News from Lisa & Andrew

Here's the general news from Lisa & Andrew:

First of all, we're loving each other and loving married life:). After the wedding in the states, too little honeymoon (isn't that always the case?), travelling to visit relatives & friends who couldn't make the wedding and finally arriving in Trinidad, we've hit the ground running. Each week consists of 2-3 home meetings or Thanksgivings held in people's homes. Home meetings are simply a chance to gather to worship together, listen to a brief sharing from the bible, and pray for the people present. Thanksgivings are in honor of a birthday, a child dedication, a new job or any other reason one wants to celebrate. Both occassions are places where family, friends, and neighbors are invited and there is often an opportunity to share the gospel to a few for the first time. Home meetings often culminate in a small refreshment (a garlic/cheese spread on white bread sandwhich and some "sweet drink"), while Thanksgivings always entail a full meal (roti, stewed and curried meats, potato salad, macaroni pie, fried rice, chocolate or pound cake, and sweet drink). Needless to say, we both put on a few pounds in the last 2 months!

Andrew has preached a couple sermons, he has 4 other associate pastors he works with who've preached, and I got to preach my first real sermon Aug 5 (thanks to those who prayed - it was well received!). We have the CD machine that Andrew purchased last fall working, so we actually have CDs of the last 3 sermons. I've also started playing keyboards in the worship on Sunday mornings. I'm quite rusty, but it has been fun to get back into it. 2 weeks ago, worship was so sweet that we just ended up skipping the sermon altogether! I enjoy that kind of freedom within a service:). I am still learning how to be a pentacostal, but all in all it's going well.

The toughest part of marriage for me is the cooking. Andrew is used to chunks of meat (bacon and hamburger don't cut it) for breakfast, lunch AND dinner and I maybe used to eat meat like that once a week. He wasn't real keen on left-overs either, but he's learning to love them and is being quite patient and encouraging with me as I figure out how to shop in the stores here and how to cook with a propane gas stove. Last week I was laid up for a couple days with a nasty wasp sting on my left heal and Andrew made a quite tasty baked chicken that we both agreed we loved. So, we're not starving:).

Auntie Jean returned from the Cayman Islands a couple weeks ago where she was caring for her new grand-daughter for several months. This week, she made a mosquito net for our new bed (the old net didn't fit it) and the last 2 nights have been great sleeps:). Andrew killed 2 of John & Jean's chickens for them yesterday morning so they can use them for a family gathering we're having on Saturday night. I debated watching the kill and decided I just couldn't do it yet. Someday perhaps I'll be able to do it if I have to. I really enjoy Auntie Jean and am sad that she'll be leaving again in 2 weeks to take care of Sadie through January. I'll really miss her.

Andrew's mom Dulcie is in Florida right now taking care of Andrew's brother Clint's daughters, Kimberly & Kaylee. Dulcie should be returning to Trinidad in October or so and I'm looking forward to seeing her again too. We see Merle and Uncle Daddy and Auntie Baby and many other friends and family fairly often, although at the time we're a one-car family so travel is somewhat limited. Mostly Andrew and I are just enjoying spending time with each other:).

That's most of the news from Trinidad! Would love to hear from you:).