Busy Weekend

Hello Family and Friends,

What a busy weekend we have had. Friday was dedication of our new KH. Saturday Memorial and Sunday Zone Overseer Visit!

Saturday Memorial was outstanding! We had second Memorial, first was 6:30 ours was
8:00. We thought our attendance might be lower because it was second, but not so.
The North Congregation with 6:30 had 256. At 8:00 we had 397, we have 74 publishers, the new hall was overflowing with more than 30 sitting outside. It sure is good the congregation split. Lorelle's study came with her husband and 10 year old daughter. Nine of Dennis' studies came. I saw two return visits. There certainly may have been more that we knew, but it was hard to locate people in such a crowd. It was so awe inspiring. We saw many coming in carrying their invitations. One lady and small boy about 6 years sat next to me, the boy held the invitation for the whole time. Just grinning from ear to ear. The mother didn't speak much english but I was able to learn that she had received the invitation that day, and lived near the KH.
During the Memorial talk the brother was reading a popular scripture when suddenly many many many in the audience verbally finished the scripture! We knew then that many in attendance had never studied or been to the KH, we had so many new ones.

Lorelle spoke with one young man who had come with the invitation, she asked how he enjoyed the meeting, he said he enjoyed it very much. She invited him to come on Sunday, he said he didn't have a job and wouldn't be able to put money in the collection plate. She explained that we never pass a collection plate, he was so happy to hear this, he said he really wanted to learn more about the bible and would come.


The Zone visit on Sunday was another amazing event. It was held in an outdoor pavillion across from the ocean. There were 1,505 in attendance. The brother related many wonderful experiences. One was of friends that travel 3 days down the Congo river to get to convention and then have to row 7 days upstream to get back home after. The Congo River is the second largest, second only to the Amazon, it is not an easy river to traverse. There are over 40 friends in the group so they bring dug outs with them and cook while traveling along in the river. They pass the time reading texts together and singing Kingdom songs. On the trip home they review Convention notes together.

The brother brought out how we keep hearing that Sierra Leone is "Preaching Paradise" Nearly every door you are asked to sit and read scriptures, you can study with just about anyone you meet. He encouraged people to stay in Sierra Leone, he said why would you leave the country for further education or job opportunity when so many want to learn the bible here and missionaries are being sent in?

We have been so priviledged to be a part of the deaf group here in SL. We sat with the deaf on Sunday and Dennis was asked to translate the closing prayer, what a priviledge. Memorial for the deaf was also wonderful, there are 6 deaf publishers and they had 25 deaf at memorial, not counting the others that joined that are hearing.

We are seeing increases everywhere in Sierra Leone. I will get more numbers next week to share.

Dennis is traveling back to the US, tomorrow Tuesday March 25. He will be returning here May 2, our assembly is May 3 and 4 and he will be used for translating again.
We really are enjoying working together here. Hunter is loving the sign language, as well as the other children. They are all doing well with school and health is fine. My health is improving more and more each week, doctor says it will still be some time before I am 100% so I am learning patience. I have been able to preach to ones that come to the house and Dennis has a new bible study that will be coming to the house on Saturdays. I will conduct it until he returns. The man was the mason working on our new water tower the past two weeks, he came to Memorial on Saturday and asked to study. He and a friend came by this afternoon and watched the Meredith KH Construction DVD, they were very impressed with the volunteer spirit and efficiency.

The new water tower works great, so we now have 24 hour running water! There is a brother in a neighboring congregation that makes furniture, we have ordered some chairs and a couch. So our "glorified camping", as one missionary calls how we are living, is changing slowly but surely.

Take care, Love and Greetings to all,
Lorie