This past week I was talking to two of the local baptized publishers here in Matthews Ridge named Doris and Stephanie while in field service. They told me that last weekend when we all stayed over in Port Kaituma on our way to the assembly in Mabaruma, they spent the afternoon preaching there. They said they placed all the magazines they had with them. They said they spoke to many who showed an interest. I found it encouraging to know that even en route to the assembly, they were in that frame of mind and conscious of the opportunity to preach in that area that does not get worked door-to-door routinely.
One woman here in Matthews Ridge who is a Bible student named Claudia made some comments this past week that I thought really meant a lot. She was telling me during our Bible study about some of the difficulties she has faced in her life. She went on to say that as she has drawn closer to Jehovah, she has learned to rely on Him to deal with these same difficulties that she even still faces, instead of herself. She said there have been many times when she wasn’t sure how her family was going to have enough to eat, but she did what she could to provide by growing some food in a little farm she has, and she has learned to trust in Jehovah. Claudia has been regular at the meetings and continues to do very well with her study.
On Wednesday, Andrew and one of the Bible students here, Eno, went across to Baramita to make arrangements for a group from Matthews Ridge to come for the Special Assembly Day that is to be held there on May 9. It is helpful to actually walk across to Baramita to do this because there is no phone or internet in Baramita. The only means of communication is by radio, which I attempted to use at one of the shops to let the brothers know to look out for Andrew and Eno. This was my first experience trying to communicate through this means, and I quickly learned just how confusing it can be. Although communicating through this means is possible, actually walking across and talking to the brothers in person cuts down on confusion. It also provides a nice opportunity for an interchange of encouragement and to let each other know of the progress being made in the different areas. Although the Special Assembly Day program was just held in Mabaruma as was mentioned, the assembly in Baramita is translated into the local Amerindian language, Carib. There are a number of individuals here in Ridge who understand Carib better than English, and so this is of great benefit to them. Additionally, attending the assembly in Baramita provides an opportunity to attend to those who may not be up to paying for the more extensive transportation needed to get to Mabaruma. And so Andrew and Eno made it to Baramita and back safely, and were able to make rooming and other necessary arrangements. And so we’re looking forward with anticipation to attending the assembly next week.
The pictures included with this weeks entry are of Andrew and Eno as they departed on their journey to Baramita on Wednesday, and of some local children with a small animal hunted for bush meat here called “Akuru”(that’s my closest approximation of what it’s actually called).
