|
|
Would you like to make a donation to
Robin's Nest?
All money is wired
directly to Jamaica. Please send to:
Robin's Nest U.S. Office; P. O. #122; Lake Elmo, MN
55042
(Robin's Nest is a 501(c)(3)
organization, and all gifts are tax deductible to the full extent
allowed by law.)
For more information on
Robin's Nest, you may or email:
k.killian@att.net
|
Robin's Nest
Children's Home
|
 |
 |
|
Merry Christmas from Michelle
Robinette, founder of Robin's Nest
I pray this newsletter finds
everyone blessed and warm and with family for the birthday of
Jesus. We have certainly been blessed by so many fun things for the
children this year; many field trips, including one where they saw a
Sesame Street parade. We are all decorated with lights and trees
and lots of nativity sets, thanks to kits that the kids can make. I
hope to see many of you in 2006. We are excited about our new place
and hope many can come and see us. We are in need of work teams to
come down and help us fix a few things, including the road by our
house to make it more drivable. I’d like to thank our volunteer
board of directors this Christmas for the countless hours of service
donated this past year. A special thanks to you, our supporters for
your prayers, your sacrificial gift of time working at the home or
helping with stateside projects, supplies donated to be sent here to
Jamaica, and the financial gifts that have kept us running and are
now helping us purchase our own home.
May God
bless you all this Christmas - Michelle
Trip Report from Gayle
Diggins
President, Robin's Nest U.S. Board
of Directors
As I awoke from my
sleep early one bright, sunny Jamaican morning in September, I was
filled with thoughts of joy. I could hear the early morning sounds at
Robin’s Nest – the babble of babies (along with a few hungry cries), the
chatting of the little girls whose play veranda was just above the
apartment I was staying in, some of the staff who had already arrived
for their 6:00 a.m. work shift (after traveling an hour or more), and
Michelle’s voice intermixed with all the rest. I thought, “we are all so
blessed.”
As I read my daily devotions, my heart swelled with
love and thankfulness, not only for the opportunity to spend a month at
Robin’s Nest (due to the support of an anonymous donor who believed in
the importance of my extended stay), but also for the many individuals
who believe in the importance of the mission of Robin’s Nest, the
children of Jamaica whose lives have been touched, and the Lord’s
continued guidance and high standards for the home.
The new home is beautiful, and comes complete with many
challenges (none insurmountable) as we convert this dwelling into a
children's home. It was time to plant our roots in a more permanent
setting. I thank all of you who have invested in this endeavor through
your prayers and financial support. I especially want to thank the
board members and teams who have traveled to Robin’s Nest in the past
few months to contribute their own unique talents.
Michelle Robinette and the staff at Robin’s Nest worked
hard to make the move and the needed adjustments to the new home. My
month-long stay gave me a much greater appreciation for all they do on a
daily basis. Many thanks to all of you in Jamaica from all of us in the
United States!
The U.S. board is a group of volunteers who do their
best to get out a newsletter, write thank-you notes, meet once a month,
take care of the finances, and give of ourselves to help the children of
Jamaica. If at times you have not received a thank you or newsletter or
have felt unappreciated, we apologize. As we grow, we continue to
strive to update our methods of communication. Please remember to check
our website often for updates,
www.robinsnestchildrenshome.org
And last, but certainly foremost, I thank the Lord for
this opportunity to be a part of the Robin’s Nest family, to love, to
share, and to grow into the person He has destined me to be. I pray
that each of you has a very Merry Christmas and that you will continue
to remember Robin’s Nest in your prayers, support and missionary
travels. As 2005 comes to an end, we look back on the year with much
gratitude.
I remain a thankful servant, Gayle Diggins, President,
U.S. Board of Directors
GREAT POTENTIAL AT THE NEW NEST
by Scott Lacher, Robin's Nest U.S. Board Member
This fall, Tim
Blatner (husband of former board member, Lisa Bodette), and I decided to
go to the Nest on short notice. It had been a while for both of us, and
we had heard there were a few projects waiting to be done. The drive
from the airport to the Nest was very interesting. I have never
experienced a minivan swimming up the streets. The rains from the
hurricanes were still pouring down on the island causing many roads to
wash out and damage low lying homes.
What a blessing from our God this new building is to
Robin’s Nest. The children have room to play outside the house, yet are
still protected from the rain on the veranda. The house was built in
three separate sections, so the boys get one end and the girls get the
other. The girls love the idea of having a place to play without the
boys being able to bother them. The kitchen is compact, yet feels open
and airy because only a breakfast bar separates it from the dining
room. The school building is such an asset for the children. Like any
other school on the island, they have to get up, get dressed in their
school uniforms, pack a lunch or snack, and walk 100 yards or so to the
school at the end of the driveway. Because the school is in a separate
building, the children respect it as they would an off-site school.
What a blessing!
Considering we bought a house and are trying to
turn it into a children’s home, we are continually blessed in how easily
the conversion is going. Available quantities of water were an issue
when we arrived. Water will now be plentiful, after some very hard work
by a small group of people. The current water system has been upgraded
and some of the work for adding a new lift pump has been done. The
small generator is wired so the pump that provides water to the house
will have power during blackouts, and the circuits for a lift pump have
been installed. The big generator upstairs only requires flipping a
couple switches and starting the generator, and there will be
refrigeration, freezer, lights and some outlets in the main part of the
house. Tim did a fantastic job of building cabinets and storage for the
tool room and others did a wonderful job of helping him enclose the
boys’ veranda with safety screens. Because of tremendous staff support
we were able to get a lot done in a very short amount of time … too much
to list. Unfortunately, we were kept too busy to interact (actually we
wanted to play) with the kids. I guess that will have to be another
trip.
Tim and I would like to take this time to say thank you
to Mr. Ausley and Mr. Glaston in particular for their assistance and
hard work while we were there. The entire staff was great at reminding
us to do the little things like, “eat and drink plenty of water.” There
is still so much to be done. Contact the U.S. office for an updated
“to-do list.” For those that can go, we pray for safe travel and a
fulfilling adventure acting as God’s hands and doing God’s will. – Scott
Lacher & Tim Blatner.
Trip Report
|
|
My name is
Stina and I turned 23 during my month long stay at Robin's Nest in
September 2005. I had been dreaming of spending time at a children's
home in Jamaica since my missions trip there in 2002. When I
arrived at Robin’s Nest, I could hardly believe it because I was
accomplishing one of the biggest dreams for my life.
My
month at the Nest was amazing. It just took a few days of feeling
awkward before I figured out the Nest routines. What a blessing it
was that Gayle Diggins (board president) was staying at the Nest the
same time as me because we split up some duties. I spent my day in
the Word, on the baby porch, playing with the school kids, helping
the three oldest children with their homework, and every day (and
many late nights) helping the staff with the babies. I got to go on
trips to the doctor, the children services department, grocery
stores and shops which was a great way to see Montego Bay. I also
had experiences I never imagined, such as bringing
2-day-old-bundle-of-joy Zoe home from the hospital. |
Another visitor told me: “If you really want
to know what makes each child ‘tick,’ spend one-on-one time with
them.” I am so glad I followed that advice. For instance, if you
watch closely when Peter talks, you see that even though he
sometimes speaks slowly or quietly, he is bright and so very eager
to learn. Shana-Kay loves to have you read stories to her in a Texan
or British accent or pray by her bed at night. It took me 3 weeks to
figure out that Swade and Wade weren’t trying to cause trouble by
yelling at the tops of their lungs every night -- they were actually
singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star! Each child touched my heart
differently and I have memories that I cherish deeply.
I am very fortunate to have had time to work alongside the
staff. Robin’s Nest has a house full of men and women who are not
only doing their jobs as "laundry lady", "cleaning lady", "cook", or
"teacher" for 25 children, they also go home and care for their own
families at the end of each day. Before the day staff would leave
for the night, we had so many fun times talking about food, movies,
and life in Jamaica. Shirley and I would sometimes stay up late to
watch a movie and I'm thankful we had that time to warm up to each
other and bond in this way. My advice is, eat all the good stuff
Miss Joy makes and if you get sick, tell Miss Brown, because she
sure helped me. (It was a painfully funny night.)
I will leave you with this thought: the ONLY way I was
able to have such an amazing time at the Nest with honestly no bad
days was because I took time to read God's Word every day. Please
do the same if you go there and keep your eyes and heart open to
what He wants to show you through the staff and children because
it's a huge learning experience and overall, wonderful. Merry
Christmas, Stina. |
GOD BLESS YOU IN 2006
As we have looked
back on 2005, we have seen the hand of God on the ministry of Robin’s
Nest. In some ways, it has been a rough year with burdensome
financial needs, but our God has been faithful. As you come to the
end of the year, we trust you will consider giving to Robin’s Nest. We
have another large payment due at the end of this month on our new
property. As you can tell by the gifting form, there are several ways you can
participate in the ministry of Robin’s Nest. Your prayers are the most
important way. Consider creating a lasting legacy by making a gift in
memory of or in honor of someone this Christmas. If you would like
further information on giving stock, please contact Marian at the number
listed. Also, look at the different ways of support at our website.
www.robinsnestchildrenshome.org
|
A Different Way of Giving to the Nest
by Scott Lacher, Robin's Nest U.S. Board Member
As you know, there have been many
disasters recently here in the United States. We are fortunate in
this country because organizations such as FEMA, the Red Cross, the
Salvation Army, insurance companies, and state disaster relief are
ready to lend a helping hand and provide financial support. In
developing countries such as Jamaica, there is no such
infrastructure. Not one of the above-mentioned organizations sends a
dollar to assist God’s children in Jamaica. The children of Robin’s
Nest only have us. It is up to us to take care of them and we are
currently in dire straights even for our daily sustenance right
now.
Deuteronomy 14:29 says,
“so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their
own) and the aliens, the fatherless and the widows who live in your
towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the LORD your
God may bless you in all the work of your hands.”
Since it is up to us, how can we help when we
may not have the funds to send today?
We have been invited to participate in an auction
to benefit the children of Robin’s Nest. That baseball on the shelf
could be baby formula for a month. Your old baseball cards can turn
into diapers. If you happen to know any pro athletes, politicians,
celebrities, actors, or collectors, will you please contact them and
ask for an item to be auctioned for the children of Robin's Nest?
So PLEASE if you have sports, movie or
political memorabilia, art prints, paintings, or antiques that you
could donate do not hesitate to email me,
scottsmemorabilia@yahoo.com
and I will fill you in on shipping and delivery dates and the other
particulars of the auction.
With proper participation, we may be able to make this
an ongoing venue to turn “stuff” into much needed supplies. Please
assist us in feeding the children with this unique venture of
turning ornamental items into daily sustenance. |
SPONSOR A CHILD
FROM THE "NEST"
In
2006, we will begin a new program, “Sponsor a child.” For only
50 cents a day or $15 a month, you can help the children of Robin’s
Nest. If you desire to be a part of this program or want more
information, please fill in the area concerning it on the gift form. Below is an example of information you would receive
about your child and a picture. You are free to choose Shana Kay or
any of the children listed on the
Children's Page.
Please note: We would like to do
this program primarily by e-mail and automatic deduction. However,
if you are unable to do this, please do not hesitate to sign up.
|
|
Vision statement:
To raise the standard and quality of childcare
across the island of Jamaica; to improve the ratio of adults to children
in childcare settings; to abolish the mindset that physically, mentally,
and otherwise challenged children are second-class citizens. |
Mission statement:
We pray that Robin's Nest will provide a nurturing,
loving, safe, Christ-centered atmosphere in which all children will grow
at their own speed --physically, mentally, and spiritually -- so they
may develop their own individual gifts, talents and abilities and become
the person who God intended. |
If
you would like more information on Robin's Nest or would like to send a
donation (all money is wired directly to Jamaica via our bank here)
please contact Kris Killian at the Robin's Nest U.S. office:
P.O. #122, Lake Elmo, MN 55042-0122
k.killian@att.net
(Robin's Nest is a 501(c)(3)
organization, and all gifts are tax deductible to the full extent
allowed by law.)
|
|
Home
|