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...