Hey everyone!  Carly here…checking in…from Kingston Jamaica!  I have to admit I want nothing more than to be curled up asleep right now but once I learned that I would have some wifi access on our mission trip I promised myself I would blog.  Please excuse any typos or wonky sentences.  My first check in happened 18 hours ago 🙂  This blog is mostly for me…but it is also for Sam so I am going to attempt to recap each day!

Thanks to everyone’s amazing generosity and the support we made it on the mission trip!  Day one has been full of typical travel woes.  First flight delayed. We sat on our plane at the CLT gate for an hour or so past our departure time.  Who really knows why…but it caused us to miss our next flight to Kingston.  Once we arrived in MIA and were able to get booked on the next flight.  Safe arrival into Kingston, but it set our schedule back by hours.  Also because their airport process is totally on island time!  2+ hours to get through customs and into a rental van.  But alas…we made it to our hotel.  Quick check in and back in the van to go to a hosted dinner at the Issa family’s house.  Wow…what a generous family.  Instantly I felt like I was with my family .  I immediately checked in with this beautiful peaceful home they were sharing with us.  They served us Jamaican Chinese food! #getinmybelly  Followed by some enlightening discussions about the NCBA as well as the culture here in Jamaica.  When asked…”what is the biggest change you have seen living here your entire life?”…the response was “People just keep getting poorer and more desperate.”

This is my first mission style trip to a carib island and I have to admit I am nervous about what my mission is here.  Not that it became clear today but I was able to do some checking in with myself today.  Life has been flying at me at light speed (thanks to Shawn and the movie Interstellar I know how fast that really is now).  I have not had one day “off” in months, which I am more than thankful for because it means business is good.  I have been slowly preparing my house, head and heart for Sam’s return home.  All while trying to keep up with my amazing life group of family, friends and most importantly staying in check with my relationship.  Yall…it is A LOT…I mean a whole LOT.  And I do not give myself a break.  Always pushing forward.  My list is long, deep and intense, and not getting any shorter.  Just getting this far in a blog that I will post (catching up this week I promise on the other 5 I have started and not finished) feels good.  So here I am…one small spoke…checking in.  This week I hope to be wise but thoughtful, quiet but brave, cautious but open, grounded but loving…until tomorrow…

Update:  More pictures from our first day…