Plan to Stay. Eat the Fruit.

4This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: 5“Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. 6Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! 7And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.”

Jeremiah 29:4-7 (emphasis added)

Banana Tree with a budding flower 

Dean eating a Surinam cherry off our bush

   
  Two years ago we were beginning to settle into our new home. We had arranged the furniture, hung the pictures, and decorated the best we could. We were trying to establish 'home' in a place that still felt so foreign and unfamiliar. Our yard was completely bare besides some grass. I longed for the woods that use to lay just behind our last home. For leaves and flowers and wildlife. Then we learned that, for the first time, we lived in an area where growing plants and fruit trees is relatively easy. Fertile soil, heavy rains, and tons of sun! A plant paradise most of the year. So I set out to see what we could plant that would also save us money at the grocery store each week. 

  Well, what I didn't know then is that fruit trees don't bear fruit quickly. When our dear friends, Cassie and Kistian, told us that it could take up to 5+ years for many types of trees to produce anything we could enjoy eating, I was so disappointed. What if I purchased and planted trees, water them, protected them from pests and funguses, fertilized them, and watched them grow only to leave St Kitts and go back to TN before we ever even saw the fruit? Would it be worth it?

  During my weeks of indecision, I began to read through Jeremiah. It was just where I happened to be my Bible reading plan, but the Lord knew exactly what I needed to read, and when. We were not exiled, but we could relate to being new in a land that is not our own. We know what it's like to look around and think, "How long are we going to be here? Will our efforts to settle be worth it?" Jeremiah 29:5 leaped off the page as I read, “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce." "Ok," I thought, "I better start planting some trees. It's time to put down roots."

  Here we are, nearly 2 1/2 years into this journey, and finally we have some fruit. One tiny Surinam cherry, so bright and so red. One of the banana trees with a beginning of a flower that will bear the smallest and tastiest bananas we have ever eaten (silk figs, silk bananas, apple bananas - they have many names). It wasn't easy. It has taken work, but it has mostly taken so much patience and faith.

  Just like our young garden, God is producing fruit out of the ministries He allows us to be a part of! Just like our trees and bushes, these ministries have not been easy to cultivate. They have taken a lot of hard work. But even more so, they have taken patience and faith. Because it's God who grows our plants and it's only God who can produce fruit in the lives of those we love and serve. And just like our trees, the four of us have put down roots. Each of us in our own way and in our own time, but we are all growing and seeing the fruit that The Gardener is cultivating in us. 

  

Celebrate Recovery St Kitts

Kaitlyn sharing her testimony at CR (photo and name used with permission)

  My wonderful friend Kaitlyn boldly shared her story with us at Celebrate Recovery the past month! Early in her time on the island, she agreed to meet with me weekly and study the Word. She already loved the Lord, but He began to do a work in her heart and life so that her desire for His plan became more than for her own. Her time in St Kitts will be coming to an end in just a few months. I'm always sad to say goodbye, and this won't be different, but I also have so much joying knowing that wherever she goes she will be a light to those around her who need Jesus.

Celebrate Recovery Inside - Her Majesty's Prison

A Study on Healing from hurts, habits, and hang-ups.

  This month, Aaron was able to reconnect with Fred*,  a man he met in the prison. Fred had been attending CR, but was being transfer to the low-security prison in Nevis. Aaron wanted Fred to be able to continue his recovery, so Aaron gave him a copy of Life's Healing Choices, a book that covers the 8 beatitudes in Jesus's sermon on the mount. Fred ended up back in St Kitts, but realized that Aaron wasn't able to get in to teach class very often. So he decided to start a recovery group himself! He was gathering with a group of guys to read Life's Healing Choices so he could share what he had learned! Fred is now out, and excited about the Lord and his recovery. Because Fred took that initiative and started the group on the inside, the prison has agreed to give Aaron an extra hour for class and a better time slot so the class is less likely to get bumped! Many of you know that we have been praying for this opportunity for over a year and a half. You guys, God is so, so, so good and faithful! He is producing fruit in His way and in His time.

*Named changed for confidentiality.

Celebrate Recovery Inside - New Horizons

View from New Horizons classroom

The precious table where we get to meet with our young friends.

  At New Horizons Juvenile Rehabilitation Center, Aaron and I have been alternating weeks for 3 months now. I'm loving getting to know the young women! Now that we have separate male and female groups, we started CR 12-Step Studies (Biblically based) with the teenagers. We had a fun co-ed movie day as well, and the munched on popcorn while learning about the evidence for our faith from The Case for Christ. If you haven't seen that film, we highly recommend it! The kids are typical teens, and we don't always get a lot of openness, but every so often they bust out with stuff that has clearly been weighing on their hearts for some time. Please keep praying for God to move and for Him to show these young men and women who they are as His children, dearly loved and cared for. 

Caribbean Christian Fellowship

Aaron preaching on John 17

He also joined the worship team for CCF's beach service! 

Aaron sang in choirs, a band, and a cappella group for years as a teen and young adult, but this past year has been the first time I've seen him help lead worship for a church service! He was amazing. I am biased, but it's true.

Sweet church family at CCF's Beach Service! What a fun morning worshipping the Lord right beside the water. 

Our friend Theo got baptized that day!

So did Cleo!

And Sean and Sabrina! They are engaged and they chose to get baptized together, holding hands. What a sweet way to obey the Lord in unity with each other!

Visitors

We had visitors and they brought us supplies! Thanks to them, and our home church, we have donations for the prison, New Horizons, and supplies for CR. 

Chad, Melissa, Kristin, Denis, and their boys not only brought us goodies on their cruise stop, but they also spent a day of their vacation hanging out with us, treating us to lunch, and letting us share about all we get to be a part of here. We had a blast getting to know them better!

Other Churches

  Part of our goal in St Kitts is to partner with other churches and local organizations to see Christ-based recovery ministry happen all over the country! This month we got to meet with two churches who have hearts to see people healed through Jesus as well.

Thompson Joseph, Pastor Flemming, and Pastor Joseph of Alpha and Omega Christian Center in Nevis. Aaron heard that someone was trying to start Teen Challenge, a Christian recovery program, on our sister island of Nevis. St Kitts & Nevis are a federation, and they are separated by a less than 2-mile channel. We hopped on a water taxi and spent a morning getting to know these amazing people, and hearing about the incredible things God is doing with Teen Challenge. They hope to launch a residential lodge soon, but are still waiting on funding. We all agreed that we want to learn more about the ministries and support each other any way that we can!

We were invited to the other side of St Kitts to help celebrate Light House Baptist church's 26 year anniversary! 

This church has a huge heart for their community and for seeing people come to know God. They are hoping to do a CR training soon, and we can't wait to update you when that happens!

Our Family Life 

SKI Academy held it's annual Read-a-thon and they had fun dress up days to celebrate!

Book Character Day! Addalyn dressed as Violet from A Series of Unfortunate Events

Dean was Jack from The Magic Tree House books!

Our only picture of crazy hair day, but they had fun.

We celebrated Dean's birthday at the pool with his classmates and friends!

We were asked if our kids would make a video for the children's ministry at The Bridge church. They asked if the kids could share about what it's like to live in St Kitts. Dean decided to host it, and we took off on a drive around the island to capture some favorites spots.

We discovered some new fun places too, like this dried river bed where the kids could swing on vines!

And run off into the rainforest.

Dean's very favorite place. You can see both the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean see from this hilltop!

We had our last day of Good News Club for the term. Our kids start 3 weeks of spring break on Friday!

The island pets are doing great, living their best little island lives.

Clover got to meet her first newborn kitten! She really wanted to put him in her mouth. All the vet students assured me it was normal lol

Dandelion looks like this 98% of the time. I may be a little jealous.

If you made it to the bottom of all those pictures, THANK YOU! Thank you for loving us being on this journey with us. We can't wait to see all the harvest He will produce here - both in literal fruit and in changed lives!