Monday 3 March 2014

Update on my studies and the fun we have been having here!!!!!

Hey guys

Sorry to say I'm typing this and its blue sky and sunshine.....Doh.  But the heat has its negatives too but I have heard about the crazy storms back in the UK......


So something nice to distract you....thought I would give a little update on some nice studies I have been having.


Remember Donella from the 1 day assembly.  She is the girl on the right.  She is from Oriella and comes to school in Skeldon.  We are going through the bible teach book together but each week she asks the most amazing thoughtful questions.  She is painfully shy as are alot of amerindians so for her to ask questions takes alot.  But I can really see in her a heart that is very genuine and wanting to learn about Jehovah.  She comes to all




the meetings now which is so great.  She wants to pray to him and make sure He is happy with her prayers so she is a real treat to study with.  For the holidays she has gone back to Oriella so I have arranged for a sister there to study with her.  Cant wait for her to come back.




Christine is a 14 year old girl who again is very very shy and I love to study with her.  I gave her a bible and her mother says she takes it to bed each night and reads from it.  As I have said before so many churches charge a fortune to give their congregation a bible so she really treasures hers.  We have finished the Listen to God and live forever brochure and now are starting the Good news brochure and finally she came to our meeting.  She really loved it and at a young age could clearly see a contrast between our meetings and her church.  She had her own copy of the WT and copied all of my underlining so now I have given her a WT for december and she said she wants to prepare it herself and we will review it at her next study on saturday.  So now trying to encourage her mam to come to the meeting too.

Devi is still doing really well and her 4 daughters are all showing interest in spiritual things.  They all have one of our books.  From the bible book of stories upto the YPA books as they age from 6 to 15.  Her eldest daughter reshma has a thirst for knowledge and like her mother a lovely kind and humble heart so praying alot that she will have a study soon too. There goal is to come to the assembly in 2 weeks at least for one day.






Kim is doing very well. Coming steady to the meetings.  She has had alot of family problems so we have had to move forward in the book to the chapter on families and that has been a big help for her.  Her little boy just stares at us when we do the study.  Fascinated by the "white girl"


Sharmila and her daughter Farzana are enjoying the good news brochure.  They used to study and come to the meetings in suriname and had been praying that someone would study with them since they moved here.  Same day as their prayer we were working in their street.  The angels are always watching to direct us to honest hearted ones.  They both sit ready with their brochures and bibles and big smiles on their faces.


Lila and her daughter and grand daughter are making steady progress too.  Her eyes were so bad that she couldnt read the bible teach book so always refused a bible study but once we could find a large print bible teach book she hasnt looked back.  And now her family sit in too.  She has a great respect for the bible and her husband listens in now and then from the balcony above so trying to get him down to a study with one of our brothers.



Alyssa was Jens study.  She is now gone through the listen to God brochure and now is in the good news brochure and her little brother Akash is really enjoying Learn from the great teacher.  Their mother sits and listens to everything but doesnt want a study for herself but you never know what is going in so we just keep asking from time to time.

I have managed to get back in contact with another lovely young girl called damney.  We were like ships passing in the night but I kept praying that I could find her at home.  She is abit different to the other girls.  More confident and very well educated.  She loves to read and study.  Well she has on her own gone through the Good News brochure and said she would like to do something deeper.  She is a hindu but loves to learn new things and I can see in her a real thirst for the truth.  So I showed her the bible teach book and how to study it.  So we planned on doing the first chapter together.  She told me she will underline in pencil before I come and then will use her special hilighter pen to mark extra points during our study.  Wow eh.  Well then she asked a ? about why there is so much suffering in the world so I showed her that ? is answered in the Teach book.  She asked if we can go through that first.  So that will be on saturday too.  She didnt have a bible so again I managed to get her a used one to study.  But I can see how beneficial our beautiful new bible will be for her.  So I will keep you posted on her progress.  I left her on saturday on a absolute high I really did.


And swenesa and shenisa and labron are my saturday fun studies.  We all have so much fun on our study.  They all come on sunday and all try to comment too which is so amazing.






We have been doing our trolley stand for the first time this weekend.  On fridays we have it by the Estate where they cut and process the sugar cane.  Its also by the hospital and 3 schools and the post office so is really busy.  We do 3 shifts.  6am to 8:30 am.  And 1-3 pm and then 3-5pm.  And saturday we are at the market again in 3 shifts from 6am to 8:30 then 8:30 to 10:30 then 10:30 to 12:30.  Everyone was watching us but a little shy to approach but as you see we still placed alot of literature.  As they get to see us as a regular feature it will only get better.  Alot of addresses were collected too as our goal is to start studies.

Friday:

20 books 11mags 6:00-8:30 am
47 books 35 mags  1:00- 3:00 pm
15 books 5 Mags 3:00-5:00 pm      

Saturday:

51 books 26 Mags 6:00-8:30 am
5 books 2 mags 8:30-10:30 am
7 books 6 mags 10:30-12:30 pm






So Matt and Esther leave tuesday at 5am.  They go back to Oklahoma and pioneering there and then I leave in 2 weeks to go back to Geordieland.  So our cong through us an amazing leaving party.  Mainly down to the hard work and amazing planning of my roomy melinda.  We had so much fun.  Great games, amazing food and abit of dancing too.
Skeldons white girls

 1
Me and my bible student Sweneesa










This game was amazing.  Can anyone guess what it was??










Then we had to walk the catwalk.....





The we played how well do you know your need greater


Can anyone guess what the questions were from these answers....it was amazing the brothers and sisters knew almost all the right answers for all 3 of us


Then we started dancing and 2 little kids did the best ever gangam style any of us have seen.  What a fantastic party to say goodbye to my hall.  Tomorrow I am helping matt and esther with some final packing and then its the countdown till I leave.  Last few weeks of Guyanas Pioneer paradise ministry and time with my beautiful family here in guyana.  We have our "last" circuit assembly just before I leave and then its off to USA for trisha and lucas wedding.  So I hope to blog again soon.

Speak to you all soon.  Stay warm and happy.

Love ME xx






Tuesday 14 January 2014

Feeding the RBC team again. Different kingdom hall but still so much fun

Hey guys.

So we are back again.  A full bus of eager volunteer chef/builders off to feed the RBC team in the congregation of Soesdyke.  It wasnt quite as far as the last kingdom hall we helped at so we left at 4am rather than 3am.  Although so many of the lovely brothers and sisters missed their nights sleep to prepare all the food for the meal.  So a sleepy bunch headed out.......




What can I say really.  Our secretary Satish well he just fancied playing dress up to entertain us all on the bus



Yes it is before 9am and no its not real champagne but grape juice.  Made for a lot of laughs though and tasted really really nice


We passed by this lovely hall on our way.  Everywhere we pass there are kingdom halls.


The site of the need build.  They are making really fast progress which is great







All 3 of our local elders came along but Brother Narish was not built for the kitchen but for the site....


Attractive ladies in our lovely aprons and hair nets.  My apron is from back home and was covered with chickens hence my job in a bit


You have to pick out all the nasty bits and some yucky bugs from the rice


We made cook up which requires fresh coconut milk.  So Kevin was in charge of splitting them with a cutlass and grating them all and then they soak it all to make the coconut milk.


Well erm what can I say

If you remember the last time we went to Linden me and shelly were on watermelon duty.  So we were again.  Peeling and picking out all the seeds.  But where are all the watermelons


Oh yeah there they are.......


Busy chopping away.  Gotta chop it just so to please our chefs


Miss melinda being naughty.  So we threatened to cut off her curls.




Chicken apron so chicken girl.  So we made crispy friend chicken but Satish had marinated it all the night before in something amazing. Gotta get the recipe for sure


First time the sisters used a proper peeler.  Had to give lessons. Its amazing what I take for granted that they have never ever even seen before


Ta Dah.............................


Crispy spiced chicken and cook up rice full of beans and veggies and plantain and peanut sauce and salad.  And of course the freshly made watermelon and cherry juice hehehehehe

Dinner time mmmmmmmm

So cooking was over so we all decided to help the brothers with there work for the rest of the afternoon.  Weve been up since 3am so whats a few more hours eh..


From hair nets to hard hats




Just dont look at our lack of safety shoes doh





 Purple heart and green heart wood is the hardest wood in guyana.  And the brothers wanted to reuse it as its so valuable.  So we had to remove all the old nails and screws.  Ouch that was really hard work.  Got a few bruises from all that.  Great fun though



A reward of a nice hug........go team girls.....



We went thru all that water during the day




Then on the way home we stopped at the one and only hence the best ice cream shop in town.  So much fun ordering all of it.  Im not really a fan of ice cream but they had a amazing dark chocolate frozen yogurt and they gave me loads of cherries on the top (oh yes trisha) so it was a great end to our day.

So home by about 9pm and we all slept like logs.  Then on tuesday we had a muslim holiday in guyana so again we had a great congregation effort for the ministry.  I think almost 40 came out.  And when it poured we took shelter in a little shop and had some laughs then out we went again.  So a really great week so far.




Well hope you don't mind looking over my adventures.  Please stay warm and dry where ever you all are.

Lots of love

Natalie  xx