Saturday, April 6, 2013
Cha - FOUND!
For anyone concerned, Cha has been located. Apparently they make 'visitors' to the US sign a lot more paperwork and the line is sloooow.
Home - in Miami!
We're on US soil! We all just got through customs... Except for Cha. He had to go through a separate line and no one really knows where he is... Good thing it's another 3 hours till our flight!
Friday, April 5, 2013
Block building and long hauls up the mountain.
Joel:
"Today me Joe and Jim went and picked up cinder block and delivered it to a woman's house which was in great need of it. That along with various housework was the first part of our day. After lunch we took water to Petersville to a few houses by the church. We had to carry large jugs up a hill, to a house occupied by a 90 year old woman, who usually has to do it herself. It was very humbling to see how some of the Jamaican people live, how it is so much different than our way of life, without some simple conveniences that we live with every day. I am sad that that this is our last full day; I do not feel ready to leave just yet."
Nicole:
"This morning me and Ashli and Bryan scrubbed the the Deck where we had our devotions every night. Then we carried jugs of water and my eyes were opened to know that old women do this on a daily basis. Now I could never complain about anything. I wish I could stay longer but unfortunately I can't. I'm going to miss all the great friendships I've build and I feel very blessed to have served this week."
Everyone is pretty bummed to be leaving. It's been a good trip. We have had days where our eyes burn from sweating sunblock into them, and we've had days where they burn from the high salt content of the beautiful water as we relax on the beach. Jim and Penie have been very gracious to show us around the fun spots of the island as well as making sure that we can work hard to serve the community. The need here is so great. It's strange; I've been to countries with similar financial status and poverty, but this is the first one I've been to where the people have an American sense of consumerism that needs to be fed. People here will get blackberrys and rims for their car before food. I wish we could have stayed longer to build some real relationships with people and try and minister deeper issues to them.
Tomorrow we leave the house at about 10:00am(CST). Our flight is a at 4:00pm, so we will have time to stop in Montego Bay and see some cool stuff.
"Today me Joe and Jim went and picked up cinder block and delivered it to a woman's house which was in great need of it. That along with various housework was the first part of our day. After lunch we took water to Petersville to a few houses by the church. We had to carry large jugs up a hill, to a house occupied by a 90 year old woman, who usually has to do it herself. It was very humbling to see how some of the Jamaican people live, how it is so much different than our way of life, without some simple conveniences that we live with every day. I am sad that that this is our last full day; I do not feel ready to leave just yet."
Nicole:
"This morning me and Ashli and Bryan scrubbed the the Deck where we had our devotions every night. Then we carried jugs of water and my eyes were opened to know that old women do this on a daily basis. Now I could never complain about anything. I wish I could stay longer but unfortunately I can't. I'm going to miss all the great friendships I've build and I feel very blessed to have served this week."
Everyone is pretty bummed to be leaving. It's been a good trip. We have had days where our eyes burn from sweating sunblock into them, and we've had days where they burn from the high salt content of the beautiful water as we relax on the beach. Jim and Penie have been very gracious to show us around the fun spots of the island as well as making sure that we can work hard to serve the community. The need here is so great. It's strange; I've been to countries with similar financial status and poverty, but this is the first one I've been to where the people have an American sense of consumerism that needs to be fed. People here will get blackberrys and rims for their car before food. I wish we could have stayed longer to build some real relationships with people and try and minister deeper issues to them.
Tomorrow we leave the house at about 10:00am(CST). Our flight is a at 4:00pm, so we will have time to stop in Montego Bay and see some cool stuff.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Thanks for being born, Holly!
Holly:
"Today was a really great day! Not only because it was my birthday...;) We got to go back to Petersville (after being rained out after twenty minutes being there on Monday) and hold a carnival for the kids there. They were so appreciative and very cute. One very special thing that happened was that I was able to reconnect with a boy whom Mitch Sellers, a guy who had gone to Jamaica two years ago, had gotten close with. Mitch wrote him a letter and printed out pictures for him, and gave them to me to give to the boy. Upon arrival to Petersville, I asked some of the kids if they knew Rodaine, and they went across the road and brought him right over! I gave him the letters and pictures, and he had a huge smile on his face. He asked me some questions about Mitch, and I was able to answer them. After talking to him for a while, I took a picture with him and thanked him for talking to me. It was honestly an amazing moment:) (Oh and Mitch - he read the letter and loved it!!!) Tonight the team threw a wonderful party for me (with an amazing cake made by Brianna!!:)). It was overall a fantastic birthday!!!"
Shakheai in Patwah:
"Bwoy mi day did gud mi did enjoy di carnival inna Petaville wi did av sum giames like, ring tasss,bwoling ahhn nuff mure.afta wi don setup everything an wi starrt enjay wi time dis one gyal jus stick pane mi so mi did ave tu bring har round to di giame dem fi mek har win ticket dem she neva win nuff dou su di deay continu so wen di carnival almoste dun dem tel wi onnne story an dem gi wi som mure a ticket dem anne dem gi wi prize depend pan wi ticket dem.den wi pak up anne den cum back dung a whitehouse fi get patti anne cuco bread fi lunch den wi relax anne enjay di ress of wi diay"
Shakheai in English:
"Boy my day was good i had enjoy the carnival in Petersvile we did have some games like ring toss,bowling and many more. After we we had finished setting up everything and we started to enjoy our time this one girl started to stick to me, so i had to bring her around to the games to allow her to win tickets she did not win a lot. So the day had continued and the carnival was almost over they told us a story and they also gave us prizes depending on the tickets we had. After we had finished packing up we came to white house to get patties and coco bread for lunch then we relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our day"
That last one was from Shakheai, one of the guys who stays here at the house. He and all the other kids/young adults here are really great and have been so receptive to us and have made us feel very welcome. There's a picture of him on the iPad at the end of this update (as well as a lot of pictures of D'Mario looking tough). Tomorrow we should be back in Petersville to carry water up the mountain by the bucketload; there is a spigot at the bottom and it is really hard to get it up to where the people live. We will also be carrying about 100 cinder blocks up for a construction project.
"Today was a really great day! Not only because it was my birthday...;) We got to go back to Petersville (after being rained out after twenty minutes being there on Monday) and hold a carnival for the kids there. They were so appreciative and very cute. One very special thing that happened was that I was able to reconnect with a boy whom Mitch Sellers, a guy who had gone to Jamaica two years ago, had gotten close with. Mitch wrote him a letter and printed out pictures for him, and gave them to me to give to the boy. Upon arrival to Petersville, I asked some of the kids if they knew Rodaine, and they went across the road and brought him right over! I gave him the letters and pictures, and he had a huge smile on his face. He asked me some questions about Mitch, and I was able to answer them. After talking to him for a while, I took a picture with him and thanked him for talking to me. It was honestly an amazing moment:) (Oh and Mitch - he read the letter and loved it!!!) Tonight the team threw a wonderful party for me (with an amazing cake made by Brianna!!:)). It was overall a fantastic birthday!!!"
Shakheai in Patwah:
"Bwoy mi day did gud mi did enjoy di carnival inna Petaville wi did av sum giames like, ring tasss,bwoling ahhn nuff mure.afta wi don setup everything an wi starrt enjay wi time dis one gyal jus stick pane mi so mi did ave tu bring har round to di giame dem fi mek har win ticket dem she neva win nuff dou su di deay continu so wen di carnival almoste dun dem tel wi onnne story an dem gi wi som mure a ticket dem anne dem gi wi prize depend pan wi ticket dem.den wi pak up anne den cum back dung a whitehouse fi get patti anne cuco bread fi lunch den wi relax anne enjay di ress of wi diay"
Shakheai in English:
"Boy my day was good i had enjoy the carnival in Petersvile we did have some games like ring toss,bowling and many more. After we we had finished setting up everything and we started to enjoy our time this one girl started to stick to me, so i had to bring her around to the games to allow her to win tickets she did not win a lot. So the day had continued and the carnival was almost over they told us a story and they also gave us prizes depending on the tickets we had. After we had finished packing up we came to white house to get patties and coco bread for lunch then we relaxed and enjoyed the rest of our day"
That last one was from Shakheai, one of the guys who stays here at the house. He and all the other kids/young adults here are really great and have been so receptive to us and have made us feel very welcome. There's a picture of him on the iPad at the end of this update (as well as a lot of pictures of D'Mario looking tough). Tomorrow we should be back in Petersville to carry water up the mountain by the bucketload; there is a spigot at the bottom and it is really hard to get it up to where the people live. We will also be carrying about 100 cinder blocks up for a construction project.
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