Two weeks ago, my church, St. Paul Baptist Church had gone on their first mission trip ever! God is GOOD, at all times!
How did we get to MoBay, Jamaica?? It all started one year ago when my friend, Amy G has brought the MoBay CCCD’s Hands in Praise team to Peoria, IL! I became the HIP’s groupie, following them wherever they were performing in the area for the week. At the last minute, Ja’nice was touched by the performance and asked her Pastor to let the HIP perform on Wednesday evening services. I didn’t know where that was and she joked about how she has been interpreting like 5 months with no deaf members. I went to the Weds program, and got me interested in attending their regular Sunday services. Needless to say, I love that church!! I then became a member of SPBC in November. God then has opened the doors for me to be missionary to the MoBay CCCD children and staff for 6 months from January-July! I had informed my Pastor about my leaving for 6 months so he’s aware of it. He got curious on how this works, how I got into this field etc… The more we talked about it, the more he felt that God has opened the doors for him and he wanted to walk through it. Praise God he did! He then asked Ja’nice to start organizing a mission trip to MoBay CCCD.
The day’s finally arrived!! October 18-25th. We welcomed a small team of 3 members from North Carolina to join our team for the week. Warren, Kirk Plattner, Kishaun (student), Reid, and Andicea came to pick me up. The surprise was Andicea!! To our disappointment, it was the Jamaican holiday weekend, honoring the Jamaican Heroes. Most of the children were gone until Wednesday. We had about 15 children who stayed on the campus through the weekend. Most of the staff were on campus as well. It was still great opportunity to spend some time with them.
With the Plattner Family, Kirk holding Drew, Keri holding Truitt.
Sunday evening, we had our team devotion time with no electricity but candles, we sang and felt God’s presence with us. It was a blessing night, and a great way to start the week before we started working.
Monday, We were assigned to do two different things… one assignment: 4 members at the vocational building, to break the droppings of cements on the floor, they wanted the floor to be smooth. That was a HARD WORK!!! The rest of the team worked at the new nearly completed upper level of the school building. I spent my time on my buttocks or knees scraping off paint droppings, cement droppings, making sure the floor’s smooth, swept the dusty floor 2 or 3 times, then mopped 2 or 3 times!! Then I painted the edges by the wall so it’d be ready to use the roller to paint the entire floor. Throughout all these work, I was sweating bullets!!!! My clothes were soaked throughout the day/all week!
We worked only until Noon. We were to go to the beach which was normally to be done on Sunday afternoon but it was pouring rain so it was postponed to Monday and we got to take the children with us. That was a blessing to see the children who weren’t able to go home but to have some fun during the holiday weekend.
Tuesday, I then started on the second room, same process and also the second coat of painting were applied. But with a bit more of sanding. While I was painting the second room edges, I came up with an idea of making a “baseboard” because the corners of the floor and wall isn’t a straight edged. It was hard to make it look nice. I brought the idea up to the campus work team leader, Kirk Plattner which he liked the idea and said that it was called a “mop strip” in Jamaica. So, I started on lining the walls, and made that my project to accomplish in all 3 rooms. It certainly looks great!
Wednesday, most of the children returned to the campus. So many were very happy to see me again. One staff told me that the children had mentioned how they missed me, how they’ve missed the library time. Some missed just chatting with me cuz they learn so much from our conversations. That certainly was a blessing to hear and know that they were influenced by me in an educational way.
Also on Wednesday morning, Karen from SPBC had the opportunity to do devotion for the children in the morning before school. We talked about how we need to choose our foundation of our Christian life.
Thursday, Pastor Dev from SPBC preached about not to ask why, who, where, when but HOW? It was a very inspiring message. From where I was sitting, kind of in the back row, I could see the children signing “Amen”, clapping their hands at the “Amen point”, and their heads nodding. Some children’s face expression were saying “wow”. I’m just thrilled that Pastor Dev came and experience a new way of reaching out to people using the gospel. Ja’nice interpreted and she was awesome! I was afraid the children wouldn’t understand and thought maybe that one of the Jamaican teacher to be the interpret but the teachers said for Ja’nice to interpret. She was awesome! Did a great job!! May God bless Ja’nice and Pastor Dev for doing God’s will!!!
Pastor Dev preaching at the morning chapel
Thursday; work team: We started on the 3rd room, which needed sanding BADLY !!! Needless to say it was dusty using the sander! swept 3 times, mopped 3 times, and I started on painting the edges and doing the baseboards of the room. That’s where we all have stopped and left the rest for the next team.
Sanding the floor
Thursday evening: The children performed for us as a thank you for our work on the campus. Because I have been there for 6 months, I noticed they’ve done new songs and skits which was a blessing for me to enjoy their performance. In additional to the program, they added a new “harmony” group which included Mr. Reid, Ms. Clarke, Ms. Browne from CCCD and also Pastor Dev from SPBC singing Great is thy faithfulness(I think) interpreted by Ms. Sherrie Pyne from CCCD! BEAUTIFUL !!!!!! Andicea, a deaf teacher, a very good friend of mine said to me that it was the first time that she has seen a work team member join in with Jamaicans doing a performance in the program. GREAT BLESSING !!!!!!!
Friday: It is a free-day for the team members where we take a trip and enjoy the day from a hard sweaty work all week. We got to go to the Dunn’s River Falls. Gorgeous!! I spend my time laying at the beach cuz that’s RESTING time for me. I was truly tired at the time.
Throughout the evenings, at the devotions, it isn’t really common for the deaf staff to join in on the devotions with the team but they joined us….maybe it’s because of the fact I’m there and they wanted to spend time with me but certainly I know they’ve been blessed by the discussions we’ve had from a team member, Kyle from North Carolina. We were blessed to have him be willing to lead the devotions every night. Then after the devotions, Andicea and I along with some staff were often up, catching up on life and all etc… until 11:00 or so.
With my Jamaican Gals
Friday night, we didn’t have devotion but spent time playing with the children upstairs in the gym area. It started because I was upstairs with them, a student, Jarvell H. said to me how he wishes Pastor Dev could preach more! I told him HOLD ON! Let me get Pastor Dev. And I got Dev to come out of the team kitchen and I “interpreted” for them. During the conversationwith Jarvell, Crystal, Racquel, Pastor Dev and myself, Pastor Dev mentioned that he will talk with Ms. Russell about coming back here to preach every morning and every evenings of the week he is here the next time. I was truly blessed to be part of this new passion and truly touched by how God has used so many people to get Pastor Dev to Jamaica and how he wants to come again. I just can’t describe it into words! A blessing, I tell you. GOD IS GOOD, AT ALL TIMES!!!!
Also during the conversation, Jarvel was talking about how he became the Head Boy (a role model for the children… a leader for whenever there is problems among the students etc…) Crystal and Racquel are also Head Girls too. Pastor Dev went and got a book on being a Christian Leader and gave it to Jarvell and the Girls. He instructed them to study the book, I added on how they can read chapter by chapter at a time, get together and discuss, learn from each other on how leadership works and how they can be of a better leader to themselves and their peers. Pastor Dev said when he comes back, he will sit down with Jarvell and the Girls to discuss what they’ve learned from the book etc… Please join me in praying that they will continue to be motivated by the book and apply it into their experiences as the Head Boy/Girl.
Later in the evening, all team members spent time upstairs in the gym with the children, running around, dancing, playing with balls etc… It was a delight to see all of the team members to spend some fun times with the children. Lot of laughter in the room. Such blessings!!!
Saturday, woke up at 3:30am, left for the airport at 4:30am to fly to Kingston, Jamaica, the capital of Jamaica however I had to wait an hour at the front desk which was around 5:45am before I could check in when they opened. The flight to Kingston seemed like a 5 minutes flight!
I stayed with my friend in Kingston for the week. I stayed at my friend’s family’s home. Saturday was spent at home just chatting, meeting the families etc… then in the late afternoon, I went with my friend church for a choir practice who was going to travel to Portland on Sunday to minister to the small church there. The members of the group were surprised at how my friendcould sign and interpret for me. Then in the evening, we went to a formal dinner where they selected friend’s mother to be the Honoree and received an award.
Sunday, we had to be at church at 6am I think (I forgot… needless to say it was way too early!!!) Jamaican time….got delayed for about an hour. We travelled about 3 hours. The last hour and half of the journey was a very very rough bumpy road. I sat up front in the middle. Needless to say I was tired and my buttocks were N U M B !!!! Finally I was informed that we were about 1 1/2 miles away…. well, that actually took thirty minutes, VERY ROCKY and BUMPY road! Along this road, we got to see river down the valley, small current river. It kind of reminded me of home in a way. BEAUTIFUL sight…. such a great reminder of God’s creation!
Phillippo Baptist Church were to go there to sing few songs at the church in Mill Bank. Upon arrival, there was this church, simply a one room church with no doors, a makeshift roof which was destroyed from the Hurricane in 2007. My friend tried to interpret the services for me… Such blessing! I was touched by what the Pastor of the church said… Even though the church is in need of repairs, but that isn’t what is important. It’s having people together is what makes it a church. Such a great positive attitude regardless of the damages of the church building.
Mill Bank Church in Mill Bank, PortlandPhillippo Choir sings for Mill Bank Church
After church, some of the Phillippo members walked around in the community, reaching out to the community. Such a blessing to witness this event. I have Facebook and was recently added on as a friend with one of the Phillippo member who took lot of pictures… he took so many pictures and shared stories about them. It was very inspiring! God was using the Phillippo Members to reach out to the community.
We got back to SpanishTown at like 9:30PM. I was really disoriented cuz I had fallen asleep in the van for the last half of the ride back home. It was a looooong day but a very blessing day!!
Rest of the week, I just spent time hanging out at work. I’m always thankful for making new friends in Jamaica. Friday night, I got to see the Phillippo Church folks again before I fly back to the States. Watched the church’s cappella band practice. Then watched the drama team practice which turned out to be full of laughter. They so funny, I tell you!!
I flew back on Saturday. I was not looking forward to that. We picked up Shelly to tag along. I thought she was nuts for leaving with us at 6AM on a Saturday morning! BLESS HER!!!! These past 2 weeks has blessed me with many friends, new friends, and open arms of welcome. The more I visit, Jamaica has become a home for me. It gets harder and harder to go back to the States. But I know I am doing God’s will. That’s my peace!
Peace out to you all!
Be Blessed!!
Regardless of the reasons, I’m looking forward to seeing what God has in store on this trip for everyone involved.
