A day in the life of Duverge

So we are getting used to the daily routine. Its only been a couple weeks since we have arrived but we are getting more comfortable which makes us feel like we have been here longer. We wake up early everyday, and have a big breakfast, our pioneer school instructors would be so impressed :) Breakfast usually is a big meal, we have either oatmeal or eggs and toast or cereal with yogurt. We need the energy for they day. After breakfast we make our way to the Kingdom Hall for our service group arrangement. It is at 8:45am. And even by that time its HOT!! After we arrange ourselves we set out into the territory. The scenery is beautiful

The territory is done a little differently here. Instead of having territory maps the city has been laid in out in a systematic way for complete coverage. Let me explain....so the congregation starts at one end of the city and Chris has laid out a plan that allows you to work the whole city without missing a house and its complete in about 6 months. Its actually really neat, you begin the next day at the exact spot you finished the day before. And every Friday morning is devoted to return visits and Friday afternoon is Not at Home's. 

 

 Here we are working near the river 

It takes a bit to figure everything out, because most houses have no numbers on them. Which means you have to be very descriptive on your not at home sheet. Even writing the green house isn't enough, usually there isn't a street name either so this is how our list goes...first street a block away from main street corner house with white shutters green siding blue door and large metal gate across from the open field. You go through a lot of not at home sheets let me tell you!!

 
 So once we have worked till about 11am, this is when everyone begins to go home to prepare their noon meal. There lunch time is the biggest meal of the day. So we usually walk by our return visits and make our way back too. Arriving at home sometime between 12 and 1pm. Then we have lunch, maybe a siesta. The afternoon consists of sweeping and mopping (everyday) there is a lot of dust that enters the home because your windows are always open. After cleaning and lunch you have a cool shower which feels GREAT!! Gray and I sometimes read or study and we are trying to study at least a half hour a day with our Spanish program. We really want to learn, its very frustrating when you want to communicate and have no words to do so. Once the afternoon is done its time for dinner, or on Fridays we go out in service and visit the Not at Home's. Its really a simple life and quite easy to get into the routine. I think everyone should try it at least once in there life, its experiences that will last a life time. We really like our home that we are renting. Its very comfortable. We are however a little empty on furniture. We currently only have furniture in the bedrooms. So we are needing a table and a sofa. Gray has made a table (sort of) by putting a door(that was just lying around) on the spare bedroom bed as our table for now. Here it is...
 We are planning a trip to the capital in May for the english assembly so we hope to stop by at Ikea and purchase the few things that we need. We ordered our washing machine (an essential piece of furniture) we found out its on a big boat on its way to the Dominican and will need to go through customs before we get it. So, in the mean time we walk our laundry over to Chris and Lisa's and use there washing machine. This occurs pretty often :) you go through clothes like crazy here. So today is our last day with our friends Kelsey and Desiree. We are a little sad to see them go, we have been so happy that they have been here. We would have been lost with out them. Here is picture of Kelsey and Desiree We will see them next month, and then at the end of May, Chris and Lisa return. Which we cant wait!! It will be so nice to have them here and we can hear about there experiences. Duverge is not the same without them. In fact the whole town is asking us if we are replacing them which we quickly reply NO! We explain that they are coming back, and that we are there friends from Canada. Its really incredible to see what a tremendous impact the two have made in this small town. The territory and the congregation love them! The people in Duverge have come to respect the bible and its message through the hard work of the local congregation, all to the glory of Jehovah and his beautiful blessings. Their sincere comments about what Jehovah's Witnesses do here in the country proves that there is much work to be done. And Jehovah is here supporting us all. Well tonight is our meeting, and we still need to get ready. We hope you are all doing well and we will write soon.