October, 2009

Greetings from Robin’s Nest,

It has been a very busy week here in Jamaica.  We finally got water again at the Nest.  On the same day the water truck came from the National Water Commission, we had a private water truck show up and deliver two loads of water!  And on this same day we had 3 rain showers!  I guess when it rains it pours!   Trust me when I say that we give thanks to God for rain and water.  Speaking of water, I made the short walk from the Nest down to the natural spring we are in the process of trying to harvest water for our community.  Our construction manager tells me it is about a 300 foot drop in elevation, but on the climb back up it feels like 600.  I just feel like crying when I see all this water so close to us but unable to use.  Pray that we can come up with a plan to get it up here efficiently and cost-effectively.

Speaking of crying, I had my first experience of visiting the patient floors at the regional hospital here.  One of our handicapped children is very ill and we sent her there for treatment.  I will spare you the details other than to say I hope and pray that we can find a better place for her to get treatment.  It was not easy for me to see this poor child receive care so different than what we in America take for granted.  She just turned 16 a few days ago.  Our staff took her some balloons and spent time with her.  

Other events that happened this week…the bus received more repairs; we are still looking for a different one.  I went to my first Family Court case and it went just about as I expected.  I caught my first rat up at the Nest; it was still alive when I went to dispose of the glue trap.  I am gaining new skills I never knew I had!  Our oldest daughter, Carly, has injured her foot and I will need to get her a cast shoe and crutches and maybe x-rays.  Please remember her healing in your prayers.  Thank you for the prayers for Angie while she was ill.  She is doing much better. 

Doing God’s work is not easy but God is good and gives us just what we NEED!

-Joel O’Dell

Greetings,

This is Michelle Robinette, the founder of Robin’s Nest Children’s Home in Jamaica.  I am now stateside and available for speaking engagements with churches and other groups.  We are very grateful for our new executive directors and their family, Joel and Angie and their 3 children, for taking over in Jamaica.  Please keep them in your prayers as they start this new journey in their lives.  I am writing to thank you for your affiliation with us.  We are grateful for your prayer and/or financial support.  I also wanted to give you a personal update of our present situation.

             First, I would like to let you know of some improvements that have been made at the Nest.   We now are raising chickens - laying hens and broilers.  We have a big garden area, “Shantara’s Garden,” which is dedicated to Shantara who passed away earlier this year.  It supplies the Nest with fresh vegetables.  We also have many donated banana and other fruit trees on the property which supply the Nest fresh fruit.  In addition, we have been blessed to have food from “Feed My Starving Children” so we can supply our home and the community with this specific aid of nutrition.  At present, we are working on building a water system to provide the home with an adequate supply of water and reduce or eliminate our dependence on water trucks to bring up water to the Nest only when it’s available.  Recently we have made it through another period of a week without any water.

The community we live in has around 300 people.  It is a very small and impoverished community with many young, “at risk” children.  On the property, there is a main house, “Jake’s House,” and our preschool.  As you can imagine, they require continual maintenance and staff.  Our preschool has children from our home plus approximately 12-15 children from the community.  We provide all of them with a daily vitamin, nutritious lunch, and an excellent education to prepare them for school.  This care and education would not have otherwise been available to this small community.  The main house provides a home to our infants, toddlers, and girls up to age 15.  Jake’s House has boys, ages 5-11.  There are presently 12 boys at Jake’s House.  The building is two thirds completed, and the third section will provide the children with more room plus we envision Jake’s House having an area for our onsite mission teams to stay.  We are hoping a grant from another organization makes this possible, so please pray that grant comes through.

During this tough economic time in our country, we need to act responsibly and try to conserve as much as possible on our expenses.  We know you are probably facing some of the same problems we are.  Giving has decreased from previous years and our operational funds are in the red.  If the need was not serious, we would not bring this matter to your attention. Presently, we are facing cutbacks in groceries and possibly staff.  We are also unable to take in any more children even with openings.  We ask for your continued prayers at this difficult time. 

As you may already know, November 8^th is Orphan Sunday in our nation: www.cryoftheorphan.org and we would appreciate you remembering us in your prayers that Sunday (and always).  We pray that our ministry will continue to bring glory to God, and He will bless it according to His perfect will.  We want to keep our orphanage running with high standards in order to help the children to grow up to be responsible Christian adults.  We are not there just to house orphans.

May God’s grace and peace be multiplied to you.

I remain in His service,

Michelle Robinette

Wheelchair Ian’s Adoption Story

(Please do not email us or call us regarding adoption from Robin's Nest. 
We are NOT an adoption agency. All adoptions in Jamaica go through their
Child Development Agency.)

   April 15, 2008 began a journey that would change our lives and the lives of our family.  On that day, we met Ian at Robin’s Nest.  For a couple of years, we had been discussing adoption and sensing that God was at work in our lives regarding our ‘mission’.  Both of us had taken mission trips and had a heart for kids and orphans.  However, with two grown, married children and an ‘empty nest’, it seemed crazy to disrupt the comfort we were enjoying.  And then, along came Ian.

While on a mission trip to Jamaica in April of 2008, Angela and the ladies visited Robin’s Nest while the men continued other work on the island.  While there, she discovered “wheelchair Ian.”  Ian was an 8-year old boy with cerebral palsy who possessed a sweet spirit and captivating smile that defied his physical condition.  He was placed at Robin’s Nest when he was 18-months old.  Angela’s heart was immediately captured.  When Tom arrived, he got to meet Ian and could tell that something was happening with Angela.  It took all her strength to climb on the bus at the end of the day as she wondered “why can’t we take him home with us?”

   We spent the rest of that week praying and asking questions like ‘why Ian, we can’t save all children like him?’ and ‘why us?’  The only answers we came up with were ‘but, you can impact Ian’ and ‘why not?’  When we got home, we met with our children and their enthusiasm was beyond what we could have imagined.   

   Amidst much paperwork and phone calls with CDA, we were able to return to Jamaica on another mission trip in April 2009.  We learned more about Ian and his needs and saw that God had planted an amazing spirit into this physically challenged boy.  The Jamaican courts awarded us an adoption license on July 2, 2009 and we began to make travel plans.  On August 22, we departed for Jamaica and were there finalizing things for about 3 weeks.  Throughout that time, we experienced many highs and lows as we struggled to see God’s hand in the delays.  However, God gave us concentrated time with Ian for us to get to know each other.  Finally, on September 12, 2009 we returned to our home with Ian. 

   Ian has adapted very well.  His sweet spirit continues and his smile melts all those he encounters.  We continue to be amazed at how God has blessed us and others through Ian.  His spirit, despite his physical handicap, is never dampened.  What a challenge and encouragement he has been to us and our family.

   For us, this adoption was a result of our allowing God to change our plans and our lives in order to reach out to a young boy who did not choose cerebral palsy.  Will Ian ever walk?  Will he ever talk?  We have no idea, but we trust God that we have done the right thing for us and for Ian.  Who knows what He has in store for us next?!?! 

Tom & Angela