I decided to attend the "God's Word is Beneficial for Teaching" circuit assembly in English this past weekend, and I'm so glad that I did. It was a very encouraging and refreshing weekend!
A few of us went down to Managua a day early. We spent the afternoon visiting a house that Dave and Junea rented on the Laguna de Apoyo, a volcanic crater lake in Granada. I've been there a couple times before, the last time being at the same house. It is unbelievably beautiful there - a preview of paradise!
The water is perfect - it's geothermally heated!
I got permission to attend the regular pioneer meeting the next day, even though I'm not in the English circuit. It was a great privilege to be able to attend. There was 168 in attendance. The meeting was all about maintaining joy in our Kingdom service. It was very practical counsel that came at the perfect time for me, considering that's been my biggest struggle this time around! The talks encouraged us to take all the negatives and try to turn them into positives. Much of the outcome of a situation depends on our personal outlook, so keep it positive! That's what I'm determined to do.
This is Brother Ruben Garcia, the English circuit overseer, giving a talk at the pioneer meeting. He's originally from New York, and is a very friendly & effective speaker. He's always got that big smile on his face! He has a way of putting things into perspective and helping you not to worry about the small stuff.
One thing that stood out to me from the meeting was the experience of Ashley, a sister serving in León with her husband, Nate. The talk was about fighting discouragement despite challenges, and they certainly had many. They had a goal of attending Gilead, but soon after setting that goal, things began to fall apart. They had to spend thousands of dollars on a car repair, which was a waste because that car died soon after! Finding a stable living situation was also difficult. They stayed with many friends of theirs over time. Eventually, they found out that she was pregnant! Giving up would've been easy, but instead, they turned what could've been a depressing situation into a positive one. They prayed a lot, and have adjusted their circumstances so that they can pioneer full-time here in Nicaragua with their beautiful two-year-old daughter, Lily.
The next day was the start of the assembly!
It doesn't look like a humongous crowd, but there were many different countries represented at this assembly: Nicaragua, Australia, Canada, the United States, Austria, England, Ireland, France, Italy, Mexico, Venezuela, and more. We are definitely an international brotherhood!
My friend Moises giving a soliloquy.
There was one person baptized on Saturday, and her name is Mary. She is a very sweet girl, and has done considerably well with her circumstances. Her family is opposed, but she kept up with her studies, and now she's officially a sister!
Two sisters re-enacting an experience in which someone requested a Bible study at one of the public witnessing stands in Managua.
Josh was the chairman Sunday afternoon!
The program was just what we all needed. The brothers applied the information in the perfect way so that it hit home to us serving where the need is greater. Although I feel pretty comfortable with Spanish, it was refreshing to hear it all in English! As one brother put it, "If this was physical food, we'd all be overweight!"
We relaxed Sunday after the session by watching the Super Bowl (which was a joke) at a restaurant in Managua.
I love football!
We also played some games with some of the brothers from Pearl Lagoon who were staying at the same house as us.
This was the longest game of UNO I've ever played. It went til midnight! We had a blast though. My stomach hurt from laughing so much.
All in all, the assembly was just what the doctor ordered. Jehovah gives us a nice boost at just the right time! Now it's back to Chinatown and back to Ojo. I'm ready for it!
Thanks for reading. Talk soon!
Sam
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