Memorial

Bethlehem NZ Congregation's Memorial Attendance Was 168.

I would love to hear from anyone anywhere - how many people were at yours? Please make a comment saying where you are from and how many attended. (Go on - it will only take you a few minutes)


PS to all that have commented so far - thanks heaps - also loving hearing your little experiences thrown in.
Keep em coming!

 While in Gisborne we checked out the longest wharf (disused) in the Southern Hemisphere at Tolaga Bay. It is 600metres long and it is a shame that they didn't keep building it because we could have kept walking all the way to South America!

Mark looking longingly at the sea - he has swum in the water on both sides of this ocean

Ryan and Lizi's new cosy nook

I obviously spoke to soon

A naughty cow got into what is left of the garden last night and it was great excitement watching Mark get it back into the field - yep my life is officially boring if this is what I call exciting!

It was very funny to watch as Mark finally got Mrs Cow into the paddock and then turn round to see her sisters following in her footsteps

Bit Boring - sorry!

Really not much been happening in this part of the world lately - so sorry there hasn't been any new posts lately!
Amanda and I woke up feeling crook (that's kiwi for sick) this morning so Mark was the only one out doing the good work from our house. We have come to the end of our invites (didn't quite make it round all the territory though) which I am quite glad about. Walking for miles and not being able to stop and talk much is not my idea of fun - it's a work that has got to be done though so we just kept plodding.
Tomorrow we are heading down to Gisborne (about 4 hours drive) to take some furniture down to Ryan. Him and Lizi have moved into their own little house so it will be nice to check out where they are living. Something exciting may happen down there which will mean I have something to blog about - here's hoping!

Oh No!

Eeekk! This morning we woke with a shock - it was freezing! The temperature dropped in a big way and when you are living in a shed - that is not good! Actually I guess it wasn't that bad, 6 degrees Celsius but as I say being in a shed made it seem very wintery! I realized also with a shock that I have left all our winter clothes in Cuenca thinking we would be back there before the end of summer - now I am regretting that decision. Here's hoping the change of season inspires people to get out and look for a new house and decide to buy ours otherwise I am in for a bleak winter!

There has to be a better way!!

Actually I am sure they have invented a machine for potato harvesting but the farm doesn't boast such fancy stuff and anyway - Mark's a machine eh!!

So Daniel in France - here's the answer to your question about the potatoes! By the looks of it - Lloyd and Maureen will be set for potatoes for the next 2 years!

Start of Campaign

Not much to report but thought you might like to see a photo of our group yesterday at the compulsory coffee break spot:

I took this set up shot for the sister on the left who is from England. She wants to send it over to her family to show where she goes witnessing (a bit mean eh? They are in the dead of winter over there).

So how is everyone else's campaign going?

Feeling Glub!

Poor me - I am feeling a little glub (yes glub cause I can't say glum properly). I had to get one of my wisdom teeth out (ok so enough with the being less wise jokes) the other day and so I am a sore and swollen in the face area. Naturally it couldn't be a straight forward extraction (with it's straight forward price) - no I had to go to an oral surgeon and get the full deal and of course that cost the earth. Which makes me mad because if the tooth had broken just a few months earlier (or for that matter a few months later) - I could have gotten it done in Cuenca at a fraction of the plata! That's probably more the reason I feel so glub!

We're on Vacation!

Yep - we've said goodbye to the cockroaches and noisy black crickets and come to a very exclusive Bed and Breakfast to spend a week in style! This resort boasts a Big screen TV with cable and a pantry well stocked.We even get the use of not one but two cars - how cool is that!
Actually it is my sister that has really gone on vacation and we are House and Mum sitting but we get all the above perks so we are really pretty spoiled.

Still enjoying our witnessing here (for the most part anyway - we miss Cuenca terribly). I had the first study with one of my calls the other day which worked out well. Just to fill you in, Mark had placed the BT book with a young girl about 4 weeks ago and I went back to her but she wasn't home. Her Mum was though and even though I expected a short shift from her when I told her what we were there for, she responded really well too. The next week Mark and I both went back and the Mum and the daughter were there, so we had a good talk with them both. The next week after that, Amanda and I were invited inside and in the course of the conversation (this was with the Mum) she said she didn't have a bible. I took one back on the following RV and it was the daughter I got this time. Well after another good talk with Laura, I explained that her mother had agreed to a bible study and she was welcome to sit in as all her questions would be answered in time. Anyway the day of the study arrived but when I got there no one was home. Oh great - here we go I thought. However I had Mums mobile number so I was able to text her and the next minute she rings back to say she is stuck at work but would I like to come there (both of them work at a cafe). Ok - off we went and had a very nice study with the Mum and a free coffee to boot. Bernadette was so rapt to have her own bible and told me she had been proudly showing it off to all and sundry. I will keep you posted on their progress but I really hope I have to hand them over to someone else soon and we get to wing our way back to where our hearts are.

Walking in the woods

A few from the congo got together the other day and went for a walk in the bush. Seeing I miss walking up the mountains in Ecuador, I decided to go with them. Mark was busy working at the Assembly Hall so was not around to hold my hand - it was fortunate there was some very nice young bros to look after me - as you can see, even tying my shoe laces for me (quite possibly I was taking too much time trying to bend over)

Not sure who we think we are in this photo -

I was humbled having to be helped when the brother in the photo next to me managed to do it ok -and he's 85 years old!!!