Preaching in Tomatitas

As part of the congregation’s territory we have two small towns that are located just outside of the city, San Mateo and Tomatitas. I really enjoy preaching in both of these towns because of the beautiful scenery and they truly are a treasure chest of interest. Every Thursday afternoon Jenny (one of the regular pioneers in the congregation) and I go to Tomatitas to do return visits and studies. We always have a great time together and the studies are all such a joy, we look forward to our Thursday afternoons! Well this Thursday it was raining really hard but after walking to Jenny’s house we set out in her van to Tomatitas. After the first study we returned to the van and realized that after leaving the lights on the vans battery was dead....but after I pushed it for a while Jenny turned the key and it started! :) The next study was Maria Elena, a new study I just met a few weeks ago and such a joy to study with, watching her eyes light up as she learned of Jehovah's promises for the future made the climb up to her house all the more worthwhile! As you can see from the pictures she lives up a very steep hill, especially slippery in the rain. All her little nieces love laughing at us as they watch us trying to climb up and down. After leaving that study we found the van battery dead again but this time we were on a hill so after asking a senor that was passing by to help us, him and I pushed.....pushed....and pushed some more and it finally started. Jenny and I couldn’t stop laughing; only Jehovah's people would put forth such effort. It is truly a privilege to serve such a loving God that is patient with us as his servants and with those in the territory as he "does not desire any to be destroyed but desires all to attain to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) Another great Thursday afternoon in Tomatitas. You are all welcome to join us anytime! :)

A few memories

A day in the life of a Bolivian....

You have probably never thought of what it would imply to be a Bolivian and neither had I till about a year ago but now that I’m here I am enjoying the exciting and the mundane daily activities and treasure every experience. Life here in Bolivia is very different from the United States and in the different parts of Bolivia life varies. Have you ever hugged your washing machine? Well I will definitely be hugging mine if I ever have one again! Most of the residents here in Bolivia don't have washing machines, we wash all our cloths by hand and line dry them on cloths lines we have on our roof. While it takes a long time and gives you a good upper-body work out I am learning to enjoy it. We walk to the numerous service group, the meetings, the market...everywhere. I must admit I really love the freedom and simplicity of stepping out of my door at any time and walking to where I need to go, no waiting in traffic, red lights or stop signs. But you do have to watch out not to get hit by a bus, horse and carriage or passing taxi though because they don’t stop for red lights or stop signs either. Here in Bolivia they are not very big on recycling because there aren’t many things that come in a bottle. Have you ever drunk milk, yogurt, juice or water out of a bag? It’s kind of a weird concept but here it is the norm and really convenient, just bite or rip off the corner of the square plastic bag and you have a portable drink. Everything is cheaper! For example an ice cream bar at any corner store is about 15 cents (US equivalent), a ride on the bus 25 cents. They only go to school for half a day. They have two different groups; they either go in the morning (7-noon) or in the afternoon (1-6pm). That works out really good for the brothers or sisters who want to regular or auxiliary pioneer while they are still in school. The only bad thing is that sometimes they get called into school on Saturdays. The native dress is not a thing of the past here in Bolivia. While the percentage is decreasing as time goes on it is still very likely for you to see women dressed in the traditional blouse, hat, sandals, and “Pollera” (skirt) everywhere you go. Each “Departmento” (State) has their own variation of the traditional dress while sticking to the same general outfit. While life may at first seem to be more hectic without the commodities that we always rely on back home, it is actually a lot more relaxed and not plagued with so much daily stress. Service is amazing no matter where you go in Bolivia; even the so called “hardest” territories are a breeze compared to many of our territories in the states. Being here really trains you to use your Bible because it’s very easy to share 4, 5 or more scriptures at almost every door. I would recommend visiting, serving or living in Bolivia to anyone who wants to see Jehovah’s hand in the lives of many as you enjoy amazing Bible studies and work alongside loving, zealous brothers and sisters who reflect the loving kindness of our loving heavenly father as they help you adjust and learn….how to be a Bolivian. :)