Goochland among those restarting 100-year-old tradition

Community Report

After a three-year pandemic pause, one of the largest convention organizations in the world has once again chosen Richmond to host its global three-day event, the 2023 “Exercise Patience”! Convention.

Since 1923, summers in Richmond were marked by Jehovah’s Witnesses filling hotels and restaurants as they attended their annual conventions. In 2020, the pandemic interrupted that tradition when the Witnesses canceled their in-person events throughout the world and held their convention programs as virtual events in

Mystery

From 6 to England, possibly lost at sea during the voyage. Or maybe Spanish settlers or Native Americans had attacked the English settlement and murdered the group.

The latest installment of the mystery began when scientists found strange markings on a map made by John White, who headed more than 500 languages.

The Christian organization restarted their 100-year-old tradition of in-person gatherings in Richmond on June 2, 2023, with the first of 13 conventions that will be held Friday through Sunday throughout the summer. Thousands from Goochland County and throughout Virginia are expected to attend the convention series at the Richmond Assembly Hall of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

“Being able to meet online was very important. It allowed us to continue doing something we love to do, attend our conventions,” said Fred Gaskins, spokesman for Jeho- up the Roanoke mission. He had returned home to gather supplies for the settlement, but was delayed in his return for two years. When he reached Roanoke Island, the settlement had disappeared.

The markings led scientists to head inward to Bertie County where they began to dig for artifacts and discovered several pieces of pottery whose origin was believed to be English and from the same period of time.

After an excavation of vah’s Witnesses. “Being in person, however, allows us to greet and hug one another, something that cannot be duplicated any other way. Getting back to our large gatherings allows us to enjoy a special bond with our God, Jehovah, and share that with the public.”

Some 6,000 conventions will be held worldwide as part of the 2023 “Exercise Patience”! Convention series. In the United States alone, more than 700 conventions will be held in 144 host cities. From Friday through Sunday, six convention sessions will explore the quality of patience, highlighting its modernday relevance through Scriptural that site and another located nearby, that group of scientists and historians believe they have solved the mystery.

But other experts believe the shards of pottery found could have come from a variety of sources, and cannot find reasonable explanations why the colonists would travel to an area inland that had been identified as dangerous territory.

So, even with the latest technology and the exper- examples. A live baptism will be performed following the Saturday morning session, and a prerecorded drama will be featured in two parts during the Saturday and Sunday afternoon sessions.

“Patience is important to us since there is so much going on in the world today that requires it,” said Gaskins. “Patience is something none of us have mastered, but we are taught how to put this quality into practice. This convention theme helps us to see how and why we can develop the patience we need during these trying times.”

Jehovah’s Witnesses have been tise of dozens of experts who have spent lifetimes studying the colony, the mystery remains. holding public conventions in stadiums, arenas, convention centers and theaters around the world for more than 100 years. After resuming smaller in-person meetings and their public ministry during 2022, the summer of 2023 marks the first time they will gather at much larger regional events around the world since the lifting of pandemic restrictions. The convention is open to the public, and no collection is taken. For more information on the program or to find other convention locations and dates, please go to jw.org.

—Submitted by William Jackson Davis, Jr.

And as another group of excited tourists heads south for fun in the sun, The Lost Colony opens another sea- son near Manteo, and a new group of enthusiasts will sit and hear that silence as the play ends…and wonder. women over 50 may not have had any readily available tools to reach out and connect with new people. Social media has made it much easier to build such connections. Even the most obscure passions likely have a social media group of locals devoted to them, and these groups can be great ways to meet new people. A local runner’s club may have its own social media accounts, and local governments and community groups often share information about sports leagues and other groups via social media.

„ Sign up for group outings. Communities often sponsor group outings to museums, the theater, sporting events, and other day trips. Signing up for a bus trip to a local museum presents a great opportunity to meet people who share your interests, providing the potential to build lasting friendships built on a foundation of shared interests.

„ Broaden your horizons. Just because you’re in your 50s doesn’t mean your friends have to be. Don’t hesitate to invite younger or older acquaintances and colleagues over for dinner or on weekend excursions. Friends come in all shapes, sizes and ages, so you could be missing out if you’re not willing to extend a hand in friendship to people of different ages and backgrounds. Making friends after 50 can be challenging. However, various strategies can help men and women over 50 connect with new people.

—MetroCreative