7 years ago...

Seven years ago I was in Costa Rica with Jackie after here cesarean delivery of Elena, everyone was celebrating Columbus Day when EL Comandante changed our lives by making his famous speech on TV telling us all to "pack our bags and leave the jungle".

We managed to stay on for several months until the legal battles became too expensive for us and our plane was impounded and nearly expropriated. By God's grace, Clint managed to get it flown out to Trinidad on Father's Day 2006. Long story!

Here is a poem my youngest daughter wrote at the time. 

"Under my Thatch Roof"
By Jayde Vernoy (2006)

I lay in silence,
Unable to sleep,
We'd move to the city,
so soon each day I'd weep.

President Chavez had said,
Right on TV,
That he didn't want to see in the jungle,
One missionary.

I felt like crying,
when he said those words.
I felt like I was being stabbed,
by a thousand swords.

I loved our home,
I loved it there,
how could Chavez say that?
It just wasnt fair.

So we packed a bunch of things,
some were old,some were new,
but when we boxed it all up,
we could only take a few.

"Plane Day" came,
and we all climbed inside the plane.
I did not like it.
I thought it was insane.

One last look,
At the Indian's lined up,to say goodbye,
It hurt me so much,
I thought I would die.

But here I am now,
One year later,
getting used to a new life
And no longer eating gator.