They Appreciate Parental Guidance

Jacob Emmanuel was a full-time pioneer minister  for some years before serving at the Mexico branch office of Jehovah's Witnesses.  He remembers with appreciation how his love for God's service was developed:  "My parents were the main influence, although some experienced spiritual brothers with whom I have developed  friendships have also been very helpful.  They motivated me to love the preaching work. Quietly they directed me along the right path;  I never felt that they pressured me."

David, who has already spent several years in the full-time ministry, remembers how it impressed him that his parents began serving as special pioneers when he and his brother were small.  When his father died, his mother continued in the special pioneer service. .  She took care of them in addition to preaching the good news.  "They never obligated me to be a pioneer," says David, "but we enjoyed pioneering so much as a family that the companionship and environment impelled me to do the same."  Regardless the importance of good direction and attention from parents, David says:  "Every night my mother read to us stories from the book From Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained.  The way that she related them to us helped us to love taking in spiritual food."

Next time: Appreciation for the Meetings

The Watchtower, 2002