One Week Back and Plans to Travel Again

This week has flown by with busy service days for us both and with work for Chad.  I cannot believe it is already Saturday and that we will be departing again tomorrow morning for the States.  We enjoyed our studies and made arrangements for them to either be covered by one of the other pioneers during our absence or made appointments for after our return.  We enjoyed having yet another visitor this week in service with us also.  Heidi is a pioneer from Houston, Texas and has been staying with the Jackson's since Monday.  She has much experience in the ministry and some experience with Spanish making her especially helpful in our territory.  I am grateful that she has already turned over a new study to me.  It is with a young girl named Melissa who studied before in Provo, but now lives here in Grand Turk.  She is so sweet and seems eager to study again.  I am hopeful that it proves progressive.  Last night, we enjoyed more association with our visiting sister at the Jackson's home.  We watched a movie and had popcorn.  It was very nice.

Heidi and I

See the dark clouds behind us?  That was the welcome sign of the rain we had on and off today.

Melissa and I

This week on the service meeting we all enjoyed hearing reports for our prospective congregations about the last service year.  Here are some highlights from our report in Grand Turk:

• 41 publishers
• 14 different auxillary pioneers throughout the year
• 2 special pioneers
• 7 regular pioneers
• 7 baptized
• 1 new unbaptized publisher
• 1.3 average Bible studies per publisher
• 130 average Bible studies per month for congregation

There is certainly much room for growth even on this tiny island in the Caribbean!  It is encouraging as we continue into another service year.

On another note, I am so happy to be reading the Bible book of Daniel now.  It is a very exciting book and a nice change from the denunciations of Ezekiel :)  Even as I read it now as an adult, I picture the illustrations from My Book of Bible Stories and remember how much I enjoyed them as a child as well.  Daniel had an amazing life in his service to Jehovah.  How interesting it will be to hear more about his experiences, no doubt many more than recorded in the book that bears his name, in the coming new world!  

We think of all who have the privilege of attending the annual meeting today.  This meeting was in our prayers and we look forward to hearing reports from friends soon!

As I said, we depart from Grand Turk tomorrow.  We look forward to lunch with our friends in Provo during our layover.  I look forward to seeing Heather Schaeffer when she picks me up at the airport tomorrow night.  We look forward to the ministry in Ponte Vedra throughout this coming week as well as visiting with all our friends and family in the area.  We will see you very soon!