Shelfishness/Bites/Water

Today as I was scrubbing my floor two women and their daughters showed up at my door for bible study. I was glad they came... but they came 3 hours early and I was not at a point where I was ready for them. I politely explained... I'm sorry you can't come in I'm scrubbing the floor. I didn't know you would be here so early, and I'm not ready. One said "no problem" and the other looked at me like "well who do you think you are not letting us in". So then I am torn. In my heart I feel bad for not dropping what I was doing and once again putting it off so they could come and sit in my house for the next 3 hours. At the same time I know if I didn't explain to them that it was not the best time and that I needed this time, next week they would show up just as early if not earlier to sit in my apt for the day so I would also not be able to get things done. What to do... What to do...

I also have bites... I have 3 on my stomach, 2 on my back, and then about 5 randomly on my legs and ankles. They are awful... I don't know what bit me but these bites are HUGE and itch all the time. So it looks real nice as I walk around constantly scratching my stomach/legs,or trying to get that itchy spot on my back. This is as bad as chicken pox. My only guess is that I got them while at big tree because other then that I have only been at home and around school.

God has also blessed us with another beautiful day. The sky is a brilliant blue and the sun is shining. The things is I need a grey sky with BIG dark clouds... last night as I went to get ready for bed I heard that dreaded sound again. pipes working but no water coming out. Please continue to pray for much needed rain. Thanks.

Blessings

My Day With Ashley

Today Ashley is sick so she came to stay with me since she was not able to go to day care and both her parents work. After 2 years of non nannying I had almost forgotten how much goes into staying home with kids all day... especially sick ones that can't get comfortable.

I think this was about the only time she let me put her down without getting upset. I borrowed some toys from the Plattners (Keri I will disinfect and clean them all before returning) and this one was a good diversion for about 5 min before she realized I had gone into the next room.
So she sat and we listened to songs and looked at pictures on the computer awhile

then I needed to get some work done so she helped me take twice as long to email what was needed.

then that wasn't fun any more and she was getting very tired

then snuggling while sitting down was no longer acceptable so we stood up.

and finally she was out!

I hope you are having a Great Christ Centered Day.

Blessings

The New Must Have...

for every work team member is stiletto heels!

I saw these beauties when I came down to supper one evening
their owner happily replied...
I love stilettos! I have been wearing them since I was 10!
Blessings!

Meet Dayton Christian High School

This team comes every year and has been for many many years. I was able to work with them last year and they are a great group. Nancy (their leader) is one of our CCCD board members so every year after the board meeting she stays and her group meets her down here.

The DC group
Saturday they poured the staircase in the clinic

previous work teams have been working on the construction of an apt above the clinic so we can have a nurse on campus full time. This weekend they added the stair case to join the clinic to the apt. Now all we need is a roof!

The kids were mixing cement by hand. They dump rock, sand, water and cement mix into a pile on a ground then mix it all together with shovels. Once they have a good consistency they shovel it into buckets and the buckets get passed down a line and up to where they are pouring the steps.
Praise God for work teams and all they do for us!

A Quiet Weekend

Praise God for quiet weekends after very busy weeks. I am thankful that I have an opportunity to spend some quality time with my kids and relax and wind down with them at the end of the week.

Kara Lee and Dani enjoying the structured play time in the Library
Briana and Ashley over to play while their mom's join in on our weekly bible study

While Paris is our youngest student she is very very smart, and because both her parents are deaf she had the upper hand coming in already knowing sign. Daymar on the other hand just joined us this fall at the age of 11 with no language yet. So my sweet little Paris is here doing flash cards with him helping him learn his letters and signs.

Paris and Daymar

Spending a quiet Sunday afternoon playing ball

The side line crew

Happy Sabbath and Enjoy your week.

Blessings

Asking For Prayers

Please pray for my kids...

this morning we just had a horrific morning and it was of no fault of any of my kids, but of what they have been experiencing, and the unfathomable things they have lived with all their lives. During chapel this morning we had 3 girls snap... all the horrible things they have dealt with all their lives came to a point that it could not be handled any more and for hours they where held as they screamed out there pain. I have never seen anything like it before... It scared me and broke my heart to see and hear their pain. Please pray for healing and a cleansing of their bodies from all the evil they have had to endure.

God is good all the time... and all the time God is good!

I am happy to say that we got a good rain today and it stayed with us for about an hour and a half. That means for the first time this week my shower had some pressure and was not just a trickle! Praise Jesus! With this water pressure I wanted to enjoy it, but at the same time I knew if I wanted another shower with any pressure I had to make it a 5 min or less shower. We also had a work team arrive today. This same team arrived last year right when we had a serious need of rain and arrived to a very low/no water situation. God provided rain for us today and we praise Him for that, but we still need A LOT more. Please continue to pray for rain. Thanks!

Blessings

Please Pray for Rain

It has not rained here for a long time. Here in Mandeville we live mostly off our cistern water. So that means no rain... no water... and it has come to that point. Last night I went to turn on the water and heard the sound of my pipes without any water. This morning I heard the pump going bright and early, and woke up to a small trickle (that means enough to wash my face but not shower). So I am asking you to please pray for rain. With work team season and a team coming in Thursday we really need the rain so that we don't have the added expense of bringing in bought water. Thanks. Have a Wonderful Day!

Blessings

Another One Down!

It never fails... as soon as I sit down in my recliner with my computer my little friend comes out to play. I haven't seen him for about a week, and never caught him (this is mouse #2) so as I was sitting emailing tonight he comes from the kitchen joining me in the living room. Where he has been hiding I don't know, but this time as soon as he runs to his place under the couch I go and get my glue trap (pb still on from trying to catch him the previous times) and set it beside the couch holding it down with a chair. He must have been very hungry because I had just sat down again and he was already out nibbling on the peanut butter then he got greedy and got himself stuck on the glue trap. I then went to get a plastic container to put him in and then took him outside to dispose of him. 2 down. Hopefully I will have no more visitors any time soon... or really ever would be fine with me.

One's Trash Is Anothers Treasure

The last few days have been crazy windy. Today I was sitting down after school watching my kids run around and thinking to myself. It would be the perfect day to fly a kite... the kids would have so much fun... if only we had kites!

Then I look over and Jonathan (one of our new special students) was kicking a bag and it would get caught in the wind and fly for a bit and he was having a BLAST chasing this bag. That got me to thinking. How easy it would be to make a "kite" out of a plastic bag and some yarn.

Of course I had not fully processed this before I started doing it because once the first "kite" was made I was ambushed and everyone wanted a "kite" well I had plenty of yarn but only 3 plastic bags so then all the kids where digging through the big trash barrels all over the campus looking for bags that have been thrown away so they could have a "kite" too.I was kinda grossed out at times because some of the bags were gooey as I was tying yarn to them and I didn't have any clue what that goo was or where the bag came from.
But the kids did have so much fun and ran around for hours with their "kites" and squealed with delight (then some tears) as the wind would at times get really strong and pull the strings out of some of the kids hands. They loved seeing that the bag went so high and far, but then realized that they were not getting the bag back after it would fly up and over the school, and they were not very happy about that.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Covenant Presbyterian

This week we have the honor to serve with a group from Little Rock Ak.

There are not many of them but they are willing, able, and lots of fun.
There main project this week is working on the clinic/nurses apt.

Tony our project coordinator and Jim the team leader (aunt Pam notice the BAMA hat:))

Enjoy your week!

Blessings

The Gold Star of the Day

Goes to Kirk for FINALLY getting my vonage up and working after lots of long calls! So if need be I am now accessible with a 309 area code number.

Blessings

New Roomies

I am happy to say the mice around KP now like to make themselves at home in my home. One night last week (same as tonight) When the work day is said and done and the work team is in for the night. I try to relax and begin my social life via the Internet. Last week as I was sitting in my chair a mouse came out to play on my carpet so I watched it enjoy itself for a while and I had no motivation to actually get up and catch it so I called my neighbors for a glue trap (They are now on my must get list). I added some peanut butter then sat back down and continued working. About an hour later my friend came out again and got stuck on my glue pad. I then had put it in a butter dish and carried it out to the garbage can. Then tonight As I sat catching up on computer work another friend came down the step from the Kitchen to the Living Room and went to play. Once I found some motivation (its been a very long day) I once again got up and went over to the neighbors ( I now owe the Platters some glue traps) and got another glue trap, and now I sit and wait for my little friend to come out so that I can put him in another dish and put it out of my house.

Come Out Come Out Wherever You Are!

MEET THE CSUN GROUP

The team hanging out with us this week is from California State University at Northridge. This is the 2nd year we have hosted this group so it was great to see familiar faces when they arrived and a chance to catch up. Its also been fun to meet the new recruits and see them experience island life for the first time. The team is made up of both deaf and hearing and the great challenge for the week is to see if I can find out who is hearing and who is deaf. None of them talk they always sign. This has been a great challenge for me as it is improving my receptive skills as they "fly" with their signs, and also changing my way of thinking from JSL to ASL. They are not a construction team since they all know the language and most of them are education majors they are spending their week with us working in the school so the teachers have a prep week to get things set up for the semester and so they can attend all the meetings that are needed with out worrying about their classes. What a blessing to have them serve in this way.
This team is also very active not only at CCCD but with the deaf all over the island. I don't know if you can read it but on the back of their shirts it reads SOCIAL JUSTICE NOW! Sunday they traveled to St. Elizabeth to fellowship with the deaf there and on Friday instead of a free day to the beach they chose to go to Kingston to fellowship with the deaf there.

Sunday @ Church

The kids did a "special" number and I thought it was so cute so I am sharing it with you. Enjoy

Incredible

What a MIGHTY God we serve! My heart can't stop smiling at His Goodness and all the ways He continually provides!

Blessings!

Erin

Soon Come...

So I got a Vonage phone so I would be more accessible down here if you ever wanted to call me... and everyone told me how easy it is and all I had to do was plug it into the wall then plug my phone into it and that's it. Well that's not the case. It seems like the office's Jamaican vonage system does not like my American vonage system so that it stops it from working properly and all I get is Error Code 002. Kirk was very kind and tried working on it to fix this Error for hours this afternoon, but to no avail it still reads Error Code 002. So if you were planning on calling the new number please don't because you will not get through. Soon Come!

I'm Home!

Praise Jesus I'm home!

I arrived home after a long day of travel about 8:30 last night

Ahhhhh the smell of must...

a thin layer of mold covering everything....

and the sprinkling of dead bugs on the floor...

What more could a girl ask for?

I finally got a good nights sleep. The dog started barking as soon as my head hit the pillow putting me to sleep, and I was able to wake up to the boys playing next door this morning.

I now have a day full of unpacking, cleaning, and setting up a game plan for the next few days.

Happy New Year!

Illini Game

Tuesday Night (the night before I flew home) I was blessed with the opportunity to go hang out with friends in Indiana and watch the Illini vs. Purdue game.

Illini Team
Purdue Team

Jaimie and I

(Jaimie was able to get us free tickets to the game!)

Katie and I cheering for opposite teams

(Katie VERY excited about her personalized Robbie Hummel signed jersey)

The score was so close the entire game. Illini was usually up by 1 or 2 and every once in a while Purdue would take the lead but not for long.

The view.

The excitement in Mackey was incredible!

Katie Widmer, Jaimie Opperman, and I
Illini Wins!

Blessings

Erin