Miramontes Bible Students

Here are some of the Bible students!  They are all doing so well and I am sooo proud of them!  Many prepare up to an entire chapter ahead with the scriptures looked up and noted in their book.  Most have children and many household obligations but they realize the importance of their lesson and make sure their chores are done so that they can fully focus on the study.

This particular student's daughter has the same name as me (Kimberly).  On this day she refused to take her nap because she was so transfixed by the creation video.

This student always insists on giving me a huge plate of food after every study.  Usually 3-4 times what I would normally put on a plate for myself.  I eat every spoonful as she looks on, pleased to be able to give back in some way.  Her daughter is also studying with another sister.  One day, I finished her study and she had not had time to prepare anything.  I assured her that it was quite alright and that I needed to head to another study not far away.  While sitting at the other student's house, I noticed her kids walking up the street searching for something.  When they spotted me, they came in and said that their mother asked that I please return after the current study.  When my partner and I returned, she had made a huge meal for us.  I couldn't even hide the surprise (and fear) on my face as I realized I'd have to eat it all at rapid speed because the sun was quickly setting and we had to make it home before night fall.  My partner had just told me she was on a diet to prepare for the upcoming convention so she shot me a cold look as she realized she too would have to eat this huge fattening meal!  

All in this family are studying.  The little girl, Adrianna always is prepared with her book whenever her mom is studying!  They are so excited about their study that they made me promise to print a copy of this picture of them with their books so that they can hang it in their home :-)

This is another student who also likes to feed me.  This often turns out to be quite a blessing because in order to reach this territory, I have to take an hour long bus ride at 6AM on my only day off to visit her and a few others.  Sometimes I have all I can do to get up and go much less prepare breakfast.  It never fails that on the days that I coincidentally don't have any breakfast, Jehovah blesses my efforts with breakfast at her house!  On this day she made fresh tortillas, homemade cheese and fried a fish from the creek behind her house.  On another morning I was very surprised that she offered me meat with beans and rice (meat is expensive).  As I tasted the meat, I couldn't figure out what it was.  It didn't taste bad...just....different.  I forced myself to stop thinking about what it could be and focus on the fact that it was good.  As soon as we left, I asked my partner what it was.  She laughed and told me it was an animal they catch in the swampy wooded area behind the house (I can't remember the name!!).  I don't know what it was, but it was good and it was prepared with love!

This is her son showing me a toy that his dad carved for him.

She's making great progress using our new brochure Listen to God along with the Read and Write brochure.  (Imagine me teaching reading and writing in a language in which I can barely read and write!!!)

I am soooo proud of this student.  She has great questions and is really helping me to develop as a teacher.  No matter how much house work she has, she immediately stops and gives me her undivided attention.  Her son is studying with another sister.  She comes to the meetings on her own and even gave her first comment a few weeks ago!  I had all I could do not to jump up and hug her in the meeting.  She told me that she wakes up at 4AM each morning and works well into the night caring for her household.  She only has time to study late at night when everything is done.  Since she has no electricity, she got the money to by a flashlight.  She studies well into the night, by flashlight, meditating on the scriptures in the Teach book and praying to Jehovah to help her understand the points that are difficult for her.

This particular student has several kids as you can see and was pregnant when I met her.  She too also makes time for her study.  It took quite a bit of time for me to find a Bible for her but when I finally got her one, she almost cried to have it.  She just sat looking at it and tracing it's outline with her fingers.  She asked me to sign my name with a little message in her special gift.  When packing her hospital bag in preparation for the baby, her Bible was the first thing to go in since she wanted it close to her.  One day, her niece and nephew were turning through the pages of her Bible and she took it from them telling them it was not a toy.  They assured her they only wanted to understand it.  Then, she showed them how to use the various features in the front for fining the books of the Bible as well as the index in the back!  I'm always so overwhelmed and humbled when I realize that the students actually understand my teaching!  This student also built a small additional room in her house for her children but has invited me several times to move in and live with her, rent free so that I don't have to go to the States and work but can stay and continue teaching her and others about the Bible.

I miss these and all of the other students dearly and can't wait to get back and see them all!