Here we are at almost the half-way mark of October. We have been super busy with non-theocratic stuff. First off, we helped the Blake family with roofing of their house in preparation of their moving in. Since Pat was part of the "roofing" crew in Nova Scotia he learned first hand the differences between how things are done back home and how they are accomplished here in Nicaragua. Granted, putting a roof on the Blake's family home is different than a Kingdom Hall project but, the different methods in building construction were very much in evidence. No hardhats, safety shoes or regulation scaffolding here but, common sense was evident and the guys managed to work safely with no injuries or near misses to report.
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| Pat setting up scaffolding for the roof |
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| Byron and Pat working on the roof |
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| Debbie handing a piece of zinc to the guys |
We have missed a lot of service over the past two weeks, so we will have a lot of catching up to do. We did have a nice group out in service for the first Saturday of the month.
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| October 5th service in Pearl Lagoon |
So - the secret is out and just about everyone knows - Jean Blake is getting married next month. As a congregation we had a "Bridal Shower" Nica style. We had planned to spend the day in Awas at the beach so that the kids could go swimming but, the weather didn't cooperate and so we had the party at the Kingdom Hall since it was empty (the Blake family had already moved out and we hadn't yet moved in).
There was lots of good food and plenty of laughs. When the invitations to the gathering were handed out each family was asked to bring a specific "gift" for Jean. For example, we were asked to bring a bag of salt (cost of 5 cordobas). During the party we "presented" the gift to Jean with instructions on how to use it. So, we told her that she would not always get along with Luke and that at times she will have to "season her words with salt and if all else fails she can use it to season her food too!" It was funny at the time! Everyone took a turn and we had a lot of fun - Jean got some practical advice too!
We had lots of food and the kids played some games. When the party was over the Moms and kids went for a swim since the rain had stopped.
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| Some of the food for the party |
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| Debby and Yoli |
Amy
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| Jean with the kids playing a game |
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| Amy and Fenelia |
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| Yaya and June |
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| Nemysha |
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| Jean - the Bride-to-be |
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| Fenelia |
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| Nathan, Debby, Chase, Yoli, Katiel and Kathy |
So, we moved yesterday and have settled our things into the Kingdom Hall. We have taken two rooms (one for our bedroom and one as a living room). Camille will have a room and then there is a fourth bedroom which holds all the "things" for the boat.
The room that we have for the "living room" has paint that compliments our furniture - so at least we won't have to paint it. We are struggling to set it up right - so if you have any suggestions please feel free to make them!
Our bedroom:
Now here is the real challenge - the kitchen. We need cupboards! We see two options - putting shelves under the counters or having a "pantry" built and putting it on the wall beside the fridge. We can't hang cupboards on the wall above the counter because I wouldn't be able to reach them. Any suggestions????
Really, anyone with an ounce interior design abilities - please help us out!
The neighbours are far away - so it will be a lot quieter.
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| from the back door |
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| from the front door |
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| large field on the left side |
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| abandoned house and mango trees to the right |
Yes, you read that heading correctly. We are unexpectedly back in Canada. Last week Pat broke down and saw a doctor in Bluefields. During the examination it was determined that he had some medical issues that needed to be investigated further and the doctor recommended that we return to Canada. Since our tourist visa was due to expire on October 28th (we were due to visit Costa Rica) it made sense to schedule our trip for that date. We had only a couple of days to pull everything together and by Saturday morning at 5:30 a.m. we were on the bus heading out of Pearl Lagoon. We spent a relaxing day at the Best Western Las Mercedes in Managua on Sunday in preparation for our flight home on Monday - to COLD Halifax. We were very grateful for the warm jackets that awaited us when we arrived.
