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How a Catholic Doctor
from Maracaibo, Venezuela
became a member of the Iglesia ni Cristo.

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  Inspiring Convert Story-20

"I had been seeking God"

By Elvia M. Garcia
Maracaibo, Venezuela

I USED TO BE a professor at the I Medical School of the University I of Zulia in Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 1982,1 got the opportunity to earn a Master's Degree in Rehabilitation Medicine.  I started a residency pro-gram in January 1983 at Maracaibo University Hospital that lasted until December 1985.

In February 1986, the Dean of    — the School of Medicine called me to her office to tell me about a scholar- ship that the university offered at   bee that time. I was so happy because I wanted to complete my Master's De- gree doing a specialization course on Neurodiagnostics.

J went to my chief in the hospital to talk to him about this opportunity and he told me that he knew three places where I could apply. One of   a. them was Washington, D.C., the one that approved my application.

My family and I came to the United States on August 8, 1987. I   a went to an English school for nine months. On May 5, 1988, I *net Dr. Daniel Ignacio. He invited me to the Church of Christ; it was a mission ary work one day ia July 1988. After that, he offered the opportunity for me and my husband to receive instruction in biblical doctrines in our home. Regularly every week, Brother Eddie San Gabriel would teach God's words to us. Step by step, we learned from the Bible, which was very interesting because my husband and I had been seeking God since we were in Venezuela. Back there, we had classes with a Catholic priest, but the way he taught us and the way Brother San Gabriel did were so different

With the Catholic priest, we studied the Bible like a history book, starting with Genesis, the first book, and going on until the end. The method used by Brother San Gabriel was totally different. There  was a subject and he would ask questions and look for the answers in the Bible. He never gave his own opinion. But  what called my attention more was our study of the Ten Commandments in the Book of Exodus. It says that God prohibits us to make an idol to worship; we were using same Bible that we brought with us from Venezuela, the same one the Catholic priest recommends us to read, and I was almost  shock because I had read it several times before but I didn't see that prohibition as clearly as when Brother Gabriel taught us. We continued learn from the Bible until  we completed the lessons. We were  baptized in the local congregation of Temple Hills, Maryland in January 1989.

Having realized that the Church of Christ is the one true  Church prophesied in the Bible, we brought our children with us to receive God's words and they were also baptized.

 Mv husband and I renewed our marriage vows on December 17, 1990 with Brother San Gabriel as solemnizing minister.

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Source: February 2006, God's Message, p.18

 

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