Blog on Christmas Break!!!

We will not be writing for the remainder of December. Please check back on January 3rd, 2012. We hope everyone has a great Christmas season remembering the birth of our Savior! Praise the Lord!

November Update

This may be a stretch, but hear me out. The great commission recorded by the Apostle John reads in short, “As the Father has sent me, so send I you.” We know this means we are likewise sent into incarnational ministry through discipleship and proclamation. But, those characteristics of His sentness are representative of the last 3 years of Jesus life. What about the years before His ministry began, are there any facts from His “sentness” before His public ministry that are relevant to our lives. Are we sent in any way as He was sent as we consider His arrival as a baby? Are we sent in any way in reflection of His preparation for ministry as a young adult? What does His being sent and spending 30 years before ministry have to do with our being sent? I am not sure. But, I do know a few things that help. I do know He came humbly. I am sure He came in Love. I know His being sent was a radical expression of Grace. As a spiritual baby, I experience the transition from milk to meat and I know that isn’t easy. I know being sent involves a profound preparation that often feels like a little baby learning to walk. I am guessing these things that I “know” are just scratching the surface of understanding how profound our sending resembles His coming. This advent season, I think there is a wealth of grace to be mined from His expression of love towards us in His coming in a manger. May we walk together with Him considering this grace on us.

Our month of November went by fast as we anticipated our return trip to the states. November was a largely normal month highlighted by several special events. The first weekend in November our entire church was invited to a neighboring deaf church for a special service. Everyone loaded up in buses and trekked to the next parish for a “Harvest of Praise.” It was a blessing to see so many of our deaf friends gathered for such an event. The next week, we had our annual fall cookout for our team. This was a time for our team to get together and have a “wiener roast.” This is always a good time of fun, food, and laughter. The next big event was the 2^nd annual deaf sports day. Hundreds of deaf from all over the island come to our town for a day of soccer, basketball, running, etc. It is a big day with lots of fellowship. After sports day, we held our Thankgiving. Our team, some friends, and another missionary couple celebrated Thanksgiving together. This was again a celebration of God’s goodness shared with friends.

Lord Willing, we will be spending the month of December in the states. We look forward to time with family and friends. We anticipate flying back to Jamaica on the 3^rd of January. Hopefully, we will see many of you during this time. Thanks so much for your continued support and prayers.

Good Travels

We had a good day of travels. The kids did great on the airplanes with only minor battles traversing lines, terminals, and security in Chicago. We hit the ground running. After a short nights sleep we set out on our marathon.

Thursday:
Breakfast - Kirk's brothers
Lunch - G-pa/G-ma Kaebs
Dinner - Keri's brothers
Friday:
Breakfast - G-pa/G-ma Kaebs
Lunch - G-pa/G-ma Plattners
Dinner - Peoria
Saturday:
Breakfast - G-pa/G-ma Plattners
Lunch - Kirk' Brothers
Dinner - Tremont

And the story goes on.

Traveling Mercies!!!

We are traveling today! Thanks for your prayers as we venture from MoBay to Chicago and then from Chicago on to Bloomington, IL. The munchkins are excited. The kids usually do well in the airports and on the plane, but every trip is an adventure. To God be the Glory!

Lets Talk Turkey!!!

We have never roasted a Turkey. Actually, I am not sure either of us have ever even helped someone else roast a Turkey and therefore we had no idea what we were doing. We hadnt even planned on doing a Turkey. Turkeys are not real plentiful and while we like it, for us it is not necessary for a Thanksgiving dinner. But, a friend had grown some Turkeys and asked us if we wanted to buy one for Thanksgiving. We decided to get a Turkey. Come to find out, it was a $100 turkey! So, we took our golden 17 pounds of Turkey goodness, did a few google searches, and dove into the process. The results are below. We took the turkey to a dinner on Saturday night with a bunch of friends. It was a nice addition to a night of sweet food and fellowship.

Keri preparing "Goldie"

Truitt posing by her golden goodness!

The family's best "CaveMan" impersonations with one of her golden drumsticks

Chicken Little

warning: graphic content

Drew loves the farm. It doesnt matter if we are pulling carrots, feeding pigs, collecting eggs, or picking coffee. And, come to find out, it doesnt even matter if we are butchering chickens. The last few times we have butchered chickens, Drew has asked to be involved. Every time, I had told him "no" as I was unsure if he was ready for the "facts of life." But, this time, he convinced me. So, several weeks back Drew learned the process of how to butcher a chicken and he has been begging to do it again. He did a good job. At the beginning, he had big eyes and a tepid spirit. But, I think he categorized the realities of life and death and joined in the process. Below are a few pictures of the Caveman and his prey.

Dad and Drew plucking feathers

Drew showing off his plucked chicken

Checking to see if chicken little had a heart

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving is a weird time in Jamaica. Obviously, Thanksgiving is only an American holiday and so we have none of the pomp surrounding this time of year. Therefore, there are times that we lose touch with the fact that it is time for Thanksgiving. Our Jamaican friends sometimes remember and will comment about eating Turkey or say "Happy Thanksgiving," but beyond that there are no reminders. We are planning a big meal with our team here, but it isnt the same. But, as we always say on Thanksgiving day, the giving of thanks is not bound by dates and it certainly is not bound by geography. So, with no chill in the air, no driving to an uncles house, and no national holiday, we will be giving Thanks. We are joining you in giving praise to our Lord who is worthy.

"Jamaican Idol"

A good friend of our family is in an "American Idol" competition with her school choir. They have made it to the final 5. Every Thursday, the competition happens on a show called "All Together Sing" in which local high school choirs compete. The show is complete with text voting and judges. We thought you might enjoy checking out her school choir. The competition involves doing songs in different categories. The first video is a gospel selection and our friend is the young lady on the far right of the second row. The second video below is a Jamaican folk song and our friend is the 3rd girl back in the right row of girls. We hope they continue to do well. Enjoy!

Best Friend

This is Lauren. She has been working at CCCD as a "short-termer" for the past 10 weeks. From the first time Truitt met Lauren, he has called her "best friend." For the longest time, he didnt even know her name and would only refer to her as "best friend." If he heard her voice outside or the door open to her apartment, his eyes would light up and say, "that is my best friend." We still dont know why he started calling her "best friend" from the moment they met, but maybe it was prophetic. They became good friends. Actually, she became a good friend to all of us. She has been a friend to us and has served our family in different ways. Her primary role at CCCD was working with several of our special needs students. She served by giving them focused attention and special time outside the classroom. Lauren is flying home today and she will be missed. Please say a prayer with us for her safe travels and "re-entry" back into life in America. We thank God for her service here and pray that He will bless her journey.

A Recipe for Disaster

Allow me to explain this confusing picture. This is a picture of what you get when you pack determined focus, a competitive spirit, and mathematical prowess all in one little 6 year old boy. These ingredients are a recipe for disaster. As we have stated many times before, Drew loves numbers. He loves talking about numbers, he loves hearing about numbers, and he loves doing math. For example, a simple statement like, "It will take 5 years to finish that job," and the boy will be off and running with questions about why it wont take 4 years and you could fulfill all his dreams by converting that length of time into days. Anyways, you combine that mathematical prowess with a competitive spirit and the trouble begins to brew. Now, any competition that involves numbers is dreamland. A basketball game in which we shoot both 2 point shots and 3 point shots is great as it involves a nice competition and great math problems. Now add to our concoction a uniquely determined focus. The boy can really zero his brain around one thing and he is captive. So, why is this a recipe for disaster? Because, the result of these ingredients when mixed with a dad who likes sports is a manic little 6 year old sports fan. It doesnt matter the sport, just put a set of numbers on a screen which represent a competition and he is hooked. As a result of our limited access to sporting events, all it takes is a couple of numbers on a website updating to captivate his attention. It doesnt matter the sport or the teams although he has began to gravitate towards his dad's allegiances. This is where the above picture becomes more clear. One morning a little while back, Keri went in to Drew's room before he was awake and was aghast that there was some writing all over his chest. She called me, but I had no idea what it was and I said, just snap a picture. Then, after Drew woke up, it all became clear. While trying to get to sleep the night before, his focused little fanatic brain decided to write in marker on his chest his favorite teams. We couldnt believe it. The top marking is "Chi," presumably for the Chicago Bears. The next is "ILL" and represents all sports at the University of Illinois. The bottom hieroglyphic is "Card" in representation of the St. Louis Cardinals. This was over the top. Oh, the stories go on and maybe we will add some more later, but this was just too good to pass up. We are actually to the point now in which we are beginning to implement some measures to cool his jets. But, in the meantime, his adding skills by 2, 3, and 7 are becoming increasingly deft.

October 2011 Update

October 2011 Plattner Family Update

The word of God is powerful and wields that power in so many ways. But, there is a certain shock value in those specific scriptures in which our Righteous God is brought into clear contrast with ridiculous humans. It is these scriptures that our hearts might glide over when we are on a mountain of self-righteousness, but in a valley of humility they shock our soul. This recently happened to us with a scripture that I am certain we have read many times before, but this time it began dividing the thoughts and intents of our heart. We have alluded to our family struggling through some things over the past months and in the midst of that malaise, this powerful encouragement has lifted our hearts. It was the apostle Paul, in conclusion of some very important but intricate teaching. I am guessing Paul was certain that our flesh would confuse this teaching and struggles would ensue. Therefore, I think he finished this teaching with a doxology to focus our hearts back on the central issue and proclaimed the following statement/questions. Consider the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! His ways are above our ways! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Who has been His Counselor? Does He owe us? For of Him, through Him, and to Him are all things. It is all about His glory!

The clarity from this encouragement helped bring our October into perspective. We were blessed by a team from the states in the beginning of October. The team came to deliver shoes to our students. They washed each students feet and gave them a new pair of shoes. The rest of the month of October was spent working around the school. On Saturdays, several kids, a local volunteer, and some of us who were available have been putting new tile down in our workteam dorm. This has been a great learning experience for all of us. The farm continues to roll on and the work is never finished. Coffee harvest has begun and we reaped a hundreds of pounds of carrots. The rainy season continues to shape our days and we are thankful for the rain.

The month of October is a month of celebration for our family. We celebrated Keri’s birthday, our anniversary, and the anniversary of our move to Jamaica. Keri’s birthday was a time to celebrate all that she is and what she means to our family. Our anniversary was celebrated with a day to the beach. We had a quiet day exploring Jamaica’s south coast, topped off with a pizza over a sunset. Then, just a few days later, we remembered 4 years of living in Jamaica. If the calendar didn’t confirm it, we would never believe it. Time marches on and our brains can’t seem to catch up. And, when we consider the blessings and faithfulness we have witnessed, we are in even greater awe. To God be the Glory!

Our family continues to do well. The kids are growing fast and we continue to experience many “firsts.” We are looking forward to a trip home to the states in late November. Our plan is to arrive back in time to celebrate and witness my brothers wedding. We rejoice with him in the work God is doing in his life and in the foundation of faith being built into his new family. After the wedding, we are anticipating time with family and friends coupled with a getaway and many Christmas gatherings. It is our goal to see and connect with many of you and we look forward to the fellowship. Please don’t hesitate to contact us to see if our schedules can match. Thanks again for all your prayer and support.

A Weekend Away

A couple of weeks ago, we went down to Montego Bay for a funeral. It is always a tough trip for our family and so we decided that if we are going, we will stay the night. The kids had been begging to go swimming and so we got a hotel. We had a great afternoon of swimming capped off by a pizza for supper. The kids were even up early in the morning to go swimming before church. The trip went well and great memories were made!

A Harvest of Praise

This past weekend, all three deaf churches on the island got together for a special service. Deaf Bible Church in St. Elizabeth hosted the gathering, while New Life Church in Manchester and Calabar Deaf Fellowship in Kingston closed their doors to travel to St. Elizabeth. We loaded up a bus and 2 vans and trekked to St. Elizabeth. The service was good as different people did special songs and testimonies. It was exciting to see hundreds of deaf gathered together for encouragement and fellowship. One of the major assets of the community is that they are very interconnected. It is our prayer that the gospel takes root and utilizes that interconnectedness to permeate the deaf community. The day also provided a reminder of the hundreds of deaf adults not represented who have no access to christian fellowship as this gathering essentially represented the entirety of the adult deaf outreach in Jamaica. The day was blessed and we gave thanks.

Free Church?

Children are a parents most honest critics. So, we are going to have to review our strategy for teaching our kids the principle of giving at church. We realized this the other week when Truitt came home and said, "Sunday school was free today, I didnt even have to pay."

Ummmm, back to the drawing board.

We don't do Halloween

We dont really have any soapboxes to stand on, we just dont do halloween. Actually, I can distinctly remember our first halloween after we got married. We were in our new house in Leo and halloween was not in the plans. As the trick or treating started, we turned off all the lights and hunkered down inside of our dark house so that nobody would ring our doorbell. And, the shameful part is that when they did ring the doorbell, we didnt even answer the door. How weird would it be for us to answer the door of a entirely dark house. Anyways, halloween is just not our thing and it was not on our radar as they dont really do Halloween in Jamaica. So yesterday, we were reminded that it was halloween and the issue came up at the supper table. We discussed it around the table as a family and then in 5 minutes, we had each kids costume ready and a trip to Erin's, our neighbor, planned. I ran ahead to warn her and to offer her candy in case she had none. The kids were ready and Erin was willing. So, our "little mommy," our "baseball player," and our "Jamaican farmer" were ready for their candy conquest and they were victorious. How cute is that crew?

Who stole October?

October is a big month around here.
8th - Keri's Birthday
17th - Our anniversary
20th - The anniversary of our move to Jamaica
And, its gone! But, we believe in remembrance. We believe in recalling our God's faithfulness and we can do that with the month of October. It didnt necessarily get much easier than September as "storms" have continued to swirl around our family. But, His Steadfast love has kept us in profound ways. Discouragement has hit us like a truck, but encouragement has followed like a train. We give thanks as we remember His mercy!

A taste of Home!

We had some friends from Jamaica who recently took a trip through central Illinois. While there, they connected with our parents. An autumn connection with our parents can only mean one thing, a taste from home. Some cider donuts for that taste of fall and the classic "monster" cookies just because they help the world go around. As you may have heard us say before, fall may be the hardest season to miss. Obviously, we have summer here all the time, spring is special but we can deal with it, and winter is great but it just gets so long. The crisp air, the sweet apples, the colors, a wiener roast, they all escape us. But, a little taste of home is a nice band-aid.

Beautiful Naivete

Our "house" has bars covering every window, the realities of crime and thievery are ever-present. Tonight, as the boys were going to bed, they were listening to the story of the Good Samaritan. In processing the concept of robbers, Drew asked, "are there still robbers today?" Wow, what beautiful innocence!

Danae Grace

The other day, Erin took these great pics of Danae. They really capture Danae, how big she is getting and how beautiful. She is 5 months old. Click HERE for some other pics of the happenings over the past couple of months.

Before/After

Before

After

Today marks our 4 year anniversary in Jamaica. We committed to stay here for 2 years and somehow I think we lost count. Wow, how things have changed! The first picture was taken not long before we left for Jamaica, a happy, clueless, blessed, anxious, committed, naive, passionate family of 4. The second picture was taken very recently, a happy, even more clueless, blessed, anxious, somewhat committed, not quite as naive, passionate family of 6. The most natural inclination is to look at the before/after picture and only see the 2 additional kids, 100 additional white hairs, and 10 extra pounds. But, what about the inside? What has changed? If I could only show you a picture of how we have changed on the inside. Actually, I am not sure I would show you that picture, it may be uglier than the addition of white hair and extra pounds. But, I am convinced that in the midst of the potential ugliness of that picture, their would be some beautiful streaks. Not of our doing, but of the Lord working in our lives. In the changing, wrecking, tweaking, and crushing, you would find beauty. We honestly cant believe that we are here 4 years later and there are certainly times that we are not too happy about it. Then, there are other days that we wouldn't want to be any place else in the world. It has not been easy, but it has been good. We have had these conversations with God, we have shared our disappointments and we have shared our thanksgiving. We praise the Lord for His faithfulness and steadfast love.

September Update

Plattner Family Update -- September

We believe in monthly updates. We really do. I know it may not feel like it as we send out a September update on the 19^th of October. But, we believe they are valuable. We are convinced of their importance as a duty and we try to do them in delight. In duty, we believe that we have an obligation to everyone who so faithfully supports us. As an act of accountability we believe we are supposed to be reporting to all who are praying. We believe in the power of communicated needs and cumulative support. We feel a duty to write of our journey. On the other hand, we delight in reporting God’s faithfulness. No, we don’t always feel this as sometimes these feelings evade us and hide behind life’s little rankles. But, we believe in His faithfulness and enjoy praising His name. And, we delight in the fact that as we approach 4 years in Jamaica, we should have close to 48 updates that record the life and times of our experiences. There is value in reflection and these updates should provide us a “memoir” of sorts on which to reflect. We believe in monthly updates.

Well, as we said, September was a long time ago and its kind of hard to remember such ancient history! But, we know that school started in September and normalcy came back into our life. The students have slowly trickled back to school over the past month. It has been great getting into the swing of school and seeing the kids again. Kirk is back working on the farm with the kids. The work thus far has been focused on getting some vegetables in the ground. We have some cabbage, callaloo, sweet potatoes, pak choy, and tomatoes starting to grow. September saw Keri putting on her teaching hat and spending her morning sitting at the table with Drew. This is a huge responsibility and opportunity and we pray that God can use this formative time in helping our kids build a strong foundation for faith. We have also had the opportunity to teach the weekend chapels at school. Our hearts continue to be very burdened for the students as we witness them copycatting the lives by which they are surrounded. We see a loss of hope, a lack of vision, and a misunderstanding of God’s word. We pray for the students and ask you to pray with us.

Our family is doing well. September saw Drew starting 1^st grade. He is mostly being home schooled and continues to do well. He loves to learn and is very self-motivated. Truitt started school at CCCD. Similar to what Drew had done, Truitt is in a deaf classroom for 2 hours every morning. He doesn’t learn the same way as Drew, but he has been growing by leaps and bounds. Truitt’s level of confidence over the past month has doubled. For some reason, I think he finally understands that it is acceptable for him not to be Drew. It is really exciting. Daisha often sits at home in the morning waiting for her “Teecha.” She is convinced that she needs to have everything the same as the boys. Therefore, she believes that our helper, Claudine, is her teacher. It is hilarious and her schoolwork involves trying to figure out how to use the potty. She is special. Danae continues to grow fast. Besides a day here and there where she becomes convinced that the world is out to get her, she is a good baby. She is happy, smiley, and loves her siblings. While we still sometimes have to stop in our tracks when think about the fact that we have 4 children, we are profoundly blessed.

We continue to appreciate your loving support. Our school, CCCD, has been going through some very difficult times. Leadership transitions and financial struggles were front and center through the month of September. It has been difficult watching the turmoil swirl around us. We continue to ask for your prayers as we continue to seek wisdom through these difficulties. The “whys” have come easy during these times. But, at the same time, we have learned many lessons and continue to ask the Lord for understanding and clarity. Thanks for joining with us in prayer.

Every Day is a Gift

You know the adage, "Every day is special, a gift we have been given, make the most of it." Its absolutely true! We believe it and try to live it. But, some days are extra special. The 17th of October is one of those days. Its our anniversary! We are absolutely convinced that our Lord has blessed our relationship in purposeful ways. We believe that our relationship is for the purpose of bringing Him glory. It is a blessing meant to bless. It is our prayer that the light of His love flows through our lives and specifically the life we share. So, for 7 years, we have been learning what this looks like and how this works. It is a high calling. We need grace and we give thanks.

A couple of years ago, for our 5 year anniversary, I made a little slideshow of pictures. I thought it might be worth resurrecting for this year. The memories are sweet. The joy of sharing life everyday!

Cultural Differences!!!

This is a holiday weekend. Heroes day is on Monday. Jamaica has designated national heroes which are people who have helped advance Jamaica politically and socially. Friday morning, the school had an assembly to commemorate and celebrate these heroes. In the midst of one of the presentations, a certain political party affiliation began to be flaunted. You see, in Jamaica, party affiliation is a big deal. You pick "republican" or "democrat" and then you show your support through wearing certain colors, using specific hand signs, or celebrating certain leaders. And, to add to this fervor, it is almost election time in Jamaica and the parties are beginning to campaign. The rhetoric is thick. So, when this issue came up in the assembly, chaos broke loose. From teachers to students, everyone began screaming and taunting in support of their particular party. Well, not everyone, there happened to be two little Americans sitting oblivious in the front row. Erin was sitting in the back and captured a great picture of Drew and Truitt. If you know Drew and Truitt, you know this is antithetical to everything they appreciate. So, as the picture paints, these two little boys are covering their ears from the deafening noise and sitting still to try to avoid being casualties of the chaos swarming around them. Ahhhhh, beautiful cultural differences.

A new bath tub!

Who knew that you can go through bath tubs like clothes? Well, its true. Daisha has recently outgrew her old bath tub and hand-me-downed it to Danae. You can see it on the left in the picture below. She has now graduated to a new tub in which she almost has enough room to swim laps. Ok, maybe that is a stretch. In fact, by looking at the second picture, you could guess that her newer tub has not delivered on its promises of grandeur. What a peanut!

To a Mother of 5.6 kids

I had this birthday post written for Keri before Saturday, but had not got it posted before Keri wrote her own. So, not to waste a post, enjoy Keri's birthday message Kirk style.

I dont think you understand! I really dont! I am not even sure I can explain it to you or if I should even try. Its just one of those things that is difficult to put into words. Keri is special, unique! I am not just talking about the fact that we have had 4 kids in 7 years. Or how we moved to Jamaica. Not even how we have lived out of suitcases for probably more than a year of our marriage. I am talking about the day in and day out. Loving. Serving. Giving. Recently, I was doing some thinking. On any given day when I come in from work, their is a potential for at least 3 extra kids to be at our house. So, doing some simple math, adding up the hours each of those kids live at our house and dividing it into a normal week, it is very reasonable to consider Keri the mother of 5.6 kids. Of course, the 4 biological ones are always around, but we must add in the 1.6 kids whose presence is felt day in and day out of a normal week. This is alongside the fact that she teaches Drew at home, deals with a difficult husband, and opens her home often to neighbors. I am not presuming that she does it in her own power, but by the Grace of our God, She is brilliant. An exemplary wife, loving mother, and compassionate friend. It is her birthday today. Her wisdom and beauty is becoming increasingly refined by the day. Happy Birthday Keri! We love you, cherish you, and celebrate you today! Praise the Lord!!!!

What a gift!

I have to admit, turning 32 isn't so bad.
In fact it was GREAT!
My husband promised to lock me (with only Danae) in my bedroom for the ENTIRE morning!
I never use to understand what was so exciting about BREAKFAST IN BED.
4 kids later, I UNDERSTAND!

This was 3 full hours of SWEET Soul Care time...a longer than usual shower, uninterupted prayer and Bible study, chapel preparation, and a hot cup of tea.

I'M FEELING GOOD!

Thank you, Lord, for these sweet moments. Thank you, Kirk, for this sacrifice of love..it was a wonderful gift.

Tragedy and Triumph

We have a small team visiting from the states. The team is primarily made up of deaf people and they have a strong passion to minister to the kids. So, the team helped with Wednesday night chapel. Several from the team shared testimonies and I couldn't believe what I was seeing as this women told her story. She was born hard of hearing but functioned in a completely hearing world with the assistance of hearing aids. She was a teacher working at a school district in Texas. Then, through an illness/accident, she suddenly lost all of her hearing. Simply while she was teaching, she noticed her hearing evaporate. She explained how by the end of the day, her coworkers and students were coming up to her and talking to her, but she had no idea what they were saying. While she was not afraid of the deafness, the social transition was extremely difficult. As she was dealing with the illness and the sudden loss of her hearing, another tragedy struck. Her school district was having a special dinner to honor their administrators at a local restaurant named Luby's. It was October 16, 1991 and she was supposed to join her colleagues for lunch, but couldnt because of the recent illness. It was that day at that restaurant at that time that 21 of her colleagues were killed in a massacre by a crazed gun man. Her friends and her coworkers were gone, but why not her. She was thrown into this struggle. This resulted in an extended period of her life in which she was simply angry with God. She packed all of her things in her car and just drove around the country. But, through this time, her Savior continued to pursue her with loving gentleness. Her face beamed as she expressed the wonder and amazement of His mercy on her life. The pain from recounting the experiences was still evident as scars remained, but I also witnessed profound healing through her testimony. Give Praise to our God!

Here is a little excerpt from the Wikipedia page about the massacre:
The Luby's massacre was a mass murder that took place on October 16, 1991, in Killeen, Texas, United States when George Hennard ″Jo Jo" ^[1] drove his pickup truck into a Luby's cafeteria and shot 23 people to death while wounding another 20, subsequently committing suicide by shooting himself. It was the deadliest shooting rampage in American history until the 2007 Virginia Tech massacre.

Woman of Faith

A dear friend of our family recently passed. This is not the mourning kind of passing, but a rejoicing of a seasoned saint going home. For us, it all started one Sunday after church, Drew was a baby and Imogene asked to hold him. She held him for a short time. This short interaction made us fast friends. She has always lived with her sister Lavada, and they both loved Drew. Subsquently, they fell in love with Truitt as well and likewise, our appreciation for them also grew. Even up through our most recent time in the states, they loved catching up with Drew and even holding Danae. These were faithful ladies. They are a part of a small cadre of elderly ladies in our home church who are exceptional women of faith. These ladies live out an active faith in so many ways. They were always supportive and prayerful. May God grant Lavada peace in the passing of her sister. We thank the Lord for the Imogene's testimony of faith in our lives.

IMOGENE L. STIEGLITZ

IMOGENE L. STIEGLITZ, 85, passed away Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, at The Cedars. Born in McLean County, Ill., she worked as a registered nurse with Parkview Hospital for 22 years, retiring in 1995. She was a member of Leo Apostolic Christian Church, The Cedars Auxiliary, and Parkview Methodist Hospital School of Nursing Alumni Association. She enjoyed gardening, reading, visiting friends throughout the years, and being with her family. Surviving are her brothers, Oliver J. (Emma Jean) Stieglitz, George H. (Joyce) Stieglitz, both of Harlan; sisters, Eleanor R. Strahm of Leo, Lavada L. Stieglitz of Woodburn; and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by parents, George and Elizabeth (Schwartz) Stieglitz; brothers, Harold, Russel, Marvin, and Morris Stieglitz; and sister, Lenora M. Sorg. Service is 10:30 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2011, at Leo Apostolic Christian Church, 11714 Grabill Road with calling one hour prior. Ministers Lynn and Steve Stieglitz officiating. Additional calling from 2 to 5 p.m. and from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011 at D.O. McComb & Sons Maplewood Park Funeral Home, 4017 Maplecrest Road, Burial in Leo Cemetery, Leo-Cedarville, Ind. Memorials to Gateway Woods or The Cedars in Leo, Ind.

For My Sister - Kasey

Actually, Keri's sister, but since we are one, then I guess she is just as much my sister. Anyways, I love my sister Kasey. She lives out her faith as the mother of two beautiful girls and a counselor to many others. She is bright and funny, always up for a good laugh or a good cry. But, Kasey has one problem, she is not convinced of my love for her. To say that she is slightly more gregarious and extroverted than Keri is a more than fair statement. Thus, there has been this consistent undercurrent such that since I am madly in love with Keri and who she is, then I must have less then fond feelings for her more charismatic sister. Anyways, in spite of the lack of truth surrounding this idea, it has transformed in to a sort of on-going joke. So, to make a short story long, I sometimes needle and prod with ongoing jokes to magnify the absurdity. Not long ago, at a family gathering, I took another shot that is the point of this story. Kasey is a fine cook with an appreciation for gourmet food. Thus, I see it as my obligation in this situation to play the yokel, meat and potatoes, brother-in-law. As the story goes, one evening while the family was preparing dinner, Kasey made a comment about making some Pico De Gallo. In playing the yokel, I made some kind of "pico De What" comment or a "dont you go puttin none of that fancy schmancy on my food" kind of comment. Thus, Pico De Gallo became an on going joke exacerbating this goofiness that Kirk is annoyed with Kasey. Anyways, the other day, I heard a song that was the perfect peace offering to the hilarity of the Pico De Gallo saga. The song is at this link and is the first of the songs available at the bottom of the post. It is called "Mexican Rhapsody." Enjoy!

Slugs and Bugs is series of kids cd's with great songs. The creators of these masterpieces are in the process of making their third CD. You can support them through their kickstarter page.

Transitions

Our school is going through some major transitions. During these times of transition, its hard to know whether to try to act like they are not a big deal or whether to give them their due through discussion and preparation. We are trying to figure this out. On one hand, we dont want to make a bigger deal out of the changes than needs to be made. We dont want to make the proverbial mountain from the mole hill. But, alternately, it seems as if there could be a danger in sweeping the transition under the rug and thus creating a perfect environment for problems to fester. We are learning so much and are waiting to see what the lesson is from these upcoming transitions. Ultimately, we are writing this to ask you to pray with us for our school. We need wisdom, direction, and the faith to walk in wisdom in God's direction.

With a barista like this!

The kids are always begging to sell things. Always! It is hard because we dont want to come off as if we are trying to make money off of our friends who feel beholden to buy from our three gringos. So, we often say no, no, no.

But, they love it so much that we thought we would let them sell lemonade for dirt cheap on a day when only the staff were on campus. They loved it and sold all of their lemonade and brought in a whopping JA$221. Of course, with a barista like this, this business is set for success.

And, with service like this, what do you expect?

While they were happy that they got to sell lemonade, it didnt quench their entrepreneurial appetite as lemonade, cookies, rabbits, and chickens have all been recently discussed as possible ventures.

Time for School

Truitt is trying school! Wow, it brings a tear to our eye. This boy is growing up and is excited to be going to CCCD for school. We really see this as a coming of age thing for this prototypical 2nd child. He is dying to be his own man. Drew's shadow is stifling him. The fact that he is starting at CCCD and Drew is staying home is a badge of honor worn proudly. Really, we are still in a trial stage, but in his book, he is well on his way to adulthood. We are proud of him as he has taken it in stride. And, the uniform, well its just stinkin cute.

New Normal

Last week, as you saw all of the remembrances of 9/11/01, where did they take you? What did they do to you? The thought was profound as I considered how life has changed from that moment. From those moments in which I was standing in front of my class on a Tuesday morning at my first teaching job after college to where I am today is a gap beyond comprehension. I was engaging a classroom of poorly informed, undisciplined students in whom I was trying to instill the gravity of the moment. They couldn't get it. I remember the laugh of one student in which comprehension was impossible in his movie consumed world. In his world, when the credits rolled, all was back to normal. Life was not going back to normal after we turned off the news, after the end of this day. A new normal was created. The life that has transpired in the last ten years in our little corner of the world has been lived in this new normal. Or, maybe we should call it the never normal. In my world, this involved three more years of being single and teaching, 3 years of being married and doing administration, and now 4 years of living in Jamaica. Oh, did I forget to mention the 4 kids, the moves, the laughter, the trauma, and the profound realities/joy of daily life. This is the never normal life in the midst of the new normal. We must remember! We must mourn! And, we must Rejoice!

Little Girls Grow Fast

Girls are different than boys. Boys are supposed to grow up, girls are supposed to... I dont know. Its hard, they are little girls. Well, I guess there is no stopping the inevitable. Look at these beautiful girls. Wow! Praise the Lord!!

Go Illini!!

You may recall a post awhile back about the pieces of furniture my husband has crafted for me. He has surprised me once more, along with his sons, with his ability to create!

This is no buy from a store here in Jamaica. They don't sell the like! In fact, that's a problem when shopping for birthday presents here. So my crafty husband surprised us all with a Illinois hoop for Drew's birthday. Kirk commented to Drew, "You'll never enjoy it as much as I did in making it."

Thanks Kirk for using your creativity and skills that God's given you!

School is in Session

School is back in session. Its great to have the kids back on campus. Wednesday night, I had the opportunity to meet with the older kids for chapel. I asked them if any of them had were able to go to Church over the summer. Out of the 40 or so students that were in chapel, 2 were able to attend a deaf church service over the summer. A few more went to church with their families and had a family member interpret for them, but 2 were able to go to a service in their language. That in itself is a prayer request. Two months of influence by the world with no encouragement from the Word will throw most trains off the tracks. I tried to remind them of the Gospel. Jesus! Sin! The Cross! Blood! Freedom! Reconciliation!

Only by Grace!

It must be the marketing

I came into the house the other day, and this is what I saw. Keri, sitting in her "schoolhouse" reading a book to the kids. Its funny though, last year, I only remember her having 2 students. This year, it seems that we have had 100% growth in our little school. I am sure the growth can only be attributed to our excellent teaching staff and a great marketing plan.

August Update

Plattner Family August 2011 Update

Why should I care? What should motivate me? In our last update, I mentioned my cold heart towards the famine in the horn of Africa. Maybe it opened a can of worms, but the question still lingers regarding our responsibility to act in love to the suffering world. It was an abrupt introduction to an update and I feel some need to tie up a few of the loose ends regarding this issue. What is our obligation as ambassadors in showing the world the reconciliation found in our Father’s kingdom? I am sticking with the same premise, we should care. Why? Because He says so! Not because those pictures break our heart, although they should. Not because we have so much and they have so little, although this may make us liable. Not to be seen by others, although good works being seen will bring Him glory. But, because He says so! This does not just apply to the famine in Africa, it applies to the people and places in your life in which an ambassador is needed to show the world the blessing of His rule. His rule brings reconciliation, His kingdom brings peace, and His reign attacks the real problem, sin. It isn’t about guilt, although you should probably feel guilty, it is about obedience. Or, maybe it’s about worship, which is delighting in obedience. May God grant grace for eyes to see the places He has chosen us to represent His kingdom to this world, from the Horn of Africa to our living rooms.

We are trying to ask these questions in Jamaica. Sometimes the answers make sense; sometimes our glass is extra cloudy. August started out with us moving our family over to the Jamaica Deaf Village (approx. 30 minutes from our house) for a couple of workteams. The Huber family is currently in the states and we were filling in for 2 weeks. The kids loved it. It was like a 2 week vacation in which they had all new toys, friends next door, and work teams who are always interested in playing catch. We also enjoyed the change of scenery as our school can feel like a ghost town with no students. The teams were a blessing and we enjoyed our time at the Jamaica Deaf Village.

The week after the workteams brought two very unexpected blessings. Our hearts have beat strongly for two issues in Jamaica; the deaf church and the residential care of the students at our schools. First, we were able to attend a leadership retreat for the deaf churches in Jamaica. This was an opportunity to cast vision and take the pulse of the Deaf churches in Jamaica. It was encouraging. Then, the next week, our school gathered together all of the houseparents from all three schools. They gathered for training. I was able to attend a few of the sessions and was blessed to see investments being made in the residential care of our students. It was cool to be able to be a part of both of these events as they so closely relate to the way our heart beats for this work.

The majority of our downtime through August has been spent doing “the little things.” Dealing with auto insurance, getting vehicles serviced, working on little projects, writing updates etc. This may sound insignificant, but the smallest tasks can take a full day. One day, I took our van out to get the oil changed. I dropped it off at around 9:30am. I was told to come back and pick it up about 2pm. I arrived a little before that because that was my only ride into town. I then sat there until after 5 because it was raining off and on and the mechanic didn’t really have a garage to stay out of the rain. Frustrating, yes a little, but also encouraging as 3 years ago this may have ruined my day. I know now that this is life. Pack a book and make the best of it. Ahh, the wisdom of experience. Anyways, that has been our August.

Our family continues to experience rich blessing. Drew is starting 1st grade, Truitt is starting pre-school, Daisha already has her Masters degree in creating chaos, and Danae is trying to figure out how to make her hands go where she wants. Pretty exciting stuff. Kirk continues classes in the school of hard knocks and Keri holds us all together. The students should be arriving in the coming week and we will be ready to get back into the swing of a new school year. Praise the Lord! Thanks again for your love, support, and prayers.

Happy Birthday Drew!!!

It was only after waiting approx. 5 hours for this video to upload that I realized it was not going to allow me to use the song that I had chosen. So, if you are interested in a slideshow of Drew, enjoy the video. But, it obviously loses something without a catchy, tearjerking song behind the pictures. If you have a good imagination, add it yourself, otherwise, our apologies for the silent video.

Myrmecophobia

Keri's issue with ants needed a diagnosis and Myrmecophobia was as close as I could get. Its not that serious, she doesnt need medication, but it is an issue. Actually, all she needs is some liquid Terro traps and an attentive husband, but unfortunately she can only rely on the Terro traps. Its not that I like the ants, its just that there is a scripture that says we are supposed to consider them, not just kill them. And, we have the perfect laboratory in which to consider them. All we have to do is forget to clean up under the table after Daisha eats and within 15 minutes we can be fulfilling scripture left and right. So, if you have any medications or therapies that you can offer to help with Keri's Myrmecophobia, let us know.

I want to be a Grandpa

I cant exactly recall the conversation, but it started with Drew saying that he wanted to be a Grandpa by the time he is 30. Truitt was right along with him ready to sign up for this thing called being a Grandpa. After some questions and further investigation, we think we figured out the motive. But follow the logic carefully and remember that this is coming from 2 little boys who are convinced that heaven will be just like Grandma's house. "If I am a Grandpa, I get to live with Grandma at her house all the time." I had never thought of it that way, but I have to say, I am excited to be a Grandpa because I love living with Grandma at her house.

Trim your lamps

Let your waist be girded
Let you lamp be trimmed
Watch and be ready
Jesus showing up on the water
Through a locked door
No man knows the hour

I am reading a book by Oswald Chambers in which he references the unexpected ways of our Lord. There is a sense in which from our perspective, we must always be ready for a surprise from our Father. I am not sure if this is the right example, but I just experienced a surprise and I am thanking the Lord.

Since arriving in Jamaica, our heart has become burdened for the deaf Church in Jamaica. There are 3 official deaf churches and a new church plant. We have asked the Lord what our role is in supporting the development of these fellowships. We have tried to help in little ways and the Lord provided another little way that we had not expected.

Our desire has been to encourage deaf men to take responsibility for the leadership of these churches. We have tried to provide encouragement to some in our local deaf fellowship, but we know it is an issue across Jamaica. Last week, we learned that our local fellowship was hosting a leadership retreat for the deaf churches in Jamaica. I asked the pastor if I could join and he asked if I would be willing to share some thoughts at the retreat. A little later, I told him I was willing and he asked if I could teach a lesson to only the men on motivation for ministry. Wow, what an opportunity and what a surprise. I tried to teach the idea that the Gospel is our motivation, the simple Gospel. There were approx. 10 men there representing the 3 churches. We pray that the power of the Gospel continues to take root in each of our lives for His glory!

Check-up Time

The old blog went in to see the Dr. for a little check-up. It was feeling a little sick as we had heard that some people were having difficulty accessing some content on our site. Clicking through to pictures, videos, and comments was not working. We hope the Dr. properly diagnosed our issues and the medicine will soon take effect. Please let us know if you continue to have problems.

Also, 3 months after Danae made her entrance into our family, we still hadnt updated our family picture at the top of the page. While it is not the best representation of Danae, at least she is present and accounted for as a member of our family.

Speaking of Danae, she is awesome. She is growing so fast and capturing our hearts more everyday. She has a beautiful smile and has been a very cooperative baby. I am convinced that she will be a tough little girl as she is daily being pummeled with overly-exuberant expressions of love from her big sister. We are giving thanks. Here is a picture of the little angel:

Decisions, Decisions

Danae is confused. She sees her sister sucking her two middle fingers and she sees her brother sucking his thumb. How do you choose? Its such an important decision. She obviously is still trying to decide as we have caught her test driving both options. Arrrgghh, decisions, decisions.