OASIS

It is both eponymous and literal. I am currently sitting in an air conditioned, wireless connected, proper coffee serving, Perrier providing coffee shop called ‘Oasis’ – but I am still in Guyana! It is like one of the wonders of the world! Amongst the arid wasteland that is Guyana, the capital still smells like the backside of a cow, yet, thanks to the Embassy Quarter, Oasis has been created to cater to their more Western needs, much to the glee of Guyana’s inhabitants.

I am in the ‘metropolis’ today to apply for a visa that will allow me entry to Suriname for a few days and see me popping across the waters to renew my visa for Guyana. Yes, guys and girls, I will have completed 3 months here by Tuesday – sorry to whomever lost the sweep stake with that prediction. I had planned to go to Trinidad, but I was a little scared that if I went over, I might not come back! I would have had to have stayed for at least a week in order to get the cheaper flights, and I did not feel that I yet deserved a week off. I am going to save it for a treat, much like the whiskey that Leon bought me – ‘open in emergencies’.

It doesn’t feel like 3 months has passed, it feels like a much longer time, which I am not sure is a good or bad thing. I have already done quite a lot here and feel in a rhythm for the min etc, have learnt some local lingo and know what Guyanese food I do and do not like – fast work for 3 months me thinks. Will I last a full year, who knows! Some friends went across to Suriname on the weekend and brought be back some chorizo, salami, proper coffee and some red and white wine! That will enable me to last another few months at least!

Missing home a lot. Missing London and all that it gives. I am, however, glad to be out of the rat race and am dreading the idea of coming back to work.

Miss you all. Thanks to those of you who have kept in touch. To those who have ignored me (Mallika), let this be a nudge ;)

Swetty Betty Serengeti Spaghetti

WHY IS IT SOOOOOOO HOT HERE?

Tonight was interpreting at the meeting and was horrified to see that when I took my jacket off, I had sweat patches on my elbows! How does that happen? And then when I sat down, I got patches on my knees! This place is not pleasant! Even now as I sit at my friend's writing this, my hair is dripping with sweat - why, oh why?

In other news, I cut my hair myself today! Yes, after spending so much money for the last few years (excluding the short back and sides dolled out in Bethel) on haircuts, I have finally realised how much I was ripped off. I even cut my hair today without a mirror for the most part. Admittedly, my hair is a little wonky at the back, but it all adds character me thinks. Despite the hair being lopped off, it did not prevent the sweat episode detailed above.

Lastly, Jo asked me to post something a little less heavy and a bit more jocular. So, I thought I would tell you about a regular sight here of dogs that seem to be siamese. Yes, they look much like the 'push-me-pull-me's' from Doctor Doolittle, but dog-type: they are the body of a dog pointing one way with a head, and then they have four legs at the rear, and then a dog shape pointing the other way. After being amazed by this mutation of nature and asking how often this happens, people broke it to me that in actual fact they are indeed two dogs, post-coital! They do 'it', as dogs do, but then they find that they are stuck, so they spend a day or so struggling around joined at the 'bits'. They twist around and try to un-join, which just makes it worse and more hilarious to see. I guess that makes more sense than a new breed of conjoined dog freaks. I shall try to get a picture so you can all enjoy the varied delights of the wildlife of Guyana. Oh, and I saw a humungous snake eating a massive bird whole the other day. Need to start taking my camera out more.

Tara.x

Two Months, First Month of Pioneering and an Assembly

Well my lovely readers, I hope all is well back home. Thanks to those of you who have been keeping in touch with emails and letting me know what is going on back home. It seems like I have been here for ages, but in reality it has only been two months! I am not sure if that is a good thing or not…

Things have been really busy, as you can tell from the title of this little update. I put in my pioneering form and completed my first month successfully. It is a strange thing to see one’s average hours go from the twenties to above the requisite seventy. I was really fortunate to do one hundred and one hours!!! I say ‘fortunate’ as this past week has been horrendous for ministry, so I am glad it all evens out through a year. With the assembly taking place, we had to attend rehearsals, spend a day setting up, have the pioneer meeting and then the two days of the assembly. Tiring stuff.

The assembly went really well, Guyana style. We feared that the set up was not going to be complete in time and my patience was sorely tested with people not living up to their word or not treating things in a serious enough manner, so that was good training for me! I had the privilege of interpreting all of the DO’s talks, along with some other talks, so I was busy with my ASL interpreting-debut. On the whole it went well, despite major power cuts throughout the day causing the speakers to have to cut and edit their talks with an axe, which makes interpreting less than easy. Everyone did a sterling job though and we made it through. We had about a thousand present on the Sunday and there were four baptised on the Saturday, one being a brother from our hall who I am good friends with. I am not sure if I will get to post pictures embedded in this blog, but I will try.

With the assembly over, we had a much earned rest on Monday, that for me has spilled over to today also. The power has been off all day, since 8 am, so I have just been chilling and reading. Sadly, no power means no fans, so it hasn’t been the most comfortable of rest days. Ho Hum. Spooky, as I type, the power has just leapt into action and the sweat is being blown from my brow by the fan!

I have to go now and see if I can wash some clothes for the week as I am completely out of wares. Missing you all.

DTG

Pictures

Hi reader people!

Just a quick note to say that I have put up some new photos for you all to peruse. Some are from our trip to the 'beach' as a congregation and the others are from Shamma-Rae's (real name, I kid you not, she is from Texas!) leaving party.

I think you need to have the link, so here it is. Enjoy.x

https://picasaweb.google.com/115841554552813020315/GuyanaMore?authkey=Gv1sRgCPmbovrepu22vQE

Weekend Trip to Linden

Hi all

These posts are becoming quite frequent - I hope you are not getting bored by my ramblings.

I just wanted to tell you about the weekend just gone. DC had been asked to attend a sign language meeting in a place called Linden to deliver a talk to the group there. His wife decided that as there would be no opportunity to go shopping on the way there when stopping in the capital, she didn't want to go. As DC is deaf, he needs an interpreter at various points, so he asked me to go with him, so we thought we would make a weekend out of it.

Setting off at 0630, we grabbed a bus to take us one hour to New Amsterdam, where we then switched to a car to take us the two hours to Georgetown. In doing so, we initially jumped on another bus to make the second leg, but it was taking ages to find other passengers to fill the bus up and we decided to jump out and get a cab. Now, the buses don't like you doing this, as they lose the fare, so they lock you in the bus so you cannot jump out - handy! We feigned the need to go to the toilet and then rushed to a car with two passengers in already and locked the doors, much to the consternation of the bus drivers and touts shouting at us! A couple of hours later we arrived in the horrendous cacophony that is Georgetown. People screaming at you, grabbing your arms and bag to drag you into buses and taxis -twas not fun. Whilst DC played the deaf card and pushed them out the way without talking, I felt bad and me being me ended up chatting to them all and getting further drawn in. It actually worked to our advantage as the guy I spoke to pushed all the other touts out the way and shepherded us to a bus where we got good seats and a swift departure.

Another two hours of driving saw us travelling inland to the town of Linden. DC had warned me that Linden was horrible and very run down, but it had been a year since his last visit and the place was actually quite pleasant. It had many more amenities than where we live and most of the houses are proper houses rather than shacks like here in Skeldon. It is situated on the main passageways up river to the small tribes and villages is a thoroughfare of sorts.

The talk was good (in case he reads this) and we were able to socialise with the brothers after, before heading back to the house of the only baptised deaf publisher in the cong. His name is Leon and his story is really uplifting. We went back to his house, running in the rain that had just hit. His house was effectively a load of MDF that had been thrown up and was extremely bare and simple inside. He had built it himself and was a real step up from where he was living before - a shed of about 10 ft by 10ft - in a backstreet. Leon used to be a Rasta and was involved in a lot of gang activity and violence before coming in the truth. He was one of the main drug dealers and is covered in tatoos - he pointed out a load of his graffiti on the way to his house! Having left all of that as he started studying, he had to find honest work and found a job as a cameraman for one of the tv stations. He went from being really well off from drug dealing to earning about £20 a month - basically the place was ripping him off and he was working for hardly anything. Despite this he built his house and bought a TV and DVD player so that he could watch the WT and the KM and could prepare for his meetings. Sadly, he has twice been broken into and had everything stolen - by his father and brothers no less! After saving up once again, he now has to hide his technology and has to lock his family out from his house in case they steal again. He got baptised last year and is making excellent progress. Although he finds things hard, it is a pleasure to talk to him and to see the way he talks about Jehovah and how he feels saved from Satan's world. I was able to interpret the new DVD for him as there are no subtitles and he didn't know about the history of the organisation. He was so impressed and couldn't stop talking about it.

After going for some food, we went to the sister's house who was hosting us. Upon meeting the sister (who is about 70 years old), she said 'Hello David, show me your socks'!!! Turns out she is Brenda Cross' mum (Hampstead reference) and had just got back from her trip to London. It was so lovely to be with someone who I had a connection with and who had lived in England (34 years in Camden) as I got a proper cup of tea and a full English breakfast in the morning! Not Bad!

We were meant to go to the capital and attend the sign language meeting there too, but we felt beat so decided to head back home instead. Man, it was scary. We were herded into a car in Georgetown with these three people who seemed dodgy as anything. They had a spray paint motif saying 'real hustlers' on the car and we were convinced that they were not proper cab people, rather just some chavs trying to make some money. DC decides to alleviate my worries by telling me all these stories about people who had been mugged and robbed in exactly the same situation! Grrr. The driver drove like a maniac, but thankfully, nothing untoward happened and we got back safe and sound.

All in all, it was a lovely trip away and made me thankful for the opportunity to be here and part of such a special work. Sorry once again about the lack of eloquence in this monologue, but I have been on the min all day in stupidly hot weather (even the locals are moaning) and it is 22:11 right now. This evening one of the girls wanted to make sushi (California rolls) so we had that and played Catan (new to me, kinda like the love child of chess and monopoly). Didn't want to miss the opportunity of both the power and the internet working, so wanted to send this before one or both fails.

Love you all.x

Two experiences

Hey - sorry for the double post, but I was writing this to someone and thought I might like to post it too.

Just two short experiences: 

1. We have a lad who comes to the meetings at the moment. His name is Ravi and he is 17 years old. When you meet him, he gives you a huge smile and a big hug. His coordination is not very good and I thought he had Cerebral Palsy or something. He loves coming to the meetings and never misses. Although he isn't answering yet, he sits with a big smile on his face throughout the whole thing and loves to check his understanding with you as the paragraphs are signed. Turns out, he was locked up by his family, chained to a bed for 10 years, never being allowed out of the house to mix with people, hence the lack of coordination. The brothers here met him and intervened with the family, who finally agreed to let him free. Now they love him and his nature. You would never know he had been through such trauma with the smile that is on his face.

2. We have another young lad - 14 years old - who comes to all the meetings, and who I helped prepare for his first answer the other day. Brothers used to call on him, but he never really responded and didn't seem interested in learning sign language. His parents separated and took him far off, so the brothers here didn't see him for months and months. One of the sisters bumped into his mum at the market and she said that Vishal was back in Skeldon. The brothers thought they would pop by and say hi and they found him completely changed. He was so eager to learn to sign and about Jehovah. In two months he has gone from not signing AT ALL and really despondent, to a lad who answered at the meeting on Thursday, never misses, has two studies a week and who I had to teach about the universe and the planets to the other day! He is lapping up information and signs and it has unlocked such potential in him. His parents have been so amazed by what he is learning, that they have asked us to teach them to read and write, so that they can learn more about the Bible. They go to Church, but don't understand any of it. It is so amazing to see how the gift of communication can literally change these people's lives. 

Will try to post more experiences as they happen. Sorry that the writing is a bit off, so tired!

Molson Creek

Hi all,

Just wanted to write a brief description of my day today. We decided to head out to an area called Molson Creek today - it is a part of our territory that is only covered once a year by the congregation and has never been searched for Deaf. DC and I headed off on the bike, after raiding the Kingdom Hall for a range of magazines, books and brochures.

After an hour of butt-crunching roads, we started to see houses to call at. Many of these people are Amarindian, who are the indigenous people of Guyana, and are very shy with little schooling (and big families). We spent the day calling at all the houses in the village, along with using DC's GPS device to map the whole area and mark every house in the village. DC then uploads it and produces the only maps available on the internet of Guyana (Google doesn't have any). We had a lovely day speaking to such humble people who are all religious and so genuine with their words. We placed books, magazines and brochures at every single house, and even at the local primary school. As we were riding back home, one of the houses ran out to stop us, as they had shown their wares to another part of the family and they wanted some too - a far cry from London - and with whom we have promised to return to with a Bible! I felt bad at one house asking 9 children to share a Bible Stories book! I then returned home to conduct a study with a deaf man who attends all the meetings. We went over the meeting prep and got some answers for him. So, all in all, a busy day! No deaf found, but at least we can say that we tried and made good use of our time in the process.

Today felt like a real accomplishment and has raised our territory covering average to new heights! Bad news is that despite sun block, I got frazzled by the sun - sad face.

Love you all.