November Plattner Family Update

What confounds you most about Christmas? Is it the shocking lineage of Jesus? His arrival in the humblest of circumstances? His teenage mother? The virgin birth? The prophecies? Etc. The beauty of the story is its depth and the new fascination that can be found every time we read those words. For me, this year, I am struggling to get my mind around “Emmanuel” and what this means for our lives. “God with us,” “Emmanuel,” is not just an idea that works well in song lyrics, it is a reality. A reality lived out in Christ’s passion for us, but also as a model for us in ministering to others. A song lyric I heard recently said that “we must become what we want to save.” Is that true? It is true in Christ’s example. What does that mean for our lives? What is your call in ministry? What does it mean to become the person to whom you are called to minister? This question makes me tremble, because I think more often than not this “incarnation” involves a stepping out of what is known and into the unknown. We seem to be on this path of the Lord slowly drawing us into a deeper understanding of what this may mean in our lives. For us, maybe it is giving up our way of relating to people and committing to trying to be more “deaf” in our relationships. Maybe for us it is deciding not to go home for Christmas in an effort to spend money more like our Jamaican friends and to show our willingness to experience the holidays Jamaican style. We are not trying to tell you what we think this means for your life because the deeper we walk down this road the more difficult it is for us to know where to “draw the line.” So, we have no suggestion, but the tension and the challenge has blessed our family. We would encourage you to commit this idea to the Lord in prayer and ask Him what part of your ministry could be more incarnational. I wonder if the Lord won’t bring some clarity to the beauty of His incarnation as we seek to live out His example to our “neighbors.” May the Lord Grant Grace>

Wow does time fly. I don’t know if I believe it or not, but the month of November is over. The majority of our month was spent plugging away at our projects. Keri and I both had Chapel duty in which we are responsible for the Wednesday night and Sunday teaching to the kids. I have continued working to develop the Agriculture Education program at Knockpatick. There has been some exciting developments that we hope will allow us to grow into next year. We have harvested some callaloo (close to spinach) and pak choy (Chinese cabbage) from the kid’s farm. Our chickens are improving their egg production. And, we hope to begin an entrepreneurship program at the beginning of the new school year. CCCD continues to struggle financially and we pray that as an organization the struggle can be used as a time of growth for the ministry. He is Faithful!

A different aspect of the ministry here is the distribution of Material Aid to orphanages, hospitals, infirmaries, and communities. Last week, our team had the privilege of unloading a sea container and delivering the aid. As I have probably written before, the real blessing of this ministry is the opportunity to see the work of the body of Christ. The aid is generally packaged and loaded by many brethren from across the states. It is then shipped down here where we deliver it to another group of people who then get to act as the hands and feet delivering the things to people who need it. We often get thanked for delivering the aid, but what people do not understand is that we may actually be the least important part of the puzzle. It is the body of Christ in the states ministering to the body of Christ in Jamaica who ministers to people in need. Praise the Lord for the opportunity to witness these blessings.

We continue to give thanks. Our Thanksgiving this year was not characterized by a turkey or cold weather, but we did give thanks and share love. It is our plan to stay here for Christmas as well. The time commitment away from those we love continues to be one of the most difficult aspects of our calling, but we pray that the pain we feel can call us to a better understanding of “God with us.” Our family continues to experience blessing upon blessing. The kids are growing and by grace we pray that they are building a foundation for lives in Christ. Lord Willing, we hope to fly home over Easter Break, March 23, to spend a few weeks with family and friends. We appreciate your support so much. Your prayers are so humbling. Thanks!

By Grace,

Kirk, Keri, Drew, Truitt, and Daisha