The Beginning of a New Year

It's really hard not to enjoy it after you experience the ministry here, though. I've had a verrrry busy share since I arrived. While I was in the states and so transitional I had a hard time making my time, so I've been trying to make it up here.... only problem is, the more time I'm in the door to door ministry, the more people we find who are interested. How's that a problem, right? Well, the first time Pao and I came, I jumped right in and took on as many studies as I could possibly handle in Spanish. I had 6. This time, I'm going about it from a different angle. I'm trying to be VERY picky about the studies that I do take on, that they are people who are really really interested and not ones that I have to work hard at cultivating the interest in. There are so many people here who are practically begging for bible studies, that I don't want to waste time with people who only want to study with me because they want to hear my funny accent. So much work goes into me conducting a bible study, since I have to prepare first in English and then in Spanish that I want to make the work count. But its really hard to be discerning because you place magazines, and books, and brochures at pretty much every single door that you visit. Right now I have 2 studies.... one is Laisy, the daughter of Paola's study from our first visit... and the other I just got the other day. At our service group, the brother who conducted give us a sample presentation to use for the offer of the month, which included the Knowledge book.... so my partner and I tried it. Reading John 17:3, showing them how to find 'knowledge' using the book.... and the picture of the paradise in the front. I placed my book on the first try. Griselda, my partner, placed hers on her first try. At her door, however, there were 3 girls sitting around talking, one was lying in a hammock. We walked up and kindof started talking to the one in the hammock more than the others... she sat up and read the scripture we showed her, took the book and started flipping through it. Griselda said something about the paradise that we would gain that would be comparable to what Adam and Eve lost. The girl chuckled and said "Makes you wonder what would've happened if Adam and Eve never sinned. Would we even die?" My mouth almost hit the ground when I heard that, I could help but chuckle. What a great question!! We read her some scriptures about Adam and Eve and God's purpose for the earth, then getting back to the book we showed her the table of contents and she started reading aloud the different chapters and then she stopped mid sentance and said "Why DOES God permit suffering?" Even though I wasn't currently looking for more studies... I couldn't resist. I think this one will be good. I'll let you know how it goes ;o)