Avocado season..

Here in Jamaica avocados are called pears. We have 2 beautiful "pear" trees in the yard and an abundance of these beautiful fruit!



All this fruit led me to ask on Facebook last year at this time for avocado recipes which was successful. So along with the old recipes, this year Den went to the Internet for avocado recipes. This years recipes include a soup and a bread.

Well guess what! The bread is a winner and tomorrow we will see how the soup comes out! The reason I don't like to experiment is I hate to throw out something that is inedible! So when they are winners I have to share! The ingredients remind me of zucchini bread that is wonderful but I don't find zucchinis here so now I have a replacement!



Avocado Quick Bread
(allrecipes.com)

1 cup and 2 tablespoon flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon soft butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup and 2 tablespoons avocado
6 tablespoons buttermilk
6 tablespoons chopped pecans
2 tablespoons raisins
1 teaspoon orange zest

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour one loaf pan.
Sift together all dry ingredients in one bowl
In another bowl cream together butter and sugar will light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in the mashed avocado.

Fold in the mixture into the dry ingredients with the buttermilk. Fold in the nuts, orange zest and raisins.

Put in loaf pan and bake one hour or till pick comes out clean.


This is a fabulous recipe, so go collect the "pears" that have fallen and enjoy!
The gardener for the property uses a big stick with a Y attached at the end to get the pears off the limb. It kind of looks like a great big slingshot!



The seed or pit looks like a brain to me!

Sunday...my favorite day of the week!

Last Sunday we had a real treat. It isn't very often that you get to see another missionary in action. There are missionaries on the field and sometimes it is rare to hang out with them let alone be where they are on a Sunday! Gary and Peggy live in Kingston but travel the island in conducting HIV/AIDS awareness seminars. Gary is the preacher and Peggy is a registered nurse. Their presentation was tremendous and we are so glad we visited Top Hill A/G on Sunday.

The pastor was very brave and had them come and do their presentation on a Sunday morning. It was fantastic. They spoke to a full house. Interesting that the people didn't shy away from the subject but rather came out in full force.

AIDS has become an epidemic here on the island and thank God this pastor wants his people to become informed and more than just being informed, begin ministering to the people that suffer.

A side note, it was pretty cool that the worship team was dressed in purple and so were Gary and Peggy!

Here I stand..I cannot do otherwise....

...And so began Spiritual Emphasis Week at the Jamaican Bible College. Who knew the year was going to start so great! Last April the director of the college resigned and I am sure that in any transition the students that would be returning were wondering, "What now?"

A/G Superintendent Pitkin was named the director a couple of weeks ago and the year has started off with a bang! To God be the glory!

Last night the new director preached a powerful message and tonight Denny preached another powerful message.

As I sat in both of these services I wanted to recommit my life to spreading the gospel and go back to Bible school! Oh to be 20 years old again!

The worship has been fantastic and the preaching tops. I want to share some photos and maybe through them you will appreciate what we have been experiencing!






















Vinroy is the student president. A wonderful man of God with a bright future.
Please pray for the 48 students. Should Jesus tarry they all have a ministry to fulfill here in Jamaica and quite possibly to the far corners of the earth.

Under His wings....

Under HIS wings
I'm safely abiding
Though the night deepens and tempests are wild
Still I can trust Him
I know He will keep me
He has redeemed me
I am HIS child.

Under HIS wings
what a refuge in sorrow
How the heart yearningly
Turns to HIS rest
Often when earth
has no balm for my healing
There I find comfort
and there I am blessed.

Under HIS wings
Oh what precious enjoyment
There will I hide
till life's trials are o'er
Sheltered protected no evil can harm me
Resting in Jesus
I'm safe evermore.

Under HIS wings
Who from HIS love can sever?
Under HIS wings my soul shall abide
Safely abide forever.

A new baby is on the way!

When we moved to Jamaica we lived in a small town called Spalding. It was a real interesting little town and we have experienced much there. We left there 2 years ago to live in a town closer to Renee's school.

We still go to Spalding for different things since it is so close to the Bible College.

The Assemblies of God Jamaica is starting a new work in a section of Spalding called George North. It is an exciting time for the church here! Just like when a mom is waiting the birth of a new little one!

The tent was set up and the crusade began on August 7th. Each night a different established church in the area is responsible for the music and preaching. It is an exciting time for sure!

Pray with us that the community will be impacted and many will come to Christ through the new work. Pray for the Jamaican leadership that God will give them wisdom as they move forward in this endeavor. Pray that God will provide the pastor and people to work alongside. It is not going to be easy. It is going to be an adventure but God is building His church in these last days.

No more night....

On August 11th another soldier went home. Paul Grabill was born the same year I was. When we were teenagers we were sometimes in the same circle in the Pennsylvania-Delaware District, back then called the Eastern District of the Assemblies of God.

Teen Talent was a competition to showcase our sometimes under-developed talent, not Paul's. He was a great pianist even then. The Eastern District Youth Chorale was a choir that we both traveled in. I have very fond memories of those days. Paul was the red-head at the piano.

He has made it home. When he left he was broken in body, when he arrived, he was made whole. I imagine him tonight conversing with the saints of old. He was a thinker, a conversationalist, and a Christ-follower. Who knows the hour? Maybe we will see him sooner than we think.

Dreaming of heaven tonight.....


Words & music by Walt Harrah


The timeless theme, Earth and Heaven will pass away.
It’s not a dream, God will make all things new that day.
Gone is the curse from which I stumbled and fell.
Evil is banished to eternal hell.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See all around, now the nations bow down to sing.
The only sound is the praises to Christ, our King.
Slowly the names from the book are read.
I know the King, so there’s no need to dread.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

See over there, there’s a mansion, oh, that’s prepared just for me,
Where I will live with my savior eternally.

No more night. No more pain.
No more tears. Never crying again.
And praises to the great "I AM."
We will live in the light of the risen Lamb.

All praises to the great "I AM."
We’re gonna live in the light of the risen Lamb.

Happy Birthday Jamaica! 49 years old.

Well Jamaica is older than 49 for sure. I have studied her history but Jamaica gained her independence 49 years ago.

I am crazy for Independence day. Anyone who knows me well knows that I love Independence Day even more than Christmas. I love the weather of July 4th. I love the family being together. I love July 4th picnic food. I love patriotic songs and sermons. I love the celebrations and I absolutely LOVE fireworks. I wish I could have had fireworks at my wedding reception! I absolutely love Independence Day.

Since July 4 is my favorite holiday naturally I would love Jamaica's Independence day. It coincides with our wedding anniversary being August 5 and Independence day being August 6. We have lived in Jamaica 3 years and I would learn about the celebrations the next day on August 7 from the newspaper. We are not real big on event advertising around here in any arena so last year I saved August 7th's newspaper so it would be a reminder for me to get the family to Kingston at least in 2011 on Independence Day.

The 2010 newspaper Independence Day article gave the parade route and it said that it started midday.

That's easy! We left for Kingston at 10 this morning and just knew that we would be able to see the parade at noon. Noon is midday, right?. Nope! not to be. The parade began at 9 so we missed it. Then I learned when we got home this afternoon that there was a remarkable happening at the King's House. An event I would have truly loved. The prime minister spoke, there were musical items and of course the beautiful national anthem. I missed it.

However since we missed all the Independence Day happenings we made a happening of our own! We went to a new restaurant for lunch with missionary friends.

Usain Bolt is the owner of Tracks and Records. He is quite a man. There are many things that I don't like about unsaved celebrities but this man has something I like! His birthday! He shares the same birthday as my sweetheart Denny. August 21. Den is a tad older than he but Usain (the worlds fastest runner) was born August 21, 1986. From all I have read I have learned that he loves his country and he loves his money. Of course when you have that much, who wouldn't!

I am glad he invested some of it in this restaurant/lounge. We hit it at a good time. Saturday lunch! I am sure it has a different clientele at night! The food was terrific. The friendship was great. I just wish Usain would have stopped by on Independence Day, maybe he would have given his birthday partner a free meal!