Our little “stay-cation” was great and very much needed for
our time here on the Islands. I love my roomies and am so very thankful HE gave
them to me. It was only 3 days but it was wonderful, just wished it could have
been longer but isn’t that true of even vacation. We spent time at the pool,
took hot showers so no bucket baths for us, ate some great food, had great
internet to Skype home and catch up on things of the world, and some much
needed rest. All that was amazing but seeing people’s faces back home was the
best part of it. I can see how easy it would be to sit online and talk to
people all day if I had good internet to do so. Or to run and call mom, like I
still want to do when I’ve had a bad day. I can’t believe how fast kids at home
are growing up; someone could make some serious money if they stopped that from
happening. Seeing faces from FCC was so nice and getting to hear prai$e and
wor$hip was so encouraging. I didn’t realize how much I missed that, guess I
can just add that to the list. All in all, GREAT Stay-cation!
Yesterday was this big celebration for Mu$Lim people. It’s a
celebration that the month of fasting is over, they going around and greet
people all day. Everyone bakes cakes and cookies to hand out to men as they
come around in the morning, after they pry of course. They hand out candy for
the children, kind of like our Halloween in the States. Kids glance around as
they greet you looking for the pile of candy they are to be given. Men and
women stuff themselves with tons of sweets and goodies. As we experienced this
for the first time in our little village yesterday, it also reminded me of the
4th of July. The beach was full of people and music being played
loud enough for the towns around to hear it. Kids playing in the water and up
on the sand, island flags are flying at the local beach restaurant nearby.
Soccer games, volleyball games and relay races, were beginning as I looked
around at all the people just having a fun time in their community. I love this
community and so very thankful for being placed here. I hope the King continues
to use me to show light into the darkness here as we prepare for platform work.
2 and 5 years old, neighbors/ island family!
6 and 7 years old, brothers of girls above.
Note the tiny stitching of gold thread on what the boys are wearing....I sewed that, by hand!
My Island "Mama"
Boy on right and girl on left are her children
As we come to an end of our 5th month here on the
Islands we are preparing to start platform work soon. Platform work is our way
of serving our community here and allows us to have a visa here on the island.
When coming out here I knew teaching English might be a possibility but
thankfully HE had other plans. I really REALLY didn’t want to teach if I didn’t
have to. Teaching is just not my passion….working on teeth and playing
volleyball, now that’s a different story. Our team leader has met with the
Minister of Health and it’s looking really good, for me to start working in the
hospital for couple hours a week. At first I will just be observing, working on
the language and getting to know how things function there. It’s like starting
all over again and I’m just out of school, not really sure how anything works
around here. Pry for patience, I’m so excited to start work again and but at
the same time I am not here to take jobs from anyone. I’m here as a volunteer
and extra set of hands if they need it. Everyone in the village is excited for me
to start work, to be honest I think they wont be as scared to go to the dentist
knowing I’ll be there. I was talking to a teammate during one on ones the other
day; I can’t wait to start working again. I want to do something else besides
learning the language and sewing with the ladies behind the house. Don’t get me
wrong, I love sewing with them, and it gives me something to do when I’m
listening to my texts on my recorder and trying to learn them but it’s not my
favorite thing to do. Just couple for weeks and I’ll be back in Scrubs,
pants…ahhh, the little things in life.
The Roomies will also be starting Platform work as well. S
and A will be teaching Ballet Classes on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s for girls
5-12yrs old. No, neither one of them had a clue that’s what they would be doing
when coming out here. The KING had other plans in mind. A French lady
approached the team leader couple months ago and asked if any of us knew Ballet
and would be willing to teach it. The lady already had people asking, wanting
to classes and a place to have them. The roomies have had some training in
Ballet, neither thought that’s what HE would use, but that’s what we get for
thinking. HA! A will be teaching 5-7years old and S will be teaching 8-12years
old. They are hoping to have a recital at the end of the year for the girls
with couple dances. S is sewing the girls little skirts to wear for classes, so
they will be informed and her mom thinking of sending over outfits for the
recital. Can’t wait to see how he will use this for HIS glory. A is also taking
photos for the tourism group here on the island. She loves taking pictures and
majored in tourism in college. S has been teaching some of her friends how to
bake cakes and is hoping to teach a small English class from our home for women
in our village.
More team members
have arrived; we (who came in March) are no long the new people! Our team
is now 19 Adults and 15 Kids with one on the way. Dale and Grace with their kids and the “Holly-Woods”
have just joined us. We are excited to finally all be together. Dale and Grace
are both Doctors, can’t say how much of a comfort it is to have them on the
team. They made sure to tell us when their office hours will be and when the
hours are open for team members. HA! Jeff, Steph and Holly are joining are team
for a year but then have plans for their own team on another part of the
Island. Then we have “little” Dale, Mark, Josiah, and little Abigail; they just
add to the wonderful group of kids we have here on our team.
Pry Request:
- New people are going into home stays this week and then moving into their own homes next week. Pry they have good times with the families they are staying with and pry for health during this week.
- Platform work beginning soon. Pry for direction for myself and others as we see what His next plan is for us.
- Relationships that have been made with Island people continue to grow, that we are able to share truth and shine in the darkness.
- Team is looking for a new car, we still have the 15 passenger Van but as you know, our numbers have grown and we need more transportation. We had a small automatic car but it has seen better days. To make a long story short, we are ready to drive it into the ocean. Pry we are able to find a vehicle to meet our needs that is in good condition.
- Pry for me as I learn to DRIVE a STANDARD…Yes, I have had my first lesson and No, I didn’t kill anyone. Ha! Never thought this would be the place I would learn to drive a standard vehicle.
PR*IS3 Reports:
- My computer is fixable, don’t have it back yet but it IS being fixed!
- He continues to provide for my financial needs here. So very thankful!
- Health, I am well and roomies are too. S has fully recovered now and we are thankful we are all healthy and well right now.
- I made it 5 months here! Having new people here has made me see just how much language I have learned and how far I’ve come in just 5 months.
- Good reports from Minister of Health; allowing me to start work in the Hospital soon!
