Does Anyone Here Speak English?

In keeping with my enduring love of celestial displays I will begin today's entry with another scene of sunrise, today's:

We were up early to go in the public ministry in Zihuatanejo. Carol worked with a Mexican sister, Milsa, who is learning English and I worked with a Mexican brother, Jorge, and his three year old son, Dorian.

I took a photo of the latter and here they are:

I also have a photo of myself with Dorian taken by his Dad. Notice the happy absence of a tie, and happier absence of a hooded down-filled parka. Dorian, by the way, is a well-behaved fellow and very patient in the service.

We worked the commercial district in Zihuatanejo and Jorge taught me to ask, in Spanish, "Does Anyone Here Speak English?" Personally I found no English. Jorge found a tourist couple who were English but they were proud to know Spanish too so the unfolding conversation was incomprensible to me. I wondered about just grabbing the man by the front of his shirt and saying, "Look here, you!" But I remembered Christianity and refrained. The man took literature.

Meanwhile Carol and Milsa met many English, had great conversations, and emptied their bags of literature.

Jorge was raised in the truth and baptized at age 15. I asked him, "Since those who are raised as Witnesses still get to a point where they decide whether or not it's for them personally, may I ask you what made you decide it was for you?"

He smiled and said in school he was often asked why he did not celebrate various holidays. He would explain, for example about Christmas, that it was not Christ's birthday, the star people put on top of their Christmas trees really represents a deceptive tool used by Satan to lead astrologers to Herod who wanted the Messiah killed, etc.

One day he decided to turn the tables on the inquisitive. When someone asked, "Why don't you celebrate Christmas?" he replied, "First, tell me, please, why you *do* celebrate Christmas."

He was struck by the fact that the common answer was, "Well, everybody celebrates Christmas, so I do too." This made him value his knowledge much more because the alternative, just blindly following the crowd, appalled him. He started taking Bible knowledge even more seriously and made it his own.

While out this morning we came across this curious monument ...

Not sure who he is, possibly Simon Bolivar, a historical Mexican figure who knew how to dress up. Whoever it is I found it peculiar to see him depicted with 5/8 of his face made into a bookend. Some memorial.

Interesting facts I learned about Zihuatanejo today: Population is 100,000.
Number of Spanish congregations: 35.
The Spanish cover their territory every week.

People here are very respectful of the Bible and even those who are not interested in our message will talk and express themselves respectfully and courteously.

While in Zihuatanejo we found a hardware kiosk that had a few light bulbs to sell. The choice: 40 watts frosted or 75 watts clear. At least we could buy one.