Giving Thanks!

You can see pictures of our travels and Thanksgiving by clicking here.

We are giving Thanks! We had great flights home. The boys did great. The major problem came when the stewardess announced that Pepsi's now cost $2. Drew has always loved flying and one of his favorite things about flying is getting Pepsi in flight. (Because we let them have whatever they want for those few hours so that they are not screaming and bothering the other patrons.) Anyways, we had been priming Drew for flying and coaxing along his good attitude with promises of Pepsi on the airplane. So, when the stewardess made the fateful announcement, our hearts sunk. We were between a rock and a hard place. Or in other words, we were between a beautiful little boy craving a Pepsi he had been promised and a tightwad Plattner who would rather do many unpleasant things before he would spend $2 on a Pepsi. So, obviously, the Plattner won and we delayed his gratification until we reached the airport and we blessed him with his drink of brown goodness. Other than that little hiccup, we had good times. We also had a blessed thanksgiving with family and we have been enjoying the change in seasons. We are giving Thanks and we pray that it wont stop soon as we have so much to be Thankful for.

Lord Willing

Lord Willing, we will be making the trek to the states tomorrow. I think we are making the whole trip in one day for the first time with our kids. Due to early morning flights and not wanting such big days, in the past we have either stayed overnight in Chicago or Montego Bay to lessen the pain of travel. But, it is our plan to head out tomorrow morning from Knockpatrick, drive the 3 hours to the airport, fly to Charlotte, fly to Chicago, and then drive to Central Illinois. We are excited for the opportunity and trust our BIG day to Him.

"A Piece of Paradise" Jamaica Driving Part 2

Today, I went to the Jamaica "Dept. of Motor Vehicle" to try to get my drivers license. A funny thing about Jamaica drivers license is that they do not test people on the rules of the road, but how an engine works. Many people marvel at the crazy driving that typifies Jamaica, and I think I finally found the reason. Jamaica is more concerned that you understand that the crankshaft turns the camshaft rather than not to pass around a corner. They care that you know the difference between a standard and phillips screwdriver rather than not to stop in the middle of the road or turn without signaling. Anyway, needless to say, I did study for the test and I passed. But, also needless to say, I failed the driving test. It was ridiculous and I would be happy to tell you the whole story if you ask. My comfort and frustration came on the drive home when Mr. Lewis explained to me that they never pass you the first time, even if you "let off" money. So, I went into the test thinking that I might come out with a license when in reality there was not a chance of me actually passing the tests. Anyway, I will try again with a bit more humility as I try to seek the honor of a Jamaican drivers license.




The video is just a little clip of Keri's first time out driving on the Jamaican roads. She is now a pro on the roads and heads out regularly, but we had this video of her first voyage. She did a great job, but the guy at the end of the video did nearly lose his life. It was a funny moment and maybe I overreacted a bit. Enjoy!

"I have a coat on!"

Maybe God is preparing us for that bitter cold Midwest climate. This past week a cold front has come through and has left us with temperatures plunging into the upper 60's. Burrrrr. Yes, we find ourselves pulling out our sweatshirts and socks, shivering, and commenting how cold it is with our Jamaican friends. We admit that last year at this time we may have been mocking the Jamaican culture for not being able to endure this "cold" weather. We now realize that maybe we have just adjusted more to this culture than we would like to admit. I'm sure our weakened bodies will go into shock when we hit the frigid Chicago air on Wednesday night. (It's been 1.5 years since we've been in that winter air.) We'll see how the boys react to the hats, mittens, and coats. For now they've enjoyed pulling out the jackets and socks. When they were outside this afternoon, Drew noted to everyone who walked by that, "I have a toat (coat) on!" It was evident that he has not spent much time in the cold as he was so excited to wear a coat. He also kept repeating, "this is the toat (coat) I am going to wear in the snow," as he pointed to his light spring jacket. And then, someone explained to him about snowpants and he also reminded everyone that he was wearing his snow pants, pointing to his jeans. He has alot to learn, but he is excited and we are praying to see snow.

Anticipation!

Anticipation is a funny thing. Over the past week, there is no doubt that our trip back to the states is consuming our minds. It seems that all of our plans, all of our work, and all of our conversations surround going home. Anticipation has a funny way of refocusing life, rightly or wrongly, and slowing life down. While November 26th has come so fast, there are times that all of the planning and talking feels as if it were for naught. Anyways, all of that to say that we are excited for our trip back. Life has been slowing down as we are detaching from life here. There are things here that we are not excited to leaving. Alot actually. Leaving for a month feels like a long time when we think about our relationships here and being in the cold there. But, 6 months is a long time being away from our family and friends, our kids being away from their grandparents, and us being away from those who sent us here, the church. So, the anticipation will remain, we will make the most of our time remaining here and we will be excited to get on the plane next Wednesday, Lord Willing. And, ultimately, I think we can use the lessons we learn about anticipation and refocusing to help mature us in our Christian walk. There is no doubt that anticipation is supposed to reorganize our lives and change our perspective. This is the very reason that Jesus commanded us to "Watch and Pray." That is anticipation! That is reorganization! That is a change in perspective from our daily business to His daily business!

Just Another Example

In reference to our last post, here is a little example from today of our Drew growing up.

Growing UP!

Andrew William Plattner

Our little guy is growing UP! At the risk of sounding over dramatic and sentimental, I want to reflect a little bit about our first born. He is gentle, kind, slow, cautious, and affectionate. He has been this way from day one and we have relished his expressions of these endearing traits. Be it known, he is still all of those things. But, the little guy is growing up. We are beginning to see some real "boy" coming out in him as we find him catching bugs, climbing gates, and controlling his younger brother. He has begun saying funny things to get people to laugh. It is not uncommon to see him being as silly as can be. It is almost daily that he says something that makes you say, "where did that come from?" We see flashes of these things and we realize that he is growing up. Again, not that this is bad, we actually relish the sight of him developing, but there is something inside that is just a bit scared. We are daily trying to savor our time with Drew and we praise the Lord for His grace. Please dont sign me up for a session with the local psych, just pray with me that Drew can grow up to be a man who pursues God's glory.

Farewell Plattners

This morning, we dropped off the Chad Plattner family at the Montego Bay airport. This capped off a great couple of weeks. We took them all over the island as we spent a half a week at Knockpatrick, a week in Montego Bay, and another half week at Knockpatrick. We finished their visit strong as we went to Treasure Beach on Monday, we got packed up on Tuesday, and went to the falls on Wednesday. Ultimately, as we were recapping our time together our greatest memory will be the "time" that we shared. There continues to be something about being with someone, living along side them, working with them, eating with them, etc, that bonds you together. So, as we reminisced about the scary drives, the day at the beach, delivering the sea container, and all of the great memories, I think we will take away the strengthened relationship that developed as we lived life together, our family and theirs. We were blessed and we thank the Chad Plattner family for taking the TIME, the energy, the effort, the resources, and the love that it took to make this trip. We were blessed!

P.S. - The picture of Truitt was at the falls enjoying some watermelon. How it drips! How it Drips!

October Update

As previously stated, over the past year we have been confronted with the realities of poverty like never before. For some unknown reason, all of these realities as well as a renewed interest and understanding of our responsibility to the poor have collided over the past month. My radar was turned on as a result of listening to a series of messages about how the gospel relates to the poor. The sermons probed my prejudices towards the poor and contrasted Christ’s response to the poor in the Gospels. Next, in the midst of wrestling with the almost daily begging experienced in Jamaica, I read a verse in the Sermon on the Mount for what felt like the first time. Matthew 5:42 jumped off the page as Jesus instructs me to give to those who ask (beg), and don’t hold back from those who want to borrow. Jesus words for me were a far cry from my current practice of giving terse responses to begging, some positive and some negative. The reading of these verses was quickly followed up with several opportunities to meet the needs of the poor around me in ways that really challenged my heart. Thirdly, I was listening to another message that was not directly related to the poor but applied in my context. The sermon was just another “What Would Jesus Do” type sermon but with a little twist that made it feel very real. The question of the sermon was “What if Jesus lived in my house?” If Jesus lived in my house, how would he pursue ministry from my station in life? How would he interact with my neighbors? Where would He put His energies in my world? What would He do with my resources? It was this combination of events that has begun to again shake the dust off of my prejudices towards the poor. Having revisited this topic, I have been drawn back to the gospels for a further look at how Jesus dealt with the poor. Even a cursory look into the Gospels reveals a trend in which Jesus was never far from the poor. I have no other agenda than to share how the Lord has been working in our lives, but I lay that charge to your heart. Jesus offered harsh rebuke to the Pharisee’s in Luke 11:42 as they remain faithful in their tithe while ignoring true Justice and the Love of God. May our hearts continue to break with the things that break Jesus heart.
October ushered us back into our nomadic lifestyles. But, in the midst of our travels, we have been blessed beyond measure with visitors. On October 7th, Keri’s mom came in for a visit. We were able spend a few days with her at Knockpatrick and the boys loved having MeMaw at our house. That next weekend we traveled down to Montego Bay and Keri’s sister and brother-in-law arrived. Daniel and Kasey flew in on Saturday as we began a work team at Montego Bay. We spent the week in Montego Bay working with the team and sharing life with family. We had not seen Daniel and Kasey for one year as they left for their new lives in Switzerland the same day we began our new lives in Jamaica. We were humbled by their visit and relished the sweet fellowship. The next Saturday had Daniel and Kasey leaving, the work team leaving, and another work team coming. Our new team was from Peoria, IL and it was great having a hometown group. We had another wonderful week of fellowship and work. On the Friday of that week, Ted Hirstein and Mike Rassi came in for a weekend visit. They are both on the Apostolic Christian World Relief board that oversees the work in Jamaica. We were blessed with more great fellowship and encouragement from their visit. We spent the weekend back up in Knockpatrick. After their departure on Sunday, we began preparing for the arrival of the Chad Plattner family. On Tuesday, I made a trip down to Montego Bay to pick up Chad and Laura Lee and their 6 children. We began the Plattner adventure at Knockpatrick for the remainder of the week but headed off again to Montego Bay on Friday in anticipation of the arrival of a team on Saturday. While this completes our October, the adventure of travel, fellowship, and ministry continued.
Ultimately, we continue to reiterate the same mantra, “we are blessed and by His grace we are pursuing ways to bless others.” Through the visitors we have had, the work teams, and the millions of unforeseen graces we experience everyday, we remain in awe. In awe that we have been given the blood of Jesus to save us from our sin. In awe that He would use us as His hands and feet. In awe that He has given us life and life more abundant. In recognizing our own poverty of spirit in which we must pursue our relationship with Him, may we see the ways in which He wants us to pursue relationships with our “neighbors.”

A Piece of Paradise "Roadside Stands"

Roadside Stands

There is alot that could be written about this unique aspect of Jamaica, and so maybe I will cover more a different time. But, the other day, I ran past a Marlene's restaurant. When I saw the sign, I knew I had to get a picture. This establishment was like most in that the signage wasnt good, it looked pretty rough, and I was not about to try their chicken that has sat out warm all day. But, my Mom's name is Marlene and it is her passion to cook and serve people. I had always joked with her about starting a restaurant. Anyway, I think we can all agree to the hint of paradise that we get when we sit around a table of wonderful food with those we love. This picture took me back to some of those times and I thought it was worth sharing.

P.S. - We also know of the location of "Patsy's Place," and so check back for the picture in honor of Keri's mom.

Hurricane Paloma

As I write, Hurricane Paloma is making its way past the shores of Jamaica. Thankfully it is enough distance away that we are not expecting to feel much of it. We praise God that thus far, as hurricane season is ALMOST over (knock on wood), that we have not experienced much affects of any of the storms that have passed through the Caribbean. For those of you who know of my (Keri's) phobia of storms, you know that this is a huge sigh of relief for me! Of course maybe I should hold onto that sigh of relief for 2 1/2 weeks more!!

A whole lotta church

We have found a witness! One thing that the Plattner cousins have found in common is Church. Today, the kids were all caught outside with chairs lined up having church. They were singing songs and Jesse was preaching. I dont know if it is just in the blood or what, but the praises have been on. Above, Drew and Jubilee are enjoying the church service together and below is a little clip of Drew's daily ritual. As you can see, his little apprentice is coming along quite nicely. They love to praise together.