May 3, 2016

Dwaine:

This morning we had our third study with Armando and Mercedes.  We had talked about the authority of the Bible and the apostasy so after some discussion between us we decided to go ahead with the film series.  Everyone here likes it so much because they don't get anything like that and we like that it is in Spanish and is a great overview of the plan of Salvation.  Today for the first time they invited us inside their house, all the times before when we had visited or studied we just did it outside their door in the yard.  Going inside was definitely a mixed blessing, the seating was nicer but it was really hot and muggy inside and I poured sweat the whole time.  The first film begins with creation and so afterwards Armando asked what kind of fruit was on the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  He said he knew some people who would not eat apples because they believed the fruit was an apple.  He also commented in the end that the two people you must believe in are Jesus and Mary.  He said how can you love your own mother if you do not love Mary and he said she is the one we pray to.  Of course at this time we just did not say anything in response to that but the day will have to come when we do.  We had brought our shirts and blouses up to dry them in our dryer which we keep at the church location because there is 220 there and not in our house.  Rain started as we walked down from our study and by the time we got to the building it was raining pretty hard and we had to load our clean dry clothes in the downpour.  It was still raining when we got home but stopped pretty soon.  After lunch we picked up Cesar and went up to William Riva's house to see if his grandmother and aunt were home because Charlotte had been studying with them on Monday afternoons.  No one was home so we went up to Bro. Rafael's and Charlotte studied with his wife inside while Cesar and I had a study with him outside their front door.  Then we came home to finish getting dinner ready for Don Santos, Sonja and Jimmy.  When they arrived we divided up again and I studied with Don Santos about the Kingdom and the church and when we finished he said the he wanted to be baptized someday but still wanted to study some more first.  I told him he knew lots more than the people who were baptized in the book of Acts but he was still not convinced yet.  Guess we will just keep studying til he is ready. 

Charlotte:

After studying with Armando and Mercedes, we handed out some more invites.  We stopped by Miriam’s.  She had come to a ladies’ event and her and her husband, Roberto came to a movie.  She had said that she could study, but we have not been able to get that going.  So, we wanted to talk about this.  She said that her husband also wanted to study, so we invited them to visit on Sunday and then come for lunch and a study.  We are going to check with them on Friday if this will work.  Then, we went home for a lunch break.  Afterwards, I was going to Ana’s for a study.  I went by Seyli’s and could not get an answer from her.  She later said she was home.  I picked up Regina and went on to Ana’s.  Gloria was there and she stayed for the entire study.  I asked if she had a Bible and she said she could not read.  I guess I taught our children how to read, could I do that in Spanish.  Anyway, I did say I would look around for a book and see what I could fine.  I had worked extra on this lesson, and I was really excited Gloria was there to share it with.  Ana, was feeling really good.  She said that she could use one leg a little and thought she might could move about her house a little.  We talked about looking for a walker and we will see if she can use this.  I don’t think I have ever seen her smile so much!  When I got home, I worked on cooking.  I had fixed a lasagna early in the morning and was working on some veggies.  Sonja and Jimmy came with Don Santos and I asked Sonja if she preferred to join the men or study separately.  She voted to study for herself. She had hurt her foot and seemed to be in a lot of pain when she walked.  I think she does a fair amount of walking even though Don Santos has a truck.  We had a good study and dinner.