Saturday Day 5

Chad, Ryan and I got started early in preaching with 3 other friends, Carlos Alvarez, Loles and Lupe. We met them in the park, but because of rain from the night not many were out in the streets yet. So we drove a few miles to an open air market and found many vendors opening their shops and a few people walking the streets with their coffee and newspapers. We all placed literature with various ones in both Spanish and English. I spoke a young woman and her mother in English, they were originally from Cuba. Although I was able to explain a little about the last days to her, she did not want any magazines or for me to read from the Bible.

We met the field service group at 9:30am and went to a territory across town. Traffic was so busy so it took us a while to get there. Chad and I worked together for half the morning searching for those who speak English. We stopped in at a family owned convenience store as we went along and found a young lady, Diana. She accepted the December magazines on Does God Cause Natural Disasters and Why the Bible Was Protected for Us Today. She told us that she was leaving for Vercruz on Monday so we probably would not find her again. How exciting we finally got to start our own conversation!! After that we switched partners, Chad to work with Carlos de La Cruz and me with his wife Yvette. We did not find anymore people at home after that, however, it was so encouraging to see them working so hard to learn English. (Many homes were vacant in the area due to the biggest flood in the history of Villahermosa back in 2007.)

For the afternoon, Chad, Ryan and I met a young man, Ociel, at a new coffee shop. He spoke English very well, but his accent was so thick that it at times was hard to understand him. We spoke with him about many things from future plans, how he learned English, his girlfriend from Miami, Florida and then to spiritual things. He was raised as a Catholic, but said there were many things he disagreed with 2 major things being infant baptism and tithing. He asked why does a baby need to be baptized, what sins has he committed that he would need cleansing. He didn't like the thought of tithing because the church used to send his father a bill in the mail even though they had not gone to that church in years. Ryan shared with him from Rev 22:17 that the invitation of learning about God is free and no one should be charging for this message. Ociel whole heartedly agreed. He accepted the latest magazines and a What Does the Bible Really teach book. He wasn't quite sure about a personal Bible study, but said he would look at the book and let Ryan know.

For the evening, the four of us Ryan, Candace, Chad and I went to visit some friends in their home for a study of the Watchtower. Jeremiah and Carina are a newly wed couple with much love for Jehovah and are working very hard to learn English for Him. When we finished our discussion Carina made ham and cheese crepes for snacks. Then the six of us played the game, sequence. Too much fun!

On our way home, people were lighting off fire crackers everywhere in the streets. They really get into celebrating Jesus "birthday." Because many houses are close to the streets the people had their backs to the house wall, standing on the side walk, throwing their fireworks into traffic. Can you say Crazy!?! Good thing it was only a mile or two from home.