El Salvador English District Convention

Be prepared for a lot of pictures. I thought about doing this post in sections, but I'll probably get one section done, and then never get to the next, so here it is all in one long post!

This is the bus we traveled on for 14 hours to get from Nicaragua to El Salvador. That's Brandon up there (from Granada English congregation) conducting the consideration of the day's text. 

I admire this family so much. They used to serve in Spanish in Nicaragua, then back in the States, and now they're back in Nicaragua in the English congregation. They have another younger boy too besides these three. I forgot to ask if they all still are, but at one point the parents and two oldest boys were all regular pioneering. They're just amazing!

The wonderful welcome we received upon arriving in El Salvador. They had sandwiches and bottles of water for us too. 

And they (the local brothers) made sure all of us got to our hotels. The couple that took us even took us to get lunch first, and then grocery shopping, and then on to the hotel. They were awesome. I had been so worried about how we'd get to the hotel since we weren't staying in one that anyone else on our bus was staying at - I should have known better than to worry!

And then here's another answer to another prayer. I was worried about how we'd get to the convention site each day since the local brothers said it wasn't a good idea to get the bus by ourselves. But then we arrive at our hotel and find out this family of Witnesses was staying there too, and they had a car, and room for two!! 

Friday morning's origami lesson. Someone finally figured out how to fold the program properly! It wasn't me!

Kari, Natasha & Jessica from Granada English congregation

Tim & Tina Mitchell serve in Spanish in Las Esquinas. They are originally from England.

Ella - Granada English. I think it's wonderful to see families serving where the need is greater. Her mam, dad and brother all had demonstrations on the program too.

See that belt I'm wearing - look out for a photo further down to find out more!

Libby (serving in Spanish in Casares) and a sister in English in Nicaragua but I cannot bring her name to mind. 

This couple were attending the Spanish District Convention going on at the same time in a different building in the convention center. The sister next to me is in Managua English congregation.

This family came all the way from Bluefields on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua. She got baptized last year, and her brother got baptized at this convention. He's older than he looks - 13 he said.

This couple serve in Spanish in Guatemala. They're from England and will soon be going to the school for couples in Ireland. Turns out his family on his mam's side are from my old circuit back home in England.

The circuit overseer giving a talk. This brother serves a HUGE circuit being in English. Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua. Now that's a lot of traveling! And he was a very entertaining speaker.

With Christy & Shawn from Granada English

With the newlyweds, Bryce & Anielka. They're in Sign Language in San Marcos, Nicaragua. He's from Canada, and she's from Nicaragua. They're such a sweet couple.

Sandra (French) & Alex (Scottish) serve in Jinotega in Spanish. Our friends from Indy that came to serve a few months in Jinotega stayed in their house. And Stephan (French) and Madeline (British) serve in Ojo de Agua near Chinandega, Nicaragua in a Spanish congregation.

These sisters came all the way from Roatan, Honduras. They said they left at 6am Wednesday morning and arrived around 1pm Thursday afternoon. I stopped complaining about our 14 hour bus ride after that!

These two were interviewed about having used drugs before learning the truth and how they broke free. The sister said she thought she'd used drugs about 4 years but she doesn't really remember much about that time! It was so funny the way she said it!

Friday's drama. At the beginning I couldn't figure out why Job was wearing pants. Charley had to explain it was the new system - ohhhhhhhh I get it!!

The couple on the left had to learn this long demonstration in just two days. The couple who were supposed to be doing it had problems at the border and they wouldn't let them leave Guatemala so they missed the convention. 

We had to get out Friday after the sessions - they were fumigating next door and it appears the ventilation was connected! Drama practice was cancelled because of it.

We went to Wendy's for dinner Friday since it was close by! They have restaurants there that don't exist in Nicaragua like Wendys, Starbucks & Dennys!

If you speak Spanish you'll understand why I thought this sign in Wendys was clever!

So, remember the belt? I forgot to take it and this dress doesn't look good without one. But then I had a bright idea. I pulled the drawstring out of one of the legs of my capri pants and voila - a belt! I'm going to have to pull out the other drawstring though because I don't think I'll ever get that one back in!

One of our yummy breakfasts at the hotel. The owner was great - she took such good care of us.

Debbie in the middle - you've seen her before, she serves on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua with her husband. And the other sister serves right there in San Salvador near the convention site.

The building in the distance is a bigger hall where about 6000 Spanish brothers and sisters were enjoying their convention at the same time as us.

I loved the signs they made to welcome us.

Lily & Natalie from Leon English, Nicaragua

Ruben & Emilee are from Seattle and serve in Spanish in a rural are of Guatemala. They sell banana cakes in the local market to support themselves. 

Sister Newbon from Granada English made me cry telling her experience of when her mom suddenly died of a heart attack at the meeting just after the sister had her first baby. It was very moving.

And these interviews made us all cry, including the brother giving the baptism talk. What some of our dear brothers and sisters have been through and how they're serving Jehovah faithfully, and even where the need is greater, was so encouraging and faith-strengthening. 

Our 7 soon-to-be brothers and sisters making public declaration. The little 13-year old I had a picture of earlier is in the second row right in front of that sister's camera!

And even when the lights went out, Brother Livingstone from Managua English just kept on going with the sound drama. I guess they had a back-up for the sound because it didn't go off, just the lights for a little while.

Our dear Ruben & Joselyn who are in an English congregation in San Salvador. They speak really good English and were so kind to us, taking us grocery shopping, and to our hotel, and out to eat one night then back to our hotel. The hospitality of the El Salvadorian brothers was just outstanding.

This young sister is from NY and was visiting for a while.

Young sisters in traditional El Salvadorian outfits

With Ruben, Emilee, Ruben & Joselyn eating sushi - well, the others did.

Andrea & Jasel both serve in Spanish near the border of Nicaragua with Costa Rica.

Shelina and Jim & Kelly serve in Sign Language in Nicaragua, and Shawn is in Spanish. They were all on the same bus we traveled on. It was so nice to be with such self-sacrificing pioneers.

Tim & Michelle were spending a few months in Antigua, Guatemala and Brandon & Jennyfer serve there too. 

This couple, Myrna and Ed, were so sweet. They have been serving in Guatemala in Spanish for about 18 years if I remember correctly. I think that's right!

Sunday's drama - they did such a great job.

Ana, the sister in orange, is the one we rode to the convention with each day from our hotel.

One of the brothers on our bus got to take the "scepter" home for the drama his congregation will be doing in Spanish in Nicaragua.

The casting of Haman's sons was so funny. If you remember from the drama this year, his voice was really high-pitched, so it was really funny to see this brother playing that part! And I don't know if you can tell but his shoes have these crazy long points on them that curl up at the end!

Esther & Mordecai at the happy end.

Both of these brothers were interviewed about the challenges they've overcome - dyslexia and cancer. They are both serving in Guatemala now.

Another type of traditional Salvadorian dress.

Sunday night we ate out with a big group from different parts of Nicaragua. We had a sister born in South Africa, two French, two British, one Scottish and the rest from the States. Good times!

I thought the English sign in our hotel bathroom was really funny. I had to read it in Spanish to understand what they were trying to say! I will say though - obturate is a real word in English - not sure they used it correctly though!

Here is Florida outside her hotel. Hotel San Mateo. I would recommend it. It was very clean and comfortable and she feed us some really good breakfast including pupusas on our last morning there!

I hate goodbyes!

All ready to spend our next 12 hours on the bus!

Starting the day off right with a consideration of the day's text.

We had the pleasure of sitting back by the bathroom on the trip there and the trip home. Thankfully Natasha came prepared, although at times the chemicals smelled worse than the bathroom!!

We had a nice little break at this gas station.

I think this was just after crossing the border from El Salvador into Honduras.

And I think I took this picture in Honduras.

And at the border in Honduras I thought this was funny - looks like a GREAT place to shop!

And at the Nicaraguan border, crossing from Honduras, we saw this lovely rainbow. We made it home in 12 hours. At this crossing they made us get all our bags out, but they only looked at three, and then just told us all to get back on the bus. So I don't know if they saw we were Witnesses and figured we'd be no problem or what. But that was great!

So, that was our trip to El Salvador for the District Convention. It was worth the traveling on the bus. The whole experience was SO encouraging. We met friends from all over the world serving in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras & Guatemala, many who serve in English obviously since it was their convention, but also a lot serving in Sign Language or Spanish. Everyone has their experience of what they've lived through, or what they did to move to serve, or what they went through even just to arrive at the convention.

We really got to experience the worldwide brotherhood too. Those who stayed with the local friends in El Salvador told me how the hospitality was overwhelming. They fed them three meals a day, and took them here, there and everywhere. And our dear friends from one of the English congregations in Nicaragua whose bus was robbed and about 6 of them lost all their luggage, were provided for by the friends on their bus who didn't lose stuff, and then the brothers in El Salvador provided for them too.

Well, if you got to the end of this without falling asleep or without three days passing by, congratulations!!