Aaron's Rib

"And Jehovah God built the rib that he had taken from the man into a woman, and he brought her to the man."- Genesis 2:22

You may recall me writing about Aaron Lee, a brother from England with whom we served  in the Guasave English congregation back in 2013. Aaron went back to England to work for a while but had ulterior motives for returning to Guasave. He found his "spare rib".

another blessing for serving as a needgreater :-) 

   Aaron and Lizeth, who also served with us in the Guasave English Congregation, were married last month in Guasave. We had the honor to be in attendance at their wedding and to enjoy their special day.

Felicidades Aaron y Lizeth y que Jehova bendiga su matrimonio!

Special Pioneers?

   Our move to Jamaica just happened to coincide with Jamaica being merged into the U.S. branch territory. As a result many people upon meeting us seem to get all kinds of ideas as to why we are here. I have often been asked:  "Are you a missionary? special pioneer? from Bethel?" Yeah, right, if only they knew who they were talking to. I doubt anyone of such questionable character as mine would be granted such privileges. I mean I am pretty special (at least I think I am), and I am a pioneer but that's about the extent of it  :-)

   Usually when I start talking is when the questions arise. Apparently since we have arrived here I have developed an accent or so I am told. "You from foreign?" they will ask. "I hear you have an American accent." Funny I hadn't noticed, too busy trying to understand all the  Jamaican accents around me! Besides, I think I tawk like a poifectly nawmal New Yawka...

   Something special that has been going on however is the Special Metropolitan Public Witnessing Program that was started on the island last year. When I saw in the KM how this program was being done in only 13 cities in the branch territory it amazed me that Jamaica was selected at all. I mean we are talking cities like New York, D.C., Chicago and others. Major metropolises (or is it metropoli?) I think Manhattan alone has a larger  population than the whole island of Jamaica!

   We are privileged to have a share in this form of witnessing; although I must admit at first I was less than enthusiastic about it. When we were asked to participate I thought to myself: "it's just glorified street work, I don't want to do that."  I could not have been more wrong! Clearly I forgot who is driving the chariot!

   The SMPWP or "metro" as we like to refer to it has been nothing short of exciting. Imagine service with no not at homes. Imagine not having to approach anyone but people coming up to you...and asking for a study! We are enjoying such experiences each week as we share in metro.

   Jamaica has a deeply religious culture and most people read their Bibles regularly. It is not uncommon that when you start reading a verse, the householder is able to finish it. One of the unique differences about witnessing in Jamaica is that we get to witness to the young ones. Back home if you even look at a kid, the parent comes out screaming at you. Here, people send their kids out to you so you can teach them something about the Bible. This is especially evident in metro witnessing as we have many young ones stopping by the stands on their way to and from school. Some will get magazines, a number of them have asked for Bibles, some even have studies at the cart on their way home. It is a nice feeling to know that we are planting seeds of truth in tender young hearts, who knows where they may sprout and bear fruit?

somewhere beneath that pile of kids...

     Some recent experiences have shown us that fruitage may come sooner rather than later. One day a woman stopped by the cart and began looking at the literature displayed. When she was asked if she would like anything to read she said yes she would. She said her kids had been bringing home the magazines and books and she had been reading them. Now she wanted to know more for herself and she stopped by.

   Two preteen-age girls came by and asked Suzanne for Bibles. We try to gauge the young ones' interest before handing out Bibles so they are not wasted. So we inquire about what their favorite scripture is or something like that to be sure they really want to read it. So, when Suzanne asked the young girl she replied that she really did want the Bible. Her present Bible was a small one with only Psalms and the Greek scriptures in it. "How can I read Isaiah if it's not in my Bible?" she asked? She and her companion both got Bibles and Bible stories books. A few days later they returned and sang a little jingle they made up, thanking Suzanne for the books and saying that now that they have them,"they are not bored anymore."

...lies a missionary

    At times we joke among ourselves, saying we get "glimpses" into the spirit realm. We know the Devil would love to stop our work, but we can just picture Jehovah's angels forming a barricade around us; keeping us safe and drawing sheeplike ones to us. There have been a number of occasions where we will see someone passing us by and then all of a sudden as soon as they get near the cart they will yell out in a loud voice: "Jesus!" Please keep walking...and take your demons along with you thank you very much. There is one man who passes by regularly. He
never says anything, never looks our way but without fail as soon as he is within ten feet of the stand he just starts shouting: "you must repent for the Lord is coming! The kingdom of god is near!"  or something like that. And as soon as he passes he stops! With all that activity going on  around us, we are getting noticed.

   There is a young woman who has a cart and sells nuts and candies, situated next to us on the sidewalk. Each day she is around us we say hello, maybe talk briefly and go on our way. Little by little we noticed she kept creeping closer, looking at the literature, listening in when others would stop by and talk. One day she took a magazine, then a book, she got an invitation to the memorial, she attended the memorial. She had questions-we had answers. One of our sisters finally asked her if she would like a study and she said "well I'm never home." No problem, I mean after all she is right next to our cart on the street!

   Each week we seem to have some exciting experiences. We are enthusiastic about this form of preaching and think about it on a global scale. How many more persons will be reached by the public witnessing? As we think about how many times people pass us by each day and then one day, all of a sudden an article, a sign, or the color of the magazine catches their eye. What a witness is being given!  How many will come to know the truth by this means? Only Jehovah knows, we're just happy to be playing a small part in the work...and trying to hold on to the chariot as it rolls on! 

crazy homeless guy sat down by Tricia and Dani...

...then he started singing and clapping!

every once in a while we get a goat

happy at the end of the day

You Know You're a Needgreater When...Part 2

You know you're a needgreater when:

* Your most permanent address is your email address

* You know your passport number by heart

*When going through border control the officer has a hard time finding a place to stamp your passport

* The balance in you frequent flier account is higher than the balance in your bank account ( hat tip to Cat Chai)

* Your "best friends" are Germ-X, Purell, and Yakult

* Your favorite app is Skype or FaceTime

* You can fit all your belongings in 2 suitcases weighing no more than 23 kg each

* You frequently state: " I just found this great new way to use ramen! "

*When you hear a thump on the roof in the middle of the night you can instantly tell whether it was an avocado or a mango by the sound it made

* When you look forward to your trip home not only because you want to see family but also because you look forward to limitless hot showers and a really good burger!

Busy, Busy, Busy!

"Sow your seed in the morning and do not let your hand rest until the evening; for you do not know which will have success, whether this one or that one, or whether they will both do well."-Eccl. 11:6 

   Yes, we are still here, alive, well and thanks to Jehovah adjusting nicely to our new home. Much has happened over the past several months, some good, some not so good. The good? Well, we were able to navigate the tangled web of bureaucracy and get legal status here for myself and Danielle (Yeah!).  The not so good? Sadly we had to put Suzanne's dad in a home a few months back.

   That decision was one of the most difficult things we have ever had to do. Your conscience kills you, I mean this is your parent! But when all was said and done we realized that Dad needed more care than we could give and the nursing homes are staffed and equipped to handle cases like his. After visiting a number of homes, leaving some of the more deplorable ones swearing we could never do it, shedding many tears and praying for guidance; we found a suitable place not far from the house.
 
   He is well cared for by the staff; the nurses there truly put their hearts into their jobs. Since he no longer recognizes where he is, it was not so difficult to leave him in the home. We worried what would happen when we dropped him off, if there would be a big scene or not. But he went in, sat down on the couch and after a while the nurses encouraged us to leave. We said: "bye Dad, we'll see you later" and he simply said: "when will you be back?" "Tomorrow" we answered. "Okay, I'll see you then." And that was that.

   Ironically him being in a home has lessened the load on the family. We are still nearby, able to care for whatever he may need. Suzanne visits nearly every day. Since the home is in our territory many of the brothers and sisters visit him often, and to be honest he seems content, almost happy dare I say.  Most of all knowing he is being well cared for has freed us to keep busy in our most important work: the ministry.

   During the past few months we have picked up several Bible Studies and some nice RVs as well. Between the three of us we are conducting now twelve studies.  At our recent circuit assembly three of them attended with us and they have been regular at Sunday and mid-week meetings as well! We have high hopes for them and pray that Jehovah continues to draw them to his organization.

Dani making good use of our theocratic tools

   Dani has a study with a young girl up in the hills incidentally named Danielle as well. She goes there on Saturday mornings and oddly enough we only see kids at the house. Danielle and about 5 or six of her assorted siblings and cousins ranging from about 4 to 13 years old. As Dani studies each of them wants her to read to them as well so we spend much time there in the mornings. One of the young boys in particular would always come sit next to me and look on in my book. Suzanne encouraged me to study with him but I hesitated figuring "he was just a kid." Well for some reason one morning when he came over I pulled out a Listen to god brochure and asked if I could read to him. He was really into it! It warms my heart to hear him talking to the others about the Paradise and how God has a name-Jehovah. He also knows that if we want to live in the Paradise we need to listen to God by reading the Bible. Studying with the young ones is a highlight of the week for me. I especially enjoy seeing the excitement in their eyes watching the Caleb videos. They all gather around and watch on our phones. What a blessing these have been as they are able to teach valuable lesson to them.

"the kid whisperer"

   We met *Denise when we were making a rv at a house two doors down from where she lives. She saw us working and called us over. She told us she used to study and attend meetings. She is a young woman of about 19 or so. When we asked her if she would like to study again, the biggest smile came across her face as she said yes. She told us she has had to move many times in the past year but she kept herself spiritually fed by using the website. She said she would go on it every Sunday at 3p.m. since that was the time of the meeting she used to attend. She would study the WT article but said she only would last for an hour as "she did not have a public talk". Using jw.org she has been able to keep up her spiritual feeding. The week after we started studying with her was our assembly. When we asked if she wanted to go that big smile appeared again as she said: "Yes, definitely!" She is a regular meeting attender and hopes to take some big steps soon.

   To me Denise's experience is very encouraging. As a young person there are many things she could do to occupy her time, but her relationship with Jehovah is very important to her. She used the available technology to keep herself alive spiritually and her love for Jehovah and his ways are evident. Although she was isolated, she didn't get lost and she demonstrates that she values worshipping with the brothers by being at all the meetings.

   Sometimes we don't realize right away how things will develop. Back in June I wrote about my excitement over finding a woman from Cuba in the ministry. Her English was limited so Dani and I have been calling on her using whatever Spanish literature we could round up. Over the passing of time though we found her home less and less but her mother-in-law, also a Spanish speaker, seemed to enjoy reading the magazines. So whenever we went back to visit home, we would load up on all the magazines, Teach books etc, that we could fit in our suitcases and leave them with her. On a recent visit to the home we were told that she went back to Cuba. Oh, well so much for my Spanish practice errr, I mean, return visit :-) Or so I thought.

   Last week while out in service, I got a call from Tricia a missionary in our congregation. She told me she had passed by the house and saw a man cleaning outside the home. Thinking he was a Jamaican man she pulled over and began witnessing to him. But he was an Afro-Cuban and again spoke limited English. He accepted some magazines from her and she referred us to call on him. So…up the hill Dani and I go to call on him. *Luis told us he lived in Cuba but would be visiting his family here for three months. He also said that he was studying back in Cuba, and he had his Bible and Examining the Scriptures with him. A big surprise to us was that the mother-in-law from the home who we used to place magazines with was his mother! He says she would send them back to him in Cuba and tell him to read them. Apparently it worked because he is now studying. So we offered to continue studying with him while he was here in Jamaica and will begin doing so this coming week. The only issue is he wants to study in English to improve his English and we want to keep our Spanish sharp. Spanglish it is!

   It is experiences like that though that continue to excite us about the ministry. When we meet people who are hungering for the truth, showing a determination to feed spiritually, even when isolated from the congregation, it reminds us that this is no ordinary work. For me it is almost as if the angels were hovering over that house, telling us not to pass by and leave it as there are sheep there. Don't worry, I'm okay, not seeing or hearing things, I said "as if" :-)

   I also greatly appreciate the hard work that the GB has put into designing jw.org and broadcasting and the jw library app and the language app and the Caleb videos and whew! I'm tired just mentioning them. Surely as never before there is an abundant supply of rich spiritual food available! We have enjoyed putting them to good use personally but also in the ministry.

   Besides the preaching work we have also been busy in the congregation and with some renovation work at the Kingdom Hall. An office for the LDC team for Jamaica and Grand Cayman is being built and we were privileged to have a small share in the work. As many may know I possess ten thumbs so construction is not my thing. But it's for Jehovah so I am willing to give it a try. Below are some photos from the work site; we are indeed busy, busy, busy…

Tricia (right) keeping an eye on Dani

"measure twice cut once. or is it the other way around?"

concrete bucket brigade

"Thanks a Lot!"

   On a recent afternoon in field service an interesting conversation took place amongst the car group. I had asked a hypothetical question, you know the kind we are always told not to ask or speculate about. But anyway… I asked what if Adam and Eve were resurrected, you know brought back to face the music, so to speak, and see their descendants. What would you say or do?

   I was shocked at the replies I got. Most had something to do with a slap or a punch or a kick. Some of you friends are working out some serious anger issues. And I won't even mention what some of my dear sisters had in store for poor Eve, I'll just call it pent up rage from a lifetime of various pains and "monthly gifts". I'm just happy that it was only hypothetical. But there is a reason that I had been thinking about this question.

   Earlier this year our family moved to Jamaica to be closer to Suzanne's dad. He had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease a few years ago and the time had come that he could no longer manage his own affairs. We knew of his illness before we moved to Mexico so we made it a point to leave every 4 or 5 months to come check on his health and to see if "it was time yet". That day finally arrived earlier this year in January when we visited and saw that his health was quickly declining.

   While all in the association of brothers are are struggling with one thing or another, I find this disease to be particularly crippling. It is not just that someone is a "little forgetful" or can't remember things. It is as if the brain is dying, bit by bit. It manifests itself in forgetfulness but that is by far the easiest of the symptoms to manage. 

   There are the hallucinations to deal with. My father in law worked construction all his life. Items of furniture were imagined to be equipment that needed to be moved; as a result we have many three-legged chairs in the house. And then there were the imaginary people. In his bedroom at night. On the sofa in the living room. In the chair I just sat in: "no, dad there's nobody sitting here, just me".

   A particularly difficult aspect of the disease is something known as "sundowning". Each afternoon it was as if someone fed him espresso and Red Bull and then turned him loose. He would wander the house, insist that it was not his home and demand that we take him home immediately. Many times he would become angry even borderline violent because he would think we were trying to harm him. Knives, tools, any sharp object or anything which could become a weapon was locked away for safety; his and ours. Most nights he would not sleep, but he would roam the hallway looking for who knows what. Locking our room at night has become a norm lest we wake up to him standing over us in the middle of the night. Needless to say, for his own safety we have found it a necessity to keep dad in the house; a virtual prisoner in his own home. 

   When we lived in Florida we would often see on TV a "silver alert",  a message that the police were looking for a lost senior, usually someone with memory loss. I remember I would think to myself: " how can you lose Grandma?" But now I know. A person with Alzheimer's can sound completely rational if you only talk to them for a minute or two. They can tell you they locked their keys in the car and are trying to get someplace. Can you help me? Who could say no to that sweet old man or lady? Most friends in the congregation did not even know that dad was sick as he was by nature a quiet man. He would come into the hall, sit in his seat and wait for the meeting to start. Some would come by and say hello, he would reply:" hi brother", or "hi sis". They would ask how he was and he'd say okay; they'd move on and all would seem well. But it was not. Deep inside his brain is slowly dying.

   I have read that Alzheimer's usually does not kill the patient. They die from pneumonia or some other complication. Eventually the brain slows down to the point that they forget how to swallow, so they can't eat. Or there are problems with their breathing. Week by week it seems dad is regressing rapidly. There is a saying about Alzheimer's: "Once a man, twice a child". We have lived this for the past six months of our lives. There have been some funny moments, some cute moments too. Like when dad would just start dancing in the living room while he was watching TV. Or when he would wear one shoe and one sneaker with each on the wrong foot and you couldn't get him to change it. Or the time when he called us all together and said the electric bill was too high and we needed to keep the lights off; funny because he was the one turning them all on and then forgetting about them. 

   Early on before he had regressed so much dad would start doing something forget what it was in the middle of it and look around. We would help him complete whatever it was and he would realize he was forgetting things and simply say: "oh well, it's no fun getting old".  The cute moments are all gone now. What is left ahead of us is just a painful eventuality. The man I knew as my father in law is for all purposes gone as he is no longer even aware of what goes on around him.

   I have often asked myself if Adam and Eve could have seen what life was like today if they would have made the same decision. Their selfish choice has had such far reaching consequences that we are suffering for it daily. Their choice reminds me that it is always better to obey Jehovah as when we go against what he says it never works out well for us.

   So when I think about what I would want to say or do to Adam and Eve, I have a pretty good idea. I would simply show them my father in law, a man who was once a healthy, vibrant, physically imposing man in his current state of health. I would show them the slow labored breaths that he draws. I would show them the scrapes and bruises from the falls he has taken. I would show them the shell of a man who can no longer bath or dress himself and simply sits in front of a TV all day, unaware of anything going on around him. Then I would look at them and simply say: " Do you see what you did to us? Thanks a lot for leaving us this wonderful inheritance".   

School Days

"...“I, Jehovah, am your God, The One teaching you to benefit yourself..." - Isaiah 48:17

   School seemed to be the theme for the month of June. As schoolchildren across Jamaica entered their summer recesses, our family was thoroughly involved with schools of one type or another.

   The first of these was the Bible School for Christian Couples, class #68 which graduated in late June. The school was conducted at the Old Harbour Assembly Hall here in Jamaica, the same place where our family regularly volunteers to work. During the time the school was in session, we were privileged to increase the number of days we worked there as much help was needed. We were happy to help create a pleasant environment for the students to learn in. In addition to our regular duties we helped in serving meals, cleaning (somehow, there's always cleaning to do), running to the market to buy veggies for the meals, and many other necessary tasks.

   While working we enjoyed meeting the students and instructors of the class. What a joy to associate with such spiritually focused people! We were happy to hear some of their experiences, and get to know their various backgrounds. Some of the students had served for a number of years in full time service, some had served as Bethelites at the former Jamaica branch, one couple we met had multiple family members in special full time service! Being in that environment really fueled the fire for Suzanne and I as we too hope one day to attend the School for Evangelizers.

   We also enjoyed a special privilege in June that I had been looking forward to for many months now. We were able to attend the Pioneer Service School together as a family. Since we had started in September of last year this was one of the things we have most looked forward to; attending the school as a family.

We Got Schooled!

  We received so many encouraging remarks from our classmates and instructors. Again it was a joy to associate with spiritually focused ones. A good number in the class were attending for the second time, some even for the third time. For this "rookie" pioneer it was a joy just to be in the room.

 One surprise to me was the content of the class. I was expecting to spend much time learning how to preach, how to conduct studies, etc. But I would estimate that about 60% of the class was not on the ministry but on how to be more effective in my personal study, on meaningful prayers, cooperating with the body of elders, strengthening my relationship with Jehovah and other such topics. For those who will be attending this year the new book is awesome! as well as the format for the school. There is a lot of interaction and some nifty videos that will surely be enjoyed as well. All in all we have been well instructed and fortified to carry on our ministry.

   As the calendar changed from June to July we continued to enjoy instruction at our District Regional Convention. We really can see how Jehovah is uniting his people and getting us ready for the new world. It was exciting to be tied in with the internationals (not quite as exciting as being there :(  but I'll take what I can get) and to have members of the GB speak to us. One thing I took away was that we really need to spend time thinking about our lives in the new world. Not just in passing but really think about it. Where would you like to live? What type of work would you like to do? What kind of animals would you like to play with? As I listened to the parts it made sense to me. If you are planning on a vacation we spend lots of time looking up where we are going and what sights we want to see, right? Why not do the same for the Paradise? See yourself there. Make it real, no really real to yourself. This is something I plan to do more of as admittedly at times due to all that is going on in our lives, I don't really think about life in the Paradise. But as I have learned it is something to make time for, so I am planning some serious deep thought time for the coming weeks:)

   One thing that we can always count on is that as long as we serve Jehovah, we will be instructed. We are grateful for all that we have been taught of late and hope to put it into practice as we continue our journey on this Needgreater life we have chosen.

the convention was held at a cricket stadium...

...in the states we call cricket...batting practice :-)

keep this one far, far away from your credit cards

this one too!

we enjoyed cool ocean breezes and mountains in the background

  

 

We're Norming!

   Several years ago as part of orientation for a new employer, I was introduced to storming, norming and performing. These were terms the company used to describe the adaptation of a new employee to the workplace. Storming: the early days when problems tend to crop up and things often do not go as expected. Norming: when one has adjusted to the new surroundings and is settling into a routine. Performing: what happens when you know what is expected and are able to perform, or exceed the expectations. So…based on that analogy, I would say we are norming.

   We have indeed settled in, our new congregation is starting to feel less new and more familiar. We are getting familiar with the territory here. I am even comfortable with the whole left hand drive thing :-) We also are enjoying some nice experiences in the ministry. For example:

   Shortly before the Memorial Suzanne was introduced to *Pat, a woman whom she was told wanted a Bible. When we went to her house to meet her Suzanne asked if she wanted a Bible; no said Pat, "I need a Bible." She had apparently studied the Bible before and felt a great need to give attention to her spirituality. A study was started with her and we invited her to the meeting on Sunday. She did not attend but promised to try to make the Memorial. Imagine our surprise when we arrived at the Memorial site and she was already there waiting for us! She lives up in the hills north of us and walked to the Memorial location, a solid hour or more! When we invited her to the meeting we told her the Sunday meeting started at 4p.m. She confused this for the Memorial time and arrived at 4 p.m. The correct time though was 7 p.m. and she waited around for 3 hours prior to the event. We were enthused by her zeal to attend and continue to study with her and hope that she becomes a regular meeting attender.
 

   One of my biggest adjustments to coming here to Jamaica was the fact that it is an English speaking country. You might say that I have a love affair with the Spanish language. I enjoy speaking it and interacting with others. I enjoy it's descriptiveness and eloquence. I enjoy Latin culture, food, music…You haven't really heard a romantic ballad until it is sung in Spanish :-) So for me coming here was a bit of a let down you might say.
   One particular morning Dani and I were in service approaching our first door. We were walking up one of the infamous hills here and I was having a moment in my own mind: I hate it here, stinking hills, wanna go back to Mexico, blah,blah,blah. Well Jehovah must have heard my thoughts. At the next gate a brother and sister had knocked and I heard the householder say "I soory but my ingleeze  is no goood" SPANISH!  I thought to myself as I ran to the gate with Usain Bolt like quickness. As the friends reached for their Good News brochures I immediately took over the conversation in full Spanish, much to the householder's surprise. She is from Cuba and apparently lives here with her family and runs a business in Kingston. She and her Mother-in-law are Spanish speakers and they have not only developed into a nice magazine route, but also a regular opportunity to keep my Spanish sharp.
   Interestingly after having that experience my ears were open. Were there perhaps more Spanish speakers here in Kingston scattered about? Well…we shop in a store called PriceSmart, Jamaica's version of Costco or Sam's. The only store on the island is near where we live so often we find ourselves there shopping. Well on the last several trips there while walking through I have heard people in full blown Spanish conversing with one another. I had the courage to strike up a conversation with one guy and he told me he was from D.R. I had a chance to tell him we visited there a few years ago, in Juan Dolio, and what a wonderful time we had. But all of this gave me a thought. We are often told that people respond better when they hear the truth in their native tongue. As there are no Spanish congregations here on the island, is this something I can do, present the good news informally while shopping? I have dubbed this "Market Witnessing" and will have to keep you apprised of my results. Informal witnessing has never been easy for me so I will truly, truly, truly be relying on the power beyond what is normal to carry this out. But, it is a need that I see…here I am, send me.

   All in all we have had our ups and downs. Wherever we are in this system of things, life is full of challenges for servants of Jehovah. As we continue to adjust and move on I can only look forward with enthusiasm to saying: "We are performing!"