I WAS very religious and actively involved in the Catholic Church. I sang in the church choir and accompanied the priests to country retreats, where they offered Mass. Then, in 1955 my sister spoke to me about the coming Paradise. She gave me a Bible, the booklet “This Good News of the Kingdom,” and the book “Let God Be True.” I was fascinated, so I asked the priest if I could read the Bible. He told me that I would “go crazy,” but I decided to read it anyway.

After I moved to my grandparents’ home in Boca Chica, a priest asked me why I was not going to church. I explained that I had discovered that many church doctrines are not found in the Bible. The priest was enraged. “Listen,  young lady,” he shouted, “you are a sheep that has strayed away from my flock.”

“No,” I replied, “you are the one who has strayed from Jehovah’s flock, because the sheep belong to Jehovah and not to any man.”

I never went back to church. I moved in with my sister, and just six months after I first heard the truth, I was baptized. Right away, I began regular pioneering. A year later I married Enrique Glass, who was serving as a circuit overseer. Once while we were preaching in a park in La Romana, the police arrested Enrique. As they took him away, I chased after them and said: “I am also one of Jehovah’s Witnesses, and I too was preaching. Why aren’t you taking me as well?” But they did not want to arrest me.

Enrique had already served prison sentences totaling seven and a half years. This time he was sentenced to serve 20 months. Every Sunday I visited Enrique. During one of my visits, a prison captain asked me, “Why are you here?”

I explained, “My husband was imprisoned because he is one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.”

“You are young and have a good future,” he responded. “Why waste your time with Jehovah’s Witnesses?”

“I too am one of Jehovah’s Witnesses,” I replied. “Even if you kill me seven times and resurrect me seven times, I will continue to be one of Jehovah’s Witnesses.” He had heard enough and ordered me to leave.

After the ban was lifted, Enrique and I served for a number of years in the circuit and district work. Enrique fell asleep in death on March 8, 2008. I continue to serve as a regular pioneer.