MEET THE CSUN GROUP

Good Morning Everyone! Do the nights seem to be getting shorter and shorter or is it just me? After having a great meeting with the CSUN (california state university @ northridge) group last night I looked at my watch and it was midnight then i was welcomed home to 3 weeks worth of clean laundry piled on my bed that (praise the Lord) i was able to wash yesterday! The group left this morning and as we all sat together for breakfast at one big table socializing we ran out of room so i pulled a bench up at one end of the table and as I sat there i thought this is just like the coming together of one big family and that thought made my heart smile. Working with these colleges groups I have come to realize that they don't know each other all the well before they come down here. A leader sends out a mass email and who ever can come comes and the group is made so we all kind of get to know each other together. Because I was involved in so much traveling this week I didn't get to spend as much time as i would have liked getting to know everyone and I hate to say I didn't learn all their names either (sorry guys) but the time i did spend with them was Great and I love making those new connections. Today starts the 50th anniversary celebration week! I already feel completely spent, not having really stopped for the last 2 weeks (welcome to missionary life) But GOD is always in complete control I have no doubt in that and i know he will get me through (even if He has to drag me at times:). Have a great weekend I love you! Congrats Marty and Marti for your wedding day tomorrow. I'm praying for you and wish you all the best. Be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-

A HUMBLING

Hello Everyone. I pray that GOD is blessing your day. SO another update the entire day after I accepted yet another job I just became more and more and more burdened by it. It so bad that I knew the next day I was going to have to go and talk to Mrs. d (the Principal) again and tell we have to work something different out i just don't have a peace. I really struggled with this because she is the one person who has been a rock and there for me every step of my stay here and she is the one person i hated letting down. It was completely my fault because I tried to take on this HUGE responsibility with out going to GOD first in prayer. so the next morning I crawled into her office poured out my heart and apologized for not talking to GOD first before I told her i would take the teachers place. She just let me cry on her shoulder then gave me the kick in the pants i needed scolding me for taking on to much when I know my own limit. She has been the one who has been hounding me to make sure i am not over doing it and then when i did over do it she was the one i had to let down and I sure don't like that. There was just no possible way i could teach full time along with being (soon) the sole hostess for the work teams while kirk and keri spend time in MoBay working with work teams. We got it all worked out and I will help as much as I can with the class but I still have my other responsibilities and my down time that is much needed. Also this has been a week of travels I have spent 3 of the 6 days this week traveling around the island (NOT FUN!) Wednesday Kirk and I went to MoBay to get our passports stamped for an extension (because our paper work is still not processed) so we get there they look at the dates of our immigration forms and tell us to come back on Monday! we were 5 days to soon! they can only stamp it the week before you are set to leave and we are okayed till the 18th of January. YES WE LOVE THE QUIRKS OF JAMAICA! We have also had a very interesting group from CSUN (California State University Northridge) they are a Major collage for the Deaf and Deaf Ed majors so the group is made up of the deaf, hard of hearing, interpreters, all amazing signers. so much so that the kids come up to me and tell me they sign so fast i don't understand what they are saying! They have been a great group to get to know VERY diverse. We didn't know were they stood in their beliefs so we tried to be the best example we could. Ok i am now late for our weekly meeting with the team to see what the highs and lows of the week are and what we as the hosts can do to better the experience. Have a great weekend. I love you and miss you very much. O for all you kingston goers YES! i am still meeting you there in march i would not miss it for the world. That was one of the dates I gave mrs d before the entire teacher thing. its the kids spring break so no problem mon:) I"m so excited. 50th week also starts tomorrow we are expecting 30-40 people to arrive tomorrow alone (plus all those coming later and who are already here) its gonna be great! I have loved hearing the stories and experiences but that's to share for another time. Be blessed and be a blessing. -Erin-

I JUST GOT A PROMOTION.....I THINK

Hello Everyone. So today I went from being a speech/language therapist/librarian/sub teacher 3 afternoons a week to a full teacher all day 5 days a week. AHHHHHH! God is really shaking things up for me I have just gotten the Library organized and ready to open it up and have fun with the kids and now I have already been forewarned that it will not stay that way and it kind of breaks my heart. I am also SO disappointed that I will not be working with the kids on speech and language therapy. Some are doing so good. And I will not be able to spend as much time with the work teams, But when the principal came to ask me... what could I say they lost a teacher to maternity leave and don't have any other options? This class I'm taking over the teacher is already gone I don't know what they have learned or what they are supposed to be learning... As I sit here and really think about it the questions just pile up. I must remember GOD is good and always in complete control so I just need to keep my focus on HIM and everything will be fine. Its crazy how I was just getting settled with what they had thrown me into when I first got here and now I will be doing something TOTALLY different. Ok thanks for letting me vent. Chad and Pam Huber and their family arrived safely yesterday and are now settling in at JDV. Kirk and I are headed into MoBay this week to get an extension stamp in our passports so we can stay longer. Prayers would be greatly appreciated in that area. I hope you are all having a most wonderful day I hear that its beautiful and 65 at home! Be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-

Sharing God's Beauty

God's Promises Are New Every Morning

A beautiful rainbow God provided for us right over were we worked early and in the rain

This is dedication. on the last day of work the team got up early and started scraping in the rain so that they could finish and get as much painting done as possible! What great workers!

This is Ridiculous

So today I have officially locked my self out of every room I occupy here at C.C.C.D. I have locked myself out of my house (my bedroom and bathroom). I have locked myself out of my apartment all together. And now I have locked my self out of my office. Praise God for spare keys and Richard the maintenance man to come and open doors for me! Be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-

OFF TO A GREAT START!

Kirk, Keri, and I with our New Years Eve balloons

The Work team from Cederville Collage in Ohio and Armondo

Good Morning Everyone. I have found that with work teams there is not much time for anything else and if there is you are to tired and sore to be motivated to do it! God is so good! Our first work team arrived early Sunday morning after a big whoops! Mr Jones and Mr. Lewis drove to Mo Bay sat. afternoon to pick up the work team that was to arrive at 5:45. About 7:30 we got a call back here at the school saying that while Mr Jones is in MoBay ready to pick them up the team flew into Kingston (a good 5-6 hour drive from MoBay). So at 8 o'clock Sat. night Kirk had to go with a hired driver to Kingston to pick up the work team. They ended up getting here around 12:30-1 Sunday morning. A very long day for them. The first day it took me a while to find my niche, I didn't know how much to jump in and how much to encourage them to try. There were things i would see that needed to be done or if I saw someone who needed help and there where girls sitting around I wanted to encourage them to jump in and go but at the same time i didn't want to push them to do something they were not comfortable with. After the morning session of feeling my way around things everything seemed to find its groove. So far we have been working on getting the area around the great house, and the hardy house fixed up to house people for the 50th Anniversary. Lots of filling in holes, sanding, painting, scraping. They are doing a great job. On Monday night after getting in on a New Years Eve service we joined the work team for a Party to welcome in the new year with games, food and fellowship. It was fun. But as soon as midnight hit we were all so tired and had to work the next day so we all quickly found our beds. God has blessed us with a great first work team and its been fun to get to know them as I have an opportunity to jump in a work with them. I am also thankful that we are starting off with easy jobs such as painting so that I don't have to worry about inexperience on my side. I hope you are all having a great week. I love you and miss you. Happy New Year! Be blessed and be a blessing -Erin-