we recieved an invitation today to go to korea for 3 months as international construction volunteers. With such short notice, and no money it seems impossible for us to accept. We have 1 week for a miracle to happen!
Anyways, it

Yeah, we are back in Utah.
We were warmly welcomed by the friends, and brutally, coldly welcomed by the weather.
The day after our arrival we got 6 inches of snow, another 3 inches the next day, and then this week 2 more snow storms. Other than that we are doing fine.
Capri & I look forward to another assignment in the spring at Bethel, if all goes well.
We have settled back into our Condo, but with the attitude of Abraham, who lived in tents as temporary residents. We still have our home up for sale, and know that when the time is right Jehovah will see to it that it sells, and we can be free to go wherever we might be used.
We are confident that Jehovah knows our circumstances even better than we ourselves, and in his due time he will make sure that his will for us will manifest itself.
So Patiently, and Prayerfully, we will be busy in our assgnment here. We love the friends in the Magna congregation and enjoy working with them shoulder-to-shoulder.

We are enjoying this new arrangement that has begun this January, with our meetings. especially with the new arrangement for "Family Worship". Capri & I began last week and really enjoyed begginging the 'Proclaimers' book, and looking up in the 'Insight from the Scriptures' different Bible Characters and learning more about them. We are also reading 'Life Stories' of our faithful brothers & sisters beginning with members of the Governing Body, past and present, and their wives. The evening ends up to be encouraging and faith-strenthening, which lasts between 2 and 3 hours.... It's Great!!!
Please share with us what you are doing.
Thanks, Vince & Capri

Thank You All... following our blog!
It has been a good run, here at Brooklyn Bethel. Three & a half months has flown by, it's hard to believe we are headed back to Utah to our current assignment there.
We were amazed to here of how many have been interested in and sharing our experience.
Capri & I are looking forward to sharing more with everyone as opportunities arise.

We were contacted by the Bethel Office last week asking us to remain here another 3 months, however our circumstances to do not allow us to accept. We have not yet sold our home and still have to meet our financial obligations, so we will return and wait and see what Jehovah's will is for us.
It was difficult to say no the invitation since these opportunities are rare. We are confident that Jehovah's knows what is best for us and will work things our in harmony with his will.

While we look forward to returning to our assignment in Magna, we will surely miss the brothers & sisters in the Pratt congregation in Brooklyn. The body of elders have been very encouraging to us and have made us feel a part of the congregation. The publishers in Pratt come from a variety of backgrounds and lands, at least 14 different parts of the world. They are a zealous group with many years of faithful service.
They were sad to hear that we would be leaving them, as they had hoped that we would become permanent members of their congregation. We will miss them!

We have been working with another couple from Alabama, Nathan & Christine Ellis, who serve as regular pioneers there. They are here for 4 weeks and have been here for two already.
They are a very nice couple, they have were here about a year ago, we had just missed working with them as we came in about 3 weeks after they had left. They had the opportunity to work in Jamaica a couple of years ago for 5 months for Hurricane relief.
Another Single Sister was here for just 1 week, Patricia Lundt from North Carolina, this was the forth time we have worked with her and she has been here as a 'Temp' worker 13 times now!
It was nice seeing her here again.

We hope to accept another assignment in the future if the opportunity presents itself.
We are posting some new pictures they we would like to share with you.

Once again Thank you all for supporting us in this special assignment that we have been privileged to do.

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to update you about some things that have been going on here.


We have been very busy with Carpet work here, we finished a 3 week project in 90 Sands, and have begun an even bigger project at 30 Columbia Heights.



That project will take us all the way up to our date to leave here. Along with that project we have a number of other carpet installs that we fit into our schedule.


We have another couple coming into work for 2 weeks, and a single regular pioneer sister that we know that is arriving next week, and she will be here for 2 weeks also. Some of you may have met another couple that will be coming here on December 28th, Chris & Suzanne Coulombe, they came to visit us in Utah last February and he was scheduled to give the public talk at our Hall but was snowed out.


There are a number of projects here at Brooklyn, as well as at Wallkill, and they are inviting Single, Brothers & Single Sisters once again as "short-term temps", along with married couples.


This program has worked well here, which is great since it opens up opportunities for any that would like to enjoy Bethel service short-term, a reality.




We got a 'Zone Report' today during 'Morning Worship', very encouraging! Some of the countries that were reported on, are in the new Yearbook, which we got in our rooms Yesterday. Samoa', and 'Lands of the former Yugoslavia' are the focus of the 2009' Yearbook of Jehovah's Witnesses. The latter include: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia, Very exciting.



We attended the Circuit Assembly, Saturday program last week, and that was a nice shot in the arm. This coming Sunday we will be visiting the 'Queens Russian Congregation' where Vince will be giving the public talk, it will be translated from English to Russian, we are excited about it.

At morning worship earlier this week, it was announced that a long-time Bethelite fell asleep in death at the age of 102 years old. She is survived by her husband, both have served at Bethel since 1954. She is well known here in Brooklyn where she was "The Nurse" here for many years. One story recalls that when a member of the Bethel family was sick and stayed in for the day, they could expect a visit from her twice that day. Instead of knocking and then entering, it was enter & knock at the same time! She would take your temperature, or rather the temperature of the TV set! If it was warm, you were well enough to get out of bed, get dressed, and go back to work... now you just hang a sign out that says sick, and they bring you something for breakfast & lunch.
A memorial service will be held for her this coming Monday before Family Study.

We are down to our last 4 weeks and have been having an extraordinary time here. Time will fly by and will be back before we know it.

Bye for now, Vince & Capri

Howdy! As Bro. Forney would say. It's been a couple of weeks almost, so we'll get you up to date.


There is something new coming to your congregation real soon, but it will have to be a surprise! Sorry!


The Carpet project we have going on right now where we are working, is in the 30 Columbia Heights Office Building. The 7th & 8th floors to start with. Right now we are preparing the 8th floor. This includes 30 pillars that had carpet on them and need to have all the glue removed! That's been fun, Ha!Ha! Then there's 51 rolls of carpet to be installed, just on one floor. Plenty to do that's for sure.


As far as the last three weeks we did the 2nd floor of 90 Sands, and it turned out beautiful as you can see in the pictures. Oh, that's right we told you about the brother from Spain Branch that came to learn some particulars on installing carpets in corridors and matching the patterns. This is unusual since at that branch and several others they mainly have ceramic tile. His name is Salvador Granados, and he and his wife have been serving at the Spain branch for about 13 years.


Also, on November 2 it was the day of the New York City Marathon, it was 26 miles and ran [literally] right thorough our territory we couldn't help but see many of the runners . Since at that point of the race was between the 8th and 11th mile mark then it was interesting to see many articles of clothing along the side of the street, why you might ask?

Well, as is outlined @ Hebrews 12:1, regarding a runner in a race who 'throws off every weight' that might hinder him, and in keeping endurance.

Then there were all the people on the sidelines cheering them on, holding up signs , banging drums to a beat so that runners could keep a pace. It was really exhilarating to see the determination on all their faces.

It brought to my mind how we feel when we haven't seen someone for a long time, a brother/sister serving Jehovah for many years, and they're still hanging in there, still in the race! And, we cheer one another on and encourage each other to keep going despite any hardships, or obstacles we may have to endure.

We too, must not tire out as we get ever closer to the end of this system-of-things, and cheer one another on all the way to the finish line.

Hope everyone is doing well.



In our congregation here, we were able to cover all of the territory during the campaign. The approximately 60 publishers normally cover the territory every 3 weeks. Not only did we do door-to-door, but also street work and letter writing, which helped us to stay busy. The 12 regular pioneers had to be ingenuitive, which helped to keep everyone in the congregation encouraged. We also had the visit of the Circuit Overseer, Theodore & Mary Braeboy during the campaign, and we got to work in the ministry with them.

We also have been assigned to a different book study for the last approximately 6 weeks until the change in the first of the year.

Send us any experiences you may have had during the campaign as we would enjoy them and would like to share them with the brothers & sisters here at Bethel and the Pratt congregation that we are a part of while we are here.



Hope to be sharing more real soon.



Till then take care

With Love

Vince & Capri

Today is Sunday Nov. 9

We went out in the terr. in a building 21 floors high,each floor with 8 doors. your assigned a couple of doors,only two of you then the next pair go to a take couple of doors. you usually have 4-6 people on a floor. this morning we had 3 groups. when you knock on the door you look straight into the peep hole to see if any light comes through as it has a disk that slides over to see who's at the door. as soon as you see the slightest light you start talking. you may or may not hear a voice if not you still slide a tract in the door. if you have the kind like last week you buzz out side then if they answer you talk. very different then what were used to.

last night we had 'Family Night', there was a special dinner stuffed sole, yum !yum! and then at 7pm there was a talent show, boy are some of the Bethelites talented. there was tap dancers , a pianist, stand up comics, singers, jugglers ,they had it all. but one that they have most always is an interview with some of the long time servants, this couple brother & sister Buettell. He told how in 1941 he and 100 other brothers were in prison for not going to war. They had their own meetings in fact they split logs for seats a placed rocks for steps the picture looked like an amphitheater, really neat. when he got out he worked as a mechanic, then one day he was underneath a car and he looked out from the car saw some ankles! He hurried out from the car and there was this pretty girl,and it just happened that her mom and her were on there way to a convention and a regular pioneer too! two years later they were married. Making themselves available and wanting to do more they received an assignment as Circuit Overseers in Wyoming, they loved it, they're were no other witnesses and some areas were so hard to get to that many times they would camp out, without a tent. After a few more years they were asked to go to Gilead they were in the 26 class they're assignment Brazil they loved it had a picture many still going strong. at one point he got sick , so sick that one of the brothers asked permission that after he passed could he marry his wife? He said that helped him get well quick! They had to leave they re assignment to care for infirm parents, but then after some time they were invited to serve in Bethel in Wallkill, and now they have been at Bethel since 1977.

At the close of the show all performers came on stage and danced and the Buettells were right in the middle dancing away and in their 80's no less... cute cute!

As you can tell we are having a nice time here, the work is only a small part of a much bigger picture.

This week a brother who is serving at the branch in Brazil will be coming here to get training on Carpet Installation, and I have the privilege of training him so that he can return to Brazil and install carpeting at the branch there.

Beginning Monday we will have a couple from the Australia Bethel sitting at our table for 'Morning Worship' and so look forward to getting to know them and hear their experiences.

We are updating some of the pictures we have taken, enjoy.

Love, Vince & Capri

Hello from World Headquarters!
Here are some recent news items that we would like to share with you.
At morning worship, Jeffrey Jackson of the Governing Body, gave a report about our brothers in Texas, after Hurricane Ike.
No fatalities, 22 Kingdom Halls were damaged, 1740 homes damaged, with 15 totally destroyed.
Dallas was the first to respond, brothers brought 300 tons of supplies. A major oil company donated 45 generators, and two truckloads of food. they brought these to the witnesses because they knew that we would not turn around and sell these for a profit.

This evening, Monday, after Family Watchtower Study, we had the privilege of hearing the introductions of the 126th class of Gilead.
Brother William Malanfant introduced each couple, there are 28 of them from 6 different countries. Average age - 32, Average years in the truth - 17, average years in full-time service - 13.
We are looking forward to meeting some of them as they will be touring Brooklyn on Friday.

As each couple is introduced, they share some background information about themselves, for example, how they came into the truth, the goal to serve as missionaries and the obstacles, trials, negative thinking, etc... they experienced in reaching their goal. Some were raised around the truth, others came into the truth later, some have broken families, raised in single-parent households, and divided families. Others have disfellowshipped or inactive parent or siblings.

For example; one brother was raised in Christian home, however as he explained it, his parents fought the entire time he was at home. Abusive speech, throwing things at one another, black-eyes and the like were common occurrences. through all of this his mother remained with him. His father became inactive for several years. He left home, and after a while things improved. After some 20 years , his father is now reactivated, and for the first time since he was a young boy he recently had the privilege of going out in field service with his father. And now he & his wife have the awesome privilege of attending Gilead.

We miss you all, and look forward to sharing many more experiences with you,
Phi-li-a, Vince & Capri