Some updates on some of the bible students....Leonardo, the man who owns the hardware store that practically asked us for a bible study continues to do well with his study. He is so nice. He isn't embarassed or nervous about what his customers will think. We study right there at the counter with him, and if a customer comes in, we pause for a minute while he takes care of them, and then we get back into the study. (you should see some of the looks we get!) One day a man came in that was a friend of Leonardo's. Leonardo just INSISTED that this man stay for the rest of the study there at the counter. So he did! We weren't sure what he thought, because at first he didn't say too much, but then all of a sudden he started to open up. He had studied the entire Bible Teach book with a brother from another congregation before and has even attended some of the meetings. But it was a few years ago, and I guess since he wasn't making enough progress, they must have stopped studying with him. But he was basically so proud of the fact that he knew Jehovah's name and the fact that he learned you can't just say that you are religious, you have to apply what you are learning. Chad offered to study with him again, but I think he isn't ready yet. But if nothing else, I think it was really nice for Leonardo to see that his friend has studied with Jehovah's Witnesses in the past and really liked what he learned! This past week he had one of his employees go upstairs to his office and bring him HIS Bible so that we could show him Jehovah's name in it. Evidently, he has been witnessing to some of his customers and many of deny that is God's name, so he wanted to know where it is in his Bible so that he could show them! He is a real joy to study with...
Berta, the woman who has attended some meetings with her grandson, is continuing to do really well. We had some confusion the past 2 weeks so we didn't study...most of it is my fault I guess. Two Fridays ago, I called her in the am to see if she could have the study and she said that yes, she wanted to study, but that I should call in the early afternoon to find out what time to study. (or that is what I heard anyway). So I tried to call her about 5 different times in the afternoon, but there was no answer. I just assumed that something came up and that she had to go out. That sunday is when I came down with the flu from you know where...so the next week I spent in bed without a voice. I tried to call her one morning to explain, but there was no answer. So, finally yesterday I called her again to check on her, and she answered the phone! The first words out of her mouth were, ¨Where have you been? I have been miserable without my study! I need your visits to keep me encouraged!¨ GULP...I felt about 1 inch tall... It turns out that the first Friday she says that she told me to come for the study in the pm, she would be home all day. So, she waited for me. Her phone wasn't working which is why she didn't pick up...YIKES...I took the blame for that one, although, I understand pretty much everything now and I am SURE that she told me to call first...oh well....then, she got a job in the mornings just for last week, which is why she wasn't home in the morning that day I tried to call....anyway....What counts is that we finally got in touch. The really encouraging thing was when I called her yesterday she said to me, ¨Do you know what I am getting ready to do? I am getting ready to take a shower. I thought that maybe you abandoned me and so I decided that with or without you I was going to go to the meeting tonight!¨ How awesome!!! (well not the part that she thought I abandoned her...haha) Sure enough, she came to the meeting. The other encouraging thing was that although in the past she told me that she could not wear skirts because she got too cold, there she was in a skirt! When I commended her for it, she told me, ¨I just decided that this was a sacrifice that I had to make for Jehovah!¨ She LOVES the meetings. She told me that she immediately felt better afterward. She also mentioned that she has been looking for work, but that she has been very careful which jobs to take, because she doesn't want a full-time job or anything that would interfere with her bible study and meetings! What appreciation! It was soo cute when they announced last night that we have 9 new baptized brothers and mentioned their names. She told me she wanted to know who they were. So each time one of them came up to introduce themselves I would tell her, ¨This person was baptized last weekend.¨ She was so happy for them and congratulated them all. She told me that she wants to go to the next assembly so she can see the baptism. We are supposed to go and have her study tomorrow afternoon.....we´ll keep you posted. I took a picture of us last night for you...it isn't a great picture, but you get the idea!
Some of the new experiences that we have been having...
Today we were doing not at homes and I walked into a little restaurant to find the owner. He was sitting at a table, but he immediately came over to me and starting chatting. I decided to offer the magazines, because there were people in the restaurant and he seemed busy. I asked him if he had seen the magazines before, and he proudly showed me all the magazines that he had gotten over the past few months. He saves them and then sometimes goes back and re-reads them. So, he gladly accepted the lastest ones. Then he gets serious and asks me for a favor. I said sure. He said, "what time are your meetings?" (He lives about 2 blocks from the kingdom hall, so he knows about our meetings). I told him our schedule and that on Saturdays we have our talk and watchtower study. He said, "Since your meeting is at 6:30 and so you will be in the area then, could you stop here before and talk to me for a few minutes? I have been reading about Job and I don't understand what exactly happened or why that happened to him. Can you stop here and explain it to me?" SURE!! It was sooo neat. So, I will definitely take Chad and see if we can start a study with him on Saturday!
This isn't an AWESOME experience, but I thought it was neat. The other day Chad and I were walking down the street on our way to a bible study. There was a lady walking towards us, so as usual, we smiled and greeted her. She was about 10 feet past us and then she calls to us, "Excuse me. Are you Jehovah's Witnesses?" We told her we were, wondering what would happen next...but she just said to us, " Do you happen to have the latest issues of the Watchtower and Awake? I really like to read them, but I haven't gotten any in a while." So, we gladly talked to her for a minute or two and gave them to her. She said she couldn't explain to us where she lives because it is up in the mountains, but that sometimes the witnesses stop. We showed her the address for the branch inside the magazine and let her know that if she wants the witnesses to stop at her house for a bible study, she should either write to the branch or use the internet website. She agreed, and thanked us again for the magazines.....you never know what might happen! There are some advantages to standing out as foreigners! They usually know who we are!
So, that is just some of the experiences that we have been having. It is so nice to be back out in service again!
Hope things are going well in your neck of the woods!
2 comments:
Thanks for the experiences; they are like reading the year book only we know the ones relating the story.
By the way there are snow flurries outside this morning, on the first day of spring (up here in the northern half of the world). Bet you haven't seen that in a while. Take care, James
Great to hear the updates! Glad you're feeling better Michele.
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