Wednesday in Jamaica

Wow! What a full day! We did everything I mentioned in yesterday's post and then some. You have not seen craziness until you drop a football (soccer ball) in the middle of 25 five and six year olds. It turns into something of a rugby scrum combined with kickball with a little bit of soccer mixed in.
We were incredibly hot and sweaty when we finished out the morning, I think Hubby and N could have wrung about a quart of sweat out of their shirts, E and I were close behind! Tomorrow they are going to bring a fresh shirt to wear in the afternoon. Hopefully it will stay dry for at least half an hour after they put it on. Can you say "humidity"??
This afternoon we spent two and half hours at the orphanage. There were more of us then there were children. A great situation! A has fallen in love with a little boy named Nathaniel - funny huh? Really, he has fallen in love with her. He would not let her put him down or let him go to another person. He wanted her back! N made a great friend as well. I have to be honest it was hard to hear his name and even harder to spell it! They were inseparable. What an amazing sight!
Tomorrow we head back to the school for more VBS, soccer and ring-around-the-rosies. In the afternoon we head to Westhaven, which is a place for those children that have mental and physical disabilities. Dr. Mark (Muirhead) has a good thought about Westhaven and it's this: "Some of us look on the inside the way these people look on the outside". It's painful to even consider those words, and yet so very true.
I am going to close with a few pictures from today. Please continue to keep us in your prayers, that we will be His hands extended.
Hugs!


Our Soccer Field












A and Nathaniel


















E and Big John

We're Here!

Jamaica may never be the same!! All of the teams have arrived and are....well, exhausted. Most of the teams began their day at around 4:45am, and have spent the day in airports or on airplanes.

We have our first taping for Friends Forever TV tonight. Tomorrow morning at 8am we hit the ground running. We eat a quick breakfast and then head to our assigned schools. Our team will be having fun with the outdoor VBS activities at a local elementary school. I expect to play lots of soccer over the next few days. After lunch we will head to an orphanage and get to spend the afternoon playing with kiddos. I think Elizabeth will spend her time holding babies. I really enjoy playing with the toddlers. You can never get enough time swinging and blowing bubbles. After that we will go to either an AIDS hospice or another orphanage that serves school aged children. I haven't been to either of those places so I'm not quite sure what to expect.

This is a bit newsy, but I wanted to let everyone know what we will be doing tomorrow. I expect that Thursday there will be video at Friends Forever TV of what we will be doing tomorrow. Be sure to check it out!

'Til tomorrow!!
Kimberly

I'm Becoming a Bit Fearful...

I've come to a frightening realization this week...I am afraid of the "Empty Nest". Don't get me wrong, I'm not sending E and N away to military school or anything like that. I've just had a little glimpse of life with no children at home and I really don't like it! This past week Hubby was out of town on business travel, A was away at the beach, E has worked at the church from sun-up to sun-down, and N is like a vapor - sometimes here, sometimes gone but never really around. So it's just been me...and the dogs. I think the thing that has made it even more difficult is that A will be playing a bride in a Father's Day skit at church this Sunday. (I'm sure I will have the video posted next week!) I started bawling at the practice this Wednesday and she wasn't even there to play her part.

When brought A home from the hospital everyone (Yes! EVERYONE) said, "They grow up so fast!" That doesn't even begin to cover the speed with which they grow. With our first child we are so anxious for that next big event, when will they turn over, say "Mamma" or "Dadda", walk, run, go to Pre-School, and then one day they walk up those bus steps and wave good-bye on their way to Kindergarten and it seems like you blink your eyes and they are driving home with their High School Diploma. It makes me just want to put a stake in the ground that stops the world from spinning and scream, "STOP! Just wait! I like things just the way they are!" If only it worked that way....

So for now....maybe I'll stop and think about my feelings this week before I fuss about having to drive someone across town, or stay up late to pick one of them up or nag someone about cleaning their room.... because if the room is messy...it means they are still here!

Nathan's Announcements

Happy Monday All!

N is quickly becoming a video announcements "star" at Christ Community Church. Yesterday he presented CCC's Top Ten List of things to do this summer at CCC, I thought you might like to see it.