Hi to all the brothers and sisters and friends who are using this site. This is just to introduce myself. My name is Dan Edmund, and am a fellow Witness from Australia. I am married and have a teenage son, with all of us active. I was baptized at the District Assembley in 1975 in Perth. My wife comes from the Philippines, and I met her there in 1988 whilst preaching. She was a regular pioneer in an isolated territory, where I had been invited to come with other publishers to help preach in the very mountainous and rugged terrain of central Luzon, the main island in the Philippines. It was an incredible experience preaching in this territory, where often you had to walk for miles before reaching the territory. The preaching was relaxed and so informal. Because of the hiking, you did not wear meeting clothes as we are used to them in the affluent West, but rather wore hiking clothes, like a good pair of hiking boots and jeans, a moderately good shirt, but no ties.
However, the preaching was great. Virtually everybody you talked to were poor farmers, and nearly always you were invited into their modest homes or shacks were you were given coffee and talked about all sorts of things, from farming to their family. Introducing the Bible and preaching to them was no problem at all, as virtually everybody respected you as a preacher, and respected the Bible. You usually spent at least half an hour to an hour at each house before moving on to the next home, which might be another ten minutes or so away. And there again you met a very friendly reception.
The Filipinos are a very friendly people as a whole, especially from the rural areas, but even more so if they are Witnesses. I was there for nine months before returning back to Australia with my new and wonderful wife. We have been back several times since then.
Anyway, I have a lot more to say, but will leave it for another time. I will also try to be a helpful contribitor to anybody who wants to ask me a question.
Wishing you all the very best and Jehovah's blessing,
Dan