HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEN!

What a special day! Today we celebrate YOU. Your life is worth celebrating today and everyday! I imagine when you, the 9th child came along 54 years ago your mama must have been so incredibly weary, yet incredibly overjoyed that she had another boy! You were her 7th manchild! I can only imagine!

To buy a home in 1955 your parents would have shelled out $22,000. I wonder if the Troxelville estate came close to the average! Location, Location, Location!

Parents worried about their children seeing too much TV in 1955. Shows like Hopalong Cassidy and Gunsmoke. Technology, Technology, Technology!

An average income in 1955 was $4,137. Your daddy worked on the railroad to feed 11 hungry mouths, I wonder if his paystub came close to the average. Your mother was a stay at home mom long before the term was coined. I can imagine the ingenuity of your mom, sewing, preparing meals, making cards rather than buying them. In my 31 years of marriage to your family, I never remember seeing her drive the car although I know she had a license. I guess with that many children, she wouldn't have been able to fit them all in the car at once so she didn't have to worry about driving!

In 1955 when Mom Seler went to the store, she spent 92 cents on milk, 18 cents for bread, 53 cents for a 10 lb. bag of potatoes. She would have never dreamed of buying oreo cookies for 39 cents. Snickerdoodles and 1234 cake...now that's what the kids like! When the cantalope man came through town..fresh fruit was the treat of the day.

You have always said that your family had their own baseball team, their own volleyball team, the only thing that you all didn't have for your own was a bed! You spent so much time together as kids must be that is why you and your 6 brothers joined the military, you could finally have your own bed and some personal space!

When you were born,Dwight Eisenhower was the president and Richard Nixon the vice. When you were born you would have seen "I like Ike" posters around the community. When you were born Rosa Parks refused to sit at the back of the bus.
When you were born radios were tuned into baseball, remember the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankee games!
When you were born, Albert Einstein died.
When you were born The Platters and Elvis Presley were hitting the airwaves.
When you were born a baseball glove cost $9.95.
When you were born Disneyland in California was built.
When you were born a postage stamp cost 3 cents!

Today living in Jamaica it is hard to imagine a stamp costing so little. When someone sends a package to us the cost is unreal.

Life has changed but how could so much change happen in only 54 years? At times don't you feel that you are still in your twenties? At times don't you feel like it can't be possible to be this close to 60?

Since I am unable to run to Macy's to get you a new shirt and tie for your birthday or go to Brookstone for a new gadget, I am dedicating this blog to you. I give you words. You continue to tell the kids that words are captivating. Words are worth studying. Words are intriguing. You tell the churches where you preach that you love words. You preach sermons distinguishing the many meanings in just one word. Your youth groups have always teased you about teaching them new words and using words above their intellectual ability!

Within our little family, words mean alot! Maybe the 3 of us are vocal because you have taught us the importance of words. Maybe we are chatty because you taught us so many meanings to words. Maybe the 3 of us never meet a stranger because you have modeled the wonderful use of words.

Because of your words, you are a wonderful father. You made tapes when the children were young and you were traveling. Your written notes are something that both Ryan and Renee treasure. Your daily morning email to Ry while we are in Jamaica and he is in college have many times been the key to the success of his day. Your lunchbox notes brought great pleasure and when not there could traumatize them!

You are a man of words. Thank you for sharing them. Thank you for not clamming up and keeping your words to yourself. Thank you for realizing a long time ago that since we only pass this way but once, your words would bring healing and not death. Thank you for speaking into my life since the day I met you with words that were appropriate for the moment but have lasted a life time. Thank you for in the most precarious of times your words were like apples of gold on a tray of silver. Thank you for talking, thank you for correct verb structure, thank you for your written and spoken words! Thank you for teaching us how to be deliberate with our words. They are treasures to your 3 greatest fans!

Happy Birthday Den! I wish you:

Happiness.....deep down within
Serenity......with each sunrise
Success.....in each facet of your life
Close and Caring friends
Love....that never ends
Special memories...of all the yesterdays
A bright today...with much to be thankful for
A path....that leads to beautiful tomorrows
Dreams.....that do their best to come true
And appreciation ..of all the wonderful things about you.

Sweetie, I wish you a year of God's most precious Word...written and Rhema.
Forever.......Debby

Kudos to American Airlines!

It is not too often that I rave about an airline's efficiency and care but today I will! Yesterday we left Miami to come back to Jamaica, our flight was scheduled for 1:35. Because of weather we were a little late in boarding but not too bad. We of course were not complaining, we didn't want to end our time in the states and so we were happy to be detained! One more browse through Border's!

We boarded and pushed away from the gate and sat on the runway for over an hour. In that hour of waiting in tremendous heat on the plane my Dramamine kicked in and Renee was quite content with her DS!

All of a sudden, the airline personnel ran down the aisle and loudly called for a doctor on the plane. When nobody came to their aid they got the medical bags from the overhead bin. Quite soon the plane turned to go back to the gate. Just as quickly as the plane came to a stop the Miami-Dade Rescue team was on that plane and giving medical attention to the person.

The person in need was actually a missions team member. We had noticed this team at the gate wearing matching shirts with a Jamaica flag on the front. One of the students had a seizure I learned from one of the chaperones later. The medics got him off the plane and then we waited for the luggage to be found underneath. Around 4:00 we were on our way!

During that time of waiting on the runway a person seated next to Den started having a panic attack from claustrophobia. Denny talked him through the pain and they continued conversing for the entire flight. When we landed in Kingston, the gentleman said "If you hadn't done what you did, I would have never made it."

We had a tremendous month in the states, had success at the Jamaicam consulate in Miami and arrived home ready for another school year to begin. Of course alot has to happen before that day! One of the highlites will be Ryan coming after the Chosen tour concludes and for that we are very excited!

We spent some time at VFCC this month and so Renee was able to see the school and really see where Ry lives. The photo is Renee in front of a VFCC bus with Glen helping to get our luggage off at the airport. He was so kind to drive us in to Phillie and blessed our lives with good conversation and laughs of when he came to Jamaica as a newlywed!

We are so blessed and realize it over and over again! God keeps showing us care and kindness though the people he sends into our paths and that makes a world of difference!

Even the kindness of a flight attendant can make someone's day....it sure did in the life of that missions team member. The kindness of Denny to care for that man so much to put aside the textbook he had planned on reading.....

Kindness is the virtue that has sustained me these last 4 years, to me it is worth more than gold. I guess that is why when someone expresses it, it stops me in my tracks, because life is so easily the opposite......

Bauxite never had meaning to me before this!

We live in the parish of Manchester. Renee is an honor student at a school in the Manchester parish that was organized 40 years ago to fill the academic and social needs of expatriot children. These expatriots were brought to Jamaica to work in the bauxite mining production, the greatest export that Jamaica has. Third largest producer following Australia and Guinea.

Up till now, the bauxite mining industry was a significant source of employment. In 1956, the year I was born, the nation's take from bauxite went from US 2.2 million to US 11.7 million 2 years later. Imagine what the nations take was in most recent years. The 1950's figures are small potatoes compared to the nineties. I read in one article that right here in Mandeville there is US 300 million dollars worth of bauxite.

Aluminium is made from bauxite. The photo above is the field right here where we live. It has become increasingly quiet. Some of my friends husbands have been employed with Windalco. The company has 2 plants and the one pictured above is here in Manchester. They have now closed the plant due to declining global demand for aluminium. Chemists and engineers have now returned to their native countries.

It is always fascinating to me to follow the trucks that you know came from the field because although they may have been painted white, the only visible color is red. Bauxite red! Come to think of it, I haven't seen any of those trucks lately.

Another interesting fact about the bauxite field is that the dirt remaining has no value.In the process of extracting the bauxite, all vital nutrients are stripped as well and the dirt is absolutely worthless.

Now that the mining has stopped and foreigners have returned home, I wonder what will happen to these fields. In 50 years will Jamaicans look at photos and say, I remember when this development was just a red field. Look at what it is now!

Which brings me to my pondering, what will happen to Belair? The school initially began as an international school and eventually was governed by the Jamaicans. Today it is basically a Jamaican private school with a few whities interspersed like Renee! I sure hope just because the demand for aluminium has decreased that Belair won't go into decline because of the economic crisis.


Renee has had an incredible year in Belair. I am so grateful that we live in Manchester parish so that she can be an alumni of a great school.Funny the things that had no meaning even a year ago, today have tons of meaning and ramifications. So goes life!

One smart teenager!

My Renee turned 13 this week and just when her birthday came, a wisdom tooth broke through. Timing is everything isn't it!! It was kind of bizarre when she asked me what was going on in her mouth. She knew she was getting a tooth but was quite surprised when I said it was a wisdom tooth! What do you know, my teenager is one smart cookie!

Tonight we celebrated 3 June birthdays! Patrick and Nicholas are 2 of our wonderful students in the college. They are staying at the college for the summer so we brought them to the house for a fun birthday party! Renee's birthday was Wednesday, June 3, Nicholas's is today, June 5 and Patrick's is June 25.

Patrick is from Haiti. Playing Wii is a great way to learn English! Renee has had one year of French, it always neat to hear her communicate to Patrick.

Renee has had a great year in 7th grade. Just think, learning 3 languages at one time! She has French and Spanish in school and then she is learning Patois from her friends, the heart language here in Jamaica. Did I mention she is one smart cookie. Funny what a new tooth can do!!

A month of Blessing!

Sometimes in ministry and in life, God lets you experience a season of rejoicing. The month of May was that for me. A wonderful CBC student came on May 2 for one month to experience missions firsthand. Sara attended our college classes, attended Renee's classes even her after school art sessions, Renee's violin lessons, AGBC graduation, field fellowship gatherings, and lots more. Sara is a Deaf Ministries major so we connected her to the deaf village ministries here in Jamaica and she was able to participate there quite often. She went to both of the A/G childrens home here on the island. She ran her little legs off with our crazy schedule. We were in different churches each Sunday and in the middle of all that Ryan came for 10 days and he too ministered in the church with his violin. It was so cool to have 2 college kids in the house! GO VFCC and CBC! Ryan attended 1 semester at CBC so we do have some loyalty there!

Today our wonderful month came to a close and the house seems so empty with just the 3 of us together again! Sometimes normal is not the normal you really want! We left for the airport at 6 this morning for Sara's flight. Since we were there so early we took advantage of the beach. Since we had to pull Renee from school for the 2 hour drive (one way) we decided to make it really worth it! Tonight we are crispy critters! But happy crispy critters! Lots of snorkeling and shell finding! That never grows old!

To everyone who made Sara and Ryan's time here so special, I thank you! A moment invested into the lives of students who are completely dedicated to entering full time ministry always has rewards and you my Jamaican friends made it a great month!

What's a lychee?

This very beautiful, old tree is in the front yard of the house we rent. For a month we have been watching fruit form. This past week it became a very popular place for school children, neighbors, our landlord and then those that appear after dark! I was sitting at my desk one evening and heard some very familiar sounds, I flipped on the outside lights and grabbed a flashlight to "spot" the tree! Sure enough there were some lychee hunters!

Today Paul and Dulcie brought some of the New Vision Children as well as 2 of their girls and you will see in the photo some very happy children! They were eating as they were picking! What a precious sight!

I took a bag of lychee to my friend in Mandeville and she held the bag to her chest as though I had given her pure gold! She said, "Do you know how much lychee cost?" She continued to say, "400 Jamaican dollars a pound." That is costly. Of course most things are expensive in Jamaica, but this little fruit is a prize!

So there you have it, we have added another cultural experience to our lives! By the way green = sour, red = sweet! Oh it is tasty. I told the children today to save some seeds and start a tree there at New Vision Children's Home, they said, "But Miss Debby, we won't be here to enjoy it. It takes to long to get a nice tree like this." My response....."but what a legacy you would leave! Children many years down the road would really appreciate your effort!"

Along with the lychee, we have a couple lime bushes, 2 avocado trees, a sour orange tree just for making juice, a fig tree, lots of cho cho, a beautiful tangerine tree right here in the yard! Behind the house in the garden are banana trees, yam and sugar cane! Aren't we blessed!

"A Happening!"

Ryan was not scheduled to come to Jamaica this week, but through some very difficult moments and growing pains on his part, daddy used air miles to get him here for an emotional boost. When he arrived, he was absolutely exhausted. His tank was running on empty in every way! He is drained physically, mentally and emotionally. Our mission this week is to build him up in every way, hands on instead of long distance. I am so grateful he has a break in between tours for us to do this.

When Ry was here at Christmas time, Renee's violin teacher was on Christmas break so he was unable to meet Miss Moyah. What a lady, what a teacher! So on Thursday, he joined us for Renee's lesson. Ryan serenaded Miss Moyah with "Adoration" and then she suggested that the 3 of them play "Canon in D". This is what my friend, Lu, would call "a happening!" When words cannot describe the event, Lu would walk away and say, "Debby,that was a happening!" Oh I wish my friend Lu could have been in Jamaica Thursday night, I know just what her facial expression would have looked like as she said those words!

What a joy it has been to have Ry with us for 10 days. never in my wildest dreams did I ever imagine parenting to be so momentous and yet so stressful. Numerous times this year, Denny has said, "Do you think our parents experienced these same emotions!" My question is, "And if they did, why didn't I notice!!!"

Growing up indeed is hard to do. I remind myself that I have done everything in my power to give him wings. And now that he is learning to fly solo, we too are learning to fly with him! We have never had a college student before! I sure hope it gets easier with Renee!

We have had many "happenings" this academic year with both Ryan and Renee.How proud we are of them. God's gifts to us, that's what they are!