While I was out for the convention in Trinidad, I was talking to the brother who is the chairman of the National Building Committee here in Guyana. He mentioned that it had been brought to their attention that the Kingdom Hall in Mabaruma had an issue with part of the building starting to settle. He said that they needed someone to be able to make an inspection and recommendation as to course of action. He said that they were having a hard time with the expense of flying someone out from ‘town, and asked if I might be able to travel down and have a look.
I had been trying to decide how I might best do that with my schedule. I had mentioned to everyone after our family Watchtower study last week that I had thought the best way might be for me to go down on a Tuesday, and try to get back Thursday, as that would mean missing only three of my studies. Stephan mentioned that there were a couple of brothers from ‘town who were planning a short trip to the northwest. They were flying into Mabaruma, and then wanted to come up to the Ridge before flying back to ‘town. He suggested that I might schedule the trip to be able to travel with them to Kaituma and help them get transportation to Matthew’s Ridge.
That settled things, so Tuesday I drove my bike to Kaituma and went straight to the waterfront to check on boats. As soon as I got there I was told there was a boat leaving immediately for Kumaka. I went to Terry’s shop and asked if he would take my bike to his house for me. He said that would work good since he hadn’t driven his bike to work that morning. I left the bike and walked back to the waterfront to get the boat. I learned it was waiting on one other passenger, but we were under way in about fifteen minutes.
The other passenger was a young lady who was very pregnant. She was sat next to me so I asked her when the baby was due, and she said, “Three days ago.” I smiled and told her it was a Guyanese baby and it was coming ‘just now’. She said she didn’t want it to come just now, but right now. I told her I would just as soon she wait until we reached Kumaka. The boat ride was a little rough and I was worried it might shake something loose, but we arrived without incident.
When I arrived in Kumaka, I learned that a large group from the Kingdom Hall had left the day before for an overnight preaching trip to Shell Beach, but they would be back later in the afternoon. I couldn’t do much with the project involving the Kingdom Hall since everyone from there had gone so it was all locked up. Later in the afternoon, Compton’s wife, Mary, came and told me she had just spoken to the boatman who was supposed to be picking them up, and he said he wasn’t going to go until the next day. So the group had to spend another night at Shell Beach.
Wednesday they arrived back mid-morning. In the afternoon I was able to go to the Kingdom Hall to check things out for the brother. I learned that the brothers who were visiting had been asked to do some parts on the meeting Thursday so they wouldn’t be leaving until Friday. I considered staying another day, but was concerned that if I did, there was a chance there would be no boats going and then I wouldn’t be back to help with the meeting. I also learned that there was a new flight service in Mabaruma that sometimes flew to ‘town via Kaituma and the cost to Kaituma was the same as boat fare, but it took about fifteen minutes instead of two hours. I looked into when I arrived and was told they wouldn’t know until Wednesday afternoon. I checked back and was told that Thursday flight was coming across from Kaituma, so would be flying directly back to ‘town.
Today (Thursday) I got up early and got everything ready to go and went to see if there were any boats. I found one person who said he might be going and he took my phone number. But as the morning wore on, there was no sign of any boats getting ready to go, and then it got to be past the time that any boats coming down from Kaituma would have arrived, so I am still stuck in Kumaka. The nice part was I got to go to the meeting and see many of the friends. Hopefully tomorrow there will be a boat. The fact that there will now be three of us increases the chances. On the negative side, Saturday is a big boat day, so some may just decide to wait another day.
I had told the group in Kaituma that rather than having someone drive down Wednesday, if it was acceptable to them, we would just plan on having a study when I passed through on my way back to the Ridge. Their response was that if it was convenient for me, then it was fine with them. So hopefully tomorrow I will have two more brothers with me for the group study. That is assuming it doesn’t work out like it did when we came through on our way back from ‘town after Trinidad.
I had what I thought was a positive experience on a study this week. I am studying with a man who had asked me the first time I met him (he had been studying with someone else a bit before) when he could get baptized. I explained to him that we don’t baptize just anyone, but they needed to meet certain requirements, and I outlined a few. I didn’t bring it up again, and neither did he. Well, this week we finished the Bible Teach book. I reminded him of our earlier conversation, and asked him what he now thought about baptism. He said he thought he needed a little more ‘teaching’ before he would be ready. In a way it made me feel good to see that he appreciated the seriousness of that step. Now I just have to make sure he gets the needed ‘teaching’. He had mentioned at a previous study that while he was with the Church of Christ, he for about six months would walk three hours each way every week to hold services in a backdam. So I know he is one who is willing to work.
This week’s pictures are from my trip to Mabaruma. On Wednesday, four of us went out to Wauna on bikes to conduct some studies. As we were driving down one of the roads, we came upon a big correal (the dugout canoes they make) being dragged to the water somewhere. I had Kenneth Branch, one of the visiting brothers, stand next to it for perspective. The other picture is of the waterfront in Kumaka. Since we were last there, the bank has sunk and the river has moved about thirty feet farther. Everyone along the riverfront is being forced to move out so they can undertake a stabilization project. That included a shop that was completely rebuilt less than two years ago. The building on the right was Brother Baxter’s lumber mill. The river used to be right behind it.
