"I'm Having So Much Fun"

Cory gave the talk at our hall last night

After the meeting, Doug's talking with a new family that just arrived from New York, they are here for three months.

"Take my picture too"

I said those words, "I'm having so much fun" to the young sister I was working with in the ministry last Sunday. And it occurred to me that I don't really say that too much anymore. As I've grown older, one of the things I've discovered that I just don't enjoy things like I use to. The things that I loved to do when I was young, roller skating, skiing, running through the woods etc. Just don't get the same kick out of those things, probably because my body doesn't cooperate very well and I pay the consequences the next day. But there is a joy that we get from sharing in the preaching that it doesn't matter how many times I've done it, there is still a joy that is beyond all others. This past Sunday was a little extra special. It was announced at the meeting that Sunday would be a special service day in conjunction with another local congregation. The two congregations were going to help another congregation preach in seldom worked territory. Doug and I have participated in this kind of thing before here in the DR. We'd pack a lunch and go for the whole day up into the mountains, some remote are that didn't get preached to that often. It involved a lot of walking, passing through streams and over rickety bridges to talk to people seldom preached to. This time was a little different in that we were traveling to a town that didn't get preached in often because there was no congregation close by. We were told to meet at 8:30 a.m. at a local gas station and we would all pile into whatever cars, trucks, vans, etc. and travel about 40 minutes to this town. We had a large amount of support from the brothers here in the Cabarete congregation. It seemed like every publisher showed up. When we arrived in the town where we were to preach and were joined by the brothers from the Castillo congregation, the total was 90 brothers and sisters that had shown up to preach! We all piled out onto this side street where the brothers arranged us into groups of about 15-20 with a Captain assigned to work a certain portion of the town. It was quite a site to see! Matt and Debra McKinney are part of the Castillo congregation and Matt was asked to say the pray before we started in the Ministry (this was done in the Middle of the street in a voice loud enough for all to hear).  My partner Hannah and I had a beautiful morning enjoying many good conversations. One woman I talked to said that she had never talked to Jehovah's Witnesses, can you imagine! Since it was Sunday, many children were around, we had the opportunity to talk to several groups of young ones playing on the street and showing them was God's name is. Our part of the territory took us up a very steep hill where we enjoyed some beautiful scenery. We met a family group where four generations were living together. I talked to the older couple while Hannah talked with the two younger generations. It was really just so much fun! We were told to meet back in the middle of the town at a park where would all enjoy some lunch together. We had packed a little to eat but were surprised to find out that the sisters of the Castillo congregation had prepared food for all. No, there was no way they could have food for 90 people so we held back to see if there was sufficient. But indeed there was! We enjoyed some rice and chicken and had a nice time visiting.


We're continuing to enjoy many good experiences in the local territory. Doug found a woman last Wednesday who seemed very interested in learning more so he told her that he would bring his wife back on Saturday and show her how to study the Good News booklet. She was waiting and prepared, had great questions. We had a another great study yesterday, she had all the scriptures looked up and marked in her Bible. She said she was going to try to come to the meeting last night but she didn't make it. My study, Laura, came to both the Thursday and Saturday meetings last week and she made it last night also.

One of the things we enjoy while in the DR is eating and trying to recipes with the ingredients we can find here. Doug discovered this past week, that we have an avocado tree growing  next to our apartment building. So he found a big stick and knocked a few down. We waited a few days till they started to ripen and cut our first one up, Delicious! Since we have a free supply of Avocados, I started looking online for some different recipes to use them in. We like just cutting them up with a little salt or putting them on a sandwich but I found a recipe for Pasta with avocado sauce, hmmmm green spaghetti??  But decided to try it. It was weird eating green spaghetti but it tasted pretty good.

Meeting at the Gas Station

Some of the group on the street in the Territory

Quite a steep Hill, but pretty view from the top

Hannah and I

At the park for Lunch, can you pick out anyone you know??

The sisters dishing out the food!

So Cory and Jeni are with us  till tomorrow, we're heading to Cabarete this morning for some breakfast and enjoy some time on the beach.  Hope you all are well.........................................!