Back to Our Roots

Starting with this post, we will be including some informative insights on matters that we have not discussed heretofore. We will be adding information on spiritual activities, in addition to our other endeavors. Our blog is primarily a blog about the general goings on in Uruguay and our day to day functions in this country. However, a good part of our lives are also spent here in this building. It is where our congregation of Jehovah's Witnesses meets at. So we wanted to give you a peek at where we go to for Bible instruction. Our meeting are held twice a week. We are attending meetings at this local Kingdom Hall in Salinas.

I won't be sharing any of our religious beliefs. I don't think that the internet or this blog is a place for that. But I will comment on some of our activities, much as I have done with regard to building, residency and food. Uruguay is touted as being one of the least religious countries of Latin America. Rather than Easter Week, they have the Tourism Week. While many of the people are religious, the holidays are not shoved in your face as it has been in other places we've lived. I would imagine that Mardi Gras is an exception.

The meeting this Thursday was the Memorial of Christ's Death that Jehovah's Witnesses observe once a year. Thursday night was the evening that corresponded most closely to the evening that Jesus enjoyed a last Passover meal with his apostles before he was put to death the next day. On the table next to Denise, you can see the wine and plates of bread on the table that were passed around in this simple ceremony. After less than an hour it was over and we all went our ways home. It was such a warm night and the full moon was so lovely. We stopped into a little restaurant in Salinas for a quick meal and then walked home on the rambla, with the water lit up by the moon. After receiving such a warm welcome from the local Witnesses and enjoying the visit, we wondered why it took us so long to "get back to our roots".

We sat out yesterday evening with a glass of wine and just enjoyed the almost perfect temperature (must have been 67 degrees) and lovely views. Neighbors headed to the beach waved and greeted us. All of the houses are filled again, on this last week of vacations. I've posted this last picture at a little higher resolution, to give you an idea of our setting.

This next week will see the vertical blinds being installed. Finally we can have some privacy without having to close the heavy wooden shutters. Fernando will be manufacturing sliding bars for the kitchen window. We are trying to be security conscious, but at the same time it would be a shame to lose that view. And this next weekend there is a 2 day assembly in Montevideo that we will attend with the local congregation. So a full week ahead. Glad that we had some "down time" since both Aldo and Carlos took extras days off this week, to be with their family.