Last night was definitely the best nights sleep I have gotten the whole time we have been so I woke up refreshed and ready to go. We had water but no electricity. We were getting ready to leave and something happened (I can't recall exactly what) and Mrs. said well that is a pain in the rosetta. :) Haha I had never heard that one before, but me and Keith thought it was a good one!
Today we spent the day at the school which as always with kids was very interesting. They are, the cutest, sweetest, most fun little kids in the world! I got to sit in a kid seat at one of the tables with 3 little girls and 1 little boy. Miss Cummins gave me a pen and asked me to check their work...well that was not a good idea haha. The first little girl showed me the paper and for the number 7 in Spanish she wrote site. I was sure that it should be spelled siete, so I politely told her she could change it, but then she said the chart on the wall says it is site...she was right, that's what the wall said so I quickly apologized and told her she was right and did a great job!
Then in one of the books the kids were supposed to use different words in a sentence. I already understood (due to the story above) that there are some differences between here in Jamaica and America. I wasn't sure how much she corrected them or if she would have them write a sentence over. One of the sentences they were to use the word lunch. The little boy wrote "I am lunch." What do you say to that? haha.
Then one of the little girls was trying to ask me a question. It was break/snack time and she kept asking me "did you bring broccoli?" I kept saying no I didn't bring any broccoli. But she kept asking, finally Miss Cummins overheard and started laughing and informed me that she was asking me about Bradley, Mrs. Franklins gradnson haha. Whoops. :)
We tried to take lots of pictures but we couldn't really get out my big camera because the kids would go crazy when they saw it. They all wanted us to take their picture or to use the camera to take a picture for us, so we used the pocket sized one and were able to get some decent ones.
We were able to play outside a lot with the kids today especially after school, which was a lot of fun. School gets out at 2:30 but the kids stay and play until 5 o clock sometimes. Mrs. says it is because if they go home they will be on their own but they can play with the other kids if they stay there. Little boys just roam the streets here, it is pretty sad because many of them don't have a male influence in their life. So they love Keith!
After a long day Mrs. picked us up and took us to see the shop. It was nothing like I was expecting. It was so small, just big enough to have some shelves on a wall and the person working to get what the person asks for. But it seems like a good thing because from what I gather the proceeds go to the school.
After that she took us to "I Scream" in Sandy Bay, not what an ice cream store in the states would look like that's for sure! But the ice cream was great! Keith had "Fruit basket" which I had never heard of, but it was very tasty!
When we got home we had water so we hurried to take our showers! Such a blessing on a hot, sweaty, eventful day like today!
Thanks for your prayers! Keep praying! :)
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Busy. Busy.
Well we have been staying busy that's for sure. Sorry for those of you who want to check in (aka Keith and I's family). I will try to start where I left off.
In the middle of the night Sunday I awoke to what sounded like an extremely loud gunshot. I am not going to lie I was extremely scared because it sounded like it was really close. Eventually nothing else happened and I was able to go back to sleep. When we woke up we didn't have any electricity and Mrs. informed us that the gunshot noise had something to do with losing electricity.
We had breakfast got ready and headed to take the tire Keith and Xavier had taken off the van to the "tire shop" which is a shack with tons of tires around it. We left the tire and headed to the school for the first time. Some of the preschoolers were outside and they were adorable! One little boy came right up to me. We got introduced in all the classes and Keith overheard some of the little kids saying "look white people!" haha.
We didn't stay at the school too long because Mrs. had to go to the yacht club to pay the dockage fees for Mr.'s boat. After that we headed to Wendy's, soon after we got our food the power went out. No one even freaked out like they would have in the states.
After that Mrs. took us to where Keith had stayed on his last trip the "Pink Hibiscus". After that Mrs. took us to the place her and Mr. used to stay if they would come in for a month at a time. On the way there we saw some slums, it is heartbreaking to see what some of these people live in.
We headed back to Sandy Bay and picked up the tire, then headed to the "super market". On the way in there were 3 little kids coming out they said hi and when we walked past one of the little boys rubbed my arm, I looked back and he was grinning really big. It was really cute. Mrs. told us that for the most part they love white people, and from what I have seen so far that's true. When we got home we didn't have any water, so no shower for us.
During the night Tuesday the power went out again with the same loud noise. So when we got up Tuesday morning we had no water and no electricity so still no shower. Oh well. We got ready and headed to the school. We both helped out in the first grade classroom. Oh my. Those little kids loved us. At one point I counted 9 around me just trying to hug me and get me to play with them. We got to help with reading and I got to check some of their papers. We went up to the office to eat our lunch and they wanted to follow us.
After lunch we headed to Negril to Rick's cafe. Driving there was crazy and nerve wracking. We finally arrived and sat down while Keith put his swimming trunks on to jump from the cliff. I went down to video him and he jumped before my camera was recording so I didn't get it and he didn't want to jump again. There are people who work there who jump from the tops of the trees which is about 200 feet or more! That is crazy! I could tell we were in the tourist part because the menus were in US dollars and everyone around us was smoking cigarettes (which I have not seen many Jamaicans do).
We headed back to Sandy Bay and it got when we were going through Lucea. Talk about terrible. It was hard to see and very hard to see the people. Needless to say we were very thankful to get home to electricity and water. We hurried to shower in case the water ran out and no longer than Keith got out of the shower the water stopped! Thank the Lord we all got showers, because we were gross.
This morning we woke up with water and electricity how thankful we were! We got ready and headed into Montego Bay to shop for some souveneirs. We found some and then headed to eat lunch. We had what is called Jamaican patties and they were amazing!
After lunch we started our long and dangerous journey to Robins Nest Childrens Home. The road was straight up in many places and deep holes everywhere. We took a really long time to get there due to the fact that the roads are so terrible. I can't imagine traveling that everyday. The directors there are really sweet and it is a nice place for the kids. There were so many cute little ones! We spent some time there getting a lot of information and then headed back to Sandy Bay.
It has been a good few days, and tomorrow we plan to work at the school! Keep praying for us! :)
P.S. Sorry for the bad grammar and spelling, but for some reason the computer is not letting me make corrections without deleting stuff..real weird so sorry about that!
In the middle of the night Sunday I awoke to what sounded like an extremely loud gunshot. I am not going to lie I was extremely scared because it sounded like it was really close. Eventually nothing else happened and I was able to go back to sleep. When we woke up we didn't have any electricity and Mrs. informed us that the gunshot noise had something to do with losing electricity.
We had breakfast got ready and headed to take the tire Keith and Xavier had taken off the van to the "tire shop" which is a shack with tons of tires around it. We left the tire and headed to the school for the first time. Some of the preschoolers were outside and they were adorable! One little boy came right up to me. We got introduced in all the classes and Keith overheard some of the little kids saying "look white people!" haha.
We didn't stay at the school too long because Mrs. had to go to the yacht club to pay the dockage fees for Mr.'s boat. After that we headed to Wendy's, soon after we got our food the power went out. No one even freaked out like they would have in the states.
After that Mrs. took us to where Keith had stayed on his last trip the "Pink Hibiscus". After that Mrs. took us to the place her and Mr. used to stay if they would come in for a month at a time. On the way there we saw some slums, it is heartbreaking to see what some of these people live in.
We headed back to Sandy Bay and picked up the tire, then headed to the "super market". On the way in there were 3 little kids coming out they said hi and when we walked past one of the little boys rubbed my arm, I looked back and he was grinning really big. It was really cute. Mrs. told us that for the most part they love white people, and from what I have seen so far that's true. When we got home we didn't have any water, so no shower for us.
During the night Tuesday the power went out again with the same loud noise. So when we got up Tuesday morning we had no water and no electricity so still no shower. Oh well. We got ready and headed to the school. We both helped out in the first grade classroom. Oh my. Those little kids loved us. At one point I counted 9 around me just trying to hug me and get me to play with them. We got to help with reading and I got to check some of their papers. We went up to the office to eat our lunch and they wanted to follow us.
After lunch we headed to Negril to Rick's cafe. Driving there was crazy and nerve wracking. We finally arrived and sat down while Keith put his swimming trunks on to jump from the cliff. I went down to video him and he jumped before my camera was recording so I didn't get it and he didn't want to jump again. There are people who work there who jump from the tops of the trees which is about 200 feet or more! That is crazy! I could tell we were in the tourist part because the menus were in US dollars and everyone around us was smoking cigarettes (which I have not seen many Jamaicans do).
We headed back to Sandy Bay and it got when we were going through Lucea. Talk about terrible. It was hard to see and very hard to see the people. Needless to say we were very thankful to get home to electricity and water. We hurried to shower in case the water ran out and no longer than Keith got out of the shower the water stopped! Thank the Lord we all got showers, because we were gross.
This morning we woke up with water and electricity how thankful we were! We got ready and headed into Montego Bay to shop for some souveneirs. We found some and then headed to eat lunch. We had what is called Jamaican patties and they were amazing!
After lunch we started our long and dangerous journey to Robins Nest Childrens Home. The road was straight up in many places and deep holes everywhere. We took a really long time to get there due to the fact that the roads are so terrible. I can't imagine traveling that everyday. The directors there are really sweet and it is a nice place for the kids. There were so many cute little ones! We spent some time there getting a lot of information and then headed back to Sandy Bay.
It has been a good few days, and tomorrow we plan to work at the school! Keep praying for us! :)
P.S. Sorry for the bad grammar and spelling, but for some reason the computer is not letting me make corrections without deleting stuff..real weird so sorry about that!
Sunday, November 7, 2010
Safe Arrival
Well yesterday was a long day but we arrived safely! We got up at 5:45 a.m.got everything and headed for Atlanta. The Atlanta airport is HUGE and for a novice flyer like myself it was very intimidating, especially the security checkpoint. But everything went smoothly and the flight was on time.
Landing was a little nerve wracking because there was a lot of turbulence due to tropical storm Tomas. I was also expecting to see bright blue water, but due to the storm the water was not its normal color. We landed safely and headed to immigration, where we waited in line for 45 minutes! But we finally got to our bags, through customs and to see Mrs. Franklin. We were so excited to see her!
We got to the car and for the first time in my life I sat in the American "drivers" seat as a passenger. That was different. Turning is crazy and nerve wracking when you are on the left side of the road!
It's funny to me that when people think of Jamaica they think of a vacation site. It is anything but if you are not staying at a resort. Driving down the road is a unique experience in itself. The roads are falling apart in many areas, and there are pot holes you could really get lost in! Many people live in homes that are unfinished. It is vert common to see this.It's also very common to see boys roaming the roads.
We finally got to the house which was wonderful to just sit and relax. We had a sandwich and of all things watched Alabama play LSU. We had dinner on the veranda (which is where we eat all our meals). We were all tired and decided to get to bed early.
When we woke up this morning, there was no water, which Mrs. Franklin had already told us was very common. As we were getting ready two little boys Mrs. knows came up to the door, and she asked if they wanted to go to church, but they couldn't so they said next week they wanted to go.
We got ready and headed for Bay Life Baptist which is a new church plant in Bogue, which is like a suburb of Montego Bay. It was only the 6th service! It was held in a small room on the second floor of a plaza. When we arrived there was no electricity, which again Mrs. Franklin had informed us that is not uncommon either. Nevertheless, it was a great service and people were really friendly!
On the way back from church she drove us further into Sandy Bay so I could see where the school is and where there bookstore is.
When we got home Xavier, one of the little boys from this morning was coming back up to see us. So we went out and talked to him while Mrs. finished up lunch. When it was ready she asked if he wanted to stay for lunch. He accepted and we had a great lunch. Afterwards, Keith and Xavier hung out watching tv while the Mrs. and I talked and did the dishes. Then we went down to the yard and Xavier showed us his gymnastics skills. He is really good for a 12 year old! He can do backhandsprings and tucks. We were impressed.
After that we saw the neighbor was out and he said hi and started talking to us. He is in a wheelchair and one of the sweetest men. He called for his wife so we could meet her. They were a very sweet couple and even gave us June plums.
After that Keith and Xavier worked on taking a tire off of the van. It was really sweet to see Xavier right there helping him. After a while Xavier headed off for home and we sat down to watch some news.
It has been a great first day. The Lord has already worked on me so much! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
Landing was a little nerve wracking because there was a lot of turbulence due to tropical storm Tomas. I was also expecting to see bright blue water, but due to the storm the water was not its normal color. We landed safely and headed to immigration, where we waited in line for 45 minutes! But we finally got to our bags, through customs and to see Mrs. Franklin. We were so excited to see her!
We got to the car and for the first time in my life I sat in the American "drivers" seat as a passenger. That was different. Turning is crazy and nerve wracking when you are on the left side of the road!
It's funny to me that when people think of Jamaica they think of a vacation site. It is anything but if you are not staying at a resort. Driving down the road is a unique experience in itself. The roads are falling apart in many areas, and there are pot holes you could really get lost in! Many people live in homes that are unfinished. It is vert common to see this.It's also very common to see boys roaming the roads.
We finally got to the house which was wonderful to just sit and relax. We had a sandwich and of all things watched Alabama play LSU. We had dinner on the veranda (which is where we eat all our meals). We were all tired and decided to get to bed early.
When we woke up this morning, there was no water, which Mrs. Franklin had already told us was very common. As we were getting ready two little boys Mrs. knows came up to the door, and she asked if they wanted to go to church, but they couldn't so they said next week they wanted to go.
We got ready and headed for Bay Life Baptist which is a new church plant in Bogue, which is like a suburb of Montego Bay. It was only the 6th service! It was held in a small room on the second floor of a plaza. When we arrived there was no electricity, which again Mrs. Franklin had informed us that is not uncommon either. Nevertheless, it was a great service and people were really friendly!
On the way back from church she drove us further into Sandy Bay so I could see where the school is and where there bookstore is.
When we got home Xavier, one of the little boys from this morning was coming back up to see us. So we went out and talked to him while Mrs. finished up lunch. When it was ready she asked if he wanted to stay for lunch. He accepted and we had a great lunch. Afterwards, Keith and Xavier hung out watching tv while the Mrs. and I talked and did the dishes. Then we went down to the yard and Xavier showed us his gymnastics skills. He is really good for a 12 year old! He can do backhandsprings and tucks. We were impressed.
After that we saw the neighbor was out and he said hi and started talking to us. He is in a wheelchair and one of the sweetest men. He called for his wife so we could meet her. They were a very sweet couple and even gave us June plums.
After that Keith and Xavier worked on taking a tire off of the van. It was really sweet to see Xavier right there helping him. After a while Xavier headed off for home and we sat down to watch some news.
It has been a great first day. The Lord has already worked on me so much! Please continue to keep us in your prayers!
Friday, November 5, 2010
In Route
Today Keith and I will begin our long awaited route to Jamaica. We will be leaving WV headed for Alabama. Thankfully, his parents only live 2 hours from Atlanta so they will be taking us and dropping us off at the airport tomorrow. We are very excited, and what better day to start heading towards the Caribbean than the first snowy day of the season!
We will be flying out tomorrow around noon and appreciate all your prayers! Please pray for safety flying to and from as well as safety while we are there. Also that we will be able to get all the details we need. Pray that the Lord will use us to bring glory to Him and that we will be able to discern His will.
Thank you for all your prayers! They are greatly appreciated! Keep checking in, Lord willing I will post some while we are there! :)
"As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death." -Philippians 1:20
We will be flying out tomorrow around noon and appreciate all your prayers! Please pray for safety flying to and from as well as safety while we are there. Also that we will be able to get all the details we need. Pray that the Lord will use us to bring glory to Him and that we will be able to discern His will.
Thank you for all your prayers! They are greatly appreciated! Keep checking in, Lord willing I will post some while we are there! :)
"As it is my eager expectation and hope that I will not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death." -Philippians 1:20
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