Good Association

Susan came to the meeting last Friday evening and made fast friends with Kym. Meanwhile, her neighbors we're making and drinking sakau. They ridiculed her for going to the meeting most of the day, but she said that she needs to make new friends that help her have good habits. This was not an easy thing for her to do as most of her neighbors drink sakau on Friday nights and she enjoyed doing it too. The parts of the pepper bush are flown in from Pohnpei so they can make it here in Guam. The bush doesn't grow here. The lower photo is of Susan's neighbors cutting up the limbs and roots before pounding them into sakau. After that weekend, the landlord of the apartments told them that they could no longer make it there. What a blessing for Susan!

He will make you strong!

Don't you love her smile! Karen is such a delight to spend time with. In service last week, we were talking about sharing a scripture at the door. She wasn't sure which one she'd like to read, so John 17:3 was suggested. She read it beautifully and pronounced it a "really good one"! After practicing how she would read it at the door and what she might say about it, she said she was nervous. Karen acknowledged that prayer would probably help. She excused herself and prayed right away. When she was finished, she said she was ready to share the scripture at the door!

So Long, Perez Family!

Our congregation had a going away party for the Perez family. They are in the large photo in the middle of the collage. Armando and Denise are moving to the States and Vince has already left for Ebeye. He is part of the Kingdom Hall Construction crew. We will all miss them.

Maipe Hot

Double decker cars come to Guam

Future Pioneer Partners

Sunday's Watchtower study was just for young ones. These young ladies attended with us. Each one is getting to know Jehovah on their own.

Cassie

Cassie with her cousins and brother and her new book.

On Wednesday, Cassie received a December Awake! and was shown the last page for kids. When we returned on Saturday, she handed us this. She's 10.

The Truth is Free, but Lies will cost you Money.

The next pictures are of a custom we'd only heard about.
While Veronica and Rachel discuss Bible truth, a bizarre Catholic church sponsored fleecing takes place around them.

Bell ringing to alert the government-subsidized, poor neighborhood that THEY'RE COMING!!!

Equipped with bell-ringer, a donation box, and a big, baby Jesus doll, the priest goes house-to-house, inviting householders to kiss the doll and give money.

On the street where our sisters are studying, comes an equally equipped group.

As the baby Jesus handlers pass by, this householder is learning the truth and saved a lot of money.

Sheep on the right/Goats on the left

After the doll is passed around inside the home, donations are collected as the doll moves on.

Everyone gets to learn.

Even the littlest ones.

Rachel was discussing what knowing the Messiah means for each one of us in our daily lives while the doll went by.

I know you. Let's study.

I was checking on Karen's (the cutie on the left) parents to see if her dad would be working late or if they would be studying later in the evening. They said to give them one hour and they would be ready.
As I was leaving, the lady in the background waved me over and said that she met me once with someone else visiting her kids. (Usually, I can remember someone's face, but I still can't place hers.) She said she would like to study the Bible and wanted her daughter, Angelisa, to have a study too. So, I went back to our home, got the books needed, came to them and we studied. This is Angelisa with her new book. She came to the meeting this Sunday.
As for Karen's parents, we had our study. It was her parents, cousin, her and her two sisters all studying together. At the end of a very lively discussion of the appendix telling about Jehovah's name, her dad said, "Every morning I pray to Koht (God in Ponapean), but tomorrow morning, I will pray to Siohwa (Jehovah in Ponapean) and see if it is different."

Making Progress

Thanks to our guest photographer, Megan, we have a photo of Susan and Pete studying together--that's the two adults in the background. They usually study in the evening with John and me, but Pete was home during the day and they wanted to study when I went by. We were discussing the prophecy about Babylon and what it means for future prophecies. Susan was so excited to explain that because of the prophecy about Babylon coming true, we can trust what Siohwa (Jehovah in Ponapean) says about the future will come true. Then Pete, who is a man of few words, said, "We can trust Siohwa." It was the first time he talked about Siohwa as someone he knows.

Tri-language Study

This Wednesday, two sisters from the Japanese group came in service with us. Sister Santos came along with me on Imalia's study. Imalia's mom, Merlina, decided to sit in on the study. She speaks Ponapean and some English. So we had an English, Ponapean and Japanese study....FUN! And then there was Merianne....She came in costume.
Merlina and her husband, Peter, have their own Bible study on Thursday nights. We're enjoying spending the evening with them. And contrary to the face that Merlina is making for the camera, she has a great smile and so does Peter. Hopefully, we'll have a photo of them together soon.

Hairy He-Goat

We have seen a variety of goats here in Guam. This was a new one to us.

The Spirit is Willing...

When it's naptime, it's naptime!

Pago Bay

We pass this bay most everday. It's between our home in Mangilao and Yona, the southernmost part of our territory.

Playtime

In the local mall (yes, there's a mall here in Guam), there's a small fun area with a carousel, bumper cars and a tiny rollercoaster. After a nice morning in service with good friends, the three of us went to play a little. John risked life and limb riding the 'Creature Coaster' with Jeremiah. You must have to be about three feet tall to truly enjoy it because Jeremiah thought it was the greatest thing ever!
Don't you love Jeremiah's big grin! It melts us.

Kite Flying

This morning, this unique kite-flying technique caught our eye!
To the left, just out of photo range, we noticed a young woman hanging out laundry. She was approached and said she had a few minutes to hear a scripture while she continued hanging laundry. After a brief discussion of two scriptures, she was shown a Bible Teach book--this was the first Saturday of the month...why not see if she'd like to study! She said she already had one and that she and her sisters studied in the past, but they moved and lost contact with the sister that used to come. Carla accepted a study and said that her 14-year-old sister, Grace, would like to study again too.