Hello Cold!

 27 Feb 2013

Since there was no big rush this morning to hit the road, Kory and I took a leisurely walk around the RV resort where we were staying (that's our RV above).  It was better than an RV sales lot, as we saw all kinds of RVs and all kinds of things to add to them.  The funniest thing we saw was three old guys sitting in lawn chairs cozied up to the side of an RV with one of the under storage bins open.  Inside the bin was a large screen TV, so they were watching the morning news, outside in the sunshine.  I’m sure they were thinking “this is the life.”  It’s certainly not camping, that’s for sure.

We walked just to the end of our street and saw a “Beware of Alligator” sign, which we kind of thought was a joke, until we saw an alligator (below).  We had to go wake Kaleb up and show him, since he hadn’t seen one in the wild before.    There were also huge turtles in that pond, and lots of fish, so we lingered longer than we should have just watching nature at work.  Soon thereafter, we were heading north out of Florida where the only nature we saw was dead on the side of the road – turtles, armadillos, an owl, skunks, porcupines and even a dog, sadly.

Another big thrill today was driving right through the town where our beloved Grammy J grew up in Fort Valley, Georgia.  I took photos of the exit signs off the freeway and if we’d known the exact house or street, we would have detoured off to see it.  We saw they are the self proclaimed “peach capital of Georgia,” so I guess that explains why Janet is such a peach to everyone.

It was about a six-hour drive to Atlanta, where we met up with my friend, Tami, again.  We got to her house long before she did so we detoured over to Stone Mountain to see what’s become of the famous rock carving of the Civil War generals (below).  Boy has that place changed since we were there 20 years ago.  So commercial and they even charge $10 just to drive up to see it.  It was free before.  It was kind of a joke, really, but it was another one of those things mentioned in a book Kaleb read so we had to go see it, which took all of two minutes.

Tami only lives about five minutes from Stone Mountain so we drove on over to her place and sat in her driveway and I made a yummy dinner which I finished the minute she pulled up from work.  She invited another friend over so we all sat around and ate dinner and yacked the night away.  I was also able to get more laundry done, so now we have clean sheets again.  Woo hoo!  Although, the temperature has dropped so much I decided to put the flannel sheet back on to keep warm. 

We are ready for our last leg of the journey and Kaleb is counting down the hours – anxious to get back home to his friends and activities at church.  I kind of dread all that lies ahead, especially the taxes that must be done, but this little break from our routine has certainly been a worthwhile one.  We are blessed beyond what we deserve.

Last Day of Heat

26 Feb 2013

We enjoyed a leisurely morning this morning, since we didn’t have to be anywhere until 2:30.  We drove to a nearby park and had breakfast, then walked around the park, looking at all the cypress knees (strange roots that grow straight up from the ground in order to give the tree more oxygen) and Spanish moss dangling above.  So southern looking.  We used the rest of the morning to gas up, get groceries, go to the post office to mail things for “Louise” and do laundry.

Our big event for today consisted of volunteering at Give Kids the World (GKTW), in Kissimmee, Florida.  Friends of ours were guests there last year and suggested we volunteer there, as the entire resort is run by volunteers.  They work with over 250 “wish granting” organizations from around the world for kids with terminal conditions and the families stay for free at that place.  They have 129 houses and 103 of them were occupied today.  We met people from Puerto Rico, Canada, England, France and of course, all parts of the US.

We had two shifts assigned to us – the first one was poolside.  Initially I thought this would help me with my tanning efforts, but the weather was so cloudy today, that didn’t happen.  Earlier it was pouring down rain, but we missed all that.  By the time we showed up at three o’clock for our shift, the sun was starting to make an entrance, but never quite pulled it off.  Our biggest responsibility was handing out towels to the guests and answering questions.

Kaleb loved being a volunteer at GKTW because they treat the volunteers so well.  There was a break room right next to the pool full of all kinds of goodies to munch on, plus they bring a hot dinner and big salad, so no one goes hungry.  It was pretty easy duty – just chatting with the guests, straightening out chairs and picking up debris the wind blew out of the trees.  It was heartbreaking though, so see so many kids in wheelchairs and with so many contraptions that have to travel with them to keep them alive.  Several of the kids didn’t even seem to be aware of where they were, but I’m sure the families appreciated the village.

Our second shift was supposed to be at a birthday party, helping to set up, serve cake and clean up, but they were short in the “Gingerbread House” where they serve dinner, so we all went over there, which was way more active.  We offered to carry the meal trays to the tables and then unloaded their plates and returned the trays.  We went around and asked if anyone needed more beverages and brought them what they wanted.  I was so impressed with Kaleb as he worked very hard, hustling non-stop without a single complaint.  I reminded him that NONE of the families really wanted to be there because it meant they have a sick child, so the more pleasant we were, the better for them, so be sure to provide service with a smile.  He was all business and just looked serious the whole time he was working (the blur above).  Oh well.

That second three-hour shift went quickly as there was a non-stop influx of families in the dining room.  Afterwards I sanitized the tables and chairs and Kaleb dried them off while Kory ran the vacuum cleaner over the floor.  Kaleb loved working there so much he asked if we could come back and volunteer there for an entire week sometime.  Now THAT’S a family vacation!  It was pretty cool.  And the grounds there are very storybook land oriented so it’s just a fun place to hang out.  It was time well spent.

We returned to the RV resort where we were last week, but we didn’t get back until after 10, then I had to put the clothes in the dryer and wait for them to dry.  We all took a much needed shower and it’s now midnight and we are all still awake.  At least tomorrow we can sleep in, as none of us are anxious for the long journey home.  I’m so glad we have the freedom, health, finances and desire to do this trip.  I’m trusting it’s made an impact on Kaleb, but I could totally see Kory and I doing more of this type of travel once he’s off to college – Lord willing.

Goodbye Paradise

25 Feb 2013

I guess all good things must come to an end.  We had to leave the Bahamas today, but Louise is already planning our return.  She wrote us the nicest thank-you card and said she’s keeping all January and February of next year clear, just in case we can make it back.  I told her it would depend on how much work she had for us to do.  I guess that car window of hers has been broken for 8 years, so it’s like a whole new world for her with that thing now working.  I am so thankful Kory could do something for her.  She also appreciated all my home cooking, as she doesn’t cook anymore, so I at least added something to mix, but really it was Kory who saved the day.

Her daughter, Sheila, also wrote us  (and handmade the cards) incredibly nice words of encouragement and thanks for all we’ve done.  She too, invited us back anytime and she said she doesn’t give out those invites often, so we are pretty high on their list.  Woo hoo for that!  She enclosed money in the card for Kaleb to have some spending money and us too, which we used to buy a souvenir at the airport – a fish carved out of a conch shell to put in our bathroom at home.  I figured that conch was one of the biggest memories of our time there, since Kory ate some raw. 

We spent the morning packing and cleaning and chatting away with Louise, then she drove us out west to the airport.  She showed us where Anna Nicole Smith is buried and the church where they held her funeral.  We passed some pretty fancy housing developments that are just summer homes for the rich and famous, which is in stark contrast to the way the locals live.  Incredible really.  I guess having such economic diversity on one small island is why stealing is the number one hobby.  And the government is so corrupt, the locals just pay them off so they don’t go to jail.  Even regular homes put a locking door at the entrance to their hallways going to the bedrooms, so if someone breaks in, they can’t get to the sleeping residents.  Everything is built to protect against hurricanes and burglars.

Our flight was nearly two hours late departing, but the new airport in Nassau had free wi-fi so with each of us owning something electronic, that wasn’t really a problem.  It was just like being at home. 

I called the park-n-ride shuttle van when we touched down and he pulled up to the curb the minute we stepped out of the airport door.  Perfect timing, as we didn’t check our bags so we got back to the RV about 5pm.  The sky was dark gray and I was surprised it hadn’t rained yet, but a few sprinkles started when Kory was looking for the keys to get in the RV.  Within 30 seconds of us all stepping inside and getting the luggage through the door, the skies just opened up and dumped rain as hard as rain can be dumped.  We’d left the roof vents open, so God orchestrated perfect timing on that one as we were there to close them as the whole RV was battered with hard rain and wind.  We couldn’t go anywhere for a while as the visibility was zero so we just sat in the parking lot and unpacked our luggage and waited out the storm.

For some reason our refrigerator stopped working while we were gone, and we had filled up the LP gas before we left just to be sure that wouldn’t happen, but I guess the battery must have run low or something.  No big loss there, it was time for new lettuce anyway.

Once the heavens showed light again, about an hour later, we drove over to our now new favorite restaurant, Sweet Tomatoes (unlimited salad and soup bar), and had a leisurely dinner.  Lucky for us, it’s also right next to an Office Depot, with free wi-fi, so that’s where we spent the evening, too, just hanging out until closing time, then we went back to the hotel up the street that said it was OK to park in their parking lot.  That little treat alone saves us fifty bucks a night as all the RV parks around here charge that, plus the gas to get to them, as none of them are in the city.  Sweet.

Tomorrow is our last day in Florida before we turn and head back home.  Already I feel like we have experienced so much and had God’s blessing on us every step of the way.  We’ve had so many different kinds of experiences it feels like we are changing channels on some reality TV show as we flip from one event to the next.  It won’t be a trip we soon forget, that’s for sure.

Chaos

24 Feb 2013

Well, I had my moment this morning teaching Sunday school to about 90 kids in the basement of the Calvary Haitian Baptist Church.  It might not have been so bad if there weren’t two other adult Sunday school classes going on at the same time in the same room with their chairs facing another direction.  The acoustics of the tile floor bounced around every little noise and sniffle so it was like nothing I’ve ever experienced before.  It was crazy in there.  The kids couldn’t settle down, as kids go these days, and all ages were together from 3^rd grade to high school.  I had my work cut out for me.  At least they got the microphone working, otherwise it would have been hopeless. 

Children’s church started right after Sunday school and those poor kids didn’t even get to get up from their seats, so they were on those benches from 9:30 until 1pm without a snack, a drink of water or anything.  You can imagine how well they were paying attention by the end of it all.  Both Kory and I spoke a little during Children’s church but there were only a few, I’m sure, paying attention to what we said.  So much for taking control of the classroom!  I’m just trusting God someone heard something and it made a difference.  They all prayed for us and called us missionaries, which was very ironic, and they couldn’t be nicer people or sweeter or cuter kids, but it was a challenge.  I was watching the clock as much as Kaleb.

I had two kids act out a scene where one kid took the other’s Bible then they got in a scuffle and the one who stole the Bible ended up “killing” the other kid.  I put the “bad guy” on a chair and condemned him to death because of what he’d done, but then Kory interrupted and offered Kaleb as the sacrifice in his place so the bad guy could go free.  I guess they liked that demonstration a lot so hopefully someone understood the level of God’s love for them today. 

After church we came back to Louise’s house and Kory did a few more repairs for her daughter, next door.  They were so kind yesterday to take us out on their boat and they had a front door that wouldn’t open, so Kory fixed that while Kaleb and I went to a nearby beach so he could do a bit more metal detecting.  We found a lot of buried pop cans and wires and he even found a Bahamian penny.  Kaleb was still full of hope in finding real buried treasure.  The kid’s gotta dream, I guess. It was another gorgeous day in Paradise and I used the time to pick up more sea glass.

I made dinner tonight (Red Beans and Rice and mashed sweet potatoes & salad) and Sheila and Greg came over again and we had a long talk over dinner about dysfunctional families and the history and politics of this country.  They pay NO income tax here!  Hard to believe a country can run without it, but they do. 

Louise reminds me so much of my dad’s mom.  My grandma used to say things like, “Now, I don’t mean MAYBE!” when she was making a point, and Louise likes to say, “Now I don’t care who you are, THAT’s funny.”  She’s got this southern drawl from North Carolina that makes her pronounce words like “daughter” as “door-ter,” and she talks with each word drawn out.  Classic.

I just can’t get over the judgment and almost abuse she’s taken as a missionary with so many people critical of her lifestyle down here.  But as she says, “everyone thinks missionaries should be poor and living in a straw hut.”  When she gets calls from people who want to come down to ‘bless” her, now she just says, “Just stay home and be a blessing to those around you…”.  She is one funny lady.  We were pretty lucky to even get to come here, but already she’s asking if we’ll come back next year.

Louise took Kaleb and I to an abandoned mansion right on the water on our way home from the beach.  She got the “what-for” from her daughter for doing that as a lot of drug users hang out there, but I think she’s been curious for years to walk around in there.  It was some place – marble floors and mahogany ceilings, but every window was broken out and the floors have buckled from the wind and rain.  Some guy built it years ago with illegal money and then went to jail right afterwards so it went into ruin.  Nature will soon claim it, but I’ve never seen anything like it.  Humongous, built with six-inch concrete walls, at least six bathrooms, several ball rooms, two kitchens and views to beat the band.   It’s just torn to bits though.  I don’t even think imploding it would bring it down, it’s such a strong fortress.  It was a good picture of what sin with do in a person’s life.

Well, our hearts to serve here including working on the church building, but that just didn’t happen.  The amount of things Kory was able to do for Louise personally though, was huge and I know it really made a difference.  She has a long list of people she’s called to do things for her and they end up stealing from her or not completing the task.  She even took her car in for an oil change and they charged her but didn’t do the work.  It’s hard for her to trust any one she doesn’t know and she doesn’t know any all around handymen like Kory so he was the man of the hour.

When Louise’s husband died 22 years ago, the Baptist missionary board told her she had to come in from the field because people always drop their support for widows.  She said she wasn’t going anywhere and that the Lord would provide, and He sure has.  She doesn’t live on much, but God provides in other ways and she’s planning to continue serving til He takes her home.  I imagine this island will feel her absence and the number of people’s lives she’s touched would be hard to measure.  It’s been so great to see the inner workings of a missionary’s life and I know it will help me in my roll on the Missions Committee at church.  God uses all things together for good – even a trip to the Bahamas!  Hallelujah!