Life story. My journey from shyness to missionary service. The life story of Marianne Wertholz.

The image is a picture of Marianne Vertholz. As a child, I was shy and afraid of people. But in time, Jehovah helped me to become a people-oriented missionary.

How?

Initially, through the guidance of my father.

Next, by the excellent example of a teenage sister.

And finally, by the kind and patient words of my husband.

Let me share my journey with you. I was born in 1951, in Vienna, Austria, to a Catholic family.

I was timid, but I believed in God and prayed often. When I was nine,

my father started studying with Jehovah's Witnesses. My mother joined him a little later.

We soon became part of the Döbling congregation in Vienna. As a family, we did a lot together.

We read and studied the Bible, attended congregation meetings and served as volunteers at assemblies.

Early on in my childhood, my father instilled in me a deep love for Jehovah.

In fact, my father's prayer was that my sister and I become pioneers,

but back then that was not my goal.

The picture caption reads,

With my sister Elizabeth on the left.

Starting full-time service.

I got baptized in 1965 at the age of 14.

However, I found it difficult to approach strangers in the ministry.

I also struggled with feelings of inferiority and desperately wanted to be accepted by other young

people. So not long after my baptism, I started associating with those who didn't serve

Jehovah.

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