We live on Isla Carenero which is a very short water taxi ride to the "main" island of Isla Colon where the Kingdom Hall is located. Since we, along with another single brother (who is back in the US at the moment), are the only Witnesses living on Carenero it gives us a good opportunity to work the island as our personal territory.
Our first day in the ministry on Carenero, Val met a kind woman at the door who spoke no English but asked that we come back in an hour or so to speak with her husband, so we did just that. Her husband's name is Ricardo. Ricardo speaks english well and works as a police officer in Almirante (which is the nearest town on the mainland from Bocas del Toro). He was very hospitable- invited us in, found each of his children to come shake our hands, and then (as is so typical) offers up whatever seating he has for us to sit on while his family stands, sits on the floor, etc. We briefly discuss the tract, "Would You Like to Know the Truth?" and Ricardo is interested to know more. His work schedule as a police officer is 1 week on/ 1 week off and he is set to leave the next day for one week so I arrange to meet with him when he returns.
I meet Ricardo at his home a week later and we begin to study article 8 in the "Good News From God!" brochure-- the end of suffering, violence and trouble is particularly interesting to him because of his work as a police officer. He next explains to me that much of his family lives here in Carenero but he and his family are only here during the summer when their children are out of school-- they live the rest of the year in their family's home in Kankintu, Panama which is a one hour bus ride and then a four hour boat ride up a river (google map the location for extra credit). He further explains that his mother-in-law is a witness and his wife studied years ago. There is (from his description) a VERY rudimentary Kingdom Hall in Kankintu (a village with no power or road to it, btw). The official address for the Kankintu Hall on the JW.org site is simply "on the main path"!
Upon sitting for an hour and discussing section 8 in the "Good News" brochure, I ask Ricardo if I can return another time to continue our bible discussion. He tells me that he is on vacation from work and that he desires that I come everyday until he leaves for Kankintu! And so everyday for the past four days Ricardo and I have met to continue our bible discussion. His children begin school sometime around February 17th so my window of time with Ricardo is painfully too brief. He soaks up bible truths, though, and seems so determined to apply Jehovah's word in his life. Ricardo tells me that each night after we finish our study together, he shares what he has learned with his wife and children. He also tells me that his younger son, Louis, loves Jehovah very much and often is bullied at school for standing up for what is right. Indeed, yesterday afternoon Louis met Val walking along the sidewalk and proudly exclaimed, "I am a Testigo! (Witness)".
Ricardo asked me for a Spanish-language NWT bible. He says his wife's grandmother has a New World translation that is very, very old. He claims that it is brown-- I haven't even heard of such one?! He wants to be able to share scriptures with his family that are easily read and understood.
Spending this brief amount of time with Ricardo, it is easy to see how Jesus described the fields as white for harvesting. Jehovah is today drawing so many sheep to him and when we meet humble ones like Ricardo we are reminded of what a privilege it is to play a small part in Jehovah's purpose.
I'm off to go study with Ricardo but I have to first pick up a present-- a Spanish-language NWT!
No comments:
Post a Comment