What a difference a week makes!

This is a short post with big news.... last week at the meeting we had 10, this week we had 34!!! Can you believe that? We packed the house! It was so exciting. There was more publishers there this week too though, about 13, but the rest was from the territory.... That means 21! The new ones way out numbered the baptized witnesses, how cool is that? There is so much potential here, we just have to get everyone to keep coming on a regular basis. The family that came last week, came back this week with the father. We are so excited about them. He said that he had been praying that morning to be like David, and when he got to the meeting we gave him a Watchtower, and what was the subject? All about David! The talk was about David too! Justin told him, "remember where you got an answer to your prayer at". We had some other studies come as well. We had a cozy 11 packed in the 4 Runner. Here I thought it was only a 10 person vehicle. We picked the Thompson's up at the ferry yesterday evening, and David said that there are 4 couples looking to come here to Roatan, to check things out. So we are very excited about that as well. If just one would decide to stay and come work up east with us, we would be so thrilled. It would be an answer to our prayers. Because, the other 2 families that come up east to the meetings each week, are both leaving in April. So we will need help! That's it for now, I am busy this evening. But like I said, it was a small post with big news!

The "girls" with Justin's study Duane

 

Working shoulder to shoulder

Well, we went from a quiet week to a busy week! Thursday was a fun day in service, we took 3 teenage boys with us (19, 15 & 13) They were entertaining. I had some studies to go on, and I took the 15 year old, Carlos, with me on the one, but the rest of the day, the 3 of them trailed around with Justin. He took them on some return visits, and said on the one, the lady invited them all in to sit down on her couches. That just sounds funny to me, 4 people showing up at your door to talk about the bible, that would be weird in the States, but not strange or uncomfortable to anyone down here. These boys kept us entertained all day with jokes, they were getting a little goofy by the end of the day though. But then all of the sudden they switched gears and started singing.... in spanish, I recognized the tune though and started singing along...... "Beloved son, and precious daughter, be wise and make my heart rejoice....." They were singing kingdom songs! It was so cute, and they sounded good! And what a nice song to hear these 3 young boys singing. When they saw I was singing along, they sang it again in english. They sang about 4 songs. We were just so impressed that 3 young guys would just be singing kingdom songs like that. Then we dropped the boys off with their ride back to the west end, and we kept working in Pandy Town a little longer. We went to a call that wanted to talk about hell, and ended up staying for an hour talking with her, her boyfriend and another friend that came to sit in. It was a nice conversation and they said, "are you coming again next week?" I think we are quickly going to get so many calls that we are going to have trouble getting back to all of them.

 The boys- Ernesto, Jordan & Carlos

 One of my bible studies

 My new love intrest- Dwight

I think Justin's keeping his eye on him though

 

Saturday we finally painted the Kingdom Hall in Oak Ridge! Yay! It is still a work in progress, but looks a great deal better just with a fresh coat of paint on it. I think there were some differing opinions as to when work was to begin, we were told 9 am, but we passed a carload of our spanish 'hermanos & hermanas' going the other way in service attire when we were pulling in. There was 1 brother at the Kingdom Hall though, getting ready to start working, so we joined him and got to work painting. Still kinda wondering if we were going to see any of our spanish friends, to help? A little while later Marco & Buffy showed up, and joined in. At one point, I was standing in the small space between the outhouse and K. H. painting, and realized my feet were hurting, so I looked down, and realized I was standing in a nest of fire ants! Yikes! I started running out of there ripping off my shoes yelling. I didn't even care that I was standing in a mixture of mud and garbage on the ground, I had to get the ants off my feet and dig them all out of my shoe. That was fun. So it was just the 5 of us all morning, and we had most of the building painted, then our brothers finally showed up after lunch. I don't think it was their fault though, like I said, I think there was a mix up with timing, they had planned 1pm apparently. But they all got busy then finishing the painting, putting up some trim, and soffit. The sisters worked inside scrubbing everything down, making it nice and clean. It was just so cool to be there in this environment, working shoulder to shoulder with our brothers & sisters, most of whom we didn't know before right then. And then there was the language barrier too, we don't speak spanish very well, and most of them, not english too well. But it didn't matter. We were all instantly friends & family because we have 1 very important thing in common: we worship and serve the one true God, Jehovah. We are truly a united brotherhood, and can go anywhere in the world and be among true friends, people we love and trust, that just never gets old to me. I think it is the biggest thing that convinces me Jehovah's spirit is upon this organization. And I thank Jehovah everyday that I am a part of it.

 A Before shot

 

 

 

 Where's the RBC safety crew when you need them??

 

 

Sunday, we went up to Oak Ridge early and visited our calls and studies, checking to see who wanted a ride to the meeting. Most didn't make it. We had an unusually small group this week. Only 10 total. But the study that did come made us very excited and happy. It is a family we have been calling on. It is a mom, and 3 girls, ages 15, 13 & 9. One of the first subjects we discussed with them was Christmas. You see the father (who is spanish) reads the bible faithfully everyday and has been telling them that Christmas is wrong. So they wanted us to come and explain what the bible says about it. So we did. We explained how the customs came from false religion and the date of Christmas wasn't when Jesus was born but rather for a pagan festival, and that the early christians didn't celebrate any birthdays, not even Jesus'. The 15 year old already knew all of this though, she explained to us that her father and her had read over the information in the teach book that we showed them to look at. So both of the 2 older girls said they agreed with the information and were ok with not celebrating Christmas. Wow. The mom was unsure though, she said that she just loved the lights and the family togetherness and so on. We explained that is ok to still have a special family day, and even give each other presents, but that you can do it anytime of the year. So anyhow we have been inviting them to the meetings, and this week they finally came! They said that their dad is going to come along next week. We are working on getting him a study with a spanish brother. The mom read a few scriptures for the Watchtower study and even asked a question to our conductor on paragraph 1. It was a very relaxed meeting to say the least. On the way home, the mom told us that they talked about it, and they were not going to celebrate Christmas. They were going to have a special meal that night instead. She decided that if it was not from the bible, and came from something false that it was wrong and they shouldn't celebrate it. Wow wow! It is so amazing to find such sincere people that actually are looking for the truth of what the bible says. And when they see it, they accept it and make changes. We have high hopes for this family.

 

Justin is working on the sign for the Kingdom Hall today. We need to get that done now that it is looking all spiffy there. Hope all is well back home. We miss everyone. 

 The inside of the Coxen Hole Kingdom Hall

The Isaksen's that left last week

 

　

　

A quiet week

It was a very uneventful week. I wasn't even going to post anything, because I really just don't have that much to say, but my mom sent an email that she was anxiously awaiting an update, so here it is. Our congregation had their circuit assembly this past weekend, so we had no meetings this past week. We had decided not to go, because we had to make a decision within the first 2 weeks we were here, as to whether we were going. With not knowing what to do with Midas, and just getting settled, we just weren't ready to make plans for a trip like that. Now that we've been here for awhile, I kind of feel sad we didn't go though. It felt kind of quiet and lonely on the island. And it's such a big deal even for a circuit assembly down here, there's all this hype and excitement in the congregation. It's a big ordeal, they have to get a ferry to the mainland, get a bus to the city it's in and then get a hotel for 3 nights (4 if your going to the pioneer meeting the day before) because of all the traveling. So, I felt left out not being a part of it. But, we did already get the program before we left, and it was kind of nice to have a weekend off. So we will get to experience it next time. The family from Denmark stayed behind too, because they are leaving next week. So we met up for service the one day, and hung out with them at the beach on the weekend. They are a really nice family and we are going to miss them.

Something else noteworthy did happen today..... We bought a vehicle!! Yay! I am so excited. Because we have been renting all this time, and it is getting expensive. We actually bought our car from the brother we had been renting off of. He had a 4 Runner that a brother who had been here awhile ago, left behind for him to sell. So we bought it. It is a 2001 with pretty low miles and has only been on the island 10 months. Everyone kept telling us it's better to buy something from the mainland, because they get so beat up here on the island. We really didn't want to have to go to the mainland though, so this worked out. It's pretty crazy though, now we own 2 Toyota 4 Runners! Weird right? It's the perfect island car though, we had to get it. It is rugged for these roads, very dependable, and you can fit a ton of people in it.

We did have a good week in service as well. I think I am up to 4 'good' studies at this point, and Justin has 3. And there is a lot of potential for those numbers to keep growing.

Our landlords are gone for the next 2 weeks. After the assembly they were staying on the mainland for a quickbuild and then elders school. So we have the place to ourselves. We are actually house or apartment hunting. We would really like to move farther east towards the territory. Right now we drive 30-40 mins. to get to Oak Ridge. And we make that trip 3-4 times a week, so it is getting old already. If we can find a place that is comfortable and safe, we are hoping to move in January. We'll see.... Gotta get back to work. This is clean house day!

Beautiful sunset in West Bay

 

Walk the plank!

We are starting to think that we should have had some acrobatic training for the ministry before we came. This week we have been hiking up sides of cliffs and balancing on trails of "boardwalks" as they call them to get to houses. We have experienced this all along, but this week we have done this constantly. So, I thought it was worth mentioning. We were more conscious to take pictures this week, so we have included some of the places we've been. The pictures of Justin & I on the steps, don't do the situation justice. There was a reason we were snapping photos, the situation was crazy, but you just can't tell from the pictures. In Pandy Town, and many other villages, the islanders built their homes right on the water, but because the island is so mountainous, there were usually cliffs or mountains right up to the homes. But in most places, then they managed to get in a skinny road between them and the cliff. But, everyone who didn't get their home built on the water, just decided to build on the edge of the cliff. And if that's not bad enough, they usually go about 3 houses up. I mean, 1 house 10 feet up the cliff, another house behind and above about another 20 feet, and then a third above that. Are you with me? So, they're up there pretty high. And they don't always build nice steps up to them, sometimes just dirt, tree roots, and an occasional board here and there. So, we were up one of these crazy spots, and decided to get a picture, once we made it up alive. But our photos don't display the journey we just took very well. Next time I'll try to get a better angle.

 

 

 

Then, from there, we went to the end of Pandy Town to an area, we found out later, they call "The Swamp", to do some door-to-door. That got a little crazy too. You see the road ends, but there are still houses that keep going out into the water. The only way to get to them is on "the boardwalks", an intricate maze of boards, some sturdy, some not. So, you've gotta keep your balance on! Because, believe me, you don't want to fall in that water. It doesn't look like West Bay Beach. And we've been told there are alligators around too. I haven't seen any yet fortunately. So, we had fun with it though. Justin got an awesome call out of our journey back through there too. We tried a few houses back one trailway, and thought people were hiding from us, because we could hear music on in one house. I kept yelling and no one ever came. So, we went on and tried a few more, but then when we were heading back, a young man came up behind us, so we started talking to him. It turns out he used to study, but he said the people that used to study with him never came back. So Justin said "would you like to study again?" And he said excitedly "yes". Then, Justin said about the meetings and he said that the people that used to study with him were supposed to take him, but never did. So, Justin said, "we'll take you". We figure, it was probably visitors that just didn't follow up with getting someone to call on him when they left or something like that. I think that happens a lot. So anyhow, Justin had 1 study with him so far, and said he is really smart and thinks he will do well. We were so excited to pick him up for meeting, but when we got there, we found out he took a trip to the mainland. So hopefully next week.

 

 

 

 Service meeting Thursday

 

 

 

My study didn't make it to the meeting this week either. She had some stuff to do with her family. So, we didn't have a big crowd, still holding at about 16. Jana's study came with all her children though. She has been coming by herself usually, but Jana has been encouraging the daughters to come too. She has been wanting me to start studying with them, but they are so shy, and need some encouragement. But Jana said that the last she talked to them she thought they finally agreed. So when we drove them home after the meeting, I asked them if they would like to study, and they both quietly said yes. So I'm excited to see how it goes. They are around 19 & 21. The 19 year old has a 2 month old baby named Dwight. He is the cutest thing I have ever seen! I will try to get a picture. And the 21 year old is 8 months pregnant. So, it's a good time for them to be getting some guidance from the bible. Justin is going to study with their little brother who is 11. So, we'll see if we can get this family to be the first publishers in the Oak Ridge English Congregation! Ok, friends, that's all for now!!

 

 

Rub some bacon on it

 
Hello all! We've had another good week. A lot of rainy days this week. Our big Thursday preaching day was quite rainy from lunchtime on, but we powered thru. We had a group of 5 in our car, so we had a lot to do. We stayed out till 6 and still didn't make it to all of our calls. It was quite dark till Jana & I came out of her last call. Fortunately I had my trusty little flashlight in my service bag, because we had to walk back a long muddy lane that the car couldn't get back. We got back to the Oak Ridge Kingdom Hall so late that our spanish brothers were already getting there for meeting. So we went in and said hello. Justin is going to make a new sign for the outside of the building, so he wanted to show the brothers some ideas. They are also planning on painting the outside & fixing it up a bit. Our poor little Kingdom Hall is very much in need. We were supposed to paint on Saturday, but it was rainy. Hopfully we can soon. So, when we got home Thursday, we were tired & wet, but happy.

Since we have been walking around Pandy Town for 3 weeks now, people are starting to recognize us, and we feel like we know half the town already. Last week, we ran into this little boy on the street, that we had met the week before at his house. So we talked to him for a little bit, but then kept walking, but he just followed us. He followed us almost the whole way to our car but then a young women walked toward us and said she was his sister, so we introduced ourselves. She didn't seem overly talkative, so we kept going then. But we passed her on the street again this week, and she said "Oh hi, when are you coiming to see me?" We didn't know we were supposed to? But we told her when we would be back. Then just after she walked away, Jana & another sister walked up and said that the house they were just at, the woman said that we study the bible with them already. We do?? We didn't remember ever being at the house they pointed at. "Well, you better go back," Jana said, "they're expecting you". So, maybe it's someone from another house, or who knows what, but we'll go back. That's how it is here, the more people see you around and get to know you, the more they trust you and want to talk. So, we are excited to see where this all goes.

Sunday, Justin gave the talk at the Coxen Hole Kingdom Hall. So we went to meeting there and left after his talk to stop home, grab something quick to eat, and then leave to head up to Oak Ridge. Justin had a study he wanted to go on, and we had a lot of people we wanted to check on, to see if they were coming to the meeting. Most didn't end up making it. But as we got up to my one call's house, she was sitting on the front step with her 2 kids, waiting for us. Now, they weren't dressed up, so I thought she was waiting there to tell us she wasn't going. Because when I talked to her on Thursday, she wasn't sure because her kids were sick. But she said, "I wasn't sure if you were coming, I'll get ready!" So, she went in, bathed her 2 kids (1 & 3) and herself in 45 mins. She sent her kids out all dressed up and cute, so I held the 1 year old while she got ready. We loaded them in and made it to the meeting on time. I'm so upset, I didn't get a picture of us all sitting at meeting together! I will next week. The coolest part is that she even answered during the Watchtower study. Can you beleive that? And it was a good answer, better than I could have gave. And she even talked about Jehovah! I am not even studying with this girl yet, I have just made a few calls. We haven't even talked about the name Jehovah, and she's already using it. She said she really enjoyed the meeting. And when we dropped her off, she said, "next week, we'll be ready earlier, and will be waiting for you". I think I am going to have to start a study with this girl.

Also, an update on my hives... I am doing much better! I started taking a daily allergy pill, like claratin, and within 2 days, I stopped getting hives. I feel so much better! I am still not sure what was causing them, and probably, it is still bothering me, but my medicine is keeping it under control. So, oh well! I especially appreciated Kyle's advice. That was funny. I think your sense of humor might be a little crazy, if that's what gives you laughs. That's going to be our new expression down here, "rub some bacon on it".

Pandy Town Clinic

The leaves Dunbar gave me to drink

He lives in our window sill

Coxen Hole Kingdom Hall

 

 

Sorry, we don't have hardly any pictures! We will try to be more 'picture conscious' this week!

Fishers of men

Friday was a blast. We met up with Marc & Buffy at their house, which is awesome by the way. It is all by itself at the end of their road and all they see in front of them is the beautiful ocean. There is a walkway out to a little island, with a few homes on it, out in front of them. That is where the boat is, that Marc uses. So, Justin & him went to get the boat and then they picked us up in the canal behind their house. It was pretty cool. Years ago the pirates cut through the mangroves and made these little waterways so they could navigate around without having to go in the open ocean. Tour guides will bring tourists out to boat through these for $25 a person, Marc said. So we got a free tour! You always get to see the best things when in service, don't you? We see more of areas than anyone else, even locals! So we were off, trailing through little mangrove canals and then open bays and then back through little canals. We got to see some of the little housing developments only accessible by boat, but most of the areas we went, we could get to by car as well. It's just much faster to travel around by boat. We didn't get to do any door to door though. Marc & Buffy had a full schedule of calls & studies. We just enjoyed the ride & sights. They had a lot of good calls. We invited them all to the meetings and many said they wanted to come, so we'll see. It is just so exciting to see all the people that want the truth so much. And everyone would take the magazines, they are all eager to have something to read. You could throw 100 - 200 magazines in a backpack and place them all in a day if you wanted. The problem is, their aren't enough magazines to do that, so you have to be a little stingy with them, which is sad. There are fishing boats that come in and then go out to sea for months, and the men aboard love to read the magazines. Marc was trying to get Justin & I to go on one and give them our magazines, but we didn't want to because we wanted to save our magazines for the door to door work to start studies. They are out of Teach books right now, so that is all we have to work with. Isn't that sad though? I felt really bad. We need people to help us, and literature!!!! Anyone? Anyone?

We stopped at a restaurant on the water where Marc & Buffy made a call on the owner, and also made plans for us to come back the next day for supper. There is a family visiting from Denmark for 2 months, and they were coming to our meeting in Oak Ridge for the brother to give the talk. So Marc & Buffy were taking them out afterwards. They had a spider monkey tied up there, and some alligators, and a parrot, in cages. We stopped at another little shack for lunch. I can't remember what the things we got to eat were called, because everything is spanish. But they were some sort of burrito, filled with beans, cheese, egg, and I think potatoes. Very yummy. They cost about 75 cents. Well, we had a fun filled day, and didn't get back to Marc & Buffy's until the sun was setting. It doesn't stay light here very late, in the winter it's dark by 5:30, and in the summer, 6:30.

 From the little island looking back at Marc & Buffy's house

 

 

 

 

 

 No, it's not Panama Jack, it's Roatan Justin

 

 

 

 

 A gringo's property.... nice!

 Midas had a day at the beach

 

At meeting on Sunday, we had a total of 17. One more than last time. So our numbers are going up. Justin & I went up to Oak Ridge early, to remind some of our calls about the meeting, but most of them were busy, or forgot. But all of them said they wanted to come next week, so we'll see....

We went to the little restaurant on the water that we had stopped at the day before. It was Marc, Buffy, Justin & I and the family from Denmark, Sorren, Ingrid & their daughter Anne. They really like it here and are already planning to come back, but it won't be until next year. We sat in a little gazebo out on the water. This was a local food shack, so it wasn't real big, or fancy, and the main seating area was filled with locals. But our spot was a little away from everyone else, and pretty cool. Sunday is their bbq day. You can choose pork, beef, or chicken, and your plate comes out filled to the edges with meat, potato salad, rice & beans, cole slaw and a tortilla. It was delicious!

So, that catches you up to today. I have a question to put out to the readers......... I keep getting hives. I've been getting them everyday for the past week. I have ruled out a food allergy, because I'm not eating the same things everyday, and it took a week and a half after I was here to start getting them. And hives from food allergies would start within hours. I don't think it's any soaps or detergents either, because I'm not using anything different than I use at home. I started looking on the net and saw that parasites can cause hives, and then we remembered that in Belize a call told us that they don't get sick in their stomach when they have parasites, they just get a rash. So, we thought that might be it, so Justin tried to go in a 'farmacia' to get medicine. We'll he communicated to the lady that I had hives & a parasite, but when we got home, we realized she had given me a cream? How is that going to help with a parasite? Well, Justin convinced me to put it on anyhow. But then I looked up the name of this cream on the internet. It turns out, it is for a parasite.... but it is a skin parasite! Justin got me medicine for scabies!! So, now I am scabies free. But I still have hives. Anyone have any ideas what might be wrong? By the way, I am taking a home remedy to get rid of a parasite, if that is what it is. Papaya seeds. Thanks to Sandy Cook, and Christopher & Sherrie.