Cerro Negro

 According to vianica.com, "The Cerro Negro volcano is a young and unique volcano." VOLCANO? Yes, volcano. What was I doing at a volcano?  Vianica.com continues "The steep slopes of this black volcano lack any vegetation.  It is not like any other volcano in Nicaragua. The volcano is only about 500 meters (1650 feet) high, but the ascent is steep and tough. There is no paved trail; just a merely natural path along a rim that leads to the top." No paved trail, who knows where we're going? Naturally this is something I would be attracted to right?

 




 But wait theres more..."The ascent takes about one hour to the top, and although it requires some effort the superb views are certainly rewarding. The absence of trees provides fantastic scenery, and upon reaching the top visitors have a 360 degree view of the area."

 So that was it right? All that work for a good view? 

Hahaha..."One of the volcano’s slopes is too steep to climb – but consequently great for a fast descent! Instead of large rocks this side only has volcanic sand, providing a great surface for running (or sliding) downhill. This thrilling experience takes less than ten minutes before reaching the bottom...Cerro Negro provides a unique and intense experience that can be enjoyed by anybody in fair shape."

 And yup, there you have it.  The Cerro Negro volcano hiking/sliding/tobogganing experience.  Look insane? Much less than the pictures indicate.  You don't go THAT fast down the hill.  I think I slid faster on a cardboard box at Kakaako.  The most intense part of the adventure was the vicious wind on our ascent, whipping volcanic ash and debris at our legs and in our eyes and hair.

So if you come to Nicaragua, add Cerro Negro to your list of "To Do's."  Tons of fun, plus, Who gets to slide down a VOLCANO???  And invite me :)

I'd love to do it again!

Some videos for your viewing pleasure:   My Washing Machine      WEEEENNNNDDDDDD

FWN

Stace, Narci, Marcela, Elizabet, Noemi, Me, Teresa

Tonight for family worship, I invited some of the young sisters from my hall to watch the video for this week, "Our Whole Association of Brothers."

These girls encourage me greatly so I just wanted to share a bit about them with you all.
Narci is fairly new in the truth, she has been baptized for less than 2 years.  Super zealous and always very encouraging.  Marcela is 13, has been a new unbaptized publisher* for about three weeks.  Her aunt, Elizabet, became a publisher at the same time.  They qualified as publishers on a Sunday, and that Tuesday they were out preaching...and they were out every day for the rest of the week.  Actually, they have been out almost every day since!  Marcela is still in regular school, the other two are taking vocational classes.  Since they are on vacation until mid February, they said they want to take advantage of their time to preach as much as possible.  They also asked me about how they can arrange their schedules to preach in the afternoons and evenings when they get off school.  Super zealous, and very eager to learn.  Noemi just got approved last week.  I had the privilege of working with her on her first day out.  Even though she asked me to preach at the first door, she was not shy to do the next one.  When a householder invited us in and I was able to start a Bible study, she was taking notes!  Haha I told her, "No need take notes from me.  I just follow the instructions the organization gives us!"  And at the end, she asked me, "I'm doing good to start right?"  I love working with them!
     I have my first talk since I've been back on Thursday; the theme is "What are some outstanding Bible prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled?"  It is with Marcela and she did such a great job on our first practice today.  Very composed and has a good speaking voice.  She will do so well!  I'll let you know how it goes.

 *Unbaptized publisher - a person who has fulfilled scriptural requirements to share in the preaching work as one of Jehovah's Witnesses*
    

Contact Info

If you would like to contact me, here are your options:

Email: ktanjoco@gmail.com

Text: 914-670-9000 (this is a USA based # so standard text messaging fees apply. So you will be charged the same as texting anyone else in the states)

Calling:  You could call my local Nica numbers, but at international rates.  If you want to talk over the phone, best way is to text me and then I can call you.  I have a neat free way to call the states :)  I could teach you, but I'd have to charge...

Instagram: hica808

Skype: hica808

Saludos!

Tortillas!

Where does time go?  Tomorrow will mark the beginning of my 8th week here in Nica.  Funny, the other day, my cousin thought I'd been here for over 3 months already!  Well, considering everything we've done since I've been here, it feels like at least 3 months!


So since my last blog, I've been getting back into the swing of things.  The sights, smells, sounds of daily Nica living.  And all the WALKING! Its pretty easy to average +5 miles a day walking: to and from field service, return visits, doing errands, bus trips, ect.

But of course, the best part about being here is the ministry!  My first day out, I was feeling a little timid.  I said to myself, I don't want to talk too much today, just let my partner do it so I can warm up.  Hah!  Jehovah knows all and has a wonderful sense of humor.  I got paired up with my roommate Anne who is from Denmark and speaks very little Spanish. (o_O)  Our field service captain was probably wondering why I was cracking up and shaking my head when he assigned us!  So guess who got to do most of the talking?  Your's truly lol.  But it was exactly what I needed!  (Matthew 6:8 - "Your Father knows what things you are needing before ever you ask him") We preached in the center of town and found many people home.  The first door, I started off with a simple presentation, sharing a small tract about "Who Really Rules the World?"  with the woman who came to the door.  She listened attentively and we had a nice conversation.  I was starting to end the conversation when she interrupted me and asked "Do you have the latest Watchtower and Awake magazines?  I love reading them!"  Haha I was so pleasantly surprised.  Then she continued to tell us that her husband is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer and so they travel to and from Managua every 15 days for treatment.  I gave her all the latest issues me and Anne had.  She thanked us and also told us when she would be back in San Marcos.  She said, "Please come by when we come back!  I'd love to talk with you more about the Bible.  We could have a little Bible study."  Too easy right?  I've since gone back but have yet to find her home.  I hope to continue our discussion soon!

There have been many other wonderful experiences.  A sister who is transferring to the Nicaraguan Sign Language congregation asked me to take over a new Bible study for her.  This girl, Jaime about 22 years old, lives way inside one of the far barrios (neighborhood).  To walk from my house to the entrance of the barrio, Los Campos, takes about 20 minutes.  Then inside another 20 minutes.  So I was paying keen attention to the study to see whether or not she really appreciated it and if itwould be worth the time/effort to visit.  At the end of our discussion, she said to me, "I really want to thank you for coming to our country to teach us the Bible.  And for walking all the way in here to study with me.  I really appreciate it!"  Doubts incinerated.  A different day, I met her Grandmother, 94 year old Anna.  Jaime and I were talking outside and Abuelita waved at us from the window.  After a few moments she shouted to her granddaughter, "Why are you still outside?  Invite them in already!"  When she shook my hand, I flinched from her strength!  They don't make 'em like that any more...I shouted in her good ear a verse from Isaiah 35:5 "the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped."  She laughed heartily and thanked us for the visit, saying we are welcome anytime. Additionally we preached that barrio in the following weeks so I've been able to find other people interested in studying the Bible too.  Now I have a nice full afternoon visit out to Los Campos.  Plus some much needed cardio :)

One of the fun aspects about living in a small town is everyone knows you!  Especially us as foreigners, we stick out like a sore thumb.  For example, many times when I get on transport around the town, like tricycles or moto taxis, they know exactly where to take me!  Sometimes when I'm walking, the motos will shout at me, "Fatima?", asking if I want to go the the territory Fatima where I used to preach frequently last year.  I went to the laundry mat and the woman said, "Tanjoco right?"  Lol I was shocked.
   Another example...this one makes me crack up every time I think about it.  I was leaving Fatima territory, a barrio about 2.5 miles outside San Marcos.  As I'm walking out to the main road, still about half mile away, a tricycle spots me and waves asking whether or not I want a ride.  I indicate that I do and he comes down to get me.  As we're riding out, we start chatting a bit about the tricycle business.  As we get closer to the exit he says, "I just want to let you know...You're very popular around here.  And even though this is my first time to give you a ride, it is my pleasure." LOL, ROFL, HAHAHA!  I almost fell out of the tricycle cracking up.  But I had to hold my composure because he was completely SERIOUS!  I gave him his $0.25 thanked him for the ride, crossed the street and waited for a bus to take me back to town.  While I was waiting, I opened my umbrella and shielded my face so I could snort and guffaw.  LOL

I could write about checking out different territories that have need, needs and experiences of the congregation, the revolving door of visitors, climbing and sliding down a volcano, foods, mini vacations, fiestas...There is an endless amount of things I could blog about.  Please post suggestions in the comment box ok? 

And if you're wondering why this post is called "Tortillas" and I haven't mentioned anything about it yet...Its because around 6PM every night, a woman goes around on a tricycle yelling "TOR-TIIII-LLLLLAAAAAAAS! TOR-TIIIIIIII-LLLLLLAAAAAASSSSS!"  Man her voice carries throughout the town.

So that's all for now amigos...Entonces, hasta luego y les quiero un monton!

Aqui de Nuevo

Dear friends and family,

It has been a while, hasn't it?!?  Thanks to the many requests and scolding I received while at home, I am blogging again.  I promise I will TRY to do it more often, at least more than the 5 times I blogged the last 8 months I was away. :) teehee

As most of you know, I am in Nica de nuevo!  To catch some of you up, I went home to Hawaii the end of May to work.  I ended up staying in the 808 state until mid November, then 3 weeks in Cali for another work project, and now back in Nica!

It was wonderful to be home with family and friends.  I truly appreciate all the love and support that everyone has shown me, from my family members, friends in the congregation, and my employers and coworkers.  Muchas gracias to you all; it would be very difficult to do this without your backing :)

So, on to Nica Adventure take 4!  Yes this is my 4th trip here since 2007.  First visit July 2007, for 2 weeks.  Next October 2008 for one month.  Then the biggy in Sept 2011 for 8 months, and now number 4 until May.

Getting here was an adventure in itself.  First leg from SFO to San Diego.  Flight was fine but I didn't realize that in my 1 hour layover, I had to get off my flight, exit the domestic terminal, find the international terminal, and go through security again. Imagine my sheer joy :^I  And at security, they "had" to search my bag...take it all apart and put it through the scanner again.  Hey hey hey, packing boxes within boxes within a carry on suitcase is a delicate art.  Not my fault that your underfunded scanner can't see through the intricacy...thankfully "Christian personality" deployed and I resigned that finding and making my next flight was doable in 20 minutes!!!  Double the action, triple the excitement!

Flight leg #2 - San Diego to Houston.  After the excitement to get on the plane, I would have settled for complete and utter monotony.  But of course not; not me.  I sat next to a nice enough gentleman with a fedora hat and feather...who smelled of pool halls and parking garage stair wells.  JOY OF JOYS!  I tried not to be too conspicuous, feigning Arab and covering my face with my scarf.

For Leg #3 - I was slightly nauseated and dizzy from the potpourri of aromas on leg #2.  Stumbled around Houston airport for about 3 hours then got on my next flight; and found myself in the Bermuda triangle of screaming babies.  4 hours of high pitched, ear piercing surround sound shrieks, sobs, and wails.  I seriously considered how to tactfully offer a Benedryl to each of the parents, or discreetly toss one into the gaping mouths of each noise maker...the lights were dimmed, who would notice?

When the torture chamber finally landed at MGA Int'l airport, I was super excited to get off the plane and on to the REAL adventure.  Thankfully customs went smoothly, no one gave me a second look.  Maybe I'm blending in (o_O)

Anne, a friend from Denmark, and my cousin Stacey were there to greet me.  I was so happy to be secure among my friends again. (Prov 18:4) It took us about an hour to get home which gave us time to start catching up on the 6 months we missed in each others lives.  They were so awesome, set up my room and everything!  Even putting up my favorite green and black plumeria sarong in the window to mark my place.  I lugged my stuff upstairs, took a shower, and went to bed.  The familiar smells of burning plastic, dampness and dust; the sounds of unknown animals scurrying on the roof; the band and fireworks at 4 am shocking me out of my sleep but making me laugh...welcomed me back to my Nica home away from home.

Click here for a link to some of my pictures!

Thanks for reading and stay tuned for more blogs to come.  Please feel free to leave comments below.  Or email me at ktanjoco@gmail.com.  I'd love to hear from you!

Con mucho Aloha!

Krystina

Conmemoracion 2012

I know its been almost a month since but...Memorial !!! This year the memorial of Jesus' death fell on April 5, 2012...The highlight of our year as Jehovah's Witnesses.  All 100,000+ congregations throughout the world gather in different locations to commemorate his death and sacrifice.  This year was especially memorable for me since it was my first time away from home and with a new congregation and in a new country.
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For those of you who are not familiar with the event...The memorial, or Lord's evening meal, is the remembrance of the death of Jesus Christ.  On the evening before his death, Nisan 14 33 C.E, Jesus instituted the Memorial celebration as described at Matthew 26:26-30 (See also Mark 14:17-26; Luke 22:19,20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).  At our Memorial celebration, we follow the same pattern.  It begins and ends with song and prayer.  In the middle there is a Bible based discourse explaining the occasion, the significance of the emblems of bread and wine, how we are affected by Jesus sacrifice, and how we can show appreciation for the two greatest acts of love ever shown. (See John 3:16)

In Luke 22:19, Jesus issued the command to "Keep doing this in remembrance of me."  Since he instituted the Memorial on the same night as the Jewish Passover, in effect replacing it, we celebrate this event only once a year.

If you would like more information about the Memorial, please let me know.  Or feel free to ask any local Jehovah's Witness the next time they come to your door.  And for next year, please keep in mind that you are being cordially invited to attend the Memorial of 2013.

Also see the article on our official website: Reliving Jesus' Last Days on Earth: Nisan 14, after sundown.
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Our group in Fatima has 28 publishers but we had an attendance of 114!  An increase of 25 from the previous year.  Since our normal meeting place can only hold about 50 people, we rented part of the local school.  We joined two classrooms, moved out all the furniture, washed it out, and set up our 122 chairs.

Many Bible Students, friends, family members, and interested persons from the territory came to hear the Bible based discourse.  Thanks to Jehovah everything went smoothly!  No power outages, sound malfunctions, or otherwise distracting happenings.  Well, a dog did run in partway but the attendants escorted it out promptly.

My highlight was to have five Bible students attend.  We had been talking about the importance of attending the Memorial over the previous weeks so I was so happy that they applied it and made the effort to come.  There are pictures of them below and also more pictures in the Picasa Album under "Conmemoracion 2012."  I'd love to hear about how your Memorial went.  Leave a comment or email me at ktanjoco@gmail.com

Tania, Maria Isabel, Yaritza

Rosa, Erlinda, Jefferson
I study with Erlinda and her daughter Lizbeth.

Arelis - she's the one who asked me for a Bible Study!

Picture Update

Hola everyone!  It's been quite a while...So sorry!  The days, actually months, are just whipping by!  Hope you are all well and happy.  Thank you too for all the well wishes, thoughts, and prayers.  I have really been enjoying myself here!  You see my adventures in my Picasa picture albums:

• El Campo - taken while preaching
• Chocoyero - a hike to a mini-parrot nesting ground
• Fatima - Pictures taken of our group's Kingdom Hall
• Casares - Hanging out with friends on the West coast
• Las Isletas, Granada - Playing missionary with the real missionaries on Lake Nicaragua.  There are some crazy photos of me walking through a swamp! BAREFOOT!
• Ziplining - on the base of Mount Mumbacho, Granada.  Look ma, I'm flying!

A Lake. A Swamp. A Mountain.

First and foremost, the lake:  El Lago de Nicaragua.  A gigantic freshwater lake situated in the south west of the country.  This is the largest lake in all Central America and the 19th largest lake in the world.  There are over 400 little islands throughout the lake; 300 are concentrated in the northern part near the city of Granada.  Yes, these islands are inhabited.  And where there's people, there are Jehovah's Witnesses...

The brothers loading up the service boat

To reach the inhabitants, the missionaries and local witnesses preach by boat!  Instead of driving a car on a road from house to house, you drive a boat on a lake...





The adventure begins in Granada, a tourist city at the northwest part of the lake.  I went with a couple friends to preach with the missionaries on the islands.  The last time I went, (Yes this was my second time!) we stayed on the boat.  To preach we drove up to an island, parked it, hopped off then preached to the people who lived there.  This time, since we had a bigger group, I got assigned to preach Mountanita...I was excited because I had not been there before but I had no idea was about to get myself into!!!

Mountanita means little mountain...hah!  To start we took a 20 minute boat ride SE from the dock to the peninsula at the base of Mountanita.  This is where the famous floating Kingdom Hall is parked.  (See The Watchtower - September 1, 2009 p. 26)  We were assigned to preach to the 15 or so homes on the mountain behind the KH.  First step, cross the bridge.  I'm thinking no sweat its just a bridge.  Hah!  This bridge was one foot underwater...in a SWAMP!  (I learned later that the swamp is normally 5-6 feet deep; so I was thankful to have the "bridge.")  So we simply took off our shoes and waded across...Simple because we had no other choice!  Either sigue adelante (go forward) or stay behind.  It took us about 10 minutes to cross the swamp.  And a swamp it was...sticky...pokey rocks...biting ants...I think you get the picture.  If not here's a sample...

After the swamp was a 2 hour hike up the mountain.  We preached to the few homes along the way and to any passerby's.  The local friends, two siblings from the Las Isletas Group, were very kind with us extranjeros (foreigners) who are not used to walking through swamps and climbing mountains.  They waited patiently as we huffed and puffed, dripping sweat up the mountain.  They walked twice as fast as we did yet did not sweat an ounce!

The two in the middle are local sisters with the Isletas Cong.

My partner Jessica and I had a nice experience.  We met a woman near the top of the mountain who was busy feeding her baby.  Even though, she took out chairs and invited us to sit down.  We sat with her for about 20 minutes, sharing several scriptures explaining what the Lord's Prayer in Mt 6:9,10 means.  She listened attentively and responded eagerly to our questions.  After chatting a bit we found out that she attended a meeting before.  We offered her a Bible Study and she readily accepted.  So we made arrangements for the local friends to come back and visit her.  When I visited with the local friends about a month after the experience, they had yet to go back and visit since it is a difficult territory to get to.  We pray the Jehovah protects these seeds of truth until it can be watered again...

After we preached to all the homes, we headed back down.  And we crossed the swamp again...yay.  This time the water was warmed by the sun, making it even stickier and muckier than before, much to our delight.  We finally made it back to the floating Kingdom Hall; sweaty, dusty, a little stinky, yet feeling like true missionaries.

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A little history on the floating Kingdom Hall excerpted from the 09/01/09 edition of the Watchtower magazine article, "The Treasures of Central America’s Largest Lake"'

      A married couple who are full-time ministers of Jehovah’s Witnesses moved to the Islets of Granada in November 2005. A few months later, when they invited the local people to the annual Memorial of Christ’s death, they were pleasantly surprised to have 76 present. This convinced the couple of the need to start holding regular Christian meetings in the area. Since a suitable location for such meetings was difficult to find, the pioneers pursued another idea. Why not build a floating Kingdom Hall that could be towed to different locations convenient to the people?

      This enterprising couple, who had never designed or built anything that floats, set about the construction. They and six others worked on the project for a month. The new meeting place was to be a simple raft. It would consist of welded frames made of steel pipes holding together a dozen 40-gallon drums filled with compressed air for flotation. There would be a plywood floor, and a tarpaulin would serve as a roof. The workers prayed every night about the project because they were not sure that the hall would float. It did!

      The new Kingdom Hall was used for its first Public Meeting on June 10, 2006. The next day, it was towed to the other side of the archipelago in order to hold the same meeting for people there. The combined attendance of the two events was 48, despite the fact that some of the people had to walk more than half an hour through the jungle. All were delighted to have their own place of worship!

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Current floating Kingdom Hall

After eating lunch and resting up, we prepared the site for the meeting and waited for the friends to arrive.  The group is called Las Isletas.  There are about 10 publishers and about 20 attend the meetings.  It was so neat to see them pull up in their boats and park at the dock.  The meeting was very nice but it was hard to concentrate with the spectacular lake views all around.  Not to mention the monkeys howling in the background, the birds fighting in the trees, and seeing little fishes swimming around.  After the meeting, we got to meet the friends, many of which are young ones who are learning the truth without the support of their families.  Then we hopped on the boat and sailed back to shore.

All in all it was an amazing Yearbook-esque experience.  I am very encouraged by the local friends, especially the young ones, who are putting Kingdom interests first despite many challenges.  Also the missionaries that preach those islands every day...so awesome!  Please keep them all in your prayers!

"Let them attribute to Jehovah glory, and in the islands let them tell forth even his praise." ~ Isaiah 42:12

Pictures!

Pictures can be seen here: Nica Album

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 ***

Pilot

Hey Everyone!

Today is the one month anniversary of my arrival here in Nicaragua.  Wheeee!!! I'M STILL ALIVE!!

What a roller coaster of an adventure so far!  My bienvenidos (welcome) to Nica began on Sept 25 when I flew in to Managua...and discovered that my three suitcases did not arrive with my flight.  My bags were left in Houston and were supposed come in on the next flight.  So I spent the next 24 hrs in the same clothes that I had been travelling in for the past 24 hours...at least I had deodorant and body spray!  Thankfully my bags did come in with the next flight.  Sigue adelante!  (Go Forward!)

Focus of the first week was the English Convention.  There are only a handful of English congregations in the country so the majority of the 400 in attendance are English speaking foreigners, need greaters  (def: a Jehovah's Witness serving in a foreign land where the need for Kingdom preachers is greater).  So it is kinda like a mini international convention as these foreigners are from all over the place: USA, Canada, Europe, Japan to name a few.  Almost all of the foreigners in attendance are in some type of full time service: Missionaries, Pioneers, Special Pioneers, MTS Grads ect...The spirit was electric!  I enjoyed meeting many new people, learning where they're from, how they made it to Nica, and networking!

Besides the association, the talks (like lectures) were awesome and of excellent quality.  Funny thing though, there were only 15 speakers for the some 40+ parts!  Most speakers had three talks, some even had two on the same day!  One brother had a talk each day (Fri-Sun) and played the lead part in the Bible drama on Sunday!  Pobrecito (poor guy)!  Jehovah definitely supplied them with the "power beyond what is normal" to carry out their assignments!

Additionally, when I arrived at the airport, my cousin Stacey informed me that she had volunteered me to help with costumes for the Sunday drama!  This meant rehearsals on Monday and Saturday night and staying backstage during the actual drama.  So myself and another sister, Griselle, had the task of applying beards to the brothers.  We applied sticky hair mud to their face, then pressed in crushed black tea grounds.  Yes, Nica style for sure!  Needless to say it was a lot of fun and a great privilege to see first hand all the hard work that goes into the drama production :)

So after the convention Stace treated me to a two day vacation at an all inclusive resort named Montelimar...all food and drinks included...for like $50 a day...yes, perks of a developing country :)

The resort was a nice treat because the next 14 days were LOCO (crazy)!  We did a little field service but mainly focused on the big move.  Stacey moved her things from her apartment in Managua to her home in San Marcos (where I'm currently living).  During the craziness I got sick..boo hoo...Nica is very very humid and as a result things get moldy very very fast.  So I got a wonderful cough plus gunk.  Thankfully there are farmacias (pharmacies) everywhere and self-medication is encouraged :)  Hopefully I won't have to go through that again!

Since Stace went back to the states, I've been settling in.  I've pretty much been on my own; learning tons about how to get around, the food, transportation, and Spanish!  Some days I've come home desperate just to speak English!  Thankfully, I can just go bother my housemates :)  Stace's house has four apartments which are all currently rented by other need greaters.  So even though I'm on my own, there are friends to come home to.

My new congregation is called Fatima.  Actually it is a little group of 20ish publishers hosted by the San Marcos Congregation.  The territory and Kingdom Hall are a 5 minute bus ride outside of San Marcos.  Round trip costs me about $0.90, 20 cordobas.  I take either a bus (old school bus), microbus (volkswagon bus size), or moto (three seater covered moped) from across the street to the entrance of Fatima (think large subdivision) for 5 cords.  Then from the entrance I get on a man-powered tricycle that delivers me right to the door of the Kingdom Hall for another 5 cords.  Currently our KH is in the patio of a local sister.  We do have a podium, sound system, and two microphones.  Very cozy...

First meeting was memorable of course!  I took the bus from San Marcos to Fatima...on the way begins a TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR...not exaggerating!!  So when I got to the entrance of Fatima, I put on my poncho and jumped on a tricycle.  No joke, water was two feet high in 20 mins...I would have to swim all the way down the road...It was crazy, I wish I could have taken pictures!  When I got the the KH, our elder was there barefoot, mopping up water and another sister was sweeping it out.  Yes, quite an experience.  Anyways it was a wonderful meeting and we had 22 in attendance.

So that's it for now.  Next post I will include details on our groupito and pictures!  Stay tuned!

Please leave comments as you like or you can email me at ktanjoco@gmail.com.  Also look me up on Skype: hica808.