What a whirlwind week!

I write this post from our new home, using our freshly installed internet, drinking a lovely cup of hot tea. And I will begin by saying, WE LOVE OUR NEW PLACE!!!

Don't get me wrong, the other house where we lived was fantastic. The owners were very generous, we had the convenience of a truck, and of course since November we had the luxury of our very own swimming pool and hot tub! But, we definitely don't miss the traveling at all. We live just about 10 minutes motorbike ride from our Kingdom Hall, whereas before we lived about 25 minutes truck ride away. We can actually come home for lunch in the middle of the day now, and get ready for the Sunday meeting in our own house! And if Charley ever has meetings to go to, I can just get a taxi home for about 60 cents from wherever we are in town. It's just wonderful.

So, it all happened really quickly. We just started seriously thinking about moving a couple of weeks ago. I think what really brought it on was when a brother in our congregation was attacked and ended up in the hospital. We were at home when we found out, and just too far away to run over to the family's house to find out what was going on. That really made me wish we lived at a convenient distance. With gas at almost $5 a gallon, and a big truck that guzzles lots of it, trips to our territory were not cheap.

A while back I blogged about helping some friends move to another area, and the house we moved them out of is right in Masaya, across the street from the biggest grocery store in town, just close to everything really. So we got the number of the brother in Puerto Rico who owns the house and found out it was available if we wanted it. Then a friend of ours who left for two months to Guatemala told us she was selling her motorbike. It just seemed like everything was falling into place and after much prayer we decided that this was the right decision.

So, within a space of days we bought a motorbike, moved our stuff to the new house, and by Thursday of last week we were living here! So far, so good. The house is nice and roomy, we have room for guests when we have any, the neighborhood is quiet, and we're surrounded by Witnesses. We have a water tank so even though the water only comes from the city every other day, we always have running water available. I have to admit I still don't like riding on the motorbike too much, but I'm getting used to it!

We had our first rainy season bike riding moment last night!! The rain has just started this week, and after eating dinner out with our friends last night it started pouring! The first real downpour we've had so far. We waited until it died down and jumped on our soggy motorbikes!! Everything was going well until this obnoxious motorbike rider flew past us through deep water and drenched us on one side, and the poor couple in front of us who had a little baby wedged in between them (you'd be shocked if you saw how many members of a family manage to fit on a motorbike here!). But it was kinda fun! Time to go poncho shopping though!

So, here are some pictures since I know you're dying to see how our new place looks!

View from the kitchen

Back patio where the water tank is in the ground.

Kitchen, obviously!

Our bathroom, en-suite. That's the edge of the shower cubicle you can see on the left. Not sure how you'd take a shower with the one over the tub without getting water everywhere! That's a whirlpool tub! First time we've ever seen a bathtub in Nicaragua.

Our bedroom. It's really roomy. Bigger than at the other house, as is the bathroom.

Living room looking from front entrance.

Spare bedroom

Spare bathroom

Front entrance, also called motorbike parking station!

Storage room, which even would serve as a third bedroom. Nice to have somewhere to hang clothes up indoors during rainy season!

Our "street". It's an alley really, off a main street.

Front of the house. We have five keys to get inside the place!!

On a very sad note, the brother I mentioned earlier who was attacked, died two weeks later in the hospital. He would have been 66 years old in August, and he was the sweetest, most humble brother. He was a ministerial servant in our congregation, and we meet at his house for field service four times a week. His wife Frances is holding up as well as can be expected. They had been married 26 years and he was baptized in 1994. He had four children, but from a previous marriage. There was a huge turnout for his funeral on Thursday, and the brother who gave the talk did a wonderful job with it, reminding us of everything we loved so much about our dear brother Domingo. It just doesn't seem real, that he's gone. How we long for the time soon when we'll be able to welcome such ones back to a world free of violence and sickness.

Field service has been going really well lately. I have about 18 Bible studies and it's a challenge to keep up with them all at times, trying to remember each ones problems, questions, kids' names, homework assignment, etc!! But it's a lovely problem to have and I'm not complaining! They've all been pretty regular lately too, most of them at least. Almost half of them have been to at least one meeting, and about 7 of them come regularly. 

One in particular that really surprised me last month was Cynthia. Her aunt is in our congregation, and she put Cynthia on the spot one day less than two months ago by telling her she should have me study with her! I wasn't sure she was really so sure of the idea, but she agreed. When I went the first time she wasn't there. I went back later the same day and she seemed to reluctantly accept a study! But she ended up enjoying it I think, and we talked about a couple of things she said she doesn't like about the Witnesses, and in the end she realized that those are just Jehovah's standards as outlined in the Bible.

Anyway, we had a couple of studies, just reviewing the first couple of chapters of the Teach book since she'd studied them before, nothing outstanding really. She came to the Memorial, but she does every year. She used to study and go to meetings in her early teens, but then stopped and now she's in her early 20's and has two kids. So, one Sunday a few weeks ago we went to Tisma to give a talk, so I didn't go for her study or to our meeting. That following Tuesday after the meeting I turn around and who do I see?! Cynthia!!! I was so surprised! Turns out she had been at the Sunday meeting too, and she had prepared for her study the day I didn't go! So, we made plans to have her study during the week. She had not only underlined the remaining 17 paragraphs of Chapter three, she'd also made notes in her book on all the scriptures like I had started to show her how to do the previous week!

She hasn't missed a meeting since, she prepares thoroughly for her study, and she's studying twice a week now!!!! She is really wanting to make changes, and is just on fire!! Oh, and she read a scripture during the Watchtower on Sunday! What a privilege it is to be used in a small way by Jehovah to help someone find their way back on to the road to life!

Another new study is Alejandra. Three of her cousins (aged 12, 11 and 7) are new unbaptized publishers in our congregation, and I study with her cousin Roxana too (aged 8) who comes to all of the meetings. So, now Alejandra is studying too. She's 9 and we've had about four studies now. She asked me to go twice a week!! And she came to her first ever meeting a week ago Sunday. She said she wanted to comment next time, so we prepared three comments for yesterday. Unfortunately, she didn't come. According to her cousin Roxana it was because she didn't want to wear the same dress she wore last Sunday. I guess it's the only one she has. Poor little thing!!!  I haven't seen her yet, but I'll have to reassure her that nobody will mind. I think this trip home in July I want to bring back lots of kids' clothes. Maybe Alejandra can get herself another dress or two that way. 

Well, this post has turned into another long one, way too long. There are so many other experiences but we'll save them for another day perhaps.

I would like to say that although I don't love riding the motorbike yet, I did manage to ride home on the back this afternoon carrying a 10 gallon wastebasket with some groceries inside it and another bag on my shoulder, while Charley carried the rest of the groceries in his backpack! Who needs a car!!!

Oh, and for the non-Instagrammers, I got a new haircut!!!! When we went to Tisma, the special pioneer couple from Spain who serve there invited us over afterwards. She was a hairdresser for 10 years in Spain, so she knows how to cut fine, European hair, unlike most hairdressers here since they're used to thick hair. I love it! 

On that very vain note, I finish today's blog post!