INTERNATIONAL SISTERS

Me, Shelina, Andrea, and Kim.  Andrea has been here since November or December helping in Sign Language.  She's our neighbor and we love her!!

Just wanted to post this cute pix from last Friday.  We're still in the middle of pioneer route here (until June). For those of you not familiar with it....it includes every country under Mexico branch's supervision and is very similar to seldom worked territory campaigns in the U.S. but more involved.   A publisher can sign up to spend 1-6 months in an assignment either within or outside of their country.

The little Asian sister in the picture is named Meung-eun Kim (I hope I spelled that right!).  I met her because she's spending a few days in Granada before going to her assignment in Malacatoya.  We had her for lunch and then did studies together.  She is just sweet sweet sweet and probably the first native-born Korean I've met.  She speaks like 8 languages fluently among them Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Spanish, and English.  She really encouraged us talking about the young men in S.Korea and how they cope going to prison at age 18 for their Christian neutrality.  Three years ago, she moved to Mexico to help start a Korean group in Guadalajara.  After her pioneer route assignment, she'll head to Managua where she'll help in the Chinese congregation.  I know they'll be thrilled to have a native speaker.

My favorite part of the picture is how Cookie (Shelina's dog) snuck in.  Her legs are in the background but she kinda looks like she's hidden up Andrea's skirt with her legs dangling out. Hahahahahah!!!  That's just the kind of mess she'd get herself in too!

UN HOMBRE MURIO POR TODOS

Little girl, Jandra, me, and Pilar.  I found my dress at a second-hand shop in Masaya market for  a little over $3!

I hope all of you had a beautiful Memorial this year.  This year was much like last in our setup.  We were the 2nd Memorial again starting at 7:15pm and had seating both inside and outside.  We were able to see and hear the speaker thanks to a projector.  Here, the sun sets year-round at 6pm (thanks to being so close to the equator) so we're able to get started pretty early.

The weather was a little better this year although I certainly wasn't expecting that.  Around 3pm I was in my room sweating and noticed my temperature gauge said 93 degrees.  I moved it into the living room, and it went up to 95.  I moved it outside and it went up to 97.  With about a million percent humidity.  But I endured!  I didn't put on the A.C. and by the time I went to the Memorial, just as it was starting this amazing breeze started up, and it was actually really comfortable.

I wasn't able to help with set-up or cleaning this year because I've been sick the past few days.  I have barely a voice and when it's early in the morning or late at night, it's really painful to talk and swallow.  Apparently, it's allergies.  Again.  Thankfully, I was so busy with the campaign I already had my hours last Friday so I was able to take some time off to recuperate guilt-free.

Best news to report from the Memorial?  A student of mine came!!  Three of my students said for sure they wanted to come and lots more from rural.  But rural couldn't ever work out transportation, and I feel sick about that.  However, my student, Hazel, came with her brother-in-law, Roberto.  It was her 2nd time to a KH and his 1st.  They said they wanted to come back for the Special Talk!  I'm so happy because I was really praying for my students to come, and in general it's been a struggle to get Hazel to come to a meeting.  She's my most progressive of all my Bible students and an absolute gem.  She came over to the house when my parents were here, so they got to meet her, and she felt so happy getting to know my house and family.

Hazel, Roberto, and I

All in all we had 294 in attendance from our 99 publishers.  Best report I heard came from Malacatoya.  It's a group, not a congregation, just a little further out than our rural territory.  They have 18 publishers and had 179 in attendance including 1 deaf they interpreted for!  Isn't that amazing?!  There's still sooooo much work to do here.

Brett & Kathy, publishers from Illinois that now serve in my sister congregation, Granada Norte.  Norte hosts Malacatoya group.  They also are the only foreigners in their congregation so have been a great support to me especially when it comes to getting a hold of English literature.