Meanwhile ... Back at the Nest

While most of the group departs for VBS at 8:45am, a few people remain behind to act as the "work crew." The work crew has been working on a variety of projects, from painting to home renovation (mostly painting). Now, there's nothing wrong with painting, but there is SO MUCH TO PAINT. Every time we cross a painting project off of the list, three more take its place. 

On top of the never-ending stack of painting projects, the children at the Nest seem determined to distract us at every possible opportunity. Those who don't attend VBS are always nearby, watching us perform our duties and constantly asking, "What are you doing?" On one occasion, I was painting a railing while a curious young boy decided to stand on my back and inquire what I was doing. He remained there for a while before finally climbing down and running off. 

We've managed to get a lot done, the to-do list seems to be dwindling, and our efforts are finally paying off in the form of a more beautiful place for the children to live. We've made a lot of progress, and I hope our efforts will be appreciated and remembered for years to come.  -Bennett R.

professional painter Ann

and her apprentice Syd

Dave could work 24 hours fixing things around the Nest ... and Bennett is learning all sorts of new skills (oh, and painting, too)

Mitch's Work Day

What do you do when 35 people are running low on safe drinking water? You need to select a willing victim to stay back in the air conditioned apartment. Today the victim was me. The punishment was watching water boil. While waiting for the first 10L pot to boil, the lunch crew and I discovered that the bread which was to be used to make sandwiches was still frozen. Even though we enjoyed the coolness of the bread we knew the bread needed to be thawed in order to spread peanut butter on 150 sandwiches. The bread would take too long to thaw inside, so we decided to throw it in the Jamaican heat. But, the bread needed to be protected from the resident dog, Sheila. The solution: hang the bread on the clothesline. This bread soon became not only thawed but sun toasted. 

When the water came to a boil, I preceded to filter every drop of the water through a coffee filter. This process was slow but well worth the effort if it means no one gets a bug. I repeated this slow process three times for a total of six jugs (2L each) of clean water. Clean water is a lot of work but it is worth it. 

VBS Day 2

Enjoy some photos from VBS Day 2.  It was another great day!  As expected, more kids showed up today for the fun, the crafts, the singing, the music, the Bible stories, and the lunch.

ready and waiting for the kids to arrive

and here they all come!

 all the kids went on a journey to find the Samaritan woman at the well

the kiddos love seeing these pics of themselves up on the big screen (well, the big bed sheet) at the end of the morning 

all smiles during games

Mary Jo and Samantha led some great discussions with each of the small groups

the crafts today were a hit with all ages of kids

red rover, red rover...

Courtney O and a new partner

the theme for today: even when you're different, Jesus loves you!

the kids loved making their very own socktopus

VBS Day 1: Success!

Day one of VBS is complete.  It was a great morning, but oddly enough there was nothing chaotic about it.  Perhaps this is what happens when you have done something before and know which tricks to come prepared with!  It is also a testament to the fantastic adult and youth leaders that are along on this trip.  Everybody chipped in and did their part on their team, and together we pulled it off.  Throughout the course of the morning about 40-50 Jamaican kids showed up to learn today’s theme: even when you’re left out ... Jesus loves you!

Cailyn J., Jonah A., and Sue J. had all the kids' attention during Bible story time

Allison R. sat down with this young boy and talked with him about the ways God made him special and unique

 whether you're from Jamaica or the US ... games are always fun!

everyone had a great morning

Meredith G. made a special friend

One of my favorite things that we do during the week is feed all of the children that show up a decent lunch.  Today's menu was peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, granola bars, and fresh oranges.

Ella N., Katy L., and Linda S. filled up this entire suitcase with lunch for the crew

this little guy found a friendly lap and joined Jackson R. for lunch

thanks for helping to feed these kids!

fresh fruit is always a hit

As we reached the end of our morning I was reminded of why we do what we do.  Nicole L. has been on many mission trips.  She called me over to let me know that one of the little girls had tucked her sandwich into her backpack.  Nicole wanted to see if we could get her another one, knowing that she was saving the first sandwich for later or for someone else in her family.  As I knelt down next to her I learned that this little girl lives with her grandma and she was keeping the other sandwich for them to eat for supper.  As I filled her backpack with another extra sandwich and a baggie of fresh fruit I thanked God for all of you that adopted a Jamaican child for VBS this summer.  Yes, your giving really does make a difference.

We're on a Journey

Whew!  We made it!  Hey, everyone.  Courtney O. here.  After pulling out of the church parking lot around midnight Saturday, we began our 2,134 mile journey to Robin’s Nest Children’s Home nestled deep in the hills of Jamaica.  We arrived safely thanks to our awesome drivers back home, our fearless chaperones that guided us through security and customs, our skillful pilots, and Audley, our driver once we arrived in Jamaica. 

This time we were lucky and got to stop at the Pork Pit, a Jamaican style BBQ place!  They were great at accommodating our large group, and it was fun to get a first taste of authentic Jamaican food.  

Raelynn O. steps up to the grill for some Jamaican jerk chicken.

just like the grills back home (or not!)

jerk chicken or pork over rice and beans = mm mm good

After lunch we stopped at the MegaMart for drinking water for the crew and some supplies for lunches at VBS. 

our suitcases were filled with peanut butter, jelly, and granola bars ... a stop at the store finished off our lunches with bread, fresh fruit and some kool-aid

Then we started our 45 minute bus trip to the Nest.  The trip up is never dull!  We got to see the types of houses the locals live in and the incredible rainforest-like vegetation.  We also got to first hand test out the roads, and for those of you who don’t know ... they are quite bumpy!  And by that I mean they are narrow, there are random patches of pavement, very large potholes, and large rocks scattered everywhere.  As someone who has been here before it was entertaining to see the first timer’s reactions.  We finally got to the Nest at about 4:30pm, and like always the Nest staff was incredibly welcoming and the kids were super excited to play with a new group of volunteers.

We're Here!

We arrived safe and sound this afternoon. It's been a great day; more details tomorrow. Outside of a very short nap most of us haven't slept since Friday evening. Good night!

pastor lisa

Ready to Go!

Our plane departs in 2 hours and 20 minutes, but no one but us is awake at the airport.