What a day, what a day!

Hello Everyone!
Enjoy the many pictures and the words from Landon soon... We have the only computer that can upload things. Talk about team work hey!

Last bug bite update was 2 for Jesselyn.. it is now 35! Please pray for her that she comes back in one piece. haha. They usually bite her at night while she is sleeping.. the rest of the team is doing well in that area though. Thanks!
God Bless!!
Jesselyn and Lisa

The School we spend our time at; hanging out at lunch, playing games; join the after school club..more games!!

The VAN!!!

Devon and Nathan with some friends!

One of the many sunsets

The view driving up the mountain to where the guys stay..

Some children at another school... (in a different building beside Operation Restoration..)

Patrick with a little friend!

Nathan drinking coconut water, nice and fresh!

Saturdays are lazy days

Hey there out there from way up here (our mountain abode). This is the guys giving you an update on what has happened in the past day. Yesterday was hectic to the max as we got up and headed back to Operation Restoration, this time to hang with the kids at the basic school (1-5). This group consisted of the cutest little kids you have ever seen and the next few hours were a blur of comments about us being white; ("Shiny Mon" was a common description for us) holding our hands, stroking our hair, and pulling us to the ground for piggyback rides and races. We were split up, the five of us, into different groups. One of us for each age group. I, Landon, took on the 4 year olds haha. It was absolutely nuts but i loved every minute of it. I got to help teach the class wherever I was needed. I was introduced as Uncle Landon (never been called that), the kids called me sir (never been called that either). After we stopped for lunch we headed out for a meeting again and discussed what we are planning for the camp. After some brainstorming we headed back to the school for an afternoon activity which takes place every friday. We played a bunch of different games varying from Uno to hide and seek to running for the sake of running (hard on us white people... especially in the sun) to the Jamaican version of checkers (called Jaff)which is easily better (Nathan is quite proud of beating a Jamaican at their own game haha).
At the end of the day, needless to say we were exhausted. It had been a full day so Robert and his crew decided to give us the evening off so we just watched a couple of movies along with some junk food. It was a good end to a busy day and a great start to a weekend.
Today was Saturday so we got up and made breakfast around 9:30 and hung out on our deck for a bit. Us guys decided that we were too white for life so we headed down to our pool in "our" country club and hit up the pool deck for some tanning and swimming. It was a very relaxing day and we ended it off with grabbing a cab and going down to the girls place for some dinner and Dutch Blitz (worst game ever).
Well this has been a relaxing day but I am about ready to crash so this is Landon saying farewell for the evening. Thanks for the prayers and God Bless
p.s.
We heard about the blizzard in Alberta... we feel for you :P

"there's white people waitin on you"

Hello from Landon and Devon! Today we went and hung out withthe kids at Operation Restoration school with the same kids from yesterday! It was
great hanging out and playing games with the kids. After that we went to Tastee's which is a Jamaican fast food restaurant and we had patties (Patricks fav food) and tomorrow will try the patties at a rival food chain for their patties. After lunch we had a meeting in which we planned our camping trip for the kids. We will be spending the camp on the north side of the island which is where all the nice mountains and beaches are. The weather was so hot during the day (plus 31 with high humidity) that we (Devon and Landon)had a near comatose nap on the couches in the girls billets living room. It was simply great. After that Robert and everybody picked us up and took us to the pier we hung out with locals and had a lot of laughs. We had a crazy drive up to our billets and ate soup. We went for a walk and saw a great view of the city. Goodnight and God bless thankyou got your prayers - Team Jamaica

We can't come up with a witty title...... (believe us... we have been trying..)

HELLO out there! From the Jamaican team....its Jesselyn and Lisa!!!! (whoo the crowd goes wild) haha.

hi.. its us... in Kingston, New Kingston to be specific, unlike the Beverly Hills where certain other people are staying.. who of which are enjoying an incredible view of the city lights.... we are happy and healthy drinking a nice BLACK CUP...(no sugar/cream added)...of Blue Mountain Coffee.. Lisa is drinking it, and she dosent even like coffee! its got nothing on Foldgers thats for sure!

We started the day at around 8am. our billet Rea, is like family already, and treats us as such :) she is 29 and works half time with the Fusion team here in Jamaica. (our contacts co-worker). The guys picked us up and had to eat their breakfast...which they couldnt finish...so we took a fork to it!... boiled banana, green yams, salt fish, potato, seasoned spinach, and a dumplin for dessert!

So far the bug bite count for Jesselyn is 2, Lisa 1, by a biting ant. luckily Jesselyns bits were misquitos. They only bite new blood.

...So After dodging cars, bikes, pedestrians, left, right and center, we got some new tires in our sweet as can be van we drive! We are not the drivers per say...that would take some practise..it is definatly a skill to drive on the streets of Kingston. Not to mention on the left side of the road.... haha.

WE GOT CELL PHONES TOO! haha. it is just for contacting with Robert and the guys.. but it was exciting,. haha..

Our main planned activity was to travel to Trenchtown (fun fact, Bob Marley spent some time here, and even wrote some songs about it...one of the roughest areas in the city.) We will be spending alot of time at a school called Operation Restoration Christian School during the childrens lunch break. We hung around there playing games and throwing the football around. The school is for children who have learning disabilities and behavioral issues. We go back tomorrow to help them with their studies..math, writing, etc..

In the afternoon we had a quick meeting with some of Roberts co-workers to plan a "mini camp" experience for some of the kids at the Trenchtown school... it is still in the works, but our team will be the counsellors and will help with games and hikes and campfires! Please pray for provision for the campsite we want to use. We are looking forward to this adventure!

Later on we went grocery shopping, then we got some food from the super market and got dropped off at home. Rea was at her night class, and Lisa and I decided to make some wraps for supper! So tasty! We ate these on the balcony and as we were looking out we heard a flutter... Lisa thought it was one of those croaching lizzards, but it was a BAT!!!!!!!!!!.. ya, we ate inside after that.. haha...

likkle more' (thats patois, which is the Jamaican language, for "Talk to you later")

love you all! and thanks for your prayers!!

JES and LIS

Nathan and Jesselyn waiting to leave from Edmonton

Flying 39, 000 ft...above the clouds!

Our last sleep before landing!

JAMAICA!! This picture we are travelling with Robert, who Lisa is talking to, and our new friends, Kavin on the left, and Patrick on the right...Patrick is driving as well!

Lisa's favorite tree so far!

Rea's deck, Jesselyn's favorite spot in Rea's apartment. 

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Roads/transportation

The food the guys had for breakfast!

We are here, and feeling very white:)

Hey all! Well, we arrived in Jamaica at 1:15p.m. Safe and sound! The myths are true, it's rediculously warm, humid, beautiful and overall awesome in this place! The driving is ridiculous! It seems they have 'evolved' beyond the need to follow traffic laws; swerving, dodging motorcycles and pedestrians is just a way of life, it's literally a game of inches! Today we were privileged enough to meet Robert (and two of his friends Patrick and Kevin) as well as the people that we are going to be staying with for the next week. They are all awesome! Robert said generally the higher class people live on the mountain sides surrounding Kingston, the middle class live near the base of the mountains and the lower class live in the city. The girls are staying with a lady in a nice section of town (middle class area)complete with a pool. Robert then proceeded to drive us guys virtually to the top of one of the mountains...yeah, you could say it's pretty nice around here; the sighns say we are north of Beverly Hills:).

Thanks for your prayers! God has kept us safe thus far.
Well keep you posted.
This is Nathan on behalf of team Jamaica, sighning off!

The final countdown...

Hey this is Landon again writing from home amidst the disorganized process I enjoy calling "packing". We have been getting last minute things done like getting our prescriptions and knowing when to meet. It has all come down to leaving in like.... 24 hours and 26 minutes!! We are all very excited to get going on our trip! We cant ask enough for your prayers, its such a help. Well I am going to go and finish my packing... or at least my attempt at it.

God Bless,

Team Jamaica

Two Weeks Left

This is Landon writing at home to inform everyone that in two weeks we will be leaving for Jamaica. First semester has flown by and all of our preparations have come down to simply getting on the plane. I have been in correspondence with our host Robert, and he is still doing last minute details for what we will be doing when we are there. We know now that we will be doing a Trust Camp with kids from a school called Operation Restoration Christian School. We don't know a whole lot about what we are doing in this Trust Camp but the school works with kids that have remedial and/or behavioral issues. We are very excited to go and work with these kids and see what God is doing there. We leave January 4th at 12:10 in the morning with a layover in Toronto. We get back on the 26th around 10:47 in the evening.
Again we would like to thank you guys for your continued prayers and support. God Bless you all on your Christmas break.  
We will keep you updated when we can while we are in Jamaica.
Love,
Team Jamaica