home again.

i got home July 8th and i didn't write a blog right away because i wanted some time to settle and be with my family. I want to say thank you to everyone who read my blog and prayed for me, you have no idea how much it meant to me. I also want to say another huge thank you to all my supporters heaven is forever different because of you guys. I can't really explain the effect Jamaica had on me because i don't think anyone could completely understand. I can say that i saw some things more beautiful than i could ever describe, and some things so horrible that i don't want to try to describe. I had some of the greatest times of my life, and i also had some of the lowest. Being that it was my second time i wasn't as spiritually moved, but i was taught some great lessons, and i did grow a lot with Christ. I learned a lot about my gifts, and truly believe encouragement is one of my gifts and although i love to lead i would rather serve and help than lead and show. I hope my blog as encouraged other people to get out and share the love of God, you don't have to go to a third world country to share his love either simply smiling to a quiet neighbor can make a difference.

- Haley Opdycke.

Written by Heather (Haley's mom):

Haley may be surprised that I'm blogging on her account! I wanted all of her followers to know that Haley may not have time nor computer access to do her own blogging for a while. If you are wondering what else may be going on, her youth pastor, Troy, has posted a few times since the Horizons Team arrived in jamaica. If you would like to see his posts, go to http://www.tnwanders.blogspot.com. Thank you to everyone who has prayed for and supported this team. I know it's appreciated by the team, but also by all the families who have sent their precious cargo to another country to do this ministry. We have faith that God will keep them in His hands and do a good work through them.

In Christ,

Heather

Sunday&Monday

This blog is the only thing that is keeping my days separated. As far as events they are all mushing together. Yesterday was church day. The church we went to was very fun and was very inviting. After that i took a three or four hour nap and woke up with a pretty high fever. I decided to still go to the night show which probably was not the best idea, because i woke up today feeling even worse. Charlotte stayed at the hotel with me and is taking great care of me. Everyone on the team is trying their best to help me. Tomorrow is a free day so we are going to Dunes River! Then its back to Montego Bay. Wednesday Horizons comes in and im so excited! I can't wait to see everyone. One of the girls on our team got sick and won't be able to come to Jamaica, please pray that she will get better, i can't imagine preparing for this trip and finding two days before i caouldn't go, but i know that God has a plan and something good will come of this even if it doesn't seem like it right now. Because i was sick today i got to call my mom and talk to her on the phone a bit, that was really great. I am defnitaly missing my parents more this trip than last time not only because this trip is longer but because im so much closer with them this time. I'll try and write again tomorrow (:

Day Fivee (:

Today was really hard. I started to really miss my family today, Callista in particular. At the night show tonight i sat with a little girl who was six years old. She was out in Kingston at night with only her 13 year old sister. She sat on my lap and danced with me for the whole time, at the end of the show i asked her where anyone in her family was, that was when she told me she was only with her sister and that she didn't know where her sister was. I felt bad because i could see how scared she was in her eyes, i offered to help her find her sister and we finally found her. Then the little girl gave me a huge hug and told me she wouldn't forget me. That whole thing made me think more and more about Callista, and about how lucky we were to have each other, its about 11:30 here in Kingston and i still have to take a shower. Breakfast tomorrow at six then off to church! I'll try to write a blog tomorrow.

Day Four! (:

Its about three o'clock, and the team is still not all together, but the rest show be coming in shortle.
We did our first show today at a high school. We woke up at five, ate at five thirty, and left by six. The first show went alright, i got to MC so that was pretty intense. Then we did another show at a primary school, i was amazing! They loved the puppets, and were very responsive. After a huge group of girls came up and started hugging me, then they started playing with my hair. When we were talking one mentioned how they love to dance so we all stood around and they taught me how to dance. Then one girl gave me a Hannah Montana pin after i expressed my love for her, and i taught the girls in Jamaica the Hoe Down Throw down, haha. They were also impressed by my splits, and i few of the girls could do it too so we all did it together. I have to go eat lunch now, but im going to try to write another one tonight after dinner !(:

Day Three?

By this time the days are starting to mesh together. Today we woke up and took a relaxing walk down to the beach, after some of us took a swim, and then Char and i took a very long nap. Al the interns going to kingston loaded up and went to the airport to meet our team! Unfortunately half the team got stuck in Memphis so they will have to come meet us tomorrow, i still haven't gotten to do a show yet this summer. After we loaded up the 8 Whitters kids who made me we started our four hour drive to Kingston. I got to sit next to another inter Mike, who is from Wisconson. Matt will be starting college this year ,and is planning on purposing to his girlfriend, so i had a lot of fun things to talk about on the bus (: We got to our hotel at about seven, got situated and atee dinner. right now some of us are sitting around a table listening to Michale Jackson, because we just found out he died. We are als waiting for our sechudel for the week, since we don't have it yet.

-Haley

If your intrested

Charlotte has a blog too, we both blog together, its cute.
if you would like to read what she has to say follow her too!
her url is charlove89.blogspot.com (:
ohh & the Chino team came in, they're nice, all my roommates are over 18, im a baby,

mom- i'm probably going to need to you buy some more things, and send them with someone from Horizons, i'll let you know farther in the week, it'll be things like water bottles and itching cream, i love you ans miss you (: