Heading home

Sunday's ministries are over and we had an awesome day. Serving at Calvary Baptist in the morning and at MacField Baptist in the evening was quite enjoyable. We exchanged addresses and emails and said goodbye. We gathered one last time as a group last night and shared all this trip meant to us. We encouraged each student to go home and tell their parents all they learned as well.

Now we are at the airport in MoBay and will soon be boarding. I'm sure you will begin to "communicate" with your student once we land in Atlanta and the cell phones are activated once again.

Thanks again for all your love and support and prayers!

It's Raining, It's Pouring....

It's Sunday afternoon and it's great weather for a nap. It's storming hard and there are flash flood warnings for the island. Fortunately, it did not start until after our morning service at Calvary Baptist Church. We were very involved during the SS and morning service. We sang, led the children's services and Patrick preached. In a couple of hours, we head back up the mountain one more time and are in charge of the entire evening service at MacField Baptist.

Yesterday's "Fun Day" was fun, of course!! It was very overcast, so no one got sunburned. We went to Montego Bay and shopped at the craft market first. Then we went to some nicer shoppes and shopped more. After that, we walked to "Doctor's Cave Beach," which is a private beach that you have to pay to get into. We were there over 3 hours. Many of the students went on the glass bottom boat and snorkeled. The rest laid out and swam. The beach was very empty compared to other years.

Then we walked to a restuarant that has a slide into the ocean, as well as trampolines. So the students ordered their food and then swam some more. On the way home, we found a brand new "WENDY's" (a completely new chain to the island - our driver had never heard of it). Patrick, Joe and 2 of the guys ran in and about a half an hour later, came out with a small frosty for everyone!! When we got home, it was lights out at 10 p.m. and I think they must have been sleeping within 60 seconds of that.

God is good and we are thankful for your love and support and for our opportunity to minister over here. Continue to check my facebook for more pictures, as that is a much easier/quicker way to get them up!!
Can't wait to get home!!!!

Last day of VBS...

It's Friday night and today was the final day for VBS. Overall it went very well. It was difficult to say good-bye to our many friends that we made in such a short time. It rained in the afternoon and there were less kids there today because summer school does not meet on Fridays. Every child heard the gospel message and learned many Bible verses and truths throughout the week. About 10 to 12 children did pray to receive Christ between Thurs and Friday!

We also had our first injuries this morning, but nothing life threatening, so don't you worry! Not even a trip to a doctor or ER was necessary. So Essian and Relph families - here's the scoop: Mitch got a wasp sting on the thumb, but Chris (our driver) knew the natural remedy for it and rubbed some leaves together to remove the stinger. It swelled slightly, but now is almost gone. About ten minutes later, Peter sprained his ankle, rolling it on a rock. He tried a natural remedy called duct tape and had it wrapped up in no time. Later, fireman Joe gave him a proper ankle wrap. He's doing fine just hobbling along!! No need to worry - these boys are as tough as they come!!

After the P.M. VBS, we made another stop at the infirmary to help them serve dinner. We sang songs. A few girls stayed outside the building and talked with children who just naturally come up when they see a bunch of white people get off a bus. We probably stayed there an hour and a half again. Rebecca made a special friend...with a GOAT! No kidding and of all the times that there was no camera around, we saw her carrying it!!

After we cleaned up and went to downtown Savanna-La-Mar and the students picked either Burger King or KFC for dinner. Dave Kaynor, we always think of you when we see a BK in Jamaica and yes, the shake machine was working!! Back at the hotel, the annual "GIRL" night and "GUY" night (seperate, of course) rocked with laughter.

Tomorrow is the "FUN TOURISTY" day! We are headed over to Mo-Bay for some shopping and swimming. And sunblock is not optional this year!!

a few more outgoing messages

OOPs - forgot to attach these to the bottom of previous post. Enjoy! I also put up pictures on facebook!

Here are messages from the last 2 students who needed to write on the blog. Sorry to Ryan & Daniel’s parents, but someone had to be last and they weren’t fighting for the front!! J


Hay Family!
Things are going great hear. All of the kids LOOOOVE piggyback rides, especially when you play tag or race while giving them one. I made a buddy at V.B.S.! His name is Raheem. How are thing over there? Love ya! –Daniel


Dear Mom,

Hey! Thanks for all your prayers and support! VBS is going great! I met up with eric’s buddy shamar, he misses him very much! I am doing great. Hey Ashley, I hope u are staying busy while im gone! Thanks!

Dear Grandma,

Hi grandma! Thank you for all your prayer’s and support! Everything is going pretty well, including vbs! Thanks again!

Hey ken, thanks for the shout out. We are doing good and don’t worry, we wont die! Lol. Cya when we get back.
-Ryan-

From here on out, writing on the blog back to you at home is purely OPTIONAL!. We only “force it” the first time around!! J But in the student’s defense, there is very limited time available to do so!! So, don’t worry, come next week they will talk your ear off all about it!!


Hey Guys! I just wanted to say the boy Adale I told you about actually let loose today haha. You could just see how much fun he was having by the look on his face. It was awesome! I took about a billion pictures with him so you’ll see him when im home. Can’t wait to show you! Miss you guys.
Ry, Rachie called you a jerk. Just sayin. Thanks for writing though, I was waiting for you to do that haha miss you broooo<3 tell Log I said hi and I miss him too. Love you guys, see you soon!

Hey Mrs. Lightbody!
Jack ran into a light switch and he wont put my Neosporin on his cut. I’ve been looking out for him, but he tends to reject it. He thinks he knows everything. Gotta love Jacko. I just thought you should know.
Love Haley J
Ps say hi to bobby for me(:


Hay Family!
Things are going great hear. All of the kids LOOOOVE piggyback rides, especially when you play tag or race while giving them one. I made a buddy at V.B.S.! His name is Raheem. How are thing over there? Love ya! –Daniel


Hey there Mumsy!
I cleaned my cut on my shoulder so I don’t need any Neosporin. So I’m fine J I made a friend at VBS. Her name is Abby and she’s 10. Today I found out that she thinks I’m 29. Well then. I miss all of you guys. And I hope Bobby isn’t having TOO much fun without me. We’re going to an orphanage tonight so that’ll be fun. I’m actually really looking forward to it. I’ll be home soon! Love you guys! -Jack
Ps. I’m actually getting a little darker!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A Closer Look at Our Team

Thursday's Vacation Bible Schools has come and gone. It was especially hot today, but that didn't keep the students from sharing the plan of salvation with each member of their color group. It was encouraging to see and hear as they shared the tract called "The Bridge." Seeds were planted and many children prayed to received Christ as Lord of their life. We will let your students tell you in person about how their particular group went. Tonight they are at the orphange and Jessica and Dena stayed behind to update the blog (and rest a little). So we want to leave you with a few facts about the Jamaica 2010 Team.

20 students - 10 girls and 10 guys
5 returned for 2nd time and 15 are new
3 graduates, 12 seniors and 5 juniors
2 sets of first cousins (Leslie & Gordon) (Caleb & Elliott)
1 set of brothers (Daniel & David)
8 of the teens have had at least one older sibling attend a previous Jamaica missions trip (Courtney, Paul, Mitch, Ryan, Kelly, Rachel, Arianna & Haley)

THE GUYS OF TEAM JAMAICA 2010 – A few comments about the guys in general: This is probably the POLITEST group of guys we’ve ever had in one place at one time. They are very respectful, pleasant and easy to be around. They can carry on conversations with adults and children. They have ALL been EXTREMELY hard working and there has been no complaining. So KUDOS to you, parents!! Your hard work is paying off. Even if you don’t see it all the time, it comes through when it really counts. J

Now, a few words about each one specifically….

CALEB MUNGER – Coming for the first time as a graduate, Caleb has been just what we expected…solid and faithful. Give him a task and he does it. Hard work is in his blood and it shows. We’ve seen the “funnier” side of Caleb, as well, as he likes to make faces when he sees the camera coming in his direction. We are soo glad he was able to be a part of team Jamaica this year.

DAVID KOLIS is another first time graduate, since his knee surgery kept him from coming last year. David is calm and steady and we really appreciate his “deeper” comments during our sharing time. We’ve also learned that David has quite the “rhythm” when singing along with the VBS songs.

GORDON RUSSELL is a second year returnee to Jamaica and this year we are depending on him as our guitar player. He brings it on the bus, to our share times, to the churches, infirmary and orphanage. Basically everywhere we go! I don’t know how he can read the music and play it on that bumpy bus going up the mountain, but he does. This year he is a natural with the children and has been a great example to all the new guys.

PAUL WOODSON has been a blessing on his first trip here, as he is our main “tech” guy. He took his assignment very seriously and gets right on the set-up and tear-down at each VBS. He also looks for ways to interact with the children whenever he can. We enjoy his friendly spirit and all his many questions!

RYAN HATFIELD – Also, Ryan’s first year here, he has taken over the “RAY SMITH” seat on the bus…the very front seat next to Chris the driver! Although he chose it in order to avoid getting car sick, I think he enjoys the view and observing all the crazy driving habits of the Jamaicans. It seems as though Ryan has been here before because he just knows what to do. He is always where he should be doing what he should and he never had to be told. We enjoy his easy going personality and are glad he’s a part of the team.

MITCHEL ESSIAN is our only other returnee guy and he has been a positive leader. He definitely knows how to relate to the many different ages of the children at VBS. His family experiences show his expertise in dealing with kids and relating to them on their level. He goes and goes and goes with tons of energy and then makes good use of his lunch time by eating fast and running up to take a 20 minute “power nap.” Smart guy!

PETER RELPH has been nothing but a huge blessing this week. His job of opening each VBS with a skit required that he wear jeans, long-sleeve shirt and a cowboy hat, but he just keeps drinking his jug of water and not complaining. He is compassionate and kind to the children and is another one who is just “natural” with the Jamaicans. We appreciate his friendly smile and his happy demeanor!

ELLIOTT ACKERMAN is a natural leader, there’s no question to it! You’d never know he is a first-timer and one of the youngest in the group. If there is a “lull” to anything, Elliott has a game or idea or just takes charge of it. It really has been exciting to see. He never just “sits” around – that boy is always moving. He did an awesome job sharing the plan of salvation during Thursday’s group time and is really good with the children. If we wanted something said to the kids, we told Elliott and he’d yell or take the mike and say it. We loved it!!

DANIEL KOLIS wins the award for SMILING the most. I mean, that guy couldn’t wipe the grin off his face for the first 48 hours! He’s very quick to participate and share what he’s learned when we’re together. And he always wants to sing on the bus. He is good at choosing the songs and remembering the first words to it and then starting us off. He definitely displays the joy of the Lord and has great leadership potential.

JACK LIGHTBODY is also one of the younger guys who showed a ton of leadership. We especially could count on him for some “lighter” moments with his quick wit and singing of Christmas songs on the bus! (that was definitely a “first”) His blonde hair and blue eyes caused more than one Jamaican girl to fall “in love” with him. You’ll notice in every picture, there is some girl hanging on him!! J He has been a real asset and blessing to us this year and we will most likely really depend on him for future trips!


THE GIRLS OF TEAM JAMAICA 2010 – A few words about the girls in general: This group of girls acted more like sisters and a family than any other group ever. They all “gelled” with each other and watched each other’s backs. They all love and care about each other. And I personally felt like they were all my daughters! It has been a real blessing to be here with each of them and I love them all dearly!


REBECCA LANGER is our only graduate girl and we will definitely miss her next year. She is just a joy and a blessing to all who meet her! She leads naturally and positively. Her jobs this year include the opening skit with Peter and leading us vocally with all our singing. She is caring to the children and to her fellow teammates. Her passion for ministry overflows in all she does.

KELLY BROWN has been amazing this week. We discovered she has quite a loud, joyful laugh, which is music to our ears since we were worried about her getting homesick. But quite the opposite, she told us today she wants all her stuff shipped here because she doesn’t want to leave!! She has been great with the children and is quite a trooper with our busy schedule!

ARIANNA JOHNSON adds a smile to our faces because she’s quite funny! With her bright perception and quick wit, she brings humor and joy to all. This carries over into a very positive attitude and a servant’s heart in all she does. She is always willing to share and answer questions in group time. She was especially “touched” by one of the ladies in the infirmary and had tears in her eyes when we left.

ABBY REED now has new nickname - “MOM” lovingly given to her from her teammates here.
We so appreciate her attention to detail and her keen memory of what needs to be done, since this is her second year here. She was the first one to get her braids done in order to help control her natural curls. Abby is giving it her all this week, including giving piggy-back rides to kids who weigh almost as much as her. When I suggested she didn’t need to do that, she smiled and said, “it’s only my back!”

COURTNEY KONOP handles children naturally! She has worn a smile this entire week and has really connected well with everyone. For her team’s skit, she was the narrator and had a lot of lines, which she performed flawlessly. She demonstrated quite a gift of handling herself well in front of crowds. She’s kept her long hair up this week and never complained about the heat! We are glad to have her here this week!

RACHEL DEMAN is bundle of fun! She has a way to make everything a little more exciting. Even when she had to wear a lion’s mane and “ROAR” 8 times in her skit, she gave it her all every time! Her strength carried over into working with the children, as one time she even had 6 kids hanging onto her! We are so happy to have her with us this year and we appreciate her honest enthusiasm.

PAIGE MCGOLDRICK is a natural leader. She has shown her leadership abilities in many areas of our VBS!! From organizing crafts, directing games, or getting all the children quiet for a skit her voice is heard and obeyed! When going to the infirmary Paige suggested that we pray for courage as we minister in an uncomfortable environment. Although she was nervous to go into the infirmary the Lord gave her the courage to enter. It was a joy to see how God used her to sing, pray, and read the word of God to several ladies. Upon returning to the bus tears filled her eyes. Paige has shown to be a strong leader with a tender and compassionate spirit! (written by Jessica Nothdurft J)

HALEY GASPAROTTO is the fourth Gasparotto we have brought to Jamaica with us, but as the only female, she stands alone. Her inner strength and her desire to always do right has shown through this week. She makes sure she understands what is expected and then carries it out well. She really enjoys all that is put before her and her Christ-like character shines through. She is already “dreading” the good-byes of tomorrow’s VBS because she doesn’t want to cry in front of the children. She has been a real blessing to us and no one would ever know she’s one of the youngest on the team.

LESLIE JIMINSON. - Although she has 500 mosquito bug bites on her legs that were already scraped and bruised from last week’s “messy game night,” she has not complained about it. She just now sleeps in her sweat pants! J She’s calm, cool and collected in every situation. She is independent and very capable to handle whatever job is given her. Jessica & I especially looked forward to seeing her cute home-sewn skirts every morning! She loved the Border Jerk food and is very excited to go back one more time on Friday.

LINDSAY LUZOD is our “go-to” girl. Whenever we need an opinion from a teen’s perspective, we go to her because we know she will know the answer, but also think about it from the adult view too. She is mature and solid and we really need her here. Since it’s her second year here, she’s one of the five veterans and is a great example of what to do! She is thoroughly enjoying her time here and had a hard time saying good-bye to some of her group today who won’t be back tomorrow.

We Will Rise when He Calls my Name....

This is the group singing tonight at MacField Baptist Church, after Patrick preached a message from Matthew 22. Today was a busy, but productive day. Both morning and afternoon VBS's went well. We had slightly cooler weather in the morning and then it rained in the afternoon, which caused game time to be inside. The VBS skit/story today shared the plan of salvation very clearly. Tomorrow we will follow up with each student sharing the Gospel to their group. Pray specifically for courage for the students and for hearts to be open to receive Christ.

Please check my facebook (Dena McGoldrick) for more pictures. We are enjoying your posts to us. Below you will find a few more posts to you. We appreciate your love, support and prayers. Once again, I want to let all the parents know that we have NO ONE who is sick or injured. (Not even homesick!!) The joy of the Lord is shining through each teen. We have been singing a lot on all our bus trips up and down the mountain. Love to all of you at home!!

Dear Beloved Mother, Bodacious Father, and Super Sister,

I’m doing great in Jamaica. I sweat more in three hours of VBS than three hours of boxing! I love the kids and they love me, or my piggy-back rides and cowboy hat at least J I‘m loving this awesome opportunity and really appreciate your prayers. The kids are awesome and MUCH easier to handle than the kids at day camp lol. Anyway, tell everyone in the family I said hi and that I miss MOST of them very much…. Okay ALL of them J ill see you guys in another few days!

Your Intensely Overheated Son

Peter

Dear Mom, Dad, Brett, and Brooke,

Hey Guys! I’m having a great time here in Jamaica. The kids are a lot of fun. Yesterday we went to the Infirmary and fed them dinner and sang to them. It was a good experience for me, to see people like that. It makes me very thankful I am healthy and have a family. Did my package come yet? Haha. Well, I miss you guys, see ya soon!

Brooke- Hey Brooke! Cant wait to see you. Jamaica has been a great experience. Hope you can go next year. I miss you. Say Hi to Poptart for me.

See you all soon

Love Gordon

Dear Mom, Dad Ryan, Logan and Joel (if you’re even reading these haha)

Jamaica is pretty much the most amazing thing ever. The kids at vbs are awesome. I made friends with a little boy named Adale in the morning vbs and hes the cutest kid ever. He almost never talks and he almost never leaves my side. In the evening vbs theres about five or six girls that literally cling on to me and don’t leave all day. They don’t even care that im sweating like a man haha. I love it so much and Im really not ready for this week to be over. I can’t wait to tell you about it and show you all my pictures of the kids! I love you guys, see you soon J

Love Haley

Dear Mom, Dad, Elijah, and Leah

Hey Guys! Jamaica has been great so far. Both VBS’s have been a lot of fun. Both have turned out great so far, I have made a couple buddies which have been a lot of fun. They really have a lot of fun with the piggy back rides. We went to the infirmary yesterday which was a big eye opener but as a lot of fun singing to them. Today we did our skit and it turned out really well, all the practice paid off. I cant wait to come home and see you guys.

Love Caleb

Dear Mommy & Daddio(:

Hellloooooo!!! I miss you both soooooo much! Like so so so so much! Haha.

So far the week has been great! I haven’t been too hot & everyone else thinks theres something wrong with me cuz I don’t sweat. But that’s okay. Haha! I’ve made a lot of friends within the group and also made a lot of friends within the kids at the vbs. I have two little boys that attatch to me in the morning. Travis & Alex… Travis is 6 & Alex is 4. We played catch with the beach ball in the field this morning. In the afternoon vbs a little girl named Jadia always gets a piggy back ride from me everywhere we go. It’s ADORABLE!(: I guess God really does give you the strength for anything. I love it!

So yeah.. were about to go to Wednesday night church so I gotta go but I miss you both! Tell jeff I said hi! And give penny a belly rub for me(:

I LOVE YOU!<33>

Dear Marmy and Pappy,

Oh my word..you have know idea how much I miss you guys! And I know you guys miss my loud voice all the time. But okay soo this is the best trip of my life like you have no idea! Im in love with all of the kids even this one that insists on licking my neck and kissing it! He’s the cutest thing ever and his name is vashan I think I can’t really remember if that’s how you spell it or not. In the morning VBS I have these two kids that stick to me, Ossanya and Michael. Michael is my boy he won’t let me leave his sight even for a second he’s glued to me and gahh I just can’t put into words how adorable he is. Each morning I help him study his verse, and re-learn the motions we taught them the day before! The infirmary was totally life changing. We sang to them like a bajilllion songs and I loved every minute of it. Me and haley at dinner time went into this one room to give them their food and I was like just would you like me to help you eat and Icylin(her name) said yes ma’am because otherwise I will not be able to eat because they don’t feed me and I cant use my hands. So I sat there and fed her, her “sandwhich” and black tea. New topic…I love everything about this country the scenic views to the kids and what not. But I have to go now I love you and miss you all sooo much!!!!
***KIMMMM!!!! I love you girly and you make me giggle every time I read your posts and I missss you and your cupcake self!!
*****BROOKE and SAVANNAH!!!! Thanks for letting me know the fishy died and I was beyond sad like you have no idea I miss you guys and cannot wait for you to come here when its your chance!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL AND MISS YOU LIKE CRAZY BUT I THINK I’LL MISS THESE KIDS AD ICYLIN EVEN MORE WHEN WE LEAVE!!!!!
xoxo Rachel

P.S. HEARTBREAKER—wow thanks fro being such a good friend and NOT telling her!!! And please don’t go through my phone kk thanks!!!!x

p.s. Mitchel gave me a black eye

THANKFUL for another AWESOME Day!

BRIEF INFO about TODAY: Morning VBS had about 65 children. Afternoon VBS had about 160 children (not exaggerating)!! We ate at Border Jerk for lunch. Evening: we went to the infirmary and sang to the patients there. We also served them dinner. Our students were greatly touched by what they saw and experienced there. We are going into another sharing time right now. Please check my facebook for a few more pictures. ALL IS WELL!! EVERYONE IS HEALTHY!!! God is GREAT!! Read below for notes from about half of the students. The other half will write tomorrow!!!

Dear mom and dad and angie and dog and others,

Jamaica is fantastic this year like I was expecting. My ears weren’t as bad on the plane this time as last year, I’m not sick……yet at least. I haven’t burned and I’ve remembered to take my pills. I like how you put more time talking about how much you like the blog than how much you miss me. Its hot like always in Jamaica but I’m so happy to be back. I might write again or maybe not, but if I don’t you still know that I love you all and am having a great time.

Love,

Abby J

Mother, Father, and Jordooo,

I know this is the exact same thing I said last year, but Jamaica is great and they’re probably going to have to fight to get me on the plane. But I guess you want to know that I got Dawnta in my group again. I don’t really have that much to say so I’ll just tell you about it when I get home. Love you guys, goodbye.

And to Savannah and Brooke: I hope you guys aren’t too lonely without all of us. And thank you for the update if you know what I mean, Rachel wasn’t too happy, but keep us posted! Love you guys.

- Lindsay J

To Dad Mom Kyle Kevin Ian Ethan and McKenna,

VBS is going well, we ate lunch today at a place called Border Jerk, I had chicken and soup with chicken feet and cow skin in it, DELICIOUS, This little boy named Kemar loves riding on my shoulders in between activities. It is very hot but my room is very cold, ethan would love it here because there are a ton of lizards slinking around

-Elliott-

Hey Mom, Dad, Becca, Bobby, and Anyone else reading this,

I have been having a great time here. All has been going well and the kids absolutely love you no matter what. So we had chicken today,,,big surprise.. but it was good. It was at that Border Jerk place. Tonight we are going to the infirmary and I don’t really know what to expect. Oh yeah! My skit went really well yesterday and im so glad that it is over. Eight times in one day is pretty exhausting, but all the work was well worth it. Thanks for all the prayer, it is much appreciated with all of the kids in great need of the gospel. I will talk to ya’ll later! Arianna is out!

-Arianna-

Hey Mom and everyone else reading!

Its great so far, the kids are absolutely adorable and I already want to take them all home. Its going to be hard to get me to leave! It’s also a good thing I am always cold because I don’t even think its that hot here, but the food is a little rough… Lindsay and partly Mitchel tricked me into eating cow skin today…. It was SO gross! I now know to never trust them. But besides that its great to spend a week with everyone(:

Oh mom, btw, I dropped my water bottle down a bunch of cement stairs today and it didn’t even crack! Good thing you made me buy it haha.

To Mom and Mrs. Johnson,

Anna and I are still tying to determine if putting us in a room together was a good or bad idea… we are having lots of fun though and are at least TRYING to stay out of trouble haha. I guess we will find out by the end of the week(:

Alright, we are leaving now! Love you all and cant wait to tell you all about it!

-Courtney

Parker, Mrs Luzod,, and whoever else cares:

We’re here! And its hot. Lindsay and I are the top girl sweaters (we kinda take pride in that)! All the girls are having a blast and getting along well! VBS is going well and the kids are sooooo cute! The Lord is working wonders here and I’m being challeneged, especially tonight when we went to the infirmiry where a crippled lady witnessed to arianna, my mom and i. It was a great experience!
Park-I miss you a lottttt! And alllll the girls are asking where you are…big surprise(: I need you here to help me with something, we can talk about that later. Haha. I hope you don’t look too big of a dork with your braces on..and take LOTS of tylenol before and after the procedure. Do some work on that 5k dude! Boom! I love you and miss you so much!

*PaIgE (:

mama, daddy, matthewww and kimberlyn!

Jamaica is amazinggggg, I love working with the kids at the vbs! Its hot here and has rained Sunday and Monday but not yet today.

Matthew- I found Daniel at Macfield and have him in my color group, I was looking for him the most and asked him if he remembered you and he got a really big smile on his face and said YES! Dena took our picture today and I told him I still have his picture from the year you were there. I think I miss you the most out of everyone at home.

Mom and dad- the braiding ladies came the other night,.andd wellllll…..i didn’t listen to you very well, but I just got the top done and it will come out easily. Rachel says she loves you mom. I miss you mommy dearest and daddy. Im doing fine and feeling good.

Kimberlyn- I miss you girlly, I cant wait to tell you everything and show you pictures!

Well its dinner time so ill see you soon! Cant wait to tell you guys everything!

Love you, Kelly (:

To Whom It May Concern:

Jamaica has been very good so far. All of the newbies have adapted very easily and are doing great! There are many kids that are returning from the AM church.

Jon: Ashley and Adale are both here, and Ashley has asked about you. J Don’t worry, I am taking very good care of her!!

Arielle: I found Devon and he was in my group.

Jessica P.: Shanna is still at the infirmary, she was sleeping and I didn’t get to talk to her.

Noelle: Katia asks about you constantly and she misses you terribly.

Mom and family: I have been putting on sunscreen every morning and am doing well. I hope you boys aren’t missing me too much. ;) I hope you all have a great time up North. Peter and Daniel, keep going on summer school!!!

Overall, VBS has been very good. We had to limit the kids a lot an I had to turn away at least ten kids today, which was heart-wrenching, but the result was that the group listened a lot better and I know we will be a lot more effective in the end. We went to Border Jerk today for lunch, and I ate a chicken toe. It was fine except I didn’t realize that you weren’t suppose to eat the bone……

Please keep praying that we would keep the focus on the Gospel and not get distracted. The Lord has blessed us with good health so far. To everyone else, there are many of you I miss and I cannot wait to see you when I get back.

With much love,

BeccA

To Mamma,

Jamaica is hot. Vbs is going very swell. There were 180 kids on the first day, and 200 on the second day. We were only supposed to have 80 kids. Whoops :D

Love Mitch & Jack

Mom and Dad Wiegand & Nothdurft

We love you soooo much and we thank you for your prayers!! We are doing wonderful. God has provided for our every need! We are both so happy to be here serving. Love YOU! Miss YOU!!

Jessica & Joe

Cornerstone Church Family,

Thank you for your support! Your faithful prayers are what brings us through this trip. We love being in this family! God Bless!!

Jessica & Joe

Uncle Mel,

Love you and thanks for he encouragement!

Jessica & Joe

Hey Yo-yo ma, dad, my bros, aunt Ann, and to everyone else praying for us,

Thank you all so much for your prayers and your words of encouragement, they mean so much. Jamaica has been so great and these VBSs have been wonderful, It has been such a blessing to go on this trip with such great people, and to love on these kids who are so easy to love on. As sad as it was not being able to make it last year, it has become more obvious to me over these few days that it was all God’s plan and that there was a reason for it all.

I ask that you would just pray that with all the business we wouldn’t lose sight of the fact that we are here to show these kids God’s salvation and his plan for them, and pray that we would have so many opportunities to show that. Also please say an extra prayer for Haley, Elliot, Paige, and me, on Friday for our skit, just that we would know our lines and that the gospel message would be clear and well received.

Love and miss you all,

David

Hello mom, dad, matt, Laura, Katherine, and Amy

It has been an awesome trip so far, I have had a great time even in the heat. The VBSs are going well and the kids are loving it. Thank you all for the prayers, but if you could pray not only for me and the group but for the electronics, projector, ect. The have not always been doing so good.=D

Dad I have taken some shots and the look ok but your battery that’s really old works for like 5 minutes so…. Ya its fun but the date/time lights are staying off.

Mom I love you and miss you. You also did a very good job making sure I had everything, I thank you.

Matt I do not know what I have done to earn this right but the sound and other stuff does not like me and keeps not working but we have lived so far.

Laura, kate, amy I can not wait to see you guys when I get home have a good week at silver lake.

Hope to see you all soon

Paul

P.S. tell the cousins I said hi if you get this before you get back home.

Day One is a complete SUCCESS!!!

PLEASE READ CLEAR TO BOTTOM FOR INFO ON WHERE TO FIND MORE PICTURES!!!

Bible Story/Skit group Day One

Kids at morning VBS holding up their crafts during closing!

SO, Lots of great things happening here!! We are sooo thankful and are praising the Lord for a wonderful first day at both the morning and afternoon VBS!! At MacField, we had about 60 children and all went well. We are able to use the college facilities again, so we have more room!! In the afternoon at Calvary Baptist, we ended up with about 130 children!! And yes, there are only 24 of us to run everything!! We worked hard and it all worked out!!

Tonight we had some group time to sing and share, which we all love. Several of the girls were able to get some of their hair braded (like bangs and front half, etc). The various skit groups also practiced and we made plans for the rest of the week. We are going to bed EARLY, (REALLY early for some of these teens) but they are definitely NOT complaining.

Overall, we (the leaders) are THRILLED with your students. They are eager and hard working and they are not obnoxiously loud nor rudely sarcastic!!! These are GOOD things, believe me!!

And so far, EVERYONE is HEALTHY!!! THANK you for your posts. We were able to share them at dinner tonight. I apologize that I can not get as many pictures on here as I like. It is taking forever to upload a tiny jpeg!!

One more thing: I tried posting a few pictures on my facebook page tonight and it went much quicker than trying to load on this blog. SOOO please feel free to check it out too. If you aren't on facebook, maybe now is the time to join!! or you can always go "creep" through someone else's FB!!! :)

Sunday night we had a little time to enjoy the pool!

Off and Flying!

YEAH!! Everyone arrived to Detroit's airport on time and we left without any problems early this morning. The flight to Atlanta went smoothly with half of the group sleeping and the other half playing a trivia game. Arianna, David & Elliott were REALLY into that game!! When we landed in Atlanta, Kelly stood up and said "wow, we're half way there now!" Everyone laughed!! :) Patrick reminded her we hadn't gone over the ocean yet!! We hope to get to our hotel in time to see at least the end of the World Cup game and we will possibly get to post again tonight, if the internet is working there!! Thanks for your support and prayers!