New Mexico

Yesterday we travelled to Las Cruces, NM after service for a get-together at a couple's house from our congregation. When we got there the electricity had gone out due to the rain, (yes any weather other than sun sends the southwest into a panic...they just aren't equipped to deal with it. I counted two sewer drains on my way to meeting today along the entire route, two! They just don't need them.)

We watched the lightening and felt and listened to the thunder under their porch for a long time. In the desert there is a plant called the Creosote bush and when it rains on the leaves of the plant it lets out a smell that is so fresh and clean. You couldn't help but breathe in the scent of the desert. I have posted some photos of it above that I was able to pull of the internet.

We played the "animal" game which is a lot of fun and then we played a fabulous version of Telephone...the ASL way.

You have a total of four people the first person chooses a story from the Bible Stories book, performs it in front of the remaining people and one of the 4 people chosen. The other two are kept in a back room. The second person from the four then has to act out what the first person acted out to the best of their ability to the third person. Then the third person acts out in front of the fourth person to the best of their ability copying the second person. The fourth person has to guess what the story was originally. You may think the idea is simple but trust me it is amazing how little the mind can remember when it is put on the spot and different people's mannerisms and such makes for an awesome variety of performances. For example, Stefan chose to do the story of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. By the time it got to the last person they were acting out a Bullfighter and Flamenco dancers.

Best of all we were able to Ichat with our family who was simultaneously having a get-together in Ohio. So our congregations were in a way having one huge party :)

It is such a joy to be in Jehovah's organization where you can feel so at home and so close to the brothers and sisters in just a short amount of time. You always have family wherever you are.