Memorial 2015~ Big Corn Island

Bible Studies all came to the Memorial

Our English Creole Group

With memorial campaign wrapping up and much work to do on the local Kingdom Hall, this past week has been a busy blur to say the least. Between painting, playing tourist with a visiting guest, preaching, invitation work, and fighting off the plagues that have been spreading like wildfire here on Corn Island, Friday seemed almost impossible to reach. 

I remember sitting at home sick and taking care of the sick after a fairly traumatic week, talking to someone while having a slight panic attack. At this point, sisters had been in and out of the hospital, the elders had been gone for four days on the mainland for special training, our territory for the campaign was still unfinished, and food and water were beginning to become scarce on the island due to the drastic increase of tourists for Semana Santa. Stressful might have been an understatement. 

Were any of us surprised, though, when our 16 publishers were but a fraction of the 73 attendees of Christ's memorial Friday evening? Seeing Jehovah's hand in all that we do made this one of the most encouraging nights, to say the least. All of us in the English creole group on big corn island made it to the memorial despite all the challenges if this week. Three of my studies attended as well- which was the norm for all of us publishers. Nothing can quite compare to the way it feels to know that your efforts are not in vain and that the work we do is so much greater than just ourselves. It just goes to show that "with God all things are possible".

Recent News

Being Social  for Once

These past few weeks have been interesting, to say the least. In ways, time has seemed almost still as we prepare for the weeks to come. Between the excitement of Easter traditions here on the island and the upcoming memorial and elders’ school leaving us with only sisters in the group, I predict that the next few days are going to bring many new stories. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Now that we are winding down to our last month here on the island, we have finally found ourselves getting into a routine. Each day, with the exception of Mondays, we can expect to do service from eight in the morning until about four or five in the evening. After a long day trudging the island to visit people and share the Bible’s message with them, we usually settle in the house and do some personal study. Most nights we are in our pajamas by seven- which is hardly the life of young single sisters that you would expect, but after a ten mile day in extreme heat, bed is a great place to be no matter how early it is.

Speaking of social lives, I think I finally have some numbers and figures. The English Creole group here on Corn Island is approximately 21 publishers ranging from 21-68 in age with 12 single sisters, 1 single brother (the odds are in his favor), and 4 married couples conducting over 120 bible studies. We have 4 elders, all of whom are in Managua at the time for elders’ school. This makes for an interesting meeting. There are friends from the United States, some from Australia, A sister from the UK, and two sisters from Mexico. We all have different interests, very different personalities. If you can imagine being stuck on a tiny island just trying to survive with a group of 20 other people who are strangers from all over the world that you are surrounded by 24/7 with no means of escape and next to no alone time due to safety precautions….  Well, it doesn’t sound very glamorous. To tell the truth, it’s one of the most amazing and awe inspiring things ever. Only in Jehovah’s organization could I be in such a trying situation and feel such joy and blessings and love. It’s almost as if Jehovah is giving us our own little Great Tribulation survival course here and these 20 other people are my assigned teammates; handpicked by Jehovah to help each other get through all the struggles we encounter. It’s amazing the love you can have for strangers in such a short amount of time and I view it as one of the greatest blessings to be a part of such a loving organization.

That being said, these upcoming weeks are going to be some of the most difficult for us. Radio broadcasts from religious leaders here on the island have been warning people of our presence. Easter celebrations that have been so deeply entrenched in the locals mean greater dangers for us this upcoming week. The weather has reached new heights as we enter the hottest season of the year. To top it all off, there has been a recent outbreak of disease carried by mosquitos here on the island that has claimed many victims and that continues to spread like wildfire. Despite the struggles to come, I have full confidence that Jehovah will continue to protect our loving little group here. It will be interesting to see how upcoming events unfold, but  I will be sure to keep you posted
 

 

 

Grocery shopping, Corn Island style. You Just point and they grab it for you. It's kind of terrible.

 

Fernando, he is 70. It's amazing given that the average lifespan is 57 years old on this island.

 

headed to little corn island to preach for the day. The boat home stalled in the middle of the ocean after arriving two and a half hours late... open sea at 11pm isn't the most fun thing.

 

 

 

Painting the hall before the memorial.

 

Paddle Boarding-Post Service

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Adaptation

Just Some of Our Bible Students

 

 

Tropical Rain Storm vs. Umbrella
You get used to getting caught in the rain, but at least you dry off fairly quickly

Sand, Ocean, Jungle, and Mountains. Our Territory

Just Another Day in Service. Most days we don't even miss our cars.

The best part of island ice is the beach at night.

The Local 'Aquarium'

Just about at the halfway mark and I'm beginning to think that maybe we are adjusting finally. The things that used to seem so uncomfortable have suddenly been categorized as the "norm" for us. Not having real food for a few days at a time. The boat didn't come in with drinking water so we have to boil the tap water all day. A load of laundry takes three or more hours to finish. Even the sun is becoming seemingly less intense as we walk all day to reach maybe four calls in service.

Anxieties are beginning to dissipate. I no longer worry so much about the "when's" or time slots of each of the days' activities. It's such a major transition. The thought of going back to life on the run almost seems overwhelming at this point. All the things to do in such a small amount of time back "home"... It's easy to think about all one could accomplish in a day; or in the span of three months.

Within these slow paced six weeks, I have accomplished more in the ministry than I could have in six months back home, it seems. Everyday I talk to someone who is thirsting for knowledge and truth, someone who shows their love for God just in the twinkle of their eyes. Despite the challenges in which we have faced here, the adjustments we have made, the struggles we have been through- there's nothing more meaningful I could have spent this time doing. For that, I am thankful.

'We Aren't in Kansas Anymore'

Post Service Swim

 

Rescuing a local kitten.
The newest member of our little family

 

Little study. She is always so diligent about studying and learning about the bible

 

Our Front Yard

"You don’t appreciate what you have until it is gone”. I cannot begin to explain to you how many times I have heard this phrase in my life. But when I heard it this Sunday during the study of the Watchtower, I began to feel and think differently. What if, instead of being so wrapped up in reflecting on the meaning of the phrase and instead of dwelling on the things we don’t have that we once had, we thought about the things we currently have that we didn’t have before? It seems simple enough, you think about the good things in your life and for the moment you feel thankful, but this particular article twisted my way of thinking. Here on this island, I have so much less than I do at home. No car, no places to go and eat out or shop, no fancy gadgets or toys to occupy my time, no fun job to do during the week, no ‘list’ that perpetually seems to float over my head like a black cloud of things ‘to do’ during the day. I have been missing these things, these conveniences, these commodities, these distractions… thinking all the while that these were the things I should have appreciated while I had them. But now I feel differently.

Yesterday, I got sick. Bitten by some atrocious six legged monster that creeps at night and feeds off of the blood of innocent people. The day before that, I was so ‘bored’ that I studied the bible for three hours straight. This weekend, I washed my skirts in a bucket by hand because I don’t have a washing machine and I made corn tortillas by hand because I have nowhere to buy them. I have nothing to do all day but visit people and talk to them about the bible. So now I am appreciating it. When I get home, I won’t have these things. I won’t have the challenges or opportunities to learn to be creative or resourceful. I won’t have the adventures and memories that come with surviving each struggle. I won’t have time. So I am appreciating it now.

Granted, this way of life is hard. But I’ve never felt so accomplished and strong in my life. To have less than what I once had is a blessing. One that I hope to fully be immersed in for the following two months, no distractions. How can I appreciate what I have when it just comes so easily and is so expendable that there’s really nothing special to appreciate most of the time? So I have hereby decided that, instead of dwelling on the things I have at home that I don’t have here, I am going to appreciate what I have until it’s gone. Until the nothing is filled with everything at the push of a button.

We are One month and one week in to this amazing experience, and I can already feel myself growing and changing in ways that I had never expected. I wouldn’t trade this for the world.

The Adventures Continue

What started as a group of six in Corn Island English group less than a year ago, has flourished into a vast majority of those thirsting for spiritual truth from all over the world

Picnic- friends from Australia, Italy, Leon, Honduras, Mexico, the UK, and (of course) the states

Meeting- with 18 publishers, our attendance is usually around 50

Out in Service during a tropical storm

Boarding a plane to Bluefield. Though it is more expensive, we have only heard horror stories about the six to ins hurt boat ride that most of the brothers and sisters take to get to assemblies

With our friends from Switzerland (and one rom Tennessee) at Spanish assembly, 'Siamos Buscando la Justcia  de Jehová'

 

 

With almost a month completed in our three month journey,  I think it is safe to say that we are finally feeling settled. There are, however, moments when I question that last statement. Moments when somebody sees a snake the size of a small palm tree... Or when all you have in your "pantry" is stale bread and expired 'Oreos'.... Or when the power goes out every morning at 6... Or it rains something terrible and the cold water showers actually feel warm but somehow you still sweat not two minutes after... Or when you realize that plumbing isn't a thing in some homes...

This trip is a wonderful reminder of how privileged we are to live in a developed country, but more so to be here experiencing this. Though the day to day activities are often a struggle, I have never felt more accomplished than I do here surviving and learning to be self sufficient in ways I had never thought I would have to be. Then again, I have also been blessed to be a part of a wonderful organization where I can find friends anywhere in the world who literally would give the shirts off of their backs to help somebody they just met. There have been so many occasions where the love and support of those related to us in faith is all that gets us through the day.

Take, for example, this weekend when Makenzie and I decided to venture to Bluefields, Nicaragua for the Spanish assembly. By the time we arrived we had felt so lost. The language was different. There was no running water or electricity or clean place to lay our heads at night or ceilings in the house we arrived in. We tried our best to lay on the concrete tiles of the room a family had so graciously offered and to laugh and make the best of a situation we didn't know how to handle. When dawn broke and it came time for the assembly, all I remember was praying for strength to not hop on the earliest flight back to corn island. Then, as always, Jehovah provided an answer to our prayers. The warmth and the

Love of the brotherhood is something without compare. A couple from Switzerland had approached us, after many warm greetings from local brothers and sisters. True, the love that those related to us in faith have for one another is one that is conveyed without the barriers of language to mute it. But when this couple from Sweden approached us and exclaimed in English, "seeing you here is such a comfort from Jehovah to us", we felt so uplifted and renewed in spirit and strength. The rest of the day only got better from there. We made new friends, we were strengthened through the experiences of others, and for one of the first times in our lives- we felt like we truly strengthened others by our example of reliance on Jehovah. I remember the last thing the couple from Switzerland said to us as they walked away- "What you're doing is not for the weak. You two are very strong girls and you're making Jehovah proud." And that's all we needed to get through our adventure in Bluefields, for the next two months in Corn Island, and for any challenge we might face in the future.

Week Two

Walking through town, kids ask to watch Caleb and Sophia videos from jw.org

Let me just tell you right now that two weeks is a major accomplishment. Looking at some of these pictures, you might not be able to tell that we are living in a third world country. I can assure you that we are in fact living in a third world country... sometimes the sunsets and the blue water and the white sands make you forget for just a moment that food is hard to find at times or that a good cup of coffee doesn't actually exist here. But the major factor- the thing that makes the mosquito bites, tarantula visits, lack of convenience and comfort and home, the unbearable heat, being hundreds of miles from family and friends- that makes it all worth while is the ministry. Already, we have multiple bible studies and each day we meet people who ask us about the bible. Even children! I met one eighteen year old at a door this week who promptly asked if I would return in two days... and then the day after that... and any other time I can come so we can study as much as possible before she leaves for college in Managua. It's simply astounding how much interest there is here on this tiny little Island. When you take away the hustle and bustle, the distractions of every day life in a highly developed country, it's amazing what you find time for.

So, now that I have finally achieved internet connection (with the help of some in the congregation), I hope to post more pictures and experiences as they happen. Tonight we meet at the kingdom hall for a public showing of the jw.org broadcast for February 2015. Everyone on the island is invited. What a promising opportunity to give such a fine witness! Stay tuned for updates in the near future.

Our First Week

In the ministry, the children seem just as eager as their parents to learn the truth about God. One of the little girls I was showing the Caleb and Sophia videos to kindly asked to see my tablet... she said she took this picture because she wanted to remember me when she grew up.

 

I guess it’s safe to celebrate the fact that we have survived the one week mark. Life this past week has been many things- difficult, trying, faith strengthening, up-building. Everything wrapped in to one roller coaster of emotions and experiences. Corn Island has proved to be both exciting and absolutely terrifying.

Let’s begin with the least exciting aspects of life here on this floating nugget of land. The mundane. There exists in one’s mind a plan- an idea of the day’s activities all mapped out according to our idea of a schedule. For example, back in Oregon there were always a billion and one things to do in the span of a day. By the saving grace of cars and technology we somehow managed to keep this fast-paced schedule up day in and day out. Here, it is almost as if life itself has slowed, time leaks by as you find yourself struggling to accomplish in 3 hours what you might have done back in the United States in a matter of minutes. The struggle to adjust has been overwhelming and has caused me much anxiety… but by now I feel as though the reality that deadlines aren’t much more than a figment of one’s hopeful imagination here is beginning to set in.

 

Typical Island Food. Plantain, Gallo Pinto (painted rooster= rice and beans)

Monday is 'Fun-Day'. The Brothers and Sisters head to the beaches on our 'day off'

 

Our New Home on the Island. Addresses (and post offices) just don't exist here

Visiting Irwin in the ministry. He has trouble walking... but he still makes it to the meetings

 

 

A group of eight Spanish and  English speaking brothers and sisters came from Big Corn Island this past Saturday in order to preach and support the only baptized witness of Jehovah on all of Little Corn Island. Among us were two special pioneers from Leon and Honduras, a pioneer sister from Mexico, a pioneer sister from the UK, a 13 year old pioneer sister, a pioneer sister native to Big Corn Island, and Makenzie and I (of course).  The stories of our companions are ones worthy of sections in yearbooks. It was the longest, dirtiest, most encouraging and exciting days I have ever experienced in the ministry.

On our way to Little Corn Island. We took a tiny tourist boat with about 40 other passengers. The ride was fun for the first 10 minutes... but 35 minutes of natures version of Disneyland's 'Matterhorn' is too much for my stomach. It's amazing how even 'calm' waves can thrash you around.

Typical home on the island. Most days we are greeted by children in the ministry, running around the streets without a care.

 

Now the ministry on this island- Non stop work. One day in field service=at least three new calls. Yesterday I was walking down the street and a man stopped me. The words that come out of the mouths of those thirsting for truth is almost infathomable. “I am addicted to the Atalayas. I search for people to give me new ones each day”; one man even exclaimed that he loved me and all of God’s people for the work that we do as he begged me for any literature I had on me. At ‘doors’ (the openings in the walls of sheds) people respond to, “We were in the neighborhood showing people this bible based literature…” with eager, “yes, I will study” or “sit down, show me”, and even, “I was just praying to God for someone to talk to me”. One family here studies at 6:30 in the morning and had asked if we could come back and study the next section of the brochure in a couple hours! We are overwhelmed with return visits and each have a handful of studies already. It is amazing how eager these people are to learn about God and his word the bible.

The congregation. Where do I begin?! The hospitality and love that the brothers and sisters extend is truly remarkable. Most nights we receive at least two dinner invitations. Get togethers, such as barbeques or snorkeling at the beach happen multiple times a week. Working together in the ministry with such a diverse group of people who extend such love to one another is only possibly in Jehovah’s organization. Each day we receive such kindness and help from those in our brotherhood- from learning how to adjust, to education on island customs, even advice on the best ways to get groceries- the friends have been nothing shrt of amazing.

With eleven weeks remaining, we are excited to see how our ministry, our involvement in the congregation, and our own spirituality  flourish here on Big Corn Island.