Monday, November 7, 2011
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Dia de los Muertos
So yesterday Nov. 2 was Dia de los Muertos. Think Memorial Day but BIGGER! It is also a national holiday; kids are off school and most people off work. Pretty much everyone treks to the local cemetery to pay their respect to the deceased.
So guess where we went preaching that day? You got it: the cemetery! In San Marcos there are two cemeteries: the old (its full) and the new (for overflow). Our Fatima group and half of the San Marcos congregation were assigned to the old cemetery which is a few blocks away from my house. We were stocked with literature such as the brochures When Someone You Love Dies and What Happens to Us When We Die?; and tracts such as What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?, All Suffering Soon to End!, and Life in a Peaceful New World. Our goal was to share with people the Bible's hope of resurrection to life here on earth.
The scene at the cemetery was almost overwhelming. Streams of people poured in and out from the grounds. Cars lined the streets leading to the gate. Crammed at the main gate were moto taxis, tricycle taxis, and plenty of food vendors advertising their products by yelling. Some even walked around the cemetery selling their products. (Think sporting events...PEANUTS GET YOUR PEANUTS!) The cemetery itself was packed! There were people at almost every grave: sweeping, brushing, cleaning, painting, arranging flowers. Some just sitting and talking, others quiet with a reflective look on their face.
My presentation was pretty simple. I would approach someone and ask who they were visiting. They would say their grandma/pa or mom/dad and some even had children there. Then I would ask them if they think there is a hope for our dead loved ones? Since most people here are very religious (Catholic, Evangelical, Christian, Protestant) they say yes. Then I agree with them and show them in the Bible where it says that there will be a resurrection at John 5:28,29. Then I would hand them the tract What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?, tell them that it explains the Bible hope, and for them to look up the scriptural texts in their own Bible. Most people were gracious and thankful for the comforting hope that we shared with them.
All in all I spent about 5 hours in the cemetery that day. We placed dozens of tracts and read John 5:28,29 and other scriptures many times. It was a great experience to gain further insight into the local culture. But at the end of the day, I felt truly grateful to know the truth from Jehovah's word; that we have hope to see our loved ones again, resurrected to life on a paradise earth.
John 5:28, 29 - "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."
*** Info on the italicized publications above can be found at Watchtower.org - index ***
So guess where we went preaching that day? You got it: the cemetery! In San Marcos there are two cemeteries: the old (its full) and the new (for overflow). Our Fatima group and half of the San Marcos congregation were assigned to the old cemetery which is a few blocks away from my house. We were stocked with literature such as the brochures When Someone You Love Dies and What Happens to Us When We Die?; and tracts such as What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?, All Suffering Soon to End!, and Life in a Peaceful New World. Our goal was to share with people the Bible's hope of resurrection to life here on earth.
The scene at the cemetery was almost overwhelming. Streams of people poured in and out from the grounds. Cars lined the streets leading to the gate. Crammed at the main gate were moto taxis, tricycle taxis, and plenty of food vendors advertising their products by yelling. Some even walked around the cemetery selling their products. (Think sporting events...PEANUTS GET YOUR PEANUTS!) The cemetery itself was packed! There were people at almost every grave: sweeping, brushing, cleaning, painting, arranging flowers. Some just sitting and talking, others quiet with a reflective look on their face.
My presentation was pretty simple. I would approach someone and ask who they were visiting. They would say their grandma/pa or mom/dad and some even had children there. Then I would ask them if they think there is a hope for our dead loved ones? Since most people here are very religious (Catholic, Evangelical, Christian, Protestant) they say yes. Then I agree with them and show them in the Bible where it says that there will be a resurrection at John 5:28,29. Then I would hand them the tract What Hope for Dead Loved Ones?, tell them that it explains the Bible hope, and for them to look up the scriptural texts in their own Bible. Most people were gracious and thankful for the comforting hope that we shared with them.
All in all I spent about 5 hours in the cemetery that day. We placed dozens of tracts and read John 5:28,29 and other scriptures many times. It was a great experience to gain further insight into the local culture. But at the end of the day, I felt truly grateful to know the truth from Jehovah's word; that we have hope to see our loved ones again, resurrected to life on a paradise earth.
John 5:28, 29 - "Do not marvel at this, because the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who did good things to a resurrection of life, those who practiced vile things to a resurrection of judgment."
*** Info on the italicized publications above can be found at Watchtower.org - index ***
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