The Interview

Well, the job situation has been complicated. The laws have changed and therefore it has been very difficult for me to change my current visa to a work visa. I have gone from department after department and have finally got the information and documents needed, thanks to a co-worker who is also an attorney. Bottomline is, I have to quit. It has taken the school where I work currently a very long time to produce the necessary documents and I have until Jan. 9th to get things in order. (If not, I could lose my privilege as a Regular Pioneer and get kicked out of Ecuador because it´s illegal to work on a 12 vii visa. An attorney that I spoke to and the rep at the Dept of Ministries said that if I start the process then I´m ok. The problem is, the process technically has not been started because my visa gets kicked back because I don´t have the proper documents.) So, come Monday morning (Jan 5th), I have to communicate the same to the owner of the school. I pray that all will go well. Basically, I hope that he will pay me my last check and let me leave with a fuss.
In preparation for the possibility that he will not have the documents in time, I started looking for a new job. Today was my first and only interview. I got the job but the only twist is ... it starts in April. They will be able to help me change my visa. Hopefully, we won´t run into any snags. So, what do I do from January until April on limited funds???? Matthew 6:33.

a tremendous blessing

One of the two bible studies that I have told me that she wanted to become an unbaptized publisher and that the elders in Batán where her and her family attend wanted to talk to me on Sunday after the meeting. So, I accompanied her to the meeting and afterwards we sat in the backroom. I sat quiet and prayed to Jehovah to help Jennifer recall all that she had been taught. I was so happy that I had my jacket on because I was so nervious and was sweating up a storm. After about 30 minutes of the elders questioning Jennifer, the brothers gave Jennifer (12 years old) their congrats and told me that I could make arrangements to go out in service with her. I was so happy! What a wonderful blessing from Jehovah. We made arrangements to go out in service but Jennifer was not able to accompany me because she helps her mom sell things at the market. Between school, chores at home and meetings, she said it´s a little easier for her to go with her mom in service for right now. I was somewhat sad but understood. Hopefully soon, we will be able to go preaching together.

Preaching in Santa Isabel

Preaching in Santa Isabel was a breathe of fresh air. There were people who had never received a witness before. Many people listened which is always wonderful. We worked in one territory in the mountains and I spoke to a lady who was blind and had other health problems. She said she could not read and that no one was home. So, I read to her some scriptures and offered her the magazine and encouraged her to have her family read it to her when they returned home. She agreed and tucked the magazine away in her dress. Further up in the territory, we met another lady who was blind. She actually had lost her sight over time. (I believe Ecuador is no. 1 or no. 2 in the world for some type of eye cancer however I don´t know what the cause of their loss in eyesight.) Anyway, she listened as I read to her from the bible the hope for the blind and the sick. She was pleased and thanked us for the visit. Later, we came to a water treatment plant. There was a man working outside. It was hot and he was dripping in sweat. It was my partner`s turn to talk, a little sister from St. Isabel. She gave her presentation and placed the magazine. As she was talking, he asked us if we wanted to come inside. I looked up towards the wire fence that was closed with a lock and looked back at him and kindly said no thanks. We are not going to take much of your time because I know that you have work to do. I said. The rest of the friends were out of sight and I was afraid to go behind the gate. Besides, we were in the middle of nowhere. As we stood there in the beating heat, he offered us two more times to come in. For some reason, I agreed. As we were passing the side wall of this house, I noticed a very larg knife about two feet in length. I just about passed out. He went inside of his house, located right on the grounds of the treatment plant and brought back two chairs. We sat down on the patio....out of the view of the friends. I said a quick prayer to Jehovah to protect us. To my surprise, this guy was really interested. He asked some really good questions and even directed some of them to the young sister I was preaching with. He wanted to know how could it be possible for someone so young....11 years old ... to know that she was ready to serve Jehovah. She explained that we just don´t baptize people that you have to study the bible and then come to that conclusion yourself. It was great. Then we heard her dad looking for us and he came in to sit with us. He joined in the conversation and placed the Que Enseña book and set up an appointment to study. I am so greatful that the angels are directing this preaching work.... because I was ready to take off the first time he offered us to go inside.
On Sunday, it was somewhat different. We preached directly in front of a large church. There is a park situated directly in front of this church and many were just sitting around. So, we took advantage of the situation and gave a witness. I was able to place a book with a lady who lived in a different town. We also preached to two men. It was not until later that I realized that they were drunk. I am not really quick on picking up on things like that, I guess.

After the English Convention

Hello Again,
After the English Convention, I started looking for a job. Money was just about to run out because I grossly underestimated what I would need to live on each month and for unexpected expenses. So, I was on the hunt for a job. Thanks to some friends in my congreagtion, they took me around to leave my resumé. I prayed so much for Jehovah´s direction in this matter and to help me find work so that I could stay as long as possible. To my surprise, when I returned home from dropping off my resumé, I received a call from the owner of one of the private schools. We set a time and day for the interview and the same friends dropped me off for the interview and waiting until I was done. I was so nervious. I said a prayer to Jehovah to help me answer all their questions and to help them understand my Spanglish. I met with two people. First, I met with the director of the school and then with her husband, the owner. They offered me the job and said that they pay $200 per month. I would have to teach 5 classes M-F from 8am - 12:30pm and one day I would have to stay a little later. I was dissapointed that it paid less that what I wanted but it was sufficient to pay for my rent and food and not much else. I was somewhat worried about my service because I was normally used to preaching in the morning. However, I felt it was Jehovah´s direction since we have service meetings in the afternoon and there was support from the congregation. So, I accepted the job under the condition that they assist me in changing my visa which they agreed. I stressed that if I was not able to change my visa then I would not be able to work for them. They understood. I started working on obtaining the necessary paperwork for my visa and I started work a few weeks later.

It´s been a long time.

It has been a long time since my last blog was posted. A lot has been going on. Around the time of the English Convention, I went into a long-term state of sadness. I was missing my family, friends and all that was familiar to me in the states. Also, my family was going through a very difficult time and I had desperately desired to go back home. This period lasted for nearly 3 months. I am greatful to Jehovah, all the friends here and back home who helped me get through it. And, the situation with my family has gotten a lot better.
It has been a real journey trying to make friends. Since my arrival, my experience has been that many are very private and distant. This has been my greatest challenge from day one. As many of you know, I travelled to Cuenca, Ecuador alone and I had hoped that making friends would not be a problem. But like all things, Jehovah can teach us a lot about ourselves and others. As a result, I have become more quiet, observant, and have had the privilege of witnessing things that I would have otherwise passed over before. One can really learn a lot about body language. Above all, I have learned more about myself and things that I need to work on... refinement.

Great Spiritual Food

Thanks to Jehovah, the James' and I made it safely to the English District Assembly. It was such an enormous spiritual boost for me, one that was greatly needed. I would like to encourage everyone to attend all three days of their district assembly. We are so close to the end of this system of things and I know that everyone in attendance will benefit tremendously. I am not going to give away any points discussed during the three days... just please don't miss it for nothing. Since we had to attend this assembly in Guayaquil, we had friends visiting from various countries: Peru, Columbia, Canada, Argentina, Japan, and the list goes on. Although, I have never attended an international assembly before, however, I imagine that it must be very similar to the English District Assembly in Guayaquil. It was a priceless moment.

A whirlwind trip to Guayaquil

We purchased our airline tickets three weeks ago to attend the District Assembly in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Upon our arrival today at the airport, we were told that the flight was canceled two weeks ago. Unfortunately, we were not notified of this change and thus were not allowed to change our tickets because both airlines did not have any available seats... at least not until 6pm tonight. How were we going to arrive in Guayaquil before the James´had to be interviewed? Hhhmmmm. That was the million dollar question. We will go by bus! Well..... there were no available bus lines that would allow for us to arrive in Guayaquil by 2pm today. OK. What now? Our taxis driver offers to take us to Guayaquil but for the asking price of only $120.00. Well, that is a bargin considering that the ticket prices for the plane was about $65 and the bus $12. Hhhmmmm. No thank you. Well, after a few minutes later and in a state of pure desperation, we all agreed on paying $110 and thanks to Jehovah we were able to arrive in Guayaquil safe, relieved and hungry. Now we can all have a wonderful nights rest so that we will be able to enjoy the assembly tomorrow. Thanks to the glass of wine that I had, I hope to sleep very good.

New Days

I am no longer singing the blues. There was a brief 3-day moment when I was terribly missing everyone but the many emails and calls made me have a quick recovery. Thanks for the words of encouragement!
For the past few days, the weather has been WONDERFULLY WARM. It's a welcoming change. The month of August is suppose to be very windy and cold. From what i'm told, South America has had a climatic change due to El Nino. The summer months were typically warm but are now much colder.
As far as service, Bro. Freddy and I went to do the rv/study with Esteban but no one was home. I plan to go back later this week so that I can turn over the study to a brother in my book study. Christina studies regularly and her husband is due to return back from Guayaquil where he was taking care of his sick mother. I am sure I will find out soon if she will continue to be regular in her study. I hope for the best. The other studies I have are no longer showing interest and one of the studies, a married couple, was on loan since Patty (Pioneer sister in my hall) had to work full-time in July. I believe I mentioned before that Jocelyn's mother stopped her study. That was a bummer. Another study lost for the moment. I still visit the Narcisa's, two studies with the same name. One is having family and health problems and the other is having work done on her house and has expressed that she is really busy. The great thing about the preaching work is that Jehovah knows the heart. We keep going back to those that show interest and wait and to see it flourish.
Thanks to Jehovah, I have only 80 hours left to complete for this service year. My goal is to have only 50 hours to fulfill in August since I will be missing several days attending both the English and Spanish District Assembly. The English District Assembly will be held in Guayaquil and we plan on leaving the 31st of July and I will return to Cuenca on the 4th. The last weekend of August is the Spanish D.A. I am excited and can't wait for our spiritual feast.
My online TEFL class is going well. I have passed the first 3 sections and have recently started the 4th. There are 10 levels/sections in total. I hope to start looking for a job before the end of the month. Many schools start back in Sept. or Oct. Also, to help me with teaching English, I asked 4 friends, each with different levels of English, to let me teach them English. I am documenting what level they currently are at, their scores for homework and tests and any additional observations that will be beneficial for me once I start teaching. So far, things are going very well. All but one are scoring a grade of B or higher.

The Angels Direction

For the last two days or so, it has been warm. I am thankful to Jehovah for these sunny days. It´s a nice break from the cold. Yesterday after Norma and I did a study, we went to do return visits. I told her that I had left a Bible Teach book with teenager and was suppose to start the study last Friday. However, he was not there and he could have been on vacation like many in the community. Well, we go to his house and Norma discovered that they had a door bell, which we rung. No one replied, so we left after a few minutes. When we went to do Norma´s return visit/study, guess who was walking down the street? It was Esteban´s mother, Mariana. She greeted us and said that her son was in fact home but probably didn´t hear us because he is cleaning the house. (I am so happy that we have the angel to help direct the preaching work!) We follow her back to her home and Esteban practically ran out to greet us. He said that during the day he is not home but we can return on Friday to answer his question about what the Bible says abou Martial Art...is it bad or good and why. Earlier, his mother told us that he has Kung Fu practice in the morning and that the afternoons will be better for us to visit him. Well, we will see today if he accepts what the Bible has to say on the subject.
Afterwards, Norma and I went to another one of my studies. According to Joselyn´s brother, she was vacationing in Guayaquil and he was not sure when she would return. Upon our visit yesterday, her brother approached the gate and said that their mother said they are Catholics and not to return to give Joselyn study. Although, I was somewhat sadden by this, I was still beaming from meeting up with Estaben and this news did not damper my day too much. Especially, I recall wha the bible says about us planting but it´s Jehovah that makes it grow. So, one never knows what Jehovah is going to do.

Missing Home

I miss home. I miss my friends and family. This weekend was pretty tough for me. I miss hanging out with everyone, talking to them, or visiting with them at the meetings or in service. Here, I am making new friends. But, like everything else in life, it takes time. I have been praying to Jehovah a lot and increasing my bible reading. That has brought me a lot of comfort. Hermanos Valdiviezos (the family I live with) are very loving people and have been wonderful to me. I would have gone through 'missing you withdrawals' a long time ago if it were not for them.

Injured in service?

I went out today in the territory with Fanny, a pioneer sister. We did some rv's afterwards. Upon arriving at one road up the hill, she pointed to an area that was full of mud and said we had to walk down to get to the house. Hmmm. That was going to be a problem since the rain had left everything nice and muddy for us. Upon our descend, I had a thought....hhmmmm... I hope I don't fall. We descended trying to stabilize our balance along side a barbed wire. Well just as I had finished that thought....down I went. I not only went down, but slid a feet or two. My arm was caught on the barbed wire which thanks to Jehovah just tore a huge hole into my coat instead of my arm. Well, Fanny rushes over and attempts to unhook my jacket from the barbed wire. No, no... wait until I get up, first. I said. So, I slid back up the hill a little so that I could get my balance and then I was able to rise to my feet and unhook my jacket. Oh, that's just great! I thought. First I loose my glove and now I tare my jacket. Thankfully, I was not too muddy nor hurt and was able to continue out in service. Fanny's mom, Mercedes, comes to the top of the road and yells for us to return and go another path. We obliged. The path was narrower, full of bugs of which feasted on my blood, but the path was not as slippery as the previous path. We finally reach the road that takes us to the rv's house. Upon our arrival, the house holder informed us that she was leaving for the afternoon and that it was better to come back on another day. Oh well, I thought. I am going home. Upon our ascend to the road, we see Fanny's sister Norma driving and she pulls over and offers us a ride to another rv. Apparently, Mercedes told Norma that I had fallen because when I got into her truck, she apologized and said that Fanny mistaken her instructions and went to the wrong place. The service morning ended up with Norma treating us for lunch. You know, the saying 'the way to a man's heart is through his stomach'... it doesn't only apply to men but me too. :-)

Lost glove....

Last night a few of the friends from our book study was invited to attend the graduation dinner of Juanito, an unbaptized publisher. I was not feeling too great because I had an ear ache and my throat was sore. However, I wanted to show my support and go to the dinner. Angelita and I took a taxi since we were instructed to be there at 8pm. Well, upon exiting the taxi, I left behind my right hand leather glove. I was so upset that I did not check to make sure I had everything with me. I kept thinking, I had only one pair and what am I to do because the days are just going to get colder. Oh well, I stopped pouting and enjoyed the occasion. We all had a great time, great food and a lot of dancing. And, what a blessing it was when I woke up in the morning to a sunny day!

2 Blessings on a cold day......

Today was another cold day. But, it was not as cold as it was yesterday. I had scheduled two studies with youngsters. One was at 9 a.m. and the other at 10:30 a.m. When we arrived at Jocelyn's house, no one answered. What are we going to do for 1 1/2 hours. Well, we did some rv's of which one was at home. Also, I realized that I did not have the directions to get to my 10:30am study, so off we went back to the house. In between the rv's and returning to the house for the directions, we were able to arrive in time at Esteban's house. His mom motioned from the window for us to wait. So we waited a moment. She came out of the house and kindly asked how she could help us. In my mind, I was thinking that she was going to run us off but she did not. I explained that I was there on Wednesday and that her son asked me a question and I told him that I was going to return today with the answer. She calls for him and he quickly comes to the gate and escorts us into the house. I informed him that Hna. Montalesa was not able to come with me today but Rebecca, a teenage sister, was present in her place. I explained that I returned with the answer to his question... what is faith? (Que es la fe?) He seemed really pleased that we were there. I encouraged him to get his bible so that he could read for himself what God had to say about the subject. After a moment, he returned and we started our discussion. He listened very carefully to me use the valuable information in the Reasoning book. I began the conversation asking him why he wanted to know about faith. His replied was basically simple... I just want to know. Then I asked him what was faith to him and he replied that it was believing in things not seen. Wow... I thought. This is going to be a good conversation. We used the bible to help him understand why many people don't have faith, how can one acquire faith and what he needed to do receive the blessing that Jehovah promises those whom exercise faith in Jesus and in Jehovah. It was a very pleasant discussion and I was happy that we did not keep him too long from his household chores. Before we departed, I left him the Bible Teach book and asked if he would like me to return so that I could help him learn how to best utilize his bible to answer many of his questions. He agreed and asked another question of which to be answered next Friday.... the question.... Is Martial Arts bad and if so why?

Afterwards, I decided that maybe we should try Jocelyn again. She was home! I was soooo thrilled. We stayed on one side of the fence and she and her young brother on the other side and we studied for about 45 minutes outside. It was chilly and raining, but my heart was bursting we happiness. I am to return next Friday so that we can continue our bible discussion on What is the Kingdom of God?

Interest in over worked territory?

Today, An older sister (Hna. Montalesa) asked me to work with her out in the territory, I obliged. We meet twice a week at her house for the service meeting. I went on a study with her once before. She has a quiet demeanor... a very pleasant sister. We were assigned to work not at homes. I don´t know if it was the cold or what my problem was exactly. I found myself somewhat frustrated that we were working the same territory again and again. Nonetheless, we knocked on the doors and two came out visibly sick (and quickly return indoors) and the others were not interested, busy or not at home. However, there was a little boy that listened carefully to Hna. Montelesa and he accepted the brochure from her too. I was not sure where she was going with her presentation and thus tried to help her out, but my attempts failed. Before we departed, I felt the urge to ask this teenager, if he wanted to know the answer to something related to the bible, what would it be. He took a moment and responded... Que es la fe?.... (what is faith?) We made arrangements to return this Friday morning to answer the question and promised to bring ´Esteben´the Bible Teach book.
On the same street, we turned the corner and I immediately recognized the house. The owner saw us and went indoors and when we knocked and knocked and knocked, he did not respond. But when we knocked today, the wife came out and attended to us. She listened, although a devout catholic, and accepted the brochure.
We never know where we will find interested ones. That´s why we are so greatful to Jehovah for the many angels that are directing this great work of ours.

A loving reminder

Yesterday, I had two studies in the morning. I went to the group with the hopes of finding a partner to accompany me, and so I did. However, since the group was let out late, we were going to have to hurry. We walk to most of our studies and so I was hoping to have a partner who could walk very fast with the hopes of reducing our tardiness. My partner was an older brother. He is a very patient brother and thus walks at a leisurely pace. I thought, if I walk somewhat faster, maybe he will too. My attempts failed. After about twenty minutes into our walk, I remembered the words of Bro. Roberto Ramirez. We don´t behave like some men do in some cultures where the man walks infront of the lady. We walk together... shoulder to shoulder. We walk at the pace of our brother/sister. I adjusted not only my thinking but also my pace. We arrived at the first study about 35 late and the second study about 45 minutes late. But all in all, Jehovah allowed us to conduct both studies. The second study is with a little girl that attends college (referred to as high school in the states). Joslyn wants to have another study this Friday. And my first study is with Cristina. She only has Tuesdays off of work and when I encouraged her to attend the meeting on Sunday at 8:30am she said that she starts work at 9am and has to open the restaurant for the other employees since her boss is away in Peru. However, I try to go with my sister- in-law (a witness) in her town on Tuesday nights to the Kingdom Hall, she said. She truly is a blessing.

Ingaprica Ruinas

Last Wednesday, the Williams (visiting from GA) and the James (from New Zealand) and Guillermo (a married brother in our hall) and I went to see the ruinas...Ingaprica Ruina. It was very nice and the weather was absolutely beautiful. I was warned that it is normally very cold due to the altitude and the wind. But, Jehovah belessed us with a wonderful sunny day. Well during our trip there were other visitors that were touring the site. Of which, one was a lady visting Ecuador from Brazil. We all at various times of the tour started to talk to Regina, a very pleasant lady. Brother Guillermo offers to drop her off in Cuenca which she accepted. During our 2-hour ride back home, she and I started a very interesting conversation that lasted the entire two hours. Thanks to Ashley Williams, I was able to place the Bible Teach book and also read her the account about the Flood. She understood the Flood to be just a myth. Regina was surprise to see that the bible also speaks a lot about family and marriage. I was able to share various scriptures and encouraged her to use the book to answer many of her questions and well and look into her own copy of the bible to verify that what she read was the truth. Before I was dropped at home, we exchange email addresses so that we could stay in contact.

Corrupt Cops

Well, I should not be surprise but the cops in Cuenca, Ecuador are also corrupt. A group of friends and I decided to go out for dinner. On the way to taking us home, we get pulled over by the police. Oh know, I thought. So, we pull over to the side and park. Two cops get out and approach the driver door and ask the brother for the necessary documents which he immediately supplied. The cops replied that the temporary driver´s license was not acceptable and that they were going to arrest him. The brother get´s out of the car and follows the cops to their vehicle. I quickly say a prayer to Jehovah to help us all stay calm and be cooperative and that everything be resolved without anyone having to be taken the jail. After a few minutes, I call the other group of friends that were with us at dinner. Just as a voice answered the phone, it was followed by a reply, we see you and will be there in just a moment. Two brothers approach the car and we quickly explain what happened. They both walk to the police vehicle and then they all come back and say, the cops want money. After the whole ordeal, we had to give about $20-25 dollars the cops and the penalty according to the cops were for the window tint being too dark. (Apparently, the cops drive around on Saturday night stopping people and threatening them to take them to jail unless they give them money) I was just thankful to Jehovah that no one went to jail and that the situation did not get out of hand. We all know that there exists no justice in Satans world, but thankfully we don´t serve Satan but Jehovah. The true GOD that will seek justice in the end.

Here is the video from Jesus and Norma (Sanchez) Almanza's wedding. It was a very special occasion of which all in attendance enjoyed fully. I am immensely grateful that I had the privilege to participate and to share such a special moment with Jesus and Norma. It is my prayer that they remain close to Jehovah every moment of their lives together. That is were their true happiness will always be...

Here is the most current video/photo. I hope you enjoy it. Please forgive the poor editing, i.e. spelling error(s). Little by little, my editing ability will get better.

This video contains our welcoming party as well as the anniversary of Bro. & Sis. James. About a day before this party, some friends gave me the 411 on what I needed to know. Here is a preview of what I was told. At the parties, the friends dance separately unless they are dancing the Pasa Doble. The brothers and sisters dance with married and unmarried friends without concern. I was told it would be an insult if a married brother asked me to dance and I said 'no'. When it was party time, I was somewhat uncomfortable about dancing with a married brother. I didn't make it a habit to do that in the states and it will take a moment for me to adjust to how things are done here. It worked out that no married brothers asked me to dance. On the dance floor, I am accustom to having the brothers push me around making me look as if I know what I am doing. Here, I am fully exposed... and have to dance in place. Well, I tried that for about one or two songs. I told the friends that it will take me a little bit longer to get use to dancing apart. When brother Freddie asked me to teach him salsa, I responded that I would but doing so arm in arm so that he could know how to spin the the sister. He agreed and we danced for the majority of the evening arm in arm and apart. He also taught me how to do one of their traditional dance steps of which I don't recall the name or even the steps. Oh well, there is another party that the congregation is having at the end of the month and maybe I will remember the dance steps when I hear the music playing.

In the congregation and in public, I am taller than practically everyone. No surprise there. I draw a lot of attention... mainly stares and even more so when I am with some of the English speaking friends. The staring, from the public, can be nerve racking but I still try to ignore them. In public, many respond when I greet them and many do not.

During the first week or two of arriving in Cuenca, I did not see many black folks around, but now that I have been here for almost a month, I am seeing more. Many are from Esmeralda or other cities. When I get a chance to speak to others informally, they automatically think that I am Ecuadorian and from Esmeralda.

The family that I am renting from are wonderful. However, they are destined to get me married. No matter how many times, I lovingly remind them that it's not my focus, the more the subject comes up. It seems that no matter where I go, many of the friends try to marry me off. I think that they must have a pact with my mom or something... I know they mean well. I just continue to focus on my service to Jehovah and being happy as a single person. I could not have asked for a better life!

My first two weeks in Ecuador Video/Photos

I will be updating my blog page from time to time with videos and photos. Please check back every now and again so see what's going on in Cuenca, Ecuador. The video posted below will show my first two weeks in Cuenca. There are pictures of preaching, the territory, the Assembly Hall and more. I hope you are able to view it. I have two or three other videos that I need to format before I am able to upload them. Please let me know if you have any questions. Thanks.

Preaching in the mud

Preaching in Cuenca has been a delight. Sometimes it can be somewhat scary, too. Yesterday it rained a lot and thus left a lot of roads full of mud. Today we preached higher up in the mountains where the roads are narrow and full of mud. We had very little to grab a hold of and at one point we had to walk along a cliff. If we took a wrong step, down we would go about a 12-15 foot drop into the running muddy waters. Thanks to Jehovah, we were able to reach and preach to the hand full of homes that were there. Although, the people we found were busy they still accepted the tracts.

It´s a warmer day today. This morning it was somewhat cold, but now it´s around the mid 60´s. The sun is typically very bright around this time of day and we have to use our umbrellas to shade us.

There is a lot of construction going on here just like in the states. Many existing homes are empty as well as the newly built ones. When we are preaching in these areas or just walking by a construction site, the men respond just as disrespectful and many worldly men do in the states. Whistling and making rude remarks. Several times during the week, I will hear men calling out to me whisling trying to get my attention... "Morena... Morena.." The calls sometimes can be nerve racking because they are persistent. I just keep walking and ignore them. One day not too long ago, one guy keep calling out to me all the way down the street. Since I have to pass many of these street several times during the week, I think they are finally getting the hint and the calls are being much less.

1st two week in Ecuador

My time spend thus far in Ecuador has been absolutely wonderful. I arrived in Guayaquil and stayed at the branch for a few days. I had to take care of some paperwork there and while I was their I was able to attend morning worship and a bookstudy that meets a few minutes away from the branch. There is still construction going on at the branch in Guayaquil. It´s mainly residence quarters.
Once I arrived in Cuenca, I had to get settled in and organize my stuff. It took me about two weeks to get things in order and to get familiar with the local stores. I rent a room from the Valdivieso and have my own bathroom. It took me about two weeks to figure out how to adjust the hot/cold nozzles so that I didn´t get scolded by the hot water or frozen from the cold water.
The family of Witnesses that I am staying are very loving and kind. We have book study that meets in the home on Wednesdays. I can walk to the Kingdom Hall from the house. It takes me about 15 minutes. The Willis´who are also serving here from GA, USA live about a 30 min walk for me from the house.
Preaching is great here because everyone speaks Spanish. Most are kind and accept the literature we offer. I have already started a study that Sis. Willis handed over to me since I live across the street from Narcisa. You can imagine my excitement. We have her study on Mondays. It rains almost daily and it is wise to carry an umbrella. My shoes have to be hosed down on a daily basis because there is a lot of mud ... dirt roads. The main roads are paved with asphalt but many of the roads that leads to the residences are mainly dirt roads.
There are plenty of dogs here in Cuenca. Most dogs just bark, some are scared of you when you walk by and just move out the way. However, there are those dogs that are really protective. Those are the ones we need to watch out for in the ministry.
Well I hope you will be able to see some of the pictures that I took of my time so far in Ecuador.
Within the first two weeks, we had the Circuit Assembly and then the C.O. visit. It was a very hectic two weeks. To ensure that I get to the service meetings on time or even to the friend´s house, I have to draw a small map. One day I got lost coming back from the Willis´house, but thanks to Jehovah, I arrived home without much delay.

Norma Sanchez & Jesus Almanza´s wedding

My time in Texas was well spent. I had the wonderful opportunity to visit with several friends and most of all to attend and participate in my best´s friend´s wedding, Norma Sanchez. Planning a wedding appears to be one big headache, but it has to be done if it´s going to come out beautiful. Although, several of us, including the bride and groom, received headaches along the way, the wedding turned out to be one of the best wedding´s I have ever attended. It was simple, elegent, well organized and above all the food and music was great. The pictures I have were taken before and after the arriving at the Kingdom Hall. I was too busy on the dance floor to take some at the reception.....so sorry. Nonetheless, I hope you enjoy them.

The Sole Witness?

Ever since I was baptized about 6 years ago, I have always believed that I was the only Witness in my entire family. It was not until in a fairly recent conversation with my mom did I realize that there was a possibility of other Witnesses being in the family. Mom started to tell me about how a particular member in the family had gotten into a serious car accident and that he was 'knocking at death's door". Mom said that what made matters worse was the fact that he needed a blood transfusion and he had refused to have one. What really amazed everyone was that he had a full recover, mom said. I had begged mom to provide me with the information regarding these family members so that I could get in contact with them. Much time passed and mom did not provide me with the information. So, when I went to California in March, I asked mom to get the information for me. It was not until I went to Texas the following month when mom called me with exciting news. She left me a voice mail message providing me with Roberta Wherry's telephone number. Bursting with excitement, I thanked Jehovah and called mom to thank her and then I phoned the number that mom had given me. Jody Wherry answered, the son of Roberta Wherry and told me that his parents where at the assembly and that he was going to go next weekend. I briefly explained to him who I was and how I got the information and he promised to give his parents the message so that when they returned, Roberta or her husband Herman would be able to call me.

Soon thereafter, I received a message from Roberta. I shouted, as Norma was driving, "SHE CALLED!" Roberta called! When we got to our destination for one of the many rehearsals for the wedding, I phoned Roberta. She was so kind and I could hear in her voice that she too was excited. We connected the dots as far as finding out exactly how the Wherry Family is related to the Corley family. We are related through marriage. My great aunt on my mom's side married into the Wherry family. So, before we ended our conversation, we set a date for me to drive to Wichita Falls, TX.

It was about two weeks before I was able to leave for Wichita Falls. I got lost as always, of course with Mapquest directions. But thankfully, Roberta and Herman came to my rescue and I followed them to their home. It was a very exciting and emotion time for me. I always wanted to have someone in the family I could share my excitement about the ministry. Being one of Jehovah's Witnesses has allowed me to be part of a worldwide family. But for some reason, I still felt empty. Some friends have suggested that I get married to fill that void. Well although appreciated, we can see that I did not follow that advice. :-)

Unfortunately, I was only able to stay overnight because I had to get back in time for Norma's wedding and for some of the commitments I had also made related to the wedding. However, my time with the Wherry's was well spent. Roberta had written down a list of all the family members that are witnesses along with their contact information. Based on that information, we also have family in Houston, TX and in Oklahoma. As an added bonus, many of the family members that live in Wichita Falls came to Roberta's house to enjoy a wonderful feast she and others prepared. I loved everything I ate....hush puppies, fried chicken, beans, potato salad, desserts... the list goes on.

What made this extra special, I got to take a picture with Roberta's mother who is 100 years old and who is one of our sisters. WOW!!!! I will be on this wonderful spiritual high for a very long time.

You may be wondering, who was the one in the accident. Well, it was one of Herman's and Roberta's sons, Vincent. I took pictures of this whole even but none of them came out. Although I don't have any tangible photos to share at the moment, I look forward to taking a lot of photos in the future.

Jehovah knows his servants intimately and wants the best for us. I can not articulate my gratitude to Jehovah for this spiritual and very tangible blessing. Not only do I have an incredibly wonderful spiritual family, but many of my family members are too. Although, we are closer to the end than we think, Jehovah still allows a little bit more time so that perhaps more of my family will come to know how truly awesome our God is, Jehovah.

Who is the ruler of this world?

Turlock, CA

DeReyelle (my cousin) and his girlfriend Mychelle began telling me of an experience with a friend and he was pressuring them to participate in his church. However, they did not believe much of what he was saying to them. Here is as much of the account I can recall:

(The setting: Mychelle is driving their van and DeReyelle is sitting in the far back seat of the van and their twin boys are asleep in the middle seats.)

DeReyelle: He did not make any sense. We are open-minded when it comes to religion but he just did not make any sense. When he tried to explain things to us, I don't even think that he knew what he was talking about.
Barb: There are many types of religions in the world and I guess this one sounds close to scientology... I don't know. Have you guys every spoke to any Jehovah's Witnesses about the bible?
Mychelle: Just this morning, a Jehovah's Witness came by.
Barb: What was your impression?
Mychelle: They have always been nice and respectful and dressed nice. When I lived in a different town, a lady would come by sometimes and talk to me about the bible. I always listened to what she had to say.
Barb: That's awesome. So when you think about all the religions in the world, all the violence, wars and problems who do you think is really the ruler of the world?
DeReyelle: God
Mychelle: If I am looking at it on an individual basis, I would say myself because ....
Barb: I interrupted Mychelle and sai ...no no, who is ruler over the ENTIRE WORLD, not on an individual level but worldwide.
Mychelle: well, I guess... God
Barb: That's right most people say God. When you get home I want you to look up 1John 5:19. (I then remembered that I had my bible with me in English because I was going to attend the Memorial in English and not Spanish.) Wait, I have my bible. I looked up the scripture and I asked them to listen closely for the answer to the question... who is the ruler over the world.
DeReyelle: laughing outloud and shouting, Oh my GOD it's the Devil!!! Oh my GOD!
Mychelle: Wow, can you write that down for me. I want to look it up when we get home.
Barb: Sure. The first part of the scriptures speaks about how we originate with God...which we know that Jehovah is our creator but Satan the Devil rules the whole world. Do you know why? If Satan is the ruler of the world, that means he is here with us. So, where did he live before he came to the earth?
DeReyelle: Heaven
Barb: That's right. Remember, he's an angel and he lived in Heaven before he turned rebellious and was kicked out. Basically, many of the problems we see today is the result of him being the ruler of this world. Besides, the sin of Adam and Eve, we can't forget that.
Remember, God gave us a brain so use it. Like you were able to reason that your friend was not telling you something that sounded reasonable, likewise, you were able reason from the bible that the Devil is behind much of what is going on worldwide. After all, God loves us and wants the best for us. Do you really believe that he intended that we live in a world like ours?
DeReylle & Mychelle: No
Barb: Do you believe what I just read from the Bible is true.
DeReyelle: Yeah, it makes complete sense.
Barb: 2Tem 3:16-17. Now this scripture tells us that every part of the bible is beneficial and it lists many reasons why. We can believe what the bible says. So, I if someone say that only part of the bible is valid, you know the real answer.

I later returned and placed two What the Bible Teach books, two Bibles, and one The Great Teach book. They accepted them and promised to read them. I have their email address and continue to keep in contact with them. Only Jehovah will know how the seeds will grow.

The sick neighbor - CA

One day after school, B.J. cames home struggling to bring in his suitcase-like backpack into the house shouting my name "Barbara, Barbara.... are you here?"
Barb: Coming out Monique's bedroom, I responded: Yeah, babe what's up?
B.J.: Can we pray?
Barb: Sure, B.J. are you o.k.? What's going on?
B.J.: Down the street, there are two big emergency trucks and the lady that lives there has cancer.
Barb: Would you like to say the prayer or do you want me to say it?
B.J.: You say it, please.
Barb: After giving the prayer, I said to B.J. - " I am very proud of you. That was wonderful of you to offer a prayer for your neighbor. Even though she is very sick, we know that Jehovah hears our prayers and he has the power to heal her or help her cope with her illness. Also, we know what the bible says about one day soon, no one will be sick.

Do you know how to pray? - CA

Towards the beginning, I taught them the importance of prayer.
Barb: Do you know how to pray?
Marcus: Yes, Monique taught us a prayer when we were younger.
BJ: God is good, God is great thank you Lord for this food and this day.
Barb: Well, praying to God is like talking to someone. When you speak to someone do you say the same thing over and over?
Marcus & BJ.: No
Barb: That's right, it would be irritating, wouldn't it. So, that's why when we pray to Jehovah we pray about what's in our heart. We then offer our prayers in Jesus' name because he died for all of us, so that we could have hope for a better future. What is the name of Jehovah's son?
Marcus: Jesus
Barb: That's right. We offer our prayers to Jehovah but in the name of Jesus and when we are ready to end our prayer we say AMEN. That means that you understand and agree with what was said in the prayer and if you don't then you don't say AMEN.

When we studied I would offer a prayer to Jehovah and even when we were about to eat, the boys would ask me to say the prayer. One day at lunchtime, I realized that B.J. did not ask me to say the prayer after I had handed his lunch to him. When I looked back, he had his hands folded in front of him and his head bent down. He was saying the prayer on his own!!!! My heart rejoiced.

On another occasion, Marcus, B.J. and myself were about to play a card game called Phase 10.
Barb: Let me finish cleaning the kitchen B.J. and I will be in there to play with you guys.
B.J.: Ok.
A few minutes later I heard B.J saying.....
Jehovah God, thank you for this day and thank you Jehovah for not letting me have homework today and Jehovah, thank you for this game Phase 10. I like this game Jehovah, so please help me to win at Phase 10 Jehovah because I never won before and I would like to win this time. O.k. Thank you Jehovah. AMEN. MARCUS, AMEN, say AMEN Marcus. 'Amen' said Marcus. BARBARA, AMEN..say AMEN. 'Amen' I said.

I silently laughed to myself and told B.J. now that was a beautiful prayer, but what do you think that Jehovah would appreciate the most, that we pray to help us enjoy the game or to win?
B.J.: I know, ... to help us enjoy the game.
Barb: that's right. I think that Jehovah likes those types of prayers the best.
B.J.: O.K.

Do you know God's name? - CA

Background info.
As many of the friends know, I am the only witness in my family... that I know of. With that being said, over the years it has been very difficult to preach to members of my family. Thanks to Jehovah and much prayer, I have these awesome experiences to share. I hope you will enjoy them.

Elk Grove, CA
Due to the high cost of living in CA, my sister Monique and our cousin Bryant (a single father of three) decided to buy a home together. It has been a great way for them to share living expenses. Two of Bryant's children are school age (Marcus -13, B.J. -11 and Faith is 3 years old) and I wanted to be at there home to open the door, give them a snack and help them with their homework. On this particular day, I was studying my Watchtower and B.J. was doing his homework. He asked me what homework did I have to do and I proceeded to explain to him about the Watchtower and how this study is conducted at the Kingdom Hall. I took the opportunity to talk to B.J. about Jehovah and here is how the conversation went (as I recall to the best of ability.)

Barb: B.J. do you know what God's name is?
B.J.: It's God
Barb: So if I called you boy or brother or kid, would that be your name?
B.J.: No, my name is Bryant (Jr.)
Barb: Like your name is Bryant and my name is Barbara, don't you think it is reasonable that God has a name too.? Do you want to know what it is?
B.J.: Yes.
Barb: Please read what it says here, this is the book of Psalms and 83 is the chapter and 18 is the verse.
(B.J. reads the verse and I asked him what does the Bible say God's name is?)
B.J.: God's name is Je-ho-vah.
Barb: That's correct. So if someone tells you that the name of God is God what can you say?
B.J.: No, God's name is Jehovah
Barb: How do you know that God's name is Jehovah.
B.J.: Because the Bible says it is.
Barb: Where does it say it?
B.J.: Uh, I don't remember.
Barb: The Bible is made up of 66 books and letters and one of them is called Psalms, see the name at the top of the bible. The large number is the chapter of the book and the small number is the verse. So one of the many scriptures we can find God's name is found at Psalms chapter 83 verse 18. So, where exactly does it say God's name in the Bible?
B.J.: At Psalms 83:18.
Barb: Excellent.

Later on that day just before 4pm, Marcus arrives from home and B.J. quickly gets up from the dining table and meets him at the door asking Marcus with excitement in his voice. "Marcus, do you know what God's name is?"
Marcus: Uh, God.
B.J.: No, it's Jehovah! Barbara, can you look up God's name in the Bible so that Marcus can read it?
Barb: Sure. (I turned to the verse and handed the book to B.J.)
B.J.: Read it right here Marcus, verse 18.
Marcus: oh, it's Jehovah. That's cool.
B.J.: Yeah. God's name is Jehovah not God.
Barb: Hey guys, I have some books that will answer many of the questions you may have. (I search through a box that I had shipped to Monique's house and pulled out two books: Learn From The Greatest Teacher and My Book by Bible Stories.)
Barb: Take a seat guys right here on the sofa. One of you on each side of me please and lets see what information we can find. (First we read from the Great Teacher book and we learned about Jehovah creating the earth, animals, and humans. They had many questions of which many were answered in the proceeding study. I told them that if their dad agreed, then we could read these books together. So, when Bryant, Sr. came home, I explained to him what happened and he agreed that it was ok to give them study.

The very next morning, I am sound asleep in my sister's bed when I heard.... Knock, Knock, Knock on her door. I wake up somewhat startled and answer 'yes'.
BJ: Can we read some more from the book when I get home from school?
Barb: Yeah babe, that's fine.
(For several mornings, I heard the same knock and I gave B.J. the same wonderful response.)

Later on when Marcus and BJ were home from school and their chores and homework were completed, we all sat down on the sofa and read from the books. We read more stories out of the Book of Bible Stories. That was their favorite.