The Ministry
The ministry has been like nothing I've ever experienced in the states. I'm beside myself with excitement that you can actually find more than just one or two persons who are willing to engage in a Bible discussion with you. Just about everyone that I've encountered has been willing to listen to the life-saving truths from the Bible that I've come to share with them. Currently, I'm conducting 2 regular Bible studies and I'm hoping for many more!
The Culture and the People
There is a very great Caribbean influence in Guyanese culture. If you've ever experienced Caribbean culture, then you know it's very warm and welcoming. This is the nature of Guyanese culture as well. You're usually greeted by passersby on the street with a friendly "good morning", "good afternoon", etc. It's also not uncommon to be greeted by people that you know with a hug, kiss or a hand shake. Guyanese people are very hospitable too. They cater to their guests as they want to ensure their comfort. Additionally, you typically won't go to someone's house and not be offered some sort of refreshment before you leave. Which brings me to...
The Food
Guyanese food, like the culture, is heavily influenced by the neighboring Caribbean nations. Some staples in Guyanese cuisine are rice and bread. So you can always expect to see one or both of these with a Guyanese meal. You'll also find a variety of stews and dishes consisting of curry as part of the cuisine. Guyanese also make very good use of the array of different fruits (e.g. five fingers aka star fruit, sapadilla, jamoon) that grow in the country. So as a result there are a variety of different juices that you'll find here, like soursop juice (YUMMY!).
Making you feel as if you're here with me in Guyana is what I hope to accomplish by way of this pictorial journal of sorts. So, let's begin the journey, shall we?
It all started here.
I arrived on the Caribbean island of Trinidad on Tuesday, January 1, 2013.
This was my first stop in Trinidad
The Branch office in Trinidad.
I spent 2 nights there. Here are a few pictures of my simple but comfortable accommodations at the Branch.
And these are some of the nice folks that I met at the Branch.
Kimberly
Marcia (seated)
Arlene and Scott (Marcia's husband)
Jenny (Branch Overseer's wife)
I also had the privilege of having several meals with the Bethel family. Some of the members are pictured below.
I also had the opportunity to go out in the ministry in Trinidad
I preached with Lisa and Bro. Narin and another brother.
I also attended the meeting at the Kingdom Hall that was attached to the Branch.
Lisa is part of the South Curepe Congregation that I attended.
And after the meeting, some of us went to hang out and have some ice cream at the parlor not far from the Kingdom Hall/Branch.
My time in Trinidad was brief but extremely enjoyable and memorable. I plan to spend a few more days in Trinidad again on my way back to the states.
Let's now fast forward to Friday, January 4, 2013.....my first day in the ministry in Guyana!
First, it seems appropriate to introduce you to Trish Ann Torrington, who is one of my primary companions in the field ministry.
Trish Ann is a member of the family that I'm staying with. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get a picture of the entire family together. So, there will be separate pictures of them throughout the blog. You'll be seeing quite a bit of Trish Ann since, as I mentioned, she's one of my primary field service companions.
And here I am with all of my gear ready to begin my first day in the ministry.
All of those who are familiar with my habit of carrying 10 thousand bags in the ministry, please take note of the fact that I only have 1 small bag neatly hung across my upper body with a water bottle attached (just fyi, 2nd water bottle is Trish Ann's. I was holding it for her while she took the picture. So, that's not to be counted as part of my gear) and an umbrella - that's it! Big improvement from being the bag lady that I usually am, right?!.....See, I said that I'd hoped to come back from Guyana a positively changed person. Consider this the first of the many changes that I plan to make.
And this is Whitney - another one of my regular service companions.
Here's some of the scenery as we walk to the field service group.
A bridge was on our route to the group that morning. Bridges are often a regular part of the route while out in service. The creeks, rivers and small waterways in Georgetown (capital of Guyana), make bridges like the one pictured below necessary.
Most of the bridges, like this one, are not in the best condition but.....
......this is, by far, the worst of the bridges that I've seen so far. Two very long, slender pieces of wood is what this bridge is made of. So, as you may be able to tell, I had to do a balancing act to get across it. Every time I walk across one of the bridges, I'm given very strict instructions by one of the locals to walk in the middle to keep the loose planks steady. Stepping too far to one side could cause the plank to give way and send you flying off of the bridge. While you probably wouldn't fall to your death, you probably wouldn't want to end up in the murky waters below. So, I heed very carefully the warning to walk in the middle.
So, we finally get to the territory and I find someone very interesting to talk to.....
Her name is Sierra....is she cute or what?!
This is Sierra's mom Coretta. Coretta has a Bible study with a sister in my congregation and came to the meeting my first Sunday at the Kingdom Hall. Hopefully, she'll continue to progress.
Well, after a long, fruitful day in the ministry, I came home to enjoy a little R&R with the Torringtons.
So, let me introduce you to everyone. (l to r) We have Holly, her nephew Teran and her son Tyreek. We were enjoying a nice friendly game of Ludo (pronounced Loo-Doo), which I never fully grasped the concept of.
Here's a close-up of the board.
I managed to win the game but I think that they felt sorry for me and just let me win...lol....
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And so begins another day in the ministry. Most days we start the day with early morning street witnessing. In the process, I usually get to see some pretty interesting things that you just wouldn't typically see in the field service in the U.S., namely Washington, D.C. Here are a few.
I found these animal sightings interesting because in the U.S. there are stray cats and dogs that roam the streets but in Guyana there are cows, horses, and other barnyard animals that mozy through the streets.
A little further down the road, we found these grazing cows.
I snapped this shot primarily because of the white birds in the picture. They're called egrets. Quite often you'll find them just "chillin'"on the backs of the cows. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to catch one in the act of doing so. But they hang around the cows and the cows don't mind their presence because apparently, the egrets nourish themselves by eating the fleas from off of the cows....YUCK!....but it seems to be an arrangement that works....so, whatever works, I guess....
Just some random shots of the streets of downtown before most of the businesses were opened.
When the businesses are opened, downtown becomes quite a bustling part of the city.
This is one of the many street vendors in Georgetown.
You should know that the man in the foreground has absolutely nothing to do with the picture. Apparently, he just decided he wanted to pose for the picture. The gentleman in the background is actually the focal point of the picture. He's simply called the coconut water man. In his cart are an abundance of coconuts, which he chops the tops off of and inserts a straw because inside the coconut is water (which I tried but wasn't wild about it). The finished product looks like what the gentleman in the picture below is holding.
In many U.S. cities you'll find street vendors like the coconut water man that among other thing sells liquid refreshments for passersby. The difference between them and the coconut water man is that his business is mobile. Throughout the course of the day, he wheels around his cart through the streets of Georgetown - instead of waiting for the people to come to him, he goes to the people. What a fabulous business concept! U.S. street vendors should take note.
Another familiar vendor in Georgetown is the CD man.
And like the coconut water man, the CD man is the proprietor of a mobile enterprise. He pushes a cart around filled with CDs for sale. He does this while songs from the CDs are blaring from the speakers built into the cart. If you're ever waiting for the CD man to make his rounds and are afraid of missing him. You need not worry because you will usually hear him coming from several blocks away.
Early mornings during the week, you'll also see throngs of young people in various uniforms passing by on their way to school. I was successful at getting a few of them to stop and pose for a picture.
These are but a few of the sights to be seen in downtown Georgetown.
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Moving along to the door-to-door ministry....
Trish Ann witnessing to Odette.
This is me making my way through an alley to get to the next house.
And after making it through the alley, I found this very nice young lady to talk to.
Sean and Teran (both Torringtons) busy at work witnessing to someone.
And I had to include this picture of me presenting the magazines to this very nice lady who had a very pretty name, which I'm sure you'll never guess............but it was truly a pleasure conversing with TRACY.
Mark and Debra Alleyne - an elder and his wife in my congregation - were also out in service with us this day.
James conducting a doorstep Bible study.
Conducting my first Bible study! Yaay!
As I mentioned at the outset, I have 2 individuals that I study with but this young lady actually studies with Stacey (Torrington). Stacey just allowed me to conduct the study this particular day.
Here are a couple of pics of those that I study with.
This is Belinda. Initially, I was just studying with her but then she expressed an interest in her 2 young daughters (9 and 11 years old) having a study as well.
Here is a picture of them.
To the left of me is Kiana who studies with Stacey and to the right of me is Kessie, who I study with. And Jason (almost 4 years old) doesn't have his own study yet but he will soon enough if we can pin him down. The boy has energy like you wouldn't believe. I am out of breath just watching him .....Lol....but he's really cute and a lot of fun.
Kessie, who is 11 years old is quite an impressive young lady. The manner in which she expresses herself and just her enthusiasm about studying the Bible isn't typical of someone her age. She read the Bible Teach book in its entirety the same day that I gave it to her and by the time I came for her first study a couple of weeks later she had started it again. These days it's not common to find young people like her interested in having a relationship with God and studying the Bible. So, her enthusiasm for spiritual things is truly refreshing.
I'm happy to say that the entire family is progressing well spiritually.
In fact, they came to the meeting the last 2 Sundays. Needless to say, I was extremely happy. Belinda said that they're going to begin attending regularly. That was music to my ears. Unfortunately, I only have a short time left to study with them, as they will be moving to a city that is quite a distance from Georgetown. So, as much as it saddens me, I'll be spending the next month or so getting them set up with new people to study the Bible with in their new area. Belinda and I have already stated that we will stay in contact even after they move. So, I'm sure I'll have more good news to report about them throughout the blog.
I'm enjoying the Ministry a great deal. And with Jehovah's help, I hope to accomomplish lots more!
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Now, let's talk a little about transportation. Being that I don't have my car here, I have to rely on public transportation to get me to where I need to go. Mini buses and taxis are the primary source of public transport in Guyana. I don't have any pictures of a cab but below are a couple pictures of minibuses.
On the main roads there are designated places where you wait for the bus. But on side roads you just flag one down. There are a couple of ways to signal the bus driver to stop. You can just yell out where you'd like for the driver to stop or you can just let the conductor (the guy who is always on the lookout for people on the road that may need to catch a bus) know where you'd like to go and he'll let the driver know (usually by banging on the side of the bus when your stop is coming up). I usually go with the latter option.
Usually, the minibuses have about a 15-passenger capacity. But it's not unusual for the conductor to squeeze a few additional persons on the bus, resulting in you almost sitting in the lap of the stranger next to you. Here's a picture of Trish Ann and I on the bus one morning.
Notice the smiles on our faces. This was definitely BEFORE the bus got filled....my goodness!...when I get back to Washington, D.C., I promise that I'll never complain about another crowded Metro bus......it's a cake walk compared to riding a crowded minibus.
A very good thing about taking the minibus is that the fare is very reasonable. The cost is usually no more than $100 Guyanese dollars, which is equivalent to about 50 cents in U.S. currency. Much better than the Metro bus fare.
So, yes, riding the minibus can be a bit challenging at times but it's still not the worst thing that I've experienced.
Another form of transportation is the horse and cart. The fare to ride it is even cheaper than the minibus.....it's free!
I had decided that I was going to try riding it one day just for fun until I found out all that was involved. Since the horse and cart is not an official means of passenger transport, the cart does not necessarily stop at the passengers' request. It only stops once the driver reaches his destination. If you need to get off before that time, you'll need to jump off whenever you get to your stop even if the cart is still moving. You would catch the cart in the same manner. If the driver is not stopped at a traffic signal or taking a break when you want to get on, then you'll have to run and jump on while the cart is moving. So, as you can see, it takes quite a bit of athletic ability to take this mode of transportation, which I have none. So, I will not be taking the horse and cart.
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Now, I'll tell you about the congregation that I'm a part of. It's called South Ruimveldt. In some ways it reminds me of Washington, D.C. North, my congregation back home. Like North, a good portion of the congregation is made up of mature sisters, who are becoming like adopted moms, grandmas and aunties to me. I'll leave Guyana with yet another adopted family. Here are a few members of my new extended family.
My 2 little friends Tyreek and Teran (Torrington)
Dionne and Sis. Fraser (she's definitely one of my favs)
Debra (another one of my favs)
Yet another Torrington...this is the patriarch of the family...William Torrington
Holly (of the Torrington family)
(l to r) Vanessa (married to Sean Torrington) and the matriarch of the Torringtons, Joy (she's responsible for all of the red carpet treatment that I get being in the Torrington household....I've never been so spoiled in my life....she should be careful....I could really get used to this)
This is Ria. Ria is a little shy and doesn't really talk too much....but I'm working on getting more than just one-word, short replies out of her...by the time I leave she may be talking more than I do...if that's even possible? Someone running their mouth more than me?.....
Ria also proved to be a lifesaver. I really didn't know what I was going to do with my hair while I was here. So, she did my hair for me. She's responsible for my long flowing tresses that you see in this and other pics. Thank you, Ria! You truly are a lifesaver!
This is Treston - part of S. Ruimveldt and the Torrington family. Treston is a very talented artist. He's holding one of his creations - a self-portrait.
Here's a closer look at his work. Pretty good, right? I was impressed.
I'm really enjoying being a part of the South Ruimveldt Congregation. It's going to be really hard to leave.
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Many of my friends back in North Congregation will remember the subject of these next few pictures.
This is Norma Stewart. She and her husband lived in Washington, D.C. for quite a few years but after they both retired, they moved back to Guyana. While in D.C., Sis. Stewart attended North. I started going to North long after she had left. It was suggested by several people in North that I try to make contact with her while in Guyana because she was a really nice, sweet person. They were right....she's a sweetie!
This is her husband Mr. Stewart (He's very nice as well). I spent a few days with them. And if I can just add a side thought - Sis. Stewart makes THE BEST curry chicken and roti that I've ever had....no exaggeration! I still have dreams about her curry chicken...lol....it was SO good!
I accompanied her on some of her Bible studies...
And I attended the meeting with her at her congregation (Newtown). These are a few of the people that I met while I was there.
(l to r) Zinnie, Joann and Zinnie's little sister, whose name escapes me at the moment.
Looking forward to my next visit with Sis. Stewart and her husband.
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While a good portion of my time is spent preaching, I also involve myself in other activities.
For instance, on Wednesdays, this is what you'll find me doing....laundry. (This actually takes me back...this is how my mom used to dry our clothes when I was a kid.....never knew how much work she actually put into this....it's a bit tiring).
I also involve myself in a little recreation from time to time.....
Here I am having an evening out with the girls doing what I do best......EAT.....notice how the other girls in a very dainty, lady-like manner have posed for the picure while I shamelessly stuff my face with food.....Lol...such class!
A couple of weeks ago my congregation had an outing at a park, where we had a picnic....
splashed around on a water slide....
and some of the brothers played a game of cricket.
It was a lot of fun.
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It seems that I've covered every aspect of my Guyanese experience thus far, except the food. So, let's explore a few of the culinary masterpieces and beverages native to Guyana.
Puri (on the left) is very similar to roti (If you don't know what roti is, it's an unleavened flat bread of sorts made from stoneground wholemeal flour. It's origin, I believe is from southern Asia but is widely consumed in parts of the Caribbean and Guyana). The most notable difference between puri and roti is that puri is made with smashed chick peas in the middle. You usually eat puri (or roti) with a savory dish like curry chicken (picured to the right)....take it from me, Foodie Extraordinaire, this makes for some really good eating!
With the puri and curry chicken, I drank what's pictured in the glass. It's soursop juice. It's made from the fruit on the plate to the right of it. This a soursop. It's a very tropical-tasting fruit. The best way I know how to describe the taste is a combination of pineapple and coconut. The inside is white in color with black seeds and is very slimy and doesn't look very appetizing but it's actually very good! I'm a huge fan of the juice and the ice cream that's made from it!
Trish Ann and I went for breakfast one morning during street witnessing....
I had curry chicken and rice (and yes, I LOVE curry chicken....in case you were wondering...I could eat the stuff everyday).
And Trish Ann had bake and saltfish....bake is the name of the fried, slightly sweet bread that can be eaten with just about anything (or alone) but it tastes phenomenal with the seasoned saltfish. This is a typical Guyanese breakfast item.
This is a meal made by Trish Ann's mom Debra, who is quite the cook.
This is chicken, cucumber salad and raisin rice - yes, seasoned rice with finely chopped veggies and RAISINS....it was all very tasty.
Trish Ann and I stopping for some refreshment at the fruit vendor's stand...my favorite thing to get from this stand are oranges, which are halved and sprinkled with salt and a little bit of hot pepper...mmm mmm goood....I know that may not sound very appetizing but it's actually quite delicious.....I love the sweet, salty and spicy combination.
The last 2 things that I'll tell you about are beverages....
Having my first (and probably last) taste of cane juice.....unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of it.
But a drink that I am very fond of is called Shandy....
Shandy is like flavored beer. It comes in a variety of different flavors (like pineapple, pomegranate, lemon, champagne and ginger). I've tried every flavor (except ginger). My favorite though, is pomegranate. Good stuff, I tell you....real good stuff!
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And so ends my first month in Guyana. I hope you got an idea of what life is like for me in Guyana. The next post I'll be able to tell you about the counryside of Guyana. I'm currently in a village called Berbice, which is in the country. It's about 3 hours outside of Georgetown. So, I'm looking forward to sharing whatever experiences I have here with you as well. I'll try not to take as long to put out that post as I did this one. Until next time!
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