Christmas In July

Hi everyone. All is well here. Just busy. Being in Panama on Christmas gives new meaning to the phrase Christmas in July. Not to mention the warm July like weather last night at midnight Blake and I (Mike sleeps through everything) were awaken to what we thought was the 4th of July fireworks. It was quite amazing. For the last week firework stores have been popping up everywhere, and since regulations are not as restrictive the fireworks they sell are quite powerful. So as I said last night Blake and I got to see quite a show from all our neighbors. We leave this Thursday for Panama City. Mike has a doctor appointment to get his pump refilled on Thursday. We are excited about meeting the new doctor. Then Friday is the pioneer meeting and Saturday and Sunday the Circuit Assembly. I spent the day today going over my notes for the KY Circuit pioneer meeting. Tomorrow we are going to go to the beach and I am planning on going over my notes for the Assembly. I did finally met our neighbor today. He is a very nice gentle gray haired fellow. I have attached his pic.

Exiting Week

Hi everyone. Sorry it has been a while since I wrote. We have had a very exiting and busy week with the CO visit. His name is Larry Klein and his wife is Providence. He is from Arizona and she is from New York. They went to Mexico as "need greaters" to help out in the English and after 1 year they were asked to join the circuit work, that was 9 years ago. At that time there was only 1 English circuit in all of Mexico, today there are 7. Now they are servicing in the circuit that includes all of Costa Rica and all of Panama with a total of 22 groups or congregations. He told us that in the last year our circuit has seen an increase of 28% in congregations and a 21% increase in the number of pioneers. We were very encouraged by his visit. It appears that VERY soon we may be a congregation. We have a huge territory and currently there are 19 publishers with 1 elder and 3 permenent ministerial servants. We had several good calls this past week and we will try to get those into exstablished studies and will let you know how that goes. I do now have what I would considered an established study even though I have only seen her once. On the initial call we started the study and she told me she would like me to come every Friday at 2pm.

We also found a house we are excited about. It is currently being remodeld but should be done in 1 to 2 months. It is small but going to be VERY nice. I have attached some pictures and will update you with future pics showing the progress.

We miss you all very much and hope all is well in Kentucky. Give us a call on magic jack or skype us. We would love to hear from you all.

Front of House. Carport is going to be new bedroom with private bathroom.

View from Living room into Dining room

View from Dining Room into Livingroom and the new Front door. The front wall where the window is going to be the new door and they are going to knock out that wall and move it out 3.5 feet.

This is Living room where they are raising the roof some.

Beach Day

Well we had a beautiful day at the beach. Blake spent the day on a buggie board. The waves were a nice size, big but not too big. I spent the day getting sun burnned on my legs and Mike spent the day talking. We got home early and then we all went to bed. Here are some pics of the beach and the friends in the Dolegita English Group.

                                            Sarah with her little girl and boy, and Amber

                                                         Angel

                                                      Desiree

                                                        a very exhaster Blake

The Latest

Sorry it has been a while since my last post. Things are going good and I have been able to get out in service more. It is amazing to me that when you ask people here what God's Kingdom is they already know it is a government and Jesus is it's King. OK here are some experiences in the ministry. I got this kid in his upper teens and showed him The Truth tract. We looked at the first 2 questions and he gave me his answers. Then I asked him to look at the next question "What happens to you when you die?" He again answered me telling me that there is a heaven and that we go there. I told him that he was exactly right that was what the Bible said but that the Bible also said something else. I took him to Matt. Chapter 5 and read to him vs. 3, then I read vs. 5 and pointed out the two hopes. Then I read the scriptures at PS. 37 and said again that some will go to heaven but some with live forever on the earth and he added "but in peace as it says." Needless to say I gave him a Bible Teach book and set up for a study next Friday. Then we all wanted a drink so we ran over to the "mall" and grabbed something to drink. The lady at the stand spoke perfect English so Blake placed a magazine with her and told her he really wanted to share a scripture with her but he didn't have his Bible. Well, she grabs a napkin and pen and asks what it is, that she would look it up when she got home. She is there all the time so I am hoping to get her in service early this week. OK, one more. A brother and his wife that are here visiting had set up to study with this lady and her husband on Sunday afternoon but have not had their first study yet and they turned it over to Mike and me because it is near our house. So, Mike and I go by and the husband looks a little confused as we try to explain why we are there, so we started talking about God's Kingdom. He then asked us if we wanted to come in that he had some time right then so we did. He then sits down with us with his Bible and a datebook and as we start the study in the Bible Teach book he takes notes in his date book!! He also marks his Bible with every scripture we look up. So we will let you know how that goes. So as of right now I have (I think) 2 studies with adult ladies, 1 study with Mike, 1 study with a teenage boy to give to Blake or Mike, 1 study with a 15 year old girl, and 2 other good calls that could be studies with very little effort. Not bad for 2 weeks in service.

This picture is of a Travelers Palm. It always fans North to South.

Experience

I'm sorry somehow I forgot to mention an experience we had today. We found a lady that had been studying with a sister from the states named Michelle. Well, Michelle had to go back to the states and turned the study over to another visiting sister named Amber and she also went back to the states and is coming back in the next few weeks. Anyway the girl said she missed her study so much and wanted to study again and didn't want to wait for Amber so I am going along with Teri, a sister here, to resume the study next week. Her name is Anna. I will keep you "posted". I am going to try to get up early in the morning and go to the park and do some witnessing. I will let you know how it goes.

THANKSGIVING!!!

I'm not sure but this may have been the first day I have ever been out in service on Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful day. A sister and I started with a study of hers at 8:00 but the study was not at home, however, her brother lives next door and we got to talk to him and place magazines. Then we went off to the grociery store to do some witnessing. On the way there the sister mentioned a security guard that worked there that has a daughter that is studying and she felt he really would love a study in Spanish and she was hoping to see him. Well as it turns out we did see him and he was the same guard that had stopped and talked to me there about 2 days ago!! We had a nice (and confusing due to the language barrier) conversation. Gave him the Bible Teach book in Spanish and set up for the Missionary Brother to study with him at his lunch breaks. Then off to the field service group. We met up with Blake and 4 other brothers, yes I said brothers. We worked a very nice expensive territory. We were invited back to visit 3 people. The parents were at home but did not speek English but told us their children did and to come back so we will do that on Saturday and see how that goes. Here are some beautiful pics of some plants I saw. OH Yeah, Blake made us a late lunch early dinner. Bacon and eggs his specialty. It was actually VERY good.

MY FIRST BLOG SO DON'T LAUGH

I have so much to say and very little time to say it. We have made it here safe and sound. I guess that is the most important thing to tell you all. Our drive to Florida was very nice and thankfully uneventful. As we pulled out of Frankfort it was very surreal for us all. It was as if we were riding off into the sunset and ahead to the future.

Florida was nice. We got to visit Anna Nicholson in Orlando, oh way, and Hoby. We went to Universal and the first day I lost my cell phone on the 'Hulk'. A very cool or should I say cruel roller coaster. Then on the day before we left for Miami Mike's phone died on us.

Anyway, we had some major craziness with getting the papers for Dakota back from the Panama Embassy. In fact on the Monday morning, the day before we left, I was on the phone with them trying to figure out how we could get the papers for our flight on Tuesday at 9:50am. Well we were able to pay a mere fortune and got the papers sent to the airport and they were there waiting for us. So I was able to take a big sigh of relief 'thinking' everything was now going to be easy sailing. The next day proved to be trying. When we got to the airport we got sent to this counter and then over to that counter and then finally sent to the correct counter (one especially for passengers with pets). By the time we got to that counter the lady said we were too late and were not going to make our flight, but somehow she worked fast and was able to check us through then she personally walked us through security and we made it to the gate with about 10 minutes to spare. Then we were off for Panama!!!! The plan was crammed packed and we had nowhere to put out feet with Dakota lying on the floor. Thank goodness it was only a 3 hour flight. (Sorry Donna, at this point taking a picture was the last thing on my mind)

I WARNED YOU I HAD A LOT TO SAY!!! Time has run out. I have to clean some more and get some rest. I have service in morning. I love you all.