One of those Weeks...

    Whew!  What a week, and it is only Thursday!  Still to come for the weekend is a neighbor's wedding, Capture the Flag Fellowship night, girls Esther night, church, a field trip to the bakery with the preschool, and the usual taking care of my family and house.

     Our weeks seem to be pretty full anyways, but this week several unexpected things happened.  It was a week of writing a newsletter and sending those out trying to get the formatting right for our tech challenged family.  Then, a family needed help here so there were added extra hours of watching their kiddos too.  And, then our accounting system crashed...with the past year's information all on it. After money and lots of time by 4 different staff members it was fixed and updated.  When those unexpected things happened resulting in really late nights and juggling schedules around and letting other things go by the wayside, I felt really stressed.  And then so relieved that it is now working and fixed!

   So grateful for the staff teamwork here.  Not one of our staff complained that I asked for help in the office until 10 pm or took their lunch hour, they all were super amazing.  So thankful to the Lord for who he has teamed us up with at this time.

     As this week was going on my husband was in his discipling time.  He does this every week with the same man and when weeks get crazy, especially this week...I wanted to think with this accounting emergency, can you put that meeting off until next week?   He ended up still making it work to meet with the man and while they were meeting the man talked about how reading the word for that hour every week had grown him so much and how loved he felt.  It's so rare to see Christian men leading their families here, and so precious to see this man growing and leading his family to the Lord.   I am so thankful that my husband leads us and sees the important things of what life are all about....meeting with people and showing them the Lord's love.  Because sometimes I forget.  I almost let accounting, a clean house, and the right words for a newsletter get in the way of loving others.    Almost.
   

Starting up school

    Well, we are still waiting for 4 students to come.  They were detained and would ask your prayers for their arrival here hopefully this week.  This year we have 5 countries represented from Dominica, St. Vincent, Barbados, Haiti, and Jamaica.

We made the preschool beautiful and hired Ms. Josea to help us this year!  Mrs. Pam was missing from this photo, though she helped too!

15 preschoolers started the week, with more to come.  Sickness has been going around here....I put up photos of the cuties....

All of us together for the year!

Admidst parenting, teaching, a parent back to school meeting....I got to host a shower for my neighbor's baby!  We played fun games of seeing what it's like to have a baby with balloons in our tummies while tying our shoes.

Here we are at Sunday service, so neat to see our students serving and leading!

Pictured above is our new intern from MU Campus House for the semester!

Wedding Waiting

Our neighbor's son was getting married. He was marrying a lady from another country.  So, we had never met the bride.  They asked Naiyah to be the flower girl.  And since we had a dress from my brother's wedding this past year, we said yes to be in the wedding.  

It was enlightening.  The invitation said the wedding would start at 2.  It almost began at 4:00 :).  The reception was sat for 30 people, over 60 were there.  I was sweating (literally- it was very humid, of course) trying to figure out how to entertain 3 young ones while standing in a small reception room waiting several hours for food to be served.  Thankfully they were serving bottled sodas, which is a huge treat for my kiddos.  When they were served, they asked…"Wow, are these free?"  

Thankfully, those sodas occupied them for awhile!

Was it Friday the 13th? In a good way:)

You would have thought that this Friday was the 13th, not that I am superstitious.....but a lot of big things happened!

7:00 am My neighbor went into labor.  On the top of my bucket list has always been to be in a birth, other thank my own.  My sisters always deliver when I am not in the States and the other 2 I was supposed to be in, we were on furlough.  So, when my friend said I could go...I was excited!  Brice agreed to take our 3 to work and for the next 8 hours I got to support a friend as she labored to bring her sweet baby into this world!  Pictures to come as she is in special care at the hospital, pray for her to breathe well and come home soon, since she was early.  And if you want to know what it's like in a 3rd world hospital, write and I can share:)  It did make me very grateful for all the special care and cleanliness practices we have in the States for sure!

7:30 am our Brother John from the school baptized his uncle, whom he had been sharing his faith with!  Glenroy is now our new brother!

And then, at 12:00pm O'Malley passed on to heaven.  It's hard to comprehend one so young going so early.  Continue to pray for his family.  His funeral will be the Sunday after next.

And I am adding a photo of the retreat Brice and one of our Jamaican students went to.  It is the Caribbean retreat held every 2 years.  They both got to share and speak and recruit future students that week in Antigua.  We loved hearing one of our own students share how WISE is shaping him.

Immediate Prayers for O'Malley

     I know him from coming to Kids Club the last 3 years.  And I know his after spending a few afternoons at our house playing games.  And I know him as a neighbor kid always walking by.  We passed him last week in the road with him mom and he looked unwell.  He acted like he had no clue who we were.  I thought it was pre-teenager stuff, so did not say much.

Kids Club - he is the boy in the top right

     The, we find out 2 days later he got meningitis and when we saw it had already entered his brain and he no longer recognized anyone.  Right now, he is laying in the hospital on life support.  We're praying for a miracle- I have no clue if that will be his brain being declared alive again or if that miracle will be the strength his mom and 2 brothers need if he passes.  Will you pray for him and his family too?

Below are his 2 brothers Tyrese and CJ and his cousin Kareem

WISE Extension Campus Begins in Barbados

Brice flew to Barbados Sunday to kick-off the new WISE Classes in Barbados.  They have begun evening classes this week.  It's so exciting to see 21 adults eager to dig deeper into God's word.  After full days of work they meet for class 6:30-9:30 each evening for class.

So thankful for the churches and ministers there who have raised up and grown men and women eager to grow more in the Lord!

A Really Great Graduation

What a special time.  Hard to believe I have taught some of these kids for 2 years now.  I will miss them, even though I was ready for summer break! 

So many have helped these kids visiting groups, teachers Mrs. Maddie, Mrs. Pam, and Miss Marisa.  Last year we saw several of our students go on to schools and now are at the top of their class, whereas their siblings struggle in their classes not having started out with preschool and really learning their basic foundation.  So, we are pleased we get to help giving them a good start.

Here they are singing their sounds for their letters.

Each student received a special award, from most huggable to most active to best behavior.

Afterwards we had a special cookout and carnival.  Our intern, Alexis, brought in a suitcase full of prizes and games donated by Lifetrack Christian Church.  It brought lots of fun here.

Each Bible College student ran a booth.  The fishing booth.

Musical ABC's was a favorite.

Water balloon toss fun

And there were long lines for Miss Angie's face painting.

So much fun with the bubbles.

Ring toss

And finding the hidden marble.

And our friend Charles brought his horse for all to ride.

What a special fun time.  The Bible College students told us they had never been so worn out.  Together with Sis Claudette they barbecued for all, decorate, and ran games all evening.  So thankful to serve with this team here!