The biggest highlight for us was attending Pioneer Service School in August! A week in spiritual paradise is always welcome. The school is really wonderful! We received a lot of practical instruction for the ministry, but also we learned to do a constant self examination of our spirituality. We mainly learned the importance of upholding Jehovah's sovereignty and how important it is that we constantly trust in Jehovah and put a good example as pioneers. At the end of it all we were on a spiritual high and we were encouraged to continue pioneering with a joyful spirit!
The friendships we made will always be special and the food we ate during that week will always stay on our taste buds, lol! If you haven't ever attended Pioneer School, or if you haven't attended with the new book and format (like me) you're in for a treat! We had the privilege of 3 of us going together! Next time we go all 4 of us will be able to go!
The next big event we're getting ready for is the Special Convention being held here next November! The whole island is excited and we can't wait to see what we'll be able to help with. This will be historic as its the first time a Special Convention will be held on the island. Seeing what the International and Special conventions in the past have looked like, the feeling of the brothers, the entertainment, food, and the love shown...we are excited to be able to experience all of that here in our own territory!
Over 12,000 volunteers will be needed to help with all the work for the 3,000 delegates as well as everything before, during, and after the convention. Just the mere logistics is an undertaking! Transportation for the delegates and workers as well as providing food everyday for them is huge. Also making sure there are friends at the airports to greet the delegates is literally a 24 hour job. Since the delegates will be arriving at all times of the day or night, brothers and sisters will have to be assigned to be present to not only greet the delegates, but also help them make sure they get food, get to there hotel and make sure they are safe in the city.
Friends will be needed to be translators, bus captains, tour guides, be involved in all sorts of entertainment for the delegates, and the list goes on. The loving part is that the branch gives a chance for everyone to take part if they'd like. We've obviously put in our volunteer applications already and now we wait to see what Jehovah gives us. A year will be here before we know it and all this planning and hard work will have its results shown during that exciting week and a half period. Have you applied for this convention? have you been accepted? let us know if you'll be here for it next year!
In the meantime, we are staying busy in Jehovahs service as best we can. As always, we thank everyone who has helped us be able to stay here and those of you who will help us some way in the future. Jehovah always provides what we need at the right time somehow, someway and many times it's through the brotherhood. Thank you.
Until next time!