We enjoyed hosting the Foothills Youth Group last week. Things look a little different at JRM since they left. We had 4 talented members of this group who gave our entrance a new look.
They also painted a mural on the side of the children's home, as well as a "Welcome" over the front door. The rest of the group worked hard as well. They built two houses for families in need, volunteered at Blossom Gardens, as well as lots of painting and clean up at JRM. One day was spent going to several schools to have devotions, and visiting the residents of the infirmary.
We enjoyed having them here. We hope they enjoyed their stay here as well. They guys of the group set up a whole bunch of hammocks in the pavilion to sleep in. There were 14 hammocks strung every which way.
Carrie and I, along with Sierra, Jasmine, and Chloe, had the opportunity to go along to Dunns River Falls with the group (our first visit there).
I had the misfortune of losing my bus key as I was climbing the falls. It seemed impossible that it would be found. A worker with goggles started helping me look for it as well. After 15 minutes of searching several pools (and praying), things were looking bleak. He dove several more times, when all at once he had found it. We were quite relieved!
On the drive to Ocho Rios, we came across a place where a semi carrying a load of cement had crashed. It was a lucky day for those who were filling their gunny sacks with free cement.
Two weeks ago we got a new Rottweiler puppy, Queen Isabella (Bella). Ten days later, she was diagnosed with Parvo. We took her to the vet four days in a row for treatment, but in the end she did not survive. It was only two weeks, but we were quite sad to see her go.
Recently we went to the school's Fun Day. There was a bouncy house, trampoline, and train ride. There was food on sale as well. I was a volunteer to help at the event which was to begin at 10. At 1pm the "locomotive" for the train was still being repaired, and the trampoline was still being set up.
Everything was up and running soon after that, and everyone had a good time! One of my favorite Jamaican phrases is "soon come." This means you might be there in 10 minutes, or 10 hours, or 10 days. It seems quite appropriate in many situations.
CDA also put on an event that some of the children attended. The highlight was getting to meet some policemen and firemen, and getting to ride in the fire truck.
This little guy thought he had the world by the tail!
Mark & Karen Smucker (former houseparents) recently came to visit as well. We really enjoyed connecting with them.
Their son Samuel became a hero in our girls eyes when he cleaned and grilled frog legs for them. They were quite tasty!
Jasmine, Sierra, and Chloe recently finished up their dance class for the summer with a recital.
A few weeks ago we noticed a stage being set up in the empty lot across from our gate. There were people milling around all day, then they played music all night. The next afternoon vehicles and people started filling the area. We found out that they were having a funeral. I had heard that funerals can be quite a big party here, but this one was much more subdued.
We also learned about making caramel from condensed milk. We learned that it is a good idea to use a large pot with lots of water in it. If the pot is too small, the water will boil out causing the can of caramel to burn and explode. If you were to try this at home, it might possibly look like this.
We are looking forward to seeing many of you soon! We will be in Ohio from June 23 - July 10. This will be the last update until after we return to Jamaica, so it will likely be a month until you hear from us again. Unless of course, we are privileged to see you in the next few weeks and are able to speak in person.
It is hard to believe that we are approaching one year since moving to Jamaica. God has been faithful, and he has used you to encourage us as well. Your support has been amazing, and we appreciate it more than we can express. We don't know what else to say except "Thank You!" May God bless you for your generosity!
Hope to see you soon!
Kevin
Sign of the week: This billboard was updated recently, and I found the picture on it amusing, since there is no hunting of any kind in Jamaica.
