Time Has Wings

Wow! How time flies! I can't believe that on January 24 will be the 5th anniversary since I was in Florida. So much has happened.

A few days ago, I spoke to my friends, my sisters, from Deltona, FL. I spoke to Lori. When I was there, I stayed at her aunt and uncle's house next door to her and she became the little sister I never had. She was 10 when I was there. Now she'll be around 15! Her sister was 13 and now 18. The brothers I stayed with now have 2 kids that weren't around when I was there. I miss them so much. I still remember when I first got there that night. I remember as if it were yesterday... [cue harp]

The brother who picked me up from the airport took me to the Daytona Beach Assembly Hall where the family I was going to stay with was going to pick me up. I had no idea who they were. As I walked in, I met my extended family. The only thing I regret is not regularly keeping in touch. But I do know that they are doing well and still serving Jehovah.

I have been thinking about visiting them for a long time now. But since a suitable and stable employment has been an issue, it hasn't been possible. But since I recently got a job that will more-than-likely be the one that will work with my schedule, I can now plan a much needed vacation. And if it be possible, also visit Bethel during the same vacation period! I had already visited about a year ago, but it did not go very well. That's a sad story that should not be brought up. Anyway, hopefully I could go.

As for the immediate future, I am going to my old stomping grounds to spend time with my family. And it turns out that they are having the C.O. and the D.O. visiting their congregation! So I will get to be there tonight and enjoy that special meeting! Then tomorrow, I will be spending the day with a very special friend. :D That, also, makes me very happy. Then I will return for field service on Saturday and have a great meeting on Sunday. We will be having a visiting speaker from San Angelo, a young brother. Then have a wonderful lesson from The Watchtower directed to the young ones.

Truly a wonderful weekend, as all are for Jehovah's people.

What spiritual gifts we have received in the past 3 months! We had the circuit overseer's visit at the end of October. We then had the Circuit Assembly a couple of weeks after that. Then the Special Session for the Pioneers a couple weeks after that. THEN we are having the Kingdom Ministry School next weekend. Wow! One blessing after another. Jehovah gives us what we need when we needed. And to top that all off, I finally got part-time! There are still a few bugs to work out, but thanks to Jehovah, i now have more time for service and other fun theocratic things to do. :)

But what does make me a bit sad is that we have one more visit by the brothers Ortiz. And they don't even know if they are going to be able to make it for the last visit. It has been announced that the circuit is growing and there are not enough weeks in the next 6 months to visit all of the congregations. But that is good news, in a way. Jehovah's organization is expanding rapidly. Since the year 2000, more than 276,000 dedicated themselves to Jehovah. And within that same amount of time, about 1,600 congregations were formed each year. Isaiah's prophecy is being fulfilled (Isaiah 60:22). And that is even with the opposition that Satan's world throws at us. It's like what the circuit assembly talked about. We are not part of the world and Jehovah gives us all of the tools to help us. We have the "complete suit of armor from God" (Ephesians 6:11-18). It's interesting that verses 11 and 13 both say of the "complete" armor. The brother Melendez enphasized that. It would be reidiculous for a soldier to go out into battle while missing a boot, or without his shield, or his chest plate. We too need all of the armor and each one was explained, as it is in our publications.

But it's been wonderful. I know I haven't written in a while. It's been busy. But it feels good to write a bit.

Until next time. And hopefully that next time is soon.

Mi mamá me mostró un artículo recopilado de la revista ¡Despertad!, el número del 22 de febrero de 1995, pág. 15. El tema del artículo es ¿Predicarán de puerta en puerta? Lo hallé interesante, como siempre son los artículos del "esclavo fiel y discreto" (Mateo 24:45-47).

“EL PAPA envía predicadores a las calles de Roma.” Así tituló el periodista Greg Burke una crónica en la que dijo: “El papa Juan Pablo exhortó a los católicos de Italia a copiar el ejemplo de sectas como la de los testigos de Jehová, que están ganando adeptos en el país, y a comenzar a predicar de puerta en puerta.

”‘No es momento para avergonzarse del Evangelio, sino para pregonarlo desde las azoteas’, afirmó el lunes el Papa ante un grupo de 350 predicadores itinerantes y profesores de religión [...].

”‘Espero que vuestra empresa de proclamar el Evangelio en las calles... sea muy fructífera —les dijo—. Vosotros habéis vuelto a descubrir una forma de predicación que llega incluso a aquellos que se han apartado de la fe.’”

Burke comentó: “La asistencia a misa ha disminuido bruscamente en Italia durante las últimas dos décadas, y, al parecer, el entusiasmo del Papa por los predicadores de puerta en puerta es, al menos en parte, una respuesta a la pérdida de influencia de la Iglesia”.

La exhortación del pontífice a “comenzar a predicar de puerta en puerta” no es del todo nueva. Uno de sus antecesores, Pablo VI, declaró que la Iglesia Católica “existe para evangelizar”. Y el propio Juan Pablo II publicó en 1991 su encíclica Redemptoris Missio (La misión del Redentor) para alertar a su Iglesia sobre la necesidad de cumplir el mandamiento de Jesús de predicar públicamente.

El escritor católico Peter Hernon, preocupado por la promocionadísima “Década de evangelización”, que ya cumplió varios años, planteó en el periódico londinense Catholic Herald la pregunta: “¿Qué le ha pasado a la evangelización?”. Al interrogar a un obispo sobre los escasos progresos, este respondió: “No hay por qué apurarse. La Iglesia apenas tiene dos mil años de existencia”.

Con razón Hernon preguntó: “¿Dónde está el sentido de urgencia que comunicó Jesús a Sus discípulos cuando los despachó a evangelizar las aldeas vecinas, o San Pablo cuando dijo: ‘¡Ay de mí! si no predicare el evangelio? (1 Co 9:16)’”. ¿Imitarán los católicos a los primeros cristianos, que predicaron públicamente “y de casa en casa”? (Hechos 5:42, La Biblia, versión de Salvatore Garofalo; Hechos 20:20, La Sagrada Biblia, versión del Pontificio Instituto Bíblico de Roma.)

Hernon reconoció que cuando se trata de evangelizar de puerta en puerta, “puedo oír a los escépticos decir entre dientes: ‘Pura teoría; poco práctico’. Pero no lo es —replica el escritor—. Para justificar tal afirmación, me veo obligado a emplear una palabra fea. Digo fea porque la última vez que la utilicé en un artículo católico, la sección completa fue suprimida (aunque todo lo demás quedó intacto). Esta es: testigos de Jehová [...;] a cada testigo se le enseña que la misma naturaleza de su llamamiento lo convierte forzosamente en misionero”.

A pesar de sus discrepancias con las creencias de los testigos de Jehová, Hernon admite que al examinar los métodos de predicación de estos, “cuesta trabajo no acordarse de la Iglesia primitiva que se describe en los Hechos de los Apóstoles”.

Los testigos de Jehová prosiguen con su celoso ministerio de puerta en puerta, cumpliendo así en este tiempo el mandato de Jesús: “Serán testigos de mí [...] hasta la parte más distante de la tierra”. (Hechos 1:8.)