Jarabacoa ASL Group

What a meeting!!! Today we went to the ASL meeting in Jarabacoa! But it's not a congregation! ITS A GROUP!!!!
It's 11 in the group, none are deaf. The brother was saying that really only 6 actually support the group fully, like they are at every meeting and constantly in service. Because its a group they meet in the second room at the Kingdom Hall at the same time the Spanish congregation meets, La Venida Congregation. In the second room the brother interprets the prayer and the talk, but the 2nd part which is the watchtower is done purely in ASL in the 2nd room while the Spanish continue their watchtower study in the main hall. So I will never complain again about having to comment in the front for the congregation, because here it's a lot less brothers and sisters so you need to prepare and participate more!!! I was so nervous! Thanks to Jehovah we all commented and Daniel did the ending prayer! He did such a great job!
We also met with a lovely couple Felix and Idalia, she unfortunately had a accident recently and is injured but she was still at the meeting.
The brothers said that sometimes they can have 3-8 deaf people visiting unfortunately today none came. They truly have a need here because in Jarabacoa and surrounding towns they have about 70 deaf people according to the last census in 2011. Idalia said "if you want to post something post this :WE NEED HELP! Anyone available please come!" Wow! Her husband said "if you want to serve and help come and be in the Spanish congregation but if you really want to work come to the ASL group" wow they have so much work but not many hands, definitely something to think about! They have had people come but they leave, the reason being is because it can be difficult. They don't have public transportation here like a bus for 50 cents it's all through taxi which cost more. And a lot times they go up to the mountains and really that requires a car which some don't have. All of us would love to come back and help, and anyone else interested I can definitely get you in contact with the brothers here! You will surely be welcomed!
The group has 1 elder, 3 ministerial servants, and 3 pioneers. It currently does not qualify to be a congregation yet.
It was a wonderful experience. I also included some more pictures of Jarabacoa since its so nice out here, much like the country and very peaceful.

Santiago ASL

While visiting Santiago we did support the ASL congregation! Man do they need help! Santiago is the 2nd largest city here in the DR and they only have 1 congregation! But the brothers say that the territory is very productive!!!! Many deaf people are interested!
The congregation has 40-45 publishers but on a Sunday meeting the attendance is 60-80!!! And for memorial they had 235!!!! And 185 out of the 235 are deaf!!!
Wow!!! Fantastic right!
Friday after visiting the assembly hall we went to service with 2 couples who were assigned the table! We stayed with them! It was so cool! We had literature in creole, Spanish, English, and ASL! And the table was right in front of the cemetery! The reason being is because Friday was a holy day over here in DR, and many people go and visit their dead loved ones! Wow! It was cool to participate in that at least one day!
The following day Saturday we went to the service group! And I had the privilege of preaching with a special pioneer!!!! He name is Mercedes! What a neat experience! We did a study with a young female bible student. This study was different because not only is the sister teaching her the bible but also teaching her sign language!!! Wow so much patience! This young lady never went to school so sign language was never learned! But it was so cool! Definitely the sister had to repeat a lot to make sure she understood and also use pictures and drawings! It was so neat!! The mom of the bible student participated too! The mom wants to learn sign so she too can communicate with her daughter!
Santiago ASL congregation does need lots of help! This is the only ASL congregation so it covers all of Santiago and surrounding areas! Wow! So much territory! They sometimes have to travel 30-40 minutes to do bible studies. The elder and coordinator of the congregation has only been here 8 months and he said quickly he has already established 5 bible studies that are all deaf! Wow! For those who aren't really familiar with the deaf community, sometimes it's hard to be able to study with deaf. Think about it their whole world is different than ours, in the sense that they don't grow up hearing the things a hearing person does. For example have you ever had a joke in English and try to translate in Spanish? Doesn't sound the same right? Well same with ASL! The deaf base lots of things of what they see, so their perspective of things is different a lot of times. It's not impossible to have a regular bible deaf student it just takes a little more work.
So for the brother to have 5 established studies in a couple months after just arriving shows that the territory is very productive! Wow!
Being here so far we have been in 3 locations helping in the ASL, being able to experience that helps the group out as individuals which areas we would like to help the next time.
I spoke with the Mercedes about rent. She informed me that for a really nice apartment it's about $200 American dollars! If you want water available to you at all times it's about $12 American dollars, and with electricity at all times it's about $25 American dollars!!! Wow! So for less than $300 a month!!! Split that between 2-3 people!!! Wow!!! Super inexpensive! Definitely thinking about possibilities !!! We all talked last night about our goals once returning home and each of us included "coming back to the DR!" Wow less than 3 weeks and what an effect on us! We will all continue to pray to Jehovah, ask for his guidance! And sometime ago for a Sunday watchtower study I remember it mentioned that Jehovah will use you and make sure you get where you need to be but before that can happen one must starting moving and making things happen! Can't just stay still and wait, need to get moving!!!! Definitely keeping those words in mind once back home!

Greg & Ruth

Well we came to Santiago! It's only an hour away from Jarabacoa, but we enjoyed our stay here even if it was for just 2 days!
Our main reason for visiting Santiago was because nephew and his wife are in the school for married couples, Greg and Ruth! What a privilege for them to be attending! So Friday morning we arrived to the assembly hall called Villa Gonzales, remember there are only 2 this one and the one in santo Domingo which I provided pictures before.
Well we arrived at Villa Gonzales and we enjoyed the tour.
This assembly hall take care if literature for 54 congregations in Santiago.
The country has had 29 classes for single brothers but only 11-29 were held here in villa Gonzales.
The sister informed us that the water for one day of assembly is 12000 gallons!!! A bunch and they have these large black water tanks!
We were also informed that construction will soon happen for this assembly hall. They currently have rooms for single brothers for when they have the school. But it's one large room with 8 beds and desk. So those rooms they divide in half and half again, that way married couple can stay there on site. They have 3 washer and 3 dryers!
They have also had Creole schools for single brothers and we were told that the majority of those brothers were sent to Haiti!
This assembly hall hold up to 2504 people! And on site 2 couples and a single brother live there to maintain the entire facility. The single brother is Jorge and thanks to him he arranged everything for us to be able to have the tour and eat with Greg and Ruth while they are at the school! Jorge is the brother with the green collar shirt. Any other brothers and sisters that you see in the pictures that are working are all volunteers.
The assembly hall was built in 2002 and dedicated in 2004.
The sister. Rosie, who gave us the tour said that this assembly is pretty much "the Patterson of the Caribbean" because they always have schools at this location.
Rosie also showed us her living quarters and where the bethelites stay when visiting for an assembly.

Greg and Ruth! We arrived to the assembly hall and while we were waiting for the tour the entire class was walking around the site because the instructors were teaching the students about maintenance. As I saw them walking I saw Greg and Ruth and I honestly thought they weren't going to recognize me, but to my surprise Ruth gets out of the line and waves at me!!!! Awe such excitement! Once they got closer Ruth ran to me and gave me a huge hug!!!! We both started crying!!! Greg was behind her and said "finally your here!" Awe so much time apart and away from each other it was so beautiful to be with them again!
They just started the school Wednesday, the day after Memorial, Friday was their 3rd day in school!
Well after the tour we met with them for lunch at 12 and met the instructors as well as the other couples in the class! What a privilege! At lunch it was just like Bethel, the seating, the organization, the prayer at the beginning and end, and of course the
announcements. Here though because its a lot smaller and they are training the couples for their assignments, after lunch they must pick up and clean up the table and plates...they don't wash them they just make it easier for when the volunteers cleans up. Once lunch is done at 1 they must report to whatever cleaning or working assignment they have like ironing, cleaning bathrooms, or whatever needs to get done. They work from about 1-2pm then head back to class.
Once lunch is done at 12:30ish the next group eat, which consist of the volunteers and the ones that live there at the assembly hall.
It was such a beautiful day! We enjoyed it so much!!! It was only Karen, Ariana, and myself who were able to come. The rest of the group stayed in Jarabacoa to be as to preach with the ASL group.