Thank you!

Thank you blog readers! We had 1865 views. Can you believe it?

 This was a great way to share our trip with you. We will also be sharing our story on Sunday, July 14th at the Brownsdale UMC at 10:30. Please join us.

I will leave the blog up for a couple of weeks if you want to copy it.

Thank you all for your prayers and support!

Sunday, June 30

                                       attending worship at Wesley Church in Browns Town

                                                senior photo op above Discovery Bay

                                                  a couple hours at Doctor's Cove Beach

                                                 our view from the supper table:)

                                                            dinner at Margaritaville

Posting this before breakfast and then on to the airport................see you soon!!

Dunn's River Falls

before going on the falls....

 start in the ocean

                                                   slowly climb your way to the top...
                                                     

                                                        ....stop for periodic rest breaks

                                                                       yeah....we made it!!

                                                                  ..... so did we!!

 

                                                     that was fun...can we do it again???

We had a great day!!  We shopped alittle in Ocho Rios (even the boys wanted to do that), had a nice lunch and then went to Dunn's River Falls.  It was great fun!! We all climbed....most more than once.  If you don't want to climb, you can play in the ocean.  We ended our day trip with supper at the Ultimate Jerk Shack.  Jerk pork and jerk chicken and lips that burn.....

Now we are packing and relaxing and getting ready for tomorrow's activities.  We are worshipping at Browns Town and then heading on to Montego Bay where we will "suffer" through another afternoon at the beach and supper at Margaritaville.  We will end with a final team meeting.  Monday we start our journey home.  I probably won't be able to blog tomorrow.........so, until Monday........good night from Jamaica.  God bless....

Our last day of work...............

when will the slides be done?????????

Jacob helps install the slides

bucket brigade hauls cement

the team and Jamaican friends smile at the finished project

how we left Eccelston Basic School

the view from our veranda

home is that away...............................

It was with mixed feelings that we wrapped up our project today...........feelings of satisfaction that we did it but also feelings of sadness that we are leaving this warm and beautiful part of creation.

Today our work included mixing and pouring concrete all around the fence to seal it, install the slides, pick the glass and garbage out of the fill that made up the playground and a few misc. things. The black dirt never arrived (it goes that way sometimes) so we were done work early. No one complained. We said goodbye to our Jamaican friends from the school and the construction workers and gave them some farewell gifts. They were most grateful! We also said goodbye to Miss Mary and Miss Mae..............until we meet again.

The kids are at youth group with Andrew so I get to be on the Internet tonight.....yeah!! When they get home we will have our team meeting and call it a night. Tomorrow Dunns' River Falls and the beach await us:)

The kids have been great...............they have been good to each other and the people they meet. They have worked very hard. I'm sure they will have good stories to tell.

Good night from Jamaica!!

the pile is gone!!! where was that tractor last week????

                                                              leveling off the right side

 

                                           there was a lot more in that pile than it looked like

 

                                                              bucket brigade

                                                                 tyler and his pick ax

 

 

                                        the church at Eccelston...we keep our supplies in here

                                                             yeah.........we did it!!

 

 

 

 

                                               along with alittle help from our friends

 

                                                                 rest break...............

 

 

 

                                                                   relaxing at home:)

It was tough to get the blog going today!! Internet slowdown..........we appreciate all those that have taken time to read our story.  Today is our last day at work.  Hard to believe.  Of course, yesterday didn't go exactly as planned........imagine that!!  After a two day absence, the big pile in front of the church as gone..............moved by a tractor and bucket into the playground area.  Our task was to level that......which we got done with the help of some of our friends. We had to take a long break as it seemed extra hot. We thought we might be doing cement and back dirt but neither of those showed up.................the rain did instead.  After lunch, we headed home to a couple extra hours of down time.  That was nice.  The boys went to play basketball.  Then, supper and the nightly meeting.  I think that everyone is starting to realize and appreciate the comforts of home:)

Today we expect a hard day as we try and finish the project.  It is so good to see something completed!!  Earl is also going to show us the avocado plantation (which was another project option for us). Stay tuned................blessings to you from Jamaica.

the morning view from our veranda

everyone is sporting their new braids....

                                                                   looking good!!

                                                  preparing to paint-sanding the rough stuff 

 

                                              Susan and her helpers working on the fence

 

                                                               Jackie and a friend

 

                                      kids at the school line up for a candy treat and a picture

 

                                 slides get installed....Pastor Earl is on the left side of the picture

 

 

                                                   we finished our church paint job:)

                                                  the boys taking their turn at dishes

A picture is worth a thousand words...........we had such a busy day yesterday.  We worked side by side with our Jamaican friends on both parts of the project.  They were so appreciative!!  They have rally day at their church on Sunday so it will be all nicely painted for them.  The fence project is as far as we can take it.  They will be building a gate in the future.  The kids were SO excited to see those slides!!  A parent even called to tell Earl how excited they were that now their kids had something to play on.

The boys had enough energy left to go play basketball for a while before supper.  The rest of the evening was spent getting cleaned up, eating supper, relaxing and having our team meeting. 

Today we are back to Eccelston to "enjoy" some more rocks and maybe some black dirt. Cement will be poured around the rock wall, slides will be installed, tires moved, black dirt leveled (we hope) and grass seed will be planted.

As the author of our team journal put it, God is good! From Jamaica............have a great day!!

kids at Boro Bridge.....doesn't that bring a smile to your face:)

the start of the painting project

                                          the 2nd part of the project--fencing in the school yard

                                          roughing up the walls with stone before we paint

 

                                                          painting with our helpers

 

                                  the finished paint project...feels good to have something done:)

 

 

                                                   even big kids like to play on the slides

 

                       putting the posts in for the fence....the steps will get turned to allow more room

 

 

                                             mixing cement by hand to use to set the posts

 

 

                                                  starting to paint the inside of the church

We had a very busy day yesterday with the team dividing into two groups.  One group painted and the other started the fencing project.  We had alot of local help!!  We are going back there today and hopefully will finish painting the inside and hang the fence.  The fence project keeps getting revamped so we are not sure how that will be finalized.  It was sooo good to see one part of the project actually completed.

The big news last night was that the girls got their hair braided by one of Andrew's friends....and then some of the boys got alittle braid too.  Pictures tomorrow:)  Have a great day!!   All is well in Jamaica. Praise God!!