Yes, it´s way over due! Sorry

Tract Campaign

To keep everyone abreast on what's going on with us I feel the need to fill you in on what's been going on with us the last several weeks. Once we had decided that we would like to stay for more than a year following protocol we decided to contact the branch to try receive an assignment. After waiting for a couple of days on the branch we received two options. One in Jinotega South, which is the other congregation here that has a territory that goes nearly to Honduras as far as I can tell and the other assignment in a little town called Las Maderas. It was brutal decision. The little congregation in Las Maderas only has one ministerial servant and 36 publishers. The friends were super hospitable and really wanted us there. The congregation here in Jinotega had effectively one elder and on servant for 85 publishers, and a huge territory as I've already mentioned. We prayed and waited for almost a week before making the decision to stay in Jinotega.

The need here is definitely great. I've gotten already 1 part a week on the meetings and the brothers asked me if I could take the school. I told them that my Spanish was too bad, how can you talk about speaking qualities if you can't speak? I'm not sure... Anyway, they were still very happy to have us and so here we are working away.

Our first day of field service with them was in a rural territory in the tract campaign. By the way, We ran out of tracts before we got the territory done. I think we received about 7500 and we're still missing significant parts of our territory. There isn't much that we can do about that though. This first day of service was a bruiser. We walked 15-17 kilometers, no one really knew exactly while preaching. This meant that we were on a bus by 7 am, walking in the territory by 7:30, and out by around 5:30 P.M. This we did with 29 from our congregation. There is definitely a real pioneer spirit here and even folks in their early 60's were with us the whole day.

What Else Have We Been Up To?

We moved! We get to live in the apartment at the Kingdom Hall. We love it. It needed cleaning and painting badly. But after a week or so of that we're in.

Here are before and after pictures and a picture of Panchito, a brother who came with his cart and mule to haul away the trash from the back of the apartment. The back is kind of a creepy dark enclosed patio. It is covered but rain still pours in. That's where we will do our laundry. And that's where Shane found a nice big rat. We bought poison and scattered it around, but two days later something had eaten it, ALL, every single piece. So, either we have a lot of dead rats or just one big tough guy. And yes we support the bed on paint cans. It's weird but it gives us a place to store our luggage.

We have two new pioneer sisters here from Spain. They are great, 18 and 22 years old. They decided to come to the South congregation as well. They are super zealous and outgoing and can cook Indian food like a dream.

One other great thing, I get to keep studying with Evelyn the 10 yr old girl who sells tortillas. And it is official because her house is in our new congregations territory. I'm looking forward to meeting her family. I'd like to see if they would come to the meetings. Evelyn could only come if her family comes because all our meetings are at night and she lives in a barrio (neighborhood) too rough to walk through alone at night. Although the night of the other congregation's meeting she was still out selling tortillas after dark with her little buddy. And they came to the front of the KH and were using the padlock to clang on the metal gate and shouting my name as loud as they could. I made it to the gate at the same time as Hacial one of the attendants. I think I asked the girls if they could “please be to silence,” or something like that. They nodded. So I guess they could come out at night, but I'd be so worried about them going home in the dark.

Shane's mom came. We had a really great time. She was such a great sport. Got out and danced some Merenge at a party with all the sisters (There is a really cute picture of this, but I will not put it one until I get permission from my Mother-in-law :) and even used a latrine out in our rural territory. We were glad to see nothing made Betty flinch, not even the uproar over the elections here. And she was very popular. At the meetings everyone is asking about her. The friends get really attached to people fast. It was so great to have visitors (hint hint you guys) and she brought us a suitcase of stuff like peanut butter and chocolate (hint hint again, no just kidding!) Andrew and Jenny also have guests. Her sister Heather is here this week. Its really pretty to hear her great Portuguese/Spanish blend.

We're sorry this has been so delayed. We'll try to do better. Please dont give up on us! BYE

written by

Shane Perry on November 25, 2008 from Jinotega, Nicaragua

from the travel blog: Shane and Vanessa's Nicaraguan Adventure

Send a Compliment

Wow! Sounds like you guys are getting to live a real dream! We are happy for you! we miss you like crazy, though! Keep up the good work for Jehovah. Love ya!
Denise

written by Denise Walker on November 25, 2008

Great to hear from you again and glad you are settled in your new place. We just had our Pioneer Day/Circuit Assembly weekend and it was great. 244 attended the Pioneer meeting and we crammed into the Palmyra KH. We are over the average number of pioneers in our Circuit. Miss you but glad you are having such wonderful success there. Love ya, Doris

written by Doris Thomas on December 1, 2008

You guys must be adapting well. You are already converting to the metric system. I guess all those teachers were right that it would be useful one day. Its cool that you guys are able to stay and everything is working out.

written by Shawn on December 2, 2008

Sounds like you're having an incredible time! All is good here - nothing too exciting going on. Ethan still wonders where "Big Shane" and Vanessa went, so I showed him the pic's you posted....he liked the one of the mule and cart. I told him about the rat and he liked that too :)

Keep up the good work! Love you guys. Tell Jen and Andrew Hi

Amanda

written by Amanda Noyes on December 7, 2008

For anyone who is even remotely thinking of visiting, Vanessa makes the best beans and rice in Jinotega! And as for a wonderful spiritual experience, this can't be beat. Love you both, VA Mom

written by Betty on December 12, 2008

Your little apartment is so cute, and I love the red bike also. I imagine that you guys attract a lot of attention as you ride together :) It sounds like you're meeting some wonderful people, and really bearing fruit in your ministry. I hope to read lots more from you, but we miss you here!

written by Sara Reimold on December 18, 2008

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