Thursday, August 8, 2013

DING DING ROUND THREE

After a month in the States and another month settling in back in Nicaragua I'm blogging again!  Yeah!  Sorry for the delay, but it's been so crazy since I've come back.  Three days after my return I had a group of friends come visit for two weeks.  Near the end of their trip and during my circuit overseer's visit I ended up seriously sick (bacterial infection in respiratory tract), and it took me a good two weeks to really start feeling like I was out of the woods.  Now that my energy levels are up I've been running like a crazy woman trying to finish up the service year with a bang and get all my students back on track.

Dragonfruit. They call it pitahaya here.  The color is so beautiful and makes a great fresco.

Let me introduce a friend of mine and our new brother Melvin from Nindiri!!!  Congrats on your baptism, Melvin!  Just look at that great smile.


Bro.Tallet translating talk from French in Las Isletas Cong 
So I came back to so much huge news.  We're forming a new congregation!  Yep, between us and our sister congregation we have about 200 publishers, and during the circuit overseer's visit we each had about 165 in attendance each--standing room only!  So we're taking a few publishers from each cong and forming a new one.  I feel both excited and nervous.  I think a new territory will be refreshing, but I'm really nervous thinking about possibly leaving my current students.  I feel really attached to a few of them :(  The other big news is that we have a missionary couple assigned to our cong--Frederic and Maud Tallet.  He's French and she's from the island of Guadeloupe, and we're they're 3rd assignment.  They were in Guadeloupe, then St.Barth's in the Caribbean, now Nicaragua.  I truly feel that Jehovah has answered two years worth of prayers in sending an experienced brother to our congregation.

So much news I'm not sure it'll all fit!  Ok, so something else new is that we're starting public preaching here in Granada (like mentioned in the KM 2 weeks ago with the tables and carts; Manhattan project).  English Cong has been doing it for a while but they only offer literature in English, so Spanish is finally starting to meet that need.  I'm participating!  Yep, tomorrow I'll man the booth with my partner from 6-8pm, and I'm so excited to see what the response will be from the community.

Also, I'm going to the English convention at the end of the month in San Salvador, El Salvador.  English Cong rented a big bus and are letting English speakers from other congregations join the trip thankfully.  I'm excited to hear the conv in English, and more excited to see a new country and meet new friends.  Supposedly all English congregations in Central America will be there.  Wow!

Next thing....well, I need a favor from you guys!  We all know about the power of prayer especially when many of us are praying for the same thing....so I need you guys to pray for me on two specific items.
     1.  to sell my car in the U.S. so I can use the money down here and
     2.  to give my roommate and I direction on if we should move to cut down on our expenses.  Granada is the most expensive city in Nicaragua, and we'd like to be living cheaper, but we can't find anything lower than what we have staying in Granada.  There's a possibility to rent in Nindiri and go to Masaya congregations.  I'm checking out a house on Monday and a territory on Tuesday, but I'd love to see divine direction in the decision.  Thanks for your help!

Sorry for this Frankenblog but there was so much to talk about!  I'll blog more regularly now so they'll be smaller :)

10 comments:

  1. Well I'm a fan of long blogs - as you can tell!! Mine are rarely short! Enjoyed all your news. Awesome about the missionaries. Which territory are you checking out on Tuesday? My old one? Are we going out together?!

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    1. Um, yes?! Probably should've called you first...

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  2. That's so wonderful about the new congregation. We're so excited about visiting! Hope to meet so many friends at the convention!

    ~Abbie & Dale Taylor

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    1. Yes! Please come see us while you're here...Granada Este. We meet Wednesdays at 6:30pm and Saturdays at 5pm.

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  3. Shawn, I'm soooo happy you are back to blogging! (I was really worried there...I thought you were dead) I say you should move to Nindiri then I will come and visit. �� Or Masaya...that will work too. You are going to miss the Calzada though...��
    I hope JH directs you and Shelina to find a good fit for you both. I miss you lots!

    Hugs and Kisses
    AK

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    1. The Calzada's just a money pit, though. And we're thinking maybe Granada would be a better place to visit than to live. Miss you too. Keep me updated as to your goings on. Besitos!

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  4. glad you are feeling better. and you will definitely be in my prayers. we've learned first hand this past month what the power of prayer can accomplish... we have sold everything, even things we thought would never sell. Jehovah has truly been blessing our efforts to move to Costa Rica. so if its Jehovah's will - it will happen. we keep telling ourselves that Jehovah knows exactly what we need and when we need it. the same is true with you...if you need to sell your car - it will happen! need a cheaper home?...that too will happen. I'm sure Jehovah is tired of hearing us pray about ourselves, so praying for you will be a welcomed sound, I'm sure...lol!...I'm just kidding. but you WILL be in my thoughts and prayers.

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  5. Hey! I know of a grass roots group that could use some Pioneers! And there's a sign group here for Shelina!!! You know where I'm going with this right?!? You still have my number...

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    1. Krystina, I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm still in love with Spanish. I love love love English meetings and conventions but territory?! Son otros cien pesos.

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