Tuesday, May 26, 2009
update
We found out at the end of last week that the Jamaican government will not approve Leah Petagay for immigration & adoption. We are disappointed and sad, but we know that God has a plan for her and for us. Our family has been approved to adopt a child, but we are not matched with a child yet. Leah Petagay is with her family at this time. Please pray for her Mother to have enough work to support all of their children, and that we will know which direction to take as we go on from here.
Monday, May 18, 2009
love these
No big progress to report, but these pictures make me smile while we're waiting for some news.
Sunday, May 03, 2009
Thursday
Thursday morning after breakfast, we loaded up in the van to head to a different small town near Port Maria called Oracabessa. The children were out of school for their Easter holiday, so Danny planned for us to spend some time at the church with them in the morning and then play soccer and swim at the river with them in the afternoon. There was no one around when we arrived at the church, but they soon started trickling in. I am not sure how the local children knew we were there – but they came in expecting to have some fun. Danny and his daughter Jessica led the children in a bunch of fun songs to start. After that, I did the same Easter lesson I had done at the primary school the day before. I enjoyed the smaller group of children at Oracabessa – they were attentive and answered questions readily. After the lesson, we pulled out the craft project and everyone from the little ones to the adults who were hanging around on the porch wanted to join in. We all sat with a small group and enjoyed their company while they worked.
Walton and Leah:
Joy just talking with some ladies on the porch:
Kyle
Will (always a Gator fan..)
Alberto:
Danny sent the Jamaicans home to their lunches and we ate our picnic of peanut butter and jelly sitting around the church. Miss Leah was clearly worn out from the high level of activity over the past several days, and she zonked out on my shoulder right after she finished eating.
She got a 20 or 30 minute nap in before we left to see the property Danny is trying to purchase to set up a youth center and orphanage. It is in quite a state of disrepair and will need lots of work to bring it back to livable conditions. The surroundings are beautiful, and the need for a place for young people to belong is great. Leah was still groggy from her nap, so Walton and Jeff took turns carrying her up the big hill to the house where they Myers hope to live.
We proceeded to a soccer field just down the road, where many of the children from the church were waiting to play soccer with the guys. Joy, Leah, Jessica, and I sat under a tree in the shade and I taught Leah how to put a blade of grass between her thumbs and blow on it to make a whistle. (My Grandma W. taught me how to do it when I was little.) Leah was persistent and when she finally made a loud noise, her eyes lit up. A memorable moment!
The guys of all ages played hard and did a lot of laughing. At one point, they were joined by a Rasta whose name was Danny. He was enjoying some “Jamaican Herb” (aka marijuana….) when he walked up, but put it away to join in the soccer game. Joy (whose girls have played soccer for years) thought he had some mad dribbling skills. She requested that he dribble for the video camera so she could show Nita and Robin when she got home:
Once everyone was hot and worn out, we walked down the hill to the nearby river to cool off. Some of the braver souls jumped off the rocks into a deep spot in the river. The little Jamaican boys dropped their shorts and jumped in wearing nothing but their underwear. Everyone left cool, tired, and refreshed.
We returned home to Port Maria for some of Trish’s good Jamaican cuisine and time spent with some Jamaican friends. I worked with a young Mom, Shiek (pronounced Shy-ee), to help her get a laptop we brought for her functioning. A businessman friend of ours donated a laptop from his company for her to use. She is currently going to school to learn how to be an administrative assistant, and this laptop will help her complete assignments at home. She was thrilled to have it – very few people in Port Maria have any experience with computers & she is working hard towards having a good job to support herself. Since we left, she has been able to purchase a pay-as-you-go wireless card that allows her to have internet access. We have been communicating by e-mail frequently, which is really a nice connection to have from so far away. She usually sees Leah at church on Sundays and says she gives her a hug for us.
Here is Shiek with her son:
While Shiek and I were inside working, Joy & Will were outside playing with Shiek’s beautiful little boy Jalani. Seriously, he is amazingly beautiful!
At one point, Jalani picked up the handle of an old garden hoe that was propped up against a wall outside. The metal part of the hoe had broken off, and there was just a sharp edge left on the end of the handle. He started running around at full speed with this dangerous-looking piece of equipment. Joy obviously didn’t want him to slice someone open with it, so she called him over and reached out for the hoe. Jalani didn’t want to give it up, and he pulled away from her. Joy got hold of it and thought he’d let go. Being 3 years old, he was not going to give up that easily. And – being an adult, Joy was determined not to let a 3 year old top her! She held on to the handle, and so did he. She tried to pry off his fingers, and he tightened his grip. She pulled, and he set his jaw. The tug of war was on. (Will kept saying “just pop him Aunt Joy!” – his terminology for a swat on the rear….) Joy really didn’t want to do that, and Will kept repeating himself. Finally, Joy pried Jalani’s fingers loose and got the hoe away from him. As soon as she did, he reached up and hit her hard across the shoulder/collarbone area. She, without thinking, swatted him on the bottom as he ran off – and then she hollered out “and Jesus loves you!” We laughed and laughed later as she and Will retold their story of Joy wrestling with a 3 year old. Jalani was her best friend the next time he came around.
Walton and Leah:
Joy just talking with some ladies on the porch:
Kyle
Will (always a Gator fan..)
Alberto:
Danny sent the Jamaicans home to their lunches and we ate our picnic of peanut butter and jelly sitting around the church. Miss Leah was clearly worn out from the high level of activity over the past several days, and she zonked out on my shoulder right after she finished eating.
She got a 20 or 30 minute nap in before we left to see the property Danny is trying to purchase to set up a youth center and orphanage. It is in quite a state of disrepair and will need lots of work to bring it back to livable conditions. The surroundings are beautiful, and the need for a place for young people to belong is great. Leah was still groggy from her nap, so Walton and Jeff took turns carrying her up the big hill to the house where they Myers hope to live.
We proceeded to a soccer field just down the road, where many of the children from the church were waiting to play soccer with the guys. Joy, Leah, Jessica, and I sat under a tree in the shade and I taught Leah how to put a blade of grass between her thumbs and blow on it to make a whistle. (My Grandma W. taught me how to do it when I was little.) Leah was persistent and when she finally made a loud noise, her eyes lit up. A memorable moment!
The guys of all ages played hard and did a lot of laughing. At one point, they were joined by a Rasta whose name was Danny. He was enjoying some “Jamaican Herb” (aka marijuana….) when he walked up, but put it away to join in the soccer game. Joy (whose girls have played soccer for years) thought he had some mad dribbling skills. She requested that he dribble for the video camera so she could show Nita and Robin when she got home:
Once everyone was hot and worn out, we walked down the hill to the nearby river to cool off. Some of the braver souls jumped off the rocks into a deep spot in the river. The little Jamaican boys dropped their shorts and jumped in wearing nothing but their underwear. Everyone left cool, tired, and refreshed.
We returned home to Port Maria for some of Trish’s good Jamaican cuisine and time spent with some Jamaican friends. I worked with a young Mom, Shiek (pronounced Shy-ee), to help her get a laptop we brought for her functioning. A businessman friend of ours donated a laptop from his company for her to use. She is currently going to school to learn how to be an administrative assistant, and this laptop will help her complete assignments at home. She was thrilled to have it – very few people in Port Maria have any experience with computers & she is working hard towards having a good job to support herself. Since we left, she has been able to purchase a pay-as-you-go wireless card that allows her to have internet access. We have been communicating by e-mail frequently, which is really a nice connection to have from so far away. She usually sees Leah at church on Sundays and says she gives her a hug for us.
Here is Shiek with her son:
While Shiek and I were inside working, Joy & Will were outside playing with Shiek’s beautiful little boy Jalani. Seriously, he is amazingly beautiful!
At one point, Jalani picked up the handle of an old garden hoe that was propped up against a wall outside. The metal part of the hoe had broken off, and there was just a sharp edge left on the end of the handle. He started running around at full speed with this dangerous-looking piece of equipment. Joy obviously didn’t want him to slice someone open with it, so she called him over and reached out for the hoe. Jalani didn’t want to give it up, and he pulled away from her. Joy got hold of it and thought he’d let go. Being 3 years old, he was not going to give up that easily. And – being an adult, Joy was determined not to let a 3 year old top her! She held on to the handle, and so did he. She tried to pry off his fingers, and he tightened his grip. She pulled, and he set his jaw. The tug of war was on. (Will kept saying “just pop him Aunt Joy!” – his terminology for a swat on the rear….) Joy really didn’t want to do that, and Will kept repeating himself. Finally, Joy pried Jalani’s fingers loose and got the hoe away from him. As soon as she did, he reached up and hit her hard across the shoulder/collarbone area. She, without thinking, swatted him on the bottom as he ran off – and then she hollered out “and Jesus loves you!” We laughed and laughed later as she and Will retold their story of Joy wrestling with a 3 year old. Jalani was her best friend the next time he came around.
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