Just take my word for it

I have no photographic evidence of any of the activities I am about to mention, so you'll just have to trust me. I just didn't think of taking pictures until after the fact!

First, our friends the Polden's who are serving on the Atlantic Coast in Pearl Lagoon came to visit us on Friday. Charley picked them up in Managua and they spent Friday and Saturday night here. We had a nice time chilling with them. And I took Pat to my hairdresser for his bargain $1.00 haircut. Mine costs more - she charges me $1.20 - disgraceful, eh?!

Then on Sunday morning they went off to Granada to go to the meeting in English, and to meet their hosts for the next two weeks. They're both attending Pioneer Service School for the first time. And in Granada for the next two weeks they're having one of only three (I think) English Pioneer Service Schools in all of Central America. We're looking forward to seeing them Saturday because we're going to Kathy's Waffle House with them in Granada at lunchtime - I can eat breakfast at lunchtime - no problem! And then we're going to the Laguna de Apoyo for a bit of relaxing.

Speaking of pioneer school - today we had the privilege of taking the afternoon refreshment to the Nicaraguan Sign Language Pioneer Service School, which, if I heard correctly, is the first one in Nicaragua. Correct me if I'm wrong Shelina - she was in the class. When we went they were teaching in Spanish, and translating into Sign Language for the two actual deaf in the class. I guess some of the deeper subjects they're doing in Spanish with translation, and then the ones that are more ministry-oriented they're presenting entirely in Sign Language.

So I made three banana breads which vanished in a flash, and we took a BUCKET of Jamaica Tea (Hibiscus) which you drink cold with ice, made by a sister in our congregation. Everyone loved it so we ended up leaving it for the rest of the afternoon. They were filling bottles and coming back for cup after cup! And we got a round of applause - a silent one - sign language applause is waving your hands above your head. I WISH I'd taken the camera - doh!

And the most exciting news of the weekend - NOELIA IS A PUBLISHER NOW!!!! I met her at the Kingdom Hall at 8:00 am Sunday for the Coordinator of our old congregation, which is the one she's going to, to see if she was ready. We said prayer, and then the Coordinator in an attempt to relax her told her he was going to ask her about 50 questions!!! Well, relaxation wasn't quite the result. She burst into tears!!! She's a nervous little creature, and when she gets really nervous, she cries. But she managed to calm down enough to pull herself together and answer the dozen questions that he asked her. And she was approved to start going out in the ministry! She was also left the homework of being able to quote 5 scriptures from memory by the end of the month! She already knows three, so later in the day when I studied with her, I gave her two more.

So, I left her there for the meeting, went out in service in my territory, then went back to go out in service with her. We just did an hour, and we actually only did two doors, but I talked and she read the scriptures. When we had our study later I showed her a simple presentation she could use for the August Awake. At the end of demonstrating it to her, she said, "Ok, well, I'm going to use the Watchtower and this is what I'll say", and she proceeded to do a presentation that she had already prepared! I was very impressed since I've had a hard time getting her to prepare for anything before!!!

She's really excited and says she's going to go out every Saturday and Sunday. She also surprised me by agreeing to join the school, something she'd told me she didn't want to do yet. I hope she can get up there and participate without bursting into tears!!

So, I had a very happy Sunday, knowing that I got to play a tiny part in helping someone to reach a spiritual goal. It's a lovely feeling!

Well, that's all for now. Here's a picture of me and Noelia taken a while back just as a reminder of who she is.

I can't think of a good title today

So, here I am again, in front of the computer, trying to remember all the things that over the last couple of weeks I thought "Oh, I'll have to blog about that". I really need to start making a list as I think of things.

I've shared a lot of pictures, but it's been a while since I've shared field service experiences so I'll do that in this blog mostly.

Our new territory is very productive and I'm getting some studies established now. One of them, Yolanda, was given to me by a sister who used to work the territory that now belongs to us. For 15 years she's traveled to Costa Rica for work, but she's been home in Masaya with her sons now for a year. She's one of those examples of why we keep going to the same houses year after year. Now that she's at home, and has more time on her hands, and has had some personal problems, she's started to become aware of her spiritual need. The first time I visited her we sat down, she chose a chapter in the Bible Teach book, and we started studying just like that. 

She really appreciates what she's learning. This week we started Chapter One and I showed her how to underline the answers and make notes on the scriptures in her book. She did a very good job. I also had taken her one of the Keys to Family Happiness articles that we had a while back and she was telling me how she reads it over and over again, and how much it has helped her with her family issues she has at the minute. She opened up to me this week about other problems, and a difficult decision that her family has to make. It's amazing how holy spirit helps you find bible principles to be able to give good advice. 

Another new study I have is Yahosca. I met her the very first day we went out door to door in our new territory. She's only off on Tuesday's and we started out talking about prayer using the Would You Like to Know the Truth tract. Then we moved on to Chapter 17 in the Bible Teach book about prayer. We did most of that chapter at her front gate, through the gate! Then for a few weeks I couldn't catch her, well, she was there, but for some reason never available. I started to think maybe she was avoiding me. But this week she actually invited us in, and we sat down and did the first 10 paragraphs of Chapter 1 in half an hour. She's really intelligent and responded really well to the information. So, hopefully that will become a more established study now. It was so nice to get to sit for a while too!!

I also have a lot of doorstep studies with the Good News brochure. What a fantastic tool that is for starting studies and having meaningful conversations with people. I'm visiting regularly about half a dozen people and having 5 or 10 minute studies with them in the brochure.

I'm also still conducting some studies in our previous territory. Not for much longer since we won't be around for a while, but at least for the next week or two. Carla who I've blogged about before is doing really well. I hadn't done a very good job of helping her memorize key scriptures in her study. That's one of things we were reminded of at the pioneer meeting by means of a demonstration about conducting progressive studies. So, better late than never, I'm starting to make a point of doing that with my students. Carla has an amazing memory for scriptures. So far she's learned Psalm 83:18, 2 Timothy 3:16 and the last one I left her was Psalm 37:29 but she couldn't study this week so I don't know if she learned it, although I'm pretty positive that she did. 

She's thoroughly enjoying everything we've studied about what happens to the dead and the hope of resurrection in Chapters 6 and 7 of the Bible Teach book. We haven't finished Chapter 7 yet but she's been fascinated by it all. She loved the information on Hades, Sheol and Gehenna and then the section about Judgement Day in the appendix of the book. Like many people, she thought that it was a 24 hour period where everyone is judged for life or destruction. So she really enjoyed what she learned. She shares it all with her husband too. She's started showing some interest in coming to the meetings, although it hasn't happened yet, but we're getting there!

One of the little girls I used to study with, Laynori, went out in service for the first time last week with her grandma. She had a GREAT time and she didn't just tag along, she preached! She just turned 8 and is such a little adult! She used the presentations that we have practiced when we play "preaching" at the end of her study almost every week. Her grandma said people paid rapt attention to her as she's such a little thing, and people are always amazed to see how well trained our little ones are. 

And my study Noelia is doing really well. She's studying twice a week at the minute and is progressing really well. She's still a bit of a rebel at times, but she's made a lot of changes in her little personality! I think back to when I first started studying with her and could hardly get her to say anything or come to the meetings. And now she's just amazing. She doesn't miss a meeting - and she goes all by herself too. (Kids here are amazing - there are SO many that come in the truth by themselves in their early teens). She answers the questions in her own words when I study with her, she never reads from the paragraph. And she says things with such a serious little voice and face, like she was 45 instead of 12 years old! So, Sunday morning before her meeting (she's a study in the other territory) we're meeting with the brothers to see if they approve her to become a publisher!!! So, we'll see what happens. She gets very nervous, so we'll see if she manages to actually open her mouth when they ask her questions! 

So, we're very excited about our visit to the States, although at the same time it means leaving all these wonderful people behind for a couple of months, but this is Jehovah's work not ours, so those with a sincere heart will continue to study with others while we're gone.

Oh, and speaking of this being Jehovah's work, I had a really interesting experience the other week. To try to make a long story short, since this blog is already long enough, well, actually, no, I have to tell the details to show the amazingness of how this all happened!

So, a couple of weeks ago Charley gave a talk at Coyotepe congregation. We went to our meeting for the talk, then we left and got something to eat, Charley got some coffee, and then went off to the other hall. I didn't get any coffee because it keeps me awake if I drink it after about 4pm! However, I'd forgotten that this particular night Charley had night-watch duty at our Kingdom Hall, and I got peer pressured into going with him - the brother organizing the schedule said, "All the other wives are going with their husbands". Ok, ok, ok, I'll go! So after the meeting we were about to leave, but got talking to a young brother Charley had just gone to pioneer school with. (This is all relevant, bear with me). So, we didn't end up leaving that hall until 8:30. On the way to night-watch duty I decided I wanted coffee - since I didn't need to sleep! We weren't sure we'd find anywhere open, but drove past this new place in Central Park. So, I ran in there to get my coffee.

I think I need to start a new paragraph! So, this tall, middle-aged white guy walked in the same time I did. We both ordered our drinks, and then he said to me in Spanish "Do you speak English". I said I did and we started talking. He told me he used to teach English in Ecuador, and now he'd been in Masaya 4 months and hopes to stay through the end of the year at least, etc, etc. Then he asked why we were here (I'd already mentioned I was a JW but I don't think he caught what I said), so I told him. And he was like "You're a Jehovah's Witness?!?!?! Oh wow, I used to study with the witnesses in English when I was in Ecuador, but since I've come here I haven't seen any English-speaking witnesses and I really, really want to continue my bible study". I was just like - WOW!!!!!!!!!!!! So, after a lot of chatting (it was obvious he hadn't had chance to speak English to anyone lately!) we exchanged contact info and I passed on his name and number to the Granada English congregation and they promised to get in touch with him!!!!

It was just amazing - there were so many reasons for me NOT to be in THAT coffee shop at THAT precise moment. When do I ever drink coffee at night? When do I ever do night-watch duty? Why did we stay talking so late at the Kingdom Hall? Why didn't I remember that I could drink coffee that night until AFTER the meeting? I look forward to seeing the English brothers in a few weeks and finding out if they managed to get anything set up with him.

So, there are some service stories. Just a few!!

This past weekend we went to Las Banderas. Charley gave a talk there. It's where our friends Philip & Luisa Robleto serve as special pioneers. Philip's mam, dad, and little brother are the family that moved down here in 2009 and we came to visit in 2010. So we have a special connection since they're the reason we ended up in Nicaragua really. We had a really good time with them. We stayed the night, and they were super hospitable. Philip even made us breakfast in the morning before he left to clean the Kingdom Hall. And Luisa made PIZZA!!! It was soooo good, and a delicious salad. It was nice just to hang out with them. Then when we finally got moving Monday afternoon we went to El Crucero where his parents live, and had lunch there, and sat around at their house. El Crucero is high up, and it was really cold - must have been like 75 degrees!!! But it was really windy, and rainy, so it felt really cold. 

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Charley, Philip, Mario Jr, Luisa, Mario & Wanda - and the pizzas!!!

Philip and Luisa's pelibueys.

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Outside the Robleto's house. It felt good to drink warm milk that evening!

And here are a few pictures of our day so far. It feels good to be productive. This afternoon I'm going for my desperately needed haircut - YAY!!!!

Pencil sketch of Charley gardening - I wish I could actually draw like that!

Two loads of laundry on the line and a third one in the washing machine.

Charley putting the repaired tire back on the truck.

Well, hope you are all well. This next few weeks is going to be hectic for sure. Trying to get our calls and studies left with others, getting bits and pieces to take back to the states, packing, and our landlady and her oldest daughter are coming, and we're off to El Salvador for the English convention and..........and.....and.........you get the idea!

Construction in Casares

Twice in July we had the privilege of going to Casares to help them with the construction of their Kingdom Hall. Never taken so many trips to the coast without actually walking on the beach! Click here if you didn't see the pictures from last time. 

So, we went the last day of July - 10 of us from our congregation - and had a great time! Again, doing jobs that we wouldn't do if we'd been paid for it, but for Jehovah and our brothers we happily did them for free!

The hall has come a long way from the pictures in my earlier post. Looks like a real hall now.

There is no such thing as an RBC safety department down here!

How's that for a hard hat (they'd run out!). We spent the day pulling up old fence posts, and then digging really deep narrow holes for new concrete posts. This is for the land next to the hall that they later hope to sell.

Jael, Maritza and Jennifer hard at work making a hole. It took us girls a bit longer to get a hole done!

Antonia & Cristina working on their spot. First time I'd seen someone work construction in a skirt. And she worked hard all day, believe me.

Here we are along with volunteers from another congregation who came for the day.

At first it didn't take too much bending and stretching to scoop the dirt out with a little plastic bowl- this turned out to be easier than using the tool designed to scoop the dirt out, since the dirt was try and small.

Then when the hole got a bit deeper some lying down was needed.

And then when it got really deep a bit of diving was called for! And this wasn't the deepest of the holes. At one point I was reaching down into a hole with my head and neck completely in there! And since I was the longest of the girls, I got this assignment repeatedly!

Maritza digging out the hole at it's shallow stage - my long limbs were later called in!

Antonia doing her thing

Jael got down in there too!

This is when Cristina found out that the hole was way short of the measure and more digging was called for!

Our dear Jennifer - she's a really hard worker.

So, in the States or England, if someone bought a bottle of Pepsi and nobody had cups, we wouldn't know what to do. In Nicaragua the solution - plastic bags. And someone happened to have brought a whole bundle of them. Problem solved - bags of Pepsi all round. This seems normal to me now, but it struck me that it might be a fun detail to share on the blog!

The other group that came, ready to head home.

It rained a bit on the way home on those in the back, but it didn't stop Wilber (our congregation coordinator) from enjoying some leftovers someone gave him!

Cristina, Maritza & Antonia - and the rest out the back! I admire these three sisters. They worked hard all day, and all three of them had to get up and go to work the next morning. And here I was feeling sorry for my aching self, and I had the day off the next day! 

So, that was our day. Good times. It was nice to work with members of our new congregation and get to know one another in a different setting. We had a really fun time. And a few even came home with some fresh fish they got for just over a dollar a pound from a brother down there. Thankfully it was transported in the bed of the truck, not inside!!

Just some pictures for now

Haven't had much time to blog, but here are some pictures for now from Charley's pioneer school. They were all taken by a brother in the class that kindly shared them. Stories later!

Lunch time at Charley's pioneer school

First day's lunch - pollo tapado. Our congregation was involved. See those beautifully chopped veggies - yeah, I had a hand in that!!

Another congregation brought fruit salad and we all worked together to serve it. It was delish!!

Our congregation coordinator, Wilber (holding the box), and the young brother is Yisak, one of our ministerial servants. Unfortunately I didn't get a picture of him when we were preparing food and he wore a pink plastic bag on his head!

The hussle and bussle of lunch time

At the end of every lunch the CO would have everyone applaud those who brought the food.

This brother is in Nicaragua Sign Language. He was a substitute teacher for the first couple of days.

This is the day I arrived to take the class picture. The brother insisted on taking a picture of me by myself!

Manolo & Anita - from Spain. He's the one who took all these pictures.

Some of the ladies of the class

More ladies. 

Not quite sure what happened here, but Veronica (the one running) seems to have made everyone laugh!!

About two thirds of the class were sisters - the women are indeed a large army (Psalms 68:11)

It rained almost every afternoon right when it was time to leave class. This is Jenny - I guess she got wet! She's such a fun sister!

Sulema & don't know his first name Guevara - CO in Managua. Next to them Jenny & Paul (ones in the doorway). They are from Tennessee and have been down here for about a dozen years now I think. They're great fun!

Charley with Veronica (from Florida) and Manolo & Anita (from Spain).

Veronica sweeping!

Our CO's wife Elizabeth (with the hat on)

I think you know this guy!

Our CO (sitting on the table) and Brother Widdy reading out a letter - him and his wife were recently appointed special pioneers. His wife is the one in the audience with the camera!

The guys. I don't know if they're all in this picture - but most of them I'd say.

Most of the needgreaters in Masaya were in the class. Anita, Manolo, Paul, Jenny, Laura, Dillenis. We dearly love all these dear friends serving down here.

This picture sums Jenny up - see why we love her so much?!

Veronica with the public witnessing stand. A couple of local brothers made this. It has wheels and even folds up.

Ok, well, those were the pictures from Charley's class. They had a great time. Maybe next year I'll be able to share pictures from my experience at pioneer school!

Next time - pictures from our second trip to Casares to help with the Kingdom Hall construction.