A most sacred night

Hey everybody! I'm finally putting an update on here. They say time flies when you're havin fun... I guess we must be havin fun, cause weeks fly by quickly. I am always thinking I need get on and post to the blog... but then till I actually have some free time, I'm tired and it sounds like to much thinking, so I keep putting it off. I know everyone has been watching for something new posted though. So today we're just hangin at the house and I'm actually getting around to it.

The memorial went very well for the island in general. For our little group, we were a little disappointed. We only had 22 in attendance. Some weeks for the Sunday meeting we have more than that, but I don't think most people we invited seemed to think much of it, so it was only our faithful studies that have been attending the meetings each week that came. Also it was a very rainy ugly night, and there was a big football game on as well (or what we call soccer) So Satan had some good tricks up his sleeve. But like I said, overall for the island there was a lot. In Coxen Hole English there was 120, so that makes the total for English 142! And there are only about 48 publishers total. Now we do still have some visitors here too though, so all those extras weren't all from the territory, but most were. That's pretty good, right? In Oak Ridge, we were 50/50. There were 11 Witnesses, and 11 from the territory. In Oak Ridge, for the Spanish and then Miskito they had a total of 98 for the two. And I don't know the totals from the other Spanish groups. I would really like to have a total for the whole island to post, but I just couldn't get my hands on the info yet. Last year I think the total was above 600.

So this is the season for many to leave and go home. The snow birds as we have been calling them. Brother Thompson calls it the mass exodus. In total, we will have lost 9 and then there is another couple that left in January and won't be back until mid June. So with 48 publishers, it will be down to 37 for awhile. And then there's not many vacation visitors either. So it will be seeming quiet and empty around here. And Justin and I will be feeling even more lonely up in Oak Ridge, because all the ones that would come up and support the group up there, have left, or are leaving, so it will be interesting to see how the meetings go. Since brother King left, Justin is now the Watchtower conductor. He's hoping he won't be the speaker every week too! For now there have been enough visitors still trickling by, that he hasn't had to give too many talks yet. But I think that will change very soon. There is a couple that is here until May 2nd and they have been coming up East every week to the meeting which is awesome. They will even be here for the 2 weeks we will be gone, which will be nice since there really isn't anyone else going up East. And they even offered to pick up our studies for the meeting, cool!

We did our first real "touristy" type thing this past Monday. A sister organized for a group of us to go out on one of those boat snorkeling trip things for a very good price. We went to a couple different spots to snorkel, and they took us to this really cool little island for lunch. It was pretty small, maybe 50 feet by 300 feet. But it was packed full of little grass roof huts. Yes people lived there. But is was in the middle of the ocean and far away from Roatan and still pretty far from the mainland too. It was crazy, I think the coolest little island I have ever seen. I can't imagine living there though, it would probably get really boring, but it was neat to see. So anyhow, we walk up to this one hut, where the lady feeds groups that stop here, and she had a meal all ready for us... A whole fish-eyes, teeth and all, beans and rice and fried plantain. It was really good. It was a really fun day, and the scenery was awesome. We passed a whole bunch of little tiny islands that would be perfect for one house.... I think I have my first place planned out for the new system:) So that has been our excitement lately. Well, we will be seeing everybody real soon, and are looking forward to it very much. 

 

A trip to Port Royal .....no, not Juniata County

We had some fun adventures this past week. The big top came to Roatan... well, if you can call it a 'big' top. It was a small circus to Justin & I, but to everyone here it was great. Kesia, our neighbor 2 houses down, invited us to go with her last Saturday, so we went. We talked her sister Kisha into going along too. I had emailed Teri that day and said: "this seems like the kind of place where a lion gets loose and eats everyone". So, that's kinda where my expectations were for this "circo". When we were standing in the line to go in, they pulled up the road behind us in this big truck with all the lions and leopards in it. So we all got to watch as they loaded them from the big truck into a little truck to haul them back behind the tent. These cats didn't look real happy. A man climbed in the truck with them and was cracking a whip to get them corralled into the small truck. They weren't being very obedient though, they kept hissing at him and batting at him and running to the other side of the truck. I was getting a little concerned at this point thinking that what I said to Teri, might really be true. Or at least we would have to see this man get eaten, which I really didn't want to see. We were all a little scared and started making plans for our exit strategy if the lions got out of control. But, they didn't, and we all lived. They weren't real cooperative though, even during the show. We think they cut that act short, because the lions wouldn't do what they were supposed to do. Every time the guy would want them to get off their stand and run around, they would hiss at him and bat at him. It was kinda funny, but scary too. Anyhow, after that their were some other neat acts, and then at halftime they invited people who wanted to get their pictures taken with a tiger or baby leopards to come to the stage. I wanted to do the baby leopards, but Justin didn't want to. The Welcome sisters did though. So we put on their picture. Actually I forgot my camera all together, but fortunately Kesia had hers and emailed me the photos she took. So we had a good time, and are alive to tell the tale.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On Sunday for the meeting, I think we had 23. I think there was 11 from the territory. Danjah & Dennice are both studying their watchtower now and finding their own comments. I help the youngest one Davina, to find answers as well. Just yesterday, when I was helping her with comments for this week, she said she wanted 5 picked out. They really like the meetings and are progressing so well. Erica was there too and commented 2 or 3 times. Justin is studying with her husband now, so hopefully he will start coming to the meetings soon too.

Davina looking all cute in her uniform heading to school

Monday, was our other day of fun. Justin's study Allen, has been wanting us to come up to go out on his boat with him, before he leaves for Africa to work. So it finally worked out on Monday to get together. He took us further up East on the island. The water is beautiful up there and crystal clear... perfect for snorkeling. He took us to a couple different spots, one was a sunken ship wreak, that was pretty neat. He also showed us an island where there was an old stone wall with big holes in it where pirates had tried to break in. This island has a lot of cool history. Anyhow, the old town at the most eastern end of the island is called Port Royal. I have to say, this Port Royal is a little more beautiful than the one we know back home.

This is the shipwreak

To update you on Midas: He is doing well, back to his bad self. His eye looks pretty good now. I think in another week or so, you won't even be able to tell anything happened to it. Well, only 5 weeks till we will be back for a visit! I'm planning the things I want to eat while I'm home already :D

 

The cone of shame

We took Larry & Lynn to the airport this afternoon, they should be back in Florida by now and headed home tomorrow. The week went by quick! It started uneventful, we went to the meeting Sunday and had a good group, I think 22. Larry & Lynn loved the Martinez family. And they liked them a lot too. They knew Justin's parents were coming, so they had a lunch all planned to feed us. It was really cute. 

 

Then Monday, we took them to the popular West End & West Bay Beach, to shop and swim. It was a beautiful day! At West Bay, because it is the big tourist hot spot, there are lots of locals walking up and down the beach trying to sell you stuff- jewelry, sunglasses, "do you want your hair braided, or a message honey?".. and the list goes on. No! I don't. Leave me alone! I don't liked bugged at the beach. Who would ever give in to this kind of thing? Oh, I guess tourists would. And we forgot, we were with some tourists..... Justin and I had went out snorkeling for awhile, and when we got back, there were Larry and Lynn getting rubbed down by a local lady giving them a massage. They were even all shiny from baby oil. Yikes! Trust me, that's not something kids want to see happening! We ran back down to the water to escape. 

 

Tuesday we took them in service, and had a very nice day. We got a lot of calls and studies home, and it turned into a pretty long day, I think it was almost 6 till we left Oak Ridge. We weren't breaking Larry & Lynn in easy! They had a good time though. And little did we know, it would be the only day we were out. We were planning another service day on Thursday, but Midas changed our plans. When we were getting ready Thursday morning, we heard this barking and growling outside, and I said to Justin, "that sounds like Midas". And it was. He apparently got left out or escaped through the screen door or something, and went to the neighbor's house and got in a fight with the dog there. Till Justin got down to the porch to find him, he was running down our driveway to come home. Not unscathed though! His eyelid was all ripped up. Fortunately, his eye was ok and in tact. But, his eyelid looked pretty bad. So Justin called our vet right away, but he had just left on a day trip to another island to work. Of all days! And he is the only vet on the island. So, he told us we would have to wait till 4pm, and he would meet us at his office. So instead of service, we spent the day at home with Midas, patching up his eye. We took him in at 4 to see Dr. Soto and he put a couple stitches in the top and bottom of his eyelid. He didn't have a cone to give him for his head, so he told us to make our own out of a bucket. Justin found a plant pot that seemed to be the perfect size, so we used that. So now Midas is wearing 'the cone of shame'. His eye is doing ok though, and looking much better today. So Midas was in his first (and hopefully his last) Honduran dog fight. So the end of our week was just spent at home. We didn't get to take Larry & Lynn as many places as we would have liked. Well, that will give us something to do next time. You'll have to hear all their experiences from them when they get back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh, I keep forgetting to mention, we have a trip planned to come home! We are leaving April 20th down here, and coming home for 2 weeks. So we will see most everybody then! I heard that that is when the Special Assembly Day is. So maybe we will crash that.

 

Always have an emergency swimsuit

Hi everyone! I thought since it was so long between my last posts, that I should do another one to catch up, since I had some time. Our meeting on Sunday was good. We had 30 there. There was a brother that came from the mainland as a visiting speaker for us. He had 5 others with him too, so that was nice for the Watchtower study. I think in all there were 14 publishers there and 16 from the territory. So it was a nice group. Erica came even though it looked very cloudy and could rain at any time. You see she doesn't take her kids out in the rain, because they get sick easy. That is common here... people get sick when it is rainy and 70 degrees like at home in the winter. And in the past when I would invite her, and it looked like it would rain, she wouldn't go. But now, I think she is getting really into coming to the meetings that she wanted to go no matter what. She has been studying her Watchtower good, and picking out comments. This week, before the meeting I spent more time with her helping her to get her comments into english. She commented twice. I really need to help her learn to read english though, that would help her progress even quicker. They are all out of the Learn to Read & Write bro. in our hall, but fortunately Lynn got one to bring to me, and she didn't even know I needed it!

We are making plans for the memorial already. I can't believe it's getting to be that time of year! Since the Oak Ridge Kingdom Hall has to have 3 memorials (Spanish, English & Miskito) and last year English got the last time slot... 9pm, David had told Justin & I to keep our eyes open for somewhere we could rent to have the memorial. Because having it so late effects how many would come, and we want as many to come as possible. So we were looking into some options, and discovered a place next door to Erica's house. It is a big empty store on the bottom with an apartment up top. She said that she would ask the owner about it for us. The next day when we were up there, she had already made plans with the brother of the owner to show it to us. And he said that they would rent to us, and for a pretty reasonable price. So now we are just waiting to see if that is what the brothers want us to do.

Yesterday when were in service, we were having a very off day. It seemed that all of our calls and studies weren't around, or it didn't suit them to study, so we were starting to get discouraged. By 1:30, I became weak, and had the idea to give up on service for the day and drive on up the island to a deserted beach to just hang out for a little bit and enjoy the afternoon. Unfortunately, we did not have swim suits with us though! We won't make that mistake again, because it was a very hot, sunny day, and the water was beautiful! Now, the plan is to keep swim clothes in the car all the time in case opportunity presents itself again. You see, before yesterday, that had never happened before... not having things to do, or people to see. We are normally busy from morning till late afternoon or evening. So we didn't keep our car stocked with emergency swim clothes. But now we have learned our lesson! Living on an island, this is a must. But anyhow, we still had fun. And being in a skirt, didn't completely stop me from playing in the water a little:)

So, as I mentioned, dad & mom Arnold are coming to see us! We are excited to have more company. They are coming in on Saturday and staying for a week. So my next post will probably have the tales of their adventures. Stay posted...

Allen's son Ash, entertaining me while the guys are studying

Looking down our road- I have never seen the mountains of the mainland look so clear before