The 2011 Punjabi Class in the Philippines

Bhangra  Team (I retained my nick name, "dance nazi", poor guys . . .)

Great week.  The PJ class has ended, 16 weeks total.  It was great fun, a lot of stinking work, but in the end, worth it and Jah’s blessing is evident.  Some brothers while still students were assigned as readers for the cong. book study.  The ability to read has given them confidence to start their own PJ studies and even that number continues to increase.  It is fear inspiring to see the speed (“chariot speed”??).  Will there be another PJ class?  We have not been told yet, but I would not be surprised if there were.  Last Saturday we had a PJ class gathering and a small group of students performed a Bhangra routine (see movie ) which was tough because most are Bethelites with no time to practice.  But I was impressed because not only did they learn quickly, but they purchased their own fabric but also found a Philippino seamstress to make PJ performance type outfits.  Excellent!  A slide show was also shown which was touching because it showed how the PJ work started in the Philippines about 2 years ago by just 3 sisters and then how slowly it grew to 5 then 9 etc, then a couple from Germany came to help and then last of all,  (the “footnote”)  “a sister from the USA” came to help.  Proud to be the footnote who witnessed this small beginning.  Who would ever have thought that there would be PJ preaching on this small Island called the Philippines!  And we have not even scratched the surface.  The estimate of how many PJ”s live in some of the other provinces or Islands is staggering -  there is no way to have a correct number, but if the average estimate of a high 20,000 range per province or Island is even close to being true then all I can say is HELP!  So I need to be brief this week. I could write volumes about the studies we conducted just last week. Priceless moments such as when the bible student was so grateful to get her own personal copy of the Bible Teach book that she hugs it, smells it and puts it on her heart, or when one said, “when I am sad, I just pick up this book and read it,”, another one asked  “I would like to study every week,” rather than every 2 weeks (which I am trying to offer due to lack of time), and “is it ok that I read this book ahead of time before you come to study with me?”, and then “I am going to India, I would like to take some books with me and give them to all my relatives.”.  and those are “brief” cliff notes!