November Report 2016

“But having seen them and greeted them from afar” This phrase is from Heb. 11:13 and certainly applies to our bitter sweet Thanksgiving day this year.  Through the wonder of Skype we got to be with our family who were gathered at Caleb and Della's house for the big lunch, getting to talk with them all for a while and even getting to see the delicious desert but it was still hard not getting to be with them.  November started here with The Day of the Dead which is a really big event in El Salvador.  Workers spent most of the month of October cleaning the large cemetery here and then on Nov. 2^nd most of the people in all of Juayua visit there.  We tried to visit some of our scheduled studies but without much success.  One of those was behind the cemetery and it was amazing how many people were there in almost every corner.  At least they were just taking flowers and visiting with each other around the graves.  Some of our members asked us what we thought about all this.  We said that we visit the graves of our loved ones sometimes and take flowers so as long as you were just remembering them that was not wrong but we got the sense that perhaps it is something more significant here.  We did have a good study with Douglas and Sonja, a couple we began studying with during October and since we ended about lunch time and three more people arrived we just had a big last minute lunch for everyone.  We also got invitations passed out for the ladies event on the first Saturday of Nov.  We did have a little smaller turn out but it went well.  Charlotte taught on the parable of the sower and made her patented chocolate cupcakes complete with pudding and oreo crumbles soil on top with a gummy worm.  We also got a weekend visit from some brothers from the US on the first weekend of Nov.   They arrived on Thursday and we got to meet them at the airport and have lunch together then Thursday night we got to have the weekly in home gathering in our house with most of the brothers visiting also.  Jim Norville stayed with us and we enjoyed his visit. On Friday night there was a big dinner with everyone who came and several preachers here and their families to discuss some issues facing the churches here in El Salvador in relation to marriage.  Saturday Jim and I got to visit with some of our members that he has become good friends with and on Sunday Jim led our Lord's Supper devotionals in Juayua and Salcoatitan.  We rounded out the weekend with a big dinner out with everyone.  We spent the early part of Nov getting organized for our “summer school” classes to begin at the end of the month.  We kicked off the classes with a visiting teacher from here in Juayua who has won national recognition for his classes.  He taught about robotics.  The classes will run for three weeks with two classes each week in Juayua and two in Salcoatitan so this will take up our mornings.  We had 22 students here in Juayua for the first classes and 11 in Salcoatitan.  We hope that with having a big closeout breakfast at the end to get to know some of the parents and invite them to study or to services.  We are already getting to know some because all of the kids we invited live near the church location and several moms walk their children to the building and pick them up afterwards.  On Nov. 9^th we had a new birth in our family, Miguel, a young man of 16 who lives around the corner from our location was baptized.  He wanted to go to the pool in Ataco rather than just use our plastic pool.  Some of his family went and we also are studying with several other members of his family.  We also had a huge area wide Sunday service at an event center in Salcoatitan and had a total of about 900 people.  Charlotte taught a children's class even though she had a cold and throat problems.  We also got to have a new family over for dinner that we have been studying with and they have visited 3 services so we are very encouraged about them at this point.  I feel that this has been somewhat of a hodgepodge but as you can tell we are managing to keep busy.  Keep Charlotte in your prayers as she has had a rough month health wise. Also, she has been having a lot of pain with a shoulder injury she got from lifting heavy furniture when she worked at Encore so we are coming back in mid-January for a Dr. consult.  So we will miss the Christmas holidays there but we will see you all soon.   

November 30, 2016

No breaks.  Early morning preparing for our Juayua summer class.  I made cupcakes for the kids and then also for a teacher’s meeting later in the day.  We left at 9 to go to do a round of pickups and on to the building.  We still had about 20, so that was good for a second day.  Cesar taught an art class and the kids had lots of participation.  I left to go meet with Eliza for a few final details on the teacher’s meeting scheduled for the afternoon and got back about 11:40 to take children home after the class finished.  Arnoldo came home with us for lunch and helped me finalize some posters for the meeting.  I was trying to get materials out to two different groups for the month of January, so that is a lot of copies, laminations, visuals and organization.  Hopefully, I can remember everything.  Carolina did not come as she is working in the fincas for a time.  At 3 I went on to a study with Socorro.  She is still working on the first lesson in Que Dice la Biblia for now.  At 4 I left to help load things for the meeting and pick up Eliza.  We gathered at the building at 4:30 and had a so, so turnout.  The hardest part is working on the schedule, especially starting in January we are going to split the class into two groups, approximately ages 3 to 8 and then 9 to about 12ish.  We will continue to work on the schedule with some changes, but I think we got the next 4 months planned.  We are trying to incorporate more workers, especially parents as helpers and we are in prayer this will work.  Arnoldo taught the Wednesday night class and did a super job.  Gisela and I were helpers and that class is really coming along.  Dwaine said there were several visitors in the adult class.  We took several home and called it a day after many activities. 

Summer Class

Roses on the patio

More summer class pics

Gathering for teacher meeting

Wednesday night class

November 29, 2016

Early start.  Up at 3:45 to help a sister go to the hospital in Ahuachapán.  Yesenia is expecting and due in February and she is having a lot of problems with her leg veins.  So, she needs to see a specialist.  We left at 5, while it was still dark and arrived at the end of her street at 5:30.  While we waited about 15 minutes, the sun came up.  When we arrived in Ahuachapán, Dwaine jumped out and took a bus on back to Juayua and then on to Salcoatitan with Cesar for the summer course.  We drove on to the hospital. There was already a line, but not too long.  We entered the waiting room.  While I have been to this hospital before, I have never been allowed to enter.  She first had an appointment with her baby doctor.  In front of everyone in the waiting room, of which there were probably 150 people, you have to weigh on a huge scale.  How is that for privacy!!!  I waited while she saw her doctor and when she came out, we moved to the other end of the room in a little covey and waited for her to see her specialiss.  The final verdict was to use a pair of cardiac stockings, take some meds and come back.  So, we walked a long way first to make the next appointment.  Of course there was a long line.  Second, we walked another long distance to stand in line for meds.  In that line, Yesenia decided she had some questions for the nurse, so I stayed in line, uncertain if I could have any success since I had no insurance identification.  When I got to the window I explained that I was picking up the meds for a friend.  The meds are free.  The lady was very cordial and she was convinced that I was married to an El Salvadorian and that was why I was in line inside a hospital that requires El Sal insurance.  It was funny, but in the end she gave me the meds.  I found a seat and waited for Yesenia.  I was surprised at the number of people that stopped and asked me if I needed help.  Yesenia arrived after a short time and after getting some answers, she needed to make her third appointment….so back to the appointment line.  It was all so funny.   We stopped by Mr. Pizza on our way out and ordered a small pizza.  Yesenia finished hers and helped me finish mine.  I know she didn’t eat breakfast and was really hungry.  As we reached the outskirts of town, we came upon a terrible motorcycle accident.  It looked like two on the bike came around the corner too fast.  Three police were there, but no ambulance yet.  They were letting one car pass at a time.  So, we were waiting right in front of them for about 5 minutes.  I thought for a long time, one was dead, but he finally moved a foot.  The second’s face was completely covered in blood and he was writhing in pain.  It was horrific.  Neither had helmets.  We will never know any outcome, but will remain in prayer.  For the afternoon, we went to Idalia and Jennifer’s for a study on conversions in Acts.  Mario was not home, but out for work.  That is good news as it gives us time to talk and we can repeat the lesson when Mario if available.  One incident happened that was interesting.  We had invited two children from Juayua to our summer course.  They were the kids who lived near our first home in Juayua and would often stand at the door calling for Wicket.  They did not show up at Juayua.  Dwaine said they walked by at Salcoatitan and therefore joined that group!  Well, the good news is that they were visiting a church in Juayua, but hopefully they will come to Salcoatitan since they have no ties there.  We will be in prayer for them.  Don Santos did not come for the evening, so we went to Salcoatitan for their evening service.  

November 28, 2016

 Robotics.  The first class of summer was Robotics by Juan Carlos, a local teacher.  We started off with about 22 students!  Juan Carlos did his introduction and then he let three of his students guide the students through a program of solar energy of which they had won some awards for.  Dwaine and I slipped out for a few minutes to look at a house for rent for we are due for contract renewal soon. It was a dud….only 1 bedroom and an unsecured patio area.  To add, it was more than what we are paying.  So, we will probably be staying put, which is a good thing.  When we returned after 20ish minutes, we served refreshments and Juan Carlos said that was all that he had, finishing up about 45 minutes early.  I told Dwaine I had a construction set at home if he wanted to run get it and it was a hit!  The kids broke into two groups and each group elected a leader, built a structure, named it, and reported on it.  I think they loved getting up and having a hands-on project.  After lunch, I picked up Ulma and headed to Vilma’s.  I had talked to her earlier in the day, and she said that she would be home.  We talked about baptism and the body.  In the end, I tried to ask some very direct questions because she has only visited Ladies’ Events.  She said that she really was not interested in attending and continuing the study.  Sad news.  When we come to a point like that in a study, it is a rough moment.  We will continue to keep in contact and keep the door open.  We are going to take her to Santa Ana next week to pick up some meds for her daughter.  We have to go sometime in December to renew our car papers since it will be my birthday month.  So, we have planned for Tuesday.  For the evening, we had planned a graduation party for those who completed ‘Que Dice la Biblia?’ We had invited participants and their families.  Dwaine had worked on decorations for afternoon and Carlos picked up pupusas.  We had a ceremony and then pupusas and cake.  It was good evening together.  We did have some families that couldn’t come, so we had a lot of pupusas left over….snack for children on Sunday.  When we got home, we worked on buying airplane tickets for January, but we were not successful.  Every time we looked at a different time or made a change the price went up, so after working on it for an hour, we gave up for the evening….leaving it for another day.  

Robotics Class

Graduation for 'Que Dice La Biblia?'