"tree" months please

 

     Some will call it a vacation, some will see it as an opportunity to visit another country and some will dread the day it comes, the mandatory renewal of your visa.  As non-nationals (as referred to by the customs officers) you only get to bask in the warm glow of Guyana sunshine for three months then it's time to pack your satchel and sun-screen and head for the border.  For us it requires the following:

1) Up by 5:30 am to catch a bus to the stellon (boat dock).  Please know that when you step aboard the bus you have just increased your chance of dying by 78.3%.  So, just hang on and keep your eyes on the horizon.

2) Upon arrival at the stellon, your attacked by men vying for your business, be it money changers, taxi drivers or some guy wearing a burlap bag as pants and holding a jar of his own urine.  (actually that last guy we saw at the market but I just felt it needed to be mentioned.)

3) Your then instructed to go stand in line, the problem is that the line has no shape or form, it's not by definition a line, it's more of a grouping.  As you stand there for 20 minutes or so you begin to realize your not making any forward progress and others are just blatantly ignoring the grouping-line etiquette.  It then just turns into a "stand your ground" and push ahead mentality.  Eventually you arrive at the window and pay for your ticket to board the ferry as well as provide them with your passport which you will not see again until you've survived another grouping experience, which usually entails a large woman with little regard for your personal space.

4) Once you've gone through the "grouping" ordeal, you move into the next phase of the trip that can be summed up in one phrase, "just now".  That phrase in Guyana means, "wait till I'm ready".  At this point you now sit and wait, even though you can see the boat sitting right there and the men are just "gaffing" (talking amongst themselves).  But, once they feel sufficiently motivated, then with godlike powers they waive their hands which sends the waiting throng into motion, "let the boarding begin!".  The boat ride itself is not so bad, it can though be interesting at times because upon boarding your given some paperwork that needs to be filled out, however some of the passengers are not able to fill out the forms because they don't know how to read.  So what happens is they will ask you, (whitey or also referred to as uncle) to fill it out for them which means your having to ask them personal questions about there visit and how long they will be staying, when were they born, how old are you, etc.  After about the fifth person your now feeling like an employee and wondering when your shift is over.

5) After about an hour on the boat you arrive in Suriname.  From there you board another bus and head toward the city of Paramaribo which is about 3 hours away.  So by the end of the day you've been on a death ride, molested, forced to wait on the gods, then forced to do the work of the gods, capped with another white knuckle road trip.  Finally, after about 9 hours, we've arrived!

Here are some pictures we saw along the way.

 

 

 

For us leaving to get our passport renewed is usually not something we look forward to, however this time we opted to go to the city of Paramaribo in Suriname.  We had heard from others that it's a nice place to visit and it will give us a chance to enjoy some things we haven't had in a while such as:



McDonalds...Crystal prayed for a long time.

As we toured around the city we came across this old fort and it was there that I reconnected with my roots.  The name of the fort is Zeelandia.

 

A cobblers work bench.  In Dutch they were called Schoenmakers.

Some other interesting buildings we saw along the way.

A big'ole wooden catholic church getting repainted

The Presidential Palace



 a Hugh mosque


But the place we enjoyed the most and basically had all to ourselves was the zoo.  For 10.00srd (about $4.00 US) you can spend the day and hang out with the animals.

 



A Harpy eagle.

 



Crystal's favorite animal.

We also spent some time visiting the Suriname branch office.  Funny thing happened, we called a taxi to take us to the branch but he ended up going to the wrong street, so we called the branch to let them know we would not make the 11:00 tour but would like to be added to the 1:00.  Upon our arrival around 11:45 they had already made arrangements for us to have lunch with the bethelites. After lunch we had the chance to sit and visit with a couple till the next tour, guess how many were in the 1:00 tour? 2, us.  We got our own special tour of the facilities, very nice!  Here is us having lunch with family, the brother said the prayer in Dutch, we just said amen when everyone else did.

So, after 3 days of sight-seeing and sleeping in a/c, we start the 9 hour journey all over again. Once we arrived at the Guyana entry point we approached the customs officer and he says, "how long you want to stay"?  Our reply is, "tree months please."  Here they don't pronounce the "h" so that's what it sounds like.

 Now you have an idea of what we get to do every three months, so in March we get to do it again.  Our advice is this, please enjoy the simple things, don't be in a rush, stay far away from men wearing burlap and lines in the shape of a Q.  Stay safe.

Scott & Crystal

Surgery Update

Sorry, no pictures for you this time. Life has been a little boring just lying around recovering from my surgery. By the way, hope the last blog didn't confuse anybody, our trip to Georgetown was just before my big medical emergency. Anyway, I went to the Doctor this past Wednesday and he removed my stitches and gave me a clean bill of health. No infection, and so far, the surgery seems to have been a success. Thanks to all of you that had me in your thoughts and prayers during this time, I really appreciate it. The congregation here has really taken good care of me, bringing me meals, running errands for me, and calling and visiting to check on me. One sister that lives nearby was even coming by and helping clean my incision! I'm so grateful to Jehovah that he has taken care of me during this time. Now I'm ready to slowly get back into my normal routine and start living life again. Thanks again for all the support I have received! -Crystal

To town we go..Georgetown that is

So your thinking about visiting the city of Georgetown in Guyana, this is what you could expect to see. 

This is a College, supported by one of the churches.  If you look close at the center above the door you'll notice a statue of a saint. 

One of many Angelican churches that exist in the city.  These buildings may appear to be in good condition but trust me they are a handyman's nightmare.  Some are in such disrepair that they can't be used for fear of collapse.

 

This is a snapshot of the downtown market. The place is packed with people during the day and then becomes a vagrants haven after hours.

This iconic clock has been broke since we've arrive.  Often times Guyana is advertised as a tourist location using this structure as a beacon of capitalism and progress but upon closer inspection you find yourself searching for the first cap going in the opposite direction.

 

Back in the day (under British rule) these buildings probably stood as proud structures filled with faithful patrons, however now they just creek in the wind, straining to stand erect in the face of neglect and apathy.

No, this is not the Magic Kingdom, it's City Hall.  This is my favorite building in GT and I can only imagine what it must have looked like in it's prime.  Again, another sad tale of wear and tear and it leaves you shedding a tear. 

And here we find ourselves standing before the High Court of Guyana.  I was at once impressed with the craftsmanship and time it must have taken to build, yet once more my eyes begin to move beyond the scroll work to the rotten planks and blatant lack of effort to keep this important facility looking it's best.  Case in point, could you enlarge the statue of Queen Elizabeth you would see that her nose has been broken off and one of her arms is missing, then to top it off someone left clothes at the base of the statue and it appears they have been there for a LONG time. 

Now our tour brings us to the one place in GT that is well-kept and gives evidence of pride, the Presidential Headquarters.  Donald Romatar is the president of Guyana and he has at least ensured that his place of dwelling is taken care of, go figure.

Granted not all of the city is crowded and buzzing with activity but you should be prepared to move quickly when needed, the traffic is to say the least controlled kious.  So, if you are planning on come to see the city settled on the coast then bring your patience but leave your high expectations for another day and antoher city.

Till next time.....Scott & Crystal

Emergency!

As some of you may or may not have heard, I (Crystal) recently had to undergo an emergency appendectomy for acute appendicitis. In other words, they removed my appendix. It was my worst fear about coming to another country: that one of us would face a serious medical issue while we were here. Since Guyana has a reputation for having a less than stellar medical care system, we had been happy that so far, we had not had to seek any kind of medical help.
Well, my experience started this past Wednesday. We were out in the ministry, walking quite a far distance, when I began to have pains in my side. Thinking it was just gas, I kept walking until the pain became so intense, we decided to take a taxi the rest of the way to our meeting place for lunch. I figured if I could just sit and have something to drink, I might begin to feel better. Instead, the pain became worse. I was fortunate enough to make it to the bathroom before I "tossed my cookies". Scott called a friend of ours who lives in the area that happens to have a car to see if he could drive me home. Once there, to "cookie tossing" continued and the pain continued to increase. My temperature spiked to 102 and I eventually became so dehydrated that by around 2:30 the next morning, Scott decided to take me to New Amsterdam Public Hospital. Yes, picture us in the middle of the night motorscootering to the Hospital about 3 miles away! Actually, the cool night breeze brought some temporary relief from the heat of my fever. Upon arrival, I was given a brief medical exam (sort of) and diagnosed with a stomach flu and vaginal infection. They gave me an IV of saline solution and some anti-nausea medication and sent me home. The next day, I actually did seem to feel somewhat better, I was able to eat a little bit and keep it down, but the pain was not subsiding. When my temp again spiked to 102 that night, we decided it was time to go to a local private hospital that had been recommended to us by a missionary couple living nearby. I was pleasantly surprised to find brand new facilities with a friendly staff. After another examination and some blood work, it was determined that I had acute appendicitis and would need surgery. It turns out the doctor that examined me also happens to be their general surgeon, and he had performed over 1,000 appendectomies over the years.  We decided to go ahead with the surgery, since there really is no other option other than waiting for your appendix to rupture. I was scheduled for surgery later that day and moved to  a private room. I was truly impressed by the cleanliness of the hospital and the friendliness of the staff. More relief came when a brother from the Hospital Liaison Committee entered my room and informed me that not only does he work at that hospital, but that he would be part of my surgical team! Since this is a brother I have known previously, it put my mind at ease that he would make sure I would be taken care of. Jehovah knew my fears and put me at ease.  The surgery was a success, and the doctor said had I waited another day or two it probably would have ruptured. Whew! Just in the nick of time. 
Here are some pictures from my experience (don't worry, I left the gross ones out):

Me getting prepped for surgery

My room-they let Scott sleep in the other bed

Dr. Bob and his assistant

My surgical team (that's brother Samson in the dark blue scrubs)

 

Finishing touch.

Me ready to go home!

Scott helping me in the car. You can see the hospital behind him.

 

 

 

I was so grateful that everything went smoothly and this turned out to be a good experience for us. It just goes to show that Jehovah does take care of His people. Now, I am home recovering, moving around a little more each day. I seem to be healing up nicely. I go back Friday for my checkup and to get my stitches removed. Will keep you posted on any new developments. For those of you aware of the situation, thanks for your thoughts and prayers! 

Great land of Guyana

Great land of Guayan, diverse though our strains.
We are born of their sacrifice, heirs of their pains.
And ours is the glory, their eyes did not see.
Our land of six peoples, united and free.

Those words are part of the national anthem of Guyana.  Since we have been here we have seen how diverse and strained the history and future of this country is and will be.  Presently many of the native people are seeking ways to leave because they do not feel, "united and free".  And whatever glory may come it will never equal the sacrifice and pain that so many for so long have had to endure. 

In our travels we have seen villages and communities that are in want of the most basic of human needs, such as clean water, electricity, and proper ways of disposing of their waste material.  Many of the primary roads are in desperate need of repair and for the most part laws and regulations are simply ignored or negotiated until mutual demands are meet for the sake financial gain.

I've recently been in the largest city of Guyana and saw structures that seemed to indicate that this was at one time a society that had pride and order, yet now what I saw was only rot and decay.  I regrettably found that my business dealings with the government agency's, which should have been the tip of the spear, felt more like the blunt end of a spoon.  Many of the workers had little if any zeal or professionalism in their efforts to assist me in my request. 

I see around me everyday things that are so morally wrong that it make me angry, heart-broken and quite frankly depressed.  Yet with all those realities ever present I find myself slowly falling in love with this dirty, corrupt and queer place.  In the evenings when I'm cycling home in the calm of the night I feel safe.  When I enter into someones home that I've never meet before, I feel at ease.  Or when I'm playing soccer/football with the friends I feel like I'm a kid again.  Those feelings give me the motivation to embrace Guyana, not as the "Great land" but as a place where I can do great things and feel a sense of liberation that I had not felt in a long time in my home land.  

So, (if your still reading at this point) I know blogs are all about pictures and not to bore us with personal ramblings, but for those of you who know me and want to know what's bouncing around in my head and get a view of the world as seen through my eyes, then there you have it. 
Thanks for taking the time to see this thing to the end and for your reward, here are some pictures.



Bus heading to assembly, everyone on the bus is deaf except for me and Crystal, (and the driver)
 

At a get together, all in the picture are deaf. The young brother in the front is Stephen, he is my bible study who just got baptized at the Circuit assembly....pretty cool!

These cars are for sale.  You can buy one for around 1.2 million GYD or about 7,000.00US.



Interpreters at Circuit Assembly


Crystal and I are doing good, please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.  Stay safe and keep in touch. Till next time.


 

Pioneer School

Well, once again, we have been busy, busy, busy. Two weeks after the District Convention in our last post, myself (Crystal) and six other pioneers from Guyana boarded a plane and flew off to Trinidad for two weeks of pioneer school in sign language. For those of you that have never been, pioneer school is two weeks of intensive study and training. Class is from 9am to 4pm, and the rest of the evening is spent studying for the next day of class. Not really what I would call a vacation, but it was a ton of fun getting to know the other pioneers from Trinidad that made up the rest of the class. Here are some pics:

Our host, Tallia, sacrificed her air conditioned bedroom for us and slept on an air mattress with a fan.

 

My "roomie" Raedona, also from Guyana

 

The class was set up in semi-circle so we could all see each other's comments.



 

A large whiteboard and projector were key tools for teaching.

 

 

Our class included two married couples...

 

A set of twins...

 

and seven people from Guyana...

 

We all studied hard and everyone participated each day. We had one deaf and one hard of hearing sister there, but my picture of them did not turn out very well, sorry.

 

I would be remiss if I did not mention the FOOD! I think we all gained a few pounds, as the Trinidadian brothers and sisters are so overwhelmingly hospitable.

 

 

As you can see, this congregation even dressed up in matching outfits to serve us.

 

 

Yes, this was our last day of pioneer school. We were all a little broken hearted that it was ending. We gave gifts to our instructors...

 

 

Our host congregation gave each of us gifts...

(By the way, the other girl in this picture is also named Crystal, so our gift boxes were marked Crystal White and Crystal Brown to differentiate--we thought this was hilarious.)

 

And we were quite shocked to find out our fellow students from Trinidad also bought all of us visiting from Guyana each a gift!

 

Although we were sad, we hid it well. We convinced everyone we were ready to cut loose...

 

We celebrated with homemade coconut ice cream, cake, and some seriously deep conversation.

 

One brother even showed up with a cooler full of soda, beer and wine coolers. Brother Ward, one of our instructors, almost seemed a little too happy about this...

 

 

We did some other fun stuff while there, but I wanted to make this blog just about pioneer school, so I could let everyone know how awesome it is!

 

Two weeks after I arrived back home we jumped right into the Circuit Assembly "Safeguard Your Mind" I think we are among the first to have this information, since it just started with the new service year in September. We we so proud that once again, two deaf from our group were baptized, Stephen and Tineshea.

 

Stephen is 14 years old, and Tineshea is 16. It is so beautiful to see these young ones take a stand for Jehovah.

 

Thanks for keeping up with the blog. I think I'll let Scott write the next one!