Uyuni (Salt Flats)

We had a great time!  We were over 14,000 ft and the air was thin.  The views are spectacular.  At some point in the trip we were each awestruck by the power and creativity by Jehovah.  Then, again and again as the tour went on.  

A perfect end to the trip.  

Hope to be able to tell you about the travels!!  

I'm in the States now.  I'll be seeing you all soon.  

:)  

Despedida 2012

Bolivia Adventures come to an end for the three of us...so sad.

Benoit and Amelie Horte and I are at our going away party.  The congregations came together to send us off.

Veronica Cabezas

Elvira Cabezas and her neice

Dalma Cortez, future missionary.  She is about 14 years old and lives in a single parent family.  She keeps her baptized mother in line and refuses to give into worldy family pressure. Along with going to public school, she is a regular auxiliary pioneer and has 5 bible students and 4 are coming to the meetings.  Her student that is wanting to become an unbaptized publisher is in her 2nd year of medical school.  

Trouble...

This is a glimpse into how some of the dancing went.  I think that sometimes the foreigners get in the way of the jive of the locals.  But we are learning..lol

My Studies :)

Out of all the things to miss in Bolivia I think that I will miss the preaching work the most.  It is very rewarding.  It is really easy to get studies here.  You have to limit yourself or you will literally be too tired for anything else.  But after seeing some of the my students' progress it is worth all the effort.  I would like to tell you about some of them.  

This is Yessica (in the red shirt) and her neighbor friends that come to sit in.  I study with Yessica twice a week for a half hr.  We study together one bible story and a question in the new Good News brochure and/or a section from the Jehovah's Will brochure.  This is our study spot.  There is a tiny ledge for the garage door that is barely enough space for my butt  that we sit on.  The girls don't seem to mind thou.

These are Anayely on the left and Paula on the right.  They are just starting to come to the meetings and are even giving comments.  They asked me if they had to continue going to mass at their church if they were already going to the Kingdom Hall.  Lol!  Smart girls!  I hope they keep up their studies.  Anayely makes her  parents read to her from the magazines.  The other day she told me that she made her dad read to her when he came home drunk.  She told him that he needed to read to sober up.  

This is Erica, my Brazilian student.  She is progressing wonderfully.  She is coming to the Saturday night meetings and is regular with her weekly studies.  She really likes the new Jehovah's Will brochure since she sees how different Jehovah's Witnesses are from the other religions.  After every study I ask her if she has any questions.  After her last study she asked me if you had to be a baptized witness to comment at the meeting. After finding out that she could comment her hand was up the following meeting.  Too bad there are now over 200 at every Saturday meeting.  (Just joking!)  She told me that she wants to go with me to study with other people.  She has been witnessing to others.  How do I know?  I get random calls with questions as to where certain texts are in the bible.

This is Angelica.  She is a brand new study that lives in Yotala.  She was one of my very first students in the Good News brochure.  She really enjoys her study.  She expressed to me that in her town there is a lot of pressure to not study the bible with Jehovah's Witnesses and to go the the parties to venerate the saints where the majority get drunk and dance til the early morning.  I hope that I was able to help give her strength to continue on with her studies when we read together Proverbs 29:25.      

This is Soledad and her baby Myli.  She is someone that I started a study with with the direct approach.  I placed a set of magazines then asked if would like a free home bible study.  She accepted and it has been nothing but progress since then.  Although all in her household are Catholics you would never know that she ever upheld any of their beliefs.  When asked the question in chapter 4 paragraph 12 in the Bible Teach book that asked if Jesus was equal to God she was able to respond using the bible text.  Then after she opted to do more research in the appendix together in the study she was able to feel confident in explaining the truth about the trinity doctrine.  I hope to see her at the next meeting.  She has been telling me that she has been trying to go the past couple of meetings.  Since we have been studying the new Jehovah's Will brochure she has shown more interest in the meetings.  It has really helped her see that our meetings are different from what she thinks about when it comes to "going to church".

(Just a little further, we are only half-way there.)

This is Alejandra.  She is the student that lives the furthest from me.  I think that she lives the furthest from everyone in the congregation.  I go to her house once a week and therefore do not need to go to the gym.  The journey begins with a 10 minute walk to the bus stop then a 5-10 minute bus ride.  After getting off the bus there is a 40 minute walk straight uphill.  I think that Jehovah knew that I was the only crazy person at the time that would go back to study with her.  I hope that the sister and her husband that I gave her over to will follow through with her studies.  They do have a motorcycle after all.  Alejandra is a shepherdess and a farmer and is well respected in her neighborhood.  She loves her studies and is very appreciative of the effort that is put to visit her.  She told the sister that I brought to study with her when I leave that she really loves studying and she is working on fitting in the meetings.         
 

This is Norma.  She is one of those heart breakers.  She got pregnant and married very young.  She regrets it since now she has two very young children and no husband.  She said that he abused her badly.  The last time he beat her it caused her to lose her baby.  She was tempted to run away from her problems and leave the children with her family but was persuaded to stay a little longer to tough it out and see if she could find work in Sucre.  I am very happy to say that she found a good job at the supermarket recently!  She works everyday, Monday -Sunday, from 4:30pm-10pm, as a stocker.  Thus, now she is seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.  Hopefully, she'll keep seeking to follow bible principles in her life and continue with her studies. 

I have more studies that I wish that I could introduce you to but I don't think that it will be possible anytime real soon.  Hope that you enjoy the experiences.  :) 
      

2012 Talent Show

It was a happen'n party Sunday night!  The talent show was in honor of the division of the congregations.  I think that absolutely everyone danced for this  song.  Ok, maybe not but it was sure close.  

I realized last night that a lot can happen in a year.  It has been a great experience living here in Sucre.  It's sad that it is coming to an end.  Figures it take the whole year just figure out how to dance Bolivian style.  We had three lines.  Yes, lines.  You not only partner up but you add to the line like in old English movies.  

Pioneer School in Sucre and the Division!

So what do the pioneers miss most about pioneer school?

THE FOOD!! 

(Cleo Arenas helping serve desert.)

Being here in Sucre is not an exception.  The sisters in the local congregations worked very hard to make each day a success. 

(Getting to finally chow down after lunch was served.)

It was my congregation's day to cook the very first day of class so of course we needed it to be unforgettable.  We made Qupe.  Which I had never heard of before.  It is sort of like cheese filled meat balls.  Then we had two types of rice, peas and carrots, broccoli spears, and a tomato slice.  With oatmeal chocolate no-bakes for desert.  At the afternoon break the sisters brought an ice cream cake.

  
The last day of the pioneer school we were assigned to do the lunch as well.  Home made chili and corn bread was served.  For many it was their first time ever trying such a me al.  In the case of the sister that was staying with me for the class a lot of things was a first for her.  Just going to an indoor supermarket was a new experience.  Seeing the escalator that took people up the stairs to the cinema was a treat as well.

November 3, 2012

With all the increase we are out growing our Kingdom Hall so there was sent to the branch a proposal to make another congregation.  With mixed feelings it was announced a little over a week ago that bethel approved the idea of a new congregation and that it would start holding its meetings starting November 3, 2012. 

(Eloisa Flores, Nancy Calvimontes and Sarai Flores)

 There were many tears after that meeting.  It was especially emotional for the young people as majority grew up or were taught the truth together in this congregation.

(Alejandra, Genesis, Maribel, Natelie, Victor, Carla, Gustavo, Gabrielle)

(Me and Max Solis)

(Flores family)

Now I will be part of the Congregation America that will have its meeting times on Tuesday at 7:00pm and Sunday at 9:30am.

It will be wonderful to have a meeting time on Sunday since it is a the day of the week that majority of the people have off.  May Jehovah bless this new arrangement with even more of an increase!