Moraikobe Village, a glimpse of paradise

Moraikobe Village

This week my life changed dramatically for the better!

  

When we embarked on territory that until recently hasn't been worked in years! Once in 2oo6 and then since then, not since the '7os! The boats that were talked about in the 2oo5 year book, the 'Kingdom Proclaimer' boats, back in the day were used to reach this village. Descendants of the Arwak tribe Amerindian people reside here, they were open humble. They originally settled in this area when slaves first arrived. To escape being enslaved they paddled in canoes as far up river as they could get, about a hundred miles, and settled there. They remain there to this day, but even so far separated from the rest of civilization as they are, they've still lost much of their culture, only a few elderly ones speak only Arwak, and come ten years, probably no one will speak it. But wonderful vestiges of Amerindian culture remain. Its slow pace of life for instance. The only motor vehicles, tractors and a few with motor boats, but many of them still have hand carved out of tree trunk canoes! Besides that its walking, some children have to walk about 3 hours round trip to and from school everry day! The village has around 1,5oo people. The main source of income, lumber, is shipped out to support the area. Even the women help and use machetes and strip the trees of their bark of the beam poles. Clean white sand blankets the area, and they don't let a weed grow under their feet. Half of the beauty of the place comes from the pinapple, coconut, etae and awara palms that cover the area. Some thing overwhelmingly sweet and hibiscusy was in the air too, couldn't figure out where it was coming from, but it added to the awestruck state we were in. The scenes were unforgettable. Thatched roof buildings. Flocks of parrots over head. It stands a head and shoulders above the other villages in Guyana  I've visited over the years. Simply gorgeous. Its sure hot as blazes though, despite over cast skies we wrung wet with sweat. This village, nestled in the jungle's trees, doesn't offer much breeze. 

The village cheif was amazing. This hospitable man invited and encouraged us to come there as often as possible. He even went door to door recommending that they attend the 'movie night' that we put on! A recommendation from one of the most respected men in the community, no doubt added to our attendance and the respect people have for us! We showed Caleb and Sophia videos and then took turns to ask the children what they learned and then showed the adults various inspiring life experience videos from our broadcasts. Its the Toushou, or villlages chief's, hope that we have our own place of worship in that village. The program was to start at 5:oopm, but at 4:59 we wondered if we would have an attendance of 3 kids, but at 5 on the nose the children came running from off the cricket field in droves, they enjoyed the program (the area doesn't have easy access to electricity and no internet) and many of the darlings even came to see us off when we headed out! The children still play simple games where you dig hole and toss pebbles. While we were cooking lunch the next day groups of them snuck up to the windows and were peeping in at us giggling and running away and said "Jehovah and Jesus"! and were all pleading for some books and brochures. The adults were thirsty to learn more too. One of the ladies I was taking to about the Kingdom with, was telling her friend after we shared scriptures with her, "See? Paradise is right here" in a 'I told you so' fashion, like they had already thought about and discussed the topictogether before. They were happy  to listen, they would gladly take a weekly Bible study. Since the village is 1oo mile trip and costly to get to, I would be happy move to this little plot of paradise if I was assigned to. If a group of us were assigned to it to support each other as a little tiny congregation, I think we would immediately have a good meeting attendance. With just over 1 hour to invite people, that 'movie night' was our first 'meeting' ever held, and we had an attendance of 58! So on a regular basis, I think it would only grow! And people would have a healthy amount of spiritual food. But as for now, we have the the support of the village chief who will remain in office for 3 years, our jet boat, the Mahaicony congregation and a hand  full of need greaters in and out, that's progress, and that's exciting! 

We got to see new creatures too and it was the cleanest village I've seen in Guyana. White sand lined banks through the rain forest to get there. I was not ready for how beautiful the trip was, we couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces. The most pristine jungle and the water was dark from leafy sediments so it reflected like a mirror, I'd never seen anything like it. Around the twisty turns the dark water on the white sand did a beautiful sunburst pattern and the water turn orange and then clear as it reached the bank. The reddish water contrasting with the greenery everywhere was so beautiful. I had been told that the water reflected like glass, but it doesn't sink in until you see it with your own eyes. The water plants at the edge of the water would bend down toward the water and then just before touching it, or barely dipping a stem in they would lift back up toward, the light again, then the bushy plants and trees above them, the palms and taller tees above that so it was as though each group of plants progressively bigger than the ones near the water, was placed their by hand, trimming  the river in the most beautiful way. Then deeper into the jungle where the river split and got more narrow we saw more deep woods things like 3 foot tall large thick blade grasses and ferny palms. Then, when the engine cut out at one point because we had run out of gas we  heard the howler monkeys raving like lunatics, they sounded like a zombie monster. Demonstrate the sound they make for your self, take in angry gasping desperate breath of air, that's what they sounded like, only sounded like at least 15 of them at once continually bantering and fighting. The most interesting vines hung down with great big pods at the end like curtians. We'll be trying to do this trip about twice a month. My roommate who will remain known as Robeenya said about this trip that she has been to Montupichu, The Great Wall of China, the Eiffel tower, but said that this felt like the closest thing to paradise she'd ever experienced. This quaint little village, snuggly tucked down on the river in the middle of the Amazon rain forest felt indeed like a little glimpse of paradise.

Canadian Companions

I love all my preaching buddies too! We have Robeenya who serves where the need is greater in Nova Scotia and came to live with me for 2 months. She's got a dry sense of humor and is easy to be around. Then we have Jen and Mike a couple that have been serving here in Mahaicony for a few years and they are simply wonderful. Mike is the gentelest of creatures in teaching and in manner, and Jen is beautiful and witty and intellegent and and if I have any story to tell Jen is the first one I run it by to see what cleaver thing she has to add, she's one of my favorite beings on planet earth! Then there's Christopherson, who supports himself back home as a graphic artist, he's a very talented artist and musician. He's good story teller too and funny, he brought a little friend along with him too; Toe-mas who has been quite intertaining as well and very helpful when muscles are needed for any reason. He's just a peach of a kid and is excited about coming back for a longer stint next time. He's had some unforgettable questions and comments that I got permission from him to share with yall. The other day he was looking at the nutritional facts on a water bottle and asked "Is there really no calories in water!?" LOL! I keep encouraging him to keep asking these questions, not for my entertainment alone, but so that he learns these important things. Another one; Thomas: "What are the chickens doing when the one is biting the neck of the other?" Me: "They're mating." Thomas: "That's what I thought, so he bites her neck and all of a sudden she's fertilized." LOL! Another; Thomas: "So, what do Native South American's look like?" Me: "Somewhat like Native North Americans." Thomas: "So, do natives from every country look the same?" LOL! We love you Thomas, keep that innocent charm! Also, surely if he would have thought ahead for just a second he would have come to the right conclusions on his own on any of these subjects, but his impulsive speech works well for our comedy relief. Anyways, we've all been having a blast together, at the work and enjoying it TOO much along the way. This is the life I tell you. 

On your way to Moraikobe

Recently we took a trip up river to see what we could cover, a piece of river territory that hadn't been worked in years. When we reached up river we called on a couple of girls that were actually expecting us! Why!? Reason being that they had been messaging a friend who my room mate had been studying with not far from our house in our village. She was happy to receive us, they offered us refreshments. When I asked the young girl which of the lessons in the Good News she picked lesson 10 on how we know which is the true religion. A humble spirit. We've contacted her again since then and found her with a similar appreciative attitude. Who knew way out there in the boonies someone would be there expecting us to come when we hadn't contacted that area in eons. What a pleasant surprise.

Kilmore Moses

Kilmore Moses 

We got a very pleasant surprise out in service the other day when we happened across Kilmore Moses. After meeting him we thought, 'Now THIS is why we're out here!' He is an Amerindian boy who had always seen us coming around, but for 3 years when ever Witnesses would call there, he would send his younger brother or sister out to meet us at the gate. But mean while he had been learning about us online and from our magazines, he had recently just read the Sept WT that explains who we are. He had absorbed much of what he learned online because when I asked him what he believed God's kingdom was, he proceeded to tell us that it was God's government that was going to destroy other governments and take all the problems away from the earth transforming it into paradise. Then he went on to tell us that he'd actually already been planning BECOMING a Witness as soon as he finished with school. Before we left he told us he'd like to ask one question. He asked what the difference is between Jehovah and Jesus. After we explained, he said that his church has a prayer directed to worshiping Jesus and was curious to learn more. He didn't know if he was comfortable with that or not. After this exciting call, me and my service partner went straight to a brother to hand over the call and pleaded with him to go back right away and set up a time for a study worried that he might go back into hiding like he had for the past 3 years. So he did. Kilmore began studying right away doing a great job displaying the same curious and lovely attitude on his studies and has already attended his first meetings, even bringing his little sister and brother along! :D We're excited and hopeful for Kilmore!

Sparrow Suspicions

Was just cleaning up the yard a little and I love the smell of burning golden apple tree leaves. Golden apple is a fruit with a spiky seed that tastes a little like kiwi. 

If I had a dime for every time this ^ happened. Get out my cup, gecko! Last week I found a gecko poop on the inside of an upside down recently washed glass. Answer me that riddle. 

Bright lime green rice fields lit by the sun with storm clouds on top. Nice contrast. Wish you could see the little red barn in the distance and flocks of white egrits, but the photo doesn't pick those up. Well.... Gotta come see it with your own eyes then now don't cha? :) 

Booty from Bible students in one day of service. We recently went a week with hardly buying a thing! Just little things here and there that we'd run out of but mostly subsisting on food gifts. 

An empty house around the corner for just $125.ooUSD a month. 

(Average price. You can subsist in Guyana on $3oo.ooUSD a month.)

Bible students attending Regional :)

Represent! Guyana, Oregon, Ohio and NY!

Guyana's Not Poor. Cortny!

I think its interesting that the average Guyanese person doesn't realize they're living in a poor country. I guess you wouldn't consider it that if you just grew up here, everyone always has enough to eat but the daily wage is what we in the States make in an hour. The word poor might be offensive to some. Not only is it poor, its the 3rd poorest in the hemesphere, right behind Hatai and Nicaragua. They talk about poor countries, but don't realize that this country is poor. They'll scoff at you if you mention it, so I'll try to keep my knowledge of the fact under my hat. I'm not trying to offend anyone. Just a fact and they are humble wonderful people in part because of it. It  is also a well known fact that the less 'consumer' a country is, the happier they are. Well, Guyanese are a happy humble mild gentle people for sure. Very warm and friendly. Broad genuine smiles to go around! Hey, if I ever got married and had a kid, I would want them raised in this culture, not my own, so they'd have a better chance of coming out humble, absorbing the culture surrounding them. Really not trying to offend anyone, so I'll shut up. :) 

Sparrow Suspicions

You know what made me curious? Every where I'd look, I would see young strapping men carrying around a wee little bird cage. It was usually covered with a cloth. Some times I wondered if they were transporting drugs at the bottom of the cage, because it would always be these young strong guys, never a girl or child which you might more expect. Something didn't fit. These are manly men were talking about, animals are abused here, not cared for, especially the more fragile like puppies and kittens or cute little birdies. So I voiced it to a couple of friends. Then I couldn't take it anymore the curiosity was killing me and I would  start asking the men questions about their bird. What they were doing out of the house with their bird. What the bird was for. It was happening too often to be happenstance that all these young guys had a little bird in tow. The answers I got were adding to the suspicion, they would slough it off and say stuff like "Oh, I'm just taking it for a walk" ... Ok. So you're getting the cute little birdy which is already kept out side, some fresh air? These bird men were up to something, I could feel it in my bones. So finally we got word. Reportedly, these were gambling birds. They were being used at 'tweeting competitions'. Haha. Well there you have it, mystery solved. I knew it was something out of the norm. Not as serious as I figured, but still an intrigue. Lol. 

Johnny

Johnny/Jeaneal

We have a new student in the territory that's taking his study very seriously. Its so exciting to see the progress he's made so far. He's come to all the meetings lately and the convention too! Yesterday after meeting we had a study that was near him after meeting so we walked home with him, a half hour walk or so. We listened as he explained what's drawing him to the truth and what his trails have been so far. He just opened up and told us the whole story. It was "as encouraging as a convention" to hear, as my room mate Melanie put it... I'll try to remember the conversation as much as I can, and to say it in Creolese, so, in so many words Johnny said...

"I wasn't much of a church porson before, you maybe would find me at a church one time in a month. My friends dem would try ta squeeze me into der mold. I would haveta wear a certain type of pants, you know da kine dat tight down clear to da ankle, and sagging down ya leg? Yeah, da kine. If you wasn't willin to where dat kine a pants, you wasn't fittin in. And dey would talk about sex all da time, like ALL da time. I was just feeling like, 'someting aint right here'... Dey would offer meh drugs and I would tell dem no, and they would seh, 'What's ya problem? Everybody else dem doing it, is you alone aint taken it' and dey would smoke and drink. I was just trying to fit in, dats what evey body gotta do, dey worrien about fitten in, and if you aint doen exactly as dey do, you ain't accepted. And my aunty, she hates da Witnesses, she came over and saw my cloths all press out and she seh, "You pressen out ya school clothes?" And I said that they were meeten cloths and she ask me what church I was going to, and when I tell her da Witnesses, she seh dat how I was 'too good' for that church, that they don't even celebrate holidays and that she wasn't gonna be close to me like before, she would still seh hi and stuff, but that's it. I explain dat der reason fa why dey don't celebrate da holidays. My dad hate all religions too, but ESPECIALLY da Witnesses. He said he want me to be a lawyer or a actor, but I don't wanna be a lawyer and haveta lie fa money, or twiss da troot. But my mom, she see da changes I been makin and she tell me to hurry up and do my chores so I have time ta go to da meeten or study. When I usa spend time wit da bad kids people would talk and seh to her dat I been usen foul language and she would vex wit me and tell meh 'havent I taught you betta dan dat!?' and now dat I change and don't spend time wit dem na moe she more happy and encourage me to continue my study. What I like was dat God's name is Jehovah, I never knew dat before, I didn't know God have a name, every body say his name was Lord. Also dat when you die, you don't have to torture and bun in a hell. Dose were some tings dat draw me to da troot. Now I'm looken fer a job, but mosta da jobs dem be Saturday to Sunday, and dey wouldn't allow me ta go ta da meetens and I gotta make sure I's at all da meetens, so I'm looken for da right job. So when ever da Witnesses usa come I would hide from dem or pretend like I was busy. I usa tink dey dress funny, wit da LONG long skirt and button up shirt, but den I finally listen and I liked what I learn! I saw dis boy walking and I just watch at him, and I tink, 'I tink he know someting I don't know, I think he can teach me someting' and so I stop dem. My family oppose me, so it just be hard. My dad and I usa talk every day, now it just be like once in a week or a month. My friends usa encourage me to do tings I wasn't comfortable with, but da Witnesses dem encourage you for do good tings. I read out the whole Bible Teach book already."

Keep in mind Johnny is a new study and has already made this progress, but he saw the value in what he was learning and latched on like a VICE grip. I love it!

Palm Paradise

Palm Paradise...

...or sticky stinky 3rd world country. How ever you wanna look at it. I choose the 1st. 

So, my brother Dusty came to see me from Patterson, NY. It was fun. We had an amazing brunched morning and a star gazing night and lots of service and studies. Dust said he liked this trip more than the last because it was more "seeing need greating for what it is" took him on a lot of studys, or should I say he took me?

Thanx for being a peach and coming to see me Dust!

He said he likes the contrast between here and there, my old assignment, because the people are more open about what they're thinking and you can reason with them, rather than them being overly shy, quietly agreeing to everything you say, wether they actually agree or not. (They were more open with me because I'm not a blonde blue eyed boy, so exotic!) ;)

And Landon came! We were happy to have him and the company he brought, Austin :) They're not your typical teen agers, they were cooking and cleaning and not tuned into electronics 24/7! Breaking the mold guys. :) Good job! You guys were so much fun to have around!

Andrew, an old relief worker buddy of mine came too! His work mate, Daniel, and Donnel a friend from Lethem, my old assignment, came to visit too!

Fun at Landon's house with his progressing Bible student, Travis, in the green.

Just a half hours walk away is the beach. Portuguese man of war jelly fish like to hang out there. Needless to say, they're florescent and beautiful, but dangerous.

Daniel is the oldest 1o year old you'll ever meet. We have to play it cool around him, because he's too cool for us, and we can barley stand how cute it is. 

Some of my favorite children from my last assignment :)

On a study in an Amerindian village in St. Ignacious, a little girl helps gramma find the scriptures

The ants don't mess around. They left this frog clean. Even ate all his froggy legs. 

This is how Amerindians do. Baby in the bath, is baby outside in an old truck tire. 

Not filtered. Freshly sprouted rice feilds are a lovely extra neon green. A regular site. 

Always wanted to dye my hair blasting blond, so I finally did it. But it didn't work, turned orange dang it. Gotta filter to pretend it worked. Ha ha, me in my back yard, the weeds are growing over our heads out there, its kinda nice though. Jungly.

Tandy

So I was bicycling to a dam where I have a handful of studies on Mondays. Well, the monday before as I was passing by a house I was told by some children that 'mommy's calling you' so I went in to meet her, a friendly Amerindian woman with many children, she asked me what I was doing and I shared a few videos with the children. She was in her hammock over a rug with her children nestled around her (how, in this heat I don't know) and I stood and told them I could come back with publication as we have things for all ages of children. Well, I went back this week and I was pedaling by the house again and I had forgotten aunty Lorna and the children, the tiny little boy said 'mommy calling you' again and I didn't get the message til his 1o year old sister repeated it, so I came in and that little girl had made a seat for me out of a cloth and a bucket, so I decided to sit down and show a few videos and read a few lessons out of the 'My Bible Lessons' brochure, children huddled around the mom in the hammock again, the mom nursing a baby uncovered as they often do here. When I was done I asked if I could rinse the dust off of my feet and the girl, Tandy dried my feet for me. Then she informed me that she was walking to my next Bible study with me and that she knew her. So she played on the study's computer while we studied. What a hospitable humble little girl she was. You might be wondering how I could have possible forgotten about this charming little family I had met the week before... Well, this type of experience is so common place that you can loose track of everyone you're supposed to see. The whole country of Guyana only has ONLY roughly 54 need greaters and every single congregation here can use help as practically everyone in the territory across the entire country is VERY receptive to the message and English speaking! If  you can create the circumstances for your self, write a Branch, here or else where and see where they send you! You're sure to have a blessing poured out on you more than you can imagine! My roommate and I are pinching our selves every day! :))

This is Rosie, (Indian name: Kavita) She has been coming to most the meetings and came to 2 days of the convention! She is making good progress and is excited about the idea of joining the school, although that is a long way off yet, it's neat to see her reaching out. She has been an inspiration to others on her street to attend meetings, conventions and to start studying! 7 people on her dam came to convention and I think it has a lot to do with her! She is an ambitious little thing. She brought her little computer to my house the other day and downloaded several of our publications and watched the Walk by Faith video. Shortly she had them all read. :) Go Rosie! I'm so proud of the progress she's making. She asked me if I would study with her 3 times a week while school is out. :) So I said yeah. She lives in one tiny room, when you walk in all you see is bunks and foam sprawled, it is a wonder 4 grown siblings share the room. They are very poor. Their house overlooks the rice feilds, it is the most peaceful place of any of my studies here. I hope she continues to grow in love for Jehovah and perhaps dedication some day! Thank goodness a need greater from Canada, Grace, found her back after she had studied for years, years before. She studies her "Jehovah's Will" brochure so well that she actually writes out the whole lesson in her own words and even got her brother to do the same for a lesson. At the end of one lesson she wrote something to the effect 'I know what is right, and I'm going after it and nothing is going to stop me!' I hope she keeps that determination and conviction! 

Thanks for coming along on my adventure! :)

Talk atcha next time.

Have a good'n.

From, not deep within Guyana's interior, but right on Guyana's coastline, this has been an equator news update with Cortny Vee.

Signing off... 

A New Assignment, Mahaicony

Mahaicony

So I arrived in my new assignment. Mahicony. LOVE IT SO MUCH! I had a hankering to try something new and I was given the contact of a girl from Ohio. We emailed each other a few times and soon decided to write the Branch together and ask to be sent any where as travel partners, preferably the coast or jungle. Among our first emails sent to eachother she said "I am pinching my self! This is not happening!" I felt the same way. So exciting to have a travel parteener, its so much easier to solidify your plans. But what would she be like as a roomie?.... (To be continued...) LOL. So we did end up getting sent to the coast, the Mahicony congregation in Berbice. (There's far less mosquito born illnesses here, AKA Malaria and Dengue are a rarity!) I met Melanie and we have been good friends ever since. She has a great since of humor, a hundred and one faces and voices. We are laughing and being stupid all the time. We have had several girl room mates in and out of the house with us, we've enjoyed there company very much! Come back our Canadian friends Cassandra Grace Emma and Abby! We miss you guys! I love my new congregation. My new studies, the new territory. One of the most picturesque things we've enjoyed thus far is running up and down the dams of the rice fields at dusk with awesome sunsets and palm lined horizons. I've been given and have found some of the most wonderful women to study one of which has started attending some meetings and some of which even write out their scriptures in a separate tablet, and have accepted major basic doctrines as the truth! They are grasping the meaning of the scriptures and one has expressed her desire to bring up to her priest the differences that they've accepted as their own from the Bible. I'm so happy with my new assignment!

This week I had a friend visiting from my home town congregation in Milwaukie, Oregon. Its been great having Landon here! I am happy to have a partner in crime on this vacation to my old assignment: Lethem, Guyana! We're going back to the Brazil/Guyana boarder to pick up my left over life of 2 1/2 years worth of junk I had left and to get an extension stamp on my passport. I was frustrated at first only having received a 2 month stamp when they can allow you 3, but now I realize that all this really means is that I'll have company on the next boarder crossing (over Suriname's boarder) with my room mate Melanie Wilson. So its really no problem at all. You can read her fun informative creative blog at melanieinmahaicony.wordpress.com its her first time blogging and she's doing an awesome job!

The visit to Lethem has been great. The day we arrived we slept all day firstly and then the next day was the assembly, held at the kingdom hall. I had also gotten the same assembly the weekend before but I was feeling sick then, and got barely any thing out of it. So I got much more out of the assembly this week. My favorite illustration explained the need to keep your life simple and showed the scripture that says how we need to all carry our own torture stake. If we were going into the woods to carry out a tree trunk sized torture stake what else would we bring? Likely, very little, only exactly what we needed in order to survive and so that we would have the strength to carry the stake back out of the woods. So in this life following Jesus patten of life is a large responsibility and we need to be very selective with what extra burdens we choose to add to our lives, making sure we have the strength needed to carry out our Christian responsibilities. We had recorded talks from NY that were very polished speakers and great demonstrations. And I spent the day trying to keep it together, but was actually blubbering over having left the assignment and the congregation. Not that I wanted to go back but just seeing all that I'll be missing, and thinking about how much I love everyone there. When you move in Jehovah's organization though, you don't loose friends, just make back double friends, new ones.

Best part about the assembly? I found out my former Bible student made the morning session and I hugged the life out of her! Was so happy she'd been making a lot of the meetings lately, even the evening one! Soo sooooo proud of my Hosalina!

We're making a quick trip of this. Service a little here in Lethem, Guyana, a little in Bonfim, Brazil, where there is a brand new English group not even a year old getting started. There is work to be done around here.

There is a special pioneer couple that was just sent here to Lethem which made me so happy. I got an especially warm welcome from my little cubby. He saw me and looked like he was about to burst with excitement,when his little leg started jittering and a big smile on his face. Our finished kingdom hall is exciting to be in and the breeze is so wonderful. Our hall used to get so uncomfortably hot some meetings on some Sunday mornings you would have to fan your self all meeting long, including the songs. but now it is so comfortable and huge, with room for a lot of expansion.  

Seema

I met aunty Seema not long after I got to Mahaicony. She had stopped us on the road and asked us for a Bible study. She prepares her lesson well. When I went this week she told me after our study in thee Good News brochure that she had especially learn a lot on question 2 because she had always been taught that you either go to heaven or hell, and accepted this new-to-her teaching that the dead are unconscious. She has already accepted that the trinity is false and a few other of our main doctrines. She meditates and reasons on the scriptures on her own and comes to her own conclusions, then, when we study together she shares with me what she has already meditated on, on her own. This makes a world of difference. If only everyone would pre-study like that! If I lived in this country for Aunty Seema alone, it would be worth it. She is only a few years older than me but I call her 'Aunty Seema' and she calls me 'Aunty Cortny' back, lol. Aunty Seema already left the Hindu religion for "Christianity" a few years back, hopefully now is the time for the light to get brighter for her again.

Mion

Mion is a precious little soul that once again, sought us out. She saw Melanie and I walking down the street a long ways off, and waited for us to come, then she asked if we had any literature. She had been at her auntie's house when she studied with the witnesses and she liked how they shared things with her and hoped that we would 'share something' (study) with her too. So she was up for a Bible study. We started with her and when I gave her a hand shake good bye she pulled her self up for a hug. She was happy to have us. She immediately started telling us that her dad had been killed, knifed to death just a year ago over a scuff over the use of a bathroom. When we came a following time she started tearing up confessinng that during the week she'd missed us so much she had started to cry. She is a darling precious individual. I appreciate the precious opportunity to study with her!