Memorial Season

During the month and a half in La Concha we asked the circuit overseer and some local brothers about where specifically within Nicaragua we should go to help. They gave us the names of a few places, some of which we were able to go and visit for a few days at a time, including Masaya and Santa Teresa.

La Concha Kingdom Hall

Service in Sta. Teresa

Territory in La Concha

During this time I really had very little idea what was going on. I had taken Spanish in school and thought I learned a fair amount. after getting there I quickly realized that I had learned nothing at all. I felt like a child, not understanding what was going on around me, and relying on the brothers I worked with in service at the doors. It was some time before I was even able to take calls. I remember my taking my first door in Spanish, it was every bit as scary as taking my first door in Canada when I was an unbaptized publisher, if not more so. The woman I spoke to was very friendly and accepted the magazines, but probably didn't understand any of what I was trying to say. Approach work was also terrifying, it was like I was doing everything for the first time all over again. Eventually the memorial campaign began and I was able to memorize a short presentation for the invite, which took some of the pressure off.

Taking my a door in Spanish

It was a slow process, but over time my Spanish improved and I even got to know some of the Spanish speaking brothers and sisters in the congregation. Looking back I really learned a lot in a short period of time through immersion, but it was still the hardest thing I've ever done. There were times when I wanted to give up, and times when I thought I would throw myself under a bus if I heard one more Spanish word. The memorial in La Concha had well over 300 in attendance, the congregation having just over 80 publishers.

The brother who gave the talk at the memorial was from a city on the east coast called Bluefields, which was one of the places we had been considering going to next, and in fact was the home town of the Nicaraguan sister in Canada that first told us about the need. He gave us some contact information and a few days after the memorial we left for Bluefields.