you can tell it's Easter time in Jamaica!

In the states you may see chocolate bunnies and eggs fill the store shelves to indicate that Easter season is near. In Jamaica you see something much more filling and I would have to guess, healthier! But when you put the cheese on it, cheddar or cream, you probably have to eliminate some health benefits!

Easter Bun is wonderful! We have spice bun on the shelves all year, but the difference in the Easter bun is more fruit. Raisins and cherries.



Here are the ingredients. flour, sugar, stout, butter, cinnamon, mixed spice, nutmeg and vanilla, baking powder, egg, marmalade, honey, molasses, raisins and cherries. Yum!

Typing out the ingredients makes me wonder....maybe there isn't much difference between an Easter bun and a chocolate bunny...just a different kind of sweet!

I can't find Easter candy here so a bun will have to do!

Election Day..

Today is Jamaica's local elections day. The prime minister was elected on December 29, but today was the day for local elections. The island closed the schools, the banks closed at noon. The point is to make it easier for people to be able to vote.

Renee's school had a half day so when we went to pick her up we came upon a polling place. There were 2 tables along side the road and lots of people in orange shirts! When the rain came, the two that were in charge sat in a car. But the sun came out and I was able to get some pictures.

There are two major political parties. The People's National Party wears orange. The Jamaican Labor Party wears green. When the candidates are stumping, they and their followers wear these colors.

During the prime minister elections we were advised against wearing the two colors out and about. It could be dangerous.

From my pictures you can tell we live in "orange country" and I can imagine that if your are a "laborite" you may want to not brag about it. This is one of the reasons schools are closed. They are not used for polling stations but rather prefer that the students are off the streets during these political times.





Here are some newspaper articles about today.

Streets of Mandeville uneventful for Local Government Election

BY ALICIA SUTHERLAND Observer staff reporter Sutherlanda@jamaicaobserver.com

Monday, March 26, 2012

MANDEVILLE, Manchester- Up to midday the atmosphere on the streets of Mandeville was that of a regular business day.

Party colours were few and far between and none of the fanfare that was seen in the December 29 General Election.

A representative from the Electoral Office in Manchester said that voter turnout has been “extremely slow” for the Local Government Election.

Save for concerns that voters that turned out early to vote at polling station #31 at Grove Road in Mandeville had to cast their ballot in darkness, there were no reports of any challenges from Election Day workers.

The Presiding Officer at the polling station told the Observer that was not the case.

She said whereas in the last General Election a battery lamp was necessary for the voters to cast their ballots there was no need for it this time around. She said that due to the time of year the sun was up early and they had the benefit of sunlight.

“We have electricity to count the ballots after five” she said, looking in the direction of the extension cord stretching from the HEART/Trust facility on the compound into the previous Jamal Centre which served as the polling station.

Assistant Police Commissioner (ACP) Derrick Cochrane for the Area Three Police Division, which consists of the parishes of Manchester, St. Elizabeth said that the police and the army are on alert.

“Voting has been going steadily through the Electoral Divisions. The police is out there and the army. We all are creating that enabling environment for the people to express their democratic will” said ACP Cochrane.


Read more: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/latestnews/Streets-of-Mandeville-Uneventful-for-Local-Government-Election#ixzz1qGevAs7p

Darkness at Mandeville polling station
Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

Voters casting their ballots in the Local Government election at Polling Station # 31 on Grove Road in Mandeville are doing so under dim light from kerosene lamps.

In the 2011 General Election, the authorities had used candles to provide light inside the dark building which once served as the JAMAL centre.

For several years, the building has not been in use for day to day activities.

Meanwhile, there has been low voter turn-out for the first hour and a half at polling stations across Manchester, however, voting started on time at 7 a.m.

The Member of Parliament for Central Manchester, the People’s National Party’s (PNP) Peter Bunting cast his vote at the Grove Road Polling Station at 7:14 a.m.

The Jamaica Labour Party’s Simon Sangster is running against the PNP’s Jones Oliphant for the Mandeville Division.

The seat was left vacant late last year when the JLP’s Sally Porteous resigned as councillor and as a member of the Jamaica Labour Party to take up the post of Custos of Manchester.

Manchester Polling Station in darkness

People’s National Party candidate, Peter Bunting shows his index finger after voting. (Dave Lindo/Photo)
Dave Lindo, Gleaner Writer

People’s National Party candidate for Central Manchester, Peter Bunting at 7.10 a.m. became the first voter at Polling Station 32, located at Grove Road in Mandeville.

Speaking with the media after casting his vote, Bunting said his team was ready for the day. “We have well oiled machinery, we had our final workers meeting yesterday and everybody is motivated, and enthusiastic, barring any negative report during the course of the day I expect things to go smoothly.”

Bunting is going up against the Jamaica Labour Party’s candidate Danville Walker.

There was a major hiccup at the polling station, as the building was without electricity. Polling station 32 was in darkness and workers had to be using candles, while carrying out their duties.

Voting for the most part has been going smoothly throughout the constituency with the other polling stations opening on time and people turning out in their numbers to cast their vote.

oh McDonalds...how we miss you...

When the VFCC team came to Jamaica on March 9th, they arrived at 5:50 in the morning! When they came through customs and got to us Pastor Phil Baker said that he had a presentation to make. I was wondering what that could be. He called Renee to him and presented her with a McDonald's cheeseburger!! And it was just the way she likes them, ketchup and mustard only! It was such a precious moment! She was so surprised as was I!

Funny thing people have told us that McDonald's did come to the island a few years ago, but it didn't survive. I have heard people say that the burgers were too small. I don't know if that is the reason it left but man! I wish they were still here! It is quite comical what you get a craving for when you can't have it!

Well that burger didn't last long...daddy and I almost tackled her for it!
Thanks to a great professor for accommodating a missionary kid when he got to the island! I bet that is something she won't soon forget!

every kid needs a youth group...

Renee has been attending a youth group since last September. For our first three years I didn't feel comfortable to send her. The A/G youth group ages are ages 13-35 and I just didn't feel safe in letting her go on Friday nights with that huge age span. I know, I am an overprotective mom!

Last September though she was invited by friends from school to go to The Generations Church youth group. It is held on Wednesday nights and the ages are 13-18. The church is a Youth With a Mission church. The pastor and his wife adore Renee and have mentioned to me that Renee brought new life to the group and has been such an asset. She has been such a blessing as a student who loves Jesus so much and is able to pour into others at the same time.

Since January they have been doing a book study by Frances Chan. It is called Crazy Love. Such a great study for this age and I am so grateful that she was invited to the youth group.

When we are able we attend the church on Sunday's so that Renee has some sort of belonging and continuity in her church life. Yesterday was one of those days! The worship leader asked her to play her violin and what a blessing! It was incredible.

All I can say is in every situation as a parent I must do what is best to lead my children to love Jesus and begin ministry when they are young. If I do it will carry on when they are on their own.

student leadership

It is really cool when Renee has an experience on her own that when she came home all excited about, Denny and I smiled because it is something that we have done for a long time in developing team leaders and now someone is doing for her what we have done for others.

Her school has a head boy and a head girl, a deputy head boy and a deputy head girl, prefects and sub prefects.

The head boy/girl are the top student leaders in the school. They are in the thirteenth grade and can step in for teachers, are in charge of detention duty, they can give demerits/merits, and detentions. The deputies can do the same but they are not as important as the head boy and head girl when it comes to structure. These four people give a speech to the teachers at the beginning of the year and from that speech the head boy/girl is chosen.

The prefects are those chosen from the twelfth and thirteenth grades that show leadership qualities. They do not step in for teachers but they along with the head and deputy leaders are in charge of homerooms along with the homeroom teacher. They can give detentions and demerits.

The sub prefects of which Renee is one, are chosen from the eleventh grade. They are in a preparatory stage for when they can be prefects and head boy and girl. They give demerits, detentions, and merits. They are responsible for late duty (reporting those who come to school late) and also break duty. Making sure that everyone is behaving and acting mature. We tell Renee to go be a good police!

The administration of the school planned a day retreat for all of these student leaders. They were taken by bus to a camp for the day. The theme of the retreat was TEAMWORK:Ever try building something with just one block?

They experienced "trust" games, and mental exercises that built on teamwork and reliance on others. They enjoyed being mentored even for a day. Ms. King (the VP of the school) and Mr. Jones, (the head teacher) coordinated everything to flow together to build on what these student leaders are already learning and experiencing at school.

At the end of the night they had a bonfire and s'mores which was a great way to end the day. Since Renee is almost finished and will be leaving Belair she had her friends sign her shirt. Kind of neat that they were given one.

a glimpse of Mandeville....

Majestic Shrimp from Brian Lewis on Vimeo.

This video gives a glimpse of our town and then at the end a bonfire that the kids had last month. I thought you would appreciate the sights of our town!

Since last fall Renee has finally found a youth group where she fits. They are some kids from her school, kids from town, and kids from the church. She loves it. Since January they have been studying from a book written by Frances Chan. The title of the book is Crazy Love. So appropriate for her age and for the culture today.

Enjoy the video!

93 days...the countdown has begun!

Today Renee begins her series of finals which are called CSEC (Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate) mock exams. They are the exams that take place before the actual CSEC exams in May. CSEC exams determine where the eleventh graders will go to school for twelfth and thirteen grades. The exams are island wide and play a major part of your year end grade. Although the exams that start today are called "mock exams" there is nothing "mock" about them, the grades count for your report card.

Renee falls into a different category for CSEC exams. If she were staying in Jamaica they would be very important but since we leave the end of June and she will be going straight into college, the CSEC exams won't determine her future and where she is eligible to go to school.

Along with the exams are labs. 24 labs were due for Physics, I.T. and Chemistry. These lab books were started in grade 10 and my oh my are they stressful! But she got them done and submitted! Thank you Jesus!





Even Mackee~poo meditated on the subject!



She will have a CSEC exam in Art as well. So her labs for that subject are actual pieces. So far she has completed 3 and one is in process....a long way to go to get to 24. She will make it!




and one landscape in process....



and 93 days till graduation! Yeahoo!