The Routine

I Preach on da beach!

I've now been here for nearly six weeks, and I have to say I'm feeling pretty good.  I haven't been robbed, gone broke, or been killed, so I must be doing something right:)  My weekly service routine is pretty much set, with long days on Monday's and Saturdays, and shorter days in the middle of the week.


I have my first official Bible study, and we've covered a few paragraphs in the Bible Teach book on the chapter that discusses family.  His name is Shehker, and he works at a jewelry shop in Ocho Rios, a tourist town that we visit every Saturday.  He was engaged a couple months before I arrived, and his bride-to-be is in India.  Carole and Jaime had given him a family book, and the first time I met him he seemed very concerned about getting good guidance to have a happy family life. Well you know, the Bible can help with that...


I'll have to get a picture of him so you all can see, but he is a very nice man who looks forward to his study.  In fact, our group had been unable to make it to Ocho Rios for a couple weekends in a row, and by the time I finally got back to him, he was wondering where we had been and if we forgot about him!  Since our territory is almost exclusively in shops, it is sometimes hard to preach if they have customers.  But it is slow season for tourism right now, and the jewelry shops especially are relatively slow.  So Shekher is always willing to stop for a 1/2 hour or so and catch up for a bit and study.


In the same shop, I call on a man named Sashee.  I gave him the Hindi NWT this past Saturday and he was very appreciative.  I hope to study with him out of the "Listen to God" brochure this coming Saturday.  Sister Vina went with me on the call 2 weeks ago and Sashee began pouring out his heart to us.  Apparently, he spent his entire life savings taking care of his father who had suffered a stroke.  It took him years to save all that money, but he spent it all on medical bills in less than a month.  Now it seems that he feels like less of a man because he doesn't have any savings and is worried about the future security of his family.  Of course, in my mind I was thinking that there was no better way for him to spend his savings than caring for his Dad, but Sister Vina says it's a very Indian thing to be ashamed if you lose your savings.  Anyway, he was glad to see us last week also.  He already has read the "Listen" brochure several times over, because he was sooo happy to see it in his language.


After service midweek, I can come home and do any studying and relax for a bit.  Sometimes in the evenings I'll go outside and stand on my balcony and watch the sun set.  The nights are generally cool, so sometimes I'll go outside with my headphones in and just look at the stars and feel the nightime breeze.  Life is peaceful here, and I'm looking forward to the next few months that I'm here.


Convention is just around the corner for us, July 6-8.  Hindi sessions!!!!