Maximina and Guillermina

For five months Maximina has been studying the Bible in her home. She is a 62 year old widow who lives with her widowed mother, Guillermina. They live two blocks from the new mission "Agua Viva". Maximina felt drawn to the mission since the inauguration. She knew about the eye clinic but decided not to go, that night she says that without knowing why, she just ended up at the puppet show, and was touched. When the story of the Philippian jailer came up in her Bible study this week, she shared that it was the first story she had heard at our church, the one that touched her heart (the story was one of the puppet skits).

Guillermina, her mother, does not read at all and has studied in the past with Jehovah's Witnesses. Maximina has a second grade education and sometimes she doesn't understand some words in the Bible studies and has a hard time memorizing, but she does it! This past week during the study at her home on Wednesday, we invited her to join the Monday morning Ladies group that is studying the same book. Maximina was a chapter behind them but we told her not to worry, just come and be part of the group. To our surprise, on Monday she arrived with both lessons done, and both verses memorized! We are hoping she will join the group, and find encouragement in studying with others. She sometimes comes to the Wednesday night study at Agua Viva but finds it hard to leave her mother alone at night, especially as it gets dark so early now.

Each Wednesday at 4:30 Diamandy and Marcia, and sometimes Jane Crum, arrive at their home to give the Bible Study. Guillermina is usually outside on the porch watching for us. Maximina has juice or coffee waiting. At first Guillermina would just listen, but for the past month she has been entering into the conversation and asking questions. It seems that during the week there are heated discussions between the two of them over differences in beliefs. We keep pointing to the Bible as the ultimate authority for what we should believe.

We are encouraged by the growth we have seen in Maximina. She truly wants to learn and grow. Even her mother admits that she has changed since becoming a believer. They both laughingly described times when she wanted to quit because she thought she couldn't answer the questions in the study or memorize a verse. Maximina has found that prayer works and the Holy Spirit is always there to help her. She even admitted that one other time she began studying the Bible but after a few studies she would purposely not be home or even hide when they knocked at her door.

Pray for Guillermina, that she will understand that salvation is only in Christ. Since she does not read, she has accepted what she has been taught by the Jehovah's Witnesses for years. She willingly admits she can not explain why she believes what she does, perhaps it is only tradition. Pray that the scriptures she is hearing in the studies will show her the truth.