Finding Summer
While summer break is ending in the US, it's only just half way over in St Kitts. I can't quite wrap my head around the "1st day of school" photos that have been on my Facebook feed today. Or summer for that matter, or fall, or winter, or spring. Gone are all my typical seasonal markers that helped me know how time was passing. Is "more hot" a season? I think it is here.
Our kids are getting an extra long summer. With our first guest arriving June 7th, we finished school just in time on June 6th. Then we have spent the summer enjoying one visitor or preparing for another. We love visitors! But they also make for a schedule-free week, or in this case, 5 weeks. With two kids who thrive on routine (don't all kids?), we were soon met with cries of, "We don't want to go back to the beach!" or, "Can't we just stay home?" I felt bad for Aaron's parents, our last visitors, because we had hit a wall before their time on the island was up.
Luckily for us, they are wonderful! And they totally rolled with the punches. They played games, created art, and loved on all of us for 16 days. I believe their second visit to our little island was a success!
Summer time in St Kitts does have one wonderful signal; the start of fruit season! We have been truly spoiled with tropical fruit and I'm not so sure I could ever go back to North American fruit and be quite as delighted.
Sun Melon - like a candied cantaloupe!
Soursop - like a giant messy squishy white peach-ish flavored fruit from Heaven!
Mangos - but not the Mexican variety I always thought was the only type of mango.
Instead, we have had at least 4 types this summer, but something like 20 varieties exist!
Just like the trees that have been producing a harvest of delicious produce, Celebrate Recovery has been slowly growing and is beginning to produce it's own fruit this summer. We have grown in numbers, but more importantly, we have been gaining depth and relationship with the ones God has brought in. It has been a delight to dive into each meeting and get the privilege of listening to, and praying for, each other. Aaron's lessons are great reminders of the concepts that God keeps using to heal and grow each of us. Just like fruit, it's hard to imagine finding this sort of joy and satisfaction in any other work anywhere else in the world. However, also like fruit, we know that wherever God has us is where the work will be the sweetest.
After all the guests were gone, it was finally time to figure out our school-less rhythm. Honestly, if my kids had their way they would play on tablets 24/7. Since that leaves them with mushy brains and terrible attitudes we have, in addition to time limitations, instituted mandatory creative play, reading, and outside time. It has been great for all of us and kept us out of a summer funk. When the sun is blazing, beaches "boring", and playgrounds closed for all kinds of holidays, it can be so easy to melt into the couch and stay stuck until someone peels you off or turns on the ac. Our new routine has us making forts, exploring trails, creating games, and meeting new friends and critters!
July was also the month that our friends and pastor, the Graysons, headed back to the states for furlough. That meant that, along with some wonderful volunteers, we were responsible for keeping church running smoothly in their absence. It was a wonderful (read challenging) reminder of how much they do, and why God doesn't call one family to do everything by themselves all the time. Lots of extra-early Sundays, answering questions, and finding last minute spaces for events or practices. Our friends are coming back on Wednesday!!! We are so ready, and so excited as well.
We have had the opportunity to spend time with Kayla and TJ Baldonado, a newly married couple from IN who decided to spend a bit over a month serving St Kitts. They have joined us at New Horizons, the prison, church, and for a few extra adventures as well. I managed to not get any pictures of TJ so far, so enjoy this one of Kayla and Addalyn.
CVF, the Christian club at ROSS, had it's tri-anual clothing drive.
All sorts of items and collected, sorted, and then given away in a different community on the island. We had so much fun laughing, serving, and sorting alongside them!
Clover has been spoiled rotten since we have been hosting men's and ladies' bible studies at our house each week.
She is an expert at calming anxious students and getting ALLLLL the snuggles.
We were even able to host worship team practice one evening!
I loved having this group gathering in our living room singing and playing for the Lord.
Counting down the days until our next visitors arrive - Mia, Papa, and AUNTIE!
We have had a couple of donors who have had to change their giving recently. That's fine! But it means that we are still looking for a few people to partner with us financially. We are $300/a month away from our 2018 monthly goals. If you are able to help, we would love to have you on our support team!
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