
Arrival
by C Fry
March 9, 2009 at 05:42 AM
Welcome to Jamaica. The team arrived on Sunday afternoon, landing just after noon. After migrating through customs and immigration they quickly loaded the coach bus to head to the Nutshell Conference Center, home away from home for the week. The drive to the conference center was filled with long stares out the windows of the bus as the team took in the island of Jamaica, the hills to one side and the blue water to the other. They even had the opportunity to start counting goats!!!!
After getting unpacked at the conference center the team took some time to get oriented in a team meeting followed by a nice dinner of fried chicken. After dinner we headed to church in Granville for the evening. The team jumped right into participating in worship with Brian and Lee sharing testimonies and Wes stepped up and lead a worship song. The pastor of the church was big into having the congregation share "high fives" so the team had the chance to celebrate like they had do after hitting a home run.
We are thankful to God for the safe arrival and the start of an incredible week.
First Full Day!
by Cassie
March 9, 2009 at 08:40 PM
Looking back on today, it seems like morning was a long time ago! So much has happened since we woke up this morning and we have seen God work in amazing ways! We jumped into the coaster(basically a small bus) and mini bus (a large van) armed with baseball bats, gloves, sunglasses, and waterbottles as we were excitedly swept down to Falmouth for our first full day of ministry! We met Reverend Nugent at the William Knibb High School and were moved very quickly into the auditorium where devotions were held to kick start the day. We all stood on a stage and looked out to the crowd of uniformed high school students excitedly (and loudly) waited for us to begin...They finally settled down and we began sharing testimonies, passing the mic during singing, and Wes shared a quick message. We were given a tour of the school and were able to sit in on some classes to see what classes are like compared to back home. The time flew by as we got to interact with the students there and soon it was time to jump back into the "buses" and leave for lunch. We got to buy fruit from a street vendor and enjoyed fresh pineapple and coconut milk before going to the Trelawney Infirmary. This place is amazing! Half the team visited with the residents while the other half got started with some sports in a nearby field and then we swapped. The people at the Infirmary just have no where else to go and no one else to care for them, but many of them still cling to how much God has blessed them! Zack shared about God's love with them and we were told so many times what a blessing it was to hear from so many young people. We have been blessed in serving and playing and have seen God use us in amazing ways! For dinner tonight we had chicken, rice and peas, and cole slaw with Plain Cake for desert. There is nothing quite like a hot delicious meal at the end of a full day! Of course we always leave room for snacking later on! Tomorrow we have another full day of ministry and we are excited to see God continue to work here in Jamaica!
Lots of Baseball!
by Cassie
March 10, 2009 at 06:31 PM
Pancakes for breakfast with boiled green bananas (a traditional Jamaican breakfast) were served bright and early at 7:00 so we could be ready to go to Granville Primary school to lead devotions for a much younger crowd. We sang songs like Trading My Sorrows and Lord I Lift Your Name on High. The kids clapped along and listened to testimonies. Zach gave a message on building your house on the Rock. We walked to the soccer field next to the school and waited for the kids to arrive. The older ones came first and we rotated them through the "stations": fly balls, ground balls, and hitting. They definitely kept us busy! Each group had around 20 boys and girls in their uniforms all ready to be the best they can be at baseball. Some of them had never put a glove on so they needed a lot of help! By the end though, they were getting the hang of it! After about 45 minutes the grades rotated through, so another sixty kids ready to play got to the field! We had 3 of those groups this morning and 2 this afternoon! For lunch today we had Jamaican Patties with fish, chicken, or beef. They were spicy and so good! The younger kids were in the groups this afternoon, so a lot of them weren't quite ready for baseball, but they were ready to race! And race we did...sometimes with small children on our backs! Even Coach Fox was told to "Run!" when he asked where a little girl who jumped on his back wanted to go! So he RAN! Some girls raced back and forth between Tyler P, Austen, and Corey swarming around them to give them hugs. School was out and it was time to head up to the church where we were able to enjoy our dinner and an impromptu time of worship and Bible Study. We had the opportunity to serve at a Girls Home this afternoon where we led some worship, shared some testimonies, and got to interact with some of the girls who lived there. All in all, ths was an amazing day and God continues to work!
An Amazing Adventure!
by Cassie
March 11, 2009 at 03:15 PM
This morning we left earlier than usual this morning because we had a little bit further to go. The drive was so beautiful. There were bush covered mountians, incredibly blue rivers, and deep valleys. We snapped pictures as we went along the winding road to remember such an amaizing place. We arrived at the school just on time and were able to enjoyu the view for a few minutes until the rest of the children arrived and got organized! This school was a little different from the others as the village was much smaller and more secluded. The children sang along as we sang Lord I Lift Your Name on High and Days of Elijah. It was such a blessing to see their smiling faces as they sang about God! Jeremiah 29:11 was quoted a couple of times during devotions and student who had their Bibles out opened to that Scripture and highlighted it. Now, they won't forget that God does have a plan for them. A hope. A future. One of the teachers came to the front of the class and formally thanked us for being there. We walked out of the classroom and down the hill to the field to start baseball clinic again! At first some of the girls were really shy and didn't want to try hitting, but eventually they came around and got to playing the best game ever invented. Some of the boys--especially a particular lefty--really hit it out of the park--or field in this case! In between groups we got to try juice in a bag. It was frozen and tasted a lot like kool aid. It was so refreshing! Some of us were asked to go have some music and fellowship time with a younger class of students! These kids were so cute! Michael said he met the cutest kid in the world there! We tried to play tag with the kids and they just ended up chasing us! The time for the baseball clinic came to a close and we hopped back into the bus after signing autographs and taking pictures with the kids. We headed back to the Nutshell for lunch and got to enjoy a very scenic ride home.
An Afternoon of Service
by Cassie
March 11, 2009 at 03:26 PM
After lunch today we had a chance to help out around the Nutshell Conference Center. We split off into groups painting doors, walls and signs, "weeding" the driveway, digging holes for posts, cutting grass, and fixing toilets....among other things! We worked together and enjoyed each others company. Caleb found a toad and carried it around for a while(with gloves on) and tried to creep out the other guys. Some of us got to try to cut grass with a machete too! All in all it was a good day! Off to dinner and an evening to rest after a hard days work!
Oh yeah! We're Feelin It!
by Cassie
March 13, 2009 at 09:58 PM
After a much needed rest Wednesday night, we got ready for our final day of ministry. Already? Time has flown by, even though we definitely feel that time has passed--those kids will wear you out! We went out to Bounty Hall Primary School where we were given the opportunity lead devotions again and we've really gotten into the song "Days of Elijah", as us to sing it for you sometime! We shared testimonies and a little bit about the story of Job. After devos in the morning we were able to work through a few groups in the Baseball Clinic. God definitely blessed us with energy to give those kids the same excitement and enthusiasm as we had the very first day! Those kids had smiles bigger than their faces and were just loving to have someone to teach them something new! We had lunch back at Granville and a little time to rest before we took off for the next school!
Afternoon Devotions
by Cassie
March 13, 2009 at 10:05 PM
We went to Wakefield Primary School. There were 750 kids at our devotional. Wow! Seeing all those faces looking at us in such close proximity was WILD! Gareth has been playing guitar for us while we sing praises to our King in testimony for what He has done. "Hallelujah! Your Love Makes Me SIng!" Amen and Amen! These kids stood in straight lines according to grade and the teachers made sure they behaved while we were sharing God's love with them.....afterwards....
We Were Rock Stars!
by Cassie
March 13, 2009 at 10:14 PM
School was about to let out and we got ready for the flood gates to open! They openned! So many kids came pouring out of that school and they just wanted to play soccer with us, get our autographs, and touch us! They were so excited to be around us. We played with them for a while but then were spread out around the field and each one of us was surrounded by 10-15 kids wanting our autograph. It was kind of odd, but an interesting experience. When it was time to go, we had to make a run for the bus and try to make sure we had everything! The kids ran beside the bus and lined the street for a long time before we finally made it out of town! The joy on their faces was inexpressible. We just hope that they will see some of the messages some of us wrote on their papers with our autographs. Maybe we wrote a verse or a quote or at least remember with a name on the page that this person loved Jesus and represented who He is.
Fun in the Sun and Goin Home!
by Cassie
March 13, 2009 at 10:25 PM
We got to sleep in this morning! We had breakfast at 8:15 today and then got all set for the ride to Ocho Rios where we got to walk on water, play in the sun, and do a little souveneir shopping! It was fun--but really tiring too! We ate dinner at Hibiscus (an Italian restaurant in Ocho Rios) and then headed back to Nutchell to have our final meeting! We each got to share what impacted us this week and got to worship together one last time in Jamaica! We've enjoyed our time here and know that God has been working in us and through us! We won't forget some of the things that happened here. And now it's time to fly back home!
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