"Fights Without, Fears Within"

When it comes to meeting attendance, we all have hurdles to get past. Maybe it's needing to turn down work and disappoint our boss. Maybe it's leaving behind family that won't be joining us. Maybe it's getting past exhaustion. Or perhaps, in some distant land, in a Kingdom Hall far, far away, it's something else entirely: a terrorist that comes into the Kingdom Hall with the sole purpose of frightening all those in attendance. Generally he comes in and goes directly to the speaker's podium. But when an attendant rushes to the rescue, he chooses his next victim from the audience. He hurls himself into the air, and where he lands is anyone's guess. Sometimes, during a suicidal mission, he even hurls himself toward the fan, only to be smacked down on some innocent below. You may try to convince yourself you're ready for him: you inhale, hold your breath, close your eyes and cling to the armrests in preparation. But when you feel the thud on your shoulder, and those clawed nasty feet cling to your clothes, he has won a victory. Because at that moment, there's a screamer in the hall, and it is you.

Last week it happened this way. One flew towards the speaker, and our hero Adolfo flung him outside. But then, two more of his nasty friends were creeping towards the front row. Towards ME. And the biggest of the two, oh, he was obviously experienced at this form of terror, because while his partner in crime distracted Adolfo, he ran directly underneath my seat between my legs, and I, like a panicked fool, lifted my legs into the air, and let out a muffled scream from the front row. After the ensuing commotion, confusion, and surrounding laughter, I put my feet down and relaxed. Oh but no, he wasn't finished terrorizing; within seconds I felt a large weight against my foot, and at that moment, during a talk I am sorry to say I have no recollection of, instead of waiting for help, I got up and ran straight out of the Kingdom Hall.







This, my friends, is the monster we must face here in Costa Rica. At times he even tries to sit among us for the nefarious purpose of gaining secret information. Look as he even tries to raise his hand to comment. But we are wise to him. We will continue to fight against him.

Tick Tock Tedium

Any one who knows me well knows that at times I get a bit stir crazy. Restless. Fidgety. Spastic. Bored. Sort of like a dog that needs to be walked a lot or it starts misbehaving. Anyhow, that's how I was feeling last night. The thing is, here it gets dark at the same time every single night, year round, day in, day out. The sun starts setting around 5:30pm, and afterwards, you have hours of darkness. How about a walk on the beach? Not safe solo, and not as easy as you'd think to get a partner. How about a movie? No theatre (unless you count the room that seats about 20 and shows rentals on a projector, which I refuse to). Bowling? Not unless you consider throwing toads at howler monkeys hanging from trees a form of the sport.



Our recent game of Squish the Scorpion in the Studio is most diverting, but it only takes so long to kill em and flush em.









Of course, there's the cul-de-sac of Tamarindo, with it's collection of seedy sports bars and over-priced restaurants, but most of the friends are on a tight budget, and fine dining is generally out of the question. How about cards? Always disliked them up until now, but playing a game of cards or dominos with friends is something I've grown to appreciate.

Of all the challenges so far, this is the greatest. Car problems, critter encounters, sweltering heat, mountain size mosquito bites? Whatevs; I'll get over them. Too many nights in the house? Loca en la cabeza. Oh how I long for the pubs of San Diego and the Carlsbad sea wall like the Israelites longed for leeks and watermelons. Don't get me wrong, the nights of home cooking, relaxing, and being content with fewer distractions has done me a world of good. But last night I reached my max, and though it was unwise, I couldn't resist an evening drive and a walk on the beach. The stars here at night: incredible. To see the opaline waves, the silhouette of palm trees, and the milky way amidst an explosion of stars is, to say the least, awe inspiring (What does it all mean? What does it all MEAN?!?). I returned home, feeling a little scared and sad, wondering just how long I'll last without my closest friends and fondest diversions, and wondering if I should hire a body guard to accompany me on late night walks on the beach.

But today the ministry compensated for the challenges. The people you meet here, the stories they share with you about their lives, and their willingness to study - it really does make you see how people are "skinned and thrown about, like sheep without a shepherd." Teenagers with best friends dying of cancer. Young girls whose fathers abandoned them; whose mothers abandoned them; whose brothers died in accidents. And it is such a pleasure to be able to offer them a little bit of consolation and truth and perspective. We can't make their problems disappear, but we can give them our friendship and our time, and most valuable of all, the truth (and of course, give them Bible teach books for free, unlike a church in Santa Cruz that was selling them!!!). I was able to conduct three really good studies today, and the friend I brought with me somehow knew just what to say to offer compassionate counsel and consolation. So I don't know for how long I'll be able to stave off the stir crazy, but here's to another day.