Well, it has been 3 weeks since I last had internet access. We still have no internet at The Nest, so I am at a missionary retreat center using their internet. So much has happened in the last 3 weeks, I don’t know where to start! I will try to tell you as much as possible without boring you!
I have officially been in Jamaica for a month. School is going great! In the last 3 weeks I have had anywhere from 4 to 10 students. I know it doesn’t sound like a lot but it was crazy having 10! It’s not like having a class of all 2nd graders. It was 10 different kids at 10 different levels. It was impossible to get ANYTHING done! I am down to 4 students now! It is unbelievable the work you can get done with less kids. Now my 4 are all at about the same level. Ian, Quest, Peter and Royan are my 4 boys. I will soon be down to 3 as Peter’s adoption is almost final! I will miss him! He is a sweet boy. I have been figuring out different tricks to get the boys to work. I found an old pair of sunglasses in my room that are now Quest’s working glasses. He gets a lot more work done when he has those glasses on. I think he looks like Ray Charles when he’s wearing them. He makes me laugh all the time. All the boys have this obsession with paper airplanes. They will take any piece of paper they see and turn it into an airplane. So a few weeks ago we had a paper airplane contest. They got prizes for most creative airplane, the plane that went the furthest and for the straightest flight. They absolutely loved it! We are having fun and learning a lot! The boys wear me out! I try to take them in the pool a few times a week. They love when I go in with them and throw them around. They are getting to be big boys and I am exhausted by the time we get out!
The O’Dells (the new directors) are here! They got here about 2 ½ weeks ago. They are wonderful! We work very well together. I am very thankful for them! I love spending time with them and working with them. Their son, Sam, comes to the Nest in the afternoons and likes to play with the boys. He is a riot. He is almost 8 and all boy! I have a lot of fun spending time with Sam. Their daughters, Carly and Anna, come and spend time up here too. It is nice to have a family around to spend time with. God has been providing me with amazing people at The Nest. There is a girl here until November 19th volunteering at The Nest. Her name is Nicole. She has been amazing to have around. God provided me with a friend when I didn’t realize how much I needed someone my own age to spend some time with. I am seeing him provide for needs I didn’t realize I had. He is GOOD!! Nicole and I are spending a little time away from the Nest today. I have not had a “day off” in 3 weeks, so we decided to go downtown for some internet access and Pizza Hut! I have had my fair share of chicken and rice. I need something American!
The weather has been absolutely beautiful! I have no clue what the temperature has been. They don’t really keep track down here. It is hot and it gets hotter! It has probably been in the high 80’s to mid 90’s pretty consistently. We get rain quite a bit, which cools it down. I am definitely adjusting to the heat. I am still sweating like crazy, but I don’t feel as hot all the time! I am going to struggle when I come home in December with the cold! It rained the other night so it cooled down into the low 70’s and I was cold! Goosebumps, fans off, and wrapped up in my blanket cold! It is going to be a shock to go home! I am coming home December 2nd and not coming back to Jamaica until the first week of January! I am excited to be home for the month! I will be anxious to see everyone!
Well, that doesn’t sum up 3 weeks very well and I hope that I have not bored you! I really can’t begin to tell you about my experience here. I don’t have the right words. I love you and miss you all! I covet your prayers! I wish I could keep in better contact, but without internet it’s a little hard. Hopefully we will have internet at The Nest soon, but I am not holding my breath. I am able to text using my US phone, so please feel free to contact me that way! I do have a Jamaican cell phone and have been able to stay in contact with my family that way. It has been a Godsend! (Thanks Yogi!!!) I would probably go crazy if I didn’t have some way to stay in touch with them!
Hopefully it won’t be another 3 weeks until another update! By then, it will be more than half way through my first 3 months!!Time is flying! I am trying to hold on and take it all in!!
Kathleen
