Monday:
We had breakfast together as a family and planned to give the kids a free day, then go snorkeling later in the afternoon. We asked our waitress, who called a friend to bring his boat right to our hotel and pick us up and take us on a tour out to the reef. The kids got in the pool and laid in the sun while we went down the street to Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat and go shopping to buy groceries for the team for the upcoming week. We went to several stores and got lots of food. It seemed like it took a really long time. But Bruce and I had a good time and made friends everywhere we went. We really felt this time like we “belonged” here. And we were treated differently by the locals, too. In fact, someone at the grocery store even asked us if we lived nearby.
Rock Cliff is almost right next door to Negril Escape. We dropped Ms. Pat off and helped her unload the groceries that we had purchased together. As we said our good-byes, she said something really interesting. She kind of shrugged and said, “Why don’t you guys take over this place?” Huh? Bruce and I just looked at each other, puzzled. “You could fix it up and use it,” she said. Well, that’s an interesting thought. I wonder where that came from?
When we finally got back to the hotel late in the afternoon, we got our swimsuits on, and got ready to go out on the ocean. A big yellow snorkeling boat, the Sunbaby, pulled in to the little bay by the hotel. Roger and Kirk helped us all jump onto the boat from the cliff to take us out to the reef. As we slowly started out on the ocean, Bruce and I saw the Rock Cliff hotel from the ocean. Then we saw that it was right next door to Sunset on the Cliffs where we stayed on our first trip to Negril. Was that the hotel that we had peeked over the wall at and wondered about almost two years ago?
We could see the clouds coming and it was a little over cast but the afternoon storm hadn’t hit us yet. Roger and Kirk helped the kids get used to their fins and snorkels, and off we went. We saw all kinds of fish, and the kids even held sea urchins, star fish, sea cucumbers, and other creatures. We swam around and around. We weren’t in any rush at all to get back. When everyone was ready to get out of the water, and just as we all got in to the boat, the rain started and the wind picked up.
It was cold as we drove back and the waves were really rough. The rain was pouring down and the wind was blowing. We were all freezing as we pulled up to the cliffs at our hotel. The waves were really pounding now, especially here in the little cove near the hotel. The boat was bobbing up and down.
The older kids jumped off first and were on standby and ready to help the younger ones. Andrew and Jackie were on either side of the ladder ready to catch Katie. One of them grabbed her hand and she jumped off just as a wave ebbed and threw her up toward the ladder.
Little Andrew was next. Nick and Phil were standing by to catch him. As he went to make his move the boat dipped. But it already was too late. His foot had come off of the boat and his momentum had already pushed him forward. He was going to miss the ladder completely and head right into the rock. There was a collective gasp as we were all sure at that moment that he wasn’t going to make it and would crash into the side of the sharp cliffs. In my mind’s eye I could just see him coming short of the ladder and falling into the ocean, smashed between the boat and the cliff. But somehow, by a miracle, as the boat dipped, he rose up and just barely got his foot onto one of the rungs, and pulled himself on to the ladder without a scratch. We collectively let out our breath. Whew.
Bruce waited for his moment and jumped off safely. I tossed him the bag and the rest of our stuff from the boat. Then it was my turn. Frankly, it was a little scary, jumping off the boat in the storm onto the sharp rocks. But all of the rest of my family was already safely on solid ground, so I had no choice! I jumped forward and Bruce grabbed my arm. We all made it off the boat safely in the pouring rain.
We turned and all waved good-bye to Sunbaby. We shouted our thanks to Roger and Kirk over the roar of the wind and the waves. And then standing in the rain, we all turned to look at each other in silence. Almost instinctively everyone took off in a mad dash for the pool. We jumped in one by one, every one of us laughing a laughter filled with relief and pure joy. The rain and the wind were cold but the pool was warm. It was invigorating. We played in the pool for another half hour before going in to get cleaned up for dinner.
It really was an amazing snorkeling trip. And we all knew that we had witnessed the hand of God yank Andrew from the boat to the safety of the cliff. We had shared a moment of silent unity on the deck. And a giggle fest of nonsense and bonding in the pool. Looking back, it was probably the highlight of family bonding of the whole trip.
Wednesday, February 24, 2016
Taking our family to Jamaica; Day 3
Sunday:
We got up and had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the water and with the sound of the ocean in the background. Around 9:30 am we took off for the community center to attend Word to Life International church services. On the way, we drove past Jenny’s Restaurant and I remarked that we wanted to eat there sometime this trip. We had seen it in the past but never had the opportunity to stop.
When we got to church Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran inside. We were so excited to see our friends Pastors Richard and Nicola! They were just starting to set up so we all jumped in and helped them set up chairs, plug in the sound system, and hook up the projector. For a minute, Bruce and I just stood in the back of the room. We watched all of our kids working away, doing whatever needed to be done. We shared a proud parental moment. We are truly blessed.
Richard and Nicola’s 8 year old daughter, Micah, normally does the video and sound, but she wasn’t there yet, so since Philip was playing around with the sound system anyway, he just ended up staying in that seat for the service. Micah walked in sometime after the service had started. And you should have seen the look on her face when she saw that he had taken over her job! It was so funny!
We got to see all of our friends: Iona, Maxine, Althea, Ms. Pat, and so many others. We were so honored to be there. After church was over, Nicola, Ms. Pat and the other ladies prepared a wonderful lunch for us. They cooked it all on a hot plate! Amazing, really. We are so thankful and humbled at their gesture. And thrilled because we were all starving! We graciously ate with them and all helped to clean up. During this time, Nicola introduced us to Ms. Connie. When Ms. Connie heard that we were coming, she offered to treat us and our team to dinner one night at her restaurant. Guess which restaurant is hers? Jenny’s! We couldn’t believe it!
They have to lock everything up each week because the community center is used for lots of activities during the week, so it takes a little while to get every unhooked, rolled up, put up, packed up, and put away. After we get the place cleaned up, we took our family back to the hotel so that we can all change clothes. Then we all got back in to the van and went back to the church to pick up Richard, Nicola and Micah.
They took us down the street to a rundown hotel called the Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat who we had met at the church that morning, and Mr. Allen, the owner of the place. Nicola has connected us with Ms. Pat, who is going to cook some of our evening meals this week. Ms. Pat lives at the hotel and helps take care of the owner, Mr. Allen, who also owns a piece of property that he has for sale in nearby Little London that they wanted to show us. They thought it might be a suitable place for the ministry.
But first, we take them all out to Spring Garden so that they can see what we already feel like could be the place that Journey Home Jamaica will eventually land, and where we will be working this week. Plus it’s kind of on the way. When we get there, our friends Shorty and Marvin are there to meet us. We made a few quick introductions and looked around for a just a minute. The mosquitos were biting fiercely. When we got back to the van, found that we had a flat tire! Philip - our resident one man pit crew - changed it like a champ and we were back on the road in no time, uh, flat.
Richard directed us back to Negril to drop off the tire so that it could be repaired. The tire shop was reminiscent of the tire repair place in Whitehouse that we visited a few months ago. We would have never found it if we didn’t have a guide.
When we were back on the road, we headed in the direction of Little London to see Mr. Allen’s property. All the way down the bumpy road, we followed the same car. Just as we turned a corner, the car stopped right in the middle of the road. We were a little bit concerned until our friend, Leroy, who we had met a year ago got out and started walking toward us! He had recognized us in the rearview mirror. Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran up to give him a hug! The other eleven people in the van had no idea what was happening. When we explained to them, they were amazed that we know so many people in Jamaica! Leroy told us that the Coconuts property we had looked at before had just sold and that the new owners would be taking over in a few weeks. We were a little sad, but know that God must have another plan for us. A better plan.
We drove a little further down the road and stopped at Mr. Allen’s property. It was something like 15 acres. He used to have a whole herd of steer there. He said it used to be all cleared off, but now it was just an overgrown mess. We couldn’t walk on the actual property itself because it was all just brambles, so we asked the neighbors if we could walk along the side on their land. They agreed (and from the smell of the all of the marijuana, I think they probably would have agreed to just about anything). About halfway down the side of the yard we had to walk through a gate. On the other side of the gate were two donkeys wandering around. We waited and someone finally grabbed the ropes around their necks and tied the up so that they wouldn’t bother us. Of course, there were dogs, chickens and roosters wandering around in the yard, too. The kids got a taste of the “real” Jamaica here, for sure!
Although we knew immediately that we probably didn’t want this property, we wanted to be respectful to Mr. Allen, so we spent about 15 or 20 minutes walking around and letting him tell us about it. Finally we all piled back in to the van, and started back toward Negril. Our first stop was to pick up our tire. We were very glad to have Richard along with us, as he negotiated the price and made sure that it was fixed correctly. (By the sound of the conversation that I heard through the window, I’m sure that we most certainly would have gotten “the white man’s price”.)
Then we took Ms. Pat and Mr. Allen back to their home/hotel at Rock Cliff to drop them off. Then we dropped off our kids at Negril Escape down the road, where the kids all jumped right into the pool. It just so happens that Nicola and Janet, the owner/wife of Negril Escape, are related so Richard and Nicola stopped for a drink and we chatted a bit. Then Bruce and I got back in the van to take Richard, Nicola and Micah to their home south of town.
They live with Nicola’s mother at Green River, but are building a house next door on the same property. We met Nicola’s mother and gave them a couple of gifts that we had brought along for them. We walked around their house and saw the construction. It’s really going to be nice. Micah was so cute running around and telling us every detail about the rooms and how they will look when they are finished. They were so proud to show us around, and since we both really love that kind of thing, we had a lot of fun looking. We really wished that we had the time to come back and help them work towards their finished product.
Although they go out to do street evangelism on Sunday nights, we were tired and wanted to spend some quality time with our kids, so we bowed out for the night and went back to the hotel to play cards with our kids before bed.
We finally managed to get the kids out of the pool, ordered some dinner at the restaurant, and got out the cards. All of the sudden, Little Andrew was up on his chair. There was a crab that had come up from the ocean and was coming right toward him. He jumped down. And the crab followed him. He ran to the left. The crab chased after. He swerved to the right. The crab followed. All of us laughed and laughed as we watched Andrew try to dodge the crab. Andrew, however, wasn’t quite as amused. Finally, I put him out of his misery and chased the crab off the deck so that we could finish our cards in peace. Ha!
We got up and had breakfast at the hotel overlooking the water and with the sound of the ocean in the background. Around 9:30 am we took off for the community center to attend Word to Life International church services. On the way, we drove past Jenny’s Restaurant and I remarked that we wanted to eat there sometime this trip. We had seen it in the past but never had the opportunity to stop.
When we got to church Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran inside. We were so excited to see our friends Pastors Richard and Nicola! They were just starting to set up so we all jumped in and helped them set up chairs, plug in the sound system, and hook up the projector. For a minute, Bruce and I just stood in the back of the room. We watched all of our kids working away, doing whatever needed to be done. We shared a proud parental moment. We are truly blessed.
Richard and Nicola’s 8 year old daughter, Micah, normally does the video and sound, but she wasn’t there yet, so since Philip was playing around with the sound system anyway, he just ended up staying in that seat for the service. Micah walked in sometime after the service had started. And you should have seen the look on her face when she saw that he had taken over her job! It was so funny!
We got to see all of our friends: Iona, Maxine, Althea, Ms. Pat, and so many others. We were so honored to be there. After church was over, Nicola, Ms. Pat and the other ladies prepared a wonderful lunch for us. They cooked it all on a hot plate! Amazing, really. We are so thankful and humbled at their gesture. And thrilled because we were all starving! We graciously ate with them and all helped to clean up. During this time, Nicola introduced us to Ms. Connie. When Ms. Connie heard that we were coming, she offered to treat us and our team to dinner one night at her restaurant. Guess which restaurant is hers? Jenny’s! We couldn’t believe it!
They have to lock everything up each week because the community center is used for lots of activities during the week, so it takes a little while to get every unhooked, rolled up, put up, packed up, and put away. After we get the place cleaned up, we took our family back to the hotel so that we can all change clothes. Then we all got back in to the van and went back to the church to pick up Richard, Nicola and Micah.
They took us down the street to a rundown hotel called the Rock Cliff to pick up Ms. Pat who we had met at the church that morning, and Mr. Allen, the owner of the place. Nicola has connected us with Ms. Pat, who is going to cook some of our evening meals this week. Ms. Pat lives at the hotel and helps take care of the owner, Mr. Allen, who also owns a piece of property that he has for sale in nearby Little London that they wanted to show us. They thought it might be a suitable place for the ministry.
But first, we take them all out to Spring Garden so that they can see what we already feel like could be the place that Journey Home Jamaica will eventually land, and where we will be working this week. Plus it’s kind of on the way. When we get there, our friends Shorty and Marvin are there to meet us. We made a few quick introductions and looked around for a just a minute. The mosquitos were biting fiercely. When we got back to the van, found that we had a flat tire! Philip - our resident one man pit crew - changed it like a champ and we were back on the road in no time, uh, flat.
Richard directed us back to Negril to drop off the tire so that it could be repaired. The tire shop was reminiscent of the tire repair place in Whitehouse that we visited a few months ago. We would have never found it if we didn’t have a guide.
When we were back on the road, we headed in the direction of Little London to see Mr. Allen’s property. All the way down the bumpy road, we followed the same car. Just as we turned a corner, the car stopped right in the middle of the road. We were a little bit concerned until our friend, Leroy, who we had met a year ago got out and started walking toward us! He had recognized us in the rearview mirror. Bruce and I jumped out of the van and ran up to give him a hug! The other eleven people in the van had no idea what was happening. When we explained to them, they were amazed that we know so many people in Jamaica! Leroy told us that the Coconuts property we had looked at before had just sold and that the new owners would be taking over in a few weeks. We were a little sad, but know that God must have another plan for us. A better plan.
We drove a little further down the road and stopped at Mr. Allen’s property. It was something like 15 acres. He used to have a whole herd of steer there. He said it used to be all cleared off, but now it was just an overgrown mess. We couldn’t walk on the actual property itself because it was all just brambles, so we asked the neighbors if we could walk along the side on their land. They agreed (and from the smell of the all of the marijuana, I think they probably would have agreed to just about anything). About halfway down the side of the yard we had to walk through a gate. On the other side of the gate were two donkeys wandering around. We waited and someone finally grabbed the ropes around their necks and tied the up so that they wouldn’t bother us. Of course, there were dogs, chickens and roosters wandering around in the yard, too. The kids got a taste of the “real” Jamaica here, for sure!
Although we knew immediately that we probably didn’t want this property, we wanted to be respectful to Mr. Allen, so we spent about 15 or 20 minutes walking around and letting him tell us about it. Finally we all piled back in to the van, and started back toward Negril. Our first stop was to pick up our tire. We were very glad to have Richard along with us, as he negotiated the price and made sure that it was fixed correctly. (By the sound of the conversation that I heard through the window, I’m sure that we most certainly would have gotten “the white man’s price”.)
Then we took Ms. Pat and Mr. Allen back to their home/hotel at Rock Cliff to drop them off. Then we dropped off our kids at Negril Escape down the road, where the kids all jumped right into the pool. It just so happens that Nicola and Janet, the owner/wife of Negril Escape, are related so Richard and Nicola stopped for a drink and we chatted a bit. Then Bruce and I got back in the van to take Richard, Nicola and Micah to their home south of town.
They live with Nicola’s mother at Green River, but are building a house next door on the same property. We met Nicola’s mother and gave them a couple of gifts that we had brought along for them. We walked around their house and saw the construction. It’s really going to be nice. Micah was so cute running around and telling us every detail about the rooms and how they will look when they are finished. They were so proud to show us around, and since we both really love that kind of thing, we had a lot of fun looking. We really wished that we had the time to come back and help them work towards their finished product.
Although they go out to do street evangelism on Sunday nights, we were tired and wanted to spend some quality time with our kids, so we bowed out for the night and went back to the hotel to play cards with our kids before bed.
We finally managed to get the kids out of the pool, ordered some dinner at the restaurant, and got out the cards. All of the sudden, Little Andrew was up on his chair. There was a crab that had come up from the ocean and was coming right toward him. He jumped down. And the crab followed him. He ran to the left. The crab chased after. He swerved to the right. The crab followed. All of us laughed and laughed as we watched Andrew try to dodge the crab. Andrew, however, wasn’t quite as amused. Finally, I put him out of his misery and chased the crab off the deck so that we could finish our cards in peace. Ha!
Taking our family to Jamaica; Day 2
Saturday:
We have to drag everyone out of bed this morning. They take turns coming to our room to get their breakfast and juice from our fridge. We head off for Ocho Rios to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and play in the ocean. No one seemed real interested at first, which kind of hurt my feelings because I had been wanting to bring them here since our first trip. But I think they had a good time by the time we got to the end. We had a really good guide leading us up the falls who made it fun. Andrew and Katie ran up and down the falls a couple times after our first trek and we found Nick and Andrew in the ocean right on the verge of where the warm ocean hits the cold river. We walked through the market and shops inside the park and to the restaurant where we all found something to eat and got a video of the trip up as a family. Fun.
We got dressed and left Dunn’s River and headed towards Negril and to our hotel. About halfway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, as we passed a semi on the highway, there was a police officer standing on the side of the road. It looked like he was flagging us down. So, we pulled over and stopped. He didn’t move, but we could see him waving at us in the rearview mirror. We weren’t sure if he was telling us to come back or move on. So, we just sat there for a couple minutes until Nick finally said something like, “if we leave, we’re all going to end up in Jamaican jail!” So, we backed up and the officer told us that the speed had limit changed, but Bruce couldn’t see the sign because the semi was blocking our view. He saw all of our suitcases piled up the ceiling and, even though we told him several times that we were headed to our hotel in Negril, he seemed to assume that we were really heading to the airport in Montego Bay and leaving the country. I guess he didn’t want to mess with us. So, he just let us go.
We found our hotel, the Negril Escape, and got checked in. We decided who would sleep where, and everyone made a bee-line for the swimming pool where we stayed until very late, getting out just long enough to eat dinner at the restaurant at the hotel just steps from the pool deck.
We have to drag everyone out of bed this morning. They take turns coming to our room to get their breakfast and juice from our fridge. We head off for Ocho Rios to climb the Dunn’s River Falls and play in the ocean. No one seemed real interested at first, which kind of hurt my feelings because I had been wanting to bring them here since our first trip. But I think they had a good time by the time we got to the end. We had a really good guide leading us up the falls who made it fun. Andrew and Katie ran up and down the falls a couple times after our first trek and we found Nick and Andrew in the ocean right on the verge of where the warm ocean hits the cold river. We walked through the market and shops inside the park and to the restaurant where we all found something to eat and got a video of the trip up as a family. Fun.
We got dressed and left Dunn’s River and headed towards Negril and to our hotel. About halfway between Ocho Rios and Montego Bay, as we passed a semi on the highway, there was a police officer standing on the side of the road. It looked like he was flagging us down. So, we pulled over and stopped. He didn’t move, but we could see him waving at us in the rearview mirror. We weren’t sure if he was telling us to come back or move on. So, we just sat there for a couple minutes until Nick finally said something like, “if we leave, we’re all going to end up in Jamaican jail!” So, we backed up and the officer told us that the speed had limit changed, but Bruce couldn’t see the sign because the semi was blocking our view. He saw all of our suitcases piled up the ceiling and, even though we told him several times that we were headed to our hotel in Negril, he seemed to assume that we were really heading to the airport in Montego Bay and leaving the country. I guess he didn’t want to mess with us. So, he just let us go.
We found our hotel, the Negril Escape, and got checked in. We decided who would sleep where, and everyone made a bee-line for the swimming pool where we stayed until very late, getting out just long enough to eat dinner at the restaurant at the hotel just steps from the pool deck.
Taking our family to Jamaica
Friday, June 13, 2014. Our 4th wedding anniversary. It's funny that we are leaving this morning and taking our kids as our first trip together to Jamaica was a second honeymoon. We have to leave really early this morning. At 4 am, we get in the van to head to the airport. Our kids have gotten us an anniversary card that they all signed and put it on the seat of the van so that we see it when we get in. I cry. We have really great kids.
When we arrive in Indianapolis, we feel like we are the only ones in the airport. It’s a very long trip through Houston. We will remember not to go that way again. We get to Montego Bay, get through security, and walk through the doors into Jamaica. The heat and the smells are so familiar. A man looks me right in the eye and says, “Welcome home, ma’am.” I feel this deep in my soul. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
We pick up our van. We rented an 8 passenger, but it turns out that it really is a 12 passenger van but some of the seats fold up. They rent them that way so that there is room for luggage. Good thing because we have a lot of luggage! Everyone has one large suitcase one carry on and one personal bag, plus we have two extra large suitcases along for a total of 26 suitcases plus our purses, laptop bags, etc. Oh brother. We somehow managed to fit it all in the car. Just barely.
Our first stop is to Pork Pit to eat. It’s one of our favorite places and we really want the trip to start out right. Everybody gets their fill and we head a few blocks back down the street to the Caribic Hotel. It’s a cute, quaint little hole in the wall. If I wouldn’t have called to book the hotel and gotten landmarks, we most certainly would have missed the front door. There is no parking lot. Just exactly one made-up spot in front of the door. Our big van just barely fits. Perfect.
We find our rooms and lug our suitcases up the slanty stairs and through the narrow hallway; mom and dad in one room; three in three single beds in one room; three in single beds in another. The kids notice something interesting...there is a step down into their room and another step down into their bathroom. The window in the bathroom does not have a curtain and looks out to the hallway, which is two steps higher. It has a screen but no glass and ends up being eye-level to the hallway And so this becomes a temporary joke among the sibs, peeking in to the bathroom window. Eventually, towels go up.
We put swimsuits on and walk across the street, through a local bar, and down the stairs to the beach. In order to use this beach we probably are supposed to buy something, but the place is quiet on a late Sunday afternoon and no body says anything to us. We play in the ocean, build sandcastles, swim and play games for at least an hour an a half. Not another soul around. We have our own private beach.
We head back to the hotel to shower and then plan to find some dinner. But everyone is exhausted from the long day, the sun and the water, and zonks out. We gather later and head off to shop, but most of the shops are closed by this point. We find a grocery store to get something for breakfast for the next day. The kids have a good time picking out juice and muffins. Just as I am start to pay, my purse breaks. Really? I can’t go through a 10 day trip with no purse! So, we walk the kids back to the hotel and Bruce and I head off to buy a new purse. Everyone is sleeping when we get back. It’s been a long but good first day.
When we arrive in Indianapolis, we feel like we are the only ones in the airport. It’s a very long trip through Houston. We will remember not to go that way again. We get to Montego Bay, get through security, and walk through the doors into Jamaica. The heat and the smells are so familiar. A man looks me right in the eye and says, “Welcome home, ma’am.” I feel this deep in my soul. Thank you. I'm so happy to be here.
We pick up our van. We rented an 8 passenger, but it turns out that it really is a 12 passenger van but some of the seats fold up. They rent them that way so that there is room for luggage. Good thing because we have a lot of luggage! Everyone has one large suitcase one carry on and one personal bag, plus we have two extra large suitcases along for a total of 26 suitcases plus our purses, laptop bags, etc. Oh brother. We somehow managed to fit it all in the car. Just barely.
Our first stop is to Pork Pit to eat. It’s one of our favorite places and we really want the trip to start out right. Everybody gets their fill and we head a few blocks back down the street to the Caribic Hotel. It’s a cute, quaint little hole in the wall. If I wouldn’t have called to book the hotel and gotten landmarks, we most certainly would have missed the front door. There is no parking lot. Just exactly one made-up spot in front of the door. Our big van just barely fits. Perfect.
We find our rooms and lug our suitcases up the slanty stairs and through the narrow hallway; mom and dad in one room; three in three single beds in one room; three in single beds in another. The kids notice something interesting...there is a step down into their room and another step down into their bathroom. The window in the bathroom does not have a curtain and looks out to the hallway, which is two steps higher. It has a screen but no glass and ends up being eye-level to the hallway And so this becomes a temporary joke among the sibs, peeking in to the bathroom window. Eventually, towels go up.
We put swimsuits on and walk across the street, through a local bar, and down the stairs to the beach. In order to use this beach we probably are supposed to buy something, but the place is quiet on a late Sunday afternoon and no body says anything to us. We play in the ocean, build sandcastles, swim and play games for at least an hour an a half. Not another soul around. We have our own private beach.
We head back to the hotel to shower and then plan to find some dinner. But everyone is exhausted from the long day, the sun and the water, and zonks out. We gather later and head off to shop, but most of the shops are closed by this point. We find a grocery store to get something for breakfast for the next day. The kids have a good time picking out juice and muffins. Just as I am start to pay, my purse breaks. Really? I can’t go through a 10 day trip with no purse! So, we walk the kids back to the hotel and Bruce and I head off to buy a new purse. Everyone is sleeping when we get back. It’s been a long but good first day.
Forming a Mission Team, 2014
Talking to so many people in the store every day became a great way to spread the word about outreach in Jamaica. And since people brought in their gently used clothing for us to purchase anyway, I would suggest that they donate the remaining items that were not saleable to Journey Home Jamaica. We amassed quite a collection of clothes and shoes.
One weekend, we had a clothing drive for Jamaica. We collected hundreds of pounds of clothes in the store. The newspaper was there to take pictures. People came from all over. Some people had no idea, just came in to shop, saw what we were doing and went home to clean out their closets. We took all the donations home, sorted, organized and cleaned them up, and packed them away in preparation for our next trip.
One Sunday morning at the end of 2013, the youth director at our church asked us if we would like to take a group of kids to Jamaica with us. Sure we would! So, we scheduled an informational meeting. About a dozen kids came, parents asked questions, and we formed a small group. Everyone applied for their passports, cleared their calendars, and the youth started the daunting task of fundraising.
We opened up the trip to others, too. We decided we would take our entire family along to show them the places that we talk about around the dinner table and introduce them to our Jamaican friends. When I started planning the itinerary, we had about a dozen people on our list.
We shared our upcoming trip on social media. We had continued to host Monday night bible study in our living room and invited the group that was to go with us to join us. Our friend, Jama, had been coming over on Mondays and decided to join our trip. And she shared it with friends. The daughter of Jama’s high school friend, Marah, decided to come along, too. The fundraising efforts were well underway. In just a few short months through various activities, the youth group raised $6500 - more than enough for them to all go for the week. Incredible. The people of our church are very generous.
Soon our group had grown to 15 travelers. We had team meetings and started to get to know each other. We planned out our week together. We would do outreach in the community, visit a school and spend a day with kids, clean up a property for future use, go to an established orphanage, paint a homeless shelter, and do some street evangelism.
We also decided that we wanted to do a clothing distribution since we had so much that we could take along. The airline allows each person to check one 50 pound suitcase. We asked each person to leave some room to take along at least 10 pounds of additional clothes, shoes, and toys to give away. Some of the parents were unhappy with that, but the kids really stepped up, most taking more like 30 or 40 pounds of extra stuff. Each one filled their suitcases to the brim with extras, taking carry-on’s and back-packs full of things to donate.
A few days before we left, we asked everyone who was going to go along on the team to come to our house to help us sort clothes. We shared a devotion, talked a little, and then got out the baskets and boxes of clothing and began to sort and distribute it among the team.
Jama had brought along a guest with her that afternoon. She and Tori had been riding bikes on the Greenway when it was time for the meeting to start, so Tori just tagged along. Bruce and I knew Tori because she had been dropping in at our bible study. Tori was a recent high school graduate who was very kind, gentle, made friends easily, and fit right in with our group. She jumped right in talking with the others and helped to sort clothes with the rest of us.
As the job was finished, some of the kids started to leave. All of the sudden, Tori said, “I want to go along.” What? We are leaving in three days. “I think I want to go along with you to Jamaica,” Tori said. I ran over the computer and looked up the flight. I could still get her a seat. The hotel rooms were already booked. Since I had planned for only two or three to a room, she could easily bunk with someone. She already had a passport. Jama and Marah volunteered to pitch in toward paying for her trip. A few phone calls later confirmed that she had permission. “Okay!” I said.
Tori grabbed a couple of arm fulls of clothes and marched out the door with Jama. Our group now totaled 16.
One weekend, we had a clothing drive for Jamaica. We collected hundreds of pounds of clothes in the store. The newspaper was there to take pictures. People came from all over. Some people had no idea, just came in to shop, saw what we were doing and went home to clean out their closets. We took all the donations home, sorted, organized and cleaned them up, and packed them away in preparation for our next trip.
One Sunday morning at the end of 2013, the youth director at our church asked us if we would like to take a group of kids to Jamaica with us. Sure we would! So, we scheduled an informational meeting. About a dozen kids came, parents asked questions, and we formed a small group. Everyone applied for their passports, cleared their calendars, and the youth started the daunting task of fundraising.
We opened up the trip to others, too. We decided we would take our entire family along to show them the places that we talk about around the dinner table and introduce them to our Jamaican friends. When I started planning the itinerary, we had about a dozen people on our list.
We shared our upcoming trip on social media. We had continued to host Monday night bible study in our living room and invited the group that was to go with us to join us. Our friend, Jama, had been coming over on Mondays and decided to join our trip. And she shared it with friends. The daughter of Jama’s high school friend, Marah, decided to come along, too. The fundraising efforts were well underway. In just a few short months through various activities, the youth group raised $6500 - more than enough for them to all go for the week. Incredible. The people of our church are very generous.
Soon our group had grown to 15 travelers. We had team meetings and started to get to know each other. We planned out our week together. We would do outreach in the community, visit a school and spend a day with kids, clean up a property for future use, go to an established orphanage, paint a homeless shelter, and do some street evangelism.
We also decided that we wanted to do a clothing distribution since we had so much that we could take along. The airline allows each person to check one 50 pound suitcase. We asked each person to leave some room to take along at least 10 pounds of additional clothes, shoes, and toys to give away. Some of the parents were unhappy with that, but the kids really stepped up, most taking more like 30 or 40 pounds of extra stuff. Each one filled their suitcases to the brim with extras, taking carry-on’s and back-packs full of things to donate.
A few days before we left, we asked everyone who was going to go along on the team to come to our house to help us sort clothes. We shared a devotion, talked a little, and then got out the baskets and boxes of clothing and began to sort and distribute it among the team.
Jama had brought along a guest with her that afternoon. She and Tori had been riding bikes on the Greenway when it was time for the meeting to start, so Tori just tagged along. Bruce and I knew Tori because she had been dropping in at our bible study. Tori was a recent high school graduate who was very kind, gentle, made friends easily, and fit right in with our group. She jumped right in talking with the others and helped to sort clothes with the rest of us.
As the job was finished, some of the kids started to leave. All of the sudden, Tori said, “I want to go along.” What? We are leaving in three days. “I think I want to go along with you to Jamaica,” Tori said. I ran over the computer and looked up the flight. I could still get her a seat. The hotel rooms were already booked. Since I had planned for only two or three to a room, she could easily bunk with someone. She already had a passport. Jama and Marah volunteered to pitch in toward paying for her trip. A few phone calls later confirmed that she had permission. “Okay!” I said.
Tori grabbed a couple of arm fulls of clothes and marched out the door with Jama. Our group now totaled 16.
CAFO: Christian Alliance for Orphans
The Christian Alliance for Orphans conference is held somewhere around the world every May. We attended CAFO last year in Nashville and it was an amazing experience. In 2014, the conference was going to be held in the Chicago area. I grew up in Michigan City, not too far from Chicago. So, it kind of felt like it was near home. I wanted to go.
I paid for the tickets and made our reservations. I found someone to work in the store for a couple of days so that we could go. When we arrived at Willow Creek Community Church on the morning of the first day, the parking lot was packed.
I will probably never forget the feeling of walking through the doors into the sanctuary that morning. It was an unmistakable heavy feeling. The Holy Spirit was there. It almost dropped me to my knees. We found two seats together. I crumpled in to the chair and wept. Bruce looked at me with a giant question mark on his face. I couldn’t help it. In that moment, I was totally broken.
We worshipped together in a huge mega church that weekend with hundreds of other people who have hearts to care for the orphans and widows. We sang with Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves. We participated from the audience in a live taping of Family Life Today radio programs. We heard Dr. Gary Smalley speak. I had been given a copy of Richard Stearns book, The Hole in Our Gospel and had finished reading it just days before. Mr. Stearns is a former president of World Vision. I had no idea that he would be there, too, to share from the stage. It was an amazing few days and I was humbled beyond belief, struck again by all the God connections, the vastness of the orphan situation - an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide - and the awesomeness that God would choose us to serve him in this way.
I can’t even begin to pinpoint the highlights of that weekend. We met and talked to Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, who started Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. A couple of very amazing people with an awesome story of how God has taken them on a roller coaster ride through orphan care, adoption, and ministry. Beth has written several books, my favorite of which is Reckless Faith. Get it and read it. Beth autographed my books and gave me her phone number. You may have your heros. This woman is one of mine.
We met and talked with Jed Medefind, the president of CAFO, who gave us his book about the orphan crisis. We made friends with founders and directors from all over the world: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Casa Viva, Dresses for Orphans, Sweet Sleep, MudLove, Kids Around the World, and many more. Yes, the resources are limitless. And the connections are irreplaceable.
During our time there, I posted several pictures on social media. A friend from home messaged me and asked where we were. When I told her, she said that another friend of hers from high school who now lives in Washington state was posting almost the same pictures....we were in the same place! On the way out, Bruce and I got stopped by a woman who introduced herself as Angie and we became fast friends. Our mutual friend connected us from hours away. Another pretty cool God connection.
I paid for the tickets and made our reservations. I found someone to work in the store for a couple of days so that we could go. When we arrived at Willow Creek Community Church on the morning of the first day, the parking lot was packed.
I will probably never forget the feeling of walking through the doors into the sanctuary that morning. It was an unmistakable heavy feeling. The Holy Spirit was there. It almost dropped me to my knees. We found two seats together. I crumpled in to the chair and wept. Bruce looked at me with a giant question mark on his face. I couldn’t help it. In that moment, I was totally broken.
We worshipped together in a huge mega church that weekend with hundreds of other people who have hearts to care for the orphans and widows. We sang with Andrew Peterson and Sara Groves. We participated from the audience in a live taping of Family Life Today radio programs. We heard Dr. Gary Smalley speak. I had been given a copy of Richard Stearns book, The Hole in Our Gospel and had finished reading it just days before. Mr. Stearns is a former president of World Vision. I had no idea that he would be there, too, to share from the stage. It was an amazing few days and I was humbled beyond belief, struck again by all the God connections, the vastness of the orphan situation - an estimated 147 million orphans worldwide - and the awesomeness that God would choose us to serve him in this way.
I can’t even begin to pinpoint the highlights of that weekend. We met and talked to Beth Guckenberger and her husband, Todd, who started Back2Back Ministries in Monterrey, Mexico. A couple of very amazing people with an awesome story of how God has taken them on a roller coaster ride through orphan care, adoption, and ministry. Beth has written several books, my favorite of which is Reckless Faith. Get it and read it. Beth autographed my books and gave me her phone number. You may have your heros. This woman is one of mine.
We met and talked with Jed Medefind, the president of CAFO, who gave us his book about the orphan crisis. We made friends with founders and directors from all over the world: Florida Baptist Children’s Home, Casa Viva, Dresses for Orphans, Sweet Sleep, MudLove, Kids Around the World, and many more. Yes, the resources are limitless. And the connections are irreplaceable.
During our time there, I posted several pictures on social media. A friend from home messaged me and asked where we were. When I told her, she said that another friend of hers from high school who now lives in Washington state was posting almost the same pictures....we were in the same place! On the way out, Bruce and I got stopped by a woman who introduced herself as Angie and we became fast friends. Our mutual friend connected us from hours away. Another pretty cool God connection.
God speaks through a basket of clothes
Bruce and I were scheduled to take a trip back to Jamaica in March. February rolled around and nothing seemed to be lining up. I couldn’t find anyone to work in the store during the time that we wanted to be there. I couldn’t get the flights at the right times, with the right connections or for the right price. I couldn’t get the hotel that we wanted. It seemed that every door was closing.
One afternoon as I was wandering around the store feeling pretty discouraged and dejected, I started arguing with God. Why wasn’t He paving the way for this trip? Why weren’t things falling in to place? Maybe I wasn’t really hearing what He was saying. Was I just dreaming? Were we really supposed to do this? I shut off the radio to listen. Maybe God was speaking but I was being too loud to hear Him?
Just about that time, a mom and her two daughters came in with a couple baskets of clothes for me to go through. At Here We Grow Again, we would buy gently used clothing from individuals. Like other resale shops, that’s how we got our inventory.
I started going through her baskets. I really didn’t feel like it. I wasn't finished sulking. But, I had a store to run. So, I did what I had to do. I tried to make a little conversation with mom and her kids. They weren’t very receptive or talkative.
Like I always did, I went through each item in the basket, pulled it out, and looked it over. She had several baskets, boxes and bags and bins. It was taking forever. Finally I was getting to the bottom of the last basket. I could finally make her an offer and send them on their way. I wanted to get back to feeling sorry for myself.
I pulled out the second to the last t-shirt and shook it out in front of me. In big, bold letters on the front it said “Jamaica”. I gasped. “Where did you all go in Jamaica?” I asked. “Jamaica? We have never been to Jamaica.” she said. So, I showed her the shirt. “I have no idea where that came from. I’ve never seen that shirt before.” The girls didn’t know either.
Huh. Well, isn’t that interesting? It was in the bottom of her basket. She thought for sure that I wouldn’t want to keep it. On the contrary, I hung it up behind the counter where I could see it every day as a reminder that God IS listening. Even when I argue with Him, sulk or feel sorry for myself. He chooses to comfort me in a way that only He can get though to me and get my attention. Even when I’m loud and can’t hear Him, He will still find a way to get through to me. And even though he doesn’t work on my time table, He is calling us.
I knew that it was okay if we didn't go back to Jamaica in March. We would go back when God showed us that the time was right.
One afternoon as I was wandering around the store feeling pretty discouraged and dejected, I started arguing with God. Why wasn’t He paving the way for this trip? Why weren’t things falling in to place? Maybe I wasn’t really hearing what He was saying. Was I just dreaming? Were we really supposed to do this? I shut off the radio to listen. Maybe God was speaking but I was being too loud to hear Him?
Just about that time, a mom and her two daughters came in with a couple baskets of clothes for me to go through. At Here We Grow Again, we would buy gently used clothing from individuals. Like other resale shops, that’s how we got our inventory.
I started going through her baskets. I really didn’t feel like it. I wasn't finished sulking. But, I had a store to run. So, I did what I had to do. I tried to make a little conversation with mom and her kids. They weren’t very receptive or talkative.
Like I always did, I went through each item in the basket, pulled it out, and looked it over. She had several baskets, boxes and bags and bins. It was taking forever. Finally I was getting to the bottom of the last basket. I could finally make her an offer and send them on their way. I wanted to get back to feeling sorry for myself.
I pulled out the second to the last t-shirt and shook it out in front of me. In big, bold letters on the front it said “Jamaica”. I gasped. “Where did you all go in Jamaica?” I asked. “Jamaica? We have never been to Jamaica.” she said. So, I showed her the shirt. “I have no idea where that came from. I’ve never seen that shirt before.” The girls didn’t know either.
Huh. Well, isn’t that interesting? It was in the bottom of her basket. She thought for sure that I wouldn’t want to keep it. On the contrary, I hung it up behind the counter where I could see it every day as a reminder that God IS listening. Even when I argue with Him, sulk or feel sorry for myself. He chooses to comfort me in a way that only He can get though to me and get my attention. Even when I’m loud and can’t hear Him, He will still find a way to get through to me. And even though he doesn’t work on my time table, He is calling us.
I knew that it was okay if we didn't go back to Jamaica in March. We would go back when God showed us that the time was right.
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