October 15,2013 Watchtower Serving Where The Need Is Greater IN THE PHILIPPINES! (off course)

Parveen is the lady in the October 15, 2013 Watchtower. 

The beginnings of Parveen's studies are in blog entries March 5th 2012 and October 28th, 2012 - You may remember our adventures under the title, "Packed-out Tuesdays" and what we coined, "doggie poop-ville."  

She use to study twice a week, but during my stay in the USA, she was discouraged due to some illness and started studying sporadically.  When I returned to the PI, Bethel required a release signature and her permission to post her photo in the magazine. Contacting her secretly was a battle.  Once we showed her the reason for our visit, showed her the photo and where it would be shown, she took the photo, looked at it, smiled and, still without words, held the papers (copy of photo, release sig. papers) to her heart and with tears in her eyes (we thought she was gonna say 'no' cuz her other relatives who also study, had said 'no' to having their photo in the WT!) said, "God chose me?"  Yes, she looked up, teary eyed and said those beautiful words, "out of all the ones studying in Baesa, Jehovah ne menu chunia - Jehovah picked me - there could be no greater privilege." Even after discussing the, perhaps,  repercussions of being publicly known as studying the Bible, she wanted to sign.

  

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Studying in 2011 in Baesa (aka: doggie poop-ville)

2013
Why is Parveen shown wearing a head covering in the magazine photo?  Well, my reason is because there was a brother with me that day. Her reason was dual - 1st, heads are always covered in Indian religious settings, as a sign of respect and submission to their god, and 2nd, because she thought that that was the reason I covered my head and thus she followed suit.

Parveen above in the purple chunni.  Has a goal of attending the meetings twice a month.
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Nutty Bethelites playing a prank!
(below)


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