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.