SCHOOL'S IN SESSION!

9:06 Jamaica time.....
Prenote: Your comments have been greatly appreciated and the team has been encouraged by reading them. Keep 'em coming. Now on with the blog.....
The end of our first full day in Jamaica is here. A lot has and has not taken place. I'll explain....
Before the team went to bed on Sunday, we made final preparations for the day ahead. Then off to dreamland.
We awoke to a wonderful breakfast of instant grits and oatmeal eaten with a fork in styrofoam cups. No worries, final supplies were also bought today including bowls and spoons. :) Also had some fresh papaya...mmmmmm.
After a morning devotion by Patty Williamson about being humble based on Phillippians 2:1-11, we loaded up and drove to our VBS destinations. 15 team members went to a town called Golden Grove while the remaining 4 team members went to Golden Springs. The team was enthusastically received by not only the teachers, but ESPECIALLY by the most beautiful children! We helped each child create and decorate their own name tag to help us get to know them better. Norm lead singing with his guitar at Golden Grove while Linda, Jandi, Ashley, and myself lead singing at Golden Springs. After the ssinging, the children had a snack time and then we PLAYED!!! Boy did we play. Jeff Reed is a machine on the monkey bars and Ashley Watts didn't know kids liked spinning in the air so much! I will let the team say more on that as the days unfold.
Now on to the work project. We returned to the manse to discover that our cement (our main supply) was not ready, so, since their is no real prep work, we went on to the next plan. While the team has not worked on their work project, GOD HAS!!! We are praying that work be ready for tomorrow, but as we ALL AGREED tonight and were CLEARLY reminded of God "knows the plans He has for us!" (Jeremiah 29:11) and as Kaley Harper shared in her evening devotional, we must "do all things without complaining or arguing" from Phillipians 2:14. We, the team, long to simply be obediant.
In the afternoon, part of the team traveled to another location where some previous mission teams have worked. Met more students and spent time with Maxie. Let's just say he is awesome.
More from me tomorrow, but for now, here are some thoughts from several team members....

Alan Ewing...(adult)
Most of us were awakened by a rooster. Our first discussion of the day was if rooster for breakfast was appropriate (ha ha ha). I guess grits and oatmeal will have to do. After breakfast we took off for VBS. On our way I realized my group had forgotten our supplies (name tags for the children). Patty W., myself and our professional driver named Maroon went back to the manse to retrieve them. When we got back to the school, Norm was playing guitar and leading our group and the children in singing. The children (ages 3, 4 and 5) were singing as loud as they could. It was a wonderfull praise to God for me and Patty to witness and to join. Words can not express our instant feelings for these children of God. After the songs,we sat with them and helped with their name tags. Amazingly almost of them knew how to spell their names. We gave them stickers and they went crazy. They just couldn't get enough. What a thrill for all. We hugged them and they sqeezed us. The children were not camera shy what-so-ever. The more pictures we took the more they would smile and pose. When it was time for us to leave they said "good-bye tourist" with the biggest of grins. God is truly doing good things thru us and within us. God bless everyone of you back @ homebase and we all can feel your prayers.

Jeff Mott...(adult)
My day turned out great today. Day one of the VBS was at Golden Grove Basic School. There were 15 of us that went there. The other four went to a smaller school called Golden Springs Basic School. I watched the eagerness and excitement in their faces as I was passing out supplies for our craft today. It was name tags that the kids could hang around their necks. I handed out the name tags at the first table and they looked up at me like "what's next?" As soon as I could, I found Morgan with a bag of the stickers so I could start showing them how to peel the backs and stick them to their name tags. Seeing them reminds me of my own sons and the eagerness in their faces they have when I'm doing crafts, games, reading, or showing them something new.
We'll I just finished my COLD shower and fixing to go to bed. I miss my family so much and look forward to sharing what I've experienced with them once I get back. Good night.
(I love you Cyndi)