Thank You for Taking Stock in our Youth

We're back in the US! Customs has been cleared, bags have been rechecked, and the crew is busy saying "thank you" to the hundreds of you that took stock in our youth this year. As you read the stories in the blog below please know that none of this would be possible without your support. Your giving has made a huge difference in the lives of our youth and in the lives of many in Jamaica. Thank you!

The Long Journey Home Begins

We have a 17+ hour travel day ahead of us.  Here's our schedule in CST (assuming nothing is delayed, of course):

8:30am - meet for breakfast and check out of rooms
9am - board bus to shuttle from Negril to Montego Bay
10:30am - check in at MBJ airport
1:45pm - depart MBJ
4:30pm - arrive ATL and go through US Customs
9pm - depart ATL
11:45pm - arrive MSP
12:15am - load vehicles to travel home
1:45am - back to the ZLC parking lot

Yesterday was a wonderful final day together.  We met at 10am and headed out on a 2 mile walk down the beach to the open air market to pick up some souvenirs.  It has been hot everyday, but yesterday seemed even hotter than the days before.  While in the shops one of our girls passed out from the extreme heat.  Thankfully her friends were right there to hold her up and lower her to the ground.  Other friends managed to run and find a gatorade in less than a minute.  She's doing just fine now, but through the entire experience we got to see the best of the Jamaican culture.  While at the open air market all of the individual shop owners constantly call out to get you to come into their shop to buy their items.  As soon as one of our kids was in need their goal instantly changed and they came running from each of their shops to help out -- laying down a beach towel, fanning her for a half hour, giving us bottles of water that they were selling and refusing to let us pay for them, bringing over a damp rag for her forehead, and letting us use their cell phone to call for a ride back to the hotel. The situation gave the group a good perspective into how a communal culture works together when someone is in need.
 
Our afternoon was spent out in the water or along the beach with a good book.  Kids tried kayaking, sailing with Bob, and paddle boarding.  After another delicious dinner we enjoyed a live Jamaican reggae band.  The highlight was definitely watching a Jamaican man attempt to teach the majority of our kids (and Bob & Sue) how to dance on the beach.

Parents, I will provide a travel update when we arrive in Atlanta.  Please pray for a safe journey as we travel 2,000+ miles today.

A Beautiful Evening

Enjoy some images from our beautiful evening on the beach.

our dinner view

worship on the beach

The cross above was used during one of our VBS lessons.  All of the VBS kids and all of our group signed our names on it - a meaningful focal point as we considered all the people our journeys of faith came in contact with this week.

Next Stop: Negril

Yesterday we completed our final day of serving at the Nest and putting on an amazing Vacation Bible School.  The memories we made and the people that impacted us are countless.  After a sad goodbye we boarded a couple busses and started our trek around the tip of the island to spend a few days in Negril.  We safely arrived at The Grand Pineapple Resort yesterday afternoon and settled in for a fantastic Jamaican themed dinner and some long, hot showers.  But first - a swim in the ocean was called for!  The water is as warm as bathwater and the sand is fantastic.  Glorious!  Minutes after arriving to the beach I met up with Captain Moses and was able to arrange a great deal for a group glass bottom boat tour and snorkeling.  After a good night's sleep and a made-to-order breakfast we boarded Moses' boats.  I've gone snorkeling several times here and this was by far the best experience we've had.  It was as though we were swimming right in Nemo's stomping grounds.

We're meeting for dinner in about an hour and afterwards are going to worship together on the beach.  The work and the experience at the Nest all happens so quickly and you immediately become immersed in another culture that the processing time together at the end of the week is so important.  We've spent a lot of time this week hearing about and talking about our own journeys of faith.  This evening we're going to consider what kind of an impact this trip has had on our own journey and where it might lead us next.

So long from the ocean view on my patio...  

pastor lisa

  

Feeding Babies

Our week at Robins Nest home has been filled with so many beautiful children ... including many sweet little babies. On Tuesday one of the babies needed water. Unfortunately it took me 10 minutes just to find a bottle with the matching lid. After I had gotten the bottle made, I took this little girl in my arms and let her drink. It was just the most amazing thing. She is so little and precious, it was incredible. To go along with feeding the babies, I also helped feed them breakfast on Thursday. Ella, Katy, Meredith and I started walking up the hill at 5:25 am. Before you can feed the babies, they need clean diapers (that’s a lot of diapers)! Cindy and Sam were already there changing and feeding a few of them. I got to feed little Moesha and baby Joshua ... and let me tell you, feeding Joshua is no easy task.  -Megan H.

The Most Prestigious Group at the Nest

If you read Mitch L's blog, I too stay back at the Nest while everyone leaves for VBS. Our highly prestigious group is comprised of the best corn beef and cheese & peanut and butter jelly sandwich makers you will find in a one mile radius of the kitchen. We start each day by making 150 sandwiches. Today's menu was Corn Beef and American cheese sandwiches (which are way too similar to spam for my liking), apples (if you ask a child from the nest what the know about Minnesota they will respond 'apples', so we definitely lived up to that), and a variety of Kool Aid drinks (usually the flavors are mixed to maximize the awesomeness of Kool Aid). Once we finish creating this masterpiece of a menu, we take it down to VBS to feed the masses and come back to the nest to do whatever we please (see photo below). As you can see, we lunch crew ladies definitely have the worst job.  ~Ella N.

Thanks, VBS Sponsors

Thanks to everyone who helped support our mission work this summer and sponsored a Jamaican child for Vacation Bible School this week.  It's been a wonderful experience and we couldn't have done it without all of the support we received from back home.  Catch a glimpse into our meaningful week.