Beautiful Endings

Today was filled with a lot.
One thing there was a lot of was rain.
As the sun set I caught the lighting through my widows and went outside to watch.
As the sun set behind the hills it started to rain again and when I turned to go home
I noticed the beautiful full rainbow that started behind the school, stretched across
the entire campus and ended at the road.

Thank You God for Beautiful Endings!

A Day Away

For a few weeks now Tashi has been asking me to come down, but becuase of things going on it didn't work out. Saturday it finally worked out to run away for a day with Friends! I took Lauren and Ionda with me and we started out at the Kingston school so I could love on my kids there.

Daphawn, my resident Kingston photographer, took my camera and started capturing the time we spent there.

Daphawn and I +someones hand who wanted to let you all know that they love you:)

Once we left the school we headed to Rituals (Jamaica's Starbucks). Tashi and I are big fans of this place:) We all got our chillers and pastries then sat down to chat. This was Ionda's first time and he quickly became a HUGE fan. He went through two vanilla chillers before us girls finished one. And yesterday at church he was asking me when I was going back to Kingston because he wanted to go back for more coffee chillers:)

Tashi and I in our "nice" picture
I will not post the "typical Tashi" picture:)

After our coffee and pastries we went back to Blake and Tashi's house to play games. Blake had to drive for a funeral so was gone most of the day. He did make it back in the afternoon, and was able to fix some stuff on my computer for me (Thanks Blake). We chatted for a while then packed up the bus to go home.

Before we left we snapped a quick picture with those we love.

Praise Jesus for great friends that provide places for us to run away to and relax!

Proper Tea

*This post must be read using an English accent* :D

Meet Joanne.
She is from England and is hanging out with us here at C.C.C.D. for 4 weeks.
She is a sweet girl that loves to share stories. I have enjoyed getting to know her and could sit and listen to her talk for hours.
Friday night we all had supper together, and Joanne brought her tea
(a must) and after supper we learned how to make 'proper tea'.

The Twinings tea bags from England

My cup of proper tea made with sugar and tea.
Joanne made my cup while I was taking pictures.
Yum!

Random

Praise God for great finds. I took Lauren and Joanne into town the other day to do some shopping and I noticed these two books. The library is filled with books but very very very few having anything to do with Jamaica or the Deaf. So when I saw these I picked them up. Both books talk about islands in the Caribbean and has information about the islands

The kids found the new books right away and spent their library time going through the maps of the island point to where everyone in their family lives, places they have been, places they want to go, and arguing about who was right about names and locations of places:)

I have also started to introduce the classes to Farkel. Its an easy dice game that will help their math since you have to add to keep track of your score. Most of the kids come to the library and sit, or look at pictures. I am trying to get them to actually do something educational so we are trying games like Farkel and scrabble to get their brains working.

I had the kids in the library yesterday and Shanel was one of them. It also just happened to be her birthday. One of the boys called Shanel out of the library where she was hit with water and baby powder (a flour substitute) and the kids laughed and clapped that she was "gotten" for her birthday. Its a Jamaican thing to get made into a cake on your birthday. Usually water and flour are thrown on you to celebrate your day... sometimes an egg is tossed in there too.
After the girls covered Shanel there was powder every where. In the air, on the floor (I about wiped out 5 times trying to make my way out of the school), and all over Shanel.

Praise God for Days full of Randomness!

Rabbits!

I think I have mentioned in a previous post that we now have rabbits here at cccd Knockpatrick. They started off on the farm and last week were moved up the the gated playground area.
The kids LOVE the rabbits. I have been trying to slowly get them used to them so when we did get them out they wouldn't smother them all to death...literally.
Yesterday we got out one rabbit to see how the kids would do. I told them if they got it out that they needed to let it just hop around and 'play'. They were not to pick it up.

They did good so this morning we took another step and got 6 rabbits out. Starting with 1....then 2... then 3... until we had 6. Then we found out that the white rabbit was aggressive with the kids and the other rabbits so we put that one back and just kept 5 out.

Damian practically crawling in the rabbit cages to get them out.

Matthew not to sure what to think... so keeping a safe distance

Shanel LOVES the rabbits and continually has one in her lap

Damian trying to sooth a very aggressive white rabbit

once the kids became more comfortable with the rabbits... the rabbits became more comfortable hiding under their cages....

until one of the kids would reach under and pull one out to play with:)

Paris tried to be bold and play with them... but she was still uncertain so she laid on the bench and would reach down to pet them if them came by.

Richard

Shanel, Romoye, and Matthew
(noticing going through pictures that Red must be the color of the day for these kids:)

The two black rabbits hung out under the table most of the time trying to stay clear of the sun that was very hot today. So the kids wanting to play with the rabbits climbed under the table with them.

Imari tried and tried, and begged and begged, and finally one of the older kids helped him hold a rabbit.

Moya

the older students came in after the littles made such a fuss to play with the rabbits too.

then it was time to close up the playground and put the rabbits away. I asked Sophia if she would put that rabbit under her away.... she was not having anything to do with that rabbit:)

Happy Saturday!

Meet Lauren

This is Lauren, she arrived a week ago today. She will be hanging out with us for the next 10 weeks. Please pray for Lauren as she continues to settle in and find her place here at C.C.C.D. Knockpatrick. Thanks!

Bubble Thursdays

One of the teams this past year brought a bubble machine that has just been sitting around, the kids have played with it a few times, but since it sits in a black plastic bag it goes easily forgotten with everything else going on. I was cleaning some stuff out before this school year started, and once more came across this bubble machine and a bag full of bubble toys.
So now Thursday on the playground has become bubble Thursdays... until the bubble supply runs out:)

the boys were the first on the play ground and instantly found the bubbles and started playing.

Richard trying to see how many bubbles he can blow at once.

Nickayla sitting beside the bubble machine trying to catch bubbles

Damian and Wadia with their bubble toys

WooHoo For Bubbles!

Happy Thursday All!

This Week in Pictures

This week we all kind of just settled in. I got my schedule for the classes that would be coming in to join me in the library, but my only class that came last week was one of my pre-primary classes that came in for their story, and craft time.

I didn't have a story ready this week so we just focused on our craft.

I came across boxes filled with old printer paper, the kind that is all connected, so we pulled that out and made life size drawings of ourselves.

This is what I walked down the hill to each day. The kids waiting for me to switch into playground monitor role.

Me ruining Shanels attempt to take a self portrait:)

Davia

new to the play ground area this week... Rabbits!
The kids love them, and one of them is constantly running up to give me the play by play of what each rabbit is doing. As soon as we figure out which of the rabbits are the nice ones and which are the biters we will be able to get them out so the kids can hold and play with them.

Moya, Paris and I

Some of the teenage girls got my camera and became the models I know them all to be.

We are off to a great start!
Praise Jesus!

Meet the New Kids!

My kids came back this week and my heart has been smiling ever since!
This year like all the others we had a few new ones join us.

Introducing...

This is Kimesha.
She is 16 and a transfer student from our Kingston campus.

This is Jevaughn and he is just starting school.

This is Imari. I already have a soft spot for him:) He is cute as can be but he is also very helpful and seems to be a good kid. They noticed his hearing loss at age 3. He still has some hearing, and continues to talk up a storm to anyone who is willing to listen.

Thank You Jesus for each of these new students. I pray that they are able to find their place in our family here, and that they will grow to be strong followers of you.

Prayer Meeting

Tomorrow school starts for my kids here at CCCD KP (YAY!). So today the staff got together to have a prayer meeting to fully surrender the kids and all that is to come this term up to God for His safe keeping. Please pray with us as God leads us each through this term, and for all the opportunities that are presented to us to grow God's kingdom.
Thanks!

Home

I am now back home. After a smooth but long travel day I arrived back about 5 yesterday evening.
Last night I slept for about 14+ hours, was praising God this morning for hot water and pressure, and for coffee in the cupboard this a.m. to help me feel half way human as the transition begins.

Tuesday night I stayed in Indy then just took a shuttle to the airport Wednesday morning.
Upon my arrival Tuesday night.

I was greeted by this.
Apparently everyday they pick one person to be the 'Guest of the Day' and Tuesday night that was me. I got upgraded to a nicer room, complimentary snacks, and mints on my pillow along with a nice note thanking me for choosing to stay there.

Thank You Jesus for unexpected upgrades and safe travel days!