I can't believe we're travelling back to the States tomorrow! Really looking forward to the trip, to enjoy some quality time with family and friends.
Things here have been hectic to say the least. As I blogged last time, I spent a whole week inside recovering from a bacterial infection in my stomach. Glad that's over! The following week was my last week to conduct my studies, and thanks to some torrential rain on Friday, I managed to see almost everyone at some point in the week. Despite the rain, or actually thanks to the rain, I conducted 8 studies on Friday and visited two others!! So, all but two studies were happy to have someone else call on them while we're gone, and the two that want to wait for me, are still going to be getting a visit, even if it's just to keep them up to date with the magazines!
I am now going to take this opportunity to make a bit of a shameless plea on behalf of our dear friends here in Nicaragua.
Last year we brought clothes and shoes back that some of you kindly donated and the friends were delighted. This year, I'd like to concentrate on taking children's clothes and shoes. So, if anyone has any gently used kids clothes or shoes, or even small toys, really small ones, then let me know. We're each bringing a suitcase inside a suitcase so that we'll have room to take some stuff back for the friends (and ourselves!!).
Also, I have a dear, dear friend who just started regular pioneering. She has a small netbook/mini laptop which she uses frequently to show the latest videos from the website to her bible students. She's come a long way to get to this point of pioneering, and she's also been selflessly volunteering every Monday at our assembly hall to help maintain it. Well, a couple of Monday's ago she had her netbook plugged in while cleaning at the assembly hall when, POW, there was a power surge and it FRIED her computer. She was sooooooo distressed, poor thing. She was mostly upset because she uses it for theocratic purposes, and now she's without. And it's not like the friends here have the funds to buy a new one.
Soooo, the point of this sob story is, if anyone has a netbook (she would prefer small since she carries it to studies with her), or even a tablet that you've stopped using because you got a new one, I would like to buy it from you for her. Let me know if you, or anyone you know, has one for sale.
And yesterday a brother said that if I found anyone getting rid of an old cell phone, to get it for him! Haha!
Ok, well, I'm done begging! I hope this blog post doesn't seem inappropriate. But I know how loving Jehovah's organization is, and I'm always looking for little ways to show the friends here how much I appreciate them since they take such good care of us and are so generous despite being of limited means.
Well, hasta luego!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Wednesday, June 18, 2014
The Wonder Diet!
So, I've discovered a new way to lose lots of weight in a week - get yourself a stomach infection! YAY!!! I think I'll make some big money selling this idea!
Seriously though, I don't know that I've lost any weight this week, but Sunday was the last time I ate a real meal. Since then I've had 3 slices of toast and maybe 4 bananas. Oh and some oatmeal! And today I really went all out and ate a baked potato - not the skin though.
Yeah, it's been a rough week! Just comes with the territory I guess, every now and then you get some bacteria in you that makes you stay home for a while. I wouldn't have minded a week off service most other times of the year, but since next week is my last week conducting my studies until we get back, I was looking forward to conducting them this week too. But what can you do!
I've sent Charley to the store every day I think buying re-hydration drink mix! I've been burning through the stuff! He brought me strawberry flavor today - woohooo!!! And I have a Bible study who just happens to be a doctor too, so she read the results of the lab test (I won't go into details on that part of the story!!) and prescribed me antibiotics and some other stuff and it's slowly doing it's work I think. And I was surprised to see I have no parasites! I just assumed I had given them permanent residence in my stomach when I paid for my visa.
Living in town at moments like these is such an advantage. All of those kinds of errands are so much simpler and cheaper with a little motorbike and having everything and everyone just right there!
But you know, it's not like we never get sick in the States either. And at least here getting sick is a much cheaper affair! Lab test $4.00. Doctor reading results $4.00. Medication for a week $8.00. Getting to stay home and read and watch movies and blog - Priceless!
But all in all, things are good. Time is just flying by so fast I can't even keep track of it. Service is hectic and I'm at the point that I need to give some studies away. But our upcoming trip will maybe sift out who is really going to stick with it, and maybe some of the sisters who take care of them for me, can keep one here and there! Although it's hard, because you do get attached to all of these people you study with.
I've been calling on an older lady, Gertrudis, from the Atlantic Coast. She speaks Spanish, English and Miskito. Strangely enough, we've never spoken English to each other yet! But I wasn't sure whether to make a regular call out of her or not. She likes to listen, you know, but wasn't sure if it was gonna be more than that.
She doesn't know how to read, so the other day we were using the Listen to God brochure and talked about how Jehovah made Jesus in heaven before he made anything else. She was astounded. And rather distressed that her church had never told her that before. She immediately made me write the scriptures down (Colossians 1:15-17, John 6:38, John 17:5) and she said she was taking them to her preacher to find out why he hadn't explained this to her before!
There was something else too, that she said they'd never told her, but I forget what it was now. So, I felt like that was a sign that I should keep visiting her, since she has an open mind and seems to want to learn more, and find out what else she doesn't know!
On that same block, I'd been trying to call back on a girl with a busy work schedule. Well, last week I went and found a young lady who is working for her, and she invited us in like she knew us. Turns out she just moved here a month ago from Matagalpa, about 3 hours north of here, and she used to have an Italian sister visit her there. So, that was an immediate study started, just in the brochure for now. But she works there, and if she's not there, she's across the street at the house she's staying at with her cousins. We've had two studies and she seems eager to learn. Sometimes it almost feels like the angels have us keep going back to a house, not to find the original person, but until the one that really wants us to come arrives!! But, who can say for sure?!
So, those are just a couple of nice experiences I've had lately. I could go on forever but I won't do that to you, at least not today!
And since I don't like to post without a picture, I posted this on Instagram but I don't think I ever blogged it. We took our little friend Isaac (11 years old) to practice his first Bible reading on the Ministry School with the sound on and everything to help him feel prepared. He did it last week, and did so well. Unfortunately I missed his sister's being householder last night for the first time. She's 8 and I was sooooooooo sad not to be there. Shame there's no such thing as "dialing in to the meeting" here!
Seriously though, I don't know that I've lost any weight this week, but Sunday was the last time I ate a real meal. Since then I've had 3 slices of toast and maybe 4 bananas. Oh and some oatmeal! And today I really went all out and ate a baked potato - not the skin though.
Yeah, it's been a rough week! Just comes with the territory I guess, every now and then you get some bacteria in you that makes you stay home for a while. I wouldn't have minded a week off service most other times of the year, but since next week is my last week conducting my studies until we get back, I was looking forward to conducting them this week too. But what can you do!
I've sent Charley to the store every day I think buying re-hydration drink mix! I've been burning through the stuff! He brought me strawberry flavor today - woohooo!!! And I have a Bible study who just happens to be a doctor too, so she read the results of the lab test (I won't go into details on that part of the story!!) and prescribed me antibiotics and some other stuff and it's slowly doing it's work I think. And I was surprised to see I have no parasites! I just assumed I had given them permanent residence in my stomach when I paid for my visa.
Living in town at moments like these is such an advantage. All of those kinds of errands are so much simpler and cheaper with a little motorbike and having everything and everyone just right there!
But you know, it's not like we never get sick in the States either. And at least here getting sick is a much cheaper affair! Lab test $4.00. Doctor reading results $4.00. Medication for a week $8.00. Getting to stay home and read and watch movies and blog - Priceless!
But all in all, things are good. Time is just flying by so fast I can't even keep track of it. Service is hectic and I'm at the point that I need to give some studies away. But our upcoming trip will maybe sift out who is really going to stick with it, and maybe some of the sisters who take care of them for me, can keep one here and there! Although it's hard, because you do get attached to all of these people you study with.
I've been calling on an older lady, Gertrudis, from the Atlantic Coast. She speaks Spanish, English and Miskito. Strangely enough, we've never spoken English to each other yet! But I wasn't sure whether to make a regular call out of her or not. She likes to listen, you know, but wasn't sure if it was gonna be more than that.
She doesn't know how to read, so the other day we were using the Listen to God brochure and talked about how Jehovah made Jesus in heaven before he made anything else. She was astounded. And rather distressed that her church had never told her that before. She immediately made me write the scriptures down (Colossians 1:15-17, John 6:38, John 17:5) and she said she was taking them to her preacher to find out why he hadn't explained this to her before!
There was something else too, that she said they'd never told her, but I forget what it was now. So, I felt like that was a sign that I should keep visiting her, since she has an open mind and seems to want to learn more, and find out what else she doesn't know!
On that same block, I'd been trying to call back on a girl with a busy work schedule. Well, last week I went and found a young lady who is working for her, and she invited us in like she knew us. Turns out she just moved here a month ago from Matagalpa, about 3 hours north of here, and she used to have an Italian sister visit her there. So, that was an immediate study started, just in the brochure for now. But she works there, and if she's not there, she's across the street at the house she's staying at with her cousins. We've had two studies and she seems eager to learn. Sometimes it almost feels like the angels have us keep going back to a house, not to find the original person, but until the one that really wants us to come arrives!! But, who can say for sure?!
So, those are just a couple of nice experiences I've had lately. I could go on forever but I won't do that to you, at least not today!
And since I don't like to post without a picture, I posted this on Instagram but I don't think I ever blogged it. We took our little friend Isaac (11 years old) to practice his first Bible reading on the Ministry School with the sound on and everything to help him feel prepared. He did it last week, and did so well. Unfortunately I missed his sister's being householder last night for the first time. She's 8 and I was sooooooooo sad not to be there. Shame there's no such thing as "dialing in to the meeting" here!
Monday, June 9, 2014
Happy First Anniversary, Pancasan!
Well, we just completed our first year as a congregation, Pancasan Masaya, so we decided it was time for a party! A great time was had by all. We really do have a wonderful congregation. There's been a lot of growth as I've mentioned before. It was hosted by the newest publishers in our congregation who were just announced last week. They have the perfect house for parties! And it was very well organized mostly by two of our young, ministerial servants.
We had some traditional marimba dancing and Charley and I taught some Scottish dancing. We did two dances. It was hard to get people involved, but a few said they will join in next time now that they've seen how the dances are done, so we'll see when the next time is!
After all that dancing was done, we danced the night away! Dancing is usually the theme of most parties in any Spanish congregation the world over. That's the main reason I decided to learn Spanish!
Here are some photos of the evening, and at the end a video of the marimba and Scottish dancing!
If for some reason you're not seeing the video above, click here to view it online.
We had some traditional marimba dancing and Charley and I taught some Scottish dancing. We did two dances. It was hard to get people involved, but a few said they will join in next time now that they've seen how the dances are done, so we'll see when the next time is!
After all that dancing was done, we danced the night away! Dancing is usually the theme of most parties in any Spanish congregation the world over. That's the main reason I decided to learn Spanish!
Here are some photos of the evening, and at the end a video of the marimba and Scottish dancing!
 |
| Marimba dancers - Abigail, Itzel, Giovani, Unknown old folks!, Jason, Paola, Josue & Jennifer |
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| Pancasan, Masaya congregation plus a visitor or two! |
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| More Pancasan. Spot the foreigner! |
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| And more! The new publishers who hosted the party, and the brothers who organized it are in the picture with Charley. |
If for some reason you're not seeing the video above, click here to view it online.
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Kids say the funniest things!
Remember this page in My Book of Bible Stories? It's the bird that brought leaves back to Noah, indicating that the floodwaters were subsiding. When I asked 6 year old Anahi today what the bird was doing, she said it was just staying where it was because the letters were in the way!!! She was dead serious too! I couldn't keep the laughter in! Kids crack me up!
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Clio the Silver Bullet
Finally - a picture of Charley and I on the motorbike! This is how we look most days on our way to and from field service. Occasionally we'll throw a little something extra on my lap, like a bag of fruit from the market, a new trash can full of groceries, a microwave - you know, the usual stuff!
Well, we're having our first congregation get together - about time, we have been a congregation for a year this week! So, I need to get my Scottish ceilidh music together before we head out. Yes, we're going to try and teach our Nica friends how to dance Strip the Willow and the St. Bernard's Waltz - good times!
Well, we're having our first congregation get together - about time, we have been a congregation for a year this week! So, I need to get my Scottish ceilidh music together before we head out. Yes, we're going to try and teach our Nica friends how to dance Strip the Willow and the St. Bernard's Waltz - good times!
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