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