CO Week

I can't believe this week is over already, it went really fast. We have been really busy with this week with the CO visit which we've really enjoyed. And, this next week we have our 2 day assembly and the pioneer meeting to look forward to. There has been so much support this week for the service meetings between the CO visit and all the auxiliary pioneers. For March we have 31 auxiliary pioneers!(That means for March, more than 60% of the congregation is pioneering). Here is a quick video we took of everyone at the pioneer meeting with the CO (as promised)

They provided cookies and hot chocolate for everyone after the meeting. It was very sweet. There were so many people that we ran out of chairs. (also sorry for the bad lighting, one of the lights was broken so we all crowded in really close).

We've also been enjoying the start of the Memorial campaign. Its great here, not only are we able to handle the presentation in Spanish (its nice to get all the way through a presentation at a door by myself), but almost everyone accepts the invitation with enthusiasm. We've had lots of people tell us they will be there for sure. For the campaign the brothers here asked that we take not-at-homes (since they have a limited supply of invitations), something they don't usually ever do so we got to show them how to fill it out. They were so cute; They kept asking questions about how to do it or what to write. We are really loving our new congregation, everyone is so loving and accommodating. They will try to shield us from mean dogs (my partner almost got bit this morning!) or share an umbrella if the sun is really hot. They also help us with our Spanish, correcting our mistakes tactfully, speaking really slowly, or repeating things multiple times until we get it . We got really lost one day for service (we took the right bus but in the wrong direction and ended up on the other side of the city) and we were really late so now we've had a lot of people try to help us to figure out where the service meetings are. Its nice to have brothers and sisters looking out for us and since they aren't many other foreigners in our new congregation they are very happy that we are there and so are we.

                  Here's a picture from our territory this afternoon. Our territory is great here but the only downside is everything is uphill!! (you would think we would be used to it in Pullman but somehow its so much harder when you've been walking all day in the sun). One sister bought everyone Popsicles today because it was so hot and we walked so much. 

People also recognize us as witnesses everywhere. They will stop us and ask us if we are sisters and the talk to us. Today a woman stopped us asking if we were sisters and asked for the magazines, so Elena was able to give her the latest issues and the invitation which she was very happy to receive and thanked us repeatedly. Its not the first time that we've encountered that either. Also today, an older man stopped me and asked if he could ask a Bible questions. Of course! He said he was reading his Bible last night but had trouble with part of Romans. I was more than happy to try to answer his question until he revealed he was confused about the part on circumcision. That would of taken me off guard in English not to mention Spanish! I struggled to try and answer him semi coherently until, thankfully, a brother who was close by came to my rescue and was able help better answer his question. Still, its nice that so many people recognize the Witnesses and what we are doing and are eager to talk about the Bible.

Also this week (on a less spiritual note) we got a package from home! Which was very exciting (especially since everyone here kept telling us that it probably wouldn't make it here), we now have things to cook! (Thank you!!) We have learned how to successfully use a pressure cooker (did you know they can explode?! We were a bit apprehensive about it at first) so now our cooking is getting better and we also have spices!! I have never been so happy to see a pepper grinder or a box of mac and cheese. (Elena got jerky and bacon bits so she's pretty ecstatic too). We've been so thrilled to be able to season anything. Hopefully since we can cook halfway decent food, now we can try to have some of the friends over for dinner. 

Well that's all I can think to share tonight (we are pretty brain dead after a day of sun and Spanish). I'm sure we will have more after this weekend.