2013 MEMORIAL / Kuna Yala

Before I get into the 2013 memorial, I wanted to mention a bit about our friends in the Kuna community. 
Because the work is banned, I'm keeping fotos simple and without comments. You can email me privately if you want more info. I can say this: Our friends were very hospitable, and they have worked very hard to serve our glorious creator, Jehovah.
  

I was waiting for our friend, Greg and his family, to do a post about the memorial this year (  http://wormserfamily.blogspot.com/   ). He did such a great job of transmitting his experiences, I figured  this one was his. But he's been delayed. And very occupied with studies, moves, and so on, so here goes...

The memorial means tons of preparation. All our brothers worked very hard to cover our territory twice and make sure everyone got an invitation. As for me, because 1/3 of our studies are in difficult to reach areas, it was decided to do a memorial in La esperanza for those there and in the local town, Quebradas Llanas.
This means maintenance on our offroad vehicle. As you can see from an old pic, my supervisor is always watching over my work. He's none too happy. Ever.

 Summer months (the month leading up to memorial here) means DUST. Poor Orlando and Janete. they come with me regularly, and he cares for his own studies now (7 I think) in the area. He's getting baptized in the convention, if Jehovah permits.

Chris and I spied this family visiting the area, and gave them an invitation. The mother was shy and hid behind the horse, but the kids got a kick out of having their picture taken.

This is a third area that's also difficult to reach. It's called Brazo Gariche. However, we just started various studies in the area, and the people are friendly and very interested. Our congregation arrranged for the memorial to be done  where our satellite group is - Cuesta da Piedra, and we did it in La Esperanza for the first time, and next year will be doing it here too if everything goes according to plan.
More on the #s later...

FRINGE BENEFIT!!! Look at this stunner!!!
We're always coming across stunning flora and fauna as we visit our studies. On the next pic, click it and zoom in. Everything on this praying mantis is PART of the mantis, although it looks like regular moss.

Of course, just because it's summer, it doesn't mean it won't rain.

We came back a little we that day. Preparation for what's to come!!!

So this is Cuesta de Piedra! Everyone there put in tremendous work, and it paid off...

 Because the end result was 119 people, and this in a group with only 15 publishers!

Greg wound the story down with a night pic after the memorial was done.
Next is La esperanza.
The memorial was held in the local school, but of course it had to be brought up to the standards of such an important event. Hours were spent cleaning, and just as things were done and I was about to wash up, the area ran out of water. Anyone who knows me knows I sweat oceans, so, what to do.....

Do what the locals do. I had brought a towel and soap anyway... What I really wanted to do was throw myself in. And I had willing volunteers who were ready to push too.

Below is the actual meeting. Jonny, a hard working elder in our congregation (and who is just about to leave to serve in Bethel in England with his wife) did the talk.

This was after the memorial, as we were prepping to take some people home. The mud you see is from the trip a few days before - the one in the video.
In La Esperanza  we had 7 publishers and one child of a witness, and 60 in attendance, and back in town, the community centre we used was full.
In total, two congregations plus sign language had 668 in attendance. When we include the English group, it came out to an even 700. Of these, aprox 210 were publishers
How about a night video of us returning home from La Esperanza?