Sweet 16!

Sixteen years ago, Dulcie and I were preparing to become parents. Where does the time go? Now, here we are, getting ready to celebrate our oldest child turning 16! We are very proud of her and the young woman she is becoming. When we asked her what she wanted to do for her birthday, her response took us back a bit. She wanted to go to the beach for 2 days, but she wanted to bring the girls from New Vision and City of Refuge who were also turning 16. She wanted to make sure they had a nice 16th birthday party as well. What an unselfish attitude! She could have made this day all about her, but she chose to include others. As a parent, it really makes you proud when your child comes up with these kind of things all on their own.

What a huge lesson we can learn! Many times we want to make the situation all about us, when we should really be concerned about the well being of others...especially those who are less fortunate than ourselves.

This holiday season, let's all make it a priority to go out of our way to minister to someone who needs some extra attention or love. Too many times we make this season just about us and our family, but let's endeavor to reach out. Work at a homeless shelter, volunteer at a boys and girls club, or visit a nursing home and pass out cookies. Just a few hours or even a whole day can make the difference in someone's life this Christmas season. And really, in light of eternity, what's a few hours?

Extended Hands Ministries motto is: Helping Others Reach Up! Let's do just that this Christmas Holiday.

Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year! We love you all!

Settling In

Well time has flown by, but we've been at the City of Refuge for over a month now, and we're settling in very nicely! The Puffpaffs have gone back to the States for their year of itineration, and the Rudy family has come to join us as Missionary Associates. J.R. and his family will be working with the coffee farm, construction, and implementing a pre-school. They have 2 daughters who fit right in with our girls, so all is good! We also have another young lady here, Laura, who is teaching Kindergarden. We're all becoming one big happy family.

The kids here are warming up to us, and we've been having a fun, but hard time getting to know their names...all 60+ of them, plus all the staff! But, we'll get it eventually. They've all been great about being patient with us.

We have now moved into the Puffpaff's house, which is AWESOME! Finally, a real live house with 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms...2 stories! You can't even imagine how excited Dulcie is! And it is BEAUTIFUL! God has certainly blessed us!

Our first week in charge here has proven challenging, as this is a much larger operation than New Vision, but we have survived! God has said He will not give us more than we can handle! Altho, at times I wonder!

We are extremely busy trying to manage our time in the office, running errands, homeschooling Jaycee & Hannah, helping Levi & Alyssa adjust to Jamaican school (they go to school on the property), and managing home life! But we are loving being in Jamaica, fullfilling the call God has on our lives. When I think about the fact that we only have one more year left, it actually saddens me a little! But, that's another day!

Anyway, God is good, and continues to provide all we need, both materially and emotionally and spiritually! Everyone is doing well, so we can't complain!
Thanx for all you do for us! We so appreciate your love, prayers and support!
Blessings to you all!

Cool Runnings Pictures

Time of Transition

Times of transition come for us all. Sometimes they are easy, sometimes more difficult. We are in the midst of a transition in our ministry. We have just moved from New Vision up to the City of Refuge in the Blue Mountains, near Kingston. This was a very difficult decision for us to make, but after much prayer and consideration, we feel it is what God wants for our family. We have been serving at New Vision for 1 year now and will spend the next year at the City of Refuge. This home is twice the size of New Vision...over 60 kids!...with a coffee farm and many more employees. It will be a challenge for sure, but we know God will be with us.

It was very difficult to leave the kids at New Vision. Many of them call us mom and dad, and we feel like they are our own children. But knowing we will still be on the island, able to call and visit, has made this a little easier for all of us. Since the move, we have already visited them 3 times. It has been so good to see them come running when we pull in the driveway...it feels like a family reunion! Please pray for the kids at New Vision as they have gone through this kind of transition many times before. It's hard for them, but Jesus is able to sustain them.

We were able to take them all on a fun trip to the water park before we left...thanx to the generous donation of a team! It was a GREAT time, and everyone had a fabulous day! It's a time we will all never forget! (I'll try to post some pics soon!)

We will be in training for the next month, learning the in's and out's of this home. The Puffpaffs, the directors, will be returning to the States for a year of itineration, and they will need your prayers as well. They have been at this home for almost 9 years, and it will be hard for them to say goodbye and be gone for so long. The kids here have never been through this kind of transition before, so please lift them up in prayer as well.

As for our 4 kids, they are handling this well. They miss their freinds at New Vision but are doing great making new freinds. Sadly, just before our move, our dog Zeke was hit by a car and killed. As you may remember, we lost a dog in January to rat poison, so this has been very hard for us all. (We've decided to wait before getting any kind of pet!) They will be starting up school soon. Levi and Alyssa will go to the school here on the property with the Jamaican kids, and Jaycee & Hannah will attend the same online academy as last year. We are expecting a great year for them all.

We are confident that this is where the Lord wants us for this time in our lives. He has made that abundantly clear. We know the challege ahead is great, but He has promised that He will give us what we need, when we need it. So we find comfort and rest in Him, and trust that He has everything in control. Please continue to pray for us and all the kids at both homes. We all need it very much!

Wow! We've Been Busy!

Ok! Let me apologize for taking so long to send an update! We have been so busy lately, but that is really no excuse. In April we had 1 medical team and 1 ministry team...what a wonderful time we had with Dr. Sykes and his medical crew, as well as the awesome ministry of C3 Church in Pickerington, OH! May has been and continues to be a time of relaxing and preparing for a full month in June! (multiple teams in June!)

The kids at New Vision had a wonderful time when the C3 church was here. They focused their ministry on celebrating the lives of the children and teaching them to celebrate who God has made them to be. We had an awesome birthday party to celebrate all of our lives at the beginning of the week, had a bonfire where everyone was uplifted and edified, and ended with a lesson on purity (and the girls had makeovers!) They blessed the home tremendously, not only with their lessons and their love, but with many wonderful donations. It was an absolutely amazing time for all of us!



We've also been busy with normal routine activities in a home of 26 kids, plus our own 4! Doctor visits, dentists visits, counselling sessions, shopping for birthdays, going to devotions, Youth Group, church, Missionettes, choir practice...the list goes on and on!

We've also been able to take some great days off, which is much needed on a regular basis or we'll go crazy! LOL. We've gotten to see some amazing parts of this island! We've been to places that most tourists never see and met some very loving and interesting people. We scoped the Blue Mountains, visited the coffee farm that is known to have THE best Blue Mountain Coffee in the world!, four wheeled the mountain roads, visited beautiful waterfalls on a day when NO ONE was there but our family, visited the location of the origin of Jerk Chicken (AMAZING FOOD!), and visited the beach where we found a star fish which measured 12 inches from the end of one arm to the next! Not to mention the wonderful times we've been having with our missionary friends, or should I say "family"! They are the best and we love them all very much! And the best part of it is that most of it was free! Thank you Jesus!

As we are coming up on our 1 year date of living in Jamaica, we realize that most of the ministry, and the most effective, is that of the day-to-day touching of the children's lives. While we've had our moments of defiance and disobedience, most of our time here has been very positive. We are just loving on these kids to the best of our ability and using daily events to show them what God's Word says. Basically what we do with our own kids. And in the lower times, we are reminded that we're doing a good job, every time one of the kids gives us a hug or tells us they love us! That makes it all worthwhile! So, while we are looking forward to a 2 week vacation in July, we are glad to be here and love these kids more everyday!

New Vision Takes the Prize!

Yesterday we attended an awards ceremony for a poster competition held in our parish in December. This competition was for all children's homes in the Manchester parish. Several of our kids entered and did a fabulous job. There were 3 ages groups...8-11 years, 12-15 years and 16-18 years. NEW VISION SWEPT THE COMPETITION AWAY! We came home with 5 of the 9 awards! Merlene won 2nd place in the 8-11 age group, Sherika won 3rd place in the 12-15 age group, and we won 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the 16-18 age group...Tiffany, Marlon (Roland filled in for his brother!) and Brittany! What an awesome boost for their confidence! They did a great job and we are VERY proud of them all! Way to go guys!

Reunion

A couple of weeks ago we had an amazing thing happen at New Vision. We had a reunion! Not a reunion of past students or staff, but a family reunion. In December we received 5 new children...all siblings ages 18 months to 10 years old. They are precious, beautiful kids. But we were told at that time that there was still one sibling yet to come, and that she was 3 years old. At that time, no one knew where she was living...Kingston was all anyone knew. (Kingston is a city of 1 million people!) We began to pray that God would send this precious little one our way. In January we got word that she had been found, but had been sick and in the hospital, and that she would be coming soon. Again, we went to prayer. In February, we got a call that we could come and pick her up at another children's home in Kingston. Upon arriving, we learned that she had not been sick, nor in the hospital, but had been living there for over a year. ??? We were confused. After verifying that she was indeed the sibling to our other kids, we brought her home to New Vision. Imagine being 2 years old and seperated not only from your mother, but also your 5 siblings and placed in a strange place. Our hearts broke for her.

But, oh what a reunion we had! When we drove down the driveway of New Vision, there sat her 5 brothers and sisters waiting to see their sister! They were overjoyed at seeing her again! Lots of love and laugter! Unfortunately, she did not remember them, as she was too young. We are just thankful that she is with us and is getting to know her family again. It's so neat to see them playing and laughing and sometimes fighting, as siblings do. She is doing very well adjusting and wears a beautiful smile! We are so thankful that God has used New Vision City of Refuge to reunite this precious family. Thank you Jesus...our Healer and Restorer!

Life Goes On...

Okay, so as I sit here today, totally exhausted, I have a new puppy by my side. Our puppy, Oreo, died about 2 weeks ago. We're pretty sure she got into some poison. It was sad to watch her die, but we are thankful for the 2 months we had with her. Zeke is our new pup. I found him in our yard after he and his 4 siblings and mother ran across our soccer field. He got caught in the thicket, so I rescued him. (I wanted to name him Abraham or Issac, but got out voted!) He's a cute little guy, we've had for about a week now. He's about 8 weeks old and the vet has given him a clean bill of health.

I'm thanking God today for all He is doing here at New Vision. Yesterday was a great day of prayer here at the home. We anointed each child with oil and prayed over them that God would bless each life. We walked around our property believing God to do great things here. The Assemblies of God Bible College came out and prayed with us for about 2 hours. We had a wonderful time just praying for the kids and believing God to save each of them and do great things in their lives. We're believing for answers to those prayers.

January has been a very busy month for us. There seems to always be something to do or somewhere to go! We've been repainting the interior of our team dorm, as well as the girl's bathrooms, and the kitchen in our apartment. I like to paint and have found one of the older boys does too, and does a great job! Since we had so much paint lying around, we've taken advantage of it, and are sprusing the place up a bit!

We also had another medical team come down. Jaycee had the opportunity to assist the team and pull files and count pills. She was so excited after the first day because she got to watch the Dr. lance a cyst on one woman's foot. GROSS! But she enjoyed being able to help out. Of course this meant she was out of school for 2 days and had to make it up. During this week, Hannah, got to go to Kingston to our sister home and spend a week up on the mountain with the Puffpaffs and a team of girls from Michigan. She had a great time, and wasn't quite so homesick after coming home. Thank you Miss Kim!

Of course, after being out of school for 3 weeks for Christmas break, getting back into the swing of things has been challenging. Dulcie has really been working hard to get the kids back on track! She is doing a GREAT job home schooling them!

We started having chidren's church with the little kids this month, as well. We have church with them a couple times a month. We start at 9:30 with the kids under 12. We have worship with everyone at 10:30 and then dismiss the under 12 kids to watch a video (usually Veggie Tales or McGee and Me). Then we have service with the older kids. God has been meeting us and the older kids are beginning to respond to the altar services. We are thankful and grateful that God is moving on their hearts. We are staying involved in the local church, as well, with Awana club, Youth Group, Youth Choir Practice and Monthly fellowships. Plus, we attend Sunday morning when we don't have kids church. We believe it's important to keep them active in the local church, as well.

We're also working hard to get our new kitchen up and running. Hopefully, some time in February we'll be able to cook in there and eat in the new dining hall. That is...if all goes well. You never know what challenges will arise!

For the most part, we are doing well and chugging along. They finally brought cable to our area, so we are grateful to be able to have a sense of America on the tube. The kids are glad to have Nickelodeon and Disney channel again. I'm just glad to watch something other than Everybody Loves Raymond or Home Improvement! (DVD)

As we watch the news and see all that is going on in America today, we refuse to let discouragment take over. God is still on the throne! He is still in control! I'm reminded of the Scripture that says, "I've never seen the righteous forsaken or God's seed begging for bread!" As long as we stay in His will and follow His ways, He will ALWAYS make provision for us! I believe that even tho 2009 may look grim to some, it can be an amazing year! Know that we are praying for God's blessing in your lives this year. Thank you for all you do for us. We love you all!

Christmas in Jamaica

Well, a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! I hope you've had a very blessed time with friends and family. Here at New Vision we have had a wonderful time. Busy, but wonderful. Thankfully, we had many donations this year to provide Christmas for 25 children. We are very grateful for that! We did our best to make sure every child got at least one thing they asked for...Not an easy task. But, we did our best. In the end, they were all very happy.

The children have been out of school since Dec. 17th, and will return on Jan. 5th, so keeping them busy has been a task. We were invited to a local Christian Retreat Center for a Happy Birthday Jesus Party. There were games, bounce-a-bouts, and gifts for all the kids...not to mention CAKE! We also went to the beach, and then for a visit to the City of Refuge in the Kingston area. The kids had so much fun! On the way home, Dulcie and I picked up pizza from Domino's for a pizza party. That was a great treat...thank you Mr. & Mrs. Brown! The kids have taken turns going to town with us to run errands and prepare for Christmas. It's hard to keep track of who's turn it is to go!

On Christmas Eve, the Children all went into town for "Grand Market". That's when all the stores and all the vendors line the street for a night on the town. There are literally thousands of people who come out! (We stayed home and made cookies!) The kids went early as to avoid the "party" scene that comes later in the night. They were given money to spend on their name exchange and had fun shopping for each other! Most of the teens spent their allowance on snacks! (typical teenagers!)

Christmas morning the kids opened their stockings. We had lunch in our new dining room for the first time and then opened Christmas presents! What a sight! 25 kids opening presents all at the same time! Our home church, Freedom House in Trenton, Ohio, sent blankets for all of the kids. They each got a different design and all of them LOVED them! Thank you Freedom House! It does actually get cold enough here to cover up with a blanket or two at night!

After lunch clean up, we watched Kung Fu Panda on the "big screen". A missionary friend lent us his video projector and we used the wall in the new dining area. Later that night we watched the Nativity Story and the next night we watched Prince Caspian. It was a real treat to be at the "movie theatre", without the trip to the actual theatre...and the cost! Thank you Denny & Debbie Seler!

We still have one more week of Christmas break, but we are planning a Sports Day on New Years Day, so that should be fun! For now they are enjoying their new toys and gifts. Thank you to all who sent gifts or money to help us out! God has been good to us and we look forward to what He has for 2009. God bless you all. Have a very Happy New Year!

Digicel Fun Day

Here are some pics of a fun day the local cell phone company held for kids ages 6-13 in children's homes. It was totally free and a lot of food! We also got to meet a Jamaican Hero...Usain Bolt, Olympic Gold Medalist and World's fastest man. It was a great time and the kids had a blast. The also received a Christmas gift from Santa and a bag of goodies from Digicel.







 
 
 
 

New Baby in the House!

Well, we have some great news! We have a new baby in our house. You may be saying, "Aw, more kids!?" But alas, not a new kid...a new PUPPY! Yes, we have finally given in to our children after 2 years of hounding us for a dog. One of our staff members knew of someone who had puppies and volunteered to get us one. Since it was Thanksgiving week and I knew we'd be gone both Thursday and Friday, I asked that the dog be delievered on Saturday. That would give us plenty of time to prepare for her arrival. Well, as Dulcie and I were driving home from Kingston on Thursday, Jaycee called to tell us the dog had come. Of course she (and the other 3) were so excited all we could hear was screaming and excitement. Once we got home we found a very adorable little black and white puppy that looked like she was only 5-6 weeks old. YIKES! But, thankfully, she had already been weaned and was drinking from a bowl.

Since we were not at all prepared, we scrambled around to find her a "bed"...she sleeps in a RubberMaid bin. The first night was very hard on her...and us. She cried ALL night long. So, the next night we found 2 small stuffed dogs to put in with her, and she slept all night! Thank you, Lord!

Because her head is black with a white stripe down her face, we named her Oreo. The Jamaican kids thought that was hysterical, and no name for a dog, but we like it. It suits her. Some of them are having a hard time with us having a dog in the apartment and loving on her so much. For a lot of them, dogs are only for protection, not playmates. So, we're trying to explain American pets to them.

Oreo is doing well. The vet came and checked her out and gave her a set of immunizations. She's as cute as can be and we are falling in love! If you know our kids at all, you know she is being "loved" to death! It's challenging having a "baby" again, but the kids are getting a good sense of responsibility...and some parenting. (Alyssa has dubbed herself "Oreo's mommy"!) All in all, we're glad for the addition.

Pluggin away

Okay, so a lot has happened recently and nothing has happened. There really isn't much exciting news to tell, but we have been very busy. Mostly, it's the day to day operation that keeps us so busy. We've been diligently trying to get our teen boys moved in to a new building...little things like having sofas made and staining them, looking for foam cushions, material to cover them, etc... We've also been trying to lay some stone on our playground as it gets way too muddy for the kids to pay on after it rains. Not to mention, going to the cambio, and the bank, and the market, and the grocery store, running kids to and from school, and so on and so on.
We did just have a medical team here for a few days, so that kept us busy...tending to the needs of the team, having all of the kids seen by the doctor, running for lunch for the patients who had been waiting all morning long, etc...
And then there's the constant business of homeschool...Dulcie has been VERY busy with that. In the process, we are looking for a vehicle, which can be exhausting. I found one, but by the time our mechanic could go check it out, it was gone. The hunt continues!
So, while we've been busy with life in general, nothing really exciting has happened, which is kinda good. Life's been busy enough. We are getting away this weekend for a few days, and we're really looking forward to some R&R, and a visit with friends.
As Thanksgiving approaches, we are very thankful that we are here where God has called us. We're thankful for our children as well as the Jamaican kids in our care, and we're very thankful for our friends and family who support us and pray for us. While we cannot possibly communicate personally with all of you, please know that you are all in our thoughts and prayers and we love you all very much.
Have a very Happy Thanksgiving!...and eat some pie for us!

Like chickens with their heads cut off!

Okay, so we totally got to do something I never thought we would do. We butchered chickens...yes, that's right, we actually helped. Last Monday, we helped to slaughter 150 chickens. I learned how to catch them by grabbing their legs and holding them upside down. Then we hung them by their feet. Next comes the unbelievable part... I, Paul Bushhorn, actually cut the heads off of several chickens! Okay, nasty! Those birds flopped around slinging blood all over my clothes! Then we had to dip them in a pot of boiling water and pluck them. This is where the girls came in. Jaycee did the most plucking, but Hannah and Alyssa helped too. Dulcie wouldn't even come down close to the coop and Levi was so totally disgusted that he just went and played with the pigs. Smart kid! So, after the initial shock that I had just murdered one of God's creations, it wasn't actually that bad. Now we have a freezer full of chickens in which to feed the home, so bring on the Jerk Chicken!

Welcome Back!

Well, I must apologize for not blogging sooner. It's been CRAZY!
Ok, so, we arrived back in Jamaica on October 16th, and we didn't let the kids know we were coming back. Our friends,the Yoders, picked us up in the Bible College van, so when we drove down the driveway, the kids just thought it was someone from the College. I waved, but no one responded, so I stuck my head out the window and yelled, "Hey Mon!" They immediately began screaming and running! They ripped open the van and were climbing in on top of us. I've never seen kids so excited, you would've thought Santa has shown up in person!

The next day, we had a crazy party. We dressed in crazy clothes, colored our hair crazy colors with wash out gel, and had crazy food and crazy cake. It was a blast! I wore black athletic pants with my swim suit over top, my "fire" shirt with a tank top over it, one tennis shoe and one flipper, swimming goggles, a pink belt with a spatcula and a wooden sword. I had red, white and blue hair, and a red gotee. I was looking pretty crazy, let me tell you!

I can't even begin to tell you how happy we are to be back with the kids. There were 7 kids who were on holiday when we were here before and we've enjoyed getting to know them too. We've already had a few movie nights and sleepovers. Even the staff are glad to have us back...one older lady about knocked me over giving me hugs and a kiss on the cheek...I couldn't believe it! But we are glad for the warm welcome...who knows what's yet to come!

Work Permit is on the way!

Hallelujah, Praise the Lord...our work permit is on the way! We received word on Thursday that our permit had been approved and they were sending it to us here in Ohio. Once it comes and we take care of paperwork in Chicago...it's off to Jamaica! We can't wait to get back. We've missed the kids so much. It has been a trying time, but God is faithful! We'll let you know when we get "home"!

Weathering the Storm

Ok, well, we've been home for a month now. There hasn't been much word on our permit...no new news actually. And we were beginning to get a little frustrated...actually, a lot frustrated. Here we sit, visiting family in Ohio and Pennsylvania, with little to nothing to do. Kinda boring. Our kids homeschool curriculum has finally arrived, so they start tomorrow...Hallelujah! But in the midst of it all, we are hit (in Ohio) with the remnants of Hurrican Ike. We had gusts of winds up to 80 mph! Trees down, power gone, no water (well pump won't work without power!) and no phone. (we have no US cell phone and my mom's died...no car charger!) Luckily, Dulcie and the kids were in PA thru it all. After 3 days of no power or water...losing all our food, taking showers at the neighbors who had water and electric (?), we are finally getting back to normal. Dulcie and the kids return today! Yes!
But, as I was walking down the driveway today, I began to take notice of the trees. Just 2 days ago, we were cleaning up mass amounts of fallen limbs and debris. Things did not look that great, but today...today the trees were beautiful! The sun was shining with a light breeze and they seemed to dance gently. I was amazed. What a difference a few days make.
Then, it was if God spoke to me, "Sometimes it takes a storm to get rid of the dead weight." Wow. You know that's true. Those trees looked healthier and more beautiful than a few days before...the "dead weight" was gone. Now they could really flourish.
Last weekend I went to a men's Encounter weekend, and God removed some of my "dead weight"...things I'd been carrying around for years and didnt' even realize. This "storm" of being home has been hard, but thru it God has done a work in my life. Dulcie goes to her Encounter this weekend. It'll be cool to see what "dead weight" she leaves behind! Maybe this is why we are home. Maybe we needed to be freed up from some things to be able to do a better work in Jamaica. Only God knows, but I tell you what...I'm grateful for this storm.

Following the Cloud

Recently a friend was retelling the story of the Israelites wandering in the desert, following the cloud by day and the fire by night. She told of how the people had to be ready to move when the cloud moved and willing to stop when it stopped. There are seasons in all of our lives, and sometimes we're put into a season of waiting and being still. That's where we're at right now.

We don't know exactly why God has us back in Ohio right now, but we know it's just a season. We will be going back to Jamaica. God has promised it to us.

On September 8th, there is going to be an inspection at the New Vision City of Refuge by the Work Permit Office of Jamaica. They are visiting to determine why we are needed there. There was recently a change in political parties in the government and sometimes that means a change in the way things are done. We are not worried about this inspection. We are just waiting and trusting God. We are using this time to meditate and prepare for our return.

Many have asked about giving of monthly support. My advice to our supporters is to continue to give, as if we were there because it's really just a matter of time before we return. WE WILL RETURN SOON!

Also, please pray for Jamaica and the children's home as Gustav hits the island. The workers there are making all necessary preparations, but we just need to pray for minimal to no damage of the buildings and safety for everyone. Although we don't look forward to being in a hurricane, we wish we were there with them.

All we can do, and all you can do, at this point is pray and wait on God. "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up on wings as eagles." We hold to this passage of Scripture. We hope you'll take comfort in it as well.

We are Victorious!

Well, things have been a little "crazy" to say the least. We are currently in Ohio for an undetermined amount of time. We received word that our work permit was approved, but for some unknown reason they are not releasing it. Last Sunday night, we had an awesome prayer meeting and God came down! We know that there were some spiritual walls that came down with the kids. You could feel it. So, on Monday, as we were on our way to the airport, we got word that our permit was not being released. Then at the airport we were told that our flight from Atlanta to Cincinnati had been cancelled. We would have to spend the night in Atlanta. Upon getting our bags, we discovered that 2 of our 4 bags had been lost. Great! That means 3 of us had no clothes. We were not allowed to file a claim until we got to Cincinnati.

When we got to the airport the next morning, we were met by more opposition at the ticket gate, but it was eventually rectified. We checked our 2 bags and went to our gate. The gate that was supposed to be for Cincy said Ft. Lauderdale. Our gate had been moved to the opposite end of the terminal. Upon finding our correct gate, we were told the flight would be delayed because they could not find any of our flight attendants. What? Apparently they had both called in sick. Once new attendants were found, we were on our way. We got into Cincinnati on Tuesday at Noon.

It is now Thursday and our bags arrived at 2:45 p.m. today, so for close to 4 days, 3 of us (Paul, Hannah & Alyssa) had no bags...and no blanket for Alyssa! YIKES! We did hit a great sale at Old Navy and got a few things.

We are just thankful all has been found and we feel whole again. We know Satan is a liar and a defeated foe! We have victory in Jesus and know that our permit is going to come soon, so we can be on our way to Jamaica! Just keep us in your prayers. Thru all the "craziness" we continued to laugh, because we knew it was just the enemy's way of trying to discourage us and we were not going to let that happen. God has promised and we believe His report! We are coming thru in Victory! Amen!

Butcher's First Day?

Well, Here is a picture of a pork roast we had tonite. Notice what's attached...pig hair! As we were all completely grossed out, Alyssa said, "Well, maybe it was the butcher's first day!" HA HA! Welcome to Jamaica!

Birth Announcements

Well, our family here has grown! We now have 4 new children and boy are they precious! Of course, the boys (especially the baby) keep everyone hopping! But, all of the other kids here have really welcomed them and everyone wants to hold the baby! They are all adjusting very well, and we are seeing lots and lots of smiles and hearing lots of laughter. The baby is not sleeping through the night, but is otherwise doing great! I'm really proud of our New Vision kids and how they have accepted these little ones. Things are not as quiet here now, but that's okay. We took them all to a church fellowship last night and introduced them to the church family. It was a lot of fun.