Did you hear the angels sing?

There are so few times when something is JUST SO AMAZING.

Let me tell you a story.

A dear sister was approached and asked to donate money to one of the children's orphanages here in Boquete. She said (to her own surprise) "I do not donate money, however, as one of Jehovah's Witnesses I would be happy to donate some books about the Bible History and teach the children so that their children will not end up in the same situation."

(And again to her surprise) The man said that would be wonderful. He told her to come by and talk to the director and even gave her the phone number. So (much to my surprise) she invited me and Carl and another sister who speaks Spanish to join her.

We went. The director wasn't there but we left some sample literature. 

We were walking on cloud 9.

Then after some time and communication, we went to the school to meet the director and to show her the tools we will use. But, the kids are on vacation... except for about 35. Can we just do a class now???

Okay. Not what we expected. Not what we had planned. So while she gathered the kids we had a quick counsel. We only had my little machine, but we made it work. And after a short session, while Brandy and Sharon went to talk more to the director, Carl and I had fun with the kids, making animal noises and jumping up and down like a fool... I mean like a kangaroo!!! hahahahha

 

Cloud 9 - begone!!!!! We were walking on AIR!!! Carried on the wings of Jehovah's loving-kindness. This kind of a feeling can only be a sample of how we will feel in the new system!!! How can one explain the feeling of utter contentment ... of having seen the shining faces of such precious ones begging to learn about the Creator... of hearing the angels sing.....

We have since learned that they have a computer room with a projector screen, so now we go online and have www.jw.org on the projector screen. We use the Caleb videos in Spanish and then in English. Then we do a little fun thing, like singing "head, shoulders, knees and toes" and then we do a lesson in "My Bible Lessons" I think it's going very well. And the kids, while very shy because of the Ngobe indian culture, are starting to respond wonderfully.
Interesting side-point.... Carl was taking the lead, as a brother should, but the kids just wouldn't respond. So I would jump up and start directing (I have a hat!) and they would immediately pay attention. Then Carl would try and they would barely look at him. However, when we leave and he goes out of the classroom, they all gather around him and he plays with them. Maybe throws a ball, or high fives, or just loving on them. They love him.

   

Brandy (the instigator of this affair)

Sharon and her daughter Christy

So I've been paying attention, and it seems like in the Ngobe culture, the mother is the authority in the home, and the father takes care of all other things. I see families together all over town, and this seems quite plausible. The Ngobe children are SOOOO well-behaved. And this group of people is SOOOO clean. They wear really beautiful dresses that are handmade. And they have not one spot on them. Which is very surprising to me because most of the Ngobe homes are in the woods and sometimes up very steep dirt hills. They don't always have indoor sinks, so they wash in the river sometimes, or in a shop-type sink outside. They rarely have electricity, so how does everything they wear look like it's been pressed? And let me tell you... I sweat down here. Probably don't always smell so good....... we walk everywhere and uphill a lot. BUT even when we are on the busses or jammed into a cab with these people, I don't smell one single bad smell.

Some of the Gringos get up-in-arms about the way the Ngobe live and about some of their cultural activities which are very different from typical Western culture. I'm sorry, but I will not go into some of the rumors that I've heard. But it's what they are used to and frankly there isn't one culture on earth that is doing anything that Jehovah would approve. No one lives up to His righteous standards. I'm grateful that He has taught me how to try to get close, and to live in harmony with His standards as well as I, an imperfect sinner, can.
And how grateful are we that we can then teach people about those wonderful, terrific standards.

There is a Ngobe Congregation in Bajo Boquete, where the downtown is. I would love to attend this meeting at some point. However, as of right now I only know one word ... hello... pronounced "yawn-torrie". It is a phonetic type language and I have no idea how to spell it. But I do know that most of them don't even know how to read their own language anymore, because the children are taught Spanish in school, not Ngobere. HOWEVER..... The wonderful organization that we belong to has several publications, including the Bible Stories Book, on the website, in Ngobere. And some of it can be listened to in an audio download. I am blown away by that.

Let me introduce you to the "widow-maker" - Panama style

 This is the standard electric water heating shower head in Panama. The water enters the line cold and then is heated by an electric element. I emphasize that the electric element is heating the water using electrical currents right above my head in the water.

 

Of course, at first I was skeptical about the safety of this type of a set-up. However, my friends, assured me that this was very common and they promised that they had never heard of anyone actually being electrocuted by this very common set-up ( which is also affectionately called the suicide shower)

 

Day 1 in our new house. I did not take a shower. I sacrificed my husband to the elements. Well, the lights flickered and dimmed, but nothing extraordinary happened and he came out clean and unsizzled. Good.

 

 

Day 2, I agree that I should probably take a shower. And it was a hot shower, when I had expected to have to take cold showers. The water to the sinks is cold. So ... bonus! hot shower.

 

While I'm showering I ask Carl, "Did you notice a particular smell when you took a shower?"

No, he responds.

Oh, okay.

"Are you sure you didn't smell anything? I smell something funny."

Nope.

Oh, okay.

(We have mold in the bathroom that I haven't attended to yet)

"Hey," I say

"I understand why we have mold in the bathroom. The steam vent for the shower head shoots straight up to the ceiling. Of course there's mold... the windows don't open."

that gets his attention

"What? the shower doesn't have a steam vent.....

GET OUT OF THE SHOWER... IT'S ON FIRE."

Oh, okay. hmmmmmmmmmmm

 

This is Brother Jim Murphy. He lovingly came over later that day to help us fix the shower. He is really hooked up with the tools. The brothers down here are very helpful and prepared for anything. And anything can happen. I mean really... a fire in the shower? But actually there was no real fire. Just a lot of melting and smoking and stuff like that. The wiring and the wire nut covers were all melted. It didn't look very safe to me. But they fixed it up well. I'm very grateful to be part of such a wonderful brotherhood... I feel safe (in a much larger sense) and cared for. I never have felt like I'm imposing, because it is such a loving family. We've only been here a month and I feel like I've been here for a year. I don't feel lost, confused or isolated. What a loving God we have... especially since he promised this would be the case.

 

Here's the rest of the house!!! It's just perfect for us. I really love it.
It really is what I dreamed of.
It's in a local neighborhood. Not a compound that many of the ex-pats feel safer in. And we're in a sort of enclosure with two other houses. One of them is where the landlord lives. Several Witness families live in the neighborhood around the corner from us. Sylvia and Jim&family; then up that road are the Fosters and the Beckners. It's great. I have the locals and my friends... exactly perfect.

 

And here's the view from the kitchen window.
That's Serra Azul (the mountain in the back)

 

 

A Bible study took us for a sight-seeing tour around the hills of Boquete
(that's another story)

This is the view of Dorado (the neighborhood we live in) just before you get to Jaramillo, which is the neighborhood right below Serra Azul. It's really at the top of the hill entering Alto Boquete. Then it flattens out onto a plain. I hear it's a really good place to see el arco iris de bajareque (rainbows of the mist)

 

 

  This is our gecko. He came in one day. We let him stay... But for such a little guy he really makes a lot of noise. Believe it or not.

They make this smacking sound and this other sound like he's blowing kisses. I figure it's a victory song after he catches a bug... but he wakes me up every time.

Maybe I'll get used to him like I've gotten used to the roosters.
I really like them, now.

 

YAY!! I found a cheap hamaca to hang in our new home. Then, while Carl hung it up, I made pineapple, orange juice. It ended up being more of a chunky liquido than a juice but it was sooooooo delicious. It costs 2.50 for a fresh juice in the restaurants, but I made two big glasses for .70! I'm learning. : )

We had all of the water we could drink at the Kemkarans, because they have a Kangan water filter system. So we could trust the water. But here we have to buy water. Thankfully there is a store very close and thankfully I have a strong husband. : ) 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hills are alive with the sound of our footsteps...

 

I have already ruined one pair of sandals. (sad face)

The rocks on the side roads are just brutal. 

 

 

 

 We walk about 10-12 miles when we don't take taxis. We literally go up one hill and then down the other side to get into town. If we're walking to the Kingdom Hall, then it's about 45 minutes uphill. The winds have really picked up. Sometimes they push me sideways. And sometimes I really have to lean into them. It's hard to get good pictures. Maybe we'll try video. Carl doesn't have near the problem as I do. The first leg of our walk doesn't have a sidewalk.  

 

 

 

This is what you do to catch a cab. It's like making a quacking gesture.

I don't know why, but it seems to work. If they pass you, then they will literally back up to pick you up. This guy had a long way to back up... but he did! 

 

 But mostly, we've been walking. It may seem silly when a cab or bus ride is only .60 each person. But that really adds up. So we save cab rides for when we're in service with some of the older ones, or if we have a lot of groceries. Afterall, payayas and pineapples really weigh you down. 

  Still going up. But we pick up some nice sidewalks. About three years ago they put in a new road, sidewalks and pedestrian overpasses. 

 

Still going up.

After we leave the Hall we have another 45 minute walk into town.

That's where we do most of our preaching/teaching. It's been fruitful territory for us. We've met a lot of people, local and expats. They are getting quite used to us. The police even wave to us. I think they call us "missionario loco" (crazy missionaries) Some of the merchants say to us in Spanish: I see you walking from very far. And then they smile. Most of the locals walk. So they like that we do what they do. Plus it's a two-fer. Service and exercise.

 

But, even though the sidewalks are nice... you must stay on your guard. Suddenly you veer.

And BE CAREFUL.

No curbs, no rails, nothing even remotely OSHA approved.

In the rainy season this is a rushing torrent.

 

  And here, while it's hard to tell, Carl is right next to this bus stop roof.

You cannot just look down, because here he would have lost his head.

I really think he would have been scalped, or worse.

It's very sharp metal.

 

 

Those are friends from our congregation.

 

And sometimes, the sidewalk just disappears. 

 

Or... A guide wire is right in the middle of the sidewalk.

 

This is the view of Boquete from the top.

 

 

 Finally we start down. 

 

Yay! Even with the wind blowing against us... down is really easy.

 

 

 

 

And then the sidewalk simply stops. This happens several times along the way.

 

 

 

This is the Gringo market on Tuesdays. We've met some nice people here. We're laying the groundwork. Service is different in that the English-speakers are very difficult to talk to sometimes. Some of then have built some pretty tough walls. You figure, they're here for a reason... usually trying to get away from something ... government, injustice, crime... and then they see us, Jehovah's People.... even here. Sometimes they need some time to accept that and then some of them warm up.

 

 This is in the market we call our second home. We have great conversations here. It's like a little niche in town where mostly locals set up. We've tried to get to know everyone here. I have a study with a girl here, a local Panamanian who speaks pretty good English.

And then the physical reward. This is the time of the Bajareque, which is the low mist. Apparently, this is also the time of "los arco iris", the rainbows. We had heard all about them and then I was beginning to think folks were crazy.... no rainbows anywhere. But yesterday, after walking about 12 miles... what a beauty. Its was better in person.