Friday, April 9, 2010
and now the fun begins!
it has only been 2 weeks, but at points it seems like months! i can't believe that what everyone worked so hard to do is finished :)! what a ride it has been though! i have wanted to finish this blog for sometime now, but have simply been on a rollar coaster ride myself :). today is literally the first day that i feel like i can breath easy for a couple of hours! it has been an emotional last couple of weeks. if anyone saw me on Sunday after we came home, you would have not been able to talk to me without me at some point crying. so from there we went straight into the school week. there was no break for many of the kids, as they immediately started dealing with stuff. it was as if the enemy tried to erase all the joy that we had. it was during those first few times though that i got a glimpse at just how much your kids grew. i started getting texts for prayers left and right...and so i would mass text the team and engage everyone to keep fighting for each other. the responses that i would get sounded something like this"i got this one"..."i'm on it"...etc. it was awesome!
as i continue to talk to the kids, i begin to see more and more of what God has in store for them. Luke and I both feel like this mission trip was different than all the others. the reason is that these kids are our mission...and it's not a mission to just show them how to get to Heaven...although we want to make sure that that is in place...it's a mission to get them to see that they are empowered by the Holy Spirit! Ephesians 3:20-21"now to Him who is able to do immesurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His Power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen! we are expecting God to work big in the kids' lives. i stand in awe that i get to be able to watch it...already, they have grown soooo much, more than i think they even know. to watch them these last couple of weeks, many of them have impressed me more than i can say! i see the seeds that have been planted start to grow. they are making decisions that blow my mind and choosing to stand firm and set apart!
what the next year looks like for us is sort of still in the vision stage, but fast approaching the hit the road running stage :)
we are needing prayers and prayer partners! God has really given me an excitement at what i feel is His path He is setting us on.
luke and i will be starting our own ministry at the end of the month called "Rebel Ministry". rebel came from a word that God placed on my heart last year. It has everything to do with my testimony and my personalitly trait that really got me in trouble when i was younger, but realized through becoming a Christian, that i could turn around and use it for God instead of against Him! (that is just a summary)....
with this ministry in place, we want to start recruiting kids that choose to rebel too. the definition of rebel is to fight against the ruling power. we want to help these kids to understand that there is a ruling power destroying people all around them. The ruling power of this day seems to be drugs, alcohol, sex, greed, etc...while kids will say that they are saved, the actions they choose do not always match up to their commitment to Christ. what we want to see happen, is kids choosing Christ and having their actions match that to set themselves apart and reap the blessings that come along with a life fully committed to serving Him!
what we want to see happen, is have your kids commit to helping out with this vision! i feel strongly that more kids will want to say yes to this way of living, if they see other kids living it out!
we want to see your kids step up and help with the training of next years trip. part of what rebel ministry's will be about is challenging kids to step up and be in charge of bigger things. we feel that they will be able to step up to most challenges that will be placed in front of them! my ultimate goal would be to see a mission trip ran completley by kids (with us overseeing of course)!
this year, the team will be probably bigger than last year, but i am excited for this because it sounds like we will have several repeats. and every time they repeat, they will be able to be challenged and trusted with more and more responsibility! we would like for all of the kids to come along for the ride that this year will bring! even if they can't come on the trip, we want them to be a part of the team from this end of things. not every year, will their mission to be to actually go, they might be the prayer leader, or the service project manager, etc. we are looking to add several new things to training this year!
so you can see that my mind is spinning, and hopefully soon, i will be able to give you more clearer of a picture of when this will all begin! in the mean time, please be praying about yourself and your kids possible role in what God would want you to do, if anything, with our vision for next year!
we have been so blessed to have the team that we did, go for this first trip! we feel that there will be many more to come...but it won't happen without prayer!! we will be having an evening in the very near future to get together and have all the kids recap what they saw and felt. it will be an incredible evening that will be so neat for the kids! i will give you more information on that when we have the date set! at that time, we will be able to give our account of the overall trip a bit more clearly too!
thanks again for trusting us with your kids! we have been blessed because you have said yes! we love you all and just praise God for putting us in the middle of people who allow us to do what God has told us to do! We can't wait to see what 2010/2011 has in store!
as i continue to talk to the kids, i begin to see more and more of what God has in store for them. Luke and I both feel like this mission trip was different than all the others. the reason is that these kids are our mission...and it's not a mission to just show them how to get to Heaven...although we want to make sure that that is in place...it's a mission to get them to see that they are empowered by the Holy Spirit! Ephesians 3:20-21"now to Him who is able to do immesurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His Power that is at work within us. To Him be glory in the church, and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever, Amen! we are expecting God to work big in the kids' lives. i stand in awe that i get to be able to watch it...already, they have grown soooo much, more than i think they even know. to watch them these last couple of weeks, many of them have impressed me more than i can say! i see the seeds that have been planted start to grow. they are making decisions that blow my mind and choosing to stand firm and set apart!
what the next year looks like for us is sort of still in the vision stage, but fast approaching the hit the road running stage :)
we are needing prayers and prayer partners! God has really given me an excitement at what i feel is His path He is setting us on.
luke and i will be starting our own ministry at the end of the month called "Rebel Ministry". rebel came from a word that God placed on my heart last year. It has everything to do with my testimony and my personalitly trait that really got me in trouble when i was younger, but realized through becoming a Christian, that i could turn around and use it for God instead of against Him! (that is just a summary)....
with this ministry in place, we want to start recruiting kids that choose to rebel too. the definition of rebel is to fight against the ruling power. we want to help these kids to understand that there is a ruling power destroying people all around them. The ruling power of this day seems to be drugs, alcohol, sex, greed, etc...while kids will say that they are saved, the actions they choose do not always match up to their commitment to Christ. what we want to see happen, is kids choosing Christ and having their actions match that to set themselves apart and reap the blessings that come along with a life fully committed to serving Him!
what we want to see happen, is have your kids commit to helping out with this vision! i feel strongly that more kids will want to say yes to this way of living, if they see other kids living it out!
we want to see your kids step up and help with the training of next years trip. part of what rebel ministry's will be about is challenging kids to step up and be in charge of bigger things. we feel that they will be able to step up to most challenges that will be placed in front of them! my ultimate goal would be to see a mission trip ran completley by kids (with us overseeing of course)!
this year, the team will be probably bigger than last year, but i am excited for this because it sounds like we will have several repeats. and every time they repeat, they will be able to be challenged and trusted with more and more responsibility! we would like for all of the kids to come along for the ride that this year will bring! even if they can't come on the trip, we want them to be a part of the team from this end of things. not every year, will their mission to be to actually go, they might be the prayer leader, or the service project manager, etc. we are looking to add several new things to training this year!
so you can see that my mind is spinning, and hopefully soon, i will be able to give you more clearer of a picture of when this will all begin! in the mean time, please be praying about yourself and your kids possible role in what God would want you to do, if anything, with our vision for next year!
we have been so blessed to have the team that we did, go for this first trip! we feel that there will be many more to come...but it won't happen without prayer!! we will be having an evening in the very near future to get together and have all the kids recap what they saw and felt. it will be an incredible evening that will be so neat for the kids! i will give you more information on that when we have the date set! at that time, we will be able to give our account of the overall trip a bit more clearly too!
thanks again for trusting us with your kids! we have been blessed because you have said yes! we love you all and just praise God for putting us in the middle of people who allow us to do what God has told us to do! We can't wait to see what 2010/2011 has in store!
Saturday, March 27, 2010
We r all loaded and crammed like sardines in our bus...emotionally spent...spiritually beat up...physically drained!! As we get off the bus I can just picture the home coming of solidiers tht come home after fighting in iraq...every time without fail I get choked up as a son is engulfed by his mother or some mom is reunited with a child...it is the same with this bus load of ppl...you sent out high school teenagers and what you r getting back is an army that is beat up and bruised...but let me tell you all tht when you first get a glimpse of your child...you r beholding a soldier tht knows how to fight and win...I will not ever look at these kids the same...and I gladly without hindrance choose them over and over to fight along side me.
I was tsalking to luke and dawn this morning and realized how different tht this trip is than all the rest tht I have taken...the reason is tht all the other trips we all get close and promise to keep hanging out...but the reality is tht we don't...this trip is different in the fact tht these kids r our calling...we r not only going to keep in touch but r going to get to watch and help them hear God more clearly and watch as they develop into a person tht says yes to God! I can not wait to see you all and hope tht I will have an oppurtunity with each of you to share more specifics on your kids...we love them like they r our own and we ... Luke bob dawn and me...ALL thank you more than you can imagine for letting us take them with us!! It took a yes on your part too to allow God to work fully. I amsure tht you will all feel tht the sacrifice on your part was worth it!
I was tsalking to luke and dawn this morning and realized how different tht this trip is than all the rest tht I have taken...the reason is tht all the other trips we all get close and promise to keep hanging out...but the reality is tht we don't...this trip is different in the fact tht these kids r our calling...we r not only going to keep in touch but r going to get to watch and help them hear God more clearly and watch as they develop into a person tht says yes to God! I can not wait to see you all and hope tht I will have an oppurtunity with each of you to share more specifics on your kids...we love them like they r our own and we ... Luke bob dawn and me...ALL thank you more than you can imagine for letting us take them with us!! It took a yes on your part too to allow God to work fully. I amsure tht you will all feel tht the sacrifice on your part was worth it!
Friday, March 26, 2010
last minutes in jamaica
Ummmmmm its been a whole two days and I haven't tokd you anything! I am so sorry! Thingsit seriously has flown by!! We r sitting in our room with 12 ppl crammed in just
Needing to hang on so desparetly bad! I wish tht this little bubble we haved lived in
During this past week could b life...it would have to b with each of your kids though...
We had an eventful day yesterday...we got to go work on a farm and dig bout 50 holes for
Banana trees...ties 100 tomato plants to sticks...with dried plantain leaves as string...
Plz try to picture an 11 acre farm all on a hillside...we were slanting the whole day!all
During the day the owner who was over 50 and in better shape than half of us was constantly taking different groups of us on tours...he was so proud of his ground he wanted to make sure tht we all saw it...he would stop several different times and a couple different times during the day would show up with fresh fruit for all of us to share...it was a good day...we did end the day with a soccer game tht was so much fun to watch...our boys did so good...logan Y did hurt his knee again which so hard to watch...I honestly had such a hard time with it...I cried and cried for him... One point it was just him and I...he shocked me with some pretty profoundd words...he said tht maybe God was protecting him from the falls...maybe sonmething would have happened bad while climbing it...then he said tht he would never b mad at God because evryhting he did was for His glory...as I was crying he put his arm me and just said tht it was going to alright...and with those last words he made a decision to make it just tht...besides a slight limp you would never even known tht he hurt himself...it was amazing!
As I look back over the week I just can't believe how many times satan tried to bring us down...many many...and each of these kids went to battle and I can tell you without a doubt tht each one of them won a battle this week...
We were supposed to go the falls today but felt lead tht the best thing to do was to go to a beach instead...luke during the same game tht logan got hurt in felt like he broke his foot...no joke!!! We had quite the day!! But with the injuries it was time to make a decision bout what r fun day was going to look like...every one of those kids just said cool and went on like it was nothing...
We finished the night with a time of praise and worship at the fire pit...the sky was clear and the stars were amazing...I knew the Spirit was moving when during the first couple of song...tears were starting to flow...it just conituned as we all encouraged each other and shared what God did this week...we ended with a song bout being changed so so we need to b changed
So now what?? What is it going to b like for these kids?? I will tell you honestly tht I pray with all my heart ttht those kids will never b who they were before this trip...we expected big things and He showed up big...I will share my heart right now with all of you and tell you tht God hass been telling me for a while tht He is moving in our school...during this week He has given me a passion to get home and get it started... His plan will come to fruit...I am convinced of tht!! I told the kids tonight tht if they wanted to say yes to God they would b in for a ride!! God will use someone...do they want it to b them???
So here we come...ready or not!! We can't wait to see you all and talk your ears off...plz b patient if it tks a whole night to get through all thestories!
Derek just told me somewords of wisdom so I will leave you with those. "He who is resistant to change is destined to perish". Be ready for for kids ready to go to battle! Pray for us on the journey back to you!
Needing to hang on so desparetly bad! I wish tht this little bubble we haved lived in
During this past week could b life...it would have to b with each of your kids though...
We had an eventful day yesterday...we got to go work on a farm and dig bout 50 holes for
Banana trees...ties 100 tomato plants to sticks...with dried plantain leaves as string...
Plz try to picture an 11 acre farm all on a hillside...we were slanting the whole day!all
During the day the owner who was over 50 and in better shape than half of us was constantly taking different groups of us on tours...he was so proud of his ground he wanted to make sure tht we all saw it...he would stop several different times and a couple different times during the day would show up with fresh fruit for all of us to share...it was a good day...we did end the day with a soccer game tht was so much fun to watch...our boys did so good...logan Y did hurt his knee again which so hard to watch...I honestly had such a hard time with it...I cried and cried for him... One point it was just him and I...he shocked me with some pretty profoundd words...he said tht maybe God was protecting him from the falls...maybe sonmething would have happened bad while climbing it...then he said tht he would never b mad at God because evryhting he did was for His glory...as I was crying he put his arm me and just said tht it was going to alright...and with those last words he made a decision to make it just tht...besides a slight limp you would never even known tht he hurt himself...it was amazing!
As I look back over the week I just can't believe how many times satan tried to bring us down...many many...and each of these kids went to battle and I can tell you without a doubt tht each one of them won a battle this week...
We were supposed to go the falls today but felt lead tht the best thing to do was to go to a beach instead...luke during the same game tht logan got hurt in felt like he broke his foot...no joke!!! We had quite the day!! But with the injuries it was time to make a decision bout what r fun day was going to look like...every one of those kids just said cool and went on like it was nothing...
We finished the night with a time of praise and worship at the fire pit...the sky was clear and the stars were amazing...I knew the Spirit was moving when during the first couple of song...tears were starting to flow...it just conituned as we all encouraged each other and shared what God did this week...we ended with a song bout being changed so so we need to b changed
So now what?? What is it going to b like for these kids?? I will tell you honestly tht I pray with all my heart ttht those kids will never b who they were before this trip...we expected big things and He showed up big...I will share my heart right now with all of you and tell you tht God hass been telling me for a while tht He is moving in our school...during this week He has given me a passion to get home and get it started... His plan will come to fruit...I am convinced of tht!! I told the kids tonight tht if they wanted to say yes to God they would b in for a ride!! God will use someone...do they want it to b them???
So here we come...ready or not!! We can't wait to see you all and talk your ears off...plz b patient if it tks a whole night to get through all thestories!
Derek just told me somewords of wisdom so I will leave you with those. "He who is resistant to change is destined to perish". Be ready for for kids ready to go to battle! Pray for us on the journey back to you!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Thursday morning part 2 :)
Hi Guys! i apologize for not updating last night...i was simply spent....there have been so much going on and so much that we get to see and do, but no words to be able to really explain it all...there are going to be a ton of inside stories and inside jokes....we are all getting very close....but to be able to tell you all what that is like is really hard! i guess you just gotta be here! haha!
our day yesterday was spent on the base doing whatever needed to be done around here. some of us scrubbed the pool deck, some scrubbed the jerk chicken center, some of us were in an assembly line passing rocks all morning, and come were laying a new surface for the walkway and enterances to the base. all in all, it was hot and exhausting! but awesome too! we did have some scrapped knees that required no more than bandaids (so don't worry moms :)) but liv was able to help clean everyone up, and she was in her element....we now have all medical questions going to her...you should see her, she is a high school student in the H.O.E. program, but you would have thought that God just annointed her to be a nurse down here! she told me after the day was done that she was so filled. i love hearing that!
dawn mann and I are sharing a room and i love that it is on the bottom floor....if it was on the top, then no guys could come up....i think i counted just this morning, at least 5 if not more kids that wondered in for one thing or another. we never lock our doors and one morning i walked in to find 3 of our guys raiding the snack drawer :) it took all of about 5 minutes for them all to realize that the stash was in there....thank the Lord my suitcase came, because we would have ran out a long time ago had it not! the missing suitcase was filled with food!!! they are doing a very poor job rationing though....they want to stay up all night on friday adn there is going to be no way if they keep going the way that they are....there will be no sugar to help keep them awake!
with the lack of sleep, we have had to dorkiest kids emerge :) last night i came up from the rock after an amazing talk with derek to find austin A and Logan Y in their "bobo and obo" mode....they refused to talk normal and had a jamaican accent...and they talked in 3rd person....like i said, you just had to be there! logan totally got his second wind, and to look at him, he looked like a walking zombie....his eyes were completely blood shot....but man were they on a role!
as we go into our last work day, i pray that these kids learn how to finish strong...we are tired (have i said that yet?:) but today we get to work on mr. edwards's farm...this is such an experience!! i think that we will get to plant banana tree's for him. this will not be a normal indiana farm. this is a farm on a hill. we will be at an angle almost the whole day. but it is beautiful!
tomorrow we will go to ocho rios and climb the falls and shop at the market...
i can't believe that it is almost over...but this morning i felt God give me such an excitement to get home because of what He wants to do with us there! this is only the beginning for most of these kids...some it will be a middle ground...and maybe a renewed kick start...but whatever stage they are in, i feel confident that God handpicked each and every one of them for a purpose. we are a small army, and i have watched countless times these kids...all of them, lock arms (figuratively), and march forward....together! as parents, i want you all to be prepared for what God is going to be doing in your kids and how that is going to be effecting your family! thank you thank you thank you for sending them and entrusting them to us....i will tell you a million more times over, that seeds have been planted!....i have asked several what they think life is going to be like when they get home....how it's going to be different. i get almost the same initial response of i just don't know....but i feel strongly and i have told them this, that this is just the starting point....when we get home...the mission continues! HE is doing mighty and great things and i believe that He handpicked each of the kids to go becaues HE knew that they would say yes! so our prayer focus is still on this trip, but be ready to switch it to "bring to fruit" the seeds that are there! we love you all....sadly, i don't think any of the kids miss you though :) hahah!! i am sure that they do, but we are having a blast....
oh...one funny story...after going to the soccer game last night, we got pulled over for a routine traffic stop...the cops stand on the road and point for the vehicles to pull over...anyhow...all the kids saw this and i turned to them and asked if they all had their passports? you should have seen their faces!!! i told them that they needed their passports whereever we went and i that i had told them all this! (in reality, we took all their passports on the first day and locked them up!) somehow...they didn't remember this little detail, because they were freakin out! it was hilarious!
o.k. that's all! have an awesome day and pray hard!
Joshua 1:9
our day yesterday was spent on the base doing whatever needed to be done around here. some of us scrubbed the pool deck, some scrubbed the jerk chicken center, some of us were in an assembly line passing rocks all morning, and come were laying a new surface for the walkway and enterances to the base. all in all, it was hot and exhausting! but awesome too! we did have some scrapped knees that required no more than bandaids (so don't worry moms :)) but liv was able to help clean everyone up, and she was in her element....we now have all medical questions going to her...you should see her, she is a high school student in the H.O.E. program, but you would have thought that God just annointed her to be a nurse down here! she told me after the day was done that she was so filled. i love hearing that!
dawn mann and I are sharing a room and i love that it is on the bottom floor....if it was on the top, then no guys could come up....i think i counted just this morning, at least 5 if not more kids that wondered in for one thing or another. we never lock our doors and one morning i walked in to find 3 of our guys raiding the snack drawer :) it took all of about 5 minutes for them all to realize that the stash was in there....thank the Lord my suitcase came, because we would have ran out a long time ago had it not! the missing suitcase was filled with food!!! they are doing a very poor job rationing though....they want to stay up all night on friday adn there is going to be no way if they keep going the way that they are....there will be no sugar to help keep them awake!
with the lack of sleep, we have had to dorkiest kids emerge :) last night i came up from the rock after an amazing talk with derek to find austin A and Logan Y in their "bobo and obo" mode....they refused to talk normal and had a jamaican accent...and they talked in 3rd person....like i said, you just had to be there! logan totally got his second wind, and to look at him, he looked like a walking zombie....his eyes were completely blood shot....but man were they on a role!
as we go into our last work day, i pray that these kids learn how to finish strong...we are tired (have i said that yet?:) but today we get to work on mr. edwards's farm...this is such an experience!! i think that we will get to plant banana tree's for him. this will not be a normal indiana farm. this is a farm on a hill. we will be at an angle almost the whole day. but it is beautiful!
tomorrow we will go to ocho rios and climb the falls and shop at the market...
i can't believe that it is almost over...but this morning i felt God give me such an excitement to get home because of what He wants to do with us there! this is only the beginning for most of these kids...some it will be a middle ground...and maybe a renewed kick start...but whatever stage they are in, i feel confident that God handpicked each and every one of them for a purpose. we are a small army, and i have watched countless times these kids...all of them, lock arms (figuratively), and march forward....together! as parents, i want you all to be prepared for what God is going to be doing in your kids and how that is going to be effecting your family! thank you thank you thank you for sending them and entrusting them to us....i will tell you a million more times over, that seeds have been planted!....i have asked several what they think life is going to be like when they get home....how it's going to be different. i get almost the same initial response of i just don't know....but i feel strongly and i have told them this, that this is just the starting point....when we get home...the mission continues! HE is doing mighty and great things and i believe that He handpicked each of the kids to go becaues HE knew that they would say yes! so our prayer focus is still on this trip, but be ready to switch it to "bring to fruit" the seeds that are there! we love you all....sadly, i don't think any of the kids miss you though :) hahah!! i am sure that they do, but we are having a blast....
oh...one funny story...after going to the soccer game last night, we got pulled over for a routine traffic stop...the cops stand on the road and point for the vehicles to pull over...anyhow...all the kids saw this and i turned to them and asked if they all had their passports? you should have seen their faces!!! i told them that they needed their passports whereever we went and i that i had told them all this! (in reality, we took all their passports on the first day and locked them up!) somehow...they didn't remember this little detail, because they were freakin out! it was hilarious!
o.k. that's all! have an awesome day and pray hard!
Joshua 1:9
Thursday Morning
3-25-10
Just a quick not to the parents that the kids and everyone are doing fine. Yesterday was spent mainly on the grounds. Details to follow later :). Today we will be all working on a farm.
Just a quick not to the parents that the kids and everyone are doing fine. Yesterday was spent mainly on the grounds. Details to follow later :). Today we will be all working on a farm.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Tuesday Night
Hey all! We are exhausted! but sooo filled! another amazing day is under our belts...i wish that i was able to use my laptop, cause i could show you guys the pictures. words just don't do justice to what we are witnessing. have i told you yet that i am so proud of our kids? haha! this team is simply hand picked!
we have been having a blast with each other even though many of them are sun burnt and so tired! we finished up our part of the wall today and Dennis (the foreman) told me he was more than satisfied. it was amazing how straight those boys got it with just a string and their eyes! a mission was accomplished on the construction side of things!
the girls again tutored and as we were leaving for the day, i realized that mitch and susan are in so much trouble...their little girl is either going to bring a kid home or she isn't coming home....so be prepared for one or the other! :) i was able to work with hannah today on the parachute. she was such a joy to have with me as we had to face different challenges as the day went on. she was constantly looking for a kid to play with! David today was found chasing after a little girl who was escaping. he carried her back as she laid her head on his shoulder....yeah..that was a tear jerker (i really am not a crier!)
we left to quickly jump in the pool and reenergize for the infirmary. oh we needed it! these kids jumped in again and acted like they knew them for years. megan gave a lady a body massage...the worship team sang song after song after song. Richard was famous by the time we left. these people were just amazing...but now at base we are officially wiped out.
the kids fought the battle hard today...i don't even think that they understand what exactly was won in the heavenlies today...i feel like God is looking down and just smiling with happiness! He has been building an army all year. without even knowing how strong they were becoming, they have stepped out on the battle field and fought like david against Goliath. they take on every challenge with the same attitude as David, and the result is the same...over and over. Victory!
we have prayed that God would hedge us in....in front of and behind. these kids are leaving no one behind, as they link arms and stand in opposition of satan. The victory is the Lord's and each day, these kids claim that!
off to the nightly meeting...please know that your kids are amazing! each one of them! that is not a lie! we are having an absolute blast with each other! thanks for the prayers....i am sure that i don't have to remind you to keep on your knees! we love you all!
we have been having a blast with each other even though many of them are sun burnt and so tired! we finished up our part of the wall today and Dennis (the foreman) told me he was more than satisfied. it was amazing how straight those boys got it with just a string and their eyes! a mission was accomplished on the construction side of things!
the girls again tutored and as we were leaving for the day, i realized that mitch and susan are in so much trouble...their little girl is either going to bring a kid home or she isn't coming home....so be prepared for one or the other! :) i was able to work with hannah today on the parachute. she was such a joy to have with me as we had to face different challenges as the day went on. she was constantly looking for a kid to play with! David today was found chasing after a little girl who was escaping. he carried her back as she laid her head on his shoulder....yeah..that was a tear jerker (i really am not a crier!)
we left to quickly jump in the pool and reenergize for the infirmary. oh we needed it! these kids jumped in again and acted like they knew them for years. megan gave a lady a body massage...the worship team sang song after song after song. Richard was famous by the time we left. these people were just amazing...but now at base we are officially wiped out.
the kids fought the battle hard today...i don't even think that they understand what exactly was won in the heavenlies today...i feel like God is looking down and just smiling with happiness! He has been building an army all year. without even knowing how strong they were becoming, they have stepped out on the battle field and fought like david against Goliath. they take on every challenge with the same attitude as David, and the result is the same...over and over. Victory!
we have prayed that God would hedge us in....in front of and behind. these kids are leaving no one behind, as they link arms and stand in opposition of satan. The victory is the Lord's and each day, these kids claim that!
off to the nightly meeting...please know that your kids are amazing! each one of them! that is not a lie! we are having an absolute blast with each other! thanks for the prayers....i am sure that i don't have to remind you to keep on your knees! we love you all!
Monday March 22, 2010
Emotional is the word to describe my day. It wasn't the kind of emotions that were there because of sadness or frustration or even anger...the emotions were flowing because of the awe factor.
God is working...sometimes it is more evident than other times in my life...but right now on this island, i have a front row seat to watching Him work in your kids! my emotions were on such high alert because your kids would not stop amazing me! they jumped in with both feet yesterday. it was really cool to watch everyone work so well together as a team! guys...they lived out "love your neighbor as yourself."
we were split into 3 different teams...all at the same location though.
the day was planned with 7 guys working construction, 3 girls tutoring, and the rest of us doing P.E. class. when we take these jobs individually and look at them, it is easy for the enemy to tell us that we aren't doing enough or that we aren't impacting anyone. I will try to explain the enourmous things, though, that we accomplished because of the way our kids stepped it up.
the tutoring girls were Jensen, Kelsey, and Brett. They were in their element! i didn't get to watch them very much because i was working with PE...but when i went in to check on them, all 3 girls were in the same posture...heads and shoulders bent towards these little kids. the kids were either smiling big and singing (Jensen's), or concentrating really hard while trying to impress their "teacher" (Kelsey's), or opening up and sharing and asking questions (Brett's). These 3 girls diligently worked through 4 kids each! at the end of the day, kelsey rattled off all of their names, brett recalled story after story of things that they said...(you're gonna have to ask her about that one!), and Jensen sat amazed and wondered if anyone else heard what "her little girl" song was. They were pouring themselves out.
PE took on a whole different look. we had everything planned and had the people where we needed them to be. just a few minutes before we had the first class, luke walked over and asked if we could spare some of the guys to help carry block back to the construction site. so all of our guys...Brock, Blake,Isaac, Jared, Joe, Austin M., took off to carry block a LONG way... i bet it was at least 300Meters... So PE needed to be revamped and quickly. EVERYONE just took control of what needed to be done!....this is all making my day and job a ton easier! The first group came roaring (not kidding) down the hill...we quickly assembled them into groups and started our different stations (there were 4). about every 10 minutes we switched them. these kids are not like US kids. some are amazingly good, while others you lose your voice yelling at to get back into their group. We learned quickly that a stern loving voice went a long way with control. we had that group for an hour, and i felt the need to quickly call a team meeting during break. I could see a possible attack on the horizon and i just wanted to nip it in the bud. What happened or what i anticipated as a problem was the fact that we were going to be overwhelmed. These kids were not behaving and there were several that could be attitude busters...making our attitudes become negative. it was an overwhelming experience, these kids needed sooooo much attention...i don't feel like i am explaining this right...but bare with me....so we call a team meeting and i just look at them and say, now is the time to fight the fight...now it gets harder...i reminded them that the battle is not against flesh and blood and to fight the feeling of frustration. it was an awesome time for me to be able to visibly watch their faces get into battle mode. i told them that they needed to make a choice and i watched all of their eyes make the right one! so we went off and finished off the next 2 groups in amazing style!...some of the highlights for me were watching those boys. these jamaican kids were hanging on each boys back every second that they were out there. they were hungry and thirsty for male attention...and our boys, sunburnt and all, gave EVERYTHING that they had! blake mann's knee has been hurting him since we got here, and he told me that it was worth the pain to just carry these kids on his back. i heard this all day! 2 little girls told brock that he was their new best friend. Isaac Witmer...he loves loves loves these kids! every group had a kid that was running around wearing his sunglasses. Joe was such a gentle giant! He did exactly what i told him to do...love them and be bold too. he was chasing kids down to get back into their groups, while lugging a few of them on his back across the field during break time. Jared was a pro...i told him that since he had been here before, that if he saw things that weren't right or needed to be changed, that he could step up and be a leader...he took me seriously! austin mann actually took charge of a station and was leading these kids in the game. and the girls....o my word...taylor got her hair braided and also was lugging, no joke, 4 kids around. Audra and Olivia both were such joys and they were the floaters....and it seemed that every time i was getting overwelmed...there one of them came. i could go on and on....i am not discounting any of the kids that i am missing, i will write about them later...but i am running out of time, and this is becoming a book :)...
construction! these boys worked hard...harder than any of them imagined that they would work. austin A. and brandon were explaining how they were instructed to mix the cement by hand! they were just turning over and over this pile, relentlessly. they had this pile of cement which later they made into concrete...they then started layering the blocks for a wall. what touched me about this wall was the purpose for which it was to be built. as was watched the little girls running and playing in their innocence, a sadness washed over me as i pictured our strong guys, layering block after block to form a wall to encircle the school. a while back, a few of these precious girls, were walking in the woods behind the school...they were molested. i hope that you can just picture what i am picturing here...our boys, in their cut off shirts, getting burnt by the sun, scooping bucket after bucket of mud into a wall that will serve a purpose of proctection so that these little girls can keep their innocence. and all the while, they had no idea what our guys were doing. it was an amazing picture of love.
we ended the day at the school and went on to play the soccer match. it was so cool to watch our guys hit the field. derek, logan Y., and Austin were pegged as the good ones, but Shamari (one of the players) quickly added that we were not bad, we just needed training! it was funny to hear logan C. ask what off sides were...but it didnt' even matter that he didn't know the game well...he came running over to me and told me he was the forward...i told him that that was great...just wait on the 3 point line and he would be good to go! the kids were great to just jump in and play!! luke and bob were great as they were running with the young guys. we ended up losing, but in the words of the guys...it was awesome!
we ended the night at the fire pit which is located on the rock that i described yesterday. we all sat around it and prayed, sang praise and worship, and shared what touched us during the day. it was simply amazing....waves crashing...wind blowing, and stars shining. i ended the night by walking away as i watched derek sit by himself playing his guitar and just singing to his God....and it showed me what all of these kids are beginning to get....he was simply a guy with his guitar and his God....what more do we need??
i am ending this morning (finally:)) with some prayer requests for what is to come....today we are going to the infirmary...it will be tough for many....and also i was to share with you what we will be asking of the kids in the coming days. Dawn and I's Bible study brought out 2 points that i want to get across...."in this generation, certain people have been assigned and entrusted to you,. your unbridled obedience to God is paramount to their seeing the divine Hand of God in their lives. So get busy with the program while keeping your eyes squarely on the people." and "Every inch of ground we refuse to take with God we surrender to the enemy."
so be praying for your kids' hearts...we are going to challenge them big time this week! i don't have time to proofread this....gotta run...so forgive the mistakes! keep on praying! we feeeeeeeel it!!!!
God is working...sometimes it is more evident than other times in my life...but right now on this island, i have a front row seat to watching Him work in your kids! my emotions were on such high alert because your kids would not stop amazing me! they jumped in with both feet yesterday. it was really cool to watch everyone work so well together as a team! guys...they lived out "love your neighbor as yourself."
we were split into 3 different teams...all at the same location though.
the day was planned with 7 guys working construction, 3 girls tutoring, and the rest of us doing P.E. class. when we take these jobs individually and look at them, it is easy for the enemy to tell us that we aren't doing enough or that we aren't impacting anyone. I will try to explain the enourmous things, though, that we accomplished because of the way our kids stepped it up.
the tutoring girls were Jensen, Kelsey, and Brett. They were in their element! i didn't get to watch them very much because i was working with PE...but when i went in to check on them, all 3 girls were in the same posture...heads and shoulders bent towards these little kids. the kids were either smiling big and singing (Jensen's), or concentrating really hard while trying to impress their "teacher" (Kelsey's), or opening up and sharing and asking questions (Brett's). These 3 girls diligently worked through 4 kids each! at the end of the day, kelsey rattled off all of their names, brett recalled story after story of things that they said...(you're gonna have to ask her about that one!), and Jensen sat amazed and wondered if anyone else heard what "her little girl" song was. They were pouring themselves out.
PE took on a whole different look. we had everything planned and had the people where we needed them to be. just a few minutes before we had the first class, luke walked over and asked if we could spare some of the guys to help carry block back to the construction site. so all of our guys...Brock, Blake,Isaac, Jared, Joe, Austin M., took off to carry block a LONG way... i bet it was at least 300Meters... So PE needed to be revamped and quickly. EVERYONE just took control of what needed to be done!....this is all making my day and job a ton easier! The first group came roaring (not kidding) down the hill...we quickly assembled them into groups and started our different stations (there were 4). about every 10 minutes we switched them. these kids are not like US kids. some are amazingly good, while others you lose your voice yelling at to get back into their group. We learned quickly that a stern loving voice went a long way with control. we had that group for an hour, and i felt the need to quickly call a team meeting during break. I could see a possible attack on the horizon and i just wanted to nip it in the bud. What happened or what i anticipated as a problem was the fact that we were going to be overwhelmed. These kids were not behaving and there were several that could be attitude busters...making our attitudes become negative. it was an overwhelming experience, these kids needed sooooo much attention...i don't feel like i am explaining this right...but bare with me....so we call a team meeting and i just look at them and say, now is the time to fight the fight...now it gets harder...i reminded them that the battle is not against flesh and blood and to fight the feeling of frustration. it was an awesome time for me to be able to visibly watch their faces get into battle mode. i told them that they needed to make a choice and i watched all of their eyes make the right one! so we went off and finished off the next 2 groups in amazing style!...some of the highlights for me were watching those boys. these jamaican kids were hanging on each boys back every second that they were out there. they were hungry and thirsty for male attention...and our boys, sunburnt and all, gave EVERYTHING that they had! blake mann's knee has been hurting him since we got here, and he told me that it was worth the pain to just carry these kids on his back. i heard this all day! 2 little girls told brock that he was their new best friend. Isaac Witmer...he loves loves loves these kids! every group had a kid that was running around wearing his sunglasses. Joe was such a gentle giant! He did exactly what i told him to do...love them and be bold too. he was chasing kids down to get back into their groups, while lugging a few of them on his back across the field during break time. Jared was a pro...i told him that since he had been here before, that if he saw things that weren't right or needed to be changed, that he could step up and be a leader...he took me seriously! austin mann actually took charge of a station and was leading these kids in the game. and the girls....o my word...taylor got her hair braided and also was lugging, no joke, 4 kids around. Audra and Olivia both were such joys and they were the floaters....and it seemed that every time i was getting overwelmed...there one of them came. i could go on and on....i am not discounting any of the kids that i am missing, i will write about them later...but i am running out of time, and this is becoming a book :)...
construction! these boys worked hard...harder than any of them imagined that they would work. austin A. and brandon were explaining how they were instructed to mix the cement by hand! they were just turning over and over this pile, relentlessly. they had this pile of cement which later they made into concrete...they then started layering the blocks for a wall. what touched me about this wall was the purpose for which it was to be built. as was watched the little girls running and playing in their innocence, a sadness washed over me as i pictured our strong guys, layering block after block to form a wall to encircle the school. a while back, a few of these precious girls, were walking in the woods behind the school...they were molested. i hope that you can just picture what i am picturing here...our boys, in their cut off shirts, getting burnt by the sun, scooping bucket after bucket of mud into a wall that will serve a purpose of proctection so that these little girls can keep their innocence. and all the while, they had no idea what our guys were doing. it was an amazing picture of love.
we ended the day at the school and went on to play the soccer match. it was so cool to watch our guys hit the field. derek, logan Y., and Austin were pegged as the good ones, but Shamari (one of the players) quickly added that we were not bad, we just needed training! it was funny to hear logan C. ask what off sides were...but it didnt' even matter that he didn't know the game well...he came running over to me and told me he was the forward...i told him that that was great...just wait on the 3 point line and he would be good to go! the kids were great to just jump in and play!! luke and bob were great as they were running with the young guys. we ended up losing, but in the words of the guys...it was awesome!
we ended the night at the fire pit which is located on the rock that i described yesterday. we all sat around it and prayed, sang praise and worship, and shared what touched us during the day. it was simply amazing....waves crashing...wind blowing, and stars shining. i ended the night by walking away as i watched derek sit by himself playing his guitar and just singing to his God....and it showed me what all of these kids are beginning to get....he was simply a guy with his guitar and his God....what more do we need??
i am ending this morning (finally:)) with some prayer requests for what is to come....today we are going to the infirmary...it will be tough for many....and also i was to share with you what we will be asking of the kids in the coming days. Dawn and I's Bible study brought out 2 points that i want to get across...."in this generation, certain people have been assigned and entrusted to you,. your unbridled obedience to God is paramount to their seeing the divine Hand of God in their lives. So get busy with the program while keeping your eyes squarely on the people." and "Every inch of ground we refuse to take with God we surrender to the enemy."
so be praying for your kids' hearts...we are going to challenge them big time this week! i don't have time to proofread this....gotta run...so forgive the mistakes! keep on praying! we feeeeeeeel it!!!!
Monday, March 22, 2010
Monday Evening
3-22-10.
Hello All : We are having problems with the computer so you will not get a full update until tomorrow. Another great day and the kids are doing great.
Hello All : We are having problems with the computer so you will not get a full update until tomorrow. Another great day and the kids are doing great.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
i am sitting in front of this computer at a loss of words...well, that's not entirely true...i have a million things to tell you, but i am overcome with emotion that i simply don't know where to start.
you all would be so proud of each of your kids if you were here! yep...here comes the tears!
the past year has been filled with so many emotions for me as we planned this trip, formed the team, and trained. i have been in ups and downs, including times of frustration, where i wondered if they were truly getting what we so desperately wanted them to learn. Satan, at times, told me over and over that not only was i failing, but that the kids would not be able to grasp Jamaica. i became fearful at times that they would just goof around and take nothing seriously. I WAS WRONG!!!! guys...your kids rock! This trip has already been a huge success in my opinion, and we haven't even started the ministry week!
let me try to summarize last night and today for you...
Audra, Jensen, Dawn, Logan Casselman, Brock, Austin A. and I ended up playing cards and talking pretty late. we got a first hand glimpse of exactly how different boys and girls are. we were all in one room. the girls on one side were about peeing our pants laughing, while the boys look at us with complete amazement that any human could laugh so hard...also of confusion at what exactly we were laughing at...which of course made us laugh even harder! at one point, audra was bent over me, shaking me with her laughter, making me cry so hard! it was an experience! it had everything to do with lack of sleep...we were exhausted! Austin decided to try to see how many tootsie rolls to stuff in his mouth....i know it was somewhere between 30-50..you will have to see the pictures! yes we were laughing at that too!
some of the points of last night that touched me were when i peeked in kelsey, annie, and brett's window and they were preparing for bed. they were all smiles, and were looking like this was the best thing ever to be in a room with their best friends for a week...they looked at me and said that they were going to go to bed after they were done JOURNALING!!!....guys...these kids were journaling! maybe i am the only one amazed, but i got my first glimpse of kids seeking Jesus without any adult telling them they had too!
even though i had had no sleep, i had to get up with the sun in the morning. i can't explain exactly the feeling i have while i am here, but some mornings i wake with a dread that i missed it. i hope that one day, you may all be able to come down here and experience exactly what "it" is, but for now i will attempt to clarify a bit: imagine the ocean, just picture how vast it is...now turn your ears on and attempt to hear wave after wave crashing into the shore...next picture a breeze blowing away any other possibly distracting noise that is out there. imagine yourself sitting on a huge piece of coral rock, all you have is your Bible, and you can almost feel an electricity coming out of it as the Spirit is just calling you to soak it in. as you sit in silence, you quiet your heart and feel the power of God course through your body...i promise you, this is the most amazing time ever...in fact, my heart is just longing for it to be morning! as you are sitting there, you look out and watch the sun just peek over the water and quickly slide into full view. the colors are breathtaking...like nothing you have ever seen before...and it feels like HE has just arrived. This my friends is how i get to start every morning here! what is cool is how the kids reacted to first seeing this sitting place. they exclaimed in excitement "can we come down here to do our devotions in the morning?"...o.k. the tears are back....your kids are desiring to meet our Savior before starting their day!
it rained this morning, so i wasn't able to stay down there long, but as i walked back up, i once again was in awe. under the tuck shops awning sat 4 boys...all separate from each other and silent...many with their heads bowed, as they had their Bibles in hand and their Bible studies opened! Men with Bibles! This is how our world is going to be changed! these kids are going to be a huge part of it!
man....i haven't even got to church yet!
as we walked into the building, dawn and i got instant chills...the kind of chills you get when the Spirit of the Lord is working....and then we entered into the presence of God...many of you have never experienced praise and worship like we experienced today! they PRAISED HIM! i loved watching the kids' reaction to seeing people praise without any hesitation. and the message! oh my word! i have 3 pages of notes! it was so cool...
we had a great day of R&R and finished it out at the jerk chicken stand, huddled around a counter...belting out praise and worship with the guitars! when derek asked me how many more songs to play, before i could answer, i had several kids yell out that they want to keep going and after finishing all of the packet, continued to sing for a few more. it was awesome!
so there is our last couple of days....we will continue to randomly post and let random people share what they are seeing and doing! we go to the school tomorrow to teach P.E., tutor and build a wall. thanks for the prayers! they are working!
you all would be so proud of each of your kids if you were here! yep...here comes the tears!
the past year has been filled with so many emotions for me as we planned this trip, formed the team, and trained. i have been in ups and downs, including times of frustration, where i wondered if they were truly getting what we so desperately wanted them to learn. Satan, at times, told me over and over that not only was i failing, but that the kids would not be able to grasp Jamaica. i became fearful at times that they would just goof around and take nothing seriously. I WAS WRONG!!!! guys...your kids rock! This trip has already been a huge success in my opinion, and we haven't even started the ministry week!
let me try to summarize last night and today for you...
Audra, Jensen, Dawn, Logan Casselman, Brock, Austin A. and I ended up playing cards and talking pretty late. we got a first hand glimpse of exactly how different boys and girls are. we were all in one room. the girls on one side were about peeing our pants laughing, while the boys look at us with complete amazement that any human could laugh so hard...also of confusion at what exactly we were laughing at...which of course made us laugh even harder! at one point, audra was bent over me, shaking me with her laughter, making me cry so hard! it was an experience! it had everything to do with lack of sleep...we were exhausted! Austin decided to try to see how many tootsie rolls to stuff in his mouth....i know it was somewhere between 30-50..you will have to see the pictures! yes we were laughing at that too!
some of the points of last night that touched me were when i peeked in kelsey, annie, and brett's window and they were preparing for bed. they were all smiles, and were looking like this was the best thing ever to be in a room with their best friends for a week...they looked at me and said that they were going to go to bed after they were done JOURNALING!!!....guys...these kids were journaling! maybe i am the only one amazed, but i got my first glimpse of kids seeking Jesus without any adult telling them they had too!
even though i had had no sleep, i had to get up with the sun in the morning. i can't explain exactly the feeling i have while i am here, but some mornings i wake with a dread that i missed it. i hope that one day, you may all be able to come down here and experience exactly what "it" is, but for now i will attempt to clarify a bit: imagine the ocean, just picture how vast it is...now turn your ears on and attempt to hear wave after wave crashing into the shore...next picture a breeze blowing away any other possibly distracting noise that is out there. imagine yourself sitting on a huge piece of coral rock, all you have is your Bible, and you can almost feel an electricity coming out of it as the Spirit is just calling you to soak it in. as you sit in silence, you quiet your heart and feel the power of God course through your body...i promise you, this is the most amazing time ever...in fact, my heart is just longing for it to be morning! as you are sitting there, you look out and watch the sun just peek over the water and quickly slide into full view. the colors are breathtaking...like nothing you have ever seen before...and it feels like HE has just arrived. This my friends is how i get to start every morning here! what is cool is how the kids reacted to first seeing this sitting place. they exclaimed in excitement "can we come down here to do our devotions in the morning?"...o.k. the tears are back....your kids are desiring to meet our Savior before starting their day!
it rained this morning, so i wasn't able to stay down there long, but as i walked back up, i once again was in awe. under the tuck shops awning sat 4 boys...all separate from each other and silent...many with their heads bowed, as they had their Bibles in hand and their Bible studies opened! Men with Bibles! This is how our world is going to be changed! these kids are going to be a huge part of it!
man....i haven't even got to church yet!
as we walked into the building, dawn and i got instant chills...the kind of chills you get when the Spirit of the Lord is working....and then we entered into the presence of God...many of you have never experienced praise and worship like we experienced today! they PRAISED HIM! i loved watching the kids' reaction to seeing people praise without any hesitation. and the message! oh my word! i have 3 pages of notes! it was so cool...
we had a great day of R&R and finished it out at the jerk chicken stand, huddled around a counter...belting out praise and worship with the guitars! when derek asked me how many more songs to play, before i could answer, i had several kids yell out that they want to keep going and after finishing all of the packet, continued to sing for a few more. it was awesome!
so there is our last couple of days....we will continue to randomly post and let random people share what they are seeing and doing! we go to the school tomorrow to teach P.E., tutor and build a wall. thanks for the prayers! they are working!
Sunday at Church
3-21-10
Woke up this morning and ate breakfast consisting of boiled eggs, cerial and milk and juice. After breakfast we went to Church which was awesome ! Praise and worship was electrifying with drums, a guitar and sythesizer. The pastor was visiting from Texas and had pastored this church for 7 years until leaving 9 months ago so it was emotional for the congregation of about 100. The Sermon was basically on Respect and Appreciation for your pastor and Leaders in the Ministry. We are assuming this has been missing for the new pastor. Nonetheless the kids are enjoying the pool and socializing. Some are soaking up the sun while others are playing volleyball in the pool. This will be are one and only practical full day for R&R. Kids are doing well and we saw how good the group was today buy helping the mission out with various jobs that needed done. We had to clear out an area for a meeting tomorrow. God has blessed the team leaders with a great group of kids. Tonight we have supper and a devotion at 7:00. Then off to work tomorrow !
Woke up this morning and ate breakfast consisting of boiled eggs, cerial and milk and juice. After breakfast we went to Church which was awesome ! Praise and worship was electrifying with drums, a guitar and sythesizer. The pastor was visiting from Texas and had pastored this church for 7 years until leaving 9 months ago so it was emotional for the congregation of about 100. The Sermon was basically on Respect and Appreciation for your pastor and Leaders in the Ministry. We are assuming this has been missing for the new pastor. Nonetheless the kids are enjoying the pool and socializing. Some are soaking up the sun while others are playing volleyball in the pool. This will be are one and only practical full day for R&R. Kids are doing well and we saw how good the group was today buy helping the mission out with various jobs that needed done. We had to clear out an area for a meeting tomorrow. God has blessed the team leaders with a great group of kids. Tonight we have supper and a devotion at 7:00. Then off to work tomorrow !
Saturday, March 20, 2010
First Evening at Resort
9:00. 3-20-10
After a long day of travel we are finally here and enjoying the warm weather. Starting out we had a couple of difficulties. Believe it or not the trailer lights on the bus wouldn't work and we actually had to go to Lakewood and switch buses, but once that was settled we were on our way. We soon arrived in Detroit, boarded the plane, and we were on our way to Atlanta. After a long two hours of painful popping ears we finally found ourselves in Atlanta. Before we could stuff down our McDonalds breakfast we were boarding the next plane. We didn't mind the rough landing because we knew that we were finally in Jamaica! After making our way out of the airport we loaded our bus and heading for Galina. But we made a quick stop at Burgerking where we each spent about fourhundred dollars, but don't worry, in America that's only about five dollarsm After finishing our meals we loaded the buses and headed for Galina. It was amazing to drive through the towns and see what some of their lifestyles were like. But now were here and ready for bed, we can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us!.
After a long day of travel we are finally here and enjoying the warm weather. Starting out we had a couple of difficulties. Believe it or not the trailer lights on the bus wouldn't work and we actually had to go to Lakewood and switch buses, but once that was settled we were on our way. We soon arrived in Detroit, boarded the plane, and we were on our way to Atlanta. After a long two hours of painful popping ears we finally found ourselves in Atlanta. Before we could stuff down our McDonalds breakfast we were boarding the next plane. We didn't mind the rough landing because we knew that we were finally in Jamaica! After making our way out of the airport we loaded our bus and heading for Galina. But we made a quick stop at Burgerking where we each spent about fourhundred dollars, but don't worry, in America that's only about five dollarsm After finishing our meals we loaded the buses and headed for Galina. It was amazing to drive through the towns and see what some of their lifestyles were like. But now were here and ready for bed, we can't wait to see what tomorrow has in store for us!.
Montego Bay
Sat 3:00 PM. Yes ! We are in Montego Bay and just found the nearest Burger King. Gerkes hhave another luggage missing, but should be delivered soon. Tina or one of the kids will update this evening.
atlanta
we sitting in the airport waiting to get on our final plane before Jamaica.....all i can say is that the adventure is well under way!
we started the day with no trailer lights....leaving us 40 minutes behind. we made it to the airport in great time and realized that Jared's luggage was still sitting in our trunk of our car in teh County Line parking lot! he handled it like a pro though, and will be seen in others clothes this week :) the adventure continued as austin A. got sat beside the worst seat buddy ever. please keep in mind that he did not sleep at all on the drive, but rather decided to slam sugar the whole way! we was ready for a nap but got little sleep as the lady talked endlessly about every topic possible. you will just have to have him imitate her laugh...i just can't quite put it into words! well we are off...you should be getting a text in about 3.5 hours! if internet is available...we are praying it is! .. we should update daily! luv you all and pray for some crazy stuff to happen! the conversations this morning alone make me excited to see what God has in store!! thanks again for this amazing oppurtunity to be with your kids! we love it and stand amazed!
we started the day with no trailer lights....leaving us 40 minutes behind. we made it to the airport in great time and realized that Jared's luggage was still sitting in our trunk of our car in teh County Line parking lot! he handled it like a pro though, and will be seen in others clothes this week :) the adventure continued as austin A. got sat beside the worst seat buddy ever. please keep in mind that he did not sleep at all on the drive, but rather decided to slam sugar the whole way! we was ready for a nap but got little sleep as the lady talked endlessly about every topic possible. you will just have to have him imitate her laugh...i just can't quite put it into words! well we are off...you should be getting a text in about 3.5 hours! if internet is available...we are praying it is! .. we should update daily! luv you all and pray for some crazy stuff to happen! the conversations this morning alone make me excited to see what God has in store!! thanks again for this amazing oppurtunity to be with your kids! we love it and stand amazed!
Friday, March 19, 2010
We are off !
3-20-10.
We are on the road officially at 12:50 AM. However, we just encountered our first problem / delay. Tailight are not working so we are stopped on County Road checking fuses. Break lights work fine, Will keep everyone posted ! In the meantime we have traveled back to Lakewood Park and plan on switching buses. The trailor is now hooked to the Wellman's vehicle. 1:44 am. OK. We found the short in a ground wire and we are off again. Just hit 69 and headed Noth at a very fast speed ! ( Jk )
We are on the road officially at 12:50 AM. However, we just encountered our first problem / delay. Tailight are not working so we are stopped on County Road checking fuses. Break lights work fine, Will keep everyone posted ! In the meantime we have traveled back to Lakewood Park and plan on switching buses. The trailor is now hooked to the Wellman's vehicle. 1:44 am. OK. We found the short in a ground wire and we are off again. Just hit 69 and headed Noth at a very fast speed ! ( Jk )
12 hours and counting until in the air !
3-19-10 We are now all packed and ready to go ! Hopefully we can all squeeze in a nap before take off at 12:30 AM. from the County Line parking lot.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Preparing for trip and testing blog
March 15, 2010
5 days and counting. Packing is just about done, and we are preparing for an exciting Mission Trip. We leave on Saturday March 20th, 2010 and return on Saturday March 27th., 2010 The following people will be going on this trip.
Leaders : Luke Gerke, Tina Gerke, Bob Mann, Dawn Mann
Jared Gerke, Austin Mann, Blake Mann, Brock Taulbee, Austin Altimus, Derek Schwartz, Joe Martin, Logan Yoder, Brandon Wellman, Logan Casselman, David Johnson, Isaac Witmer,Jensen Carnahan, Audra Geiser, Kelsy Kruse, Brett Taulbee, Annie Weaver, Taylor Grayless, Liv Gerke, Hannah Cyran and Megan Ramus.
5 days and counting. Packing is just about done, and we are preparing for an exciting Mission Trip. We leave on Saturday March 20th, 2010 and return on Saturday March 27th., 2010 The following people will be going on this trip.
Leaders : Luke Gerke, Tina Gerke, Bob Mann, Dawn Mann
Jared Gerke, Austin Mann, Blake Mann, Brock Taulbee, Austin Altimus, Derek Schwartz, Joe Martin, Logan Yoder, Brandon Wellman, Logan Casselman, David Johnson, Isaac Witmer,Jensen Carnahan, Audra Geiser, Kelsy Kruse, Brett Taulbee, Annie Weaver, Taylor Grayless, Liv Gerke, Hannah Cyran and Megan Ramus.
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