It is different. As mentioned in prior posts, the pace is much slower here in many ways. In a supermarket parking lot people will walk leisurely in the center of the driving lanes. Cars will form a line, silently waiting for the person to saunter out of the way. Check-out counters often move at a snail's pace while customer and cashier converse about many things. Slower would be a wax museum. Maybe this difference is a good difference.
As can be expected, the pace carries over to the public ministry. The people here are ready to be more generous with their time when a visitor calls and good discussions are more frequent.
This morning, as I took my seat at the service arrangement, the gathered sisters warned me not to get too comfortable since I might have to handle the arrangement. Apparently the brothers' support of Wednesday service is spotty, but an older brother did arrive in time, fully prepared to handle things.
Our territory this morning - inside a
condo complex.
The day started off cool and I made the mistake of wearing a sports jacket. By 11:00 am I was sweating. Carol had an excellent conversation with an interested young lady and I had a long discussion with a fellow who had been to a Bible school. He claimed to be non-denominational because he finds too many churches are segregated on the basis of race, churches for whites, others for blacks, still others for Hispanics. He recognizes this conflicts with genuine Christianity. He plans to move next week and, since he will still be in this general area, gave me his phone number so I can contact him again.
We learned that the area we visited this morning is seldom worked because it is on the outer edge of the congregation's territory. Based on the response we had this morning I look forward to returning there.
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