Kingdom Hall Kerfuffle

What to do when the light go out?? This particular evening we decided to play a game of dominoes. We don't have a table as we have put a hold on buying anything else until we decided about the house. It was quite a memorable evening and fun.....even though Gary won both games.

Our water issue here is beyond hope so we will be on the move again. We have come to the conclusion after speaking with many other expats here that this is par the course. Finding acceptable accommodation is like the search for the Holy Grail. We are learning to roll with it. Having water only 20% of the time and at no time that you can actually count on (we regularly go 36 hours without any) is not something we can live with. Our priorities are falling into place.

We had a kerfuffle at the Kingdom Hall this week after our Thursday night meeting. I was talking to Spanish Sister when I heard some excitement outside, yelling and running. My immediate thought was "Nikki" so I ran for the door. Outside, as I looked frantically for Nikki, a girl was being attacked & beaten by two guys, her two hysterical friends had come running over to the Kingdom Hall looking for aid. By now others had come running and a group of brothers including Gary started to rush across the street to try and help the girl. A short scuffle ensued, punctuated by a shout, "he has a gun". One guy pulled a gun on the brothers and the other one was holding a knife. I, along with many other sisters then ran back in the hall, where I finally found Nikki happily sat with some other youngsters in the front corner of the hall. I ushered them all into the second school and shut all the windows. The trouble makers eventually ran off, and then girl who had been beaten too. The police weren't answering their phone (apparently there is only one police vehicle in all of Granada, the rest are on foot) and two brother had to go on a motor bike to try and get them to come and help.

It turns out the guys were gang members (we hear that there is not the gang issue here as elsewhere but obviously it still exists) and they had attacked the girls as they were going to a party. The girl who was beaten is from Costa Rica and she refused to file a complaint as the two girls she was with are local and they are afraid for themselves and their families should it get taken any further (I can understand as the police just don't/can't help).

So that was the excitement for the week. The reality is that this sort of thing could happen anywhere (when I lived in England there was a double murder just doors down from our house). It does remind us of the need to use caution when walking in town. Our hall has a security light outside that isn't on most of the time because they can't afford the electricity. We're going to try and do something about that.

One week and we are off to Bluefields and Corn Island. We are so excited!