Just a Brief Update While Under a Tropical Storm Warning

There is not much new to report here.  We have just been going about our normal routine in the ministry and otherwise each week.  I have even been able to take a few days off here and there as we wind down to the end of the service year.  Currently, we are both at home since our island is feeling the mild effects of tropical storm Isaac.  The past two days have featured intermittent storms with relatively strong winds and rain.  We were able to go out Thursday and Friday morning before things got too bad, but this morning service was cancelled due to reports of more severe weather.  We are still happy each time it pours.  Again, rain = water in the cistern.  We have not even lost power or had any other real concerns.  We are just indoors waiting for it to pass.  It has given us ample opportunity to rest and enjoy some quality time.  We have movies, the internet, and plenty of prep work to be done in the kitchen in anticipation of mom's upcoming visit.  This morning I already made hummus, pita bread, and veggie burgers.  Still on the list is granola, banana bread, larabars, freezer fudge, cookies, biscuits, and possibly yogurt if we can't cheat and purchase Monday at the store.  The storm should be well away from us and on its path to the U.S. by tomorrow it seems.  We will be ready to get outdoors again and head to the beach!

The mom countdown is at 5 days.  We can't wait to see her face at the airport Thursday afternoon.  She will get to attend the meeting with us that evening and go in service with us on Friday and Saturday morning.  I have lined up a few studies on which to take her and we will let her see what the door-to-door ministry is like as well.  There will be plenty of time in the afternoons and over the weekend to enjoy the sun and beach.  We hope she is able to relax as if on a true vacation while seeing what our life here is really like.  A blog post reporting on her visit and how she faired will certainly follow.

We currently have a young brother from Minnesota on the island visiting the Jacksons.  He arrived earlier this week and will overlap mom's visit by one day.  I feel bad that he is here when the weather has us shut indoors, but with such a long visit he will get to experience the better parts of Grand Turk in the coming days.  He already was used to sub a demo on Thursday night.  If you come to Grand Turk and are qualified, we will put you to work immediately.  It is nice to have a new face in the congregation even if only briefly.  We are glad to have him with us.

Our studies are doing well.  We continue to find joy in teaching the children here.  It has been nice in recent weeks to begin utilizing the "For Family Review" activities from the monthly Awake to review what they are being taught from "My Book of Bible Stories."   What a great teaching tool that indicates how interested Jehovah is in our young ones!  We can not underestimate the effect there learning about the Bible now may have on them as they become adults.  Jehovah is the reader of hearts and as they develop an appreciation and love for Bible truths he can do much to help that take root and grow.  We are hopeful that we may play some small part in creating that interest and helping them recognize their Creator.  Evidence of sincere progress is seen in Talia's recent sentiments.  One day after our study she told me she had been praying to Jehovah, thanking him for her family, their food, etc.  I mentioned it to her dad, hoping he, too, would see how beneficial teaching her at such a young age can be, and he verified that he actually had walked in on her one evening on bent knees praying at her bedside.  At first, he wondered what she was doing, but quickly realized she was talking to Jehovah.  It is very sweet for me to imagine this scene.  I invested in two boxes of crayons to take along for the weekly activity sheets that accompany our Bible lessons.  Each child makes the request to keep them for me at their house (so thoughtful, right? haha), but I know better after seeing the remnants of broken crayons they possess and how few are left at that.  I have to convince them that we are sharing them and promise to bring them back each week.  It is truly a welcome sight to see they have set up for our study before we arrive and to see them run out with their books in hand excited to greet us--well, still more me than Chad, but he is slowly gaining some popularity by association :)  One of the young boys with whom he studies actually attended the meeting on his own last Sunday and was very well behaved and attentive.  Unfortunately, he has no permanent residence at the moment due to a difficult family situation.  However, Chad is determined to seek him out and continue to study with him when possible.

As is often the case, our studies face many challenges financially, within their families, and so on.  It can be difficult to see their struggles and hear their stories as you develop closer relationships with them, but we have to find comfort in knowing that aiding them to learn Bible truths is the best assistance we can offer.  It gives a long term solution to the problems we all face.  In the meantime, we help additionally as we are able and keep them in our prayers regularly.  If they only knew how much we think and worry about them.

I had another flat tire earlier this week that proved to be frustrating for Chad.  Fortunately, with a little patience, it was repaired and we were in business yet again.  The frustration was somewhat offset when we were able to purchase five pounds of fresh grouper the same day the tire blew.  We had some grilled fresh for dinner the following night and froze the rest to enjoy in the coming weeks.  It was so incredibly delicious, maybe because it had been a while since we had fish or maybe because it was really that good.  Either way, I was a happy girl!  Of course, I took a picture of the meal so you will see that in our next "What We Ate" post.

As this week comes to an end, we have much to look forward to in the days that follow.  We also look forward to sharing pictures and experiences after our first visitor has departed.  Take care and we will catch up again soon!