Service Year 2014

Hello All

Hope you are all well.  I hear from friends and family in the UK especially the north east that september has started off a bit "chilly".  Well it's definitely not like that here.  I have told some of you already so sorry for repeating myself but it's totally boiling here.  Hitting high 40's almost every day in the sun.  And humidity is at max point too.

But this is in the shade.  Its been high 40's in the sun

Humidity chart for guyana.  As you can see "HOT" is now hehehehehe

 So I'm a tad warm.  Hehehehe.  Well really soaking wet most of the time.  But I love the fact and this sounds terrible but the local bro and sis are just the same as me.  In fact they are saying that its the hottest september in a long time.  So its not just white girl.  But it really isnt diminishing the zeal of our congregation.  Still full groups every day and wanting to stay out till way past 12.  So that is a great example for me.  It has been so lovely to get back into my full routine after being abit sick end of august.  Great getting back with my studies too. Remember I was taking care of dolly and shan for shannon.  Well she is back with brian which is so great.  He had to have his gall bladder removed so great that he got to go home and now they are back and full of zeal.  Well while she was away I have loved studying with dolly.  Phone calls almost daily with questions about her meeting prep or study prep or reading the daily text so that was so nice.  To be part of a progressive bible study.  Well her very opposed husband was attacked by a swarm of bees and rushed to hospital.  

So she called me early one morning to see if I could come with her to the hospital to watch over shan who is 6 and be support to her.  So I did.  A crazy 1 hour bus ride and sitting amongst some very very sick people later and her husband was released.  I hope it will be a good witness to him or at least make him a little more reasonable with dolly studying.  But still they were full of smiles all day.

Hospital 

I managed to find a few sneaky bibles from other congs that my studies have been begging for.  Davey in village 67 has really wanted one and we study the good news brochure together.  So last week was her first study with her bible.  It was a total privilege to see her hold Gods word in her hands and find the scriptures for herself and read for herself what Jehovah feels.  So emotional for me and my partner.  And jen left a lovely young girl Aleesa for a local sister and she is desperate for a bible too so we gave her one as she is studying the listen to God brochure.  After a long hot day at school she comes rushing out of her home with her brochure in her hand.  So cute.  And now her little brother is sitting in.  So we are going to bring him a bible story book next week and start a little study with him too.  Its so lovely to see the young children have a spiritual thirst.  

Great news.  I went to suriname to get my next 90 day visa stamp and it went without a hitch.  Phew.  After many prayers and also from my cong they just said at immigration "so how long do you want to stay" so I said "3 months" and the answer was "Ok".  By law that is the maximum you can stay in guyana so I was happy to get that.  I have another visa due mid december and that will be my little break to visit with pete and alice todd in the capital of suriname so that will be so nice.  I stayed with a lovely family along with amber a need greater sister in my hall who is part of the sign language team.  We had a great time. 

 Ive been over 3 times now so Im starting to know names and faces of the bro and sis more which feels great.  The actual ferry crossing takes 1 hour ish but door to door it took us 9 hours.  Ouch.  But that night we had such a treat.  Supper on the families balcony as they have no major mosquito problems so that just washed away the journey.

We got a lift to the ferry by a couple from our cong that live opposite the hall.  They run a taxi business with a bus and a tapir.  A glorified jeep with to rows of seats down the sides.  I have been in with about 15 squished in before.  The law is 7.

So we are all looking forward to the AGM in guyana.  I have heard back in the UK it is invitation only and assigned seating and name badges.  Well all of guyana is invited. All that speak and read english so we are all so excited.  Alot of the local bro and sis dont really understand what it is all about so I have been showing them from previous magazines about the special yearly meeting with new thoughts like we have just had in our July watchtower and that it was only for a small group in the US.  And now we can all enjoy it.

So this is guyana.  So we dont know the day we are going to listen to the meeting or the location yet but we do know we are all invited which is the main thing.  We wont have badges or assigned seating but thats no problem eh!!!!!!  So I will post some pics of that to come.

Before I go I will tell you about some chats I have been having with the local sisters in my hall.  They think if a householder says Im too busy today come back another day that is real apathy.  Wow I know.  So I have been educating them on my version of apathy from my past UK ministry.  Today on service we were invited in at every single door and between me and my partner parvee we opened our bible and placed literature with every single householder.  So really apathy and guyana shouldnt be in the same sentence.  Most pioneers have studies coming to the meeting and also so many publishers.  Last week I had 9 studies at the meeting.  All you can do is pray to Jehovah that they will get the most out of it.  The watchtower has been deep.  They have commented on how many kids were involved in comments so that was great.  And a random picture of our local brothers getting involved helping a young boy chop some wood for the family fire.

 

So its just full hot ministry days praying for a cloudy day.  Sure that is a song or something hehehehe and we are all looking forward to the first worldwide AGM.

Im so happy as my new flatmate melinda is back on saturday night.  So then we will be a full house upstairs and downstairs yeah.

Hope you are all doing ok and not too cold.  Keep up the good work.  Miss you all so much.  But keeping busy time really does just fly by eh.

Lots of love

Nat