School Events/Pictures

Although there's a lot more than school going on... but thought

 we can at least share a little of what's been happening at school.

 

October was National Child Month, and as part of the special events our school students made posters and participated with 2 other schools in a local children's march around the block.  Here they are getting ready to go.

 

 

I thought they all did an excellent job making nice posters!

Here they go down the road, just across the playing field.  With the next door pre-school children and also the special ed school students, they made a long line.

 

 

After completing the march, all 3 schools came back here and our students shared a program of songs & readings for the other schools and any parents that had come.

 

 

 Ok, so this isn't a school event, or at least it didn't start that way.  We've started making custard ice & the children sell it after school.  What we thought would be a small, fun project for the children has been growing and growing.  Not sure if it's something we want to continue long term or not.

So here's the normal school garb on children.  (Orange T-shirts were for children's day)  This is Conrad's class singing some songs.

 

 

 

A few days ago, the school had their first field trip.  I didn't plan to go with them... but then one of the girls got her finger slammed in the door and needed to be taken to the hospital, so I quickly rounded up "a next bus" (another van) and helped chauffer the rest of the trip. They visited the airport fire station, a spice making place, and ate lunch at the beach. Sorry, the only picture we got of the day is one my wife took of them in the morning before they left.

Jump rope with Ms. Miller. (Caleb's teacher)

Corn hole with Ms. Lauver. (Nicki's teacher)

 

 

The Grenada Lapps

 



Thank you for your support and your prayers on our behalf.



Still getting better?

OK, so I started this post a week ago & didn't get it done.  Well, it's still not "done" but we're overdue an update, so here it is.

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Over a month now, I posted that we were getting better.  Well, we were.  And we still are.  (We hope)

 

So yes, that does mean we got worse again.  I think my joint pain was better for almost a week - then it returned with a vengeance!  And Jen's never did totally go away.  So we are still in the daily grind.

 

I know, calling it a daily grind isn't quite accurate.. our joints aren't grinding - they just feel like they are!  And I hate posting complaints so I waited, and waited, and well, we're still waiting.  Although I prefer to say that my ankle pain has been decreasing infinitesimally every day over the last month. :-)

 

All complaints aside, last weekend I was privileged to spend a night at an annual Grenada event - brother's camp.  Just like it sounds, all the brother's from our churches here went out to a point and camped.  Besides the all-important times of eating and sharing, their was plenty of time for just relaxing or playing Rook & Dominos.

Our campsite  from afar.  Sorry, but this picture does no justice in portraying the ruggedness and steepness of the trail we needed to traverse (by foot) with all our supplies.



"Limeing" in the tent.

 

 The beach near where we camped.

 Pastor Nelson grilling some chicken.

 

 

I also had the privilege to spend a couple hours snorkeling with a couple guys and watching them spearfishing.  Wow! doesn't say it - but there is a fascinating and beautiful world down there under the water.  Wish I had a waterproof camera.  I guess it's not appropriate to say I got hooked, but if I said I got speared everyone would misunderstand.  Whatever it was, that's something I hope I'll have time to do some more!

 

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And now, it's a week later...  Let me see, what's most important to know?

 

 

 

*Oh yes, Nelson's are back!  (And are we ever thankful!)  I'm so glad to be able to follow him around again... :-)

 

*Mel's getting married!  Lord willing, Jen, Nicki & Morgan will be flying to MS a few days in December to be at the wedding.  I will definitely need your prayers those days!

 

*I'm meeting daily with Lyndel, a young man from the community here to study the Bible.  Here's a picture my wife took of us the other day.  He's very intelligent and a deep thinker, so it's challenging and a lot of fun studying God's Word with him.

 

 

*This Saturday we're having a joint farewell party for John & Rachel.  If you know anything about Grenada, you probably know them.  :-)  They actually aren't leaving until the middle of November, but we're already starting to miss them.  Here's a rare picture of John - one where he's not talking or actively doing something! 

 

 

*Thurs (Oct 30) we plan to have a one-night crusade in a little town called Willis.  Then, Saturday the youth will be having Bible clubs, etc. with the youth & children of Willis.  Nelson & I went there this week to get permission, pick a spot, etc. and had lots of opportunity to talk with the locals.  Seems like so much opportunity (and need) for the real Gospel.  Will you pray for us & for the people of Willis?

 

 

September Showers

You know that saying about "When it rains, it pours!"?  Well, it's rainy season, so of course we've had lots of rain.  But the past few days it seems it has poured every time it rained.

 

And last Sunday morning, although it didn't rain physically, it sure felt like it was pouring at the Lapp house.  Suffice it to say, Daddy didn't have his sermon ready... Mommy and Shawn got sick during the night (the nausea, diarrhea, fever & throw-up kind)... and then several "needy" visitors stopped by with long stories and requests... and children needed to be helped, and sick people needed care, and sermon needed prepared, and...    Thanks to God's grace (for giving strength) and a teacher's help (with the children) and a congregation's mercy (not throwing rotten fruit after an ill-prepared sermon) we are still here.

 

You know, there are two extreme tendencies I'm tempted toward every time I write: 1. Try to make the reader pity us, 2.  Try to make the reader envy us.  I'm sure these temptations are nothing new - I see both on FB all the time, but for me at least, this is the first I've ever done any social media type things and so I'm new to the battleground.

 

So, it's not all bad around here and it's not all great.  In fact, it's just pretty normal life.  Sorry if I portray it as anything else.

 

Another challenge we wrestle with here is that we want to actually live here.  What I mean by that is that we are trying to make this normal for us - we don't want to always be tourists.  And how that works out is that I try not to carry a camera around taking pictures of ordinary events.  I mean, how weird would you feel if your pastor would take pictures during church services, fellowship meals, hymn sings, etc...  So our goal is to really live here, not just report about living here.

 

So that works great until we want to update our blog.  Then, suddenly we realize we can only give pictures of our tourist days and that's not a very accurate view of our lives.  I can try writing about what we've done... yet, who wants to read that we had church two Sundays ago, and then we had a fellowship meal experience in the back yard, and then we went and sang for a poor elderly man named Mr. Winston.  Yet, that's exactly what we did.  And it was great, and I wish we had pictures to give you a visual.  But I don't.  So the wrestle continues...

 

Anyway, here are a few pictures from the last while.

 

We've sure been glad for the marble roller toy we brought along.  It makes great entertainment for children and adults alike.  Here, Euran (church member who often comes by to help us play Rook, etc) was seeing how tall he could build.

 

Not sure what the point was, but one evening amidst a lot of giggling, this troupe came prancing out into our otherwise calm kitchen.

 

On Saturday evening, Andrew John (a church attender)

supplied corn for a church corn roast.

Sammy Mapson (church member, 6'th grade teacher, school principal) displayed yet another of his many talents. (official corn roaster) Sid brought a watermelon and we all had a fun time with food & fellowship while the children had fun playing basketball, tag, etc.

 

 

Today Jen went around the school and took a few pictures of our children and their classmates/classrooms.  So this is what our children do every weekday from 8:30 - 2:30.

  

Conrad and most of his Kindergarten classmates listening to Ms John.

 

 

The first grade class and Ms Miller.  (Not sure if Caleb's name on the board is a good or bad thing)

 

 

 Math class with Ms Schrock in 2'd grade.

 

   

 Ms Lauver, spending part of her evening making some children's day by playing games with them. 

 

 

Last night, on a whim, I checked out the forecast for the rest of this month. (1 week) Besides the obvious approx. 30% chance of rain every day, I thought it might interest some people that the highest high and the lowest low predicted for the next week were only 5 degrees apart.  (High of 84, low of 79)  Austin told me the other day that the humidity of the last 2 weeks never went below 85%.  So there you have it.  I don't think weather forecaster would be a high paying job here.  :-) 



 

And so, life goes on here much like it does in whatever part of the world where you are living.  Only one life, will soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last!  Go with God!

Getting better

We've wanted this blog to be an update method - but so far every time we write it turns it an epistle. Hopefully I can change that today.  So sorry, I know this is boring & there won't be any pictures (I guess we just thought our camera charger was in one of the totes) but I did want to let y'all know that we are on the mend.

I think all the children are back to 99% - Shawn complains about walking up stairs and we're not sure if he just got lazy while he was sick or if his feet really do still hurt.

I (Marvin) think I'm back - this morning I woke up and actually felt energetic and like I wanted to go out and do something!  Which was good, because it was the day to go "mow" the Laura church yard.  ("Mowing or cutting grass" around here means cutting the grass with a weed-eater.)

Jen has moved out of stage 1 (joint pain, fever, etc.) to stage 2 (joint pain, beautiful rash, etc.)  Much better!

Thanks for your prayers!  I don't want you to stop praying for us - but if you want to transfer your prayers about health to another couple... :-)  Nelson & Rhoda Snyder are planning to take a few weeks visit to their families in the states - leaving this Thursday... and now they are coming down with the fever, pains, etc. 

Which adds another prayer request for us.  With Pastor Nelson leaving, we'll be feeling a lot more weight for the next 3 weeks. 

Anyway, this was supposed to be short & sweet - I see that it's not really either.  Oh well, I guess it's an update...

THEY ARE HERE!

Fittingly enough, although an exclamation point shows strong feeling... - it gives no indication whether those strong feelings are pleasant or unpleasant. 

 

Which seems appropriate today - we have been experiencing some of both.

 

The Bad

The first things to arrive in Grenada came borne on wings, but please don't confuse these nasty little mosquitoes with anything angelic.  And if the carriers themselves aren't bad enough, the dengue fever or chickungunya fever is one of the more undesirable bugs I've experienced in my life.  Conrad and Daddy came down with it first, (last Thursday), then Nicki started on Friday, Shawn on Sunday, and now Mommy on Tuesday and Caleb on Wednesday.

 

It starts with a mild fever that gets increasingly higher and won't always respond to pain medications.  Generally its accompanied with excessive joint pain.  (for those of you who know my Dad Lapp - just remember how he walks around when he's demonstrating his age.  I think I had him beat - I walked like I was 107 years old and suffering from acute arthritis.)  If I hadn't heard about this part of it from other's experiences, I would've thought I had accidentally pulled my knee out of joint during the first night - it hurt that bad!

 

I'm left with a rash covering my body from the crown of my head to the soles of my feet, which, fortunately for me, is no longer itchy - but still uncomfortable.

 

Anyway, Katrina High can tell you better about the medical aspects of this virus - and usually in a much more entertaining way, so if you want to hear more about this from a different perspective go to this blog -- http://www.grenadadventures.blogspot.com/ (Chris & Katrina are OBMM missionaries serving at the LaBorie mission)

 

Please pray for healing & grace in this... I think Caleb & I are just about through, Jen's still in the middle of the agony.  And please join us in praying that Morgan will not get this disease!

 

The Good

And on a happy note... on Wednesday...September 3'rd.... after 36 days of anticipation... (drum roll please) Our totes came!  Talk about Christmas in September! 

 

 

Even though we've been too sore to do much unpacking - it still is so much fun to have our own stuff again!  And Jen is blessed to not have to do wash everyday. 

 

The New

And we are so thankful to have the school teachers here!  School started this past week so this place has been buzzing with activity.  There are 47 students enrolled here in grades K-6. 

 



 The new view from our veranda.  The favorite break time game here is "Bite-Em".  (Also known as lightning, shoot-out, knock-out, etc.)  And yep, that's Caleb in line there, eagerly awaiting his turn.

Photo Tour for our friends

So here's some pictures so those of y'all who haven't been privileged to see Grenada (yet!)  can better visualize our new home.

Limes Mennonite Church on the left and our house is behind it and on the right side.

Church on left, our house steps on right.  The windows you see here are for school classrooms - under the church and under our house.  Also the VS girl teacher's apartment is under our house.

Same view, but looking out at it the opposite way.  This is the view from our veranda(porch).  The swings and basketball court etc. will be in full swing in about 2 weeks when school starts again.

At the front door, looking into our dining room/living room area.  (although it's not usually this clean!)

Same view from opposite side, so you can see the kitchen.

Here's our back yard, although calling it "ours" is a bit of a stretch since the pavilion area is also used by the school for classes, by the church for SS and picnics, and is also the teacher's "back yard."  We sure have been enjoying some fresh limes from the lime tree and a few passion fruit from the vine.

 

 One afternoon, Ms Debbie, the children and I hiked up the little hill in front of our house (see picture 3 above) to see what we could see... and when we got there this is some of what we saw...

You can't really see it, but right along the coast here is the beautiful Grand Anse beach.  If you squint a little, you can almost see the harbor and St. George's up around the next curve.

 

This is looking back at our place from the hill.  (the church is on the right corner of the playing field and our house roof is just behind the church)

The Grand Anse beach.

And the children love it!  Only trouble is, now every morning Shawn wakes up and says optimistically, "Go to beach today?"

Another view of something from somewhere...

Here's another look at our place from a higher mountain.  The playing field is the green patch in the bottom center of the picture and this time the church would be in the top-left corner of the playing field.  Incidentally, the straight road you see is called the "stretch" and it is the only straight stretch of pavement on the island. :-) (besides the runway)

Market

 

And lest you should think that Grenada is only about scenery pictures, let me assure you that we have been delighted to meet and spend time with lots of quality people from our church and other missionaries.  But those stories and pictures will need to come later.  For now, just a few more pictures of our children so that you know they're here with us and can watch them grow... 



 

Our boys and animals seem to attract each other....

 

Taking care of our chickens...

Shawn - just clowning around

 

Our big "little" girl

 

That's all for now!  God bless!

TGFD!

Yep, TGFD has been the acronym of choice for our family the past little while now.  When we had too many things to pack in our suitcases, TGFD!  While we travelled to Birmingham - TGFD.  After being told at the ticket counter we can't take any of our (15!) totes due to some embargo and the children grow restless & wild - TGFD.

While we're flying, while we're taking our small tribe to restrooms & travelling though Miami, while we're wading through customs in Grenada - TGFD!

And then, for the next 9 days... when the clothes needed to be washed and the dishes needed to be washed and children didn't know what to do and Morgan was fussy and Marvin was busy... TGFD!

Annandale Falls

Unfortunately, those days passed so quickly and she soon had to go back to her home... and we all miss her... and we say again... Thank God For Debbie!

 

And yes, we made it here safely...
 and no, our suitcases have not made it yet...
yes, the suitcases did get shipped to Miami...
no, the suitcases were not put on the ship to here...
yes, they realize their mistake and are very sorry...
no, they can't ship them any other way...
yes, they will put them on the next ship...
no, we will not get them until September sometime...
yes, we are good and ready to see those suitcases!