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| Last week came and went so fast-as you can see I didn't get a chance to write about all the happenings. Let me start with this-a week from today I will be making my way back to the states, which just seems unreal. I am filled with all sorts of emotions-excited, scared, nervous, and much more. My emotions tend to change by the hour. I think this transition is going to be much harder than the transition I made after graduating college. And even then I was unsure what I was going to be doing.
Ok, back to what is going on here. Two weekends ago we held a student retreat here at the house for students that come to our discipleship classes after school from the different secondary schools. We had a little under 30 students come for the night as well as our speaker and his wife who came from Carriacou. It ended up being a really great weekend with the students. I really think that most of the students who came had probably never experienced so much freedom in worship. Even if some of them did not participate in worship what they saw they will never forget.
The speaker from the weekend was a Pastor from Carriacou who we ministered with during our outreach trip this past July. He and his wife both came for the whole weekend and on Saturday night I really enjoyed talking to Denise, who is Pastor Happy's wife. She was so encouraging. She is younger than me- but definitely much wiser than me.
As I said before last week went by really fast and this week I am afraid is going to go just as fast. I am starting to get to the point where I am in my "last this, and last that" of things, places, and even people.
Today was a long day for me. I went into town early this morning and stayed at the beach for a few hours before eating lunch at one of my favorite local restaurants. Then by this afternoon I made my way to Boca Secondary School. All day I have been thinking that this school was going to be the hardest to say goodbye to. So when we reached up to the school we realized the school was empty. The students had let out early. I was crushed. Some of my favorite discipleship students attend this school and nobody was in sight.
Within the hour I was able to track down at least 3 of them (I know I shouldn't have favorites--but these were my 3 favorites I was trying to get in touch with.) It just so happened that I was able meet them in town for about an hour or so. The Lord is good. By the end, it became time to give hugs and say "see ya, later." This was pretty hard, because these students I really consider to be my friends. They all came on the outreach trip to Carriacou- where I was able to become even closer with them.
So I guess the week will continue with "last"s!
Blessings and Love
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| "Happy Tanksgiving" That's right, it is Tanksgiving today in Grenada. Some of you might remember me writing about this holiday last year. Remember I have told you that Grenada pronounces their "th" like "t" Well, you might wonder how did we celebrate the holiday. The events that took place were a little similar to how I would celebrate the day back home. The day definitely focused around a big meal. In fact it was more like a potluck. People from River Sallee Church where we go to church in the morning and some of the women from Pearls and their children also joined us at the beach where we all gathered and had a big cook. The beach was crowded, but we managed to find a good area where we could sit and eat. The other similarity to the day is when the event was over I walked away stuffed and full you know that maxed out uncomfortable feeling (I definitely have that feeling right now you know what I am talking about and if not you will experience it in about a month when we have Thanksgiving in America.)
But there were also differences about this holiday compared to the holiday back home. The first is the whole day took place on the beach that's right; before I ate I was sitting in the water under the hot sun. Back home I would be sitting in the chair next to the hot fireplace. Also, we played corn-hole and set up the volleyball net. Back home we would be playing cards or playing a board game with everyone there.
The food was good-I had been looking forward to this afternoon all week. There was a ton of food-including pumpkin, calilou, macaroni pie, peas and rice, potatoes salad, cucumber salad, and my favorite part the Grenada National dish Oil Down. (Oil Down is when everything-veggies,dumplings,plantain,calilou, and such is all cooked in a big pot over the fire.)
So the day was good-it was one of those sweet moments in Grenada I will miss greatly!
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| Well, as of today I have three weeks left on the island--hard to imagine. Most days I wake up and talk a walk on the beach and continue to tell myself, "Wow, I live in Grenada" and now I'm getting ready to move back to the states. I mentioned before since I returned in September things here have been busy, it probably feels busier with new team that moved in back in Aug. and Sept. They have started to transition into the day to day ministry schedule. The new interns have joined Alvin and I in the campus ministry discipleship classes and we are officially settled into 6 secondary schools and will begin our 7th next week.
The kids at Sunday school are also getting used to everyone who is new--it took few hard weeks-to where the kids were simply crazy and out of control, but now they realize they can't pull much or get away with their sometime ridiculous nonsense with the new group. Each Sunday when Sunday school is over I remind myself how much I am going to miss all of the kids.
Then there is women's group that meets every Wed. night. This group has been meeting together since last April and they are such a joy to be with each week. Since the new family came, Alicia has been leading the women's group and we have been studying King David. She does a great job and every week we learn more about David I think the group grows together more and more. They really must come to a point where they can begin to trust each other, and I think they are so close.
This weekend we have a retreat planned at the base for our discipleship students. I am really looking forward to this. We had one last February, and this year we scheduled it in the Fall for several reasons. One the Fall time is considered one of our best times to minister to the students with very few distractions such as sports and testing. Also, because I will be able to be apart of it before I leave. This year we are having Pastor Happy from Carriacou come and lead the teaching sessions. Over the summer holiday when we took a team of students to Carriacou for an outreach mission trip we worked with Pastor Happy and his church. So a handful of the students already know who he is. He is a great teacher and so we are pretty excited that he is able to make it for the weekend.
-Well, that is about all for now-
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| It's hard to believe--one month from today I'll be leaving a place I have called home for the past year to move back to the states. The weeks are going by really fast, and I know it is not going to slow down. I will soon have to turn in my flip flops for some warm socks closed toed shoes and put away my tank tops and get my hoodies out. Wow I am not sure if I am ready for all that yet. | | |
| Once again I was at another school and noticed another man wearing windpants and white polo shirt. As I mentioned before some things one from one culture to another never change. This type of teacher I am referring to is the "typical" Gym teacher. In fact last week I asked the guy, "Sir are you a gym teacher, and he quickly responded and corrected me with a more professional title by saying, "I'm the Physical Education teacher" Oh right, but of course.
So I mentioned before how I can now officially drive here on the mountainous, narrow, pot hole roads. Well, to tell you the truth it can really wear me out. Driving in the states can be pretty mindless, while most people can talk to others in the car, listen to music, sometimes eat, all while answering the cell phone that is ringing. Well not here. I must keep my eyes out for ugly bony dogs that would be better off dead, cows, sheep, goats, other buses on the road, the endless pot holes, and of course the people on the roads. And I am now used to driving on the left side, although sometimes I tell myself, am I on the correct side? It is defiantly very different, that's for sure.
Well, we are still getting all of our schools in gear for the new term. It seems to be taking a while as the students are still "settling in." After over a month of school, most of the schools believe the students really haven't settled in for the new school term. We have had assemblies the past two Mondays and have three more schedule during this month. The assemblies are usually held Monday mornings during the first 45mins of the day. This is when we go to tell people about our discipleship classes we have. We usually lead in a few songs, have a skit prepared and share information about our afterschool discipleship.
Well, that is all for now, I have been busy working on the ministry website as well as going to the different schools in the afternoon.
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