Surprise!

It was the last week before school starts in Jamaica, so that kept us from getting bored last week. On Monday we had orientation with the three JRM school children at their new school. They are attending a Christian preschool in MoBay. In Jamaica it seems they send children to school as soon as possible. The first age group they call 2+. It it typically 3 year olds, but I have heard of children as young as 1 1/2 going to school. We (JRM) are only sending the older children this year. We do "school" here with the younger ones. Sierra, Jasmine, and Chloe are wishing for their school to start soon. We will probably start our homeschool on September 15.

Carrie & Ellen did some shopping for school uniforms, and Ellen sewed the skirts for the girls. There were also doctors visits and shoe shopping to do. I went to several stores to gather all the school books. The school gives a list for each student, then they need to buy and bring the school books (workbooks) along.

On Wednesday we had an airport run. Jen Martin from the Kitchener area of Ontario joined us on a short term basis. She will be helping out with childcare or wherever needed most. We are excited to have her join our team! (I don't have a picture yet)

The surprise came on Thursday late afternoon when the Monitoring Officer (think inspector) from CDA made an un-announced visit. She makes visits as often as once per month; some are announced and some are un-announced. Since we have nothing to hide and do things the right way, things went smoothly, and it was a good visit. We did change our plans last minute, and had Aunties' night out on Friday instead of Thursday.

Our family spent Saturday in Ocho Rios with the Brown family. They are still on the island waiting for a US visa for their new daughter, so we try to meet up with them regularly. The weather was unusual in that it was cloudy all day. It is the first day since we are here that we didn't see the sun all day. It did make it very pleasant to be outside. It is amazing that 85º and cloudy can feel chilly! We started the day in the craft market. After lunch we found a park with a playground and some fish ponds. The kids really enjoyed that and we let them play for quite a while. We then stopped at a small water falls that Dustin knew about. We just parked beside the road and hiked down about 50 steps. It was amazing! It is a very miniature version of Dunns River Falls.

About halfway back home we stopped at the Ultimate Jerk Center for some great jerk chicken. We had a great time connecting with the Browns, and it was a very relaxing day for us.

On Sunday after lunch, we said goodbye to a long time resident of JRM. We "graduated" one of the boys to another group home. It was sad to say goodbye, but we are excited about what his new home has to offer him.

Yesterday (Sept. 1) was the first day of school for the JRM children, and everyone was excited! Sierra, Jasmine, and Chloe were up before 6am asking if it was time to go yet.

The sign of the week comes from the park we visited on Saturday. I must say that it is the first park I have ever visited where hair braiding is strictly forbidden.

Have a blessed week!
Kevin

Monday in MoBay

I don't feel like I have much to write this week, even though our lives are full of activity. Early in the week we met at a local "park" for a play date. There really are no parks with playgrounds, so we found a nursery/greenhouse/bar/restaurant/ice cream stand/events facility with a playground. Side note: There are quite a few combination business that have caught my attention. One common one is a car wash/bar. I have not seen a car wash without a bar.

On Thursday we said goodbye to Janice Kornelson. She had served at JRM for 19 months and we already miss her! She has impacted many little lives during her time here.

The girls joined me on Friday while I ran errands in town.

Friday evening Carrie & I had a date night. It was one of the most relaxing dinners we have ever had. We went to Houseboat Grill, which literally is a houseboat turned restaurant. We had a corner table by the railing, so we had water on two sides of us. Later in the evening there were fish swimming around and we also saw a jellyfish.

We had a day off on Saturday and spent most of the day at the beach.

There is an addition being added to one of the buildings here at JRM. It will accommodate a second staff couple. The way it is being built is unlike anything I have seen in the states. There is rebar in every block, there are poured concrete pillars throughout, each block is filled with concrete, and floor and walls are tied together with rebar as well. It will be the safest building on the property!

I have never really written about the weather here. So far it has typically been in the upper 80's with the humidity between 70-90%. I have only seen the humidity under 70% a few times. Often we get a thunderstorm in the afternoon, but the rain can be very spotty. Often you can see the sun shining somewhere while it is raining.

The girls have been wishing they could be home for the first day of school, but they are still enjoying their summer vacation while it lasts. We won't start school for a couple of weeks yet.

Sign of the week:

Thanks for your interest and your prayers!
Kevin

One month in...

It's hard to believe that a month has passed since we moved to Jamaica!
On Tuesday we went to the airport to welcome Rosetta Stoltzfus from Mifflinburg, PA. She will be serving as an Auntie at JRM.

I spent lots of time on the road on Wednesday and Thursday. We went to the Immigration office, so now we are officially aliens. We have the cards to prove it. :)

We had a staff day on Friday. We all piled into the bus (we would call it a van in the states), and went to visit Ramford White. He is a farmer that lives in the country about a 45 minute drive away. He is very knowledgeable about plants, fruit and anything related to agriculture. He is 76 years old, but is still very active and works hard. Oh, and he has no legs.

He remembered Heidi from when her family served at JRM, and he was happy to see her again.

 He showed us how pineapple (he called it sugar pine) grows.

 He harvested several coconuts for us. We sampled the coconut water as well as coconut jelly and meat.

 The coconut water got mixed reviews.

He cut several sugar cane and we all got to sample that as well.

 It was fun and informative, and we all enjoyed it!

Heidi Miller went back to South Carolina on Saturday after spending 4 weeks helping at JRM. She was a great help and we will miss her!
On Sunday we took a group picture of the JRM staff and children.

I will leave you with the sign of the week:

Have a great week!
Kevin

Goodbye again

Last week we had a goodbye that was an answer to prayer. Not that we are typically praying for people to leave...

The answer to prayer was that an adoption was finalized. We are excited that a little girl can have a forever family and be re-united with her brother. The transition and goodbye was sad and heart-wrenching, but ultimately this is what we are hoping and praying for each of the children in our care. We had ice cream cones (and tears) for our little farewell celebration.

This picture sums up how we all felt, smiling when we felt like crying.

One of the JRM children had a birthday last week, so of course, we had a birthday party. (Due to CDA regulations, I may not post names, ages, or birth dates of the children, sorry!)

On Tuesday, we had another goodbye. Audrey and Allison traveled back to the US. Audrey had come with us when we moved and had been here for 3 weeks. Allison Shenk had come for the final week and traveled back with her. They have been severely missed, although we are adjusting to life without a built-in babysitter. The last evening they were here, we spent some time up on the roof enjoying the view of the bay.

Last evening for staff night, we had a picnic on an abandoned road by the airport. The runway is on one side, and the ocean is on the other.

Guineps (g-in-up) are in season.

They are a little larger than a grape and are sweet/tart. You break the skin (typically with your teeth) and suck on the fleshy fruit inside.

It has a large seed on the inside, so you don't get much fruit, but they are delicious. There are 3 guinep trees on the property (that I know of).

This week we will welcome another Auntie, as the changes at JRM continue. Pray for the children through all these changes. They can't express themselves the way we can, and these changes bring out some behavior issues. Also pray for the Aunties as they deal with the children, as well as all the changes. Thanks for your interest and support. Without you doing what you do, we couldn't do what we do!
Have a blessed week!