St Croix has a beautiful and interesting mix of people. Most Crucians (people born on St Croix) are descendants of slaves, from Africa, but there are also many Puerto Ricans and even Arab Palestinians. People like our family are referred to as "Continentals," and whereas I was initially self-conscious, I don't feel as out of place anymore.
There are many Rastas (followers of Rastafari) on the island. A lot of us first learned about Rastafari (the name of the religious movement) through the music of one of it's most famous followers, Bob Marley, a Reggae artist. Rasta and Reggae go hand in hand, and Africa has always been a popular theme for the songs. I enjoy listening to the Reggae radio stations sometimes, because there's far less (what I consider) nasty content than there is in pop music, and it usually promotes more positive messages. Click on this link to go to a nice Reggae song that I hear on the radio: African Story, African Glory.
One of the many fun things about having such a great mix of cultures, is of course... the FOOD! Below are photos of us making "Tostones," fried plantains, which are popular in Puerto Rico.
First I had to learn how to open a plantain. They don't peel "down" in strips, like bananas. You have to slice the peel lengthwise, into a few segments, then peel it off from the side.
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Remove the plantain slices, and smash them down with the back of a wooden spoon, then put them BACK into the hot oil to finish frying them. Serve them with a little sea salt, as a snack or side dish, much like you would potatoes! We really liked them, even though I'm not a fan of frying (I'm not good at it, I feel like I'm wasting the oil by only using it once, and I don't like to clean up afterwards)!
We've been here two months now, and we're discovering that there is ALWAYS something going on somewhere on the island. We watched the 4th of July fireworks from the beach, attended the 17th Annual "Mango Melee," one of the quarterly "Jump Ups" in Christiansted, and the kids attended a two week summer camp at YWAM St. Croix.
Below are photos I took at the YWAM base, before/during the final performance of the summer camp. Please click here for the Kings Kids link on the YWAM St Croix web site, and read about this wonderful program for Christian youth. We are incredibly blessed that the kids had this unexpected (unplanned for) opportunity, where they started so many new friendships.
The YWAM base is located on a beautiful and historic plantation (Diamond Ruby Plantation). There is a group of staff who live there permanently, and other buildings for guests/volunteers who come throughout the year. Every summer, the base is inundated with youth, some from as far away as Europe!
The great house has offices, kitchen, dining area, and a large multipurpose room.
What a great setting for a basketball game. During the summer camp, Jesse was involved in the Sports outreach, not only training and playing, but also learning how to use sports to share God's love in the community!
This is one of the houses where full-time staff live. There are single people and also families with children who live, work, and serve at YWAM bases.
Morgan spent two weeks living in the white trailer towards the back.
Jesse slept in one of the little buildings you can see in the background, each having three sets of bunk beds.
This is the plantation's historic sugar mill. Although there are no longer any active sugar mills on the island, the YWAM staff still grows a bit of sugar cane in their organic garden, just for fun. The kids enjoyed fresh mangoes, tamarind, and genips from the bountiful trees on the property.
Open air dining area...
Multi-purpose room being prepared for the grand finale of the 2013 summer camp.
Morgan trained in drama, and learned to share God's message through group performances in the community. Mike and I were very impressed with ALL the music, dancing, and other skits. One of the enactments even made me cry!
The camp counselors and youth leaders came over as a group, from Puerto Rico. Both Morgan and Jesse now have friends in Puerto Rico and are looking forward to going there for a visit. Here is a video I took of Jesse's small group leader introducing and saying some really nice things about him! It makes a mother feel good when other
people recognize how special her children are ♥
I love the photos below, even though they are not mine. One day during summer camp the kids went to the beach, and one of Morgan's new friends snapped these:
I'm very happy about all the nice kids Morgan and Jesse are meeting and spending time with. I look forward to the kids having their first get-together here at our house, whenever they're ready to plan and execute it! Jesse and I cleaned up the outdoor living room (I'm going to call it the "Yard House") and arranged the furniture to make it cozy.
The Hammock, perfectly located for catching the best sea breezes, was begging me to sleep in it. Although it felt amazing to sleep outside again, which I love so much, I woke up around midnight, cold and wet. I'll have to figure something out for keeping the wet air from settling on me, but doesn't make me feel hot. Any ideas?
Well, I'd say we're just about ready for company. Maybe a little tweaking here and there, but by the time you get here, we'll have everything set up for you. So hurry up and plan your visit!
Laurel
