Hello to all.... I bet you have been wondering what happened .... he was doing his goofy blogs 2-3 times a week and then nothing! Well...... lets just say we have been busy. And things happen so slow down here as one sister put "you think you are going to get 10 things done in one day, but its more like you get 1 thing done in 10 days" I liked that quote, and told her it would be included in a blog sometime in the future..... so there it is!
We have been busy!..... Our stuff is still with customs (isn't that nice) they need it more then us! They say it's sitting in a storage area.... (Carol is wondering if the personnel are going through it and figuring out what they want from our boxes of junk) ...... well we will see. After getting all the papers that were needed, they wanted another ..."sworn statement" then they wanted our passports, didn't feel real comfortable about that one... then proof that we were sponsored by the branch as coming under the 12-VII visas for "missionary status" (that was all over the passports of which they not only had "notarized copies but then the passports themselves) .... so we send them a letter from the branch that we received when we were here during the first week..... then after two weeks they tell us that the "sworn statement" wasn't done right and they needed another one... the statement we had notarized by a sister that has been a notary for many years. She looked at the request and just shook her head saying that nothing was wrong with he first one..... when we get all that was needed to customs ...... finally...... Then they tell us that we had passed the amount of time allowable, and that they consider the stuff abandoned! (Abandoned?... we have been going back and forth with them and you would think that that would start a clock once you quit doing sometime to follow their goofy process) ... then they tell us that we have to pay a ticket for not getting things done within the allowed amount of time. (Well we would have, if they could make up there mind what it was they wanted up front) The Fine? .... $100 green backs! I have lost what little hair I had on the top of my head. When will we get it? We don't know, but we have done all that we can do.... we feel it's in Jehovah's hands now.
Enough of that! We have important work to do. We enjoyed a very productive week in the ministry, our first complete week without interuption .... lots of excellent calls, and we are sure that many will turn into bible studies. I was given a study with an older man of which we conducted yesterday..... His place backs up to the airport here in Cuenca, so we had long pauses during parts of the study (jet liners taking off)..... the other long pauses, came after I asked the questions on the paragraph, I was trying to figure out what is going on? Then after the study, the brother that turned it over to me, said the man Angel had, had a stroke some time back.... there was my answer. (that would have been nice to know before conducting the study) Anyway when we walked into the place he lived in, it looked like it was something that had been built when the Incas were ruling the land. What a mess! Then he leads us out back, and he has a million dollar view of some of the surrounding mountains from the back yard area of his ...... well I guess you could say "house". Looking at Angel you would have thought him to be a street person right down to the NFL Giants jacket he must have found in the 2nd hand clothing store. We invited him to the meeting today, and of course he was there! Shaved, shined, tie, jacket, slacks the whole nine yards! I had a little voice go off in my head "don't judge a book by its cover" We will see what happens to our dear new friend, Angel.
Last week we attended the convention here in Guayaquil, Ecuador, that the branch puts on in English. They put it together for the brothers that are here serving from foreign lands, the "extranjeros" or foreigners. (680 according to the comments made by one of the brothers giving a talk, that number doesn't include those that have decided to get resident visas that started under the branch assisted 12-VII visa) A real blessing, as you get to rub shoulders with some mighty fine self sacrificing friends. Peak attendance Sunday, 1200+. The majority live very simple lives, to be able to preach in this most fertile territory. The city of Cuenca and surrounding areas have experienced 18% growth in the last 12 months.... we have been told that some of the CO's here feel, that things are just starting to get going, and the real growth is yet ahead in this part of Ecuador..... Interesting.
One area of work really heating up, is in the territory of the Native Ecuadorians who speak Kitchua..... one small area (Canar) about 2 hours by bus, north of Cuenca has a special pioneer couple a few extranjeros serving. They have been at the work for about 10 months and already have 40 in attendance at the meetings they conduct..... also I beleive they mentioned that they had over 90 at the memorial this year. One experience we heard was that when a sister began preaching to woman in her native tongue the woman began to weep ..... no one in this country cares about the indigenous people, with the exception of Jehovah's people who are willing to learn the language to share the good news with them. Also (Aaron and Eunice) sign language here is growing greatly as it is in Nicaragua. We met a CO and his wife that sat in front of us on Sunday. They reminded us you guys, about the same age and the sister/wife and Eunice could have been fleshly sisters. Did they know sign when they entered the CO work? Nope... baptism by fire!
While at the convention we stayed at a hotel about 15-20 minutes from the branch... all was going well at this hotel, until we returned home from dinner on Saturday night. Next to the hotel was a paint factory .... from our balcony there were signs telling people not to throw there Cig. butts below, (see photo) for fear that a fire could be started..... you probably thinking that's what happened ... we were throwing our butts down there and we started a fire.... NOPE! ;-) They were having some kind of party.... they had disco lights and the whole 9 yards, and it was not inside a building, ( that would have been nice) it was held open air. But the real problem was the music, we went to sleep at 10 and woke up to the music, that was heard over the air conditioning, at 2:30 in the morning..... NICE!..... Not really!..... I go out to investigate and when they see me glaring at them they turn UP the music... good move Heilig. They finally concluded the party at 5:30 in the morning..... we though we would be wrecks that day, but we actually felt fine during he entire day at the convention. The following morning or I guess I should say later that same morning there was a lady out cleaning up the mess... I asked her if the party was a every weekend thing or.....? I'm thinking next year, and if we will be staying at this hotel. So she says no and I mention to her if the folks, including her, realized that no one got a good nights rest last night within an area of about a mile around the building .... she goes on to explain that it was a special occasion for the family and I emphasized the fact that no one slept well.... at that point she hung her head and asked for forgiveness ..... funny she acted almost like a little kid when she asked for forgiveness. The attached is a sample of the music and the light show just in case you think I am pulling your leg.
Tomorrow we (our congregation) have the privilege of feeding the pioneers at pioneer school. (Heiligs have salad for 40) You know what I'll be doing first thing in the morning. I wonder how it is, that they know we have food service experience? What, do we have a sign on our back that says something to that effect?
Well here in Ecuador tomorrow, August 10th is a national holiday ..... translated ... day off! I hear the craziness starting outside as I write..... Dogs barking, sirens, kids screaming, and motorcycles racing down the street...... I wonder how much sleep we will get tonight? ;-) it's, ...... 11:30PM and the fun is just beginning.
Good night to all of you and we hope you are all doing well!
Yeah I'm not a fan of Salsa either :P
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