Magdalamania!

So I've finally made it the town where I'll be serving for the next few months. It's a small town in the mountains called Magdalena. There's about 3500 people here, and we have a few villages around us in the mountains and up the road with another thousand or two people. The main plaza here is very nice and well-maintained.

Our group is a total of 8 including me. Jeremie and Johanie are the couple from Quebec that I came in contact with, and there are 4 other local sisters and a Peruvian brother from Lima serving here. We meet in the front room of Jeremie's house, which has been officially converted into a nice little Kingdom Hall. We even have a sign! I'll snap a picture or two tonight at the meeting.

It was a little difficult arriving here, in all honesty. I arrived at about 5AM last Monday on the bus from Lima, and went to sleep a couple hours at Jeremie's place before going preaching. We left the house and saw the landlord for the place next door I would be renting, and introduced me as the new renter. She says "It's already been rented out to two policemen! They already signed a contract and gave me an advance payment."

This town is smaller than small, and there is really nothing else that would even be available that would be close to comfortable. Plus, if I can't get internet, I don't have a job, and there is nowhere else that can install internet. They literally have to run a LAN-type cable hundreds of meters from the center of town to the site of installation. Not like Ecuador where you have a wireless receiver from a satellite. So my only option was to rent the outside kitchen of the apartment, since the policemen would only eat in restaurants. I could run the internet cable from Jeremie's place and use it as my office if I could get my computer fixed. I could then sleep at another house with the other single brother that's serving here.

After preaching a long, long day that day, I arrived back at Jeremie's place to find out that my computer was broken. Wouldn't turn on. I was certain I would lose my job. Honestly, the first few days here, I reached a peak level of stress that almost put me over the edge. I knew deep down that things would work out, but I had a feeling that Jehovah was telling me exactly how far he would let me be tested. I wondered if it was His will that I continue serving here with sub-par living space and the loss of a job. I was very, very disconcerted. Almost discouraged. But, Jeremie and Johanie were INCREDIBLY hospitable. They let me sleep on their sofa for a few days. They cooked for me. They helped me look for a new place to live. They shared encouraging words, and even took me outside of town to a trail down to the mountain river, and it really helped me to calm down and spend some quality time alone in prayer, begging Jehovah to help me see the good in my situation and that he give me what I needed to be successful.

He answered that prayer. Long story short; the policemen backed out of their contract. I got the apartment. A Bible student fixed my computer. And now life is really quite enjoyable. The ministry is so nice, and the people are truly delightful. There is TONS of work to be done here in the congregation/group. I had the privilege of giving my first public talk over the weekend (twice) in two different groups. First to a group of about 5, then to a group of about 20 or so.

My place is pretty sweet! I live in a little courtyard with a garden in front of my door. It's one large room with a kitchen and bathroom shared by the apartment next-door, outside in a separate little wing. I have privacy, peacefulness, Internet access, and a coffee tree in my front yard! Nice, huh?! I also have neighborly access to Jeremie and Johanie (and the Kingdom Hall), and they seem to think I'm dying a slow death of painful hunger, being a single guy. I'd tell them that I know how to and enjoy cooking for myself, but their food tastes so good! Haha.

The front little courtyard and shared kitchen and bathroom.

My only flat-mates for the time being. Lol

We have a lot planned to do here! Jeremie and his wife leave for Canada in less than a month, and we want to get out to the isolated territories hours into the mountains to do some preaching and hold a meeting. It will be so awesome.

Thanks for your continued support! Come visit us and enjoy the literally perfect "70 and sunny" every day weather! Come preach to some smiling people! Or don't, if you can't. Haha. Either way, may life be good for you in service to Jehovah.

Free tarantulas (dead or alive) with every visit!!

Speak soon! Remember to check out the rest of my pictures at this link!