Getting Out Of Practice...

I'm becoming more and more of a blogging failure every day, it seems. I just can't seem to get around to blogging as often as I was before. I'll work on that. I love having a blog, because looking back, it jogs my memory about little things that I may have forgotten otherwise. Memories are my most treasured possessions.

On Sunday, Dad was doing pictures for the church directory, and I helped him with that all day. I was literally at the church from 7:30 am until about 9:00 pm. Woah. But it was good, I didn't mind it. I didn't get to go to the services, but my friends were around and I did get to see them some. It was "Friendship Sunday", so in between services and after the late service, there were games and food for everyone, which was fun. I was working most of the time, but it was fine. In the middle of the afternoon, there was a break about three hours long, and so Gracie, Tim, Scott, and Cori decided to stay at the church and hang out with me until the worship service at 6:30. All the picture taking was done by about 6, so all of us got to go to the worship service at the end of the day. It was a good day. Very good. I love my church, and the people in it. I do believe I've mentioned that once or twice.

Yesterday, I went to co-op. Everything was great there, it always is. I take art, spanish 2, algebra 2, and persuasive writing. Art and persuasive writing are by far my favorite. Persuasive writing is probably my official favorite. I love writing. Well, duh, you are looking at my blog, I'm sure you know that.

Last night, Eli and I rearranged my room. We moved the little couch from my room to my parents room, which was so bizarre. I love having it out though. We replaced that with my vanity and pulled out the trundle next to my twin sized bed. Until we get a double bed for us to share, one of us will be sleeping on the trundle most nights. Eli is a lovely girl. She makes me so very happy. She spent the night, and now she's off to school. Today, dad and I are going to watch her in a tennis match. She's really good, I tell you. Like, really good. I can't wait to watch her play. And then tonight, I have volleyball from 7 to 9 pm.

I have to go to chemistry class soon. Blah. I should most likely get ready. Though chemistry is not my thing...at all...I'm looking forward to it because afterwards, I'm going out to lunch with my dear friend Lexie! I love her so much, and I have NOT seen her enough lately. It's sad. Very sad. She's adorable. Okay, time for Caylie to get herself ready for another day of insanity.

I love having my room all clean and such.

-caylielane.

Flip Flopping Life

My life is so....irregular. I can't even define what I just said. I can never seem to settle into any form of a routine lifestyle, especially now that i'm home schooled. It's draining and crazy, but I don't mind.

Last night, there was a back to school party for my youth group at a Gator Golf Park. We played mini-golf and rode go carts. It was so much fun, hanging out with all my friends. A couple of new girls came that had never been to our group before, and I loved hanging out with them. They were sisters, and they had just moved here from Memphis. They were really nervous going into the party, but I think they felt really welcomed in. What good is a youth group that doesn't welcome people?

After the party, I went to my friend Anna's house for a sleepover with a bunch of friends from my old school. It was for Anna's seventeenth birthday....seventeen? Seriously? Do I really have friends that old? In fact...am I really turning seventeen in three months?? Wow. I can't believe how old everyone, including me, is getting. Anyways. The party was wonderful. It was just a great girl time. We talked, laughed, and ate. Great times. I really do miss those girls. So much. But I'm so thankful that they are still in my life.

One foolish thing that I did last night was eat a piece of strawberry cake. Why? Gluten. I figured, I hadn't eaten gluten all day, one little piece of cake wouldn't do anything...FALSE. My stomach was doing flips for the rest of the night. At least I was with people I loved. It was worth it.

I kind of want to go walking now. It's a pretty day outside. It's getting cooler, you know that? It is. Normally, that wouldn't make me happy at all. But now that I love walking and running, I can appreciate some cooler weather. Haha. For those purposes alone, of course. I'm still a summer girl at heart. Well, I'm going to go walking now. Hooray!

-caylielane.

Return Of The Wordy Girl...

Oops. Long time no post. My bad.

Well, Texas was absolutely wonderful. It was a really relaxed weekend on the lake with family. We all stayed in these two lake houses that were right on the water. The lake houses were so wonderful! They had plenty of room for all of us to stay and hang out in, complete with a game room and multiple balconies. There was lots of pingpong playing going on. Haha. There was a dock right behind the house that we stayed in, and it had the most beautiful view of the lake! One morning, I got up early to watch the sunrise and read from the dock. It was so beautiful that I cannot even describe it to you.... wow. Good memories.

We ended up heading back on Sunday rather than Monday, partially because we found out that my aunt was having a big heart surgery on Monday. I was praying for her literally all day on Monday, and I know the rest of my family was too. Praise the Lord, it went well! I was SO relieved when I got a text from my mom telling me that. So relieved. If you're reading this, please pray for a full recovery for my aunt.

I didn't do too much on Tuesday other than shop for gluten-free food. I'm now gluten-free, more or less. Wierd, huh? I've been feeling sick to my stomach for about three months now, and we think it's because of gluten. So, I'm taking it out of my diet. Yesterday was my first official gluten-free day, and I felt great! Sure, I'll cheat every once in a while, but not TOO much. Nobody likes to feel sick.

Yesterday, Wednesday, I had 6am volleyball practice...I only had one contact, so I definitely was not playing my best. Haha. After volleyball, I came home, got ready, and headed off for a day of classes at co-op. I love co-op, I really do. I know, I've said that before, but now you know it's still true. After co-op, Gracie and I went to Tim's house until church.

At church, we had a Jamaica reunion kind of thing...it was so great! Thinking back on Jamaica, talking about how it affected us while we are there, and how it's going to affect us now that we are back. I love my youth group. The kids in it really are so exceptional that it's inspiring.

...Which brings me to right now. Thursday morning. Another regular at-home school day. I think tonight I may go to a volleyball game at my old school with Eli, but I'm not sure. I hope so. I haven't seen Eli too much lately....I MISS HER.

Gluten-free cereal...it smells wierd, but tastes fine. And gluten-free bread....well...it squeaks in your mouth. The first of many discoveries I'm sure I shall make in the future. Oh well, if it will keep me from feeling sick, I'm more than happy to deal with odd-smelling cereal and squeaky bread.

School time! Party, party.

-caylielane.

We're Off!

Well, my family is off to Texas for a weekend at the lake! I'm pretty excited about it. It's a family reunion with my mom's side of the family, which has never really happened before...it will be good to meet family and go out the lake...I've heard there will be water skiing and such. So fun! I've wake-boarded and knee-boarded, but never water-skied. Hopefully I'll be able to pick it up. We shall see.

This morning I woke up around 6:15 to go running. I went about three miles- it was a nice run. I somehow managed to forget to bring my ipod along, so that was different. I always have it if I'm not running with someone. But it was fine-great, actually. It was just me, my thoughts, the sunrise, and God. Very peaceful.

Guess what I had for breakfast this morning? Cinnamon apple oatmeal. Yup. It's simply great.

Last night at Tim's house was lots of fun. It was me, Scott, Gracie, Tim, and Tim's family. We ate pizza, good pizza. Ever had barbecue pizza? It's not bad actually. We also watched the first Bourne movie, which I'd never seen before. It was good! I need to see the others now. I left around 10:30, came home, and went straight to bed.

I guess we are about to leave. Nine hour car ride...should be thrilling. I brought a pillow, my ipod, and lots of books. Hopefully we can squeeze in some shopping once we get there...just a thought. :)

-caylielane.

Slow Paced and Lovely

Today began with a lovely four mile run with that wonderful friend of mine-Carolyn. Oh how I love her. We started around six thirty as the sun was rising. Though it definitely could have been cooler, I don't think the sky could have been any more beautiful. We just talked and talked....I'm pretty sure we both forgot we were running, haha. Ideal!

After Carolyn left, I got all cleaned off and ready and headed downstairs for breakfast. I had cinnamon apple oatmeal. Definitely something different from my usual Luna Bar, Zone Bar), or Grape-nuts. I liked it! Like...wow. Way more than I expected I would. After breakfast it was time for some schoolwork. Oh joy! It went by pretty quickly, which was nice. I like not having many at-home classes. I like it a lot. I was finished by about noon, so I went upstairs, randomly motivated to clean my room. Yeah, I don't know. So, I cleaned like no other, and my room was spotless in the end. Whew.

After cleaning, I plopped on my couch to read and such for a while. It started raining outside, and everything was just perfect. I love the sound of rain...especially when I'm inside, not obligated to be doing anything, reading a good book...it was wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that before I knew it, I was asleep on that couch. I slept for an hour and a half or so...how nice. So nice.

Since waking up, I've just been hanging out with Dash and Crib. Oh, and I painted my nails orange. Fingers AND toes. Yup. I do like orange, I tell you.

Later, I'm heading to hang out with some friends at Tim's house. I believe there will be pizza there...score! Hopefully it will have big crust. What's the point of pizza when the best part is shrimpy? I don't know, you tell me.

-caylielane.

A New School Year, An Old Friend...

Hello, hello! Two days of co-op behind me, and many more than that ahead. So far, so good! I do like co-op, I sure do. I don't even mind the schoolwork. And the friends are great. They are great. So far, the homework load isn't bad at all. Next to nothing, actually. But that shall change, I know it. But I also know that even at it's worst it won't be as bad as the workload was at my old school. Oh my goodness. There's no way. Anyways, yes. The past couple of days have consisted of co-op, volleyball, family, and friends. Between the hours of 7:00 pm last night and 7:30 am this morning, I had two separate volleyball practices, adding up to around 3 and a half hours total. Haha.

Today, my dear friend Evan came to co-op to say goodbye before she leaves for college. She's so sweet....wow, I will miss her.

Evan,

Can you believe it?! You're off to college. It's so crazy how one minute, you're playing house, living the elementary life, and then the next minute, you're headed full speed towards adulthood...how does that happen? I can't understand it.

I've loved getting to know you, beautiful girl. You are so wonderful to me, and we have such great times together. Whether it's going out to do random acts of kindness, dancing like crazy people, laughing uncontrollably, relaxing at the lake, eating Lean Cuisines, or just talking like we do...it's great. We have good times, you and me. No denying it! And I shall miss you and your sweetness. Promise to come back and visit me? You did pinkie promise, you know. Today. At co-op. I'll hold you to that. As well as our agreement to forever greet each other if we randomly run into each other at Walmart. That's kind of a given.

We'll be talking, a lot. I can't wait to hear about your first day of classes and such! I love you girl. You're such a blessing to me.

-caylie

Wow. Love her.

I'm about to go running, which I'm quite happy about. It will probably be more of a running/walking blend, considering the oven-esque temperature out there. Haha. But either way, it shall be refreshing. I guess I'm off! This new routine-ish life is good, I can get used to it.

So joyful!

-caylielane.

Apologies In Advance...

Today was a good day. A chill kind of good. Church was good, I always love church. My family then proceeded to eat lunch at a fabulous Italian restaurant...then home again, home again. This is where the chilling comes in. We chilled for a while, until mom and I left to go grocery shopping.

Oh...my.

You know how sometimes, you think you're getting into something, but really you're getting into something earth-shatteringly different? Yeah. That was this grocery trip. It would have been like any other trip our family makes if it weren't for the bizarre, hard-to-find supplies needed for Christian's upcoming science experiments. Gah. I bet those supplies alone added about 77 miles of walking to my already lengthy grocery list. Not that I'm bitter or anything.

Tomorrow is the first day of the last half of high school. Crazy, huh? Just a bit. I'm so ready for it. So ready for the school-year life to start up again. It's a totally different flavor of insanity. I guess that, while summer could be compared to a room so messy that there is no hope of finding anything, the school year could be compared to a room that would be better defined as organized chaos. Like...though my (hypothetical) hairbrush may be under my pillow, at least I'm (hypothetically) aware of it. Make sense?

Anyways, I'm excited about school starting. I just am. It not only means back to school work, but back to friends, volleyball, lean cuisines, and oh so much more. Did I mention Lean Cuisines? I sure hope I did... because I don't know if I've ever loved anything more in my entire life. (Mom, I said anyTHING. Not anyONE.)

I'm getting off track every time I try to say anything in this post. My brain is being very jelly-bean-ish tonight. If you've read my older posts, you know what that term means. Silly. It means silly. Maybe I just need sleep, huh? Sleep? We'll see. OK, well, this 11th grader is bidding you farewell. Have a good night, day, week, month, year. Have a good LIFE, I tell you.

-caylielane.

Simplicity

Oh wow, we had fun at the lake. So much fun. We swam around, played with the little kids, hung out, ate, tubed...it was just a great day. Despite my three applications of sunscreen, I did get lots of sun...my face is now officially pinkish. Oh well, it was worth it.

On the way back, we ate some pizza. Good pizza. Then, we headed over to Gracie's house. There were already a bunch of people there, we were definitely late. But we brought the movie, so we couldn't have missed too much. Haha. We watched the Sixth Sense. I wonder how many times I've seen that movie....plenty.

Today, I'm going shopping with mi madre! Fun stuff. Very fun. I love shopping so very much. We shall have quite a great time, this I know.

Well, I should get ready if we want to leave soon, I suppose. Yes. I have nothing more to say. Please have a better-than-usual day today, okay? Okay, thanks.

-caylielane.

Squeezing In Some Fun

Well, yesterday was the off-to-college goodbye party for my lovely friend Evan. She is so sweet, and I'll miss her as she moves away to Kansas. I just got to know her this year when I started homeschooling. I love her dearly. Yesterday, me and a bunch of girls headed to her lake house for some good food, swimming, and talking. It was absolutely delightful- totally relaxed and happy. Her lake house was like a charming cottage that I couldn't get enough of.

Today, I'm going to the lake with Tim's lovely family. So excited! Oh, how I love the lake. I find it silly that I haven't been to the lake all summer, and then two days a row, on different occasions, with different people, I go! So wonderful. Today we will be out on a boat for the first part of the day, and then hang out on a little island, eat lunch, play with the little kids, and such. We will have a grand time. We always do, don't we?

Yesterday, after the lake, I was exhausted, so I took a long nap in between getting home and going to volleyball. My mom woke me up about five minutes before volleyball started, so I was terribly out of it on the ride to, and during the first half hour or so of volleyball. I was in a bizarre dreamish zone. I'm surprised that I was functioning like I was. Hmm. Curious. Last night, after volleyball, I organized all of my school things. I am now officially all packed up and ready for the first day of co-op. Ready physically and mentally, that is. I take great joy out of my floral purple backpack. Thank you, Nana.

Well, I'm off for a day on the lake! Farewell, blog readers.

-caylielane.

Pondering...

Yesterday was Carson's 4th birthday. Can you believe it?! He's all...all...he's all old and stuff now. Totally crazy, I tell you. And Christian is now officially taller than me. What is this world coming to?

Last night we went out for Carson's birthday dinner with our whole family, plus Mimi, Papa, and Jeanna. It was delicious, and lots of fun. I got a turkey burger, which was shockingly great to me. I'm not much of a burger person, but I was craving something other than a salad, so I decided to step out and try it. IT'S GOOD.

Carson was being all cute and stuff. He loves being the center of attention, so last night was his paradise. Cupcakes, singing, gifts...he was one happy camper. In my opinion, the best gift (by far) that he got was Play Doh. Memories...the smell of it alone makes me joyful.

Yesterday, my mom and I went shopping for school supplies, and you know what dawned on me? I realized that this was my second to last time to go shopping for school supplies, as a high schooler. Wow. Since when did I get old? I'm sixteen, soon to be driving, soon to have a job making smoothies...it's just wierd.

I've probably mentioned this song on my blog before, but Stop This Train by John Mayer is good. It applies to my life as far as getting older goes....you should listen to it. Preferably the acoustic version. I'm a big fan of acoustic music. Also...the song 100 Years by Five for Fighting will make you think.

I'm spending most of today at the church. We are having a dinner for everyone who wants to hear the youth group talk about Jamaica. I'm super excited about it... I really think it will be great. I could talk about Jamaica and the amazing things that happened there all day long. Oh, I can't express how much I want to go back. Anyways, I'm getting to the church early with some of my friends to help set up.

I guess I should get ready now, huh? Yeah. Affirmative.

-caylielane.

It's Me Again!

Hello, hello! It's 7:58 and I just got home from 6 am volleyball practice. Lately, I've been pretty busy. Surprised? Me neither.

Sunday was a good day. We went to church, which was great. After church my family headed home for some chill time. I ended up going to get some ice cream with that one I like to call Carolyn. She's so lovely. After that, it was time for Carson's 4th birthday party. 4th! I can't believe how old he is. His party was at the Little Gym, which is a miniature gym where kids can goof around and play games. It was perfect for Carson and his little buddies.

From the party, I went over to Tim's house and hung out with him, Scott, and Gracie. We have good times, have I ever mentioned that? We watched the 2nd half of Lord of the Rings. And I ate salad-good salad. Good night. So that's Sunday for you.

Which brings us to yesterday. Yesterday, I had 6 am volleyball, which was fine. I came home all sweaty and nasty, so after cleaning up and getting ready, I did some cleaning and ate breakfast.

Then, we went to Eli's grandfather's funeral. It's such a sad thing that has happened, it's hard to know what to think. But the sermon was really good, and reminded everyone that with Christ, you never truly die. "Death" is only the beginning of true life. That's where comfort can be found in tragic times like this. Eli and her family have been getting lots of prayer from people who love them very much.

After leaving the church, I went home, cleaned, and then hung out with friends for the rest of the day. We walked in the rain, swam, watched a movie, ate, talked...it was good.

Today, I've already had volleyball practice, which was normal. Good. Yup. Then at 11, I'm going to Eli's grandmother's funeral, which will not be an easy thing to sit through. I have always heard about how wonderful she is from Eli, and even though I only met her once, I know she was a really great lady and that she will be so missed. I hate to see Eli hurting like this.

From there, I'm going to the orientation for co-op, which starts in less than a week. Hooray! I'm a dork and love co-op. I really do, I tell no lies. Mostly because of the people there, but not entirely. I'm actually ready for some schoolwork. I often am at this time of year. I usually regret it 3 or 4 months later, but I'm open to this mindset...considering that schoolwork is inevitable.

OK, well, I should probably start getting ready somewhere in the range of now. Yeah. Most likely. Ok, I'm off. Have a good day, blog reader!

How many psychiatrists does it take to change a light bulb?...Only one, but the light bulb has to WANT to change.

-caylielane.

This is Now.

Today, we are off to a family reunion. It's going to be at this place that basically has endless things to do. All in one building, there is ice skating, a running track, weights, an indoor water park, swimming, and more...or so I've heard. I went a while back, but honestly, I don't remember. So yes. It shall be lovely.

You know, my room is messy. And I am sitting in it, writing this post. Usually, when my room is messy, I avoid being in it at all costs. I always say that spending time in a messy room is like sitting in mud. I need to clean it, especially considering that we are leaving to go out of town today. I hate leaving town with a messy room....it messes up my whole mindset.

If you are reading this...please pray for Eli and her entire family. Yesterday, she lost two grandparents. It was so unexpected and shocking, and everyone is having trouble dealing with it, myself included. I didn't really know her grandparents, but seeing my best friend as devastated as she is is really upsetting to me. I just love her so much. Life is so unfair; its impossible to make sense of it. I suppose that's where God comes in.

"But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you." Psalm 39:7.

-caylielane.

Brain of Swirls

The end of summer is like a climax right before settling back into a routine. A climax of insanity, basically. Total, complete, utter insanity. Today started at about 5:15 am, which is the time that I woke up to go to 6:00 am volleyball practice. It was a very normal practice. After practice, I went on a bike ride in my neighborhood, which was great. My ipod set on shuffle has never picked better songs than it did today (From Ella Fitzgerald to Landon Pigg to Coldplay...greatness.). That alone energized me. After the bike ride, I got ready and headed to go swimming with my friends, which was great. After that, we all headed over to Tim's house to eat and watch a movie. We always have good times. From the movie, I tagged along with Tim and his mom while Mia and Naomi had swim practice. I love those girls (Tim's lovely sisters, that is.). From swim, we all met up again at Gracie's house for a delicious spaghetti dinner.

Eli is house-sitting at a lovely house close to Gracie's, so I joined her there for a bit after dinner. We had a grand old time jumping on the trampoline, swimming, talking, and lounging around outside. You know...outside is better than inside. In pretty much any situation. I've come to strongly believe that. Especially after spending time in the indescribable beauty of the hills of Jamaica. Oh my goodness, I can't express how much I would love to return there this very moment. God is GOOD, in every conceivable sense of the word.

Anyways, now I'm home. I hung out with my dad and the boys for a while when I first got home. It was lovely. We are all so busy that time when we are all together is rare. When Mom got home, I went upstairs with her, where we talked and watched The Middle. Have you watched that show? If not, you should. It's harmless and hilarious. One of those shows that you can relate to so well that it's ridiculous. Ok, well, I'm going to wind this up. I guess I was just feeling rather wordy tonight. My brain is very swirly right now.

-wordy caylielane.

Jamaica Journals

July 26th

Well, I'm here. In Jamaica. It's absolutely beautiful here. Today, we are going to talk to people and have a block party. I hope I can start some meaningful converstions with the Jamaican people that end in me praying for them. We've been talking about how to do that in our training sessions. I can't wait to put that to use. I can't explain how pretty everything is here. It's like I'm in a different world. I'm surrounded by hills covered in trees and flowers; the kind you can't find anywhere in Arkansas. I'm feeling lots of hope/anticipation about this week. I want God to majorly move in me while I'm here. Last night during group worship, I really felt him. I want to be completely selfless this week at every moment, not just during mission work.

Dear God, This is a scary prayer to pray, but I really want to. I am ready to do your will, no matter what it is. No matter how uncomfortable, how upsetting, how unexpected. I want to totally and completely surrender my heart, mind, and actions to you. I'm learning that, things fall into place so much better than they would have had I been on my own terms. I'm in this strange country for the sole purpose of serving you. Amen.

July 27th

Yesterday, we walked around Rhodan Hall and Staceyville to tell people about the block party and VBS, which was totally amazing. Seeing where they live...it's so poor, but so colorful and beautiful. Their simple, brightly colored, flat tin-roof homes are surrounded by beautiful hills, tropical trees and flowers...it's total simplicity. Though I know Jamaicans are way less than pleased with their living conditions, part of me longs for that kind of simplicity.

As we spoke to person after person, I was amazed at their consistent friendliness and joy. Yes, I am here to be a living example of Christ's love and joy, but after one day, they have taught me that happiness and love are universal, no language needed. No matter what country, background, living conditions, or race a person claims.

We also went to a concert at the Rhodan Hall Baptist Church, where everyone was singing praise songs, jumping around, dancing, clapping, and just being real. It was amazing. As group after group, person after person, took the stage to lead the congregation, I was inspired to see that, to them, it's not about presentation or performing or appearance in the least bit, their sole purpose was to worship in their joy, whether on stage or not. These Jamaicans are not perfect, but they are inspiring in many ways. Though there are many that desperately need Christ, there are also many that have found Him. They may never know how they affected me, but that doesn't change the fact that they have.

July 28th

Well, yesterday was a great day. We did VBS at the Staceyville church. It was fun, I like the kids a lot, and they like us. The little girls like me, which makes me feel all special and stuff. Haha. We sang songs, made bracelets, played outside, and told Bible stories. I think all of the kids really enjoyed it. I love it here, I love everything about Jamaica. Out of time, bye bye.

July 29th

Yesterday was the best day yet. We did VBS for the beginning part of the day, as usual. It was quite lovely. I was totally in Brookhill counselor mode the entire time. After that, we came back to the high school that we are staying at and hung out for a little while. That was pretty great, I love the people who came on this trip very much. Then, around 7, we came back to the Staceyville Church and had a youth service. Mr. Brymer sang a few songs with everyone, then Tori, Scott, Cooper and I all shared our name, why we love Jamaica, and one thing that God has taught us. I talked about how God has been showing me that he can take anything and turn it into good. I used changing churches and changing schools as an example. It's all so true, I was just speaking my thoughts. After a few little cartoon videos and a short message from Mike, Mike had all the Jamaicans sit down and all of us walk around praying for them as Mr. Brymer played music. It was a really powerful time. There's just something about physically laying hangds on people as we pray that is completely awesome. After prayer, the music continued and we all just worshipped together. It was an amazing night. Totally amazing. I really felt God move.

After worshipping last night, there was a little girl that walked up and hugged me and didn't let go. "Caylie, I don't want you to leave. I will miss you too much," she said. She knew my name, which made me really happy. I said, "I'll miss you so much! But I'll be back next year to see you." Then I asked her if I could pray for her and she said yes. I prayed that she would always remember that Christ loves her very much, and would keep her faith and share it with everyone around her. She just kept hugging me. After a little bit, I asked her what her favorite part of today had been, and she said "Singing, and you praying." Ah. She will remember, and that's all I wanted- to leave an impression, to leave her thinking about Christ. God is so good.

July 30th

Yesterday was our last day in Staceyville, our last official day of ministry. VBS was pretty great- a bunch of my Jamaican girlfriends braided my hair pretty much every second that we werenn't singing or listening to a lesson. It was quite fun, I tel you. I love those kids. The people of Jamaica inspire me. After lunch and a quick break at Kellits, we headed back and split into groups to visit and pray for shut-ins. My group prayed for Sister Mason, and old woman who had four kids, ten grandkids, and one great-granddaughter. She was a large woman, with a mismatched shirt and skirt, a bandana over her head, and a huge smile on her face. Her house was precious, so tiny and colorful. I could tell she had spend many hours in her wooden chair on the porch. I would too, if I lived here.

After we prayed for her, Mr. Joe started asking her questions about her life. She had lots to say. She loved to talk about how Jesus wants us to forgive 70x7 times, and endlessly she mentioned, "I'm telling you children, stand up for Jesus!"

After that, Tim, Carolyn, and I went with Mr. Barnett to put a sculpture in a beautiful cave area down by the river. It was the face of Jesus, made from construction concrete. The river area...oh my. One of the highlights of the trip. Indescribably beautiful.. Agh, out of time. Last night- four hour Staceyville goodbye service. Wow.

I just typed out what was written in my journal. It was an amazing trip. I absolutely cannot wait to go back next year. Cannot wait. I can't get those people out of my mind....wow. I just want to go back. God moved last week, yes He did!

-caylielane.