The internet service here in Matthews Ridge has been down for almost a month now, with the result being that it has been very difficult to stay in touch or update the blog. But I will do my best to summarize what has been going on here in the last month or so. During the last week of October, we had the privilege of attending the Circuit Assembly in Georgetown, with the program being presented in complete English there. It was great to see many brothers and sisters who we hadn’t seen in a while. This good association was so upbuilding. Along with the assembly program, the seminar for those in regular Pioneer service preceding the assembly was very encouraging. During this special weekend, we were able to spend time with a number of different brothers and sisters, and many, including some in special full-time service, shared very encouraging experiences from their theocratic careers.
There were more arrivals and departures of need-greaters in Matthews Ridge in the past month. Garrett Wilson, who had been serving here with us for 3 months, went to Georgetown for the assembly and traveled back to the United States from there. He mentioned a number of times just how much he enjoyed serving here in Matthews Ridge. We really enjoyed serving with him here, and he will certainly be missed. Justina Baker and Carol Wolfe, 2 sisters from New York state, arrived here in Matthews Ridge after having attending the assembly in Georgetown. They will still be here for another 3 weeks or so, and we are very glad to have their help and company. Additionally, a brother named Kenneth Branch from Virginia, USA, who serves with the Haslington congregation on the east coast of Guyana, flew into Matthews Ridge for a brief visit. We enjoyed his help and company very much as well.
As we rode from the airstrip to our home after flying into Matthews Ridge, we saw physical evidence of what had up until now been only talk, of commercial and infrastructural development here in Matthews Ridge. There has been much “gaffing” here about Digicell, one of Guyana’s two cellular telephone services, erecting a tower in Ridge that would provide the area with cell service. In addition to this, there has also been talk of an overseas company looking to perform preliminary work to facilitate further Manganese mining in Matthews Ridge, a venture that has been dormant for over 30 years. Which of these operations was the cause of the development we witnessed is unclear to us at this point. Whatever the case, it was quite surprising to ride into Ridge seeing areas along the roads that had been very bushed up cleared clean by excavators. The Ridge top where the cell tower is proposed to be set up was cleared, with roads to this area being cleared as well. Along with all of this development, we have been seeing a steady stream of visitors to Ridge, these ones being involved in different aspects of these development projects. What this development means for the future of the community remains to be seen. Growth and other changes to Matthews Ridge would no doubt have an effect on the preaching work here. It will surely be interesting to see just how things work out.
It was exciting to see a group of interested ones who live in Port Kaituma show up recently for a meeting here in Matthews Ridge. It’s about a 60-mile round-trip, but they continue making fine efforts to attend the meetings here in Matthews Ridge whenever possible. Since Port Kaituma is not routinely worked by any congregation, we try our best to get out there whenever possible to preach and hold Bible studies with those who have shown interest. One of the couples here in Ridge who are serious Bible students, Keiron and Yvonne, own a large truck they use to transport goods from Port Kaituma to Matthews Ridge. Recently, we had the opportunity to travel out with them as they went on a goods run to Port Kaituma, and we spent the day there distributing the brochure “The Bible-What Is Its Message?” as part of the special worldwide campaign. The response we met with was wonderful. There are so many in that area who are starving for truth. We are hoping to make it out to Port Kaituma again before the campaign is over.
And right here in Matthews Ridge, we have been getting a very good response to the distribution of the new brochure. We’ve even had opportunity to distribute it to some living on the roads toward Arakaka and Baramita, and in all these places people have shown a great deal of interest in learning what the Bible’s message really is.
Sorry, I was not able to include any pictures because of the slow internet connection.
