All our bags are packed, we're ready to go

If all goes as to plan, tomorrow we will get a boat to Kaituma and from there arrange transportation to Matthew’s Ridge. We have been in Guyana for almost four weeks and are getting anxious to reach our destination so we can get on with the work.

I know there are many who have been following the work here in Mabaruma who no doubt are interested in how the congregation is doing. They have been on their own now for four months. They are holding up quite well, The work load is a little more on the brothers now since Alex has left Mabaruma for Georgetown. He has gone for some training for a job that supposedly will be his when he returns. He plans on getting back in January. In addition, the Fazarali family had gone to ‘town early for the District Convention, so Solo was away for four weeks. Needless to say, Bro. Baxter was very busy. But he has been assisted by the remaining brothers here. Bro. Smith (Elroy) has had to do more and his reading has noticeably improved. Even Ellis has submitted to wearing a suit jacket so he could assist with the microphones.

I have noticed a change in Aleric, he seems a little more withdrawn. I spoke to Seeta about it and she said it’s a combination of his age (entering adolescence) and the fact that Alex isn’t around. Norma’s daughter Alexandra has really shown a change. She had gotten baptized at the SAD program when we left in April. She has been living with Rasheeta in the big house, since she didn’t want to be there alone. During the summer months, since Rasheeta wasn’t teaching, she was out almost every day in the ministry and Alexandra went along with her. At the end of the summer she told Rasheeta that pioneering hasn’t as hard as she had expected, and she thinks when she finishes school she would like to start pioneering as well.

The most exciting development just happened today. I was speaking to the Circuit Overseer and he mentioned that he had just received word from the branch office in Georgetown that as of November 1st, there will be two Special Pioneer brothers assigned to Mabaruma, Bro. Rayburn Gomes and Bro. Shane Anthony, both of whom are recent MTS graduates and both are serving as elders as well, so the friends here will be well cared for. Jehovah truly is a hearer and answerer of prayers.

I apologize for no pictures again, but when we reach Matthew’s ridge, I will try very hard to figure a way to post some pictures again.

Mabaruma

We are now in Mabaruma. We flew in Saturday morning. I took our two barrels to the boat on Thursday. I had figured on doing it Friday, but Gary mentioned that Thursday worked better for him. As it was, when we got to the dock, I was told I would have to check with a man in another office to see if he would accept the cargo. So we walked to the next office and were told they were still accepting barrels. We left the first one and went to pick up the second. When we got back to the dock, we noticed a sign at the gate that said they were not accepting any more cargo for the boat, so it’s good I didn’t wait another day. Friday I took the bike and a large 12 volt battery I had bought for Matthew’s Ridge to the branch. I had planned on leaving it with Solo to bring on the boat with him, but Thursday evening I got a call from them and they were concerned with the security of the bike where they were staying so they spoke with the branch and got permission to leave it there until they take it to the boat.

Friday evening we packed everything back up. We put much of the heavier items in one suitcase which a brother from ‘town will bring with him on the boat. Since he is just coming for a short visit to Mabaruma (he will return on the next boat) he doesn’t have much luggage of his own. That will save us a nice piece of change since we would have to pay about 50 cents a pound to take it on the plane, and I’m sure the suitcase weighed close to a hundred pounds, but he will be able to bring it free with him.

So now we are in Mabaruma waiting for the boat to arrive so we can gather up everything for the next leg of our journey up the river to Kaituma. I have been inquiring into a boat to take all our things up. I spoke to a speedboat driver who said he could take everything, but he wanted $35,000 GYD ($175 US). It seems there is a bigger boat which will take it for about $10,000 GYD, but he travels up to Kaituma on Tuesdays and our things won’t arrive until Wednesday. So as of now it looks like we will be here for another week. I’m sure the brothers here won’t mind an extra helper for another week. I would feel worse, but I know that Stephan has three other brothers with him at the Ridge now, so another week won’t be that big of a deal.

This is the first time we have been in Guyana in September, so while this is our fourth time in Mabaruma, I am seeing things I have never seen here before . One of them is lightning. In all the time we have been here before we would once in a great while hear distant thunder. Today I saw the flash of lightning and less than three seconds later hear a sharp clap of thunder. The rain was welcome since all three tanks at the front house were empty. Now after a couple of days with afternoon thunder storms the tanks are full. Which is timely since three sister from ‘town are coming to stay with Rasheeda for a couple of weeks. There is also lots of yellow flowers on some of the trees here. The rubber trees that line the road through Compound are dropping nuts onto the roadway, so the road is covered with these broken shells. Something I have never seen, since we have never been here this time of year. Oh yeah, by the way, it is hot!!! Today I was sitting talking to someone and the sweat was just dripping off my arms.

I haven't taken many pictures and for some reason The ones that I had picked, mainly as filler won't post up. I got word from Gary today that everything got on the boat without incident today, so that's another hurtle cleared. I will try to another post before we leave Mabaruma.

We are fine and hopefully the same is true of you.

Convention

The District Convention was wonderful! And not without excitement. When we first had arranged to stay with the Bouches, Bro. Bouch had said he would reserve two places on the bus for the convention. But then a few days before the convention, he had mentioned that since I had the bike and my license, if I were to drive to the convention, it would free up two seats for others to be able to attend. So how could I say no. So Terri and I ended up taking the bike to the Convention. I must admit I was apprehensive to have to drive a bike through the traffic here in ‘town. Many of the intersections have no traffic signs at them, but then again, many drivers don’t pay attention to the ones that are there. The first morning I followed someone in, but after that I found my own way.

The convention here is held in an outdoor stadium, with the stage on one side and covered seating on the other three. The weather was almost ideal, with a nice breeze blowing most of the time. In fact on Sunday the breeze was so strong, it was blowing things down on the platform.

The peak attendance on Sunday was just over 4300. Not bad considering there are only about 2300 witnesses in the whole country and this was the second convention (although the first was much smaller). There were 65 baptized on Saturday, including Margaret from Mabaruma, and Doris from Matthew’s Ridge.

Another woman who has been studying at the Ridge, Mary, also came in for the convention. She had really wanted to attend, but there was no way she could afford it. So she made it a matter of prayer, telling Jehovah how much she desired to attend, and saying that if she had the money, she would use it to travel to the convention. It so happened that several years ago (ten to be exact) she had been somehow injured, and as a result had been awarded a settlement. For some time afterwards, whenever the magistrate would come to Matthew’s Ridge, she would go, hoping that payment would be enforced, but never received any satisfaction. Then a few days after she had poured out her heart to Jehovah about her desire to attend the convention, she was walking through the market and a constable motioned her over and handed her the settlement check. Needless to say, she quickly made her arrangements to travel in for the convention.

Today (Monday) I was able to access the internet using a blackberry phone I had bought in the states and brought with me. So now as long as I am where there is cell service, I should be able to send and receive emails and update the blog. I still have to get things straightened out so I can send and receive emails directly from the phone. As of now, I’m told you have to travel about six miles out of the Ridge to get a signal, and I don’t particularly want to have to travel with my laptop as well. However rumor has it that there will be a cell tower in the Ridge before the end of the year, and then we would be in great shape.

Our departure is still up in the air, all dependant on when the boat returns and is able to get turned around for departure. I may update once more before leaving, and I should also be able to put something up from Mabaruma as there is a cell tower there.

The first picture I’ve included shows the baptismal candidates walking across the stadium towards the baptism pool. The next one is of Margaret getting ready to enter the pool (there was such a throng around the pool, I had to take the picture from up in the stands). The last one is a picture of Terri and Mary, the woman I spoke about.

Taking care of business

Things are coming together nicely. We got our TIN #s, drivers licenses, and I picked up the motorbike yesterday (Wednesday). We have been continuing to pick up supplies for our stay at the Ridge. We learned that the regular steamer that goes to Mabaruma is out of service, and they are using the smaller one that regularly goes to Port Kaituma. One problem with that is they don’t put cargo inside bins which can be locked, but instead just load everything in loose. We have been told that if we were to send our suitcases, even though they were locked, someone could slice them open to take what they valued. So now it looks like we will put everything in a couple of steel barrels which can be locked and send it that way.

Since a number of the Witnesses from Mabaruma who have come to ‘town for the District Convention travel on the steamer, we will send everything on the boat and they will keep an eye on the bike. Unfortunately the schedule of the boat is that it won’t leave for about a week after the convention. Even if we fly into Mabaruma shortly after the convention, we will have to wait there until the boat arrives so we can collect everything and travel on to Port Kaituma, and then Matthew’s Ridge.

The last few days I have been going in to help do work preparing for the Convention. I help with the crew that painted the sign for the convention. Yesterday Steven arrived from the Ridge. He was originally supposed to stay with a family on the East Bank, but at the last minute, something happened, so now he is staying with us. Today all three of us went to National Park to help prepare for the Convention. Terri and I are looking forward to attending our first large convention here in Guyana.

I’ve decided to have three pictures (better take advantage of good internet access while I have it). The first one is of work being done on the sign for the convention. You can recognize Gary as one of them. The next is a picture of Terri painting a panel sectioning off a changing area for the baptism candidates. The last shot is a classic Guyana pose, one of utter exhaustion after working hard in the heat (that’s Stephan if you didn’t recognize him).

I will post up another entry after the convention. Until then here’s hoping all is well with you.