate scheme of self-preservation, Julio pretended that he was one of them. When he caught up with the bus, he jumped on board, and away they went toward Riobamba.

Maruja and her family had also got on the bus for safety’s sake. But outside the village, they got off and started toward home. How were they going to make it? The mob was searching for them. A number of times they had to hide as the mob ran by. Finally late at night they arrived safely at home.

What has been the result of 24 years of endurance in this isolated territory? First of all, the priest that had caused so much trouble in Pallatanga was thrown out 20 years later by the same townspeople, who accused him of immorality  and stealing. Little by little the people have become very receptive to the Bible’s message. Though there is still only a small isolated group here, Maruja herself now conducts 11 Bible studies. In 1987 a large restaurant was made available for the Memorial, and 150 attended. Yes, Pallatanga is a modern-day Macedonia, sheltered by breathtaking scenic mountains, just begging for someone to step over and help this tiny group to preach the good news throughout its vast territory.

‘The Only Religion That Has the Truth’

Some people, like Jorge Salas, who lived in Ibarra, would even search for Jehovah’s Witnesses. He chanced to read a book entitled La Gran Obra (The Great Work), written by a Dr. Berrocochea who lived in Uruguay at the time. Among other things, the book stated that the only religion that had the truth was Jehovah’s Witnesses. That was what Jorge wanted. So he decided to go to Quito to search for the Witnesses, and if they could not be found there, he would go to Guayaquil, or even to Uruguay if necessary.

In Quito, he started out at 5:30 a.m. in search of the Witnesses. After getting tired of walking, he hired a taxi. When the taxi driver got tired of driving him, he hired another one. At noon the second driver was getting hungry and wanted to quit. However, Jorge insisted that they continue.

Finally someone showed him where a Witness lived, and from there he was escorted to the entrance of the missionary home. Arthur Bonno, the cook for that day, came to the door with his apron on and invited him in. Jorge thought to himself: ‘If the cook is a gringo and is so well dressed, what will the missionary be like who attends me?’  In a short while a missionary with strong Indian features arrived to care for him. This was Pedro Tules. Again he wondered, ‘What kind of religion could this be, one that has the Indians being served by the lighter-skinned people?’ He was to discover that this is not the only way in which Jehovah’s Witnesses are different. Soon he himself forsook his immoral life, remarried his divorced wife, and was able to assist her and most of their children to accept the truth.

Unlike Jorge, there were some people who at first wished that the Witnesses would go away.

A Polish Businessman

In Guayaquil, John and Dora Furgala, who had emigrated from Poland, ran a hardware store that was well known to all the builders, carpenters, and plumbers in the city. Zola Hoffman placed a tract with Dora and returned on the weekend for a visit. Dora’s husband, John, however, was not pleased to have his day of rest interrupted. So he accepted all the books Zola had in her witnessing bag, thinking that this would mean no more visits, as she would have nothing more to offer them. However, Zola sent back a missionary who spoke Polish, and a study was started with Dora.

Later when the Furgalas were invited to the congregation meetings, John replied: “Dora can go along and tell me what she learns.” John did not get enthusiastic about the Bible until he suffered a slight heart attack and the doctor ordered him to stay in bed for 15 days. In order to occupy his mind, he started reading the Bible and the publications. Suddenly, he felt like a man who was having his eyes opened for the first time. Every day he would call his wife and say: “Hey! Look! I’ve discovered something new!” Soon  both of them were baptized. But in view of their hardware business, would John really give Jehovah’s service first place?

For John Furgala, being a prominent businessman was no handicap because he was not ashamed of the good news. (Matt. 10:32, 33) Along with his tools and hardware, he set up an attractive stand to display the Watch Tower publications. While his helper filled an order for a customer, John would give him a witness. In those days it was the custom to give a commission to a client when he purchased a certain amount of hardware. Instead, John would offer the person a free subscription for our magazines. It was not uncommon for him to place 60 or more subscriptions in a month.

A Politician Embraces True Justice

People in all walks of life​—the rich and the poor, those in prison and those who are prominent in this system of things—​need to be given opportunity to hear the truth. Rafael Coello was one who had been searching for social  justice since his youth. This led him to become a member of the Communist Party in 1936. For seven years he participated in riots and protests. Disillusioned, he renounced membership with them and became involved in several other parties. There he experienced both notoriety and prominence. At one time he was named by the president of Ecuador as ambassador to a special meeting directed by the United Nations. Yet another time, when the opposing party was in power, he was put into prison. It was here in jail that Albert Hoffman paid him a visit and left him the book “Let God Be True.”

Seven years later a man of kindly appearance called at the home of Rafael Coello, who relates: “I recognized instantly that it was someone I had been waiting for without knowing it. Albert Hoffman was looking for me again.” A study was started in the book “This Means Everlasting Life.” It did not take long for Rafael to find what he had been looking for all these years​—the understanding that true justice would come only by means of God’s Kingdom. His baptism in 1959 stirred quite a bit of excitement, for he had been well known as a politician for over 20 years.

Just as he had been a vigorous fighter for human justice, he now became a strong defender of divine justice. On looking back over the years, Brother Coello recalls: “I have been privileged to speak of Jehovah’s justice to men of all stations, from ex-presidents to very humble laborers.” Being well acquainted with the Palacio de Justicia (Palace of Justice) in Guayaquil because he had served there as judge in the court of appeals, he went back to witness to each one of the dozens of judges and lawyers there. As a result, he established an extensive magazine route with former work associates.

 An International Brotherhood

Because the brothers have done much planting and watering of seeds of Kingdom truth, people of all sorts have heard the good news. But it is Jehovah who has given the increase. (1 Cor. 3:6) His spirit working on his entire visible organization has made it possible.

With the encouragement received at the 1958 Divine Will International Assembly in New York, many brothers came to Ecuador to serve where the need was greater. When a visit was made by the Society’s president in 1959, he talked to 120 persons who had come from foreign countries. Many new ones were brought to a knowledge of the truth through their efforts. Some were instrumental in forming new congregations and effectively training local brothers for congregational responsibilities.

In 1967 the Ecuadorean Witnesses experienced in yet another way the genuineness of our international brotherhood. The occasion? The “God’s Sons of Liberty” International Assembly that was held in Guayaquil. Present at this assembly were directors of the Society along with some 400 visiting brothers from various countries. What joyous fellowship with more than 2,700 Ecuadorean brothers and interested persons! So many expressions of appreciation came from the native brothers as well as from those visiting from abroad.

A Different Spirit in Cuenca

In the year 1967 it seemed appropriate to make another attempt to get the good news established in Ecuador’s third-largest city, Cuenca. How would this be done? At first, Carlos Salazar was sent there as a special pioneer. Shortly after that, four recent graduates of Gilead also  arrived​—Ana Rodriguez and Delia Sánchez of Puerto Rico, as well as Harley and Cloris Harris from the United States.

At that time the only local Witness in this city of over 100,000 was Carlos Sánchez, a young man who was paralyzed from the waist down as a result of an automobile accident some years before he learned the truth. For each meeting the missionaries would carry him downstairs from his apartment, settle him on the back of a motor scooter, and then carry him upstairs to the Kingdom Hall. His smiling face and optimistic attitude were a real encouragement to this small group.

Remember, Cuenca had the reputation of being the strongest Catholic city in all Ecuador. One of the first things that caught the missionaries’ attention was the surprising number of churches. It seemed that every fourth or fifth block had one. And towering over all of them was the huge cathedral located on the main square. Each morning long before dawn the missionaries were awakened by church bells, calling the people to early morning Mass. During what was known as Holy Week, the images from the various churches were carried outside and paraded up and down the streets of Cuenca. It would take a whole day to finish this procession of images.

So it was with great caution that the small group of Witnesses began to work from house to house. Tales of rock-throwing mobs still lingered from past efforts to work certain sections of the city. However, much to the surprise of the missionaries, nothing of this sort happened now. On the contrary, people welcomed them into their homes on the first visit and took much literature. The people were starving spiritually.

Regarding one of the most popular priests in Cuenca, Harley Harris relates: “We were constantly hearing about a  priest from Spain by the name of Juan Fernández. He was in disagreement with the bishop of Cuenca because he refused to charge different prices for the various categories of Mass. To him, the Mass was all the same. The problem was that he was not bringing in enough money to satisfy the bishop. Secondly, he got rid of almost all the images in his church. This was applauded by the liberal Catholics, while the more conservative ones were scandalized.

“Then one day a lady told us of her neighbor who had refused to listen to us and had then reported this to Fernández the priest. Much to her surprise and that of others, he publicly criticized her at Mass and told those present that if anyone should come to their doors talking to them about the Bible, they should listen, as the Bible contains the truth.

“I decided I should meet this priest, and after some effort I was able to obtain his home address. I gave him an invitation to our home and was pleased to receive him for a two-hour visit. Surprisingly, he had a fair knowledge of some basic Bible teachings. When I asked him what position he thought a Christian should take when there is a political conflict between two nations, he immediately replied: ‘There is just one position a Christian can take and that is neutrality, because one cannot obey Jesus’ command to love and kill at the same time.’ The conversation ended on a warm and friendly basis, and he requested a number of our publications.”

Due to his dispute with the bishop, however, he was relieved of his duties as a priest and was sent back to Spain that same week. His comments had loosened the mental shackles of many townspeople who afterward gave a hearing ear to the Bible message.

Still there was something that seemed to be holding the  people back from taking a firm stand for the truth. Many would study the Bible and come to the meetings; but when it came to going out in the field service, almost no one had the courage to do so. We came to the conclusion that it was fear of neighbor. What could help to overcome this barrier?

“Mother, I Can’t Die Yet”

Bob and Joan Isensee, former missionaries, chose to rear their family in Cuenca. While Mimi, their 10-year-old daughter, was playing at school one day, she was crushed beneath the wheels of a loaded dump truck. She was rushed  to a clinic. Desperate efforts were made to save her life. When her anxious mother arrived, Mimi was still conscious and whispered: “Mother, I can’t die yet. I haven’t even conducted a Bible study!” And of her own accord the child told the nurses that she did not want any blood used in treating her. This was the clinic’s first experience with Jehovah’s Witnesses. And it proved to be an unforgettable one.

The doctor arrived. He said an operation would be necessary to determine what damage had been done internally. The father explained that this was quite all right, but “No blood, please, because the Bible forbids the use of blood in any form!” (Acts 15:28, 29) The doctor was shocked. Never before had he been faced with an operation as serious as this with the request that blood not be used. The father said that this was his responsibility as a parent and not the surgeon’s. He would accept full responsibility for the outcome. The only thing he asked was that, without violating God’s law on blood, the doctor do all he could to save the child’s life.

With humility the doctor replied: “Since I have my own religious beliefs and want others to respect them, I will respect yours. I will do what I can.”

Just before being wheeled into the operating room, Mimi said to her father: “Don’t worry, Daddy. I have already prayed to Jehovah.”

More than five long hours passed. During that time many people who knew the family or had heard of the accident came to the clinic and waited for the results. Meanwhile the parents were explaining to them that if their child should die, they had the assurance of seeing her again in the resurrection. What effect did this have on the others?

 Remarks like these were heard: “I am a father too and know what it means to lose a child; but you show more calmness over this than I would.” Another said: “If I could have faith like these people, I would be the happiest man alive.” A next-door neighbor, whose husband had died some time before this, came to console them and went away comforted herself. She said: “For two years, since the death of my husband, I have been depressed; but seeing you and your faith in God and the hope you have has enabled me to find happiness for the first time.”

But what about the child? Finally the long operation ended, and the anxious parents approached the doctor to get his report. Very serious damage had been done to the internal organs. The artery to the diaphragm had been cut and more than half of her blood was lost. The liver had been lacerated in several places. Because of the tremendous pressure, the stomach had been forced right through the diaphragm. The truck had stopped just short of bursting the heart.

The doctor said that he appreciated the calm attitude of the parents, as this had enabled him to begin the operation in a much more steady frame of mind. Mimi recovered in short order, much to the elation of everyone. The entire experience resulted in a tremendous witness as news spread throughout the city of Cuenca. The radio station spoke about the outstanding faith and tranquillity of the Isensee family. A prominent doctor told the father: “You should know that this case is referred to as a real miracle among the men of the medical circle.”

A Cyclist Enters a Different Race

Mario Polo, a lifelong resident of Cuenca, was renowned for winning the nationwide cycling competition for several years in succession and retiring undefeated. For good reason, the city of Cuenca was quite proud of its native son.

 When Mario’s wife, Norma, began to study with the Witnesses, he decided to sit in once to see if he could get some of his own questions answered. The first thing he wanted to know was: “Who is the harlot mentioned in the book of Revelation?” (Rev. 17:3-5) The missionary replied that we usually start with simpler things of the Bible. But, since Mario had brought up the question, the missionary explained that the Bible uses the symbol of an immoral woman named Babylon the Great to represent the worldwide association of religions that do not keep separate from the world.​—Jas. 4:4; Rev. 18:2, 9, 10.

From then on, Mario took a keen interest in the Bible study and made great efforts to attend even though his work was some distance out of town. Then one night he came to the missionary home with a very worried look on his face. He had obtained some literature from the Evangelists that made strong accusations against Jehovah’s Witnesses. The missionary replied that if those charges against us worried  him, the best way to answer the accusations would be to request an Evangelist to be present to see if he could sustain them. That seemed quite fair to Mario. So he and the brother paid a visit to the Protestant pastor who was distributing the literature.

Mario requested that the pastor come to his house to defend what he had said against Jehovah’s Witnesses. He was obliged to accept the invitation, otherwise his absence would have been an admission that the accusations were false.

There were ten people, including Mario’s friends and relatives, waiting when the pastor accompanied by another preacher from his church showed up. The Trinity was selected for discussion. Every time a scripture was quoted to support the doctrine, Mario, his wife, or one of their friends would show the pastor why this did not apply. The missionary hardly had to say anything.

After about a half hour, the pastor looked at his watch and said that he had another appointment. “But, Sir, you haven’t proved a thing yet,” protested one of those present. “Don’t tell us that you are now leaving us at the mercy of these wolves, as you call them!” The pastor left, saying that he would see about some future arrangement, but he refused to commit himself as to when it would be.

He did return one day and told Norma Polo that he would come back​—but at a time when Jehovah’s Witnesses were not present. This seemed unjust to Mario, who went over to the pastor’s house and advised him that he would be welcome to his house only when Jehovah’s Witnesses were there to defend themselves. It was now very clear to Mario as to who had the truth and the courage to defend it.

From that time on, Mario continued to make steady  progress. Before long he was sharing in the field ministry right there in his own community, and later his wife and daughter joined him.

As various native residents of the city began to identify themselves as Jehovah’s Witnesses, the effect on others was tremendous. Doctors, lawyers, jewelers, farmers​—people from all walks of life in Cuenca—​have now embraced the truth by the hundreds. Twenty years ago there was no congregation in Cuenca. Now there are 11 congregations in this territory. On the streets where religious parades used to last an entire day during the so-called Holy Week, a few minutes is all that is necessary to see what passes by​—the relics of a bygone era. By contrast, Jehovah’s name is now known from one end of the province to the other.

The Need: Encouragement

During the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, the Kingdom work in Ecuador enjoyed a period of peaceful expansion. The influence of other religions, as well as their ability to incite the people, diminished. Publishers were working hard to spread the good news of the Kingdom to every corner of the country.

In 1963 there were 1,000 publishers active in the field ministry. Five years later the number had reached 2,000. By 1971 the total had risen to 3,000. In two more years we reported 4,000 Kingdom proclaimers; the next year it was 5,000, and by October 1975 we had reached a peak of 5,995.

Then, however, for the first time in years, a decline set in. By 1979 the total number of active preachers of the good news had dropped to just over 5,000. What was happening? It seems that some of the new ones here had been swept along by enthusiasm for a date instead of building on  genuine appreciation for Jehovah and his ways. At any rate, by 1980 there was again a slight increase and again in 1981, but progress was slow.

What was holding the increase back, when country after country was now reporting fine growth in their territory? Apostasy was unheard of here. There was apparently no uncleanness that would cause Jehovah to withhold his spirit. Much prayerful thought was given to the matter. Growth prospects were excellent, as 26,576 were in attendance in 1981 at the Memorial​—a ratio of 5 interested persons to each Kingdom publisher.

It was decided that what our brothers really needed was encouragement. The elders and ministerial servants needed to be reminded of their responsibility to take the lead in the field. Those who had become inactive needed to have Bible studies conducted with them to rekindle their appreciation for spiritual things.

So after compiling the 1981 service year report, the Branch Committee arranged to invite all the elders and ministerial servants to short meetings in key cities throughout the country. The brothers were overjoyed with the information shared with them. Everyone left with renewed spirit for the work. An increase of 14 percent in publishers and 19 percent in home Bible studies resulted that service year. Memorial attendance jumped 28 percent, to 34,024! Truly the fields were white for harvesting.

Torrential Rains

Now another obstacle presented itself. For ten months straight, from October 1982 to July 1983, the country experienced heavy rains and flooding unlike anything remembered in the past hundred years. In Guayaquil and the  surrounding areas, more than 100 inches of rainfall were recorded in a few months. Bridges were wiped out, isolating towns. Communication became extremely difficult. Kingdom Halls and the homes of our brothers suffered damage.

But the brothers were determined to continue to hold their meetings. In Babahoyo, some had to wade in water up to the waist to get to meetings. Farther south, in Milagro, the water was almost knee deep right in the Kingdom Hall. But the brothers just rolled up  their pant legs and enjoyed the meetings despite the flooding.

Earnest effort was made to maintain communication with our brothers, even those in isolated areas. When it was learned that some were lacking food and other necessities, the branch informed the congregations, and our local brothers responded generously. From around the country, brothers kindly provided the necessary money, food, clothing, and medicine. Right in the midst of this period of incessant rain, the branch scheduled another meeting with the elders  and ministerial servants. Encouraging experiences were shared, and suggestions were offered as to how the preaching work could be carried on in spite of such inclement weather. Paul’s words seemed very appropriate: “Preach the word, be at it urgently in favorable season, in troublesome season.”​—2 Tim. 4:2.

What was the result? Reports from many of the congregations that were adversely affected by the weather showed remarkable increases. At the end of the 1983 service year, in spite of the rains, our brothers had averaged a 17-percent increase in publishers and had reached a new peak of 7,504. During this same period of time, home Bible studies had jumped 28 percent! The more our brothers worked the territory, the more it produced.

Need to Expand Branch Facilities

The Kingdom work in Ecuador is relatively new in comparison with the work in many other countries. The first sustained preaching activity got under way just over 40 years ago. As the growth of a youngster requires new sets of clothing, so the expansion of the Kingdom work here has made it necessary to obtain larger branch facilities.

At first the branch office simply operated out of a missionary home. By 1957 new facilities were built in Guayaquil. Later this structure was enlarged. In 1977, during his zone visit, Brother Grant Suiter suggested that the brothers begin looking outside of Guayaquil for a larger piece of property. One day a brother came to the branch office and asked if we might be interested in a plot of land he would like to donate to the Society. It was just outside of Guayaquil. How thrilled we were to accept this offer!

Another urgent need at that time was for a place where one of the district assemblies could be held​—even if it was  out in the open air. After some preliminary clearing of this new piece of land, the first assembly was held on it. The hillside provided a natural amphitheater, and the brothers spread out blankets on the ground for seating. For a number of years this lot served for district and circuit assemblies on the coast.

Finally, late in 1984, work got under way to build a handsome Assembly Hall on this property. It was to have a seating capacity of 3,000. Over 80 acres were available for this construction. However, more than an Assembly Hall was needed. With approval from the Governing Body, early in 1985 construction of a new branch building began on another part of the same land. What an exciting time as the friends experienced Jehovah’s blessing on their efforts to bring all of this to completion! Construction started just before the Society’s international construction program got under way, but the building was completed under its direction. The brothers were delighted to receive a professional helping hand from international volunteer construction workers from 14 countries. What a blessing this assistance was! Our deep appreciation goes to each one who helped.

Changes in Administration

In 1949 Albert Hoffman became the first branch overseer and did much to help organize the work here in its infancy. Then in 1950, that oversight was transferred to John McClenahan, also Gilead trained. Again, in 1970, it was necessary to make some changes in the administration. Another Gilead graduate, Harley Harris, was appointed to be branch overseer and has continued serving in the branch since then. At present the branch is administered by a committee of five men: Francisco Angus, Arthur Bonno, Harley Harris, Vern McDaniel, and Laureano Sánchez.

 Sacrifices by the Thousands

The history of the Kingdom work in Ecuador contains hundreds of thousands of sacrifices of our brothers​—some so small they go unnoticed by us as humans, but never by Jehovah. To all these loyal ones applies the assurance recorded at Hebrews 6:10: “God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name.”

Those who came from other lands to serve here will long remember the frustrations of trying to express themselves in a tongue that they were just beginning to learn. The native language sounded to them like a barrage of words shot at them at machine-gun speed. Said one missionary: “I felt like a baby learning to talk again.”

Then what about the times they thought they were beginning to master the language but would say something that gave the wrong impression? For example, one brother went to a hardware store and, after consulting his English-Spanish dictionary, said: “Quiero una libra de uñas” (I want a pound of fingernails). He had asked for the wrong kind of nails! A sister was standing up in a bus when the driver abruptly started, throwing her backward into a man’s lap. Thinking that she was apologizing, she said: “Con su permiso” (With your permission). The passengers had a hearty laugh when the man good-naturedly replied: “Go right ahead, Lady.”

Sister Zola Hoffman, who stayed with her missionary assignment in Ecuador right down to the finish of her earthly course, is well remembered for her fearless witnessing. Was she afraid to talk to anyone about the good news? Hardly! Her favorite territory was the business section of Guayaquil. There she was known by almost everyone​—executives, lawyers, judges, and many others. Her funeral was attended by many townspeople to whom she had witnessed. Thus, the Kingdom Hall was packed to overflowing, and there were  people standing outside, all the way to the other side of the street. Among those present were some of the 94 persons she had personally helped to dedicate their lives to Jehovah.

The once strong voice of Brother Albert Hoffman is now only a heavy whisper. What happened? One night, when driving home from a meeting, he stopped for a traffic light. A man, a stranger, approached, put a pistol to his neck, and said something; he was probably demanding money. Since Albert was hard of hearing, he did not respond immediately. Angrily, the man pulled the trigger. The bullet passed through Albert’s neck, lodging in his right shoulder, cutting the vocal chords in the process. Despite this damage to his voice, Albert continues to speak Jehovah’s praise, though now in a heavy whisper. He has a record of almost 60 years in the full-time service.

Someone else noted for his determination is Herman Gau, who came from Germany with his wife to serve where the need was greater. He likes to get things done, and fast, no matter what difficulties arise. Since a Kingdom Hall was needed by the little congregation in the jungle town of Puyo, Brother Gau reasoned: “Let’s go out into the jungle and cut down some trees for lumber.” He saw what looked like a nice straight tree, but the native brother with him cautioned: “I wouldn’t cut that down if I were you. It has ants in it.”

“There are no ants that can keep me from having this nice tree for a Kingdom Hall!” said Herman. And so they attacked it with their machetes. When this partly hollow tree tumbled to the ground, thousands of angry ants defensively swarmed all over them. Desperately, the brothers ran to the river and jumped in, clothes and all. From then on, Herman listened when a native spoke to him about trees. “But,” he says with a hearty laugh, “we did get that Kingdom Hall built!”

 Youths Embrace the Truth

However, there is something that is much more challenging than building Kingdom Halls. That is rearing children in the truth. Jorge and Orffa Santos have spent close to 30 years in the full-time service. During that time they have also reared five children, all of whom are now in the full-time service as they follow the good example of their parents. Theirs is just one experience among many that demonstrates the importance of fine parental example in training children in the way they should go.​—Prov. 22:6.

Carlos Salazar, however, did not have that kind of spiritual upbringing. On the contrary, when he chose to serve Jehovah, he was put out of the house by his mother and shunned by his fleshly brothers and sisters. Nevertheless, during the 34 years that he has devoted to the full-time ministry, he has gained over 12,000 spiritual brothers and sisters in his native country of Ecuador alone​—not to mention the more than 3,000,000 who make up the international brotherhood. How much he has come to appreciate the loving care Jehovah bestows on those who have become “orphans” for the sake of the good news!

Jim and Frances Woodburn have shown much zeal as a missionary couple, sowing Kingdom seed far and wide. They have called on many high schools, presenting the book Your Youth​—Getting the Best out of It. It has filled a dire need in the schools in helping youngsters to learn better morals, respect for their teachers, and an awareness of the danger of drugs. The book Life​—How Did It Get Here? By Evolution or by Creation? was also presented​—as something unique, the only book discussing evolution that presents both sides of the issue. Teachers and school authorities allowed Brother and Sister Woodburn to go right into the classrooms to present  the literature to the students. Even the religious schools run by priests and nuns were receptive. One priest called the entire student body together to the school auditorium and said: “This is just the book you need, and I would urge each one of you to obtain a copy.” Of more than 65 schools visited, not one refused to allow the Woodburns to offer this vital material to the students! At times they would place more than a thousand books in a month.

Future Prospects

As we walk down the streets of Quito, Cuenca, Riobamba, and San Antonio today, it is difficult to imagine that here a short time ago vigorous battles were fought for the freedom to preach the good news. Shouting mobs have been replaced by peaceful persons who listen with deep respect to the Bible’s message. Monuments to the victory that Jehovah has given us are now found everywhere​—Kingdom Halls where 188 congregations meet to feed on God’s Word.

This year experienced another jump in publishers​—to a peak of 13,352. There are almost twice as many Bible studies as there are publishers, and 66,519 were present for the Memorial of Christ’s death​—all of this giving indication that much work is yet to be done here in helping others embrace the truth too.

How refreshing it was that during the heat of persecution honesthearted Ecuadoreans came to the defense of the brothers and sisters, to give them “a cup of cold water.” As Jesus said, such persons by no means lose their reward. (Matt. 10:42) Thousands of people here along the equator, from the forested tropical plains to the snowcapped mountain peaks, have already been rewarded with the refreshing waters of truth. Our earnest desire is that thousands more will benefit before this system comes to its end.

 [Box/​Map on page 201]

Profile of Ecuador

Capital: Quito

Official Language: Spanish

Major Religion: Roman Catholic

Population: 10,054,000

Publishers: 13,352

Pioneers: 1,978

Congregations: 188

Memorial Attendance: 66,519

Branch Office: Guayaquil

[Map]

(For fully formatted text, see publication)

PACIFIC OCEAN

COLOMBIA

ECUADOR

Ibarra

Atuntaqui

San Antonio

EQUATOR

Quito

Manta

Ambato

Riobamba

Babahoyo

Guayaquil

Milagro

La Libertad

Andes

Cuenca

Machala

PERU

 [Full-page Picture on page 199]

[Picture on page 202]

Thomas and Mary Klingensmith, left, and Willmetta and Walter Pemberton were the first missionaries from Gilead School in Ecuador, 1946

[Picture on page 207]

Pedro Tules, first Ecuadorean to be trained at Gilead School

[Picture on page 209]

N. H. Knorr, left, third president of the Watch Tower Society, and standing with him M. G. Henschel, also from world headquarters, when they visited Ecuador in March 1949. Albert Hoffman, right, was Ecuador’s first branch overseer. He later survived a shooting

[Picture on page 210]

César Santos gave up idol worship to become a Witness

[Picture on page 215]

Carl Dochow, a Gilead-trained missionary, met resistance in the city of Cuenca

[Picture on page 218]

Carlos Salazar, the second Ecuadorean to attend Gilead School

[Picture on page 220]

Unn Raunholm was sent to Ecuador as a missionary in 1958

[Picture on page 223]

Ray and Alice Knoch, missionaries assigned to Pacific Coast villages

[Picture on page 227]

Maruja Granizo, left, with her grandchildren and daughter-in-law

[Picture on page 230]

John Furgala, left, outside his hardware store

[Picture on page 233]

Rafael Coello, once a judge in the court of appeals, witnesses to former associates at the Palace of Justice in Guayaquil

[Picture on page 238]

Former missionaries Bob and Joan Isensee and their children. They faced the blood transfusion issue

[Pictures on page 241]

Mario Polo after winning national cycling race. Mario and his wife, Norma, now champion Bible truth

[Pictures on page 245]

Ecuador’s new Bethel Home with its reception area

[Picture on page 246]

New open-air Assembly Hall facility and new branch, seen in background