Not in Kansas Anymore: mom's visit to ja

Hi everyone! This is Janelle's mom and she's asked me to write a little about my recent visit to see her in "Sunny Jamaica". So............... The first three days we spent in Negril on the west end of the island. We had Thanksgiving dinner with all her Peace Corps friends. What an amazing group of people! All I can say is you are all AWESOME individuals for the work you are doing (not to mention pretty good cooks - Thanks to Yvonne for the turkey and Shana for the homemade stuffing!!!)

Janelle forced me to go cliff jumping. Well, maybe forced is a strong word. I actually did it on my own with a little encouragement. The water was so blue and clear. And what I jumped off was nothing compared to the 40 foot cliff she and her friends jumped off at Rick's Cafe!!

After Negril, we ventured to her place at Runaway Bay. She lives with a wonderful little Jamaican lady, "Nurse", and her son Shavon. Janelle is blessed to be living with such a great person. She took us to a gospel concert at a little chapel in a village called Bamboo located at the top of a mountain. Very neat experience!

We also got a great tour of the mountains and several gorgeous homes by her friends Johnny & Alicia. Janelle has been working on a project for Johnny and I got to go to the site and see it for myself. It's the one she mentions below where they've won a $40K grant from the UN. We saw some fantastic views of the ocean from way up high. Everything is so beautiful & green.

Of course, it wouldn't be a trip to Jamaica without a visit to the beach. And of course, we had to have a "Cheeseburger in Paradise" at Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville before we left.

I also got to experience some traditional Jamaican food. Here's what I can remember: akee & saltfish, breadfruit, yams cooked over an open fire, boiled bananas & dumplings, porridge, jerk chicken, pork & sausage, festivals & my all-time favorite "patties" with coco bread. These are kind of like deep fried pastries with meat filling. Wow did I ever like those! Had to get one at the airport before I left.

It was a tearful goodbye but a great trip and an experience I'll never forget. I am so proud of her and the work she is doing. You all need to make a trip down and visit her. You won't be disappointed!!!