My Jamaica-ish shpeel:

So, we were getting a little worried about getting stranded after our lay-over in Miami because of all the storms headed toward Jamaica (our original destination.) so my pastor (who also went on the trip) calls around to local churches in Miami to see if they had a place for us to stay just in case something like that would happen. Well, thanks to Hurricane Emily, all flights to Jamaica (or atleast for a group of 46) are cancelled until the second week of August. But, (and this is a big but folks!) the church my pastor called had just had a missions team back out on them, and they were supposed to do a kids program and construstion....that's exactly what we had planned for Jamaica! coindidence? I think not!
So, we did our missions trip in Miami, sort of last minute. And I know, you're probably thinking, "well, that's boring. Everybody and their mother has been to Florida, so its really not that great." And to be honest, I was really disappointed when I found out jamaica was a no-go. But after going to Miami I have zero regrets.
We worked with two agencies there and helped out with a day camp for kids, did construction, and some other stuff. The kids program was in a really bad part of town. Across from the camp was the location of 90% of drug deals in Florida. We actually got instructions on what to do if there was a deal, a drug bust, a gunshot...you name it. (I've gotten pretty good with that stuff! lol) For the most part,I felt pretty safe there though. I mean sure, I stuck out like a sore thumb...me in the middle of all these little black kids. ha! But we had so much fun, and the kids were so cute. Once during the week, there was a hostage being held a block away...and there were helicopters flying all around and then we found out it was one of our girls from camp's sister! Talk about chaos! And mind you, all these kids walk home, by themselves no matter if they're four or twelve. A lot of them go without parents for 2 or three days...these kids run the neighborhood...and you can tell.
But enough about the kids...I don't want to get that disease from typing too much..what's it called? oh! carpal-tunal syndrome..or something?!
oh! If someone will tell me how, I'll stick some pictures on here from the trip!


***13 days till band camp!!! (whoever sceduled a golf match at 10am the second day of band camp is not too bright. I am so gonna ditch golf!...unless I chicken out!)