Sunday, January 14, 2018

Rest, Reflect, Refreshed, And Ready

Last week we talked about working at making 2018 an exceptional year. Your year will be full of planned and unplanned events. Many of those events will take energy, encouragement, and effort. At our house winter time on the farm can be a time to mentally and physically slow down a little. To evaluate the previous, to enjoy the present, and to look forward to and plan for the coming season.
Jan and I are blessed to be able to spend some time together on Cayman Island 200 miles south of Cuba in the Caribbean Sea. Since my phone doesn't work outside the USA it has been a week of idling down, shifting to neutral, and relaxing. 
I know many folks enjoy a vacation on a cruise ship. Even though I have never been on a cruise I don't think I would like to be on a boat with that many people for a week. Here in Cayman as many as 4 cruise ships come in dropping off from 11000 to 17000 folks every day. By mid afternoon those folks after standing in long lines load back up and head out. 
I enjoyed our flight. I was invited to sit up with the pilots. We talked about how they used GPS to make an AB line just like we do on the farm. I was able to see many other planes in the air and was able to see Cuba while we flew over it.
We stay at the London House on Seven Mile Beach. We are with other farmers. We drove around in a rental car. Since this is a British island everyone drives on the wrong side of the road.
We share a kitchen, living room, and balcony with another couple. We each have our own bedroom and bathroom. With the beach and ocean right in our back yard we spend much of our time swimming, reading, and going for walks up and down the beach. Believe it or not I spent all week in shorts.
Jan and I drove to the farming area of the islands where they grow mostly vegetables. It was a stark contrast from the condos on the beach.
Their cemeteries are interesting. Obviously if you would dig a hole you would soon hit water so they put the vaults half in and half out of the ground. This was a beautiful cemetery with palm trees and ocean.
Jan found a nursery and we had to stop. Of course we couldn't buy anything however it was fun to hear her tell me the names of all the plants and which ones she grows at home outside in the summer and inside in the winter.
The main market is in downtown and only open when the cruise ships come in. We were able to browse around while the cruise folks were reloading and enjoyed visiting with the home folks about their families and their jobs here in Cayman. 
Everywhere you go there are chickens running around. Last evening Jan and I had supper at Brooklyns in Cabana Bay. Our waitress was Anna from the Czech Republic and yes there were even chickens in the shopping mall.
All my pictures from back home I received from snap chat and enjoyed everyone of them. The crew moved the dozers home and they will soon be in the shop getting ready for next spring.
It looks like Kurt is taking advantage of a warm day and is cleaning up the honey wagon that we didn't get finished last fall.
Alex sent me a snap of the Cat 865 all cleaned up and serviced.
Because of slick roads school was cancelled on Thursday. Looks like the boys came with their dads to the shop. 
Kurt and Emily went to an awards banquet in Des Moines Friday evening. Kurt was asked to give the blessing before the meal. Thanks to Dana and Austin for their efforts.
The guys have been hauling beans from south of Eddyville to Quincy, Illinois for Brent.
God created this beautiful land and oceans. Then plants. Then animals. Then people. And after six days of working and seeing it was good, He rested.  Jan and I always keep our eyes open for a church to go to while on vacation. This church was the first one on the island and was started in 1846. It sits in the middle of Georgetown near the ocean.
God also told us to rest. Today is Sunday. A day of reflection in church and rest with family and loved ones. You may not have the opportunity to leave the country this winter. Maybe not even the community because of family, work, etc. Give some thought however as to how you can find time to fill your tank so to speak. So you can be ready.
Ready for another year. Ready for work. Ready for family. Ready for opportunities God has planned for you. Ready for others. Solomon said, "Those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed". Proverbs 11:25. The footprints we make in life today will be our story to those who come behind us. May they find us faithful. 

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