la mies es mucha...: January 2014

Hi my family and friends!

I’ve completed a month back in Nicaragua. I arrived exactly one week before convention in Puerto Cabezas just as planned. Jehovah is so generous to have permitted me to come and though I had many doubts due to lack of work back at home, when I arrived to Puerto I felt a huge sigh of relief and as if I was exactly where I needed to be. I felt Jehovah give me a warm hug and loving welcome thru my friends and congregation and even some prior students of mine who I ran into the first morning out preaching. I want to especially thank my wonderful congregation back home for all their love and support. I love you all with my whole heart and wish I could be with you during this difficult time. You all and sister Ayala are in my prayers daily.

This was my first time traveling by land from Managua to Puerto. And surprisingly it was, according to the Miskitu Managua congregation, the “smoothest” trip they’ve ever had. We left Managua at noon on an old school bus. The seats are small, hard and narrow, and my knees dug into the seat in front of me. With every seat taken and about 15 people in the isle standing throughout the 24hr journey, the bus was considered by the friends to be “empty.” This was a good thing, as at least we all had seats and the cargo on top of the bus was not as high as the bus itself which is very common and can cause it to tip over on the road. Just last week this happened and 4 people died. I was fortunate to sit next to a Miskitu sister named Anita who was very fun and encouraging. There is no way of sleeping on an aisle seat, lest you fall into the aisle or onto your neighbor. It is an extremely rough ride because the road conditions are horrible. By early morning I asked to rest my head on Anita’s lap and around 5am I got to sit by the window to get a couple hours of sleep. The cool thing about traveling by land was the beautiful scenery. And of course, being with your friends you feel like you’ve accomplished something together and feel so much closer to them. Much like long hikes do for us back home. Only this journey is for a much greater purpose! We arrived by noon the following day with very sore bottoms but very happy hearts. With only a flat tire about half of the way, which was quickly repaired; our journey was quite perfect… relatively speaking.

There was much to do in Puerto! We were greeted by brother Antonio at the bus station who took us all coconut bread sandwiches and soda. Oh how I missed coconut bread!!! It was a great week. We went out to preach early the next morning in the muelle, left tons of invitations AND the campaign which was still going on because the all the territory had not been covered. Thursday we cleaned the locations where the friends would be housed and the convention site. This year was extra exciting to have all three days of convention instead of an abbreviated program. We had a max attendance of 625, and 12 were baptized! Because the district is so small, I especially was excited and touched by all the interventions because they were nearly all dear friends of mine, the speakers, interviewees, demonstrators, monologers (made up word), the drama participants... we were so proud of all of them!

I spent a week and a half in Puerto following convention where I was able to preach my old territory and spend time with the friends. Then I was off to Waspam with a couple from the states, the Leuciels, who have been volunteering in the country for quite some time now. Waspam is a town and department further North-West from Puerto but still part of the RAAN. It’s right at the rio Coco which is the boarder of Nicaragua and Honduras. In fact, there are so many more Miskitos in Waspam, there isn’t even a Spanish congregation. It’s composed of approximately 15 publishers. One elder is Marcos Cano, and his wife Eneida, they are a young special pioneer couple. I had the privilege of getting to know them the last time I was in the area. And the Luciels, Daniel and Evelyn, our other elder and his wife. Currently there are many volunteers here from other parts of the country and abroad, including my two other service partners and housemates Marbeli and Maureli from Managua, the Fuchinos from Japan, and myself. The five of us are sharing a house owned by a very generous sister named Adela who built her house large with two rooms and a small apartment on top with the sole purpose of housing volunteers. Sister Adela lives on the bottom floor. The house is extremely comfortable and more than I could ask for.

Our territory here is huge! Every Friday there are arrangements made to preach a rural territory nearby. We’ve so far worked the communities of Bilwas Karma, Kisalaya and Ulwas. We walk about half hour to 2 hours away for these, crossing rivers and attacked by mosquitos. But just as before, most everyone we visit is willing and eager to hear what we have to say and accept any literature we have for them. It’s so refreshing! But oh how much I have to learn in the Miskitu language! This time around it is much harder to fall back on Spanish when I run out of my limited Miskitu presentations as I did in Puerto. I am obligated here to conjugate sentences and questions and add to my vocabulary, because many don’t understand Spanish at all. I hope to report back to you all my progress.

This month will be busy and exciting. We have our annual pioneer meeting with the elders this Saturday, CO visit starting next Tuesday, and at the end of the month we have planned a week long excursion down the rio Coco. We hope to preach to about ten communities all the way to Cabo Gracias a Dios which is where rio Coco meets the Atlantic. We have our boat which will fit about 9 of us and are preparing for the arrival of our motor and to purchase the gas to get there and back. We would appreciate your prayers that it all goes as smooth as possible and that many people are able to hear the good news by means of this trip! -Prov.16:3

Though internet is slow and scarce in this area, I hope I can keep you all updated. I hope to hear from you as well!

Saludos a mi amorosa congregacion de Dinuba Magnolia, los quiero y extraño mucho! Gracias por su animo y apoyo. Espero reflejar su mismo celo y generosidad en mi nueva assignacion. Que Jehova los bendiga.

Juli