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.

and Willmetta and Walter Pemberton were the first missionaries from Gilead School in Ecuador, 1946