FINALLY UPDATED

Well friends I was finally able to load up all the pics. Enjoy!!!

FINAL WEEK

Leti, Ronni, Daniel, Junko and Hiro

After a week of fun in the sun, all you can eat and drink buffets, massages, private jacuzzi's and steam rooms and VIP beach bumming, we head back to Santo Domingo. The neat thing is, that while we we're there at the resort we made some pretty cool friends. First, I met a Japanese Special Pioneer couple, Hiro and Junko, one day as we rushed in the VIP beach area to choose our cabana at 8am. As they're putting their stuff down to reserve their bed, I see they're setting down a Jeremiah book and BT book. I had to ask are you JW's? Of course they were!

They tell us later they're in a newly formed Chinese cong. in Santiago. To cut to the good part of their story, they came to the DR not knowing a lick of Spanish or for that matter a lick of English, they only spoke Japanese. Crazy, huh? That was 13 years ago. Now, they still don't speak much English, but they're fluent in Spanish. It's kind of cute though, they have a japanese accent mixed  with Dominican Spanish.  About 6 months ago they were assigned to the Chinese group now a cong. So now they've been learning Chinese, which in fact is two languages Cantonese and Mandarin. I don't remember which one is which but one of them they're learning from their teacher and the other one is the language most of the Chinese people here, speak. So they have to learn both of them, no matter what. We asked if it was hard to find Chinese people in the territory? No not really, they said, most Chinese people have a Chinese restaurant or a laundromat, so when we are working a territory and ask if they know any Chinese persons, they usually point us in a direction of the nearest pica pollo/Chinese restaurant or laundromat. Isn't that funny?

Another couple, Daniel and Ronni, we met when we were at breakfast. They strategically put a watchtower on their table for all to see and notice. Plus they were considering the text. We asked if they were witnesses? Of course, another pair of needgreaters. Daniel originally from Nigeria and Ronni a Cali girl. They've been in the campo for two years, coming from serving in Peru as needgreaters for three years. We get together with them and immediately a friendship sparks. They're on there way to the English convention in Santo Domingo after their stay, we're on our way. We're catching the bus to get there, they have a car with empty seats. They don't have a place to stay for the assembly, the family were staying with, has an extra house for visitors. It was like this meeting was arranged. Of course, it didn't quite work out perfect like that, but in the end, they made it to the assembly and stayed with the family we were staying with and we all had a good time. 

Now for the convention. My brothers, my friends, we have never attended such a special kind of convention, as this one. We have been to some pretty awesome conventions, most recently to the second Intl' convention in Israel's history of Jehovah's people,  but this one stands alone because of the following. Although the info is the same you'll all receive in your convention, but the over all spirit of the convention, its on a whole notha' level, if you know what I mean. 

Coat Room with all the Needgreater's luggage

This brother thought it was an Intl' Assembly

The baptism pool in use

It rained hard during the program the bro. had to raise his voice a bit

Imagine this, 80-90% of attendees are needgreaters from all over the world and many of them have been in the country for many years.  Probably, 80% of the ones present are in some form of full-time or special full-time service. We're talking, regular pioneers, special pioneers, Gillead trained missionaries, bethelites, bethelites who used to be special pioneers, circuit and district overseers, branch committee members and so on. The cream of the crop, the icing on the cake, the cherry on top, kind of folk. Now don't get me wrong, many have GB members at their conventions and I know its not a competition, and it doesn't get better than to have a GB member at your convention. Having said that, for this country, this is the place to be.

Now put all that experience in the field ministry, in Christian living, in spiritual maturity and now focus that on the parts, interviews and demos of the convention program and you have, by far, a superior product. Again it's not a competition, and its only my opinion, but it is what it is. Sorry, I have to correct that statement. It's not only my opinion, many of the present ones that we talked to, said the same thing. It's an AWESOME ASSEMBLY! The info in this assembly is so encouraging and so uplifting already, but when you add everything I just described above it's REALLY AWESOME!!!! Let me put it to you this way, Leti and I enjoyed it so much that we both came to the same conclusion, these conventions are SO awesome, that it's worth coming every year. 

Kids will be kids

During the drama the kids were very attentive

 





















The branch itself knows that this is a special convention. They even have a "Needgreater Desk" set up for anyone interested in signing up for a language class, wants info on where the need is even greater in the country, tips on where to get immigration info and all kinds of other stuff.

I won't give it all up, but this is what you can expect from the convention program. Lots of good talks, demos and interviews. There will be two dramas this year, both awesome and with a new twist, at least for me, a look into the future. And there will be some new releases, I won't tell you how many, but theres more than one and less than ten. All exciting and given to us at the proper time as always. There is just no denying it, this is Jehovah's organization and the slave class is doing their assigned work and feeding us plenty, lets take full advantage.

Monday was packing day and its time to go home. What an adventure! Never have we taken a trip like this. We can't wait to share more with y'all. We hope you've enjoyed the blog. Send us your comments and let us know what you thought so we can post them.  Till the next adventure...

WEEK 5/PUERTO PLATA

WEDNESDAY

10am bus ride back to DR. ALL DAY TRIP. Very tiring, but there was hope. We got home to pack again for our week vacation in Puerto Plata, Aaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

THURSDAY-THURSDAY

Bus ride to Puerto Plata. Quick taxi ride to the all-inclusive resort on the beach. If there’s nothing extraordinary that happens we’ll be on the V.I.P. beach in a cabana napping and stuffing our face till our week is over. Life is tough, but somebody has to live it, might as well be us. Till the next update...

Tropical Resort & Spa

Leti taking pics from VIP Beach

We did do some preaching on the beach. How do you like our method?

Our private jacuzzi

We enjoyed ourselves

We took some fun pics on the beach. We weren't planning on getting wet, but are you gonna do, but roll with it. So we did.

I didn't realize I got that wet

We took a city tour and went up the "Teleferico" and had a nice view of the coast.

WEEK 4/HAITI

MONDAY

Notice the containers in water? After earthquake

One of the things in our “have to do while we’re in the DR” list was visit Haiti. The problem was that everyone we told about our plan had something negative to say about visiting Haiti. When we visited DR Bethel, they didn’t want to comment, they said call Haiti branch and see what they say. So I did. I read up on Haiti before coming here and the general consensus was that as long as you went to tourist locations and didn’t travel to places you didn’t know well especially at night it was ok. The brother in Bethel said “of course it’s ok to travel to Haiti, we have brothers coming back and forth from DR. As a matter of fact, If you want to stay in Bethel just write and request it”. You know I did!

Market at the border crossing

Alf, Stef, Leti and I went to Haiti in a nice bus and spent two nights at the Haitian branch. Another branch off the list, check. Brothers were really happy to see visitors. Haiti gets a bad wrap and very few brothers  visit. We asked many of the Dominicans if they’ve ever visited Haiti, they said no and the majority make it clear they have no desire to visit. How sad. The bethelites draw a lot of encouragement from the friends that come and visit. They’re so FRIENDLY too.

Details like these sure make you feel special

Our Bethel room

Missionary home at the AH

At the moment, the GB approved a special project for the missionary homes that were destroyed in the earthquake. They're doing a pilot program. They bought manufactured homes that a construction crew puts together like a LEGO set and they come from China. They’ve put three up and are about a week away from finishing the fourth and last one. They’re pretty nice. The AH at the branch property has one and they look good. They have International Volunteers and Servants working on the project, our kind of folk. You know what that means? Have you put in your application for international work, you should, kind of questions and comments.

Does it look like it came in a box?

So many choices of sacred service, which one will you/I choose?

Of course, the Haitian fields are white for harvest. Creole is the happening thing is this part of the world. The brothers insisted it was really easy to learn and that we should just settle in the country to start preaching. If you think the Spanish service is good in DR, Creole is even better in Haiti. A couple who currently serves in Bethel has more than 10 studies. They’re in Bethel!!! When they used to be in the Special Pioneer work in the country they had 42 studies between the both of them, 42!!!!! Is that humanly possible? The norm is that every bethelite has at least 1 bible study get baptized every year. That is normal and not extraordinary. What???

Many bethelites thanked us for our visit. They said, it takes special people to come to a country like Haiti to visit the friends. We thought we were the ones that left encouraged. Just ask us about some of the earthquake stories when we get back.

TUESDAY

Morning  worship in Creole. Didn’t understand a lick, but I’m sure it was good. Bethel tour.

Bethel Reception

Bethel's Fleet

 Nice little translating branch. They have their hands full with all the info they must translate. But it’s up to Jehovah not them, and it’s coming along just right. In the last 20 years growth has quadrupled. They’re at 19,000 publishers. Studies are sifted through. If they go to meetings the brothers will study with them if they don’t go to meetings they stop studying with them so they can concentrate on those who want to progress. 2 KH construction crews need to build 8 KH a year to keep up with the growth. They’re at about 5 a year. Not enough. Also a great need.

Bethel Laundry

Bethel Pool

Notice the lights, outside stage for Family Night or where a sister teaches Zoomba

The only real damage to the Branch's property was the perimeter wall. Since it was damaged they tore it down and put up a provisional wall. They also put up these watchtowers for the night watchmen. So they can keep an eye on any lurkers that were around the fence. After they rebuilt the fence the nightwatchmen like the watchtowers and they kept them.

Some bethelites like to garden. So Bethel, allocated some small plots for those who like to garden. That special pioneer couple that is now in Bethel and have 10 studies, the sister loves flowers, so she has her plot full of different flowers. Others have some spices and things.

Let see who can you notice the differences between the AH in Haiti and the one in the DR. Send in you guess.

 

During the earthquake in 2010 the damage was so extent in the country that even the branch suffered damage. The damage was so significant, that the branch decided not to repair it. As a matter of fact, the tour highlights the damage. These pictures show the damage. The buildings, the walls, the windows and everything else suffered no damage. The only damage was, these small cracks in the floor tile. The construction done by the Watchtower is so superior in the country that their buildings remained in tact.

The last building that was constructed, was actually built by a local Haitian contractor. What the Society did was to send an International Servant to oversee the work. The contractor kept insisting that the plans were overbuilt. "The Society is wasting money in materials and construction methods. If you let us do it our way, we could save you lots and lots of money", he said. Well, he finally consented to follow the plans.

After the earthquake, he was reassured of the superiority of the construction methods he was forced to use. So what did he do? He re-built his own house using the Society's methods. And now part of his portfolio of jobs is the Branch. He proudly says that he did such a good job that it withstood the earthquake of 2010.

Our taxi driver on the left, the IS and Alf, tying up the taxi to the truck

Our make shift tow truck

After lunch we decided to tour the city a little with a brother who’s a taxi driver and that the branch recommends. Let me preface this part of the story by saying this was: Taxi ride from Hades in Haiti. Our dear brother speaks and understands very little English. None of us speak Creole. Plus our brother stutters, so the little English he does speak WE can barely understand. I’m sure the branch recommends him because he can get the brothers from the airport or the bus depot to Bethel without a problem but, when you want to go and tour the city and buy some souvenirs, that’s a problem, A BIG PROBLEM. Let’s just say, we never bought a single souvenir and we got a tour of the city alright, about 4 hours worth, just nothing we wanted to see. We missed dinner at Bethel and to top it off the car broke down. Like I said, taxi ride from Hades in Haiti.

We should of just taken a "Tap, Tap", the local and cheaper mode of transportation

 Everything was forgotten once we got to spend more time with the friends. In the evening, we got invited to spend time with some of the single bethelites (or as I call them the NON-EUNUCHS, hint, hint, single sisters) and they told me all about their spiritual heritage and the tragedies and triumphs of being part of Jehovah’s organization during such a horrible disaster like the earthquake. I could never type fast enough to cover all the stories. Ask, and I will gladly tell you.

First Missionary couple in Haiti, since the new Gilead arrangement. They were serving in the DR Bethel. They arrived a few days before us.