One of the best parts of our type of territory is that we see a road, never been down it, don't know where it leads...LET'S EXPLORE.
Thursday, December 4, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
NO POSTS...WAH!? We haven't forgotten.
We are very sorry that we haven't posted anything in about and month, a lot has been going on. Let me fill you in...
Beginning of October Jessica and I went to see a Naturalist, she is a sister from England that serves in Spanish in San Marcos (1.5hrs north). She uses a "Vega Machine" to test for allergies, virus', parasites and various other illnesses. In some areas they call it "Bio-Energetic Evaluations". Jessica and I went with no expectations, simply to get tested for parasites (which is a regular practice here), what we found out was something that would change our lives!
She asks you about your medical history as a good doctor would and asks what kind of symptoms or discomforts that might be bothering you recently, very professional. Jessica's results showed that a Polio Vaccine that she received when a child built a cyst in her intestinal track causing digestive discomfort, which would explain her digestive issues, but I was not completely convinced. She was given some drops and what looked like a pink paper credit card, both of which where electrically charged to a specific frequency that would help the body get rid of the cyst. My results showed that I had an EB-Virus or Glandular Fever in my system and that I have had it for years, since I was a child. I nodded and she gave me the same regimen, only my card was green. We left with peace of mind knowing that we didn't have any parasites.
When we got home that night I started doing research, as I tend to do and found that Glandular Fever causes Mononucleosus or The Kissing Disease. I perked up a little, I was diagnosed with 'Mono' when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I never mentioned this part of my life to her. I continued researching and find that this virus is the cause of many illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and many more. I now became very interested, those of you who know my past can attest that I am very familiar with all of these illnesses, seeing that I have been diagnosed with all of them at some point in my life. I was treated as a child when I had Mono, the doctors said I was cured, but 3yrs later I was confined to a wheel chair. Then started my life of daily pain and fatigue, seeing specialist after specialist and taking an insurmountable amount of steroids and pain killers for the next 20yrs. I could not believe that not one doctor connected the dots, I'm not exaggerating, I've read all of my medical records! I was very excited, to say the least, this seemed like an answer to my prayers (many, many prayers). Did I forget to mention, she told me that I could completely cure myself of this virus and all of its symptoms that I've lived with the majority of my life!
I was very strict and followed all her recommendations for the entire month. I became Raw Vegan and drank nothing but lime water, which is very hard here in Nica, there is absolutely no variety of vegetables available in the market. Then I got the flu two weeks into it, so I ate nothing but vegetable broth for one week. In one month I lost 20lbs, total since moving to Nica I've lost 30lbs. When the month was over we returned to the Naturalist and found that the virus was completely out of my system, and I felt it to. I now have $300 worth of vitamins I no longer need, my pains are gone, I no longer have fatigue and have a rejuvenated sense of "nothing can stop me"! I guess Jehovah knew what I needed to complete my full time service. Oh yeah!!!
But, there is more...
The week before we returned to the Naturalist Jessica became very ill, high fever, fatigue and joint stiffness. I was afraid it was Chikungunya, we did not go to the local clinic because they don't do anything for you. Chikungunya is a virus and they give you anitbiotics for seven days and send you home. We were already scheduled to see the Naturalist. Jessica had Dengue Fever and to make things worse Meningitis as well. The Meningitis though was not contracted here, she has had it for several years, she contracted it sometime in Houston. This of course explains her constant headaches, neck and back stiffness and fatigue. Jessica has had it rough the last couple of weeks, the Dengue is out of her system but she is still dealing with fatigue and joint pain. Her headaches have gotten worse, most likely due to her body trying to get rid of the Meningitis when her immune system is low. We are hoping that this will not last longer that a month, but I expect two.
Meanwhile I have had 2 accidents in the last two weeks. I had a small motorcycle accident that gave me some road rash and bruising on my right side and a skinless palm for one week. It wasn't bad at all, things like this happen, that is why you have to be diligent on the roads here and limit your injuries. The second accident was worse, It was on my bicycle...I know you expected the opposite. I was heading home from service, doing cycling territory and I picked up speed down a hill, when I tried to slow down my rear brake had no friction my only option was the front. I flew over my handlebars meeting the curb with my chin. Carl, one of the elders in the group helped me to the clinic up the road. I received 4 stitches which should've been 10 stitches if it wasn't for the shoe string thread they used in the emergency room. I guess I can't complain, it was free.
Anyways...we have had a lot happen and are still in recovery mode. This week I will work on some more pictures for you guys and some wonderful experiences about our group. May we be in your prayers, as you are always in ours. Jehovah has continued to bless us here in San Juan Del Sur and I want everyone to experience the joy that we have serving here.
Beginning of October Jessica and I went to see a Naturalist, she is a sister from England that serves in Spanish in San Marcos (1.5hrs north). She uses a "Vega Machine" to test for allergies, virus', parasites and various other illnesses. In some areas they call it "Bio-Energetic Evaluations". Jessica and I went with no expectations, simply to get tested for parasites (which is a regular practice here), what we found out was something that would change our lives!
She asks you about your medical history as a good doctor would and asks what kind of symptoms or discomforts that might be bothering you recently, very professional. Jessica's results showed that a Polio Vaccine that she received when a child built a cyst in her intestinal track causing digestive discomfort, which would explain her digestive issues, but I was not completely convinced. She was given some drops and what looked like a pink paper credit card, both of which where electrically charged to a specific frequency that would help the body get rid of the cyst. My results showed that I had an EB-Virus or Glandular Fever in my system and that I have had it for years, since I was a child. I nodded and she gave me the same regimen, only my card was green. We left with peace of mind knowing that we didn't have any parasites.
When we got home that night I started doing research, as I tend to do and found that Glandular Fever causes Mononucleosus or The Kissing Disease. I perked up a little, I was diagnosed with 'Mono' when I was around 6 or 7 years old. I never mentioned this part of my life to her. I continued researching and find that this virus is the cause of many illnesses, rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, chronic fatigue syndrome and many more. I now became very interested, those of you who know my past can attest that I am very familiar with all of these illnesses, seeing that I have been diagnosed with all of them at some point in my life. I was treated as a child when I had Mono, the doctors said I was cured, but 3yrs later I was confined to a wheel chair. Then started my life of daily pain and fatigue, seeing specialist after specialist and taking an insurmountable amount of steroids and pain killers for the next 20yrs. I could not believe that not one doctor connected the dots, I'm not exaggerating, I've read all of my medical records! I was very excited, to say the least, this seemed like an answer to my prayers (many, many prayers). Did I forget to mention, she told me that I could completely cure myself of this virus and all of its symptoms that I've lived with the majority of my life!
I was very strict and followed all her recommendations for the entire month. I became Raw Vegan and drank nothing but lime water, which is very hard here in Nica, there is absolutely no variety of vegetables available in the market. Then I got the flu two weeks into it, so I ate nothing but vegetable broth for one week. In one month I lost 20lbs, total since moving to Nica I've lost 30lbs. When the month was over we returned to the Naturalist and found that the virus was completely out of my system, and I felt it to. I now have $300 worth of vitamins I no longer need, my pains are gone, I no longer have fatigue and have a rejuvenated sense of "nothing can stop me"! I guess Jehovah knew what I needed to complete my full time service. Oh yeah!!!
But, there is more...
The week before we returned to the Naturalist Jessica became very ill, high fever, fatigue and joint stiffness. I was afraid it was Chikungunya, we did not go to the local clinic because they don't do anything for you. Chikungunya is a virus and they give you anitbiotics for seven days and send you home. We were already scheduled to see the Naturalist. Jessica had Dengue Fever and to make things worse Meningitis as well. The Meningitis though was not contracted here, she has had it for several years, she contracted it sometime in Houston. This of course explains her constant headaches, neck and back stiffness and fatigue. Jessica has had it rough the last couple of weeks, the Dengue is out of her system but she is still dealing with fatigue and joint pain. Her headaches have gotten worse, most likely due to her body trying to get rid of the Meningitis when her immune system is low. We are hoping that this will not last longer that a month, but I expect two.
Meanwhile I have had 2 accidents in the last two weeks. I had a small motorcycle accident that gave me some road rash and bruising on my right side and a skinless palm for one week. It wasn't bad at all, things like this happen, that is why you have to be diligent on the roads here and limit your injuries. The second accident was worse, It was on my bicycle...I know you expected the opposite. I was heading home from service, doing cycling territory and I picked up speed down a hill, when I tried to slow down my rear brake had no friction my only option was the front. I flew over my handlebars meeting the curb with my chin. Carl, one of the elders in the group helped me to the clinic up the road. I received 4 stitches which should've been 10 stitches if it wasn't for the shoe string thread they used in the emergency room. I guess I can't complain, it was free.
They definitley didn't understand the concept of "being sterile".
Anyways...we have had a lot happen and are still in recovery mode. This week I will work on some more pictures for you guys and some wonderful experiences about our group. May we be in your prayers, as you are always in ours. Jehovah has continued to bless us here in San Juan Del Sur and I want everyone to experience the joy that we have serving here.
Wednesday, October 8, 2014
Trip to Altagracia on the island of Ometepe
(View from the Ferry Boat Cabin)
(Hi Class...inside the Ferry Boat Cabin)
(Central Park in Altagracia)
(Home fence..apparently sponsored by Nike :-)~
("I know exactly where we are" LOL. He did know, but we found out that this town's way bigger than we thought))
(Little piggies strolling thru town)
The English Regional Convention is this month in El Salvador (English from El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala & Nicaragua are assigned), so we are doing the Invitation Campaign. We left at 6:30 am, traveled 1 hr by taxi to the port in San Jorge, then a 1 hr Ferry ride to Ometepe Island, then another 1 hr bus ride to the town of Altagracia). We only had a few known English contacts, so we went ahead & censused as much as possible & found 8 more English contacts, all Nicaraguan. It was a long, hot day, but very successful...realizing it was a larger territory than originally thought :-) The plan was to take the bus to a closer port, so that we could take a 3pm ferry. The bus driver forgot to stop at the port in San Jose, so we had to take the 1 hr ride back to the port in Moyogalpa...missing the 3pm boat..ugh. We ended up waiting for the 4pm ferry, then 1 hr taxi ride home, arriving at 6pm...11.5 hour day!!!!
Exploying Playa Gigante
(Steve & Elki from Australia)
(Steve & Elki from Australia)
(Aussie Steve taking a much needed break at a seaside restaurant )
(Kiwi Steve, Aussie Steve & Bryan trying to figure out how to get to the large cliff-side homes)
So, it's been a while since our last post, but we've basically just been living life...no super adventures to report. Our group is now preparing for the large influx of JW visitors (60 + People) in Dec/Jan. Only the towns of San Juan Del Sur, Rivas & Moyogalpa on the island of Ometepe have actual territory maps...the rest of our large territory has to be explored & mapped out. So, a few weeks ago we drove 1.5 hours NW to the Playa Gigante...a gorgeous beach w/lots of ex-pats living there. We basically just traveled down dirt roads till we found civilization, then did census work looking for English speakers. Most of the foreigners live right on the beach or cliff-side. We found a road with beach access, parked, then walked the beach from house to house to bar to restaurant to hotel. We found a lot of interest :-) There are no buses to & from this territory, so the plan is to rent a small bus or large pickup truck to take the majority of our group. We'll prob stay a few days, stay in hostels, have bonfires on the beach at night....great surf spot, as well :-)
Friday, September 19, 2014
Want To Move To San Juan Del Sur?
I have received many emails and comments about interest in moving to this wonderful town. In reply I say: "PLEASE, PLEASE come". We could use your help. as posted before we have a massive territory and could use the help, we are also close to becoming a congregation. Our next C.O. visit is in February and our hopes are high.
The link below is an info packet about life here in SJDS, cost of living, how to plan a move here, the territory and our group. I hope you find it useful.
Hope to see you soon! If you can't move here permanently, nothing says you can't come for only a few weeks, a month or several!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/7mklxiwom3tu42h/Info%20SJDS%20Sept%202014.pdf?dl=0
Monday, September 15, 2014
Rural Territory... "It's a whole new world..." Sing it Ben!
I know I have mentioned before, our territory is huge...about 3,000 square miles, and most of it is dirt road. Most of which is not on Google Maps or the nice detailed paper (yeah, you remember paper maps) travel maps of Nicaragua, so we must physically explore. This is where it gets interesting. What is needed most in our group is people with transportation, because most of the time the buses do not take you to your territory. They may take you only so far and then you have to walk 1 or 2 hours to get to the rest, or they drop you off and do not return till the next day and you may or may not find a place to stay for the night. This is why we bought our motorbikes...but it can get tricky during the rainy season. (right now is the rainy season)
Rural Nicaragua is an entire world in itself, so beautiful and amazing. Last weekend one of the couples, Brianna and Daniel went with Jessica and I up north to Las Salinas and the beaches of Playa Guasecate and Playa Gigante. There are tons of roads heading off to the beach that foreigners build houses on and we are out to find them! We literally drive road by road mapping it out and censusing. We were so sore by the end of the day because of the bumpy dirt roads on the motorbike, but it was very successful. We happened to come across some brothers witnessing from the spanish in that area and they had 1 american brother with them who had been there for 4yrs, he married a local. No one knew he was there and he was able to help us narrow down our territory and answer vital questions that might have taken us all day to find out.
Rural Nicaragua is an entire world in itself, so beautiful and amazing. Last weekend one of the couples, Brianna and Daniel went with Jessica and I up north to Las Salinas and the beaches of Playa Guasecate and Playa Gigante. There are tons of roads heading off to the beach that foreigners build houses on and we are out to find them! We literally drive road by road mapping it out and censusing. We were so sore by the end of the day because of the bumpy dirt roads on the motorbike, but it was very successful. We happened to come across some brothers witnessing from the spanish in that area and they had 1 american brother with them who had been there for 4yrs, he married a local. No one knew he was there and he was able to help us narrow down our territory and answer vital questions that might have taken us all day to find out.
Yesterday I returned to that area with a new group, Jessica stayed home she wasn't up for the travel on the motorbike, it's 1hr 30min drive. This time though we had a SUV with 5 peeps and myself on my motorbike, what I did not expect was inclement weather. You can't really depend on the weather apps here, they are usually wrong or off by a day.
We found some amazing private beaches and lots of foreigners. We had stopped at an awesome hotel for coffee and pastries when the rain hit, it doesn't pour hard for hours like in Houston only a few minutes, but it drizzled the rest of the day. Now remember that we are on dirt roads, the mud here is so slick and at places so loose that I had virtually no traction on the motorbike. It made for a stressful and interesting day but it was for Jehovah. At one time I had to ride through a river going over the road that was up to my knees at it's deepest point. My bike has street tires, this week I'm buying nobbies for the rest of the rainy season!
We left at 730am and I got back home at 530, which buy then was a constant rain the last 45min of my ride. Needless to say this was the first time I could say I felt frozen here, I was completely soaked.
Magnific Rock
Our coffee break at a private beach hotel
Each room has its own infinity hottub
My River Experience
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