Sunday, June 20, 2010
no dread of calamity Prov 1:33
As for the one listening to me, he will reside in security and be undisturbed from dread of calamity.”
America's first floating Kingdom Hall
Dear All
Hope you are all well. As usual it's been a while since our last update.
Please forgive us but the time to type an email and go to the Internet café. Has been time we never seem able to find. But that's because we are so busy enjoying our assignment.
Our assignment has become a lot more interesting and to be honest a lot more work now that we have finished central America's first floating Kingdom Hall. As most of you will know we had the need of a place to meet within the islands, yet with land so very hard to find and the difficulties of the people living on islands, it was decided that a floating Kingdom Hall was the way to go.
Within a week this went from my scribbles on a notepad to a real project as the first donations arrived. We purchased all the steel we needed and decided to get started. As we have never built anything that floats or attempted to weld before, you can imagine our many concerns. We enlisted about 6 local brothers and sisters to help with the task at hand.
After the first few days we had the first section of the framework made and then we really started to worry. We think even a few in the Branch felt the same as a few from the Branch came to take a look and share in the testing of the first section at the lake. You can imagine our joys as it seemed to float very well. Although our worries returned as we realized that we still needed two more sections, floor, roof, veranda, seats and people.. We can honestly say we prayed earnestly every night and literally one month later, through blood, sweat, and tears, it was time to launch. We spent the day on, in and under the water putting the Hall together again.
The Branch had been a great support and Brother Ken Brian of the Branch Committee decided to visit for the weekend with his wife Sharon and give the first two talks as this Hall will be used in more than one place.. In total, we had over 45 in attendance and we didn't sink!!
The Hall has really become quite famous in the islands. Everyone waves as they see us towing the hall from one side of the islands to the next.
We were happily surprised with our first meeting attendance as we had not preached or informed most of the people in the area that we would be having the meeting. When we arrived and started to anchor the Hall, it started to rain incredibly hard, like it does in a rain forest. We were thinking that we would have a very low attendance. The three o'clock time arrived and passed - and no one was there. We were really down but, at about 4 o'clock, people started to arrive. We were amazed but couldn't be angry over their time-keeping. They had walked more than half an hour, in the rain, through the jungle. One carried 3 children. They were literally drenched. When they arrived, all were over the moon to finally have there own place to meet.
One thing that has been made clear and commented upon by all is that, for sure, Jehovah's spirit is at work in this remote area. In such a little time, we have seen so many families who desire to study. Our Memorial attendance was over 70.
Several families have separated from their prior religion, and made great sacrifices to visit the Assembly.
Starting from scribbles in a pad and 5 dollars, now we have been able to construct a floating Kingdom Hall!
All of this could only have been possible with the help of Jehovah's spirit and you loving brothers who helped in many different ways.
Please pass on and forward this email and the loving thanks of not only ourselves, but the two groups that have now been formed in the Islands of Nicaragua.
We have received emails and donations from Aruba to Iceland. There were many loving comments and experiences. One family from the states told us how the children made the decision to go without Pizza Night and pocket money to help with the funding of the Hall. Another brave brother decided to take his guitar and vocal talents to the high street in order to raise money, and we are sure that many others sacrificed time effort and money too. Its certainly at times like this we are reminded of what a privilege it is to be part of such a world-wide brotherhood.
As mentioned in the beginning, please forgive us if our updates are not too often but perhaps you will understand when we tell you that it has literally taken 4 days to write this e-mail due to shortage of electricity, rainstorms and various other things. Please be assured that we appreciate your kind words and support every time we make it to the Internet Café. We are attempting to attach a few photos so that you can see the floating Kingdom Hall.
We are currently looking for a truck in order to take our studies from the islands to the special assembly day which falls at the end of the month. As all have shown such an interest in being there.
We are awaiting and organizing for a couple who are arriving from Canada who are going to work along with us in the more than 100 islands that we still haven't preached in, so we are also looking for either building or buying another small boat that they can then use on the other side of the islands.
(Photo - John on deserted island)
So as you can tell there is plenty going on, so remember if you feel like a change why not come and visit.
So that's about all the news from this side apart from the various new wild animals we have been given as donations but that can wait till the next email.
So take care and keep in touch. All our love and best wishes
Agapé,
Your friends
John & Heidi Sealey
Hope you are all well. As usual it's been a while since our last update.
Please forgive us but the time to type an email and go to the Internet café. Has been time we never seem able to find. But that's because we are so busy enjoying our assignment.
Our assignment has become a lot more interesting and to be honest a lot more work now that we have finished central America's first floating Kingdom Hall. As most of you will know we had the need of a place to meet within the islands, yet with land so very hard to find and the difficulties of the people living on islands, it was decided that a floating Kingdom Hall was the way to go.
Within a week this went from my scribbles on a notepad to a real project as the first donations arrived. We purchased all the steel we needed and decided to get started. As we have never built anything that floats or attempted to weld before, you can imagine our many concerns. We enlisted about 6 local brothers and sisters to help with the task at hand.
After the first few days we had the first section of the framework made and then we really started to worry. We think even a few in the Branch felt the same as a few from the Branch came to take a look and share in the testing of the first section at the lake. You can imagine our joys as it seemed to float very well. Although our worries returned as we realized that we still needed two more sections, floor, roof, veranda, seats and people.. We can honestly say we prayed earnestly every night and literally one month later, through blood, sweat, and tears, it was time to launch. We spent the day on, in and under the water putting the Hall together again.
The Branch had been a great support and Brother Ken Brian of the Branch Committee decided to visit for the weekend with his wife Sharon and give the first two talks as this Hall will be used in more than one place.. In total, we had over 45 in attendance and we didn't sink!!
The Hall has really become quite famous in the islands. Everyone waves as they see us towing the hall from one side of the islands to the next.
We were happily surprised with our first meeting attendance as we had not preached or informed most of the people in the area that we would be having the meeting. When we arrived and started to anchor the Hall, it started to rain incredibly hard, like it does in a rain forest. We were thinking that we would have a very low attendance. The three o'clock time arrived and passed - and no one was there. We were really down but, at about 4 o'clock, people started to arrive. We were amazed but couldn't be angry over their time-keeping. They had walked more than half an hour, in the rain, through the jungle. One carried 3 children. They were literally drenched. When they arrived, all were over the moon to finally have there own place to meet.
One thing that has been made clear and commented upon by all is that, for sure, Jehovah's spirit is at work in this remote area. In such a little time, we have seen so many families who desire to study. Our Memorial attendance was over 70.
Several families have separated from their prior religion, and made great sacrifices to visit the Assembly.
Starting from scribbles in a pad and 5 dollars, now we have been able to construct a floating Kingdom Hall!
All of this could only have been possible with the help of Jehovah's spirit and you loving brothers who helped in many different ways.
Please pass on and forward this email and the loving thanks of not only ourselves, but the two groups that have now been formed in the Islands of Nicaragua.
We have received emails and donations from Aruba to Iceland. There were many loving comments and experiences. One family from the states told us how the children made the decision to go without Pizza Night and pocket money to help with the funding of the Hall. Another brave brother decided to take his guitar and vocal talents to the high street in order to raise money, and we are sure that many others sacrificed time effort and money too. Its certainly at times like this we are reminded of what a privilege it is to be part of such a world-wide brotherhood.
As mentioned in the beginning, please forgive us if our updates are not too often but perhaps you will understand when we tell you that it has literally taken 4 days to write this e-mail due to shortage of electricity, rainstorms and various other things. Please be assured that we appreciate your kind words and support every time we make it to the Internet Café. We are attempting to attach a few photos so that you can see the floating Kingdom Hall.
We are currently looking for a truck in order to take our studies from the islands to the special assembly day which falls at the end of the month. As all have shown such an interest in being there.
We are awaiting and organizing for a couple who are arriving from Canada who are going to work along with us in the more than 100 islands that we still haven't preached in, so we are also looking for either building or buying another small boat that they can then use on the other side of the islands.
(Photo - John on deserted island)
So as you can tell there is plenty going on, so remember if you feel like a change why not come and visit.
So that's about all the news from this side apart from the various new wild animals we have been given as donations but that can wait till the next email.
So take care and keep in touch. All our love and best wishes
Agapé,
Your friends
John & Heidi Sealey
Thursday, June 17, 2010
good attitude from MadCoreyLee
RT @MadCoreyLee @BC0035 @ColeBear02 made it to meeting! i even got something from it! worn. ragged. cruddy. spiritually fed. ahhhhhhhhh.
Jehovah's undeserved kindness by Jinojosa
RT @jinojosa: (2 Corinthians 12:6-10) 6 For if I ever do want to boast, I shall not be unreasonable, for I shall say the truth. But I abstain, in order that no one should put to my credit more than what he sees I am or he hears from me, 7 just because of the excess of the revelations. Therefore, that I might not feel overly exalted, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to keep slapping me, that I might not be overly exalted. 8 In this behalf I three times entreated the Lord that it might depart from me; 9 and yet he really said to me: “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for [my] power is being made perfect in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, will I rather boast as respects my weaknesses, that the power of the Christ may like a tent remain over me. 10 Therefore I take pleasure in weaknesses, in insults, in cases of need, in persecutions and difficulties, for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am powerful.
Random thoughts came to mind tonight. I thought I would collect them and wrote this:
How long have you had ‘a thorn in the flesh’? Months? Years? We don’t know what the apostle Paul’s was or how long. But Jehovah’s answer when he asked for it to be removed was, “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for [my] power is being made perfect in weakness.”
Suffering with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) for four years now I sometimes lose track of what is important. And, perhaps, this may be the case for other who suffer an illness or face challenges that result from being a true Christian. I miss many meetings, my field service has suffered, my focus is scattered. But why do we focus on the negative so much? Because it hurts us to know that we must do all we can serve Jehovah but our bodies just don’t allow us to.
And yet we have something so valuable we have received: Jehovah’s “undeserved kindness.” If something is undeserved we have not earned it. Our decrepit bodies are flawed. We inherit sin the moment we are conceived. We do not deserve to receive Jehovah’s blessings, but we do. “My power is being made perfect in weakness,” says God. As much or as little as we can do theocratically brings joy to Jehovah and honor to his name. As long as we do what is in our power to remain faithful God has promised to give us “everlasting life” – Jn 17:3.
We have our brothers and his holy spirit to console us, comfort us, lift us, study the Bible and meditate on it. We are moved to do what is in our power and sometimes even more than what we can imagine.
How long can we endure? Joshua and Caleb waited more than 40 years. Imagine being born into captivity and hearing the stories of how Jehovah will send a deliverer. Finally he arrives. Things look worse, less straw for brick and more allotments to be made. Then the 10 plagues, a parting of the sea, Israelites falling to idolatry and then arriving at the border of the ‘promised land.’ Out to spy Caleb and Joshua go. What a sight! Just as Jehovah described! A land flowing with milk and honey.
But wait the men look tall. 6 feet, maybe taller. With everything they have witnessed nothing can stop them! Jehovah is on their side! Too bad the other 10 spies don’t have the same faith. And they convince a nation of perhaps more that 3.5 million that they cannot win. The sentence from Jehovah for a lack of faith? Wander the desert for 40 years until all of the age of 20 and up die, except for Joshua, Caleb and their respective families – Numbers 13 and 14.
The ‘promised land’ in their grasp! But not to be. Now if they could endure a ‘stiff-necked people’ for 40 years plus the years as slaves before, could we not endure our ‘thorn in the flesh’? – Deut 9:13, 14. Caleb and Joshua were blessed by Jehovah, and they too were mere fleshly humans. Jehovah recompensed them for being loyal. They endured to reach the “promised land.” They focused on what lay ahead and not dwell on the present.
In Jehovah’s ‘undeserved kindness’ he has promised us a land, too: Paradise – Luke 23:43. And, so, if we can focus on what lays ahead for us it doesn’t matter how long it takes; we will reach our promised land. Our thorns are temporary; don’t focus too much on them. Instead endure by holding on to Jehovah’s ‘undeserved kindness.’
Random thoughts came to mind tonight. I thought I would collect them and wrote this:
How long have you had ‘a thorn in the flesh’? Months? Years? We don’t know what the apostle Paul’s was or how long. But Jehovah’s answer when he asked for it to be removed was, “My undeserved kindness is sufficient for you; for [my] power is being made perfect in weakness.”
Suffering with MCS (multiple chemical sensitivity) for four years now I sometimes lose track of what is important. And, perhaps, this may be the case for other who suffer an illness or face challenges that result from being a true Christian. I miss many meetings, my field service has suffered, my focus is scattered. But why do we focus on the negative so much? Because it hurts us to know that we must do all we can serve Jehovah but our bodies just don’t allow us to.
And yet we have something so valuable we have received: Jehovah’s “undeserved kindness.” If something is undeserved we have not earned it. Our decrepit bodies are flawed. We inherit sin the moment we are conceived. We do not deserve to receive Jehovah’s blessings, but we do. “My power is being made perfect in weakness,” says God. As much or as little as we can do theocratically brings joy to Jehovah and honor to his name. As long as we do what is in our power to remain faithful God has promised to give us “everlasting life” – Jn 17:3.
We have our brothers and his holy spirit to console us, comfort us, lift us, study the Bible and meditate on it. We are moved to do what is in our power and sometimes even more than what we can imagine.
How long can we endure? Joshua and Caleb waited more than 40 years. Imagine being born into captivity and hearing the stories of how Jehovah will send a deliverer. Finally he arrives. Things look worse, less straw for brick and more allotments to be made. Then the 10 plagues, a parting of the sea, Israelites falling to idolatry and then arriving at the border of the ‘promised land.’ Out to spy Caleb and Joshua go. What a sight! Just as Jehovah described! A land flowing with milk and honey.
But wait the men look tall. 6 feet, maybe taller. With everything they have witnessed nothing can stop them! Jehovah is on their side! Too bad the other 10 spies don’t have the same faith. And they convince a nation of perhaps more that 3.5 million that they cannot win. The sentence from Jehovah for a lack of faith? Wander the desert for 40 years until all of the age of 20 and up die, except for Joshua, Caleb and their respective families – Numbers 13 and 14.
The ‘promised land’ in their grasp! But not to be. Now if they could endure a ‘stiff-necked people’ for 40 years plus the years as slaves before, could we not endure our ‘thorn in the flesh’? – Deut 9:13, 14. Caleb and Joshua were blessed by Jehovah, and they too were mere fleshly humans. Jehovah recompensed them for being loyal. They endured to reach the “promised land.” They focused on what lay ahead and not dwell on the present.
In Jehovah’s ‘undeserved kindness’ he has promised us a land, too: Paradise – Luke 23:43. And, so, if we can focus on what lays ahead for us it doesn’t matter how long it takes; we will reach our promised land. Our thorns are temporary; don’t focus too much on them. Instead endure by holding on to Jehovah’s ‘undeserved kindness.’
Friday, June 4, 2010
Jehovah remebers the good we do Heb 6:10
DTK "God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love you showed for his name".—Heb. 6:10.
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