Hey everyone. As most of you already know, I went to the 2006 special convention in Prague, Czech Republic.
Prague. Prague is absolutely beautiful and full of history. While we were there we got to see famous landmarks such as the Prague castle, Konopiste castle, Old Town Square, the Charles Bridge, and the Astronomical clock. We also toured the assembly hall and had a coffee cruise on the Moldau River. Pretty much every building and everything in Prague is beautiful!
Shopping and Beer. Prague is like paradise for shoppers. The place is packed with stores everywhere and things are pretty cheap. There were Bohemian crystals and beer steins everywhere! Prague is also known for stones such as amber and garnet, so they were not too expensive. Not only is Prague a paradise for shoppers, it's also a paradise for beer drinkers. In some places the beer cost about $2.50 and there was usually only one size--1L! In our hotel, the beer was cheaper than the water, so it was pretty obvious what most of us drank every night.
The Convention. The attendance at the convention was about 18,000 with delegates from about 22 countries. The program was in Czech, English and Russian. We had two members of the governing body, Brother Lett and Brother Jaracz, give talks during the lunch hour. The convention program was the same as the one here except there were 2 parts each day entitled 'Reports from other lands' where reps from each country told about the statistics and interesting experiences from their country. There were 149 baptized on Saturday. I don't think I've ever clapped so much in my life! We'd start a clap. Stop. Then start a new clap. There were also banners that different countries made.
The Brotherhood. This was the best part of the whole trip. The Czech brothers and sisters were amazing. They were extremely generous and friendly. Most, especially the kids, were handing out small gifts such as candy, postcards, bookmarks, candles, etc. When we first arrived at the airport, we were welcomed by some locals that had been welcoming delegates for about 3 days. Some of the brothers and sisters didn't speak English very well but they put forth SO much effort in order to communicate with us, it really showed how much they cared. The trip really felt like a glimpse of the new system where everyone will worship Jehovah. The city was packed with witnesses. Almost every 10 feet there would be a group of brothers and sisters from different countries who we'd meet and talk with for a while. It was incredible. A scipture that really came to life and was used on postcards, cookies, banner, and bookmarks at the convention was Psalm 133: 1--"Look! How good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity!"
I had a really awesome time and made tons of new friends from all over the world. The trip was a real encouragement and really helped me to appreciate Jehovah's organization as an international brotherhood. If we are ever discouraged or feel like we are weighed down with problems, we know that we have a whole organization of brothers and sisters with us. It makes me think of the scripture in 2 Kings 6: 16--"Do not be afraid, for there are more who are with us than those who are with them." If anyone ever has a chance to go to an international convention I would definitely recommend it!! |
