Tuesday, December 29, 2015

November & December 2015 Newsletter

Combo.  November 30th we began teaching English classes two days each week in the schools in Salcoatitan in the morning and in Juayua in the afternoon.  Thus began the busiest month of our lives and in the business we forgot the report for November.  The most amazing event in November was our ladies day here on the basketball court near our house.  We had 32 ladies and almost 50 kids attending and our contacts in this community have multiplied rapidly since then.  We have several new studies and many people who recognize us as we pass them in the streets.  In November we also attended a family seminar in Ahuachapán and a very large area wide Sunday service with almost 800 people attending.  I led the prayer for lunch at the family seminar and helped serve communion to the 800.  We also continued our Wednesday night classes on marriage and finished them in December.  Hopefully our families here learned some of what we learned in preparing them.  On Nov. 15 we had our first Sunday morning service here in Juayua and I think after a couple of times of adjustment it has been better for everyone.  The brothers who are starting the congregation in Salcoatitan plan to meet at 4 in the afternoon starting Jan. 3rd.   Another very special event that occurred in Nov. was that Sister Regina had her surgery that so many of you helped in raising funds for.  She is recovering well but still has some pain and the Dr. said she would need to go slow for about a month.  We were blessed with a visit from the Nance family in Nov.  They had come to spend time with the Cortez family but we got to see them quite a lot for the short time they were here and it sure was great (we had our Thanksgiving meal with them just a week early) plus they helped us a lot in other ways too.  Thanks again Nances.  Charlotte and I found a nice house for rent in downtown Juayua and decided to take it (today and tomorrow we are moving-Dec. 30th.) and a brother in the Church and his wife who have been living in Santa Ana are going to move into the house we are now in and help with the work here and in Salcoatitan.  In December we had a ladies breakfast here in Juayua and Charlotte and Yoli taught at this event as well as the one in Nov.  We also have found a house for the Church in Juayua to move into and plan to have our first service there on Jan. 10th.  It is a great location at the entrance to this neighborhood where we now have lots of contacts yet near the edge of the town so it will be good for the rest of Juayua.  It is also well laid out for our needs for the adults and children and we think it will be a great boost to the growth of the body here.  We have continued our studies with most of our contacts as well as many new ones, but especially with Jose and Kelly and their two children.  Charlotte spent a day at the beach with them while I went with Cesar to the yearend radio program in San Salvador.  The next week we went with Kelly to her nearby hometown to get her birth papers so she and Jose could get legally married which they did the Wed. before Christmas in our living room.  Then they had us over for dinner Christmas Eve night and we all went to a rodeo together on Christmas night.  Then we had our study with them on Saturday and just today Kelly asked us to come over for cake for her brother's birthday and afterwards they asked us to talk about the Bible with them.  Tonight we had another study with our landlord (at least about 8 now) and he continues to show great interest plus we have just recently had renewed hope that Mr. Rivas will become a Christian soon.  Additionally, we have begun studying with a new young couple.  The girl, Wendy, is due with their first child in February.  We met her an even another new study, from the ladies’ events. To sum up we have had so many amazing blessings since returning in September and getting moved to Juayua and starting our association with the brothers and sisters who are beginning the work in Salcoatitan.  There are ups and downs but we are so thankful for all that has happened in the last few weeks.  On a personal note we did buy two recliners that were on sale for Christmas and we plan to open them when we get into our new house with more room, hopefully we will get to sit in them at least a little.  Keep us in your prayers.  Love Dwaine and Charlotte

No comments:

Post a Comment