The convention for Guyana circuit 1A (including Hopetown congregration) was held on August 16-18 at the Rose Hall Welcome Center, located in an area called East Canje in Berice. Only ten congregations were assigned, but the peak attendance was 1332, well over double the amount of publishers. It was one of two in this Branch.
PICTURES!
An overall view of the seating at the venue...
The stage...as you see, all outdoors, meaning no A/C.
Could you sit here for three days?
Fifteen were babtized, 15 sisters and 0 brothers. This included 2 from Hopetown.
The weather didn't cooperate when preparing the convention site. The rain poured all week, turing the place into a mudhole. Many brothers worked hard to make walkways and spread sand to combate the mud. The wind of these storms also threatened the stage, but they were able to repair it.
Some endured some hardships to make it to the convention. For instance, many delgates were from the isolated Orealla congregation. The trip to East Canje involves a 8 hour ride on a boat down river (small cargo boat, no seats or facilities) and traveling by bus for over an hour. The trip could have also been very cost prohibitive for the brothers of that native village. But they were happy to be there and for the rare oppurtunity to associate with brothers from other congregations
The "Ann Maria" boat to Orealla
Brothers from Lethem also attended the convention. They were able to go to the one in Georgetown because heavy rainfall caused the "highway" the Lethem to become impassable. But they didn't want to miss the program all together.
So eight brothers and sisters braved the road conditions and decided to travel to Berbice. The road was still in poor condition so it took them FOUR DAYS to get to Georgetown. Not for days in a nice car or bus, but four days sliding and boucing around in the back of a "bush" truck and wading though mud. A sister picked them up in Georgetown and took them to Berbice.
I asked one of the brothers about the trip. He said, "it is a priviledge to be here." They didn't know when or how they would return home, but they didn't worry becuase they made it the the convention.
The "Highway"
If this like works, you can see where in the world the convention was...
The venue is directly in the center.
That's it for now, but more to come soon!
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