Serrano

Serrano

Serrano is one of the isolated territories that my congregation supports.  It even has a group of 5 publishers.  My roommates and I had the chance to go along with a group from my hall that went along to support the visit of the circuit overseer and his wife.  

It is a 5 hour bus ride from Sucre.  I could handle any distance as long as they promised me that I would get the window seat so I could watch the breathe-taking scenery.

Joel and Rocio de Pecho, the special pioneer couple that have been assigned to Serrano within the past year. The group rents a couple of rooms in this building.  In the back of the little hall the owner serves lunch.  Therefore, it makes sense that he would put his Surena beer sign right under the the meeting sign.

Our fun group after the meeting!  The CO is the one kneeling on the far right and his wife is standing above him in the orange-tan jacket.  Jeins and Dina Theirfielder from Germany.

Elisnor, the sister in the white jacket lives in the back of where they hold the meetings.  (Since it's not a congregation and is still a group, it isn't called a kingdom hall yet.)  Elisnor has 22 bible studies and many attend meetings.  Wow!

We stopped at one of the famous stores.  The shop of the maker of the biggest, working charango in the world.  He was mighty proud.  But, I have to give it to him, his work was something to be proud of.  He let us test out his hand made guitars and charangos.  A nice charango is about 600 bolivianos or a little less than $100 but of course the price varies to quality.  The guitar that Courtney is holding is $200.  (Updated info)

So we had to try out the lunch spot behind the hall.  It was really good.  I asked for no salad and they gave me extra steak instead.  My kinda people!  :)

(Courtney, Me and Kandra)

The hardest part about visiting Serrano was saying good-bye.  I can not wait til my next trip.  Hopefully I can make the trip at least once a month.  My roommates want to stay an extended period of time sometime soon.  

  

So much spiritual activity!

Zone Visit!

January 22, 2012

The Zone Overseer, Guy Pierce, governing body member visited Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  Although I was not able to travel to Santa Cruz I was able to hear and see the program.  We met at the Play House in Sucre.  There was 26,000 in attendance for all of Bolivia.  

With fellow need greater, Ana, in Mesa Verde Congregation.  Some you may have seen her and her husband, Justin, before since they have family in Melbourne area.  They are an awesome couple.  Not only are they serious in the ministry, they are big rock climbers and they ride their bikes everywhere.

Circuit Overseer's Visit!
Pioneer Meeting!

We have 26 regular pioneers (including special pioneers and missionaries) helping the Sur Congregation right now.  Some are visitors that won't be here permanently.  We have 6 auxiliary pioneers as well this month.  These pioneers do not include those that are part of the Serrano group that our congregation supports.
Don't let all these pioneers make you think that there isn't any need in Sucre.  I reported 7 bible studies last month.  January is one of the hardest month for bible studies even since everyone travels in the summer.

One of my roommates is in this picture.  Kandra Painter is the sister with blonde hair and the green shirt.  She will be with me at my new apt til the middle of April.  She is from upstate NY, the town of Lake George, a few hours from Bethel.  I couldn't ask for better roommates.  I hope everything works out like they can come back again like they plan.

Saturday Service Group
(Just a few snap shots.)

Me and my little friend Natalie.

Amelie Horte on left from Canada.  She and her husband, Ben, will be here for 1 year.  Bolivian sister in middle.  Mexican sister visiting for 2 1/2 months.
There are always people coming and going to help out.  Which is great in helping our territory seeded but our congregation lacks watering.  I don't know how many people in the territory have told me that they had studied before and many have come to the meetings but then no one came back to visit them.  Our recent local needs was on doing return visits.  Then again at our pioneer meeting the CO gave the pioneers instructions to bring any extra pen and paper to give to our publisher partner to use to write down their calls.  Then we are to write down their call in our book, too, so that we can go and remind them to do their return visit.  Interesting huh?  I bought a call book when I got here and I have like 5 pages left in it.  There isn't a lack of interested people but the friends just have a fear of doing returns.  There is an average of 2 return visits per publisher per month.  I had 49 returns last month.  Hopefully all us pioneers can help them be more at ease.

~Coming soon....View of the new apt!~ 
  

Hiking with the Sur Congregation

Hiking up Seeka Seeka!

The group of young people that didn't leave for summer vacation for two months. 

It was a beautiful day!

Tour of Downtown Sucre

Sucre

It is full of cathedrals.  It is funny because the catholics are always doing their sign of the cross when they pass a church.  They must get tired of doing it some days since there seems to be a church at every corner.

I went inside of this one (above).  It was really sad inside.  Huge and goddy.  The people that come to the Kingdom Hall after going to the churches probably wonder if they are at the right place.  The Kingdom Hall is nothing like the religious buildings that they are used to seeing.

 This place just opened up this month.  I don't know why but I had an urge to go and check it out.  lol  The menu is not the same of course since it isn't a REAL Mc Donald's.  I didn't end up eating there since the prices were almost the same and the McD's in the States.  Too expensive for my blood.  However, I will probably get another urge to go and get something to eat.  They had a Hawian Burger that looked pretty good.

Facultad de Idiomas
Language University
So this is my new school.  I will taking Quechua classes here Mon, Tues, and Thurs nights starting in a week and a half.  I will have to take some pictures of the inside.  I won't quite call it beautiful inside but definitely unique.

I think that it is weird that this cathedral has three different size bells.  The smallest is on top.

This monument is in the center of town square.  I should have read the sign to see what it stood for...but monuments are all over.  So I have just gotten used to seeing them.  At this one there are benches that encircle in and crazy pigeons that fly into you as you walk by.  Haha!

This poor little girl is getting reading for busy Sunday.  She sells seeds to feed the pigeons.

One of the governmental buildings that is facing the main town square.

This is the weirdest door knocker that I have ever seen.  And, of course, it was on a church.

I studied with one of my students at this little plaza on one of the benches.

Well this is the end of the tour.  There are a lot more places that I wish that I could show you but there is just not enough time to download all the pictures.  You will just have to visit. :)

Siete Cascadas

Siete Cascadas

(Seven Waterfalls)

Preaching is wonderful but it is really great having a day off  and spending it with friends.  We couldn't have picked a nicer day either.  A need greater from England, Steve, lives here in Sucre and supports himself by being a rock climbing guide/instructor.  He organized this day-trip for all us foreigners. We might have been his largest group that he has had since we had been able to fill the bus going to our destination.

  So if you were wondering what the waterfalls looked like...this was one of the seven.
Bolivia can't have everything.

The last waterfall was a waterside.  Super fun!  Almost everyone was brave enough to try it.
(Of course I went!)

After having a fun filled day we decided to head back to town however it wasn´t as easy as was thought.  Instead of just going back the way we came there was a bright idea of cutting new ground and following the the guidance of a handmade map that was downloaded from the interent.  Not the best idea of the day.  So we were lost for hours unfortunately.  There were some that wanted to die more than others.  Then when all hope was thought to be lost, we finally found our way back.
I think that I haven´t been that exhausted in a LONG time.

I hope that most of you were able to see the videos.  However, the pictures and even the video can´t do justice to the mountain views.  I can´t wait to go there again especially now that we know how NOT to return.  lol!

Special Day Assembly

Special Day Assembly in Potosi

(highest city in the world, 14,000 ft)

Well, as you can probably imagine from seeing this picture, the day was an adventure.

It was wonderful inside the (indoor) basketball stadium all until it started to rain and then hail.  The rain was no problem but the hail seem to make it's way into the stadium and onto us.  The program even had to stop for 10 minutes or so until the hail stopped due to the loud pounding sound on the roof and the commotion of brothers and sisters trying to shield themselves from hail stones.  Haha!  Sonia and Carmen Acuna seemed to enjoy it.  Lol!  (On a side note, these two sisters have helped me greatly and have been a blessing to me.  They are really awesome!!  If you haven´t already, you should read Sonias life story in the WT.)

The congregation arranged a bus take everyone that needed transportation (like me. It is really weird having to depend on others for transportation and getting taxis and busses for everything.).  We met at the Kingdom Hall at 5:45.  Well, I should rephase that.  I met at the Kingdom Hall with a few others and then by 7:30 everyone arrived and off we went.  So we were on the road to go straight up basically.  The altitude really does a number on some.  So I didn´t want to take a chance so I took altitude sickness pills.  However, not everyone on the bus was aware that they as well should have taken a pill.  Therefore, there were some that vomited on the way up and felt miserable for majority of the program.

The brother that organized our trip did a splendid job.  He brought breakfast and coffee for those that didn´t eat or get their coffee.  But of course, that wasn´t something that I forgot.  I always remember my coffee.  I have found that I have be eating a lot more here as well.  If I am not eating at any given moment in time, I wish I was eating since I am hungry.  Haha!

He also arranged for us to sing kingdom songs.  Majority loved this idea but others only seemed to get more bus/altitude sick (like my friend sitting beside me.)
You can see some more of the friends in my congregation.

After the program we were all very happy to have received the spiritual food but also exhausted.  Thankfully it only threatening to rain and hail inside the stadium.

Much love and warm wishes to all!