As I mentioned last week I had made two more benches for the Kingdom Hall. Sunday we had 93 at the meeting and it felt nicely filled. But there were a number of regulars missing, so we could just as easily have had 103. I felt that we still needed more seating so I rearranged the benches, moving the front ones about six inches ahead, and moved the back one’s about four inches back, and then tightened up the rows by three inches and made room for an additional bench in each of the three lines of benches. We had the wood needed, so today I made three more. That brings the total to twenty five benches. If we put five on a bench, we could fit 125 people. When it starts to feel crowded now, the only recourse will be to enlarge the Kingdom Hall.
Sister Garner left us Tuesday. We have brought the mural from where she was staying to the Kingdom Hall, but I will not put it up until I have completed the frame. I would have worked on it today, but the additional benches took priority.
Late this morning Sister Hosea (Doris) stopped by and asked me if I would say a few words at a funeral today. It was a young girl that Doris had helped raise. Her mother Claudette had been coming pretty regular last year, but this year has been in the back dam most of the time. It was an older sister of Danika, but not much older, she was seventeen. Doris said she thought it would be best if I spoke at the burial ground, so I had to be ready for that in the afternoon. It ended up being almost five thirty by the time they went. There were quite a number of people who went, more than the previous one I had attended. They was quite a bit of wailing going on, everyone was very quite while I spoke. Hopefully it was a good witness. I even noticed a couple of the police where there.
I know of two more studies that were started this week. Stephan had a man ask him for a bible while he was in the ministry and he said he would get one to him. He mentioned it to me as the man was older (37) and he thought I might be able to start a study when I delivered the bible. I took it and had a nice discussion with the man. He mentioned he had been reading the magazines for a number of years and when ones used to come across from Baramita, he used to enjoy talking with them. I offered him a study and he accepted. I went Sunday and we had our first study.
Yesterday we were out in service and we called at a house where the man had been seriously wounded in a domestic disturbance and had to be flown into ‘town.' Soon after everyone was saying he had died. As we were walking to the house, I asked Eugene if he had heard any more about the man. He said he had heard that he was coming back soon. When we reached the house, the man was there. Eugene knew him well, so was asking him how he was feeling, and how things were going. The man said that he was determined to turn his life around, and felt that he needed to, “be right with the Lord.” Eugene offered to study the bible with him so he could learn a different way to live and he said he wanted that. Arrangements were made for him to go back the next day. I saw Eugene afterwards and asked him how it had gone and he said it had went well. So the work continues to move ahead.
I have been thinking recently about how at one point I had wanted better transportation to reach other areas. It has occurred to me that things continue to open up right here in Matthew’s Ridge, and these are ones who can easily attend meetings if the progress to that point, whereas if we were to be spending time in more remote locations, those people would be hard pressed to attend meetings even if they really wanted to. So when the time comes that the number of studies that are being conducted starts to noticeably drop, I might once again think of the need to be reaching out to other areas, and then I am sure that the means to do so will come available.
Next week we will be welcoming a couple of visitors. Aletha Walters who spent six weeks with us last year, and since has joined the ranks of the regular pioneers, and another sister from our old congregation, Justina Baker, who is also a regular pioneer. I have already told a few I have spoken to in the ministry that they are coming, and I would have them follow up on interest shown.
I suppose it’s about time for my yearly reminder to those of you who regularly read this blog. I write this, rather than try to send individual emails to all the ones I know. So when you are reading it, think of it as an email that I had sent you. With that thought in mind, it’s only fair that you send me an email in return. Now I don’t expect an email from all of you each week you read this. But with the exception of a few faithful friends, I have to say there are many out there whom I haven’t heard from since we arrived here five months ago. If you treat all who email you that same way, it’s a wonder you get any emails.
This week’s pictures show a girly gathering that Terri had. From left to right it’s Latesha, Coretta, Colleen, Okell, Sonia, Hosell. Don’t quote me on some of the spellings. The other was a picture at the burial ground.
